Roya Gadimli, Claire Thomas, Melissa M Omand, Julie N L Albert
{"title":"Investigating the Durability of PHA-Coated Burlap for Coastal Restoration.","authors":"Roya Gadimli, Claire Thomas, Melissa M Omand, Julie N L Albert","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.6c00063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.6c00063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many synthetic textiles are used in coastal restoration because natural fiber materials have lower durability and may degrade too quickly; however, these synthetic materials pose environmental risks, such as microplastic pollution. Motivated by the need for materials that balance durability with environmental sustainability, we assessed the feasibility of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) coatings as a strategy to prolong the service life of burlap fabric. Three PHA-based polymers were applied by dip-coating, single-sided melt pressing, and double-sided melt pressing and then immersed in seawater at ∼5 m depth for 288 days. Visual observations, evaluation of the end-point mass loss data, and complementary molecular weight and X-ray scattering analyses show that durability depends on the processing method and polymer crystallinity: double-sided melt-pressed samples retained the most mass (compared to single-sided, dip-coated, and uncoated), and mass loss decreased with increasing initial PHA polymer crystallinity. Additionally, these data support a degradation pathway in which amorphous domains are preferentially eroded and crystalline lamellae thicken due to relaxation of entanglement constraints. These processing-crystallinity-durability relationships suggest that the residence time may be tuned to match restoration schedules, positioning melt-pressed PHA coatings as an ecologically sustainable alternative to persistent plastic materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 4","pages":"1795-1801"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13126563/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147823890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Svante P Ihrig, Michael Wullenkord, Dimitrios Dimitrakis, Christos Agrafiotis, Christian Sattler
{"title":"Correction to \"Investigation of Nickel-Based Reforming Catalysts Under Coking Conditions in a Tailor-Made Test Setup for Performance Evaluation\".","authors":"Svante P Ihrig, Michael Wullenkord, Dimitrios Dimitrakis, Christos Agrafiotis, Christian Sattler","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.6c00028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.6c00028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsaenm.5c00567.].</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 4","pages":"2002-2003"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13122580/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C Grazia Bezzu, Natasha Hawkins, Rebecca Foster, Ariana R Antonangelo, James W Ryan, Anna Williamson, Mariolino Carta
{"title":"Hyper-Cross-Linked Microporous Polymers as Cheap and Efficient Catalysts for the Synthesis of Biodiesel.","authors":"C Grazia Bezzu, Natasha Hawkins, Rebecca Foster, Ariana R Antonangelo, James W Ryan, Anna Williamson, Mariolino Carta","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.6c00096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.6c00096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this work, we report a series of hyper-cross-linked sulfonated polymers, structurally related to PIMs, as highly efficient and versatile catalysts for biodiesel production. By tuning monomer composition to increase aromatic content, we generate porous polymers with tailored surface areas and porosity, which are thoroughly characterized and assessed for CO<sub>2</sub>/N<sub>2</sub> separation. These catalysts promote both Fischer esterification of free fatty acids and transesterification of triglyceride oils derived from the same fatty acids, achieving over 95% conversion to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in 24 h or less under diverse conditions. Remarkably, by using a variety of oils, high activity is maintained even with reduced catalyst and methanol loadings, demonstrating intrinsic efficiency and robustness. The polymers prove to be fully scalable and recyclable, retaining performance over multiple cycles and efficiently converting waste cooking sunflower oil with comparable yields to pure edible oils. This work establishes a direct structure-property-performance relationship, linking polymer architecture and porosity to catalytic activity, and provides a versatile, sustainable platform for next-generation porous catalysts in biodiesel production and broader chemical transformations.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 4","pages":"1841-1851"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13122583/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tjerk R Watt, Esra Te Brinke, Joris de Grooth, Wiebe M de Vos
