Facilitating Water Permeation in Graphene Oxide Membranes via Incorporating Sulfonato Calix[n]arenes

Graphene oxide (GO) with its atomic thickness and abundant functional groups holds great potential in molecular-scale membrane separation. However, constructing high-speed and highly selective water transport channels within GO membranes remains a key challenge. Herein, sulfonato calix[n]arenes (SCn) molecules with a cavity structure, hydrophilic entrance, and hydrophobic wall were incorporated into GO interlayer channels through a layer-by-layer assembly approach to facilitate water permeation in a water/ethanol separation process. The hydrophilic entrance enables preferential access of water molecules to the cavity over ethanol molecules, while the high hydrophobicity of the cavity wall confers low resistance for water diffusion. After incorporating SCn molecules, the membrane shows a remarkable increase in the water/ethanol separation factor from 732 to 1260, while the permeate flux also increases by about 50%. In addition, the strong electrostatic interactions between the building blocks endow the membrane with excellent swelling resistance even under a high water content. This work provides an effective strategy of constructing high-efficiency water transport channels in membrane.

Novel Polyelectrolyte Complex Membranes Containing Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Gelatin for Pervaporation Dehydration of Azeotropic Bioethanol for Biofuel

Polyelectrolyte complex membranes (PECMs) were prepared by combining sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) and gelatin (Ge) with variations in the Ge content in the NaCMC matrix. Characterization methods, such as infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle analysis (CA), and universal testing machines (UTM) were used to investigate the physicochemical studies of the prepared membranes. The pervaporation characteristics of membranes with Ge content were investigated using an azeotropic mixture of water and bioethanol. The obtained data revealed that the membrane with 15 mass% of Ge (M-3) showed a maximum flux of 7.8403 × 10^-2 kg/m²·h with separation selectivity of 2917 at 30 °C. In particular, the total and water flux of PECMs are shown as very close to each other indicating that the fabricated membranes could be employed to successfully break the azeotropic point of water-bioethanol mixtures. Using temperature-dependent permeation and diffusion data, the Arrhenius activation parameters were calculated, and the obtained values of water permeation (E_pw) were considerably smaller than bioethanol permeation (E_pE). Developed membranes showed the positive heat of sorption (ΔH_s), suggesting that Henry's sorption mode is predominant.

Decolorization of dark-colored waste cotton fabric using redox decoloring agents

A huge quantity of dark-colored waste cotton fabrics with a high content of dye powder is dumped in landfills and incinerated, which is a waste of resources and pollutes the land and atmosphere. Also, it is meaningful to effectively strip the color from these dark-colored waste cotton fabrics with minimal damage to the strength of the textiles. In this study, a dark-colored waste cotton fabric dyed with reactive dyes was subjected to chemical treatment with redox decoloring agents. The effects of various treatments on the coloration and mechanical properties of the fabric were compared. This work developed an effective Na2S2O4-H2O2 system for decolorizing waste cotton fabric, with numerous advantages over conventional physicochemical approaches including achieving a CIE whiteness index of 74.1, tensile strength loss of 24.0%, weight loss of 1.2%, decoloration rate of 97.8%, and a degree of polymerization of 735.3. Furthermore, a mechanism was proposed to explain the two-step synergistic decolorization process.

Reversible functionalization and exfoliation of graphite by a Diels-Alder reaction with furfuryl amine

Furfuryl amine-functionalized few-layered graphene was prepared via a mechanochemical process by a [4 + 2] cycloaddition under solvent-free conditions. By employing ball milling, active sites are merged mostly at the edge of the graphene sheets which makes them prone to Diels-Alder click reactions (D-A) in the presence of a diene precursor. Consequently, one-pot grafting with furfuryl amine onto the graphene sheets, exfoliates pristine graphite resulting in functionalized few-layered graphene which is soluble in organic solvents. Thereafter, the cleavage of the bonds in the adduct can occur by exposure to an external stimulus like temperature, to initiate a retro-Diels-Alder reaction. The success of the thermoreversible functionalization of the few-layered graphene was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, TGA, XPS, EDX, contact angle and XRD analysis. The morphology of the samples was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and AFM. The latter was utilized to estimate graphene thickness. The results showed that functionalization proceeded under nitrogen with dry ball milling and mild temperatures efficiently.

