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Zinc oxide (ZnO) encapsulated xanthan-based edible coating has been demonstrated in this paper for its main attribute of displaying superior anti-bacterial properties. The fabrication of microparticles was carried out through emulsion solvent evaporation route where ZnO particles get adsorbed onto xanthan gum matrix. Morphological analysis through TEM showed a flower like appearance for ZnO and core-shell morphology was observed for the hybrid system. The FT-IR analysis showed the successful encapsulation of ZnO into xanthan. To ensure the developed materials to be harmless for fruits and vegetables, the biocompatibility studies such as toxicity assay and blood compatibility studies were carried out. The results established that the hybrid microparticles were compatible to the blood cells and featured excellent cell viability upon treatment with human fibroblast cells. Finally a significant finding of this biocompatible hybrid coating on apples and tomatoes was the negligible weight loss for both in comparison to their uncoated fruits and vegetables under ambient conditions.

Leather wastewater is one of the most polluting industrial emissions. The efficiency of wastewater remediation is limited by its complex composition. Herein, a novel strategy for designing modified gelatine with higher degree of quaternization (MG-2) is presented. The higher degree of quaternization allows sufficient adsorption of dyes in the tanning process. It is an in situ, environmentally friendly, and innovative strategy to limit dye emissions and can circumvent the subsequent waste management. Dyes such as Direct Purple N and Acid Black 24 could be adsorbed completely within 5 min by the MG-2 film formed from MG-2 solution. In addition, a remarkable efficiency in removing Acid Red 73, Golden Orange G, and Acid Orange II (>96.1% removal rates) was achieved within 30 min. The adsorption equilibrium data suggested that the adsorption capacity was positively correlated to the concentration of MG-2. When Acid Orange II and MG-2 were used in the industrial re-tanning process, the residual dye concentration in wastewater was only 23.1 mg L−1, indicating that MG-2 is a promising re-tanning agent for adsorbing dyes in the leather tanning process.

Zidovudine loaded solid lipid nanoparticles of stearic acid modified with Aloe Vera (AV) have been prepared via simple emulsion solvent evaporation method which showed excellent stability at room temperature and refrigerated condition. The nanoparticles were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), which revealed the overlap of the AV absorption peak with the absorption peak of modified stearic acid nanoparticles. The inclusion of AV to stearic acid decreased the crystallinity and improved the hydrophilicity of lipid nanoparticles and thereby improved the drug loading efficacy of lipid nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging revealed that, the average particle size of unmodified (bare) nanoparticles was 45.66±12.22nm and modified solid lipid nanoparticles showed an average size of 265.61±80.44nm. Solid lipid nanoparticles with well-defined morphology were tested in vitro for their possible application in drug delivery. Cell culture studies using C6 glioma cells on the nanoparticles showed enhanced growth and proliferation of cells without exhibiting any toxicity. In addition, normal cell morphology and improved uptake were observed by fluorescence microscopy images of rhodamine labeled modified solid lipid nanoparticles compared with unmodified nanoparticles. The cellular uptake study suggested that these nanoparticles could be a promising drug delivery system to enhance the uptake of antiviral drug by brain cells and it could be a suitable drug carrier system for the treatment of HIV.

Understanding the mechanism of molecular self-assembly to form well-organized nanostructures is essential in the field of supramolecular chemistry. Particularly, amphiphilic copolymers incorporated with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) have been one of the most promising materials in material science, engineering, and biomedical fields. In this review, new ideas and research works which have been carried out over the last several years in this relatively new area with a main focus on their mechanism in self-assembly and applications are discussed. In addition, insights into the unique role of POSSs in synthesis, microphase separation, and confined size were encompassed. Finally, perspectives and challenges related to the further advancement of POSS-based amphiphilics are discussed, followed by the proposed design considerations to address the challenges that we may face in the future.

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) has been considered as one of the most promising nanofillers in academic and industrial research due to its unique multifunctional nanostructure, easy functionalization, hybrid nature, and high processability. The progress of POSS has been extensive, particularly applications based on single- or multiple-armed POSS. In polymer hybrids, in order to enhance the properties, bifunctional POSS has been incorporated into the backbone chain of the polymer. This review summarizes recent developments in the synthesis, modification, and application of bifunctional POSS-containing composite materials. This includes amino-POSS, hydroxyl-POSS, aromatic ring-POSS, ether-POSS, and vinyl groups-POSS and their applications, exemplified by polyurethanes (PUs) and polyimides (PIs). In addition, the review highlights the enhancement of thermal, mechanical, and optical properties of the composites.