Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Ana Mora-Boza, Saron G. Ghebrezadik, Johannes E. Leisen, Andres J. Garcia
Summary: This study presents a fabrication strategy for 4-arm amide-linked PEG-NB (PEG-4aNB) microgels using flow-focusing microfluidics for cell encapsulation. The PEG-4aNB microgels exhibit in vitro degradability and excellent viability and metabolic activity of encapsulated cells.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Moein Zarei, Miroslawa El Fray
Summary: Polymeric materials have a wide range of applications due to their controllable properties. In this study, a series of PBS-DLS-PEG copolymers were synthesized with different molecular weights of PEG to investigate their surface and thermal properties. The incorporation of higher molecular weight PEG improved the surface wettability of the materials while maintaining their thermal properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Connor E. Miksch, Nathaniel P. Skillin, Bruce E. Kirkpatrick, Grace K. Hach, Varsha V. Rao, Timothy J. White, Kristi S. Anseth
Summary: Granular synthetic hydrogels are printable and stimuli-responsive scaffolds that can be used for tissue engineering. By using submerged electrospray and UV photopolymerization, synthetic microgels with different degradabilities can be prepared. These microgels can be assembled into porous scaffolds with adjustable void fractions using particle jamming and extrusion printing. This approach allows for high-throughput direct encapsulation of cells within printable microgels, enabling large-scale 3D culture in macroporous biomaterials and providing spatiotemporal control over the properties of printed scaffolds for tissue culture.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mathilde Grosjean, Edouard Girard, Audrey Bethry, Gregory Chagnon, Xavier Garric, Benjamin Nottelet
Summary: This study designed degradable bioadhesives based on PEG-PLA star-shaped hydrogels and investigated the performance of acrylate, methacrylate, and catechol functional copolymers as bioadhesive hydrogels. The results showed that these bioadhesives reached adhesion strength comparable to commercial glues and exhibited low cytotoxicity, indicating their potential as surgical adhesives.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ekkachai Martwong, Yvette Tran
Summary: The study reports on the synthesis and temperature-responsive properties of poly(PEGMA) hydrogel thin films. Surface-attached poly(PEGMA) hydrogel films were synthesized using a simple, versatile, and well-controlled thiol-ene click reaction method, with the transition temperature finely tunable by adjusting the number of PEG units. The LCST properties of the hydrogel films are not sensitive to salt, holding promise for applications in biology such as injectable hydrogels, drug delivery systems, microfluidic valves, and flow switches for biotechnologies.
Article
Polymer Science
Wei-Chi Lai, Li-Jie Liu
Summary: Polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics have garnered attention due to their biomass-derived nature and low toxicity. However, the slow crystallization of PLA limits its commercial applications. This study developed a simple and cost-effective approach using eco-friendly low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a green solvent to enhance the PLA crystallization process.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Songlin Xing, Qiqi Wang, Yang He, Li Chen
Summary: Polymer brushes with different topological architectures exhibit unique interfacial and physicochemical properties, and are widely used in antifouling applications. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the antifouling process mediated by the topological structure of polymer brushes in dynamic flow. This study reveals the mechanism by which different topological structures of polymer brushes affect protein adhesion and conformational transitions, providing insights into the evaluation framework and effectiveness of biomaterial design for antifouling applications under flow conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bartosz Kopka, Bartlomiej Kost, Andrzej Pawlak, Agata Tomaszewska, Agnieszka Krupa, Malgorzata Basko
Summary: A cross-linking process without catalysts or side products was developed for the facile and efficient synthesis of segmented covalent networks. The properties of the resulting networks can be tuned by adjusting the composition and degree of cross-linking. This method holds promise for the preparation of biocompatible materials with tunable properties for potential biomedical applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bartosz Kopka, Bartlomiej Kost, Andrzej Pawlak, Agata Tomaszewska, Agnieszka Krupa, Malgorzata Basko
