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In this work is presented a new category of self-growing, fibrous, natural composite materials with controlled physical properties that can be produced in large quantities and over wide areas, based on mycelium, the main body of fungi. Mycelia from two types of edible, medicinal fungi, Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus , have been carefully cultivated, being fed by two bio-substrates: cellulose and cellulose/potato-dextrose, the second being easier to digest by mycelium due to presence of simple sugars in its composition. After specific growing times the mycelia have been processed in order to cease their growth. Depending on their feeding substrate, the final fibrous structures showed different relative concentrations in polysaccharides, lipids, proteins and chitin. Such differences are reflected as alterations in morphology and mechanical properties. The materials grown on cellulose contained more chitin and showed higher Young’s modulus and lower elongation than those grown on dextrose-containing substrates, indicating that the mycelium materials get stiffer when their feeding substrate is harder to digest. All the developed fibrous materials were hydrophobic with water contact angles higher than 120°. The possibility of tailoring mycelium materials’ properties by properly choosing their nutrient substrates paves the way for their use in various scale applications.

Investigating biodegradable and biocompatible materials for electronic applications can lead to tangible outcomes such as developing green-electronic devices and reducing the amount of e-waste. The proposed emulsion-based conducting ink formulation takes into consideration circular economy and green principles throughout the entire process, from the selection of materials to the production process. The ink is formulated using the biopolymer polylactic acid dissolved in a sustainable solvent mixed with water, along with conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver flakes as fillers. Hybrid conductive fillers can lower the percolation threshold of the ink and the production costs, while maintaining excellent electrical properties. The coating formed after the deposition of the ink, undergoes isothermal treatment at different temperatures and durations to improve its adhesion and electrical properties. The coating’s performance was evaluated by creating an eight-finger interdigitated sensor using a Voltera PCB printer. The sensor demonstrates exceptional performance when exposed to various loading and unloading pressures within the 0.2–500.0 kPa range. The results show a consistent correlation between the change in electrical resistance and the stress caused by the applied load. The ink is biodegradable in marine environments, which helps avoiding its accumulation in the ecosystem over time.

The predominant use of synthetic materials, such as fiberglass and polymeric foams, for thermal and acoustic insulation in the construction sector contributes to the recalcitrant waste accumulation in the environment and is not economically sustainable in the long term. This is because they are developed with linear economy standards, they are neither reusable nor recyclable, and, at their end of lifecycle, they are not compostable, with a great amount of them finishing in landfills. This work is focused on the development of natural, self‐growing mycelium‐biocomposites as sustainable alternatives to these conventional synthetic materials. Specifically, fungal mycelium derived from the nonpathogenic fungal strain Pleurotus ostreatus is fed by coffee silverskin flakes, a lignocellulosic agrowaste from roasted coffee seeds, forming 3D biocomposites. The physicochemical properties of the obtained composite are thoroughly investigated, with a final focus on their thermal and acoustic insulation properties. As proved, the natural agrowaste‐mycelium composites possess high porosity and thus low density, good thermal properties, and satisfactory sound absorption capability. Such properties combined with the minimal energetic requirements for their growth and their fully compostable end‐of‐life nature make them valuable alternatives for thermal and acoustic insulation in building construction, among other applications, promoting environmental and economic sustainability. 3D mycelium biocomposites are developed from Pleurotus ostreatus fed with coffee silverskin. They present low thermal conductivity and good sound absorption. Such components require minimal energy for their growth and are fully compostable in the end of their lifespan. They can be used in thermal and acoustic insulation, offering a low‐cost, sustainable, and biodegradable alternative to the current commercial systems.

