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Two 3D-hybrid monolithic catalysts containing immobilized copper and palladium species on a silica support were synthesized by 3D printing and a subsequent surface functionalization protocol. The resulting 3D monoliths provided a structure with pore sizes around 300 μm, high mechanical strength, and easy catalyst recyclability. The devices were designed to perform heterogeneous multicatalytic multicomponent reactions (MMCRs) based on a copper alkyne–azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) + palladium catalyzed cross-coupling (PCCC) strategy, which allowed the rapid assembly of variously substituted 1,2,3-triazoles using a mixture of tBuOH/H2O as solvent. The reusable multicatalytic system developed in this work is an example of a practical miniaturized and compartmental heterogeneous 3D-printed metal catalyst to perform MMCRs for solution chemistry.

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This work reports on magnetoelectric biomaterials suitable for effective proliferation and differentiation of myoblast in a biomimetic microenvironment providing the electromechanical stimuli associated with this tissue in the human body. Magnetoelectric films are obtained by solvent casting through the combination of a piezoelectric polymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoro-ethylene), and magnetostrictive particles (CoFe 2 O 4 ). The nonpoled and poled (with negative and positive surface charge) magnetoelectric composites are used to investigate their influence on C2C12 myoblast adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. It is demonstrated that the proliferation and differentiation of the cells are enhanced by the application of mechanical and/or electrical stimulation, with higher values of maturation index under mechanoelectrical stimuli. These results show that magnetoelectric cell stimulation is a full potential approach for skeletal muscle tissue engineering applications.

Polymer composites comprising the ionic liquid (IL) [Bmim]­[FeCl4] and poly­(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) have been developed for humidity sensing applications. Different IL contents (5, 10, and 20 wt %) were incorporated into the PVDF matrix and the morphological, physical–chemical and electrical properties of the composites evaluated, together with their humidity sensitivity response. Higher IL contents (20 wt %) induce a porous morphology in the composites. Further, IL incorporation leads to the crystallization of PVDF in the electroactive β phase, which content increases with the incorporation of IL into the polymer. The thermal stability of the composites decreases with increasing IL content. The humidity sensing response of the composites was evaluated with relative humidity variations from 35 to 90%. It is shown that all composites exhibit a linear resistance variation with the relative humidity, the sensitivity to humidity variations increasing linearly with the IL content. The developed materials show a strong potentiality for printable humidity sensors.