Victor Perez-Puyana

This study focuses on sustainable atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) using film-containing green nanomaterials. Particular emphasis is given to chitosan as a sustainable biopolymer matrix due to its intrinsic hydrophilicity, biodegradability, film-forming ability and abundance of amino and hydroxyl functional groups that favor water adsorption and nanoparticle interaction. ZnO, SiO₂ and Fe-Zn-SiO₂ nanoparticles with abundant hydroxyl groups were synthesized from plant-based materials such as biomass from peanut and banana wastes, as well as plant extracts. Nanocomposite membranes containing nanoparticles with a high specific surface area and moisture-sensitive behavior were successfully developed. Results showed that bilayer films outperformed monolayer systems in water harvesting performance. In particular, the bilayer film composed of Chitosan/G-ZnO (10 wt.%) on the top layer and Chitosan/G-SiO₂ (10 wt.%) in the bottom layer displayed outstanding hydrophilic properties with water contact angles reduced to 42–43°. The material demonstrated an equilibrium adsorption capacity for water at 0.90 g/g and a passive yield of 1.5–2.2 mL/g per day. The improved adsorption behavior was attributed to the synergistic effect between the hydroxyl-rich oxide nanoparticles, the intrinsic water affinity of chitosan, and the layered porous structure. Moreover, the samples showed good thermal and mechanical stability and retained their structure after several uses. These findings highlight the potential of chitosan-centered green nanocomposites as sustainable materials for passive AWH applications.

The development of biomimetic and mechanically functional constructs remains a major challenge in skeletal muscle tissue engineering. In this study, we present a multi-component 3D bioprinted platform integrating a polycaprolactone (PCL) support for mechanical stimulation, a sacrificial gelatin (GE) matrix for controlled bioink deposition, and collagen-based bioinks laden with Rattus norvegicus L6 skeletal muscle cells. The influence of PCL architecture, GE concentration (0.75, 1.5 and 3 wt%), and bioink composition—collagen (C), collagen–Matrigel (CM), and extracellular matrix-based (ECM)—was systematically evaluated. Rheological characterization demonstrated that all bioinks exhibited shear-thinning behavior and suitable viscoelastic properties for extrusion-based bioprinting, with sufficient mechanical stability to withstand dynamic bioreactor conditions. Microstructural analysis revealed highly interconnected porous networks, particularly in ECM-based scaffolds. While no statistically significant differences were observed, the ECM-based bioinks showed the highest cell viability and improved structural organization. Overall, this work demonstrates a versatile bioprinting strategy that combines mechanical support and biomimetic environments, highlighting the potential of ECM-based bioinks for the fabrication of functional skeletal muscle constructs.

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) has been recognized as a promising technology to address global freshwater scarcity in a decentralized manner. Nevertheless, conventional AWH sorbents are often associated with high energy consumption, toxic synthesis procedures, and short operational lifetimes. To address such limitations, a comprehensive review paper develops a unified framework to bridge the gap between nanoscale material properties, such as synthesis routes, structural architecture, and adsorption thermodynamics, and macro-scale environmental and economic performance. This review paper rigorously examines emerging nanomaterials such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), mesoporous metal oxides, and graphene oxide derivatives. By highlighting benchmark materials such as MOF-303 and passive solar-regenerated COF-ok, the review paper emphasizes the advantages of bio-assisted “green” synthesis routes. Crucially, this review extends beyond traditional water uptake figures and incorporates comprehensive Techno-Economic Assessments (TEA) and Life-Cycle Assessments (LCA). It examines various real-world influences, such as cumulative energy demand, levelized costs of water, and ton-scale manufacturing viability, to name a few. This report bridges atomic-level mechanics with industrial economics, and by so doing, offers design criteria to guide researchers in crafting a new generation of sustainable AWH infrastructure, with a focus on hierarchical pores, surface chemistry, and photothermal design.

Hydrogels have emerged as promising functional materials for improving water management and nutrient delivery in agriculture, particularly under conditions of increasing water scarcity and declining soil fertility. However, most commercially available superabsorbent hydrogels are based on petroleum-derived polymers, raising concerns regarding their persistence in soils, potential microplastic formation and long-term environmental impact. In response, significant research efforts are being directed toward the development of biodegradable hydrogels derived from renewable biopolymers. This review provides a critical overview of recent advances in hydrogel systems designed for agricultural applications, with a particular focus on biopolymer-based materials. First, the current landscape of hydrogel technologies used as soil conditioners and controlled-release systems for agrochemicals is contextualized, highlighting the limitations of conventional synthetic hydrogels. Subsequently, the main classes of natural polymers explored for hydrogel fabrication, including polysaccharides (e.g., chitosan, alginate, cellulose and starch) and proteins (e.g., gelatin, keratin and soy protein), are analyzed in terms of raw material sources, gelation mechanisms and structure–property relationships. Their performance in key agricultural functions, such as water retention, controlled nutrient release, soil conditioning and enhancement of plant growth, is also discussed. Finally, the review identifies major challenges that currently hinder large-scale implementation, including mechanical stability, degradation behavior in complex soil environments, nutrient release control and economic scalability. By integrating recent progress and outlining emerging research directions, this work aims to support the rational design of next-generation biodegradable hydrogels capable of contributing to sustainable agriculture and circular bioeconomy strategies.