To compare the efficacy and safety of at-home bleaching products on dental enamel using an ex vivo bovine enamel model. The study aimed to evaluate the whitening effectiveness and the structural impact of these treatments on enamel integrity. Four at-home bleaching agents [BlancOne Home Night + (BlancOne; 12% carbamide peroxide/4.2% hydrogen peroxide + nano-hydroxyapatite), Opalescence PF Regular (Opale; 16%/5.7% + potassium and fluoride nitrate), Zoom Nite White (Zoom; 16%/5.7% + amorphous calcium phosphate), and Pola Night (Pola; 16%/5.7% + potassium fluoride)] were tested on bovine enamel samples according to ISO 28,399:2021 standards. Whitening efficacy was measured spectrophotometrically before and 48 h after treatments. Enamel surface changes in topography and mechanical properties were analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation. The pH values of the agents were monitored throughout the treatment to assess their acidity. All agents effectively whitened enamel, with BlancOne demonstrating greater whitening efficacy than Zoom (ΔOD: 5.7 ± 1.1 vs. 3.7 ± 0.9; p  < 0.001) and Pola (ΔOD: 5.6 ± 1.7 vs. 1.8 ± 1.0; p  < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between BlancOne and Opale (ΔOD: 5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 4.4 ± 1.9; p  > 0.05). AFM and nanoindentation analyses revealed significant differences in the integrity of the enamel surface. BlancOne, Zoom and Pola induced only minimal increases in surface roughness and reductions in hardness, whereas Opale resulted in the most pronounced enamel alterations [Control = 4.75 (× 1000 GPa) ± 1.57; BlancOne = 3.1 ± 1.4; Opale = 0.1 ± 0.03; Zoom = 2.9 ± 1.0; Pola = 3.2 ± 0.9. Control vs BlancOne, Zoom, and Pola: p  < 0.05; Control vs Opale: p  < 0.001]. The pH analysis indicated that BlancOne and Opalescence had less acidic profiles (pH 6–7) than Zoom and Pola (pH ≈ 5.5). This study demonstrates that although all tested agents effectively achieve whitening, they differ in consistency and impact on enamel integrity. Among the tested agents, the formulation containing 12% carbamide peroxide (equivalent to 4.2% hydrogen peroxide) and nano-hydroxyapatite demonstrated a favorable balance between bleaching efficacy and enamel structure preservation. These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians in selecting whitening protocols that minimize enamel damage while achieving satisfactory cosmetic outcomes.

ε-caprolactone-p-coumaric acid copolymers at different mole ratios (ε-caprolactone:p-coumaric acid 1:0, 10:1, 8:1, 6:1, 4:1, and 2:1) were synthesized by melt-polycondensation and using 4-dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid as catalyst. Chemical analysis by NMR and GPC showed that copolyesters were formed with decreasing molecular weight as p-coumaric acid content was increased. Physical characteristics, such as thermal and mechanical properties, as well as water uptake and water permeability, depended on the mole fraction of p-coumaric acid. The p-coumarate repetitive units increased the antioxidant capacity of the copolymers, showing antibacterial activity against the common pathogen Escherichia coli. In addition, all the synthesized copolyesters, except the one with the highest concentration of the phenolic acid, were cytocompatible and hemocompatible, thus becoming potentially useful for skin regeneration applications.

Sol‐gel technology has long been recognized as a promising stabilization treatment for glass. However, the acidity of its formulations may pose challenges, particularly due to the potential for corrosive effects, making its application on ancient and artistic glass more complex and requiring a delicate balance between safeguarding its structural integrity and preserving its visual and historical significance. This study investigates the incorporation of silica nanoparticles into silica‐based coatings to reduce the synthesis acidity and enhance anticorrosion protection. The sol‐gel formulations, tailored to minimize their acidity (from ̴pH 1–2 to pH 4) and ensure optimal compatibility with glass surfaces, are combined with 50nm and 200nm silica nanoparticles and applied using dip‐coating. Comprehensive analyses, including optical characterization, water contact angle measurements, and nanoindentation tests, reveals that composite coatings with 50nm nanoparticles, applied through a double‐dipping process, significantly improves resistance to alteration. These coatings demonstrates superior protective performance compare to both pure silica coatings and composite compositions containing 200nm nanoparticles. Surface analyses further highlighted that incorporating nanoparticles allowed for precise control over the formation of alteration structures on glass surfaces. This approach effectively manage the development of alteration patina, offering a promising solution for mitigating ancient glass alteration while maintaining its aesthetic integrity. This study presents a novel silica‐based sol‐gel coating enhance with silica nanoparticles to protect glass surfaces. By reducing formulation acidity and improving resistance to environmental alteration—especially with 50 nm particles and double‐dip application—the method creates a gentle yet effective protective barrier. It preserves the structural and visual integrity of aged glass, offering a promising approach for long‐term conservation.