{"title":"Predicting and Improving the Mechanical Strength of Outer-Skinned Hollow Fiber Membranes.","authors":"Tjerk R Watt, Esra Te Brinke, Joris de Grooth, Wiebe M de Vos","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.6c00029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.6c00029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pressure-driven hollow fiber (HF) membranes are often operated with the feed on the outside of the HF. In such a configuration, it is important to know the limits of the external pressure that can be applied to the membrane. Therefore, we investigated whether a model for predicting the collapse pressure of isotropic thin-walled cylinders was able to accurately predict the collapse pressure of outer-skinned HF membranes. Theoretical derivations showed that collapse can occur due to plastic or elastic failure, where, in the case of plastic failure, the collapse pressure should equal that of the burst pressure. Combining experimental results with our model revealed that for our membranes, plastic failure was the dominant failure mechanism. The model was able to accurately predict the influence of the membrane's porosity on the collapse pressure. However, the model seemed to only partially predict the influence of different geometric dimensions of the HF on its collapse pressure. Interestingly, though, the results showed that, for 7 out of 8 HF membranes, the burst pressure was indeed similar to the collapse pressure, highlighting that the burst pressure can be used as an indicator for the collapse pressure of the outer-skinned HF membranes. This is an important finding for the field of HF membranes, as the burst pressure is much easier to experimentally determine than the collapse pressure. Additionally, the model provides a clear direction to further improve the collapse pressure.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 3","pages":"1431-1443"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13036714/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147596329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian J McGovern, Kyle A Oubre, Ethan M Harkin, Sayyam S Deshpande, Ethan M Walker, Carolyn T Long, John D Bernardin, Micah J Green
{"title":"Using Electric Fields for in Situ Curing of Carbon Fiber/Phenolic Composites in Additive Manufacturing.","authors":"Christian J McGovern, Kyle A Oubre, Ethan M Harkin, Sayyam S Deshpande, Ethan M Walker, Carolyn T Long, John D Bernardin, Micah J Green","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c01110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this paper, we demonstrate electrothermal heating and curing of carbon fiber (CF)/phenolic composites to enable successive deposition for additive manufacturing (aka 3D printing). Electric fields are capable of heating susceptor materials, which makes them a potential heat source for 3D printing thermoset composites, such as CF/Phenolic prepregs. We investigated the heating response of CF/phenolic prepregs when exposed to electric fields and found that our prepregs reached the target temperature of 210 °C when the electric field applicator was supplied with low power (8 W). We also show continuous heating and curing by translating prepregs through an electric field. Finally, we demonstrate additive manufacturing by manually depositing a layer or prepreg, using an electric field to perform in situ curing, and then repeating the process to create multilayer structures. This multilayer structure showed no macroscopic deformation in contrast to conventional methods and showed that additive manufacturing is possible.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 3","pages":"1389-1397"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13036710/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147596327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kiran Reddy Baddigam, Elodie Guilloud, Anna J Svagan, Bor Shin Chee, Buket Alkan Tas, Margaret Brennan Fournet, Kim Windey, Maria Batista, Cristiana A V Torres, Filomena Freitas, Mikael S Hedenqvist
{"title":"Toward Greener Multilayer Packaging Material Solutions Based on Microbial Protein and Polyhydroxyalkanoate.","authors":"Kiran Reddy Baddigam, Elodie Guilloud, Anna J Svagan, Bor Shin Chee, Buket Alkan Tas, Margaret Brennan Fournet, Kim Windey, Maria Batista, Cristiana A V Torres, Filomena Freitas, Mikael S Hedenqvist","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c01169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plasticized microbial (single cell) proteins (MPs) can be used to produce ductile and flexible plastic films with good oxygen barrier properties. However, as with other hydrogen-bond-forming oxygen barrier materials, like ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), they need to be protected from moisture because moisture decreases the oxygen barrier properties. Here, we solved the problem by producing three-layer laminate films that are fully biobased and biodegradable. Two different MP films (originating from a mixed microbial culture and <i>Delftia tsuruhatensis</i> biomass) were sandwiched between two different moisture-shielding polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) films (a poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-<i>co</i>-3-hydroxyvalerate) and a poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-<i>co</i>-3-hydroxyhexanoate) material). The low-temperature melting features of the PHAs made them suitable for lamination through hot-pressing with the MPs. Liquid-water-resistant and UV-blocking laminates could be obtained, where the individual layers were also possible to delaminate as a possible recycling solution, where the MP layer could potentially be used as a fertilizer and the PHA mechanically recycled into similar or other products or composted. The laminates showed, in the best cases, an oxygen permeability of 2 cm<sup>3</sup> mm/(m<sup>2</sup> day atm) and a water vapor permeability below 0.1 g mm/(m<sup>2</sup> day). All in all, the concept is promising as a sustainable biobased alternative to today's fossil-based EVOH-laminate packaging solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 2","pages":"1083-1092"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12956136/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rodrigo B Nobre, Olga Sójka, Henny C van der Mei, Wiebe M de Vos, Maria Cristina Gagliano
