The present review outlines the most recent advance in the field of anticorrosive coatings based on graphene oxide nanostructures as active filler. This carbonaceous material was extensively used in the last few years due to its remarkable assets and proved to have a significant contribution to composite materials. Concerning the graphene-based coatings, the synthesis methods, protective function, anticorrosion mechanism, feasible problems, and some methods to improve the overall properties were highlighted. Regarding the contribution of the nanostructure used to improve the capability of the material, several modification strategies for graphene oxide along with the synergistic effect exhibited when functionalized with other compounds were mainly discussed.

A successful bone-graft-controlled healing entails the development of novel products with tunable compositional and architectural features and mechanical performances and is, thereby, able to accommodate fast bone in-growth and remodeling. To this effect, graphene nanoplatelets and Luffa-fibers were chosen as mechanical reinforcement phase and sacrificial template, respectively, and incorporated into a hydroxyapatite and brushite matrix derived by marble conversion with the help of a reproducible technology. The bio-products, framed by a one-stage-addition polymer-free fabrication route, were thoroughly physico-chemically investigated (by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and nano-computed tomography analysis, as well as surface energy measurements and mechanical performance assessments) after sintering in air or nitrogen ambient. The experiments exposed that the coupling of a nitrogen ambient with the graphene admixing triggers, in both compact and porous samples, important structural (i.e., decomposition of β-Ca3(PO4)2 into α-Ca3(PO4)2 and α-Ca2P2O7) and morphological modifications. Certain restrictions and benefits were outlined with respect to the spatial porosity and global mechanical features of the derived bone scaffolds. Specifically, in nitrogen ambient, the graphene amount should be set to a maximum 0.25 wt.% in the case of compact products, while for the porous ones, significantly augmented compressive strengths were revealed at all graphene amounts. The sintering ambient or the graphene addition did not interfere with the Luffa ability to generate 3D-channels-arrays at high temperatures. It can be concluded that both Luffa and graphene agents act as adjuvants under nitrogen ambient, and that their incorporation-ratio can be modulated to favorably fit certain foreseeable biomedical applications.

Chemically modified electrodes (CMEs) based on 2-phenyl-4-((4,6,8-trimethylazulen-1-yl)methylene)oxazol-5(4H)-one (M) were obtained by irreversible electrooxidation of M in millimolar solutions in 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) in acetonitrile. These CMEs were characterized by a ferrocene redox probe, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of the preparation conditions (charge and potential) was examined. The CMEs were finally used for the analysis of synthetic samples of heavy metal (HM) ions. The paper highlights the importance of potential and electropolymerization charge on the film properties, with accent on recognition of HMs, in order to identify the best conditions for their detection in water. The observed findings are relevant for further design and development of advanced materials based on azulenyl-phenyloxazolone for the analysis of HMs in water.