Preparation, Characterization and Dielectric Properties of Alginate-Based Composite Films Containing Lithium Silver Oxide Nanoparticles

Polymer composites have found applications in diverse areas, ranging from the manufacturing of portable electronic devices to the fabrication of bioactive agent carriers. This article reports the preparation of composite films consisting of sodium alginate (SA) and lithium silver oxide (LAO) nanoparticles. The films are generated by solution casting; whereas the nanoparticles are fabricated by using the hydrothermal method. The effects of the nanoparticles on the morphological, thermal, and dielectric properties of the films are examined by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrical measurements are also performed to determine the dielectric constant (ε'), dielectric loss (ε″), AC conductivity (σac), electrical moduli (M' and M″), and impedance (Z' and Z″). The composite films are shown to be crystalline in nature, with nanoparticles having a diameter of 30-45 nm effectively disseminated in the polymer matrix. They also display good dielectric properties. Our results suggest that the films warrant further exploration for possible use in microelectronic applications.

Improved ORR/OER bifunctional catalytic performance of amorphous manganese oxides prepared by photochemical metal-organic deposition

Transition metal oxide nanomaterials or nanocomposites containing transition metal oxides have the potential to replace traditional catalysts for electrochemical applications, photocatalysis, and energy storage. Amorphous manganese oxide catalysts were prepared via photochemical metal-organic deposition (PMOD). Through XRD, SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, HRTEM-EDS, and XPS, we confirmed that amorphous manganese oxide catalysts were successfully prepared. Amorphous catalysts prepared with different photolysis times were compared in terms of their performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and catalyst MnO x -PMOD48 showed the best performance because of its high Mn3+ proportion and electrochemically active surface area. MnO x -PMOD48 showed better ORR/OER performance than the crystalline MnO x and MnO x /Ti4O7 catalysts from our previous work. Following our previous work on crystalline manganese oxide catalysts, we added Ti4O7 during the PMOD process with 48 h of treatment and obtained the amorphous catalyst MnO x /Ti4O7-PMOD. MnO x /Ti4O7-PMOD was supported by Ti4O7 particles, which led to improved stability. The ORR/OER catalytic activity of MnO x /Ti4O7-PMOD was better than that of crystalline catalyst MnO x /Ti4O7-300, which was the best crystalline catalyst in our previous work. We also compared lithium-oxygen batteries assembled with MnO x /Ti4O7-PMOD and MnO x /Ti4O7-300. The battery performance tests confirmed that the amorphous manganese catalyst had better ORR/OER bifunctional catalytic performance than the crystalline manganese catalyst because of its high defect state with more abundant edge active sites and more surface-exposed catalytic active sites.

Enhancement of dielectric performance of encapsulation in barium titanate oxide using size-controlled reduced graphene oxide

Ferroelectric barium titanate (BTO) powder particles were encapsulated by three different sizes of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) platelets. The size of the graphene oxide (GO) platelets is controlled by varying the horn type ultrasonic times, i.e. 0, 30, and 60 min, respectively, and they are reduced with hydrazine to obtain rGO-encapsulated BTO (rGO@BTO) film. The rGO@BTO film exhibits an increase in the dielectric characteristics due to the interfacial polarization. These improved characteristics include a dielectric constant of 194 (a large increment of 111%), along with the dielectric loss of 0.053 (a slight increment of 13%) at 1 kHz, compared to the pure BTO dielectric film. The improvement in the dielectric constant of the rGO@BTO is attributed to the encapsulation degree between the rGO platelets and BTO powder particles, which results in the interfacial polarization and micro-capacitor effect in a dielectric film, and also contributes to a low dielectric loss. Therefore, a suitable size of rGO platelets for encapsulation is essential for high-dielectric performance.

The controlled graphene size affected the dielectric performance of graphene encapsulated BaTiO₃ (rGO@BTO) particles. The dielectric performance increased by 33% higher than the dielectric constant after 1 h, while maintaining the low dielectric loss.

