Materials Today Communications
·
2026
·
IF 4.5
Shu-Dong Wang,Ke Wang,Jin Yan,Chen Ding,Youzhu Zhang
This study reports the fabrication of a silk fibroin (SF)/chitosan (CS) nanofibrous scaffold via electrospinning for advanced skin tissue regeneration. Ethanol treatment induced a marked β-sheet transition in SF, as confirmed by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, thereby enhancing thermal stability, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability. The optimized SF/CS scaffold achieved 100 % antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 24 h, supported adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of L929 fibroblasts and MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts, and exhibited excellent hemocompatibility (hemolysis rate: 3.29 ± 1.13 %). Molecular docking revealed stable SF–CS interactions through hydrogen bonding (e.g., GLU28, ASP29) and hydrophobic contacts (binding energy: –5.7 kcal/mol). Compared with clinical-grade polyurethane (hemolysis rate: 3.05 ± 0.45 %), the SF/CS scaffold demonstrated equivalent blood safety while offering superior biodegradation control and bioactivity. Collectively, these results establish ethanol-treated SF/CS nanofibrous scaffolds as multifunctional biomaterials with strong potential for chronic wound healing and full-thickness skin repair.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2026
·
IF 7.1
Tanghui Liu,Yan Jiang,Hanqi Yu,Shiyi Huang,Chang Su,Dong Zhang,Hai Chi,Hongrui Chen,Jie Tang,Xingzhong Zhang
Properties of ZSEO/CA microcapsules with different BW/SBO ratios were evaluated. • Chitosan-based films incorporated with essential oil microcapsules were fabricated. • Composite films performed the enhanced hydrophobicity and antimicrobial activity. • The composite films remarkably prolonged the shelf life of chilled beef for 12 d. This study developed an active composite film using chitosan (CS) as the matrix loaded with essential oil microcapsules. The physicochemical properties of essential oil microcapsules encapsulated with different beeswax/soybean oil (BW/SBO) ratios, along with the effects of their addition levels on the properties of composite films and effectiveness in preserving chilled beef were evaluated. The Zanthoxylum schinifolium essential oil/cinnamaldehyde (ZSEO/CA) loaded microcapsules formed by bacterial cellulose nanofibrils/whey protein isolate (BCNFs/WPI) complexes were successfully fabricated via spray drying, and their performance was adjusted by the composition of the encapsulated oil phase. Among them, the microcapsules fabricated at a BW/SBO ratio of 1:5 exhibited optimal comprehensive performance, yielding the lowest moisture content (4.85%), smallest powder size (6.7 μm) and good flowability. After incorporating the microcapsules into films, the obtained composite films significantly reduced water vapor permeability (WVP) to 0.77 g mm/m 2 •h•kPa and water solubility (WS) to 41.46%, and enhanced antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone diameter: 0.79-0.82 cm). Preservation experiments demonstrated that the composite films effectively extended the shelf life of chilled beef from 6 days to 12 days under 4 °C refrigeration. This research provided some guidance for the development of active food packaging films and application for chilled beef preservation.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2026
·
IF 8.8
Chen Li,Peipei Ma,Xiaoyue Sui,Aminu Abdullahi Mahmoud,Xinyu Liao,Tian Ding,Runrun Zhang
The stable food-grade lauric acid emulsions were developed. • Emulsions showed homogeneous structure and good viscoelastic stability. • The emulsions exhibited notable antioxidant activity and activity against S. aureus . • Antibacterial activity linked to membrane damage and energy disruption. Lauric acid (LA) is an antimicrobial medium-chain fatty acid, but its poor aqueous solubility limits its application in food matrices. To address this, ultrasound-assisted emulsion was developed using LA in vitamin E (VE) oil and chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (CS-PVA) aqueous matrix. The emulsion exhibited uniformly dispersed oil droplets forming a compact network structure, along with superior stability and viscoelastic properties. No phase separation was observed during storage except for the 5 CP/VL system after 30 days, where CP/VL refers to the CS-PVA/VE-LA. Functionally, the emulsion disrupted bacterial membrane integrity and interfered with cellular energy metabolism. The 10 CP/VL formulation achieved a favorable balance between stability and bioactivity, with DPPH scavenging rate of 26.57% and 2.8 log CFU/mL reduction of Staphylococcus aureus after 2 h at 1% concentration. Overall, this study provides a feasible strategy for enhancing the dispersion and function of LA in aqueous systems for food-related applications. Download: Download high-res image (399KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
