Publications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17182442
The influence of minor components on leaching molecular iodine (I₂) through polypropylene (PP)-based packaging from a povidone iodine-based (PVP-I) formulation, simulating an ophthalmic application, was evaluated. I₂ is a cheap, broad-spectrum, and multi-target antiseptic. Nevertheless, it is volatile, and the prolonged storage of I₂-based formulations is demanding in plastic packaging because of transmission through the material. Therefore, we explored the possibility of moderating the loss of I₂ from an iodophor formulation by introducing small amounts of molecular iodine into the polymer material commonly used in eyedropper caps, i.e., PP. Thus, PP was blended via an extrusion process with a polymeric complex containing iodine (such as PVP-I) or with a second polymeric component able to complex the I₂ released from an iodophor solution. The aim of this work was to introduce I₂ into PP-based polymer matrices without using organic solvents and indirectly, i.e., through the addition of components that could generate molecular iodine or complex it in the solid phase, as I₂ is heat-sensitive. To increase the miscibility between PP and PVP-I, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) or a vinyl pyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymer 55/45 (Sokalan) were added as compatibilizers. The PP-based binary and ternary blends, in granular or sheet form, were characterized thermally (Differential Scanning Calorimetry, DSC, and Thermogravimetric analysis, TGA), mechanically (tensile tests), morphologically (scanning electron microscopy (SEM)), and chemically (attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR)). Additionally, the variation in wettability induced by the introduction of the hydrophilic minority components was determined by static contact angle measurements (static contact angle (SCA)), and tests were carried out to determine the barrier properties against oxygen (oxygen transmission rate (OTR)) and molecular iodine. The I₂ leaching of the different blends was compared with that of PP by monitoring the I₂ retention in a buffered PVP-I solution via UV-vis spectroscopy. Overall, the experimental data showed the capability of the minority components in the blends to increase thermal stability as well as act as a barrier to oxygen. Additionally, the PP blend with PVP-I induced a reduction in molecular iodine leaching in comparison with PP.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111551
In the context of sustainable materials for outdoor applications, the use of bio-based and biodegradable composites reinforced with agro-industrial waste represents a promising strategy. However, exposure to sunlight and oxygen can lead to photo-oxidation, potentially compromising both performance and biodegradability. In this study, Mater-Bi (MB) was compounded with 10 and 20 wt% grape pomace (GP), a by-product rich in polyphenols, and the resulting biocomposites were subjected to accelerated aging. The impact of photo-oxidation was evaluated through rheological, thermal, and mechanical analyses, alongside biodegradation tests in soil. The results revealed that while neat MB undergoes significant degradation upon aging, the GP-filled composites exhibited better resistance to photo-oxidative damage. Importantly, the biodegradation behaviour of the aged samples was also investigated, highlighting how prior oxidative degradation influences the subsequent disintegration of the material in a natural environment. The findings underscore the importance of assessing the end-of-life performance of biocomposites after environmental weathering, to ensure their sustainability under real-life outdoor conditions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2025.109586
Delftia acidovorans is a Gram-negative bacterium traditionally considered as an environmental organism, although it has recently been identified as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, this bacterium was also recognized as part of the crypt-specific core microbiota in healthy mice. Despite its detection in various contexts, the chemical structure of its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remains uncharacterized. Here, the structure of O-antigen and lipid A from Delftia acidovorans were characterized by combining chemical approaches with spectroscopic and spectrometric studies. In detail, the O-antigen is found to consist of a novel glycan sequence composed of 3)-α-L-rhamnose-(1→4)-α-D-glucose-(1→ disaccharide in the linear backbone, where glucose is in turn branched at the O-2 position with a β-D-N-acetyl-glucosamine, that is non-stoichiometrically acetylated at position O-6. Whereas lipid A is predominantly represented by a hexa-acylated species with a symmetric distribution of acyl chains.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09400-5
