In the last decade, amphiphilic cellulose (AC) is emerging as attractive biomaterial for different therapeutic use, due to its unique chemical and physical properties. Using it as alternative to synthetic polymers, AC opens up new avenues to prepare new bio-sustainable materials with low impact in the cellular environment. Herein, most recent methods to synthesize and processing AC materials from different sources—i.e., cellulose nanofibers, bacterial cellulose, cellulose derivatives—will be discussed. By an accurate optimization of morphology and surface chemistry, it is possible to develop innovative amphiphilic platforms, promising for a wide range of biomedical applications, from drug delivery to molecular/particle adsorption.

Through recent discoveries and new knowledge among correlations between molecular biology and materials science, it is a growing interest to design new biomaterials able to interact—i.e., to influence, to guide or to detect—with cells and their surrounding microenvironments, in order to better control biological phenomena. In this context, electro-active polymers (EAPs) are showing great promise as biomaterials acting as an interface between electronics and biology. This is ascribable to the highly tunability of chemical/physical properties which confer them different conductive properties for various applicative uses (i.e., molecular targeting, biosensors, biocompatible scaffolds). This review article is divided into three parts: the first one is an overview on EAPs to introduce basic conductivity mechanisms and their classification. The second one is focused on the description of most common processes used to manipulate EAPs in the form of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) materials. The last part addresses their use in current applications in different biomedical research areas including tissue engineering, biosensors and molecular delivery.

This review summarizes recent research advancements in thermoplastic composites used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) processes. Since its development in 1988, FDM has emerged as one of the primary emerging technologies of Industry 4.0, receiving attention in fields such as industrial manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and others, particularly for rapid prototyping and customization. The intention is to make available a guideline for 3D printing researchers, analyzing the properties and performance characteristics of different polymers and polymeric composites. The review analysis covers various reinforcing agents, including particles/nanoparticles, short fibers, and long fibers, identifying critical parameters of the FDM process which affect printed part quality, integrity and final geometry. Major attention is devoted to the different techniques employed for composite filament fabrication, mostly for structural elements and parts. An extensive overview of various FDM composites and fiber-reinforced composites by polymer matrices such as PLA, ABS, and PEEK is presented, with their mechanical and thermal properties reported for specific applications. Current challenges and prospective future research directions are also outlined, mainly focusing on the enhancement of material performance and sustainability.