Mixed Manganese Dioxide on Magnetite Core MnO2@Fe3O4 as a Filler in a High-Performance Magnetic Alginate Membrane

The process of ethanol dehydration via pervaporation was performed using alginate membranes filled with manganese dioxide and a mixed filler consisting of manganese dioxide on magnetite core MnO₂@Fe₃O₄ particles. The crystallization of manganese dioxide on magnetite nanoparticle surface resulted in a better dispersibility of this mixed filler in polymer matrix, with the preservation of the magnetic properties of magnetite. The prepared membranes were characterized by contact angle, degree of swelling and SEM microscopy measurements and correlated with their effectiveness in the pervaporative dehydration of ethanol. The results show a strong relation between filler properties and separation efficiency. The membranes filled with the mixed filler outperformed the membranes containing only neat oxide, exhibiting both higher flux and separation factor. The performance changed depending on filler content; thus, the presence of optimum filler loading was observed for the studied membranes. The best results were obtained for the alginate membrane filled with 7 wt.% of mixed filler MnO₂@Fe₃O₄ particles. For this membrane, the separation factor and flux equalled to 483 and 1.22 kg·m⁻²·h⁻¹, respectively.

A SnO2QDs/GO/PPY ternary composite film as positive and graphene oxide/charcoal as negative electrodes assembled solid state asymmetric supercapacitor for high energy storage applications

The work demonstrates tin oxide quantum dots/graphene oxide/polypyrrole (SnO2QDs/GO/PPY) ternary composite deposited on titanium foil as a positive electrode and graphene oxide (GO)/charcoal on titanium foil as negative electrode separated by polyvinyl alcohol/potassium hydroxide (PVA/KOH) gel-electrolyte as a solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor for high energy storage applications. Here, tin oxide quantum dots (SnO2QDs) were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal technique, and SnO2QDs/GO/PPY ternary composite was synthesized by an in situ method with pyrrole monomer, SnO2, and GO. A pH value controlled, which maintained the uniform size of SnO2QDs dispersed on PPY, through GO ternary composite was used for fabricating the asymmetric supercapacitor electrode with the configuration (SnO2QDs/GO/PPY)/GO/charcoal (85 : 10 : 5). The device achieved the highest specific capacitance of 1296 F g-1, exhibited an energy density of 29.6 W h kg-1 and the highest power density of 5310.26 W kg-1 in the operating voltage from 0 to 1.2 V. The device also possessed excellent reliability and retained the capacitance of 90% after 11 000 GCD cycles. This ternary composite is a prominent material for potential applications in next-generation energy storage and portable electronic devices.

Fabrication and Physicochemical Study of B2SA-Grafted Poly(vinyl Alcohol)-Graphene Hybrid Membranes for Dehydration of Bioethanol by Pervaporation

Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)-crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution was prepared and treated with benzaldehyde 2 sulphonic sodium salt acid (B2SA) for sulfonation. Different contents of graphene were incorporated into B2SA-grafted PVA-TEOS hybrid membrane to improve the membrane stability, mechanical strength, and overall pervaporation performance of the membranes. Membranes were fabricated using the casting technique. Developed membranes were then analyzed for their physicochemical changes by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscope (SEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), contact angle analysis (CA), and mechanical strength. The lower d-spacing value observed in WAXD was evidence for the decreased inter-chain distance between the polymer chains. DSC exhibited the enhanced thermal stability of the developed membranes compared to the plane PVA membrane with enhancement in Tg value (106 °C), which was well above the pervaporation experimental temperature. Incorporation of graphene induced higher mechanical strength to the fabricated membranes. Further, the membranes were tested for the pervaporation separation of bioethanol. All the membranes were stable throughout the pervaporation studies, with M-2 G showing the total permeation flux of 11.66 × 10-2 kg/(m2 h) at 30 °C.

Clay nanoparticles as pharmaceutical carriers in drug delivery systems

INTRODUCTION

Clay minerals are a class of silicates with chemical inertness, colloid, and thixotropy, which have excellent physicochemical properties, good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and have high application potential in biomedical fields. These inorganic materials have been widely used in pharmaceutical excipients and active substances. In recent years, nanoclay mineral materials have been used as drug vehicles for the delivery of a variety of drugs based on their broad specific surface area, rich porosity, diverse morphology, good adsorption performance, and high ion exchange capacity.