{"title":"Poly(<i>N</i>‑isopropylmethacrylamide) Nanohydrogel Coatings to Limit the Adhesion of Microorganisms in Drinking Water Distribution Systems: Stability and Optimization.","authors":"Rodrigo B Nobre, Olga Sójka, Henny C van der Mei, Wiebe M de Vos, Maria Cristina Gagliano","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c01012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biofilm formation in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) presents a significant challenge, compromising both water quality and infrastructure lifetime. Recently, a nanohydrogel coating was demonstrated to have excellent antiadhesive properties toward drinking water microorganisms, making it a promising approach to alleviate biofilm formation in DWDS systems. However, the used coating procedure was not suitable for large surface areas and the stability of the coating under various physicochemical conditions was not assessed. This study proposes an optimized coating procedure for poly-(vinyl chloride) (PVC)-based drinking water piping and evaluates the stability of this poly-(<i>N</i>-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPAM) based nanohydrogel coating and its ability to prevent microbial adhesion under drinking water conditions. Stability was assessed through detailed scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and contact angle measurements after accelerated stress tests under different physicochemical conditions, including temperature, pH, salt concentration, and surfactant concentration. Microbial adhesion was tested in 35 day long recirculation experiments performed in a lab-scale DWDS under relevant drinking water conditions. The coating exhibited a very high stability under harsh pH conditions (1.5-13.5), high and low temperatures (4-70 °C) and extreme salt concentrations (0.1-6000 mM). However, at high surfactant concentrations, above the critical micellar concentration, some instability was observed. Against DWDS conditions, the coating remained stable over 35 days, showing a significant reduction (>80%) in adhesion of microorganisms. Overall, these findings support the use of the PNIPAM nanohydrogel coating as a scalable and stable solution to microbial adhesion in drinking water environments, offering a promising alternative or support to disinfection treatments to reduce biofilm formation in DWDS systems but with high potential toward other applications due to the highly stable nature of the nanohydrogel coating.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 2","pages":"650-660"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12955759/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yu Hsin Tsai, Maheshika Kumarihamy, Nicole Beatrice Ponce, Md Masud Alam, Wooram Kim, Xiong Yu, Tae Kyong John Kim, Anna Cristina S Samia
{"title":"Tailored TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles for Broad-Spectrum Antibiofilm Applications: A Systematic Comparison of Structural and Functional Properties of Carbon- and Nitrogen-Doped TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles.","authors":"Yu Hsin Tsai, Maheshika Kumarihamy, Nicole Beatrice Ponce, Md Masud Alam, Wooram Kim, Xiong Yu, Tae Kyong John Kim, Anna Cristina S Samia","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c01089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nonmetal doping extends the photocatalytic response of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles (NPs) into the visible light region; however, systematic evaluations of how specific dopants influence their antimicrobial performance remain limited. In this study, we present a direct comparison of carbon-doped TiO<sub>2</sub> (C-TiO<sub>2</sub>) and nitrogen-doped TiO<sub>2</sub> (N-TiO<sub>2</sub>) NPs synthesized via a sol-gel method. Structural and optoelectronic properties were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirming dopant incorporation and band gap narrowing. Carbon doping resulted in a more pronounced band gap reduction (2.66 eV compared with 3.09 eV for N-TiO<sub>2</sub>), which correlated with stronger visible light absorption and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Under visible light irradiation, C-TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs achieved 80% eradication of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> biofilms and 69% eradication of <i>Escherichia coli</i> biofilms, corresponding to a ∼1.5-fold higher antibiofilm activity relative to N-TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs. Differences in bacterial susceptibility were associated with cell envelope architecture, in which the outer phospholipid membrane of Gram-negative <i>Escherichia coli</i> likely limited ROS penetration and contributed to lower eradication efficiency compared with