Polyols as solvents are widely and successfully used in various methodologies to obtain zinc oxide nanostructures. One of the main reasons of using polyols is related to its capacity to prevent the agglomeration of ZnO nanoparticles during the synthesis and to promote a more stable colloidal solution of it. In this work it is presented, for the first time, the obtaining of nanostructured ZnO by a polyol mediated solvothermal synthesis using zinc nitrate as precursor. The combination of the zinc source with sodium hydroxide in a polyol medium with PVA as dispersing agent provided a simple process for obtaining nanostructured ZnO. The zinc oxide nanostructures obtained were characterized by UV-visible, XRD, FESEM, TEM, DLS and BET. As result, was obtained a wurtzite phase with hexagonal structure with crystallite size of 12 nm and, according to TEM micrographs, an average size of 14 nm, which was corroborated to other analyses.

The clay minerals have characteristics and properties that allow their applicability in the cosmetic area, being incorporated into formulations as an active principle. Therefore, the aim of this work is characterizing and evaluating the influence of a clay from Miracema do Norte, Tocantins, Brazil, named Clay V, on the physicochemical characteristics of a hydrophilic gel of Aristoflex®, a copolymer of the neutralized acryloyldimethyltaurate and vinylpyrrolidone sulphonic acid. Clay V was decontaminated and characterized through microbiological evaluation, crystalline phases present by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), chemical composition by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and granulometric distribution by sieving. Gels were prepared using Clay V with particles in the range ≤ 180 μm in three different concentrations: 1%, 3% and 5% (w/w) and a standard gel without clay. The formulations were evaluated according to organoleptic characteristics, pH, viscosity, spreadability and the centrifugation test. The microbiological evaluation showed that the clay sample is in compliance with the parameters established by the legislation. The following mineral phases were identified by XRD: kaolinite, illite, vermiculite and quartz, mainly composed of silica and alumina according to XRF. Thermal analysis showed that the clay has two thermal decomposition reactions, the largest being 547.6°C. The granulometric analysis identified that the largest fraction (63.22%) was of particles with sizes greater than 710 μm. The organoleptic characteristics presented by the formulations were suitable, with characteristic gel odor, homogeneous appearance, soft and refreshing texture and staining based on the concentration of Clay V used. The obtained pH values were within the range between 5.5 and 6.5, and it was verified that the gel has high spreadability, distributing evenly on the skin. The values obtained for viscosity showed that the formulations are non-Newtonian fluids with pseudoplastic behavior. The centrifugation test showed that the formulations are stable, with no phase separation. The results obtained with the tests showed that the natural clay V material is beneficial in cosmetic products and can be used for incorporation in cosmetic gel formulations of Aristoflex® type.

The use of nanocellulose in pharmaceutics is a trend that has emerged in recent years. Its inherently good mechanical properties, compared to different materials, such as its high tensile strength, high elastic modulus and high porosity, as well as its renewability and biodegradability are driving nanocellulose’s industrial use and innovations. In this sense, this study aims to conduct a search of patents from 2011 to 2023, involving applications of nanocellulose in pharmaceuticals. A patent search was carried out, employing three different patent databases: Patentscope from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Espacenet; and LENS.ORG. Patents were separated into two main groups, (i) nanocellulose (NC) comprising all its variations and (ii) bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), and classified into five major areas, according to their application. A total of 215 documents was retrieved, of which 179 were referred to the NC group and 36 to the BNC group. The NC group depicted 49.7%, 15.6%, 16.2%, 8.9% and 9.5% of patents as belonging to design and manufacturing, cell culture systems, drug delivery, wound healing and tissue engineering clusters, respectively. The BNC group classified 44.5% of patents as design and manufacturing and 30.6% as drug delivery, as well as 5.6% and 19.4% of patents as wound healing and tissue engineering, respectively. In conclusion, this work compiled and classified patents addressing exclusively the use of nanocellulose in pharmaceuticals, providing information on its current status and trending advancements, considering environmental responsibility and sustainability in materials and products development for a greener upcoming future.