AREAS COVERED

This review introduces the structures, properties, and applications of various common natural and synthetic nanoclay materials as drug carriers. Natural nanoclays have different morphologies including nanoplates, nanotubes, and nanofibers. Synthetic materials have controllable sizes and flexible structures, where mesoporous silica nanoparticles, laponite, and imogolite are typical ones. These inorganic nanoparticles are often linked to polymers to form multifunctional drug delivery systems for better pharmaceutical performance.

EXPERT OPINION

The clay nanomaterials have typical properties, including enhanced solubility of insoluble drugs, targeting therapeutic sites, controlled release, and stimulation of responsive drug delivery systems.

Elaboration and characterization of multilayer polymeric membranes: effect of the chemical nature of polymers

The transport phenomena across polymeric membrane may be enhanced by applying various strengths inside or outside the system. Recently, polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) has been considered one of the most popular methods that acts as a sink for the contaminant and immobilizes it. In the literature, there is no report about how to achieve the synthesis of multi-layer PIMs. In this paper, an improvement of a novel category of membrane without carrier for performing ion separation is reported. Different membranes were elaborated from binary mixtures of polymers, cellulose triacetate (CTA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) using 2-nitrophenyl octyle-ether (NPOE) as plasticizer and carrier in the same time, in order to increase specific interactions between the different polymers. The membranes (Polymer 1– NPOE – Polymer 2) were synthesized by phase inversion method modified by changing the procedure of a plasticizer/carrier addition and characterized by FTIR, TGA, SEM, zeta potential and contact angle. The CTA-based membranes exhibited well-defined pores partially filled with the second polymer and NPOE. Overall, our results showed that the addition of NPOE resulted in homogeneous membranes with modified physical properties, such as thickness, and hydrophobicity. A study of transport of Pb(II) using the synthesized membranes was studied. Dialysis experiments of lead ions across a polymeric membrane have shown that (CTA + NPOE + PMMA) and (PMMA + NPOE + PVC) membranes proved a good performance in one stage by fixing 12.15 and 25.31% of lead, respectively, without any additionally added carrier and acids. These results confirm the affinity between a basic polymer (poly-methyl methacrylate) and the metallic ion (Pb2+).

Dimensional Nanofillers in Mixed Matrix Membranes for Pervaporation Separations: A Review

Pervaporation (PV) has been an intriguing membrane technology for separating liquid mixtures since its commercialization in the 1980s. The design of highly permselective materials used in this respect has made significant improvements in separation properties, such as selectivity, permeability, and long-term stability. Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs), featuring inorganic fillers dispersed in a polymer matrix to form an organic-inorganic hybrid, have opened up a new avenue to facilely obtain high-performance PV membranes. The combination of inorganic fillers in a polymer matrix endows high flexibility in designing the required separation properties of the membranes, in which various fillers provide specific functions correlated to the separation process. This review discusses recent advances in the use of nanofillers in PV MMMs categorized by dimensions including zero-, one-, two- and three-dimensional nanomaterials. Furthermore, the impact of the nanofillers on the polymer matrix is described to provide in-depth understanding of the structure-performance relationship. Finally, the applications of nanofillers in MMMs for PV separation are summarized.

Self-assembled drug loaded glycosyl-protein metal nanoconstruct: Detailed synthetic procedure and therapeutic effect in solid tumor treatment

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery research has largely focused on developing well efficient localized delivery therapeutic agents to overcome the limitations of non-specificity and toxicity of conventional chemotherapy. Herein, we constructed a nanoplatform based on a self-assembled polysaccharide-protein conjugate to deliver anti-tumor drug doxorubicin and gold nanoparticles (DOX@PST-BSA AuNPs) for cancer therapy. The self-assembled DOX@PST-BSA AuNPs exhibited higher stability and thermal properties which enable them for drug delivery via passive targeting. The fluorescent property of the drug contributes to the self-monitoring of NPs Biodistribution in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the NPs showed negligible cytotoxicity and tissue accumulation in normal cells in vivo. Importantly, the NPs could load the anti-tumor drug with high encapsulation efficiency and competently delivered into the tumor microenvironment thereby inhibit tumor growth significantly through apoptotic induction. Notably, DOX@PST-BSA AuNPs exhibits low systemic toxicity and very few side effects in vivo. Based on the explored features, these NPs could serve as a promising multifunctional drug delivery nanoplatform for cancer therapy.

