Volume 19 Issue 4

This review highlights potential application areas for carbon-based molecular nanoparticles, such as carbon dots, carbon nanotubes, graphene quantum dots, and carbon quantum dots. The success of nano-manufacturing hinges on robust collaboration between academia and industry to advance applicable manufacturing techniques. Choosing the right approach is crucial, one that integrates the carbon base of nanomaterials with the required properties and impurities, as well as the scalability of the process. Molecular, in this context, refers to the nanoscale carbon structures that form the basis of these materials, including their arrangement, bonding, and properties at the molecular level. The article also explores the characterization of different types of molecular nanomaterials. Nanomaterials are increasingly used in almost every contemporary industry, including construction, textiles, manufacturing, and computing. This article reviews the most prominent sectors globally that employ nanomaterials. Biomasses containing lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose have become some of the most extensively studied. Initially, rice waste was utilized for bulk materials, but lately, the production of multifunctional materials has surged in interest. Carbon nanostructures derived from rice waste offer a broad spectrum of applications and enhanced biocompatibility. Recent advancements, challenges, and trends in the development of multifunctional carbon-based nanomaterials from renewable rice waste resources are considered.

Peels make up a considerable proportion of solid waste generated from fruit and vegetable production and processing. If not properly managed, they could contribute to environmental degradation through the dispersion of nutrient-rich leachate and the release of various greenhouse gases. Alternatively, these peels could be transformed to biosorbents, which could assist in the removal of pollutants of environmental and human health concerns from wastewaters. Using peels as raw material for biosorbent production is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective option for waste disposal. Peels also contain bio-activators, which can be used to activate the biosorbent produced, minimizing the use of synthetic chemicals for biosorbent activation. This review considers the different physicochemical characteristics of vegetable and fruit peels that make them suitable raw materials for biosorbent production. Additionally, their transformation to biosorbents using hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis is discussed. The review concludes with a discussion on the efficiency of peel-based biosorbents in the removal of diverse types of pollutants from wastewater.

As an environmentally friendly and sustainable nanoparticle stabilizer of Pickering emulsions, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) has attracted attention because of its sustainable and biodegradable characteristics. Despite its distinct amphiphilic character as an ideal nanomaterial to replace traditionally non-sustainable surfactant emulsifiers, its long-term stability and lack of responses from external stimuli [e.g., pH, temperature, and carbon dioxide (CO₂)] are the critical issues to be addressed. The solutions for all of these questions in terms of CNCs and its responsive Pickering emulsions are systemically discussed in this review.

In view of a need for high-performing materials, while also minimizing contributions to plastic pollution, especially ocean micro- or nano- plastic pollution, biodegradable hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and nanocellulose (CNC) liquid crystal biopolymers have attracted attention as emerging fields. Their structures, phase behaviors, and advanced characterization techniques in terms of synchrotron X-ray and neutron small angle scattering of HPC solutions and CNC suspensions have been systemically studied. Diverse left- and right-hand chiral liquid crystal HPC and CNC photonic elastomer materials are further explored. To achieve their complex structure design and mass-scale manufacturing, soft matter photonic materials via advanced manufacturing techniques are critically considered in this review. The goal is to enable their applications in intelligent coating, photonic fiber, and intelligent packaging.

Light is essential for tree growth and development, yet some species are able, or prefer, to tolerate shady conditions without adversely affecting their development. This ecological preference prompts different strategies in these species, often involving a trade-off between performance and safety in terms of mechanical support, conductivity, and pest and disease protection. Studies on the ecological strategies of trees and their associated functional traits are essential to gain further insight into biodiversity and the processes that shape wood quality from the standpoint of technological properties useful to humans. This literature review showcases current links between ecological preferences and the main functional traits of tree species, with particular emphasis on wood properties.

This review explores the evolution of prestressed timber/bamboo structures across component, connection, and structural levels, and it examines the corresponding performance of prestressed specimens. Firstly, the utilization of prestress in beams is achieved through either pre-bending methods or the incorporation of additional components. Subsequently, prestress in timber/bamboo columns often appears in the form of lateral confinement, which improves the compressive performance of the columns. On the structural level, prestress is applied in self-centering structural systems and large-span string timber/bamboo structures. Detailed schematic diagrams illustrate the application methods and underlying principles of prestress in timber/bamboo components and structures. Based on the current state of research, the future research needs and development directions are outlined. The research aims to promote the broader application of prestressed timber/bamboo structures in practical engineering, contributing to the advancement of sustainable building practices.