POLYMER BULLETIN
·
2026
·Vol. 83
·期 8
·423
·
IF 4.2
Zhu Xiaoji,Hou Haohao,Wang Jie,Ma Hui,Zhou Hongfu,Zang Xiaoling,Xiang Aimin
The urgent necessity to create affordable adsorbents for the effective elimination of leftover contaminants from wastewater arises from the significant water pollution resulting from the excessive use of dyes. A novel chitosan (CS) /pullulan (PL) hydrogel, chemically cross-linked using polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE), exhibited high swelling capacity, excellent mechanical stability, and superior adsorption performance. Adsorption tests indicated that CS/PL-2 hydrogel attained a 93.23% removal efficiency for congo red (CR) dye at the concentration of 1000 mg/L. The adsorption capacity of CS/PL-2 hydrogel was investigated in relation to various factors, such as temperature, initial concentration, pH, contact time, and the quantity of adsorbent used. Adsorption kinetics for CS/PL-2 hydrogel were examined utilizing both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models, with the findings demonstrating that physical adsorption primarily governed the process. The maximum adsorption capacity identified for CS/PL-2 hydrogel, as the Langmuir model, was observed to be 953.60 mg/g, and the thermodynamic analysis of adsorption suggested that the process occurs spontaneously. After five cycles of adsorption, the removal rate of CS/PL-2 hydrogel remained at 70%. In conclusion, this hydrogel adsorbent offers a practical solution for treating CR contaminated wastewater.
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2026
·
IF 8.7
Lijun Wu,Jiacheng Li,Tian Liang,Jian Liu,Qingfa Zhang,Lu Wang
The development of hydrogel dressings that exhibit excellent moisturizing, antibacterial, and pro-healing properties is an urgent need in the field of wound healing. This study designs a multifunctional hydrogel dressing (QCPVA-ZnO) to address this challenge by incorporating a quaternized nanocellulose‑zinc oxide hybrid (QCNC-ZnO) into a polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan matrix. QCPVA-ZnO exhibited excellent moisture retention and breathability, with a water vapor transmission rate of 2440 g·m −2 ·day −1 and an oxygen permeability rate of 111 g·mm/m 2 ·day·kPa, which could be attributed to the synergistic effect of its porous structure and hydrophilic cross-linked network. The experiment of the full-thickness skin defect model in mice showed that QCPVA-ZnO had significant healing promoting ability, with a wound healing rate of 97.6% by day 11. This can be attributed to QCNC-ZnO endowing QCPVA-ZnO with a good bactericidal rate of 99%, which thereby enabled the latter to effectively control infections, reduce inflammatory reactions, and further promote angiogenesis and epidermal regeneration. In addition, biosafety evaluations indicated that QCPVA-ZnO had a cell survival rate of over 90% and hemolysis of less than 2%, demonstrating good biocompatibility. This study improves the moisturizing, air permeability, antibacterial and healing promoting functions of the hydrogel, providing a new idea for the development of multi-functional wound dressings.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
·
2026
·Vol. 26
·期 8
·e70238
·
IF 4.2
Meng Wang,Hongzhen Jia,Chengfu Zhang,Ningli Wang,Puzhao Liu,Dong Pei,Qingli Qu
Enzyme immobilization is an effective strategy to improve catalyst recovery and operational stability, but conventional approaches are often limited by diffusion resistance, steric hindrance, and insufficient control over the enzyme microenvironment. Hydrogel-based materials are attractive supports because their hydrated, tunable, and porous networks help preserve enzyme conformation while improving substrate diffusion and mass transfer. Here, a gas-shearing microfluidic strategy was developed to fabricate alginate/chitosan hydrogel microreactors for dual-mode lipase immobilization through entrapment and genipin-mediated covalent binding. By tuning gas-liquid shear, microspheres with controllable and narrow size distribution were generated without surfactants or UV-initiated polymerization. Importantly, genipin was introduced as a mild and biocompatible cross-linker to reinforce the alginate/chitosan network and create a stable interfacial microenvironment for enzyme immobilization. Compared with conventional cross-linkers, the milder and more controllable reactivity of genipin is advantageous in preserving enzyme conformation and catalytic performance. The resulting microreactors exhibited enhanced catalytic activity, improved storage stability, and good reusability. After five consecutive cycles, the entrapped and covalently immobilized systems retained 70% and 81% of their initial activity, respectively. These results demonstrate that gas-shearing microfluidics combined with genipin-mediated network reinforcement provides a robust and biocompatible platform for constructing hydrogel-based enzymatic microreactors with improved catalytic performance and operational durability.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
