The recent developments of lignin were reviewed in terms of different approaches to synthesize lignin-based copolymers, the resulting features and the potential applications of such copolymers.

Viral epidemics develop from the emergence of new variants of infectious viruses. The lack of effective antiviral treatments for the new viral infections coupled with rapid community spread of the infection often result in major human and financial loss. Viral transmissions can occur via close human‐to‐human contact or via contacting a contaminated surface. Thus, careful disinfection or sanitization is essential to curtail viral spread. A myriad of disinfectants/sanitizing agents/biocidal agents are available that can inactivate viruses, but their effectiveness is dependent upon many factors such as concentration of agent, reaction time, temperature, and organic load. In this work, we review common commercially available disinfectants agents available on the market and evaluate their effectiveness under various application conditions. In addition, this work also seeks to debunk common myths about viral inactivation and highlight new exciting advances in the development of potential sanitizing agents.

Electronic devices have become ubiquitous in modern society and are prevalent in every facet of human activities.

Biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA)−lignin composites are considered to be promising renewable plastic materials toward a sustainable world. The addition of lignin to PLA may assist to combat the oxidative stress induced by PLA as biomaterials. In this study, PLA−lignin copolymers with various contents of alkylated lignin (10−50%) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization. The molecular weight of such copolymers ranged from 28 to 75 kDa, while the PLA chain length varied from 5 to 38. These PLA−lignin copolymers were further blended with poly(Llactide) (PLLA) and fabricated into nanofibrous composites by electrospinning. The PLLA/PLA−lignin nanofibers displayed uniform and bead-free nanostructures with fiber diameter of 350−500 nm, indicating the miscibility of PLLA and lignin copolymers in nanoscale. Unlike bulk materials, incorporation of PLA−lignin copolymers did not enhance the mechanical properties of the nanofibrous composites. Antioxidant assay showed that the lignin copolymers and PLLA/PLA−lignin nanofibers rendered excellent radical scavenging capacity for over 72 h. Moreover, three different types of cells (PC12, human dermal fibroblasts, and human mesenchymal stem cells) were cultured on the electrospun nanofibers to evaluate their biocompatibility. Lignin-containing nanofibers exhibited higher cell proliferation compared to neat PLLA nanofibers. PLLA/ PLA-Lig20 nanofibers displayed the best biocompatibility as it achieved a balance between the antioxidant activities and the cytotoxicity. With excellent antioxidant activities and good biocompatibility, the PLLA/PLA−lignin electrospun nanofibers hold great potential to be used as biomedical materials for protecting cells from oxidative stress conditions.

The emergence of drug-resistant microbes has become a threat to global health, and microbial infections severely limit the use of healthcare materials. To achieve efficient antimicrobial therapy, supramolecular hydrogels demonstrate unprecedented advantages in medical applications due to the tunable and reversible nature of their supramolecular interactions and the capability of hydrogels to incorporate various therapeutic agents. Herein, antimicrobial hydrogels are categorized according to their inherent antimicrobial properties or based on their roles in encapsulating antimicrobial materials. Moreover, strategies to further enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of hydrogels are highlighted, such as the incorporation of antifouling agents or the enabling of response towards physiological cues. We envision that supramolecular hydrogels, in combination with modern medical technology and devices, will contribute to the development of efficient and safe systems for antimicrobial therapy.

Flexible electronics is an emerging field of research involving multiple disciplines, which include but not limited to physics, chemistry, materials science, electronic engineering, and biology. However, the broad applications of flexible electronics are still restricted due to several limitations, including high Young's modulus, poor biocompatibility, and poor responsiveness. Innovative materials aiming for overcoming these drawbacks and boost its practical application is highly desirable. Hydrogel is a class of 3D crosslinked hydrated polymer networks, and its exceptional material properties render it as a promising candidate for the next generation of flexible electronics. Here, the latest methods of synthesizing advanced functional hydrogels and the state‐of‐art applications of hydrogel‐based flexible electronics in various fields are reviewed. More importantly, the correlation between properties of the hydrogel and device performance is discussed here, to have better understanding of the development of flexible electronics by using environmentally responsive hydrogels. Last, perspectives on the current challenges and future directions in the development of hydrogel‐based multifunctional flexible electronics are provided.

Dual-functionality carbon dots with both anti-microbial and gene transfection abilities were developed and their properties elaborated in this paper.

No abstract