Injectable bone cement based on magnesium potassium phosphate and cross-linked alginate hydrogel designed for minimally invasive orthopedic procedures.

Bone cement based on magnesium phosphate has extremely favorable properties for its application as a bioactive bone substitute. However, further improvement is still expected due to difficult injectability and high brittleness. This paper reported the preparation of novel biocomposite cement, classified as dual-setting, obtained through ceramic hydration reaction and polymer cross-linking. Cement was composed of magnesium potassium phosphate and sodium alginate cross-linked with calcium carbonate and gluconolactone. The properties of the obtained composite material and the influence of sodium alginate modification on cement reaction were investigated. Our results indicated that proposed cements have several advantages compared to ceramic cement, like shortened curing time, diverse microstructure, increased wettability and biodegradability and improved paste cohesion and injectability. The magnesium phosphate cement with 1.50% sodium alginate obtained using a powder-to-liquid ratio of 2.5 g/mL and cross-linking ratio 90/120 of GDL/CC showed the most favorable properties, with no adverse effect on mechanical strength and osteoblasts cytocompatibility. Overall, our research suggested that this novel cement might have promising medical application prospects, especially in minimally invasive procedures.

Magnetic superhydrophobic melamine sponges for crude oil removal from water.

This paper proposes the preparation of a new sorbent material based on melamine sponges (MS) with superhydrophobic, superoleophilic, and magnetic properties. This study involved impregnating the surface of commercially available MS with eco-friendly deep eutectic solvents (DES) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The DES selection was based on the screening of 105 eutectic mixtures using COSMO-RS modeling. Other parameters affecting the efficiency and selectivity of oil removal from water were optimized using the Box-Bhenken model. Menthol:Thymol (1:1)@Fe3O4-MS exhibited the highest sorption capacity for real crude oils (101.7-127.3 g/g). This new sponge demonstrated paramagnetic behavior (31.06 emu/g), superhydrophobicity (151°), superoleophobicity (0°), low density (15.6 mg/cm3), high porosity (99 %), and excellent mechanical stability. Furthermore, it allows multiple regeneration processes without losing its sorption capacity. Based on these benefits, Menthol:Thymol (1:1)@Fe3O4-MS shows promise as an efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly substitute for the existing sorbents.