Logo: to the web site of Uppsala University

Porous organic polymers (POPs) have shown significant potential for CO₂ capture and utilization due to their high surface areas, tunable porosity, high stability, and ease of modification. Developing POPs for CO₂ capture and catalytic conversion offers a viable solution to rising CO₂ emissions. This study presents POPs composed of pyridine units, serving as dual functional materials that act as sorbents for CO₂ capture and as substrates supporting silver chalcogenolate clusters (SCCs) for catalytic CO₂ conversion. The scalable and cost-effective synthesis of these POPs enabled the design of pilot-scale breakthrough apparatus with two parallel POP sorbent beds for continuous CO₂ capture from simulated flue gas, achieving a high working capacity of 20 L_{flue gas} kg_POP⁻¹ h⁻¹ for flue gas separation. Given the practical feasibility of using POPs for CO₂ capture and the high catalytic activity of POPs loaded with SCCs in CO₂ cycloaddition, a sequential process that integrates capturing CO₂ from simulated flue gas and directly converting the captured CO₂ into oxazolidinone achieves a high space–time yield of up to 9.6 g L_POP⁻¹ day⁻¹ in continuous operation. This study provides a viable strategy for CO₂ capture and utilization using cost-effective, dual-functional porous materials.

The field of precision medicine allows for tailor-made treatments specific to a patient and thereby improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and at the same time would reduce the cost, redundant treatment, and side effects of current treatments. Here, the combination of organ-on-a-chip and bioprinting into engineering high-content in vitro tissue models is envisioned to address some precision medicine challenges. This strategy could be employed to tackle the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has made a significant impact and paradigm shift in our society. Nevertheless, despite that vaccines against COVID-19 have been successfully developed and vaccination programs are already being deployed worldwide, it will likely require some time before it is available to everyone. Furthermore, there are still some uncertainties and lack of a full understanding of the virus as demonstrated in the high number new mutations arising worldwide and reinfections of already vaccinated individuals. To this end, efficient diagnostic tools and treatments are still urgently needed. In this context, the convergence of bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip technologies, either used alone or in combination, could possibly function as a prominent tool in addressing the current pandemic. This could enable facile advances of important tools, diagnostics, and better physiologically representative in vitro models specific to individuals allowing for faster and more accurate screening of therapeutics evaluating their efficacy and toxicity. This review will cover such technological advances and highlight what is needed for the field to mature for tackling the various needs for current and future pandemics as well as their relevancy towards precision medicine.

The engineering of multifunctional biomaterials using a facile sustainable methodology that follows the principles of green chemistry is still largely unexplored but would be very beneficial to the world. Here, the employment of catalytic reactions in combination with biomass-derived starting materials in the design of biomaterials would promote the development of eco-friendly technologies and sustainable materials. Herein, we disclose the combination of two catalytic cycles (combined catalysis) comprising oxidative decarboxylation and quinone-catechol redox catalysis for engineering lignin-based multifunctional antimicrobial hydrogels. The bioinspired design mimics the catechol chemistry employed by marine mussels in nature. The resultant multifunctional sustainable hydrogels (1) are robust and elastic, (2) have strong antimicrobial activity, (3) are adhesive to skin tissue and various other surfaces, and (4) are able to self-mend. A systematic characterization was carried out to fully elucidate and understand the facile and efficient catalytic strategy and the subsequent multifunctional materials. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis confirmed the long-lasting quinone-catechol redox environment within the hydrogel system. Initial in vitro biocompatibility studies demonstrated the low toxicity of the hydrogels. This proof-of-concept strategy could be developed into an important technological platform for the eco-friendly, bioinspired design of other multifunctional hydrogels and their use in various biomedical and flexible electronic applications.