With the continuous increase in the production of electronic devices, large amounts of electronic waste (E-waste) are routinely being discarded into the environment. This causes serious environmental and ecological problems because of the non-degradable polymers, released hazardous chemicals, and toxic heavy metals. The appearance of biodegradable polymers, which can be degraded or dissolved into the surrounding environment with no pollution, is promising for effectively relieving the environmental burden. Additionally, biodegradable polymers are usually biocompatible, which enables electronics to be used in implantable biomedical applications. However, for some specific application requirements, such as flexibility, electric conductivity, dielectric property, gas and water vapor barrier, most biodegradable polymers are inadequate. Recent research has focused on the preparation of nanocomposites by incorporating nanofillers into biopolymers, so as to endow them with functional characteristics, while simultaneously maintaining effective biodegradability and biocompatibility. As such, bionanocomposites have broad application prospects in electronic devices. In this paper, emergent biodegradable and biocompatible polymers used as insulators or (semi)conductors are first reviewed, followed by biodegradable and biocompatible nanocomposites applied in electronics as substrates, (semi)conductors and dielectrics, as well as electronic packaging, which is highlighted with specific examples. To finish, future directions of the biodegradable and biocompatible nanocomposites, as well as the challenges, that must be overcome are discussed.

Cobalt phosphide (CoP) is considered to be a potential candidate in the field of electrocatalysis due to its low-cost, abundant resources and high electrochemical stability. However, there is a great space for further improvement of its electrocatalytic performance since its charge transfer rate and catalytic activity have not reached a satisfactory level. Herein, we design and fabricate a three dimensional urchins like V-doped CoP with different amounts of V-doping on nickel foam electrode. The V-doped CoP/NF electrode with optimized amounts of V-doping (10%) exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance under universal-pH conditions and preeminent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance in alkaline media. Notably, the assembled water-splitting cell displays a cell voltage of only 1.53 V at 10 mA·cm⁻² and has excellent durability, much better than many reported related bifunctional catalysts. The experiment results and theoretical analysis revealed that vanadium atoms replace cobalt atoms in CoP lattice. Vanadium doping can not only raise the density of electronic states near the Fermi level enhancing the conductivity of the catalyst, but can also optimize the free energy of hydrogen and oxygen-containing intermediates adsorption over CoP, thus promoting its catalytic activity. Moreover, the unique nanostructure of the catalyst provides the various shortened channels for charge transfer and reactant/electrolyte diffusion, which accelerates the electrocatalytic process. Also, the in situ growth strategy can improve the conductivity and stability of the catalyst.

In this paper, the areca fiber was extracted by physical and chemical treatment, and then the areca fiber/natural latex composite was prepared by natural latex impregnation technology. In order to combine areca fiber and natural rubber latex better, three silane coupling agents with different action mechanism were selected: Si−69, KH550, and KH570 which were used to treat the areca fiber/natural latex compound. The results show that the silane coupling agent can change the surface of the fiber from hydrophilic surface to organophilic surface, making the bonding of areca fiber to natural latex more closely. At the same time, the mechanical properties, physical and mechanical properties, swelling properties, and dynamic viscoelastic properties of the tightly bonded areca fiber/nature latex composites were improved. After observing the micro-structure through a scanning electron microscope, it was found that the three silane coupling agents could effectively bind areca fiber and natural latex to enhance the performance of the composite material, of which Si−69 performed best, and the tensile strength and tear strength of the composite increased by 21.19% and 12.90% respectively.

In this study, the two key factors affecting the thermal performance of the insert rubber and stress distribution on the tire sidewall were analyzed extensively through various performance tests and simulations to promote the development of run-flat tires. Four compounds and two structures of insert rubber were designed to investigate the effects of heat accumulation and stress distribution on durability testing at zero pressure. It was concluded that the rigidity and tensile strength of the compound were negatively correlated with temperature. The deformation was a key factor that affects energy loss, which could not be judged solely by the loss factor. The stress distribution, however, should be considered in order to avoid early damage of the tire caused by stress concentration. On the whole, the careful balance of mechanical strength, energy loss, and structural rigidity was the key to the optimal development of run-flat tires. More importantly, the successful implementation of the simulations in the study provided important and useful guidance for run-flat tire development.

Fumed silica, a nanomaterial with a high specific surface area, excellent chemical stability, and electrical insulation, serves as an effective filler for rubber compounding. Compared to traditional carbon black, silica (SiO₂), the main component of fumed silica, improves the hardness and tear resistance of tread rubber, making it a viable substitute in some formulations. However, silica-filled compounds generally exhibit lower tensile properties and abrasion resistance than carbon black. Fumed silica, with its higher structural integrity, provides additional reinforcement points within natural rubber matrices, enhancing tensile strength and abrasion resistance. Studies demonstrate that replacing carbon black with an equivalent amount of fumed silica as the primary filler significantly improves tread rubber’s hardness (by 20%) and 300% tensile modulus (by 14%) while also reducing rolling resistance and enhancing wet skid performance. Fumed silica’s large specific surface area and low density (10–15% of conventional silica) make it challenging to use directly as a tread rubber filler due to dust formation and prolonged mixing times. This study developed a process combining fumed silica with deionized water, followed by drying and ball milling. This treatment reduces the material’s volume, forming a cohesive gel that, upon processing, minimizes dust and significantly decreases mixing time and difficulty. The interaction between the hydroxyl (–OH) groups on the surface of fumed silica and water molecules likely results in hydrated silica. This interaction enhances surface polarity and forms a hydration layer, improving the hydrophilicity and dispersion of fumed silica in rubber matrices. This reduces the shear modulus difference (ΔG′) between low and high strain, maintaining a consistent elastic modulus over a wide strain range. Such stability enables rubber to perform better under dynamic loads or in complex working conditions. The experimental results demonstrate that the hydration–ball milling process enhances the tensile strength of vulcanizates, improves the dispersion of fumed silica in rubber, strengthens the filler network, boosts dynamic performance, and enhances the wet skid resistance of tread rubber.