This research demonstrated the development of a simple, cost-effective, and label-free immunosensor for the detection of α-synuclein (α-Syn) based on a cystamine (CYS) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) decorated fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode. CYS-SAM was formed onto the FTO electrode by the adsorption of CYS molecules through the head sulfur groups. The free amine (–NH₂) groups at the tail of the CYS-SAM enabled the immobilization of anti-α-Syn-antibody, which concurrently allowed the formation of immunocomplex by covalent bonding with α-Syn-antigen. The variation of the concentrations of the attached α-Syn at the immunosensor probe induced the alternation of the current and the charge transfer resistance (R_ct) for the redox response of [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4−, which displayed a linear dynamic range from 10 to 1000 ng/mL with a low detection limit (S/N = 3) of ca. 3.62 and 1.13 ng/mL in differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) measurements, respectively. The immunosensor displayed good reproducibility, anti-interference ability, and good recoveries of α-Syn detection in diluted human serum samples. The proposed immunosensor is a promising platform to detect α-Syn for the early diagnose of Parkinson’s disease, which can be extended for the determination of other biologically important biomarkers.

Hydrogel films have emerged as versatile platforms in biomedical engineering due to their unique physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and adaptability to diverse therapeutic needs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of hydrogel film materials, including natural biopolymers, synthetic polymers, and multifunctional composites, highlighting their structural and functional diversity. We examine key fabrication techniques—ranging from solvent casting and photopolymerization to advanced methods like microfluidics and 3D printing—and discuss how these influence film architecture and performance. The biomedical applications of hydrogel films span wound healing, drug delivery, tissue engineering, ophthalmology, and implantable biosensors, with recent innovations enabling stimuli-responsive behavior, multi-drug loading, and integration with wearable electronics. Despite their promise, hydrogel films face persistent challenges in mechanical durability, sterilization, storage stability, regulatory approval, and scalable manufacturing. We conclude by identifying critical research gaps and outlining future directions, including AI-guided design, sustainable material development, and the establishment of standardized, regulatory-aligned, and industrially scalable fabrication strategies to accelerate clinical translation.

A series of new self-standing gel polymer electrolytes (SGPEs) were fabricated by ultraviolet (UV) curing and investigated for application in flexible lithium-ion batteries. Compared with traditional gel polymer electrolytes (combine with solvents or plasticizers), these new SGPEs were prepared simply by curing different weight ratios of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) with a methacrylic linear monomer, poly (ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA). Noticeably, there were no solvents or plasticizers combined with the final SGPEs. Owing to this, the SGPEs showed high flexibility and strong mechanical stability. Some paramount physicochemical and electrochemical characters were observed. The SGPEs demonstrated good thermal stability below 150 °C and an extremely low glass transition temperature (T_g) (around −75 °C). Moreover, plastic crystal behaviors were also identified in this study. Ultimately, the SGPEs demonstrated excellent ionic conductivity at room temperature, which proves that these new SGPEs could be widely applied as a prospective electrolyte in flexible lithium-ion batteries.

The polymer electrolytes are considered to be an alternative to liquid electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries because of their high thermal stability, flexibility, and wide applications. However, the polymer electrolytes have low ionic conductivity at room temperature due to the interfacial contact issue and the growing of lithium dendrites between the electrolytes/electrodes. In this study, we prepared gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) through an in situ thermal-induced cationic ring-opening strategy, using LiFSI as an initiator. As-synthesized GPEs were characterized with a series of technologies. The as-synthesized PNDGE 1.5 presented good thermal stability (up to 150 °C), low glass transition temperature (T_g < −40 °C), high ionic conductivity (>10⁻⁴ S/cm), and good interfacial contact with the cell components and comparable anodic oxidation voltage (4.0 V). In addition, PNGDE 1.5 exhibited a discharge capacity of 131 mAh/g after 50 cycles at 0.2 C and had a 92% level of coulombic efficiency. Herein, these results can contribute to developing of new polymer electrolytes and offer the possibility of good compatibility through the in situ technique for Li-ion batteries.