Anamarija Nikoletić

Thermoresponsive polymers, which undergo phase transitions within physiologically tolerated temperatures, are key to developing drug delivery systems (DDS) with precise spatial and temporal control, potentially addressing challenges associated with the treatment of complex diseases. Inorganic nanoparticles with unique optical, electronic, and magnetic properties serve as efficient transducers, converting external stimuli into localized heat to trigger thermoresponsive nanocarriers. This review explores the design and application of thermoresponsive nanocarriers transduced by inorganic nanoparticles as DDS. Following a brief description of temperature‐triggered phase transition of polymers and heat generation mechanisms by inorganic nanoparticles, strategies to integrate these components into hybrid systems are described. Examples demonstrating the utility of these hybrid systems as advanced DDS are discussed, highlighting their potential for precise drug release alongside theranostic capabilities by combining therapy with imaging. Despite the challenges in design, synthesis, and biological applications, thermoresponsive polymer‐inorganic hybrids hold immense promise for transforming drug delivery and biomedical innovations.

Alginate is a naturally occurring polymer derived from brown algae biomass, which has numerous applications in various fields. Chemical modification of alginate is widely used to improve alginate’s physicochemical properties and provide new potential for multiple applications. In this article, we modified alginate with L-DOPA, using periodate oxidation and reductive amination, to obtain more suitable biopolymer for biocatalyst immobilization and hydrogel formation. Obtained modified alginate was used for the immobilization of laccase on cell walls. For this purpose, laccase from Streptomyces cyaneus was expressed on the surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY100 cells. The obtained cell wall laccase was immobilized within L-DOPA-alginate beads by crosslinking the L-DOPA-alginate with calcium ions and laccase. The effect of additional crosslinking of beads by green light-induced photopolymerization with eosin Y was investigated. The immobilized laccase systems were used for dye decolorization and investigated in multiple treatment processes. Beads with L-DOPA-alginate with a higher degree of modification (5.0 mol%) showed higher enzymatic activity and better decolorization efficiency than those with a lower degree of modification (2.5 mol%). Obtained immobilized biocatalysts are suitable for decolorizing dye Evans Blue due to their high efficiency and reusability.

Alginate is naturally occurring polymer derived from brown algae biomass, which has found numerous applications in various fields. Chemical modification of alginate is widely used to improve the physicochemical properties of alginate and to provide new potential for various applications. In this article, we modified alginate with L-DOPA, using periodate oxidation and reductive amination, in order to be get more suitable biopolymer for biocatalysts immobilization and hydrogel formation. Obtained modified alginate was used for immobilization of laccase on cell walls. For this purpose, laccase from Streptomyces cyaneus was expressed on the surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY100 cells. Obtained cell wall laccase was immobilized within L-DOPA-alginate beads, by crosslinking of L-DOPA-alginate with calcium ions and laccase. The effect of additional crosslinking of beads by green light induced photopolymerization with eosin Y was investigated. The immobilized laccase systems were used for dye decolorization and also investigated in multiple treatment processes of dye decolorization. Beads with L-DOPA-alginate with higher degree of modification (5.0 mol%) showed higher enzymatic activity and better de-colorization efficiency compared to those with lower degree of modification (2.5 mol%). Obtained immobilized biocatalysts are suitable for the decolorization of dye Evans Blue due to their high efficiency and reusability.

The exponential growth of research on artificial cells and organelles underscores their potential as tools to advance the understanding of fundamental biological processes. The bottom–up construction from a variety of building blocks at the micro‐ and nanoscale, in combination with biomolecules is key to developing artificial cells. In this review, artificial cells are focused upon based on compartments where polymers are the main constituent of the assembly. Polymers are of particular interest due to their incredible chemical variety and the advantage of tuning the properties and functionality of their assemblies. First, the architectures of micro‐ and nanoscale polymer assemblies are introduced and then their usage as building blocks is elaborated upon. Different membrane‐bound and membrane‐less compartments and supramolecular structures and how they combine into advanced synthetic cells are presented. Then, the functional aspects are explored, addressing how artificial organelles in giant compartments mimic cellular processes. Finally, how artificial cells communicate with their surrounding and each other such as to adapt to an ever‐changing environment and achieve collective behavior as a steppingstone toward artificial tissues, is taken a look at. Engineering artificial cells with highly controllable and programmable features open new avenues for the development of sophisticated multifunctional systems.

The ligands 4′-{4-(N,N-diethylaminophenyl)}-3,2′:6′,3″-terpyridine (1) and 4′{4-(N,N-diphenylaminophenyl)}-3,2′:6′,3″-terpyridine (2) were prepared and characterized, including the single crystal structure of 2. Along with their 4,2′:6′,4″-terpyridine isomers, 3 and 4, ligands 1 and 2 were reacted with Co(NCS)₂ under conditions of crystal growth by layering, using solvent mixtures of MeOH and CHCl₃. The single crystal structures of [Co(NCS)₂(1)]_n·0.8nCHCl₃, [Co(NCS)₂(2)₂(MeOH)₂]·3CHCl₃, [Co(NCS)₂(3)]_n·2nCHCl₃, and [Co(NCS)₂(4)]_n were determined. The complexes with 1, 3, and 4 assemble into 2D (4,4) nets with the Co(II) centres as 4-connecting nodes, whereas [Co(NCS)₂(2)₂(MeOH)₂] is a discrete molecular species, illustrating that MeOH can act as a non-innocent solvent. The effects on the structure of changing from the 3,2′:6′,3″-terpyridine (3,2′:6′,3″-tpy) to a 4,2′:6′,4″-tpy metal-binding unit, and of introducing R₂N functionalities with different steric demands, are discussed. PXRD of bulk samples of all four products confirmed the single-crystal structures as representative of the bulk materials.