Novel Mixed Matrix Sodium Alginate-Fullerenol Membranes: Development, Characterization, and Study in Pervaporation Dehydration of Isopropanol

Novel mixed matrix dense and supported membranes based on biopolymer sodium alginate (SA) modified by fullerenol were developed. Two kinds of SA–fullerenol membranes were investigated: untreated and cross-linked by immersing the dry membranes in 1.25 wt % calcium chloride (CaCl₂) in water for 10 min. The structural and physicochemical characteristics features of the SA–fullerenol composite were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods, scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopies, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and swelling experiments. Transport properties were evaluated in pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol in a wide concentration range. It was found that the developed supported cross-linked SA-5/PAN^CaCl2 membrane (modified by 5 wt % fullerenol) possessed the best transport properties (the highest permeation fluxes 0.64–2.9 kg/(m² h) and separation factors 26–73,326) for the pervaporation separation of the water–isopropanol mixture in the wide concentration range (12–90 wt % water) at 22 °C and is suitable for the promising application in industry.

Investigation on Electrochemical Performance of New Flexible Nanocomposite Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride-co-Hexafluoropropylene) Polymer Electrolytes

This research paper as an article investigates electrochemical performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-co-HFP) flexible nanocomposite polymer electrolytes which have been prepared successfully with incorporation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanofiller. First, nanofillers are incorporated in a polymer matrix to form the flexible nanocomposite PVdF-co-HFP polymer membranes (PI-CMPM), and it is obtained by phase inversion technique. Contact angles of PI-CMPM have achieved a maximum of 136°. After this procedure, it has been activated by using a 1.0 M LiClO4 containing of DMC/EC (1 : 1 v/v ratio) electrolyte solution to get flexible nanocomposite polymer electrolytes (PI-CMPE). The optimized PI-CMPM has increased the electrolyte uptake by 150%. It reaches the maximum ionic conductivity value of 2.47×10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature. Optimized PI-CMPE achieved a maximum transference number of 0.61, which may be further evidence for the ability to fabricate high-performance lithium ion polymer batteries.

Recovery of cutting oil from wastewater by pervaporation process using natural clay modified PVA membrane

In this study, the pervaporative dehydration of the cutting oil 'diethylene glycol' (DEG) through a hydrophilic PVA membrane was investigated at various operation temperatures in the range of 333-363 K with a feed mixture containing 0.5-2.0 wt% water. The pervaporation (PV) performance of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is enhanced by the addition of natural clay kaolin into the pristine membrane. The thermal stability of the membranes was analyzed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphological analysis of the membranes was performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Separation success was determined by calculation of flux, selectivity, and PSI. These values were investigated as functions of the clay amount, feed concentration and feed temperature. The obtained results show that PV is an effective method for recycling waste cutting oil from wastewater.

Graphene oxide nanoslit-confined AgBF4/ionic liquid for efficiently separating olefin from paraffin

Facilitated transport membrane for separating light olefins, using transition metals like silver and copper as carriers, is a promising way to replace traditional energy-consuming methods. Here, we construct ionic liquid (IL) to fill the nanoslits of laminated graphene oxide (GO) membrane with silver ions as a carrier to separate ethylene/ethane. The nanoslits of GO membrane efficiently prevent the loss of silver ion IL solution. The IL further slows down the reduction of silver ions. The membrane with silver concentration of 0.25 M shows the best performance with a selectivity of 54 for ethylene/ethane and ethylene permeance of 2.9 GPU. This performance is superior to other silver ion IL solution membranes and competitive among the reported facilitated transport membranes.

