Biodegradable silver-loaded polycation modified nanodiamonds/polyurethane scaffold with improved antibacterial and mechanical properties for cartilage tissue repairing.

For cartilage tissue repairing, it remains a key challenge to design implant materials with antibacterial activity, proper degradation rate and mechanical property. In this research, antibacterial nanodiamonds (QND, QND-Ag) modified acrylate-terminated polyurethanes (APU) were prepared. By the addition of nanocomposites, the crystallinity of modified APU obviously increased, which indicates a strong interaction between NDs and APU. Tensile and compression tests were carried out to evaluate the improved mechanical properties. Compared with APU, APU(10%PEG)/QND-Ag possessed the increased modulus and strength, a nevertheless slight decrease in elongation at break. Due to the dual actions of contact-killing of cationic polymers and release-killing of the Ag NPs, QND-Ag-containing polyurethane showed excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, APU containing polyethylene glycol showed a significant increase in degradability rates. Consequently, owing to the dual effect of crystallinity and hydrophilicity, our modified APU exhibited the proper degradation rate adaptable to the healing rate of cartilage tissue. Furthermore, the CCK-8 results demonstrated that synthesized samples were low toxic. Therefore, APU(10%PEG)/QND-Ag holds great promise for the application of cartilage tissue repairing.

Degradation of microplastic in water by advanced oxidation processes.

Plastic products have gained global popularity due to their lightweight, excellent ductility, high durability, and portability. However, out of the 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste generated by human activities, 80% of plastic waste is discarded due to improper disposal, and then transformed into microplastic pollution under the combined influence of environmental factors and microorganisms. In this comprehensive study, we present a thorough review of recent advancements in research on the source, distribution, and effect of microplastics. More importantly, we conducted deep research on the catalytic degradation technologies of microplastics in water, including advanced oxidation and photocatalytic technologies, and elaborated on the mechanisms of microplastics degradation in water. Besides, various strategies for mitigating microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems are discussed, ranging from policy interventions, the initiative for plastic recycling, the development of efficient catalytic materials, and the integration of multiple technological approaches. This review serves as a valuable resource for addressing the challenge of removing microplastic contaminants from water bodies, offering insights into effective and sustainable solutions.