Gram-positive <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. These findings demonstrate that dopant selection directly modulates photocatalytic functionality and identify C-TiO<sub>2</sub> NPs as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial material. The results have implications for the rational design of TiO<sub>2</sub>-based nanomaterials in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), indoor building environments where pathogen control is essential, environmental remediation, and the development of next-generation self-disinfecting surfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 2","pages":"882-896"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12954750/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Blending Poly(dimethylsiloxane) with Poly(lactic acid) Using Polyhydroxyurethane Additives.","authors":"Georges R Younes, Bentolhoda Heli, Abdellah Ajji","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c01078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This work blends polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with poly-(lactic acid) (PLA) using polyhydroxyurethane (PHU) structures. The PHU is synthesized from mannitol biscarbonate and a short-chain PDMS-based diamine. The main objectives are, first, to explore the application of the PDMS-based PHU as an additive for PLA and, second, to enhance the flexibility and hydrophobicity of PLA for potential applications in sustainable packaging and biomedical nonwoven materials, such as face masks. PLA/PHU blends are prepared via melt-blending at various weight ratios and characterized using spectroscopic, thermal, rheological, morphological, and mechanical analyses. The blend containing 5 wt % PHU exhibits the optimal performance, with a 9-fold increase in elongation at break and an 18° increase in water contact angle compared to neat PLA, indicating improved toughness and hydrophobicity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and rheological studies confirm the presence of hydrogen bonding interactions between PLA and PHU, while differential scanning calorimetry confirms the partial miscibility of the blends. Then, electrospinning of neat PLA and the blend with 5 wt % PHU is optimized using a low-toxicity dioxane/acetone (40/60 wt/wt) solvent system. The resulting nonwoven mats exhibit similar physical properties between neat PLA and the blend, and they demonstrate higher porosity, smaller fiber and pore diameters, and superior hydrophobicity than polypropylene (PP) outer and middle face mask layers. Besides, hydrolytic degradation testing reveals accelerated degradation of PLA films with the introduction of the PHU and complete degradation of PLA mats in basic media. Finally, biofilm formation assays, using <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, validate the antibiofouling potential of both PLA and PLA/PHU films and mats.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 2","pages":"822-835"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12955761/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preserving Microstructure Enhances Cohesion and Mechanical Performance in <i>Spirulina</i>-Based 3D-Printed Biomaterials.","authors":"Amelia Burns, Israel Kellersztein, Chiara Daraio","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c01105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Spirulina platensis</i> is a promising bioresource for developing structural materials, offering a renewable alternative to conventional polymers due to its rapid growth and characteristic helical microstructure. While its biochemical properties have been widely studied, the role of cellular morphology in determining macroscale mechanical performance remains underexplored. In this work, we examine how maintaining versus disrupting <i>Spirulina</i>'s native trichome structure and cell walls impacts the cohesion, rheology, and mechanical behavior of 3D-printed biomaterials. Using hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as a binder, we developed two classes of bioinks: trichome biocomposites, based on freeze-dried <i>Spirulina</i> trichomes, and lysed biocomposites, formed from thermally lysed <i>Spirulina</i> cells. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed stronger molecular interactions between lysed cells and HEC, while trichomes contributed instead via physical interlocking and structural integrity of the cell wall. Despite weaker molecular interactions, trichome-based biocomposite bioinks exhibited higher viscosity, improved printability, and higher rheological yield stress by up to 499%. Upon dehydration, trichome biocomposites showed lower shrinkage and higher mechanical performance under compression, with normalized compressive modulus and yield strength significantly exceeding that of lysed biocomposites (by up to 107% and 108%, respectively). These effects are attributed to mechanical interlocking and enhanced stress transfer through intact cell walls. Our findings demonstrate that preserving biological microstructure may enable improved material cohesion and function, offering design principles for scalable, sustainable biofabrication of algae-based structural materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 2","pages":"963-971"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12954744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}