In this work, we have developed a novel absorbent material using chitosan (CS), and further it was structurally modified via reaction with thiocarbaldehyde, forming a Schiff base intermediate. Simultaneously, graphene oxide was functionalized at the C-6 position of CS through an effective esterification process and composited with the incorporation of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoparticles to synthesize a hybrid adsorbent material. The resulting material was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The synthesized adsorbent was subjected to the adsorptive removal of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) ions from dilute solutions. The maximum uptake of 66.66 mg/g for Cu(II) and 76.92 mg/g for Cr(VI) were recorded during the adsorption process, further following pseudo-second-order kinetics adsorptive nature and fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model. Desorption studies indicated the material’s reusability, and the thermodynamic studies indicated a spontaneity with an endothermic adsorptive nature. These studies highlight the material’s potential as an effective adsorbent as a sustainable approach for efficient environmental remediation.

The growing need for sustainable materials has stimulated research into eco-friendly composites, with biochar emerging as an important reinforcement in polymer matrices. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolyzing organic biomass, offering various benefits over traditional fillers, including sustainability, waste reduction, and carbon sequestration. This study explores the effects of bamboo biochar as a hybrid reinforcement on the properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-rice husk composites. The present hybrid composites are prepared by varying the bamboo biochar from 5–25% and have better mechanical properties than PLA and its composite reinforced with a rice husk filler. The tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths of 51.5, 166.0, and 77.5 MPa are measured for the biochar percentage of 10%, representing increases of 73.1, 150.0, and 58.2% compared to PLA, and 158.2, 98.6, and 31% compared to the PLA composite with rice husk. Higher tensile and flexural moduli of 1.46 and 7.34 GPa are observed for 10 and 15%, respectively. However, the impact strength decreases with higher biochar content due to increased rigidity. The material’s hardness increases at higher biochar content due to enhanced stiffness. Thermal transition and degradation points rise due to increased crystallinity from the biochar reinforcement’s nucleation effect. Additionally, the hydrophobic biochar reinforcement reduces water absorption of PLA composite from 3.2 to 1.6%.

Biocomposites have recently received more attention because of raising environmental awareness and the drive toward sustainable technologies. The most common biodegradable polymer is poly(lactic acid) (PLA), which has an excellent balance of physical and rheological properties, but there is some limit to its usage. PLA properties can be improved by adding different types of fibers or fillers that come from agricultural waste. In this study, corn cob and lavender stem were used to reinforce PLA without any coupling agent, and the properties of the composites were investigated. The melt flow rate (MFR) values decreased with the corn cob content and increased with the addition of lavender stem. Mechanical tests showed that the tensile and flexural modulus of the composites increased and the strengths decreased with the reinforcement material content. The rigidness of PLA slightly decreased with the addition of fillers. There was no significant effect on the thermal properties. The unremarkable improvement of the reinforcement was due to the lack of appropriate adhesion of the two phases. The structure of the compounds was found to be homogenous on the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs. The incorporation of corn cob and lavender stem can reduce the production cost of materials.

This is an editorial article. It has no abstract.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a technique currently used for creating tissue engineering scaffolds, using bioinks as the building blocks. These bioinks are composed of biomaterials that provide structural integrity and are synthesized from organic polymers to enhance biocompatibility with the printed constructs. In this study, a series of eleven chitosan-based bioinks were synthesized using the sol-gel technique, employing chitosan of low and medium molecular weight. Three bioink formulations were selected based on their viscosity characteristics and further enriched with gelatin and hydroxyapatite (HA) to enhance their mechanical properties. Characterization tests included Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheological assessments. Viscoelastic materials were obtained, and an experimental model was developed to optimize printing parameters, focusing on pressure and printing speed. Our findings indicate that a bioink formulation comprising a blend of medium and high molecular weight chitosan, supplemented with gelatin and hydroxyapatite, was found to be a promising approach for fabricating scaffolds for bone tissue repair.