No abstract

Polymer waste is an "Achilles heel" in the product life cycle and can cause environmental pollution. Different methods can be used to reprocess such waste, including incineration and recycling, which can reduce trash accumulation in the environment. However, less attention is given to managing scrap generated during polymer processing. Herein, a monolithic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) sponge was developed from the etchant solution of a poly(ethyleneco-methyl acrylate)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (EMA/PVDF) blend prepared by reverse immersion precipitation (IP). The etchant solution was waste-generated during the preparation of the polymer membrane by "selective etching". The spongy surface was modified using the molybdenum disulfide nanosheets/vinyltrimethoxysilane (MoS 2 /VTMS)-derived coating, and its oil/water separation and antibacterial properties were analyzed. The modified sponge showed excellent antibacterial activity against pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, and its the zone of inhibition was measured (27 ± 2 mm). The separation (>90%) and recovery (88%) efficiency of the dioctyl phthalate (DOP) oil were studied, and the modified sponge exhibited consistent oil/water separation up to six repeated cycles. Hence, this newly developed sponge nanocomposite would be a sustainable and model candidate for the effective utilization of waste generated during polymer processing.

Herein, we demonstrate the design and synthesis of a single-component prodrug [β-carboline-benzothiazole-norfloxacin (CB-NFX)] for the cocktail release of therapeutics that enables spatiotemporal control over bacterial growth. With the help of in silico studies, the prodrug was designed based on the β-carboline photoremovable protecting group, caging the acid functionality of norfloxacin (NFX) antibiotic. We have formulated nanoparticles of CB-NFX to obtain nanophotocage CB-NFX NPs. These nanoparticles adhere to the bacterial cell wall, followed by the release of NFX and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) upon visible-light irradiation. The combined effect of the therapeutics shows excellent spatiotemporal control in bacterial inhibition. This concept can be applied to develop other advanced antibacterial biomaterials for combination therapy (drug and 1 O 2 ) and find wide applications in antibacterial research.