Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Liliang Ouyang, Jonathan P. Wojciechowski, Jiaqing Tang, Yuzhi Guo, Molly M. Stevens
Summary: This study introduces a method to engineer controlled microporosity in 3D bioprinted hydrogels using microgel-templated porogel (MTP) bioinks. By fabricating templated gelatin microgels with different sizes and mixing them with photo-crosslinkable formulations, the researchers achieved consistent printability and the formation of micropores in situ. This approach provides a facile strategy to compensate for the limited resolution of current bioprinting approaches and engineer precise micropores in 3D printed structures.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tianyou Chen, Meishuang Qiu, Yan Peng, Changfeng Yi, Zushun Xu
Summary: Inorganic nanocrystals can be prepared with controllable properties using