Article
Polymer Science
Prasong Srihanam, Wiriya Thongsomboon, Yodthong Baimark
Summary: The aim of this study was to modify PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA copolymer using low-cost CaCO3 filler to improve its material properties. The addition of CaCO3 enhanced the crystallinity and thermal stability of PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA matrix. SEM analysis showed stronger interfacial adhesion between PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA and CaCO3 compared to PLLA and CaCO3. Tensile testing revealed increased stress and modulus for PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA matrix with CaCO3, while these properties significantly decreased for PLLA matrix. Therefore, CaCO3 shows promise as an inexpensive filler for improving PLLA-b-PEG-b-PLLA bioplastics.
Article
Polymer Science
Sandra Schuettner, Maximilian Krappel, Martha Koziol, Lucas Marquart, Ingo Schneider, Thomas Sottmann, Holger Frey
Summary: Motivated by the increasing attention to biobased and potentially sustainable polymers, this work focuses on the synthesis and anionic ring-opening polymerization of the terpenoid-derived farnesyl glycidyl ether (FarGE) as a building block for the synthesis of biobased, amphiphilic polyethers. The synthetic strategies provide access to both amphiphilic diblock and statistical copolymers with tunable amphiphilic and surfactant properties. The use of FarGE in different polyether architectures is demonstrated, and self-assembly of the copolymers into micelles and aggregates is observed in aqueous solutions. Terpenes and terpenoids show enormous potential as partially biobased surfactant alternatives.
Article
Polymer Science
Wenju Hu, Haozhi Sun, Lixia Pan, Chaoqun Zhang, Xin Shen, Feng Su, Jie Song
Summary: The encapsulation and release of hydrophobic drugs from PTMC-PEG micelles were studied to enhance drug delivery. By adjusting the hydrophilic/hydrophobic segment length, high drug loading and sustained release were achieved. The PTMC-PEG micelles showed good biocompatibility.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Thomas J. Neal, Robert D. Bradley, Martin W. Murray, Neal S. J. Williams, Simon N. Emmett, Anthony J. Ryan, Sebastian G. Spain, Oleksandr O. Mykhaylyk
Summary: A combination of statistical and triblock copolymer properties is explored to produce stable aqueous polymer dispersions suitable for film formation. Through the synthesis of a series of triblock copolymers and controlling the hydrophilicity of the stabilizer block, the structural characteristics of the copolymers in dissolved, dispersed, and solid states were investigated. Small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy revealed different morphologies of the copolymers in solvent and water, which were closely related to the mechanical properties of the cast films.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lukasz Kotyrba, Anna Chrobok, Agnieszka Siewniak
Summary: This paper reviews recent literature findings on the development of propylene carbonate synthetic methods, starting from propane-1,2-diol and urea. The ammonia generated during synthesis is recycled to obtain urea from carbon dioxide.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu-Fen Bao, Yi-Jie Wang, Yu-Chen Wang, Ding-Hua Liu
Summary: By studying the influence of ionic liquid base strength, we successfully synthesized a potassium imidazole (KIm) organic base catalyst with high catalytic activity and stability, solving the issue of catalyst deactivation in transesterification. The results showed that KIm performed better than most previously reported catalysts, achieving chemical equilibrium within 3 minutes and yielding 73.03% dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in the synthesis from propylene carbonate (PC) and methanol (MeOH). Moreover, the catalyst maintained its activity after ten reaction cycles, meeting the requirements for industrial production.
Article
Polymer Science
Huafen Wang, Huanhuan He, Jiaxiang Zhang, Juntao Liu, Yuwei Zhuang, Yuanyuan Yin, Zhiyong Ren, Yang Fu, Suqin He
Summary: Novel monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) modified hydroxylated tung oil (mPEG-HTO-mPEG) was synthesized as a drug delivery system. The properties of mPEG-HTO-mPEG were affected by the length of the mPEG chain. The drug loading and release behaviors of mPEG-HTO-mPEG with prednisone acetate as a model drug were investigated, and the results showed effective loading and sustained release.