DESALINATION
·
2026
·
IF 9.9
Zhongsen Yan,Zeqi Yan,Sufen Lin,Haiqing Chang,Kaiqin Xu,Gongduan Fan,Fangshu Qu
Novel CMCS sacrificial layer enhances silica scaling resistance in MD. • CMCS coatings can be removed and re-coated in situ. • Synergy of CMCS layer and smooth PVA substrate boosts silica scaling resistance. • CMCS-PVA membrane showed sustainable anti-silica performance in long-term tests. Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising technology for hypersaline wastewater treatment, yet it is often limited by severe silica scaling. This study proposes a carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) sacrificial layer strategy to achieve in situ silica scale removal and restore membrane reusability for MD. The influence of substrate properties on anti-scaling performance was systematically evaluated by depositing the CMCS layer onto Thin Film Composite (TFC) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Janus membranes. Characterization results indicated that the CMCS coating significantly improved surface smoothness and introduced silica-resistant functional groups, reducing the average roughness (Ra) of the TFC and PVA membranes from 74.2 to 2.79 nm and from 8.26 to 1.19 nm, respectively. After a single-cycle silica scaling test, the CMCS-TFC and CMCS-PVA membranes retained 92.7% and 97.2% of their initial specific flux, respectively, 26.2 and 2.1 percentage points higher than their pristine counterparts. Notably, the CMCS-modified PVA membrane exhibited superior anti-scaling stability, maintaining a specific flux above 90% for the first 4 cycles and achieving a flux recovery ratio (FRR) exceeding 99% across all cleaning cycles. This synergistic effect between the CMCS sacrificial layer and the smooth PVA substrate effectively inhibited silica penetration, while enabling interfacial renewal and foulant removal via in situ exfoliation and re-deposition of the CMCS layer. This work provides a facile and robust approach for treating silica-rich hypersaline streams. Download: Download high-res image (137KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2026
·
IF 8.7
Chaohai Pang,Ying Jiang,Rui Chen,Xionghui Ma,He Yu,Zhenshan Zhang,Chunhua Liu,Hongbin Yang,Xuejia Wu,Xiuju Gao,Mingyue Wang,Shuhuai Li
A novel dual-network hydrogel (CST-CS-TA-Zn 2+ ) was engineered for controlled release pesticide delivery. • The ACE-loaded hydrogel demonstrated robust foliar adhesion and pH-responsive release. • The hydrogel significantly enhanced photostability, retaining 58.24% ACE after 30 h UV irradiation. • Insecticidal efficacy against aphids was improved 3.2–3.4 fold compared to technical ACE. • The formulation showing a trend of lower toxicity risk for bees, supporting sustainable crop protection. Constructing functionalized hydrogel carrier materials for controlled release pesticide delivery to improve foliar adhesiveness and photostability is of great significance for increasing pesticide utilization rates and reducing residue pollution. In this study, a novel dual-network hydrogel, CST-CS-TA-Zn 2+ , functionalized with tannic acid (TA) and zinc ions (Zn 2+ ) using cassava starch (CST) and chitosan (CS), was fabricated via a semi-dissolved acidified sol-gel method combined with response surface optimization strategy. Furthermore, a composite hydrogel pesticide delivery system incorporating acetamiprid (ACE), named ACE@CST-CS-TA-Zn 2+ , was prepared via physical adsorption. The ACE@CST-CS-TA-Zn 2+ demonstrated robust foliar adhesion on banana leaves, pH-responsive release, and markedly enhanced photostability—retaining 24.72% more active ingredient than technical ACE, with 58.24% of the loaded ACE remaining after 30 h of UV–vis irradiation. Bioassays against cowpea aphids revealed significantly enhanced insecticidal efficacy, evidenced by LC₅₀ values of 2.49 mg a.i. L −1 (24 h) and 0.85 mg a.i. L −1 (48 h), representing 3.4- and 3.2-fold reductions relative to technical grade ACE. The non-target toxicity assessment result demonstrated a trend of lower toxicity risk for bees. The findings establish a design strategy and experimental foundation for developing sustainable multifunctional composite hydrogels tailored for controlled release pesticide delivery.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2026
