Herein, an eco-friendly and facile synthesis of nitrogen-containing non-conjugated polymer dots (NCPD) with optimal blue emission is reported from the biopolymer β-glucan with a peptide–polysaccharide linkage (namely NH ₂ -β-glucan).

The Raman spectroscopic analysis of a rare wall decoration in a church belltower, depicting the initials of couples married there in circular roundels over some 230 years, since 1777, has been undertaken prior to their impending restoration. The spectral data indicate that the red pigment is exclusively haematite which has been applied to plaster which exhibits the signatures variously of calcite, gypsum, anhydrite, calcium phosphate and dolomitic limestone; evidence of amorphous carbon is attributed to the deposition of soot from candle illumination, which has been recorded in historical documentation. The presence of biosignatures attributed to carotenoids in several samples is evidence of biological colonisation and potential deterioration which requires special treatment in the restoration strategies. The blackened areas near the upper edges of the wall decoration indicate carbon deposition and organic contamination. The latest addition to the decoration accomplished in 2008 shows that haematite has been used over a calcite ground. In earlier dated specimens, the presence of limewash is evident, which has only been partially converted into calcite by aerial attack from carbon dioxide in moist conditions.

The development of bioinspired nanofibrous scaffolds with adjustable functions is essential for a range of applications, from tissue engineering to sustainable materials that exploit the hierarchical architectures of Bombyx mori silks. In this work, we report the production of organic−inorganic nanofibers by incorporating the organosilane (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) into silk fibroin using the solution blow spinning (SB-spinning) technique. The incorporation of APTES aims to modulate solution rheological properties, promote conformational transition to β-sheet-rich structures, and increase the thermal stability of the resulting nanofiber, making them more suitable for biomedical applications. Silk fibroin was isolated from B. mori cocoons, dissolved in a ternary CaCl₂/EtOH/H₂O solution, and hybridized with APTES before fiber production. The resulting nanofibers displayed smooth, uniform morphologies and nanoscale diameters, confirming the effectiveness of SB-spinning for creating hybrid systems. Rheological analyses showed that adding APTES reduced viscosity and enhanced the processability of fibroin solutions. Spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction data revealed an increased β-sheet content and crystallinity in the hybrid fibers, while thermogravimetric analysis indicated improved thermal stability. Overall, these results demonstrate that incorporating APTES effectively alters the physicochemical and structural properties of silk fibroin, enabling the production of promising nanofibrous scaffolds for biomedical applications. This study thus introduces an approach to engineering organic−inorganic hybrid biomaterials via a scalable, low-cost spinning process.