Alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AAEMFC) are attracting ever-increasing attention, as they are promising electrochemical devices for energy production, presenting a viable opponent to the more researched proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Consequently, great progress has been made in the area of designing and developing synthetic or naturally-derived anion exchange membrane (AEM), the properties of which have been discussed in this review, i.e. ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity, fuel crossover, durability, stability and cell performance. Major groups of natural polymers (e.g. chitosan (CS)) and nanocellulose, together with modification/crosslinking routes, have been mentioned as more ecologically and economically viable raw materials for AEM processing compared to synthetic ones. Performances of fuel cells are also discussed, with different fuels used as anode feeds. Although the AEMFC technology is promising, the longevity challenges remain, originating from the still-limited long-term stability of hydroxide-conducting ionomers, particularly when operating at higher cell temperatures.

Wound dressings, capable of local controlled delivery of non-steroid anti-inflammatory pain-killing drugs (NSAIDs) to the wound bed, offer great potential to accelerate wound healing, hence increase the quality of patient life. With local NSAID delivery, unwanted side effects encountered in their systemic delivery, are drastically diminished. In this study, four functional fibrous wound dressing materials, namely viscose, alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) loaded with a NSAID, diclofenac sodium (DCF) are prepared, and their suitability to tune the release rate of DCF is evaluated. Through careful examination of material–drug combinations, in terms of their physicochemical properties (air permeability, wettability and water retention) and structural/morphological properties (infrared spectroscopy, wide angle X-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy), possible wound care applications are proposed. In vitro release studies using an automated Franz diffusion cell system, combined with UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy for drug release profile determination, are performed as the final pre-formulation test. Results showed significant differences in the release profiles between different material–drug combinations, making the examined materials highly applicable for several wound care applications. The present study presents a novel cost effective approach for preparation of drug loaded wound dressing materials without a sacrifice in patient safety. Additionally, novel methods and material–drug combinations are introduced, paving the way for possible future wound treatment options.