·
IF 8.7
Ping Liang,Bingke Li,Guorui Liu,Junran Xu,Qingyue Zhang,Yuchao Chen,Xinling Wu,Haoming Zhang,Zhongyu Li,Zhihui Li
Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) serves as a dual crosslinker forming Schiff bases and electrostatic interactions. • Nanogels show pH-triggered release: 88.5% at pH 5.0 vs. 23.5% at pH 7.0. • TMX@CS-PLP NGs improve foliar wettability, rainfastness, and insecticidal efficacy. • The biocompatible nanogel platform enables intelligent, eco-friendly pesticide delivery. Conventional pesticide formulations suffer from poor targeting and low active ingredient utilization due to their inability to respond to microenvironmental signals at pest feeding sites. Here, we developed pH-responsive nanogels by crosslinking chitosan with PLP via Schiff base formation and electrostatic interactions using an inverse emulsion method, and loaded them with the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam (TMX). The resulting TMX@CS-PLP nanogels exhibited spherical morphology with a hydrodynamic diameter of 428.1 nm, a loading capacity of 9.2%, and an encapsulation efficiency of 79.4%. The Schiff base crosslinks imparted pH-dependent degradability: at acidic pH (5.0, simulating pest gut or infection sites), the nanogels released 88.5% of encapsulated TMX over 72 h, whereas only 23.5% was released at neutral pH (7.0, mimicking leaf surface conditions). The nanogel formulation also improved foliar wettability (contact angle reduced from 84.5o to 68.1o) and enhanced rainfastness compared with the technical suspension. In laboratory bioassays against Myzus persicae , TMX@CS-PLP nanogels caused 76.0% mortality after 24 h, significantly higher than the technical suspension (46.7%), while the blank nanogel showed no phytotoxicity or inherent insecticidal activity. These results demonstrate that PLP-crosslinked chitosan nanogels offer a biocompatible, pH-responsive platform for precision pesticide delivery, with enhanced foliar deposition and improved efficacy. Download: Download high-res image (124KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
·
2026
·
IF 8.8
Wei Qin,Sha Wang,Limin Xu,Junwei Wang,Jiayin Sun,Chenxiao Jiang
Two crown ether grafted chitosan PIMs were separately fabricated. • PIM-CTS-15 exhibits superior Li + selectivity and >95% cycling stability. • Confinement–coordination synergy enables hopping-like Li + migration. • XPS, DFT and Danesi model reveal the Li + transport mechanism. Selective Li + recovery from complex industrial leachates is hindered by the intrinsic trade-off between ion flux and permselectivity. Herein, we propose a confined ion-recognition transport strategy based on two distinct crown ether-functionalized chitosan (CTS) polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), namely PIM-CTS-15 and PIM-CTS-18 incorporating benzo-15-crown-5 (B15C5) and dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6), respectively. Covalent immobilization of crown ether moieties within the CTS matrix creates spatially confined recognition sites, enabling selective Li + coordination and transport. Under optimized conditions, PIM-CTS-15 achieves a high Li + flux of 4.8 mol h −1 m −2 and maintains over 95% cycling stability after ten cycles, with ion permselectivity follows the order of Li + ≫Mg 2+ >Ca 2+ >K + , demonstrating preferential Li + migration. Furthermore, PIM-CTS-15 exhibits competitive Li + permselectivity over competing coexisting ions, with P Li/Mg = 2.6, P Li/Ca = 3.5, and P Li/K = 2.3. Mechanistic investigation reveals that Li + transport proceeds through coordination-assisted hopping within confined crown ether sites, while the applied electric field promotes ion migration. Danesi kinetic analysis indicates a diffusion-coupled facilitated transport mechanism, and XPS/DFT calculations confirm the preferential interaction between Li + and O/N containing sites, as well as the stronger Li + binding affinity of PIM-CTS-15 compared with PIM-CTS-18. Notably, lowest Li + migration barrier among the studied cations, quantitatively supporting the hopping-like pathway. This work offers a molecular design principle for ion-recognition membranes by integrating host-guest confinement and coordination chemistry, achieving a favorable balance among Li + selectivity, transport efficiency, and operational stability for lithium recovery from complex industrial waste streams. Separation performance and mechanism of the PIM-CTS-15 membrane for Li + over competing metal ions. Download: Download high-res image (250KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2026
·
IF 12.5
Zisheng Li,Wenbing Zheng,Zheyun Cao,Zhuo Chen,Yuting Wang,Nan Zhao,Guoqiang Liu,Feng Zhou,Weimin Liu
