Supercapacitors (SCs) are highly attractive energy storage devices, and modern research is focused on using waste materials to reduce environmental impact. This study processed biowaste from local brewery production to produce a highly specific mesoporous activated carbon (AC) for SC electrode scaffolds. Polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized and incorporated into the AC scaffold, thereby enhancing performance. The AC and PANI combination (ACP) achieved a specific capacitance of 173.7 F/g at 1 A/g, with 92% retention after 5000 cycles. Using NdFeB (ACN) particles, the anode showed a specific capacitance of 127 F/g and over 99% retention. An asymmetrical ACN//ACP cell demonstrated promising performance with 70% efficiency. This study highlights the potential of using biowaste for high-performance SC electrodes and the effective synergy between AC and PANI.

A multifunctional theranostic agent for arterial embolization hyperthermia was developed. It combines magnetic hyperthermia and embolization ability together with the radiopacity in a single injectable formulation. The developed material represents a stable dispersion of iron oxide multicore particles in ethiodised oil, Lipiodol. The dispersion exhibited a rapid heating rate (19 °C/min) and high specific loss power (42.0 W/g) at clinically relevant alternating magnetic field, enabling therapeutic hyperthermia. It maintained low viscosity (< 1 Pa·s) under field-off conditions, allowing for efficient intra-tumoral or intra-arterial delivery. Upon the application of magnetic field (460 kA/m), the viscosity increased to approximately 4 Pa·s, enabling embolization of tumor vasculature. The inherent radiopacity of Lipiodol, supported by the iron oxide, facilitates real-time image guidance during administration. The cytotoxicity studies, conducted by direct contact with the dispersion, revealed that the material is biocompatible up to a concentration of 0.05 wt

Supercapacitors utilizing activated carbon derived from Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) offer a sustainable and innovative solution for rapid energy storage and release. Pyrolysis using various activation techniques transforms biowastes into highly porous materials with large surface areas, making them ideal for supercapacitor applications. In this study, FeCo2S4 was synthesized and combined with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to create an aerogel. Brewery biowaste activated carbon (AC) and polyaniline (PANI) were added to enhance the electrochemical properties of the composite electrode material. Those composites morphologies were observed via SEM. Their electrochemical properties were tested using CV, GCD and EIS. The electrochemical performance of the resulting rGO/AC/FeCo2S4@PANI composite was evaluated, achieving a high specific capacitance of 290.57 F/g at 0.5 A/g, comparable to that of the composite without AC. The small charge transfer resistance values of rGO/AC/FeCo2S4 required via full cell testing in this research showed the value of 1.498 Ω, suggesting superior retention. Therefore, AC significantly enhanced cycling stability, with the composite retaining 97.6% of its capacitance after 5,000 cycles.

Magneto-responsive soft hydrogels are used for a number of biomedical applications, e.g., magnetic hyperthermia, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and neuromodulation. In this work, this type of hydrogel has been fabricated from hyaluronan (HA) filled with a binary system of Al2O3 nanoparticles and multicore magnetic particles (MCPs), which were obtained by clustering of superparamagnetic iron oxide FeOx NPs. It was established that the presence of diamagnetic Al2O3 has several positive effects: it enhances the hydrogel storage modulus and long-term stability in the cell cultivation medium; prevents the magnetic interaction among the MCPs. The HA hydrogel provides rapid heating of 0.3 °C per min under exposure to low amplitude radio frequency alternating magnetic field. Furthermore, the magneto-responsive hydrogel was successfully used to encapsulate cells and extrusion-based 3D printing with 87±6% cell viability, thus providing a bio-ink. The combination of high heating efficiency, softness, cytocompatibility, and 3D printability of magnetic HA hydrogel leads to a material suitable for biomedical applications.

Polypyrrole (PPy) is favoured in energy storage for its high pseudo-capacitive performance, notably as polypyrrole nanotubes (PPyNTs) due to their easy synthesis, cost-effectiveness and electrochemical solid properties. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have also gained attention for enhancing supercapacitors (SCs). In this study, we fabricated aerogel composites with PPyNTs, MOFs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as SC electrode materials. Varying concentrations of PPyNTs and rGO were explored, with MOFs added to assess their impact. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composite with PPyNTs and Zn-MOF achieved the highest specific capacitance of approximately 270 F/g at 0.5 A/g.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1063/5.0147181.].

