Development of new antibacterial materials for solving biomedical problems is an extremely important and very urgent task. This review aims to summarize recent articles (from the last five and mostly the last three years) on the nanoparticle/polymer composites for biomedical applications. Articles on polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) and hydrogel-based systems were not reviewed, since we focused our attention mostly on the composites of polymeric matrix with at least one inorganic filler in the form of NPs. The fields of application of newly developed antibacterial NPs/polymer composites are described, along with their composition and synthetic approaches that allow researchers to succeed in preparing effective composite materials for medical and healthcare purposes.

Photoconversion covers (PCCs) are specialized materials designed to modify light conditions in greenhouses, thereby enhancing plant growth and development. Recently, extensive research and development efforts have focused on improving and characterizing both components of PCCs: the cover material and the photoconversion agent (phosphor(s)). Given that the true impact of PCCs on plant growth can only be assessed through greenhouse experiments, while surveying recent publications from 2020 to 2024, in this review, we specifically tried to focus on such experiments. A total of 58 studies on PCCs for greenhouse applications were analyzed. Of those, 26 studies introduced novel materials, including phosphors and PCCs, with the potential to enhance plant growth, although greenhouse experiments were not conducted to evaluate their performance. The remaining 32 studies provided experimental data on PCC efficiency in promoting plant growth through plant-based experiments. To summarize and compare the findings from these greenhouse experiments, in this work, we systematically classify plant growth parameters and examine their application across the surveyed studies.

The development of biodegradable, biocompatible materials with inherent antibacterial properties, suitable for 3D printing, is a key challenge in modern materials science. Composites based on PLA and copper nanoparticles (NPs) are promising candidates for such a material. A protocol of the low-temperature incorporation of 0.1% Cu NPs or 0.1% CuO NPs into a PLA was developed. The dependence of the materials’ physicochemical properties on nanoparticle composition was evaluated. Cu and CuO NPs were synthesized via liquid-phase laser ablation and had sizes of 25 and 80 nm, with modal zeta potential values of +31 and +42 mV, respectively. The incorporation of Cu NPs enhances the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of PLA, and improves antibacterial properties. The PLA + 0.1% CuO or PLA + 0.1% Cu nanoparticles inhibited the growth of E. coli by ~60% and >80%, respectively. PLA + 0.1% Cu NPs destructed of bacterial cell walls. The antibacterial action mechanisms are an 8-oxoguanine and LRPS generations. The obtained materials did not exhibit cytotoxic effects against normal human fibroblasts, did not alter the pH or redox potential of water, and did not release of Cu²⁺ in concentrations toxic to humans. The material PLA + 0.1% Cu NPs is the most optimal. This material may find applications in food production and biomedical applications.

This work demonstrates a three-step method for the synthesis and production of submicron spherical gold particles using laser ablation in liquid (LAL), laser-induced fragmentation in liquid (LFL), laser-induced nanochain formation, and laser melting in liquid (LML). The nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and UV–visible spectroscopy. In the first stage, spherical gold nanoparticles with a size of 20 nm were obtained using LAL and LFL. Subsequent irradiation of gold nanoparticle colloids with radiation at a wavelength of 532 nm leads to the formation of gold nanochains. Irradiation of nanochain colloids with radiation at a wavelength of 1064 nm leads to the formation of large spherical gold particles with a size of 50 to 200 nm. The formation of submicron gold particles upon irradiation of 2 mL of colloid occurs within the first minutes of irradiation and is complete after 480,000 laser pulses. Increasing the laser pulse energy leads to the formation of larger particles; after exceeding the threshold energy (321 mJ/cm²), fragmentation is observed. Increasing the concentration of nanoparticles in the initial colloid up to 150 μg/mL leads to a linear increase in the size of submicron nanoparticles. The use of picosecond pulses for irradiating nanochains demonstrates the formation of the largest particles (200 nm) compared to nanosecond pulses, which may be due to the effect of local surface melting. The described technique opens the possibility of synthesizing stable gold nanoparticles over a wide range of sizes, from a few to hundreds of nanometers, without the use of chemical reagents.

Methacrylate-based materials, widely used in dentistry, must possess high biocompatibility with oral cells and tissues. Currently, to improve the integration of orthodontic devices with the biological structures, laser-assisted polymer modification is actively employed. Importantly, functionalization is required only for the surface of the material that directly interacts with the oral tissues. This study presents approaches for laser modification of polymethacrylate materials and evaluates their influence on the proliferative activity of human spleen fibroblasts. Using laser radiation, two geometric patterns were obtained on the polymer surfaces. Cell morphology and proliferation on the experimental samples were assessed using scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the polymer with a groove-textured surface (pattern 1) promoted enhanced cell adhesion and reduced material toxicity. Additionally, the antibacterial properties of the polymers were evaluated. The sample with sparsely distributed surface craters (pattern 2) demonstrated an antifouling effect against Escherichia coli.