Summary: A cross-linking process was developed to promote facile and efficient synthesis of segmented covalent networks using reactive polymeric components without catalysts or side products. The direct formation of amphiphilic networks was achieved by performing an addition reaction between polyesters with carboxyl terminal groups and poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) chains. The resulting networks were characterized and their properties were tuned through changes in composition, length, and degree of cross-linking. Promising biocompatible materials with tunable properties for potential biomedical applications were prepared by cross-linking polyesters on hydrophilic PiPOx.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhao Sun, Kun Sun, Huanzhi Zhang, Huan Liu, Dezhen Wu, Xiaodong Wang
Summary: This study reported a feasible approach for the fabrication of core-shell structured PEG/silica phase-change microcapsules through reverse emulsion-templated in-situ polycondensation. The synthesized microcapsules exhibited a well-defined core-shell structure with regular spherical morphology and uniform size distribution, achieving high encapsulation efficiency and satisfactory latent heat capacity. The microcapsules not only demonstrated good heat energy storage capability, thermal stability, and shape/form stability, but also showed reliable and durable phase-change performance in practical use, making the synthetic technique notable for its heat energy storage capability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Klaudia Ordon, Piotr Szatkowski, Wojciech Piekarczyk, Elzbieta Pamula, Kinga Pielichowska
Summary: Novel polyurethane-based materials were synthesized using a two-step process with poly(epsilon-caprolactone) diol (PCL) and 1,3-propanediol/starch (PDO/ST) systems as chain extenders/cross-linkers. Poly(ethylene glycol)/starch (PEG/ST) system as a phase change material (PCM) decreased the maximum setting temperature, and hydroxyapatite (HAp) was used as a bioactive nanofiller. The synthesized polyurethanes showed good energy storage effect and potential application for bone cements.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Takako Noritomi, Lan Jiang, Hideaki Yokoyama, Koichi Mayumi, Kohzo Ito
Summary: A high-yield one-pot synthesis of polyrotaxane (PR) with controllable hpCD threading ratios is reported in this work. The hpCD threading ratio of the PRs can be controlled over a wide range by tuning the hpCD concentration in the pPR solutions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Brelle, Fabienne Fay, Teoman Ozturk, Nathalie Didier, Estelle Renard, Valerie Langlois
Summary: Hydrogels based on poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) sulfonate and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, PEGDA, are synthesized. The addition of sulfonate functions significantly increases the hydrophilicity of PHAs, and three amphiphilic PHAs with 10%, 22%, or 29% sulfonate functions are prepared. Hydrogels with fibrillar and porous structures are formed using PEGDA with different molar masses (575 or 2000 g mol-1), and their rigidity can be varied. The less rigid hydrogels hinder the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and are noncytotoxic, making them promising materials for both repelling bacteria and amplifying myogenic cells.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zhitao Hu, Xiaohui Cao, Huahua Huang, Yongming Chen
Summary: The copolymerization of ε-caprolactone with a hydrophilic macrolactone via organic catalyst mediated ring-opening polymerization can significantly improve the thermal stability, hydrophilicity, and degradability of the copolymers. Increasing the hydrophilic macrolactone content in the copolymer leads to reduced crystallinity and improved hydrophilic properties, resulting in faster degradation rates. This strategy shows promise for modifying polyester materials.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Anastasia S. Arrington, James R. Brown, Max S. Win, Karen Winey, Timothy E. Long
Summary: This study demonstrated the incorporation of carboxytelechelic polyethylene into segmented copolymers through Chain-transfer ring-opening metathesis polymerization (CT-ROMP), resulting in mechanically durable copolyesters with similar thermal properties to conventional HDPE.
Article
Polymer Science
Paige A. Shaw, Maxime Klausen, Mark Bradley
Summary: A light-responsive polymer capable of controlled release of camptothecin and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was developed, which exhibited high cancer cell killing activity through both camptothecin release and ROS generation.
Article
Polymer Science
Donghui Zhang, Shiqi Liu, Zhihao Cai, Weizhe Luo, Guojian Liu, Runhui Liu
Summary: A straightforward and efficient method for synthesizing NPC monomers has been developed in this study, which enhances the availability of NPC monomers and facilitates the synthesis of polypeptides.