Hybrid organic/inorganic conducting and magnetic composites of core–shell type have been prepared by in-situ coating of nickel microparticles with polypyrrole. Three series of syntheses have been made. In the first, pyrrole was oxidised with ammonium peroxydisulfate in water in the presence of various amounts of nickel and the composites contained up to 83 wt% of this metal. The second series used 0.1 M sulfuric acid as a reaction medium. Finally, the composites with polypyrrole nanotubes were prepared in water in the presence of structure-guiding methyl orange dye. The nanotubes have always been accompanied by the globular morphology. FTIR and Raman spectroscopies confirmed the formation of polypyrrole. The resistivity of composite powders of the order of tens to hundreds Ω cm was monitored as a function of pressure up to 10 MPa. The resistivity of composites slightly increased with increasing content of nickel. This apparent paradox is explained by the coating of nickel particles with polypyrrole, which prevents their contact and subsequent generation of metallic conducting pathways. Electrical properties were practically independent of the way of composite preparation or nickel content and were controlled by the polypyrrole phase. On the contrary, magnetic properties were determined exclusively by nickel content. The composites were used as a solid phase to prepare a magnetorheological fluid. The test showed better performance when compared with a different nickel system reported earlier.

Innovation in the design of Li-ion rechargeable batteries is necessary to overcome safety concerns and meet energy demands. In this regard, a new generation of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in the form of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) has been developed, attracting a great deal of attention for their high-energy density and excellent mechanical-electrochemical stability. This review describes the current state of research and development on ASSB technology. To this end, study of the literature and patents as well as market analysis over the last two decades were carried out, highlighting how scientific achievements have informed the application of commercially profitable ASSBs. Analyzing the patents registered over the past 20 years revealed that the number of them had increased exponentially-from only few per year in early 2000 to more than 342 in 2020. Published literature and patents on the topic declare a solid-state electrolyte (SSE) to be the main component of ASSBs, and most patented examples are referred to as solid inorganic electrolytes (SIEs), followed by solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and solid hybrid electrolytes (SHEs) in popularity. Investigation of company websites, social media profiles, reports, and academic publications identified 93 companies associated with ASSBs. A list of leading businesses in the solid-state battery sector was compiled, out of which 36 provided information on the ASSB units in their product portfolio for detailed analysis.

The aim of this study was to develop a novel amikacin (AMI) delivery system with prolonged release based on composite electrospun nanofibers of PLA supplemented with AMI-loaded Si nanoparticles of different morphology. The resultant materials were characterized in terms of their physical properties (scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, water contact angle). High-Performance Liquid Chromatography was used to determine the AMI content in the liquid fractions obtained from the release study. The results show that nanofibers of fumed silica exhibited an aggregated, highly porous structure, whereas nanofibers of mesoporous silica had a spherical morphology. Both silica nanoparticles had a significant effect on the hydrophilic properties of PLA nanofiber surfaces. The liquid fractions were investigated to gauge the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading efficiency (LE) of AMI, demonstrating 66% EE and 52% LE for nanofibers of fumed silica compared to nanofibers of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (52% EE and 12.7% LE). The antibacterial activity of the AMI-loaded nanofibers was determined by the Kirby–Bauer Method. These results demonstrated that the PLA-based silica nanofibers effectively enhanced the antibacterial properties against the Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Whey protein isolate (WPI), employed as a carrier for a wide range of bioactive substances, suffers from a lack of colloidal stability in physiological conditions. Herein, we developed innovative stabilized PolyElectrolyte Nanoparticles (PENs) obtained by two techniques: polyelectrolyte complexation of negatively charged WPI and positively charged chitosan (CS), and ionic gelation in the presence of polyanion tripolyphosphate (TPP). Therefore, the WPI-based core was coated with a CS-based shell and then stabilized by TPP at pH 8. The nanostructures were characterized by physiochemical methods, and their encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release were evaluated. The spherical NPs with an average size of 248.57 ± 5.00 nm and surface charge of +10.80 ± 0.43 mV demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency (92.79 ± 0.69) and sustained release of a positively charged chemotherapeutic agent such as doxorubicin (DOX). Z-average size and size distribution also presented negligible increases in size and aggregates during the three weeks. The results obtained confirm the effectiveness of the simultaneous application of these methods to improve the colloidal stability of PEN.

