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Controlled and sustained drug release is a critical aspect of drug-delivery systems (DDSs) that can be used in chemotherapy while ensuring therapy effectiveness and biosafety. Hence, polyurethane (PU) is modified using a biomolecule Cystine (CYS) for protracted drug release, aiming to enhance cancer treatment efficacy while minimizing adverse side effects in tumor patients. To confirm the formation of a polymer structure, characterization techniques such as NMR and FTIR are used, and the morphology is determined using SEM. Biocompatibility of the synthesized polymers is evaluated through cellular assessments, including MTT assay, cell adhesion, and antibacterial assay along with drug release using an anticancer drug, Paclitaxel (PTX). Notably, the incorporation of PTX in the polymer matrix results in minimal mortality (85% viable cells) rates in healthy cells (3T3), in contrast to a 56% mortality rate observed with the pure drug. While PTX shows a burst release and kills cancer cells only for the first 24 h, PU loaded with the drug shows sustained release and kills the cancer cells for 3 days. This vehicle selectively kills 59% of SiHA cells after a consecutive study of 3 days, which highlights the potential of this newly designed vehicle for effective drug delivery, particularly in anticancer treatments. Moreover, cystine's antibacterial property adds up with PU; hence, PU shows antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC, 20 μg/mL) and also acts as a reductive oxygen species scavenger. Therefore, modifying PU with CYS has shown sustained release of PTX along with a selective effect on cells, underscoring its significance as a superior delivery agent and supported by a shred of convincing evidence.

Latent tracks in pure polymer and its nanohybrid are fabricated by irradiating with swift heavy ions (SHI) (Ag + ) having 140 MeV energy followed by selective chemical etching of the amorphous path, caused by the irradiation of SHI, to generate nanochannels of size ∼80 nm. Grafting is done within the nanochannels utilizing free radicals generated from the interaction of high-energy ions, followed by tagging of ionic species to make the nanochannels highly ion-conducting. The uniform dispersion of two-dimensional nanoparticles better controls the size and number density of the nanochannels and, thereby, converts them into an effective membrane. The nanoparticle and functionalization induce a piezoelectric β-phase in the membrane. The functionalized membrane removes the radioactive nuclide like 241 Am +3 (α-emitting source) efficiently (∼80% or 0.35 μg/cm 2 ) from its solution/waste. This membrane act as a corrosion inhibitor (92% inhibition efficiency) together with its higher proton conduction (0.13 S/m) ability. The higher ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, ion conduction, and high sorption by the nanohybrid membrane are explored with respect to the extent of functionalization and control over nanochannel dimension. A membrane electrode assembly has been fabricated to construct a complete fuel cell, which exhibits superior power generation (power density of 45 mW/cm 2 at a current density of 298 mA/cm 2 ) much higher than that of the standard Nafion, measured in a similar condition. Further, a piezoelectric matrix along with its anticorrosive property, high sorption characteristics, and greater power generation makes this class of material a smart membrane that can be used for many different applications.