Selectivity of deproteinization and demineralization using natural deep eutectic solvents for production of insect chitin (Hermetia illucens)

Selectivity of deproteinization and demineralization using natural deep eutectic solvents for preparation of insect chitin (Hermetia illucens) was investigated. The relationships between the pH and pKa values of NADESs and demineralization, deproteinization and crystallinity indexes of the obtained chitin were discussed, respectively. It was found that the acidic NADESs consist of basic hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and acidic hydrogen bond donor (HBD), or the alkali NADESs composed of acid HBA and alkali HBD were better for chitin products. After reused for three times, demineralization and deproteinization abilities of NADESs were not significantly decreased. Mechanistic analysis indicated that H⁺ released from HBA or HBD was the main reason for demineralization, whereas intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bond in NADESs facilitates the removal of protein. Overall, this report provides a preliminary reference for design of the sustainable NADESs for preparation of chitin from natural resources.

Membranes for dehydration of alcohols via pervaporation

Alcohols are the essential chemicals used in a variety of pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The extreme purity of alcohols in many of such industrial applications is essential. Though distillation is one of the methods used conventionally to purify alcohols, the method consumes more energy and requires carcinogenic entertainers, making the process environmentally toxic. Alternatively, efforts have been made to focus research efforts on alcohol dehydration by the pervaporation (PV) separation technique using polymeric membranes. The present review is focused on alcohol dehydration using PV separation technique, which is the most efficient and benign method of purifying alcohols that are required in fine chemicals synthesis and developing pharmaceutical formulations. This review will discuss about the latest developments in the area of PV technique used in alcohol dehydration using a variety of novel membranes.

Structures, Properties, and Performances-Relationships of Polymeric Membranes for Pervaporative Desalination

For the fulfilment of increasing global demand and associated challenges related to the supply of clean-and-safe water, PV has been considered as one of the most attractive and promising areas in desalinating salty-water of varied salinities. In pervaporative desalination, the sustainability, endurance, and structural features of membrane, along with operating parameters, play the dominant roles and impart paramount impact in governing the overall PV efficiency. Indeed, polymeric- and organic-membranes suffer from several drawbacks, including inferior structural stability and durability, whereas the fabrication of purely inorganic membranes is complicated and costly. Therefore, recent development on the high-performance and cost-friendly PV membrane is mostly concentrated on synthesizing composite- and NCP-membranes possessing the advantages of both organic- and inorganic-membranes. This review reflects the insights into the physicochemical properties and fabrication approaches of different classes of PV membranes, especially composite- and NCP-membranes. The mass transport mechanisms interrelated to the specialized structural features have been discussed. Additionally, the performance potential and application prospects of these membranes in a wide spectrum of desalination and wastewater treatment have been elaborated. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives have been identified in developing and scaling up different high-performance membranes suitable for broader commercial applications.

Microfluidic assembly of hydrogel-based immunogenic tumor spheroids for evaluation of anticancer therapies and biomarker release

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common subtype of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, exhibits pathologic heterogeneity and a dynamic immunogenic tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the lack of preclinical in vitro models of DLBCL TME hinders optimal therapeutic screening. This study describes the development of an integrated droplet microfluidics-based platform for high-throughput generation of immunogenic DLBCL spheroids. The spheroids consist of three cell types (cancer, fibroblast and lymphocytes) in a novel hydrogel combination of alginate and puramatrix, which promoted cell adhesion and aggregation. This system facilitates dynamic analysis of cellular interaction, proliferation and therapeutic efficacy via spatiotemporal monitoring and secretome profiling. The immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide had direct anti-proliferative effect on activated B-cell like DLBCL spheroids and reduced several cytokines and other markers (e.g., CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CD137 and ANG-1 levels) compared with untreated spheroids. Collectively, this novel spheroid platform will enable high-throughput anti-cancer therapeutic screening in a semi-automated manner.

Membrane-based separation of potential emerging pollutants

The potential emerging pollutants (PEPs) such as hazardous chemicals, toxic metals, bio-wastes, etc., pose a severe threat to human health, hygiene and ecology by way of polluting the environment and water sources. The PEPs are originated from various industrial effluent discharges including pharmaceutical, food and metal processing industries. These PEPs in contact with water may pollute the water and disturb the aquatic life. Innumerable methods have been used for the treatment of effluents and separating the toxic chemicals/metals. Of these methods, membrane-based separation processes (MBSPs) are effective over the conventional techniques for providing clean water from wastewater streams at an affordable cost with minimum energy requirement. Microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), and forward osmosis (FO) methods as well as hybrid technologies are discussed citing the published results of the past decade.