The energy crisis has increased the need for energy storage materials with high power and energy density. To solve the problem, scientists have investigated the possibilities of pseudocapacitive materials, which may overcome the capacitive constraints of electrical double-layer capacitors and the mass transfer limitations of batteries, making them better energy storage applications. Conducting polymers, which offer unique qualities such as low cost, good electrochemical properties, and high conductivity, have garnered substantial interest in energy storage devices. Because of their high potential to increase working performance, conducting polymers have been studied in numerous energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, and fuel cells, making them intriguing alternative materials. This chapter comprehensively overviews conducting polymers’ contributions to energy storage. We address the theoretical foundation of conductivity in conjugated polymers, multiple methods of producing conducting polymers, their uses in supercapacitors, and the distinctions between electrochemical supercapacitor technologies. Furthermore, we highlight recent breakthroughs in conducting polymers for energy storage, providing an overview of the field’s current condition and future direction.

Energy storage devices (ESD) are emerging systems that could harness a high share of intermittent renewable energy resources, owing to their flexible solutions for versatile applications from mobile electronic devices, transportation, and load-leveling stations to extensive power conditioning. The last decades have witnessed considerable developments in supercapacitors and batteries with superior energy density and remarkably long cycle life that could continually store and deliver much energy to portable and stationary applications. The substantial development of new, cheaper, eco-friendly, superior polymer-based nanocomposites has gained considerable interest in advancing the existing ESD behaviors. The ease of processing, the simple tunability of arrangements, and the synergetic interaction between the polymer and the inorganic counterparts that allow remarkable electronic conductivity, specific surface area, and charge of the nanocomposites have presented great opportunities for economic viability for efficient energy conversion.

Energy demand has become a significant factor in maintaining global economic stability. However, overusing fossil fuels in the last century has resulted in severe problems, such as climate change and a dangerous reliance on limited natural resources. As a result, the development of alternative energy resources has become imperative, and attention has shifted to energy storage devices and energy harvesting. Alongside batteries, supercapacitors (SCs) have emerged as promising technology due to their unique advantages. One key advantage of SCs is that they can be fabricated using various materials, many of which are not resource-limited. Among these materials, conductive polymers and naturally abundant polymers such as cellulose have become increasingly popular in SC electrode applications due to their high capacitance and pseudocapacitance, which can result in improved SC performance. Moreover, these materials can also use abandoned materials that contribute to plastic and waste pollution. This chapter provides an overview of recent research and future directions in polymer applications for SC development, which may offer a potential solution for the future energy supply.

This work is focused on the optimization of electromagnetic and mechanical properties of magnetic polymer composites for EMI applications as radio absorbers (RAs). Polymer composites with a dual-phase polymer matrix, vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in epoxy (ER), were investigated for fabricating highlyfilled manganese zinc ferrite (MnZn) and carbonyl iron (CI) composites with respect to radio-absorption and mechanical properties. The dielectric and magnetic properties of the composites were determined by the type, concentration as well as the polymer matrix composition. Increase of the filler and the PDMS concentration leads to an increase in magnetic losses due to a decrease in the demagnetizing field. The electromagnetic properties of the composites were evaluated in the RF band using the impedance method (1 MHz–3 GHz). Based on the complex permittivity (ε*) and the complex permeability (μ*), the reflection loss RL (dB) of single-layer metal-backed RAs were calculated. The RAs with a MnZn ferrite demonstrated a larger bandwidth to thickness ratio in comparison with the CI-based RAs due to a proper ratio between ε* and μ* which leads to the better impedance matching conditions. According to the mechanical analyses (DMA, Charpy impact strength) the significant increase of stiffness up to 125% and the impact strength up to 150% was achieved due to the optimal composition of the polymer matrix and the filler.

Our subordinate to fossil fuels has caused critical problems like environmental pollution and climate change. Harvesting, processing, and distributing fossil fuels can also create environmental concerns. These reasons determine the need for alternative energy sources to meet the growing demand. Among the alternative energy storage devices, supercapacitor (SC) is a promising one due to superior power density, fast charge/discharge rate, and long cycle life, allowing them to be utilized in many applications. Herein, electrode materials play a vital decisive role in the working performance of SCs. Therefore, the research on electrode materials acquires special attention. Although the performance of capacitors has been significantly improved in recent years, the challenge of developing high-performance materials remains relevant. One of the leading research directions is developing composite electrode materials that should combine the advantages of their components. Conductive polymers (CPs) play an important role in these types of electrodes, as their presence increases the electrical conductivity, and capacitance of SCs. This is due to CP's set of CPs properties: combining the electrical conductivity of metals and semiconductors while maintaining the advantages of polymers such as low cost, lightweight, flexibility, and simple processing. This chapter summarizes recent research and future directions into the use of CPs to develop hybrid electrode materials for SCs.

Benzendicarboxylic acid (BDC)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely utilized in various applications, including supercapacitor electrode materials. Manganese and copper have solid diamond frames formed with BDC linkers among transition metals chosen for MOF formation. They have shown the possibility to enlarge capacitance at different combinations of MOFs and polyaniline (PANI). Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used as the matrix to fabricate electrochemical double-layer SCs. PANI and Mn/Cu-MOF's effect on the properties of electrode materials was investigated through electrochemical analysis. As a result, the highest specific capacitance of about 276 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g was obtained for rGO/Cu-MOF@PANI composite.

Orthorhombic niobium pentoxide (T-Nb 2 O 5 ) possesses an intercalation pseudocapacitive behavior, which is a promising candidate of high-rate anodes for Li-ion capacitors. However, its low electric conductivity hinders the realization of this property. In our study, niobium oxides/carbon composites were prepared by calcinating a niobium peroxo-PAA complex (NbPAA) precursor to improve the electric conductivity. It has been found that the calcination temperature played an important role on the chemical compositions of obtained composites. A reduction phenomenon of niobium oxides by carbon was observed at high temperatures. At the medium temperature of 900 °C, the sample was composed of T-Nb 2 O 5 , monoclinic Nb 2 O 5 (M-Nb 2 O 5 ), amorphous carbon and niobium dioxide (NbO 2 ). Due to the high conductivity of carbon, semi-conductivity of NbO 2 , and high specific capacity of M-Nb 2 O 5, this sample exhibits a good specific capacity of 142 mAh g −1 (0.25 C) and a high-rate capability (capacity retention of 33.1%, 0.25 C to 25 C). It could be used as one of high-rate anodes for Li-ion capacitors.

The electrochemical parameters of a novel binder-free self-standing biomimetic cathode based on lithium manganese oxide (LMO) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) for rechargeable Lithium-ion aqueous batteries (ReLIAB) are improved using polyaniline (PANI) core-shell in situ polymerization and graphene (Gr). The fabricated cathode material exhibits the so-called “tectonic plate island bridge” biomimetic structure. This constitution is created by combining three components as shown by a SEM and a TEM analysis: the Gr substrates support an entangled matrix of conductive CNT which connect island of non-conductive inorganic material composed of LMO. The typical spinel structure of the LMO remains unchanged after modifying the basic structure with Gr and PANI due to a simplified hydrothermal method used for synthesis. The Gr and PANI core-shell coating improves the electric conductivity from 0.0025 S/cm up to 1 S/cm. The electrochemical performances of the LMO/CNT-Gr/PANI composite electrode are optimized up to 136 mA h g−1 compared to 111 mA h g−1 of the LMO/CNT. Besides that, the new electrode shows good cycling stability after 200 galvanostatic charging/discharging cycles, making this structure a future candidate for cathode materials for ReLIAB.

Magnetic hyperthermia (MH), proposed by R. K. Gilchrist in the middle of the last century as local hyperthermia, has nowadays become a recognized method for minimally invasive treatment of oncological diseases in combination with chemotherapy (ChT) and radiotherapy (RT). One type of MH is arterial embolization hyperthermia (AEH), intended for the presurgical treatment of primary inoperable and metastasized solid tumors of parenchymal organs. This method is based on hyperthermia after transcatheter arterial embolization of the tumor's vascular system with a mixture of magnetic particles and embolic agents. An important advantage of AEH lies in the double effect of embolotherapy, which blocks blood flow in the tumor, and MH, which eradicates cancer cells. Consequently, only the tumor undergoes thermal destruction. This review introduces the progress in the development of polymeric magnetic materials for application in AEH.

Adhesive nickel based polymer composites were investigated experimentally and by computational modelling with respect to optimization of electrical and mechanical properties. Utilization of polymer blends with an optimized combination of epoxy resin (ER) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) resulted in a reduced electrical percolation threshold (EPT) from 7.9 up to 3.7 vol % of Ni and increased the direct current (DC) conductivity of the composites by 7 orders of magnitude. At the same time, adhesion of the composites was enhanced by 20% and impact strength by 75% due to the PDMS addition. The observed effect of the EPT reduction is determined by the preferred localization of conductive Ni particles near the ER phase, specifically on the ER/PDMS interface. Prior to the composite preparation, the polymer composites were simulated by the Monte Carlo method and were evaluated by two independent methods: i) the growth of the conductive networks was examined by the size of aggregates via aggregation number (script in Python) ii) the conductivity of the polymer composites was calculated via finite element method (FEM, Digimat-FE 6.1.1). The computational simulations correlated well with the experimentally determined EPT and conductivity of the polymer composites.