Article
Polymer Science
Wasana Nonkrathok, Tatiya Trongsatitkul, Nitinat Suppakarn
Summary: In this study, the shape memory properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) blends were improved by adding maleic anhydride-grafted poly(lactic acid) (PLA-g-MA) as a compatibilizer. The PLA-g-MA improved interfacial adhesion between phases and promoted chain entanglement, leading to enhanced mechanical properties and shape fixity performance. The compatibilized blend containing 2 wt% PLA-g-MA exhibited the best shape fixity and recovery performance.
Review
Polymer Science
Linda W. Oktavia, Didier Begue, Patricia Targon Campana, Roger C. Hiorns
Summary: This article provides a brief introduction to the requirements and synthetic pathways of drug delivery systems, with a focus on the key polymer poly(lactic acid) and its application in drug delivery systems. It also discusses the preparation of block copolymers incorporating poly(lactic acid) to enhance its properties.
POLYMER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yulia A. Kadina, Ekaterina V. Razuvaeva, Dmitry R. Streltsov, Nikita G. Sedush, Eleonora V. Shtykova, Alevtina I. Kulebyakina, Alexander A. Puchkov, Dmitry S. Volkov, Alexey A. Nazarov, Sergei N. Chvalun
Summary: Nanoparticles based on biocompatible mPEG(113)-b-P(D,L)LA(n) copolymers were prepared for the delivery of the anticancer agent oxaliplatin via a nanoprecipitation technique. It was found that an increase in the hydrophobic PLA block length resulted in larger nanoparticle size and decreased oxaliplatin loading content.
Article
Polymer Science
Vladislav Y. Shevtsov, Ting-Yi Hsin, Yeong-Tarng Shieh
Summary: The multi-stimuli-responsiveness of tertiary amine-containing polyacrylates makes them highly attractive for use in a wide range of applications. The quaternization of PDMAEMA has been widely established due to its effective antibacterial activity. However, information about the hydrolysis of qPDMAEMA has been lacking. In this study, well-defined PDMAEMA was prepared and partially or completely quaternized. The hydrolysis of qPDMAEMA was studied, showing that it can be easily hydrolyzed in an alkaline solution, providing an alternative way of preparing PMAA with precise control.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Gang Wang, Shirun Zhao, Haoyu Yao
Summary: The co-production of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethylene glycol (EG) via transesterification of ethylene carbonate (EC) has been studied using metal chloride-based ionic liquids (ILs) as catalysts. The interaction between cation and methanol, as well as the activation of carbonyl group in EC by metal chloride-contained anion, showed synergistic effects on catalytic transesterification. The reaction rates were affected by the steric hindrance effect of the alkyl group substituted at the N atom in the imidazole ring. The Al2Cl7 species in AlCl3-based IL exhibited activity in the transesterification, and its content showed a linear relationship with the transformative rates of both EC and HEMC. The kinetic studies revealed that the reaction rates were first-order dependent on the concentrations of EC (or HEMC) and methanol, and the formation of HEMC intermediate was the kinetic-relevant step. The catalysis of [MDMIM]Cl/AlCl3 with an AlCl3 molar fraction of 0.67 showed higher performance compared to other metal chloride-based ILs, with a yield and selectivity of DMC (or EG) reaching up to 95% and 97%, respectively, after 12 hours of reaction at 140 degrees C. The IL also demonstrated good recyclability without decay in catalytic activity and selectivity after 10 times' recycling.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Lisandro Ferrari, Fernando Tuler, Ezequiel Promancio, Leonardo Guse, Diego Garcia Touza, Carlos Casas, Raul A. Comelli
Summary: Glycerol, a co-product in the biodiesel process, can be used as a raw material in a biorefinery scheme. Studies have been conducted to selectively reduce and oxidize glycerol, as well as steam reform it, to produce valuable chemicals and energetic compounds. The integration of these processes into a biorefinery framework has been demonstrated. The conversion of glycerol to various compounds such as propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, hydrogen, dihydroxyacetone, lactic acid, syngas, carbon dioxide, and methane shows the potential of utilizing glycerol in expanding biorefinery schemes.
