Polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl cellulose (PVA/CMC) composites have attracted considerable attention due to the synergic relation between the two polymers and developing novel blends with improved properties. On one hand, PVA is a versatile polymer with higher mechanical properties compared to CMC. On the other hand, CMC has high biodegradability and biocompatibility, while suffering from poor mechanical properties. Therefore, the blending of the two polymers can help to benefit from the individual component properties. This paper has reviewed the properties and potential applications (e.g. drug delivery, food packaging, and agriculture) of the PVA/ CMC composites.

In this study, Fe3O4‐Ag@OPO(OH)2 nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using Camellia sinensis leaf extract. This herbal extract was utilized to reduce silver(I) ions to silver nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of magnetite. The solution color changes from bright to dark, along with the new absorption band at λmax 410 nm confirms the deposition of nanosilver on the magnetite surface. The X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to characterize the diffraction patterns of silver and magnetite phases and to calculate the average size of the crystallites being 21 nm. The fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra of green prepared of Fe3O4‐Ag@OPO(OH)2 NCs illustrated the functional group peaks of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. The energy dispersive X‐ray (EDS) spectra of Fe3O4‐Ag@OPO(OH)2 NCs proved the presence of localized elements, which are incorporated into prepared NCs containing Ag, Fe, O, and P. The vibrating‐sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis indicated that the magnetic nature of Fe3O4‐Ag@OPO(OH)2 NCs is less than Fe3O4 NPs, which is attributed to nonmagnetic nature of Ag NPs and covering the magnetite surface by layers of silver and phosphate. The eco‐friendly synthesized Fe3O4‐Ag@OPO(OH)2 NCs exhibited high catalytic activity toward reducing p‐nitrophenol.

MNMs which consume chemical fuel and move by bubble propulsion and also have magnetic properties and can propel by applying a magnetic field. These engines can reduce the common fuel used in chemical engines by applying magnetic driving force and switching their operation in response to changing conditions. Due to continuous innovations in this field, MNMs will profoundly impact the field of Nanorobotics.

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Carbon-based materials. including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and activated carbon, are among the most effective materials for pharmaceutical components removal from water. Despite the severe effect of pharmaceutical micropollutants in the aquatic environments and the effectiveness of carbon-based composites for water treatment, only a few studies has reviewed carbon-based materials for the removal of pharmaceutical components.Carbon-based materials with special properties like tunable surface functions, abundant pore structure, and high specific surface are used in different water treatment mechanisms such as adsorption and advanced oxidation processes. Graphene, activated carbon, and carbon nanotubes have been widely studied for pharmaceutical components removal. Herein, we have introduced carbon-based materials and reviewed recent studies on their properties, application in water treatment, and possible mechanism for removal of pharmaceutical components from aquatic environments.