Glycosylation is a post-translational modification essential for proper protein folding and function, with significant roles in diverse biological processes, including neurogenesis. MAN2A2 enzyme is required for proper N-glycan trimming/maturation in the N-glycosylation pathway. Whole-exome sequencing of a trio revealed two potentially causative variants in the MAN2A2 gene in a patient with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cognitive delay. The first variant, c.1679G > A (p.Arg560Gln), was inherited from the unaffected father. It is located within the alpha-mannosidase middle functional domain, a region essential for mannose metabolism and alpha-mannosidase enzymatic activity. The second variant, c.3292C > T (p.Gln1098Ter), was inherited from the mother and it generated a premature stop codon. These variants resulted in a compound heterozygous condition in the patient. Prediction using the DOMINO tool suggested an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Notably, the MAN2A2 gene is highly expressed in several brain regions. The encoded enzyme, an alpha-mannosidase, is localized to the Golgi apparatus, the cellular organelle where the processing and maturation of N-glycans occurs. In silico analyses consistently classified both variants as likely pathogenic, supported by structural prediction analyses that indicated significant disruptions in protein architecture. Glycosylation analyses demonstrated impaired N-glycosylation, evidenced by the accumulation of immature serum glycoprotein N-glycans including disease-specific hybrid-type species. Further investigations are essential to elucidate the role of this gene in ASD and cognitive delay.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030314
This work addressed the fine dispersion of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) in a polymer matrix to obtain Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs) suited for gas separation. Not-purified MWCNTs were effectively loaded within a polyether block amide (Pebax®2533) matrix, up to 24 wt%, using ultrasonication as well as a third component (polysorbate) in the dope solution. The obtained flexible thin films were investigated in terms of morphology, thermal properties, characterized by SEM, FT-IR, DSC, TGA, and gas permeation tests. The response to temperature variations of gas permeation through these nanocomposite specimens was also investigated in the temperature range of 25?55 °C. Defect-free samples were successfully obtained even at a significantly high loading of CNTs (up to 18 wt%), without a pre-treatment of the fillers. A remarkable enhancement of gas permeability upon the nanocarbons loading was reached, with a threshold value at a loading of ca. 7 wt%. The addition of polysorbates in the ternary MMMs further improves the dispersion of the filler, enhancing also the permselectivity of the membrane.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122969
Iodine is a broad-spectrum antiseptic with the advantage of not inducing bacterial resistance, but its use is limited by volatility. This issue can be overcome by using "iodophors", which are molecular systems able to retain iodine and provide its sustained release. Cyclodextrins have proven effective in stabilizing iodine in solution through the formation of complexes, the preparation of which in solid form could offer additional benefits in terms of handling and storage. A series of cyclodextrins (CD) were tested for their ability to form solid complexes with iodine and it was found that the addition of potassium iodide in the solid-state preparation of the complexes significantly increases both iodine incorporation and long-term stability compared to the solids obtained without added potassium iodide. Dilute aqueous solutions of the obtained complexes were monitored for their iodine content in different conditions and excellent stability was observed in some cases. Furthermore, these cyclodextrin-iodine complexes showed no cytotoxic effects on human corneal epithelial cells (HCE-2) while displayed very high antimicrobial (against Staphylococcus epidermis) and antiviral (against Human adenovirus 5) activities. These findings highlight the potential of cyclodextrins as a versatile platform for the development of solid iodophors as an alternative to the traditional povidone-iodide formulation.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.121736
Environmental pollution caused by the release of hazardous chemicals into air and water poses serious risks to ecosystems, public health, and infrastructure. Addressing these challenges requires innovative materials capable of both detecting and removing diverse pollutants. However, most current materials are designed to target either air or water pollutants, leaving a gap in multifunctional solutions. This study presents a pioneering approach to bridge this gap by introducing two novel calixarene-based cryopolymers, combining the macroporous structure of cryogels with the recognition capabilities of calixarenes. The synthesized materials were found to be valuable tools for detecting and capturing pollutants in both air and water, taking advances from a dual mechanism of absorption: by chelation through the acidic functionality inserted on calixarene scaffold and by a host-guest complex formation with calixarene cavity through cation-p interactions. As an additional advantageous property, they have the ability to detect the presence of NO₂ in the air through an evident color change. These multifunctional materials represent a breakthrough in environmental remediation, offering a single platform for addressing pollutants in air and water, marking a step forward in pollution management technologies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113982