Article
Polymer Science
Hailing Liu, Logan Mulderrig, Daniel Hallinan, Hoyong Chung
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of lignin-graft-polymers in solid electrolyte applications, successfully completing the rare synthesis and conductivity testing of lignin, showing promising results in terms of conductivity and temperature.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Mohammadreza Kasravi, Alireza Yaghoobi, Tahereh Tayebi, Mahsa Hojabri, Abdolkarim Talebi Taheri, Fatemeh Shirzad, Bahram Jambar Nooshin, Radman Mazloomnejad, Armin Ahmadi, Fatemeh A. Tehrani, Ghasem Yazdanpanah, Mohammad Hadi Farjoo, Hassan Niknejad
Summary: As a promising approach in translational medicine, the decellularization of discarded livers to produce bioscaffolds that support recellularization has potential in overcoming the limitations of conventional liver transplantation. In this study, the researchers investigated the use of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition to preserve the extracellular matrix (ECM) during liver decellularization. The results demonstrated that the application of an MMP inhibitor significantly improved the preservation of ECM components and mechanical properties of the bioscaffolds, which supported cell viability and function in vitro. The study also confirmed that the MMP inhibition led to the inhibition of MMP2 and MMP9, providing a novel method to enhance ECM preservation during liver decellularization.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Mohammadsadegh Nadimifar, Weiguang Jin, Clara Coll-Satue, Gizem Bor, Paul Joseph Kempen, Ali Akbar Moosavi-Movahedi, Leticia Hosta-Rigau
Summary: This study presents a metal-phenolic self-assembly approach that can prepare nanoparticles fully made of hemoglobin. The nanoparticles exhibit good oxygen binding and releasing capabilities.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Jyoti Kumari, Roel Hammink, Jochem Baaij, Frank A. D. T. G. Wagener, Paul H. J. Kouwer
Summary: Fibrosis is the formation of fibrous connective tissue in response to injury, leading to organ dysfunction. A novel hybrid hydrogel combining synthetic polyisocyanide with hyaluronic acid has been developed, showing strong antifibrotic properties.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2024)
Letter
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Melissa Machado Rodrigues, Cristian Padilha Fontoura, Charlene Silvestrin Celi Garcia, Sandro Tomaz Martins, Joao Antonio Pegas Henriques, Carlos Alejandro Figueroa, Mariana Roesch Ely, Cesar Aguzzoli
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Jessica Polak, David Sachs, Nino Scherrer, Adrian Suess, Huan Liu, Mitchell Levesque, Sabine Werner, Edoardo Mazza, Gaetana Restivo, Mirko Meboldt, Costanza Giampietro
Summary: Human skin equivalents (HSEs) play a crucial role in tissue engineering. This study introduces a 3D-printed culture insert to apply a static radial constraint on HSEs and examines its effects on tissue characteristics. The results show that the diameter of the culture insert significantly influences tissue contraction, fibroblast and matrix organization, keratinocyte differentiation, epidermal stratification, and basement membrane formation. This study provides important insights for the design of skin tissue engineering.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2024)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Shiliang Chen, Tianming Du, Hanbing Zhang, Jing Qi, Yanping Zhang, Yongliang Mu, Aike Qiao
Summary: This paper reviewed the primary methods for improving the overall properties of biodegradable zinc stents. It discussed the mechanical properties, degradation behavior, and biocompatibility of various improvement strategies. Alloying was found to be the most common, simple, and effective method for improving mechanical properties. Deformation processing and surface modification further improved the mechanical properties and biological activity of zinc alloys. Meanwhile, structural design could endow stents with special properties. Manufacturing zinc alloys with excellent properties and exploring their interaction mechanism with the human body are areas for future research.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2024)