Natural extracted aerogels with inherent anisotropy and their 3D printing assisted biomedical applications

Bioaerogels: Promising Nanostructured Materials in Fluid Management, Healing and Regeneration of Wounds

Wounds affect one's quality of life and should be managed on a patient-specific approach, based on the particular healing phase and wound condition. During wound healing, exudate is produced as a natural response towards healing. However, excessive production can be detrimental, representing a challenge for wound management. The design and development of new healing devices and therapeutics with improved performance is a constant demand from the healthcare services. Aerogels can combine high porosity and low density with the adequate fluid interaction and drug loading capacity, to establish hemostasis and promote the healing and regeneration of exudative and chronic wounds. Bio-based aerogels, i.e., those produced from natural polymers, are particularly attractive since they encompass their intrinsic chemical properties and the physical features of their nanostructure. In this work, the emerging research on aerogels for wound treatment is reviewed for the first time. The current scenario and the opportunities provided by aerogels in the form of films, membranes and particles are identified to face current unmet demands in fluid managing and wound healing and regeneration.

Self-assembled three-dimensional double network graphene oxide/polyacrylic acid hybrid aerogel for removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solution

Three-dimensional (3D) double network graphene oxide/polyacrylic acid (GO/PAA) hybrid aerogels were fabricated under mild conditions from the mixture of GO and acrylic acid (AA) monomers using a one-pot in situ solution polymerization process which included the polymerization of AA and the self-assembly of functional GO sheets. The PAA chains served as not only binder to assemble GO sheets into 3D framework but also modifier to provide more active functional groups. The adsorbents based on such material exhibited superior adsorption performance towards Cu²⁺ ions in aqueous media due to rich mesopores, high specific surface area, and abundant active sites. This work brings a new vision for assembling 3D porous graphene-based nanomaterials as adsorbents in environmental protection.