Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are increasingly employed in nanomedicine as carriers for intracellular transport of drugs, imaging probes, and therapeutics agents, thanks to their unique optical and physicochemical properties. However, a better understanding about the effects of CNMs on a vertebrate model at the whole animal level is required. In this study, we compare the toxicity of oxidized carbon nano-onions (oxi-CNOs), oxidized carbon nano-horns (oxi-CNHs) and graphene oxide (GO) in zebrafish (Danio rerio). We evaluate the possible effects of these nanomaterials on zebrafish development by assessing different end-points and exposure periods.

Membrane-based Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) are promising candidates for energy-efficient industrial gas separations, especially for the separation of carbon dioxide over methane (CO₂/CH₄) and carbon dioxide over nitrogen (CO₂/N₂) for natural gas/biogas upgrading and carbon capture from flue gases, respectively. Compared to other separation techniques, membrane separations offer potential energy and cost savings. Ultra-permeable PIM-based polymers are currently leading the trade-off between permeability and selectivity for gas separations, particularly in CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂. These membranes show a significant improvement in performance and fall within a linear correlation on benchmark Robeson plots, which are parallel to, but significantly above, the CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ Robeson upper bounds. This improvement is expected to enhance the credibility of polymer membranes for CO₂ separations and stimulate further research in polymer science and applied engineering to develop membrane systems for these CO₂ separations, which are critical to energy and environmental sustainability. This review aims to highlight the state-of-the-art strategies employed to enhance gas separation performances in PIM-based membranes while also mitigating aging effects. These strategies include chemical post-modification, crosslinking, UV and thermal treatment of PIM, as well as the incorporation of nanofillers in the polymeric matrix.

The production of low-dimensional materials is the key topic of nanoscience. The development of new routes to downsize organic and inorganic materials has focused the attention of a great part of the scientific community that is still debating on the best route to pursue. Among nanostructures, 2D species have been investigated since the discovery of graphene. Nonetheless, the production of 2D materials is very complex, and the discussion on which is the most profitable way is still open. Ultrasound-assisted techniques represent one of the best routes for the production of 2D materials with minimum consumption of energy and best performances. Accordingly, we present a concise and exhaustive discussion about the use of ultrasound-assisted techniques for the production of both organic and inorganic 2D materials, also providing a theoretical overview of the mechanism behind the use of ultrasounds in synthetic material science.

Membranes with high CO₂ solubility are essential for developing a separation technology with low carbon footprint. To this end, physical blend membranes of [BMIM][Ac] and [BMIM][Succ] as Ionic Liquids (ILs) and PIM-1 as the polymer were prepared trying to combine the high permeability properties of PIM-1 with the high CO₂ solubility of the chosen ILs. Membranes with a PIM-1/[BMIM][Ac] 4/1 ratio nearly double their CO₂ solubility at 0.8 bar (0.86 cm³ (STP)/cm³ cmHg), while other ratios still maintain similar solubilities to PIM-1 (0.47 cm³ (STP)/cm³ cmHg). Moreover, CO₂ permeability of PIM-1/[BMIM][Ac] blended membranes were between 1050 and 2090 Barrer for 2/1 and 10/1 ratio, lower than PIM-1 membrane, but still highly permeable. The here presented self-standing and mechanically resistant blend membranes have yet a lower permeability compared to PIM-1 yet an improved CO₂ solubility, which eventually will translate in higher CO₂/N₂ selectivity. These promising preliminary results will allow us to select and optimize the best performing PIM-1/ILs blends to develop outstanding membranes for an improved gas separation technology.

The utilization of hydrogen in safety conditions is crucial for the development of a hydrogen-based economy. Among all methodologies, solid-state hydrogen release from ammonia borane through thermal stimuli is very promising due to the high theoretical hydrogen release. Generally, carbonaceous or inorganic matrices have been used to tune the reactivity of ammonia borane. Nevertheless, these solutions lack chemical tunability, and they do not allow one to properly tune the complex chemical pathway of hydrogen release from ammonia borane. In this study, we investigated the effect of a bioderived multifunctional polymeric matrix on hydrogen release from ammonia borane, reaching pure hydrogen release of 1.2 wt.% at 94 °C. We also describe new chemical pathways involving the formation of anchored intermediates, namely BxNy species.