The packaging industry needs to develop new materials to replace conventional plastics. This is where bioplastics, primarily derived from biopolymers such as proteins, come into play in addressing this problem. However, given their overall mechanical properties, cross-linking methods are needed to improve their performance compared to synthetic counterparts. Thus, this article proposes the development of bioplastics using pea protein as a biopolymer and glycerol as a plasticizer in different ratios (60/40 and 70/30), and incorporating transglutaminase as a natural cross-linking agent (0.25% and 0.50% concentrations), using compression molding as a processing technique for the development of prototypes. Therefore, the mechanical, thermal, optical, physicochemical, and functional properties were analyzed, demonstrating, first of all, the obtention of a material with a glass transition temperature of approximately 65–70 °C lower than that of conventional plastics such as PET. In this way, the materials showed an improvement in flexural properties (obtaining an elastic modulus of 1–2 MPa), at the expense of a deterioration in tensile tests (with a Young’s Modulus of 20–30 and 45–50 MPa for the 60/40 and 70/30 formulations, respectively). Similarly, opacity was increased by incorporating the enzyme into the formulation, highlighting its role in the 70/30 formulation with 0.50% of the enzyme. Moreover, this enzyme also reduced the water absorption capacity by approximately 13%. This demonstrates the potential application of this type of material in dry product packaging, which maintains its properties after a period of 125 min with a moisture content of 3–5%, highlighting its viability for the development of more environmentally responsible packaging solutions.

In today’s food landscape, the development of novel products continues to be a critical response to the growing demand for healthier, more sustainable, and technologically advanced food and beverage options

Conventional horticultural fertilization frequently leads to nutrient loss and environmental contamination, driving interest in biodegradable controlled-release systems. This work developed soy protein isolate (SPI) matrices containing 5 wt.% FeSO₄·7H₂O using injection. The matrices were evaluated for crosslinking, mechanical properties, water uptake (WUC), soluble matter loss (SML), iron-release kinetics in water and soil, and biodegradability under composting conditions. Injection-molded samples achieved very high crosslinking with moderate rigidity and water absorption and delivered iron rapidly in water, while compression-molded samples exhibited slightly lower crosslinking but greater stiffness, higher WUC, minimal SML, and sustained iron release. Notably, both processing methods yielded comparable iron-release profiles in soil and complete biodegradation within 71 days. Overall, compression molding produces SPI-based matrices with superior mechanical strength and water retention, positioning them as an ideal solution for long-lasting, sustainable nutrient delivery in horticulture.

The necessity to mitigate the intrinsic issues associated with tissue or organ transplants, in order to address the rising prevalence of diseases attributable to increased life expectancy, provides a rationale for the pursuit of innovation in the field of biomaterials. Specifically, biopolymeric aerogels represent a significant advancement in the field of tissue engineering, offering a promising solution for the formation of temporary porous matrices that can replace damaged tissues. However, the functional characteristics of these materials are inadequate, necessitating the implementation of matrix reinforcement methods to enhance their performance. In this study, chemical and green iron oxide nanoparticles, previously synthesized and documented in existing research, were incorporated into hybrid aerogels combining collagen (C) and chitosan (CH). The characterization of these aerogels was conducted through rheological, microstructural, and functional analyses. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of iron oxide nanoparticles has a significant influence on the properties of the aerogels fabricated with them. In particular, the incorporation of these nanoparticles has been observed to modify the mechanical properties, with an increase in strength and porosity that may support cell proliferation.

The current treatments to restore skeletal muscle defects present several injuries. The creation of scaffolds and implant that allow the regeneration of this tissue is a solution that is reaching the researchers' interest. To achieve this, electrospinning is a useful technique to manufacture scaffolds with nanofibers with different orientation. In this work, polycaprolactone and gelatin solutions were tested to fabricate electrospun scaffolds with two degrees of alignment between their fibers: random and aligned. These scaffolds can be seeded with myoblast C2C12 and then stimulated with a mechanical bioreactor that mimics the physiological conditions of the tissue. Cell viability as well as cytoskeletal morphology and functionality was measured. Myotubes in aligned scaffolds (9.84 ± 1.15 μm) were thinner than in random scaffolds (11.55 ± 3.39 μm; P = 0.001). Mechanical stimulation increased the width of myotubes (12.92 ± 3.29 μm; P < 0.001), nuclear fusion (95.73 ± 1.05%; P = 0.004), and actin density (80.13 ± 13.52%; P = 0.017) in aligned scaffolds regarding the control. Moreover, both scaffolds showed high myotube contractility, which was increased in mechanically stimulated aligned scaffolds. These scaffolds were also electrostimulated at different frequencies and they showed promising results. In general, mechanically stimulated aligned scaffolds allow the regeneration of skeletal muscle, increasing viability, fiber thickness, alignment, nuclear fusion, nuclear differentiation, and functionality.

In today’s market, the pursuit of product optimization is not just a trend but a necessity while facing the challenges of supplying a wider range of products, sustainability pressures, and the requirement for continuous innovation