A novel and smart methacrylic acid (MAA) based macroporous material functionalized with thiol groups (-SH) was developed to achieve highly efficient and selective removal of toxic Hg(II) ions from water. With the aim of visualizing the saturation of the active sites of the material in real-time, a porphyrin-based co-monomer was synthesized and included (only 0.25 % w/w) as a part of the co-polymeric structure. The porphyrin ring can capture Hg(II) ions, causing a color change from red to green. However, due to the higher affinity of Hg(II) towards thiol groups, the porphyrin will be able to interact with free Hg(II) only when the adjacent thiols are no longer available and, therefore, close to the complete saturation of -SH sites. The color shift alerts that the material is approaching saturation, hence, a regeneration step is necessary for subsequent adsorption cycles. The typical interconnected macroporous (3?23 µm) network of the cryogel allows fast water diffusion and easy access to the -SH and PORPH sites. Such design achieves an exceptional Hg(II) adsorption capacity (Q_max > 1200 mg/g), calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model. The synthesized material shows high selectivity towards Hg(II) (S% > 95%) in a solution with the simultaneous presence of other metal cation species. The kinetics of Hg(II) capture, pH behavior, material dosage, and regeneration cycles were tested, highlighting its potential applicability across a broad pH range and its reusability for at least five cycles. These combined features underscore the superior performance of this advanced material compared to current state-of-the-art competitors.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2024.115182
The photothermo-catalysis is a combined multicatalytic approach that allows to overcome some drawbacks of the respective single catalytic processes as the thermocatalysis and the photocatalysis. In this work, to efficiently exploit the potentiality of the solar photothermo-catalysis, SiC/hydrotalcites-derived catalysts were prepared with a simple hydrothermal method to exploit both the thermocatalytic properties of the formed multifunctional mixed oxides and the photo(thermo)-catalytic features of the silicon carbide. Two different hydrotalcite-derived catalysts were prepared, one with Mg-Co ions and another with Zn-Co ions. This latter sample, after the addition of SiC, showed the best performance in the CO₂ methanation reaction, with a CH₄ selectivity maximum of 71 % in the photothermal conditions at 250 °C, strongly improving the performance of the thermocatalysis (36 % at 350 °C). The presence of SiC permitted to increase the harvesting of the solar light, to modify the basic sites of the hydrotalcite-derived catalysts, allowing an efficient CO₂ activation, and to generate self-heating effects that enhanced the photo-driven thermocatalysis. Moreover, the formation of photocatalytic active species as the ZnO and the ZnAl₂O₄ after the calcination of the corresponding hydrotalcite precursor, led to exploit additional photocatalytic contributions to further increase the catalytic activity in the photo-promoted thermocatalytic CO₂ conversion into methane. The high versatility and the several synergisms generated by the application of this hybrid catalysis with these peculiar SiC/hydrotalcite-derived catalysts can be a sustainable strategy to efficiently valorise the carbon dioxide.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123412
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects a significant proportion of women during reproductive years, with recurrent infections posing a considerable therapeutic challenge. Conventional treatments, such as clotrimazole (Clo) administration, often require frequent application due to low aqueous solubility and rapid clearance. To address these issues, a novel hydrogel-based drug delivery system (DDS) was developed, combining β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) for Clo encapsulation and halloysite nanotubes (HNT) for curcumin (Cur) delivery. A novel hydrogel-based drug delivery system (DDS) was developed to address these limitations to enhance drug solubility, retention, and localized release. β-CD enhanced Clo’s solubility and prolonged antifungal effects, while HNT ensured sustained Cur release for up to 5 days, offering anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial benefits. The hydrogel matrix improved drug retention and stability, with HNT reinforcing its mechanical properties for durability under moderate strain. Microbiological tests demonstrated potent antifungal activity, with inhibition zones of 39.2 ± 0.2 mm, 39.1 ± 0.2 mm, and 42.1 ± 0.2 mm against C. krusei, C. albicans 10231, and C. parapsilosis 22019, respectively. Drug release studies revealed a rapid burst release of Clo within the first 30 min, followed by prolonged Cur release. This dual-action hydrogel targets fungal infections, oxidative stress, and inflammation, providing enhanced therapeutic outcomes and improved patient adherence.