Dual-network design with ion-electron conduction balances mechanical and electrical performance. • High tensile strength, toughness, and conductivity ensure stable sensing foundation. • Rapid photoinitiated fabrication enables efficient and scalable hydrogel preparation. • Long-term stable sensing performance sustained over 1000 stretching cycles. • Broad detection ranges from large joint movements to subtle facial expressions. Achieving mechanically robust yet highly conductive hydrogels remains a central challenge for skin-interfaced wearable sensors, as network reinforcement often compromises charge transport and long-term sensing stability. Here, we report a coordination-Hofmeister dual-network engineering strategy for constructing a chitosan/PAA/PEDOT:PSS conductive hydrogel that integrates high mechanical strength, efficient charge transport, and environmental adaptability. A primary hybrid network (PECA) is formed in an ethylene glycol/water medium through one-pot photoinitiated polymerization, simultaneously establishing covalently crosslinked PAA chains, Al 3+ -mediated coordination between PAA and the PSS component of PEDOT:PSS, together with electrostatic interactions involving chitosan, and a homogeneously distributed conductive polymer phase. Subsequent ammonium-sulfate-induced Hofmeister salting-out promotes polymer-chain dehydration and entanglement, generating a compact secondary physical network and yielding a double-network hydrogel (DECA). The optimized DECA hydrogel achieves a tensile strength of 1.74 MPa, toughness of 6.69 MJ m −3 , and conductivity of 6.52 S/m, corresponding to 6.9-, 5.0-, and 81-fold enhancements over the pristine hydrogel, respectively. Benefiting from reversible coordination/hydrogen-bonding interactions and stable electronic-ionic conductive pathways, the hydrogel sensor maintains reproducible resistance responses after 1000 stretching cycles. When mounted on human skin, the DECA sensor enables real-time monitoring of multi-scale physiological motions, from large joint movements to subtle facial expressions. This work provides a facile strategy for resolving the mechanical-electrical trade-off in conductive hydrogels and advances their application in durable wearable electronics. An Al 3+ coordination and Hofmeister salting-out strategy is used to engineer chitosan/PAA/PEDOT:PSS double-network conductive hydrogels. The coordinated and sulfate-reinforced network simultaneously improves tensile strength, toughness, conductivity, and cyclic sensing stability, enabling skin-mounted strain sensors for real-time monitoring of joint motion and subtle facial expressions. Download: Download high-res image (114KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
·
2026
·
IF 5.4
Yipeng Chen,Suilin Qiu,Bingjie Hu,Mingjie Li,Yong Wang,Chin Ping Tan,Ning Zhang,Fu Liu
Surfactant-free tocotrienols (T3) self-assemble into nanoparticles (179–236 nm). • T3 nanoparticles with BLG or CMS exhibit high encapsulation efficiency (82–99%). • BTNPs and CTNPs showed distinct interfacial assembly mechanisms. • BTNPs demonstrate superior colloidal stability and bioaccessibility. • BTNPs and CTNPs enhance antioxidant activity of T3 via improved dispersibility. Tocotrienols (T3) are bioactive compounds with diverse biological activities, but their lipophilicity and poor bioavailability limit their application in the food field. In this study, surfactant-free self-assembled T3 nanoparticles (STNPs), β-lactoglobulin (BLG)-T3 co-assembled nanoparticles (BTNPs) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMS)-T3 co-assembled nanoparticles (CTNPs) were comparatively evaluated. Both BTNPs and CTNPs could transform oily T3 into a solid-like lyophilized powder with excellent reconstitution properties. BTNPs exhibited higher encapsulation efficiency (EE, 82%–99%) and loading capacity (LC, 9–25 g/100 g), along with smaller particle size (143–198 nm) than STNPs (179–236 nm). Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that BLG exhibited significantly higher apparent affinity toward T3 compared with CMS. Spectroscopic investigations suggested intermolecular interactions between T3 and carriers. Importantly, BTNPs exhibited enhanced colloidal stability under varying pH, ionic strength, and storage conditions compared with STNPs and CTNPs. The bioaccessibility of T3 was largely enhanced in all nanoparticles systems. Furthermore, compared with STNPs, BTNPs and CTNPs exhibited stronger hydrophilic-radical scavenging capacities and more effectively alleviated H 2 O 2 -induced ROS accumulation in HepG2 cells. These findings highlight the role of carrier-mediated colloidal properties in modulating the stability and antioxidant efficacy of encapsulated T3. Download: Download high-res image (163KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）