The incorporation of inorganic nanofillers into polymeric matrices represents an effective strategy for the development of smart coatings for corrosion protection of metallic substrates. In this work, wet-jet milling exfoliation was used to massively produce few-layer hexagonal boron nitride ( h -BN) flakes as a corrosion-protection pigment in polyisobutylene (PIB)-based composite coatings for marine applications. This approach represents an innovative advance in the application of two-dimensional (2D) material-based composites as corrosion protection systems at the industrial scale. Although rarely used as an organic coating, PIB was selected as a ground-breaking polymeric matrix for our h -BN-based composite coating thanks to its excellent barrier properties. The optimization of the coating indicates that 5 wt.% is the most effective h -BN content, yielding a corrosion rate of the protected structural steel as low as 7.4 × 10 −6 mm yr −1 . The 2D morphology and hydrophobicity of the h -BN flakes, together with the capability of PIB to act as a physical barrier against corrosive species, are the main reasons behind the excellent anticorrosion performance of our composite coating.

All-cellulose composites with a potential application as food packaging films were prepared by dissolving microcrystalline cellulose in a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic anhydride, adding cellulose nanofibers, and evaporating the solvents. First, the effect of the solvents on the morphology, structure, and thermal properties of the nanofibers was evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. An important reduction in the crystallinity was observed. Then, the optical, morphological, mechanical, and water barrier properties of the nanocomposites were determined. In general, the final properties of the composites depended on the nanocellulose content. Thus, although the transparency decreased with the amount of cellulose nanofibers due to increased light scattering, normalized transmittance values were higher than 80% in all the cases. On the other hand, the best mechanical properties were achieved for concentrations of nanofibers between 5 and 9 wt.%. At higher concentrations, the cellulose nanofibers aggregated and/or folded, decreasing the mechanical parameters as confirmed analytically by modeling of the composite Young’s modulus. Finally, regarding the water barrier properties, water uptake was not affected by the presence of cellulose nanofibers while water permeability was reduced because of the higher tortuosity induced by the nanocelluloses. In view of such properties, these materials are suggested as food packaging films.

Several strategies have been developed for the control of DNA translocation in nanopores and nanochannels. However, the possibility to reduce the molecule speed is still challenging for applications in the field of single molecule analysis, such as ultra-rapid sequencing. This paper demonstrates the possibility to alter the DNA translocation process through an elastomeric nanochannel device by dynamically changing its cross section. More in detail, nanochannel deformation is induced by a macroscopic mechanical compression of the polymeric device. This nanochannel squeezing allows slowing down the DNA molecule passage inside it. This simple and low cost method is based on the exploitation of the elastomeric nature of the device, can be coupled with different sensing techniques, is applicable in many research fields, such as DNA detection and manipulation and is promising for further development in sequencing technology.

Here we show that macrozwitterions of poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate), commonly called Super Glue, can easily assemble into long and well defined fibers by electrospinning. The resulting fibrous networks are thermally treated on glass in order to create transparent coatings whose superficial morphology recalls the organization of the initial electrospun mats. These textured coatings are characterized by low liquid adhesion and anti-staining performance. Furthermore, the low friction coefficient and excellent scratch resistance make them attractive as solid lubricants. The inherent texture of the coatings positively affects their biocompatibility. In fact, they are able to promote the proliferation and differentiation of myoblast stem cells. Optically-transparent and biocompatible coatings that simultaneously possess characteristics of low water contact angle hysteresis, low friction and mechanical robustness can find application in a wide range of technological sectors, from the construction and automotive industries to electronic and biomedical devices.