Ag NPs-coated polyurethane sponge as a water filter for removal of toxic metal ions at high concentrations.

Heavy metal ions are toxic to humans, plants, and marine life, making it crucial to eliminate them from water. This study reports the development of a new nanocomposite material (Alg@Ag/PU) that involves modifying silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with alginate (Alg) and coating them onto a polyurethane sponge (PU) for removing heavy metal ions. The successful coating of Alg@Ag NPs onto PU due to their strong chemical binding was confirmed by morphology and size characterization. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the removal efficiency of heavy metal ions at high concentrations (∼100 mg/L). The maximum adsorption amount was achieved within 6 h, and the highest removal efficiency was obtained at pH values between 6 and 7. Furthermore, the Alg@Ag/PU nanocomposite demonstrated excellent recyclability for metal ion removal even after 5 cycles. In summary, this work developed a simple and cost-effective method for producing an environmentally-friendly nanocomposite material for the efficient removal of heavy metal ions.

Recent Advances of Polyaniline-Based Biomaterials for Phototherapeutic Treatments of Tumors and Bacterial Infections.

Conventional treatments fail to completely eradicate tumor or bacterial infections due to their inherent shortcomings. In recent years, photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as an attractive treatment modality that relies on the absorption of photothermal agents (PTAs) at a specific wavelength, thereby transforming the excitation light energy into heat. The advantages of PTT are its high efficacy, specificity, and minimal damage to normal tissues. To this end, various inorganic nanomaterials such as gold nanostructures, carbon nanostructures, and transition metal dichalcogenides have been extensively explored for PTT applications. Subsequently, the focus has shifted to the development of polymeric PTAs, owing to their unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, and low toxicity when compared to inorganic PTAs. Among various organic PTAs, polyaniline (PANI) is one of the best-known and earliest-reported organic PTAs. Hence, in this review, we cover the recent advances and progress of PANI-based biomaterials for PTT application in tumors and bacterial infections. The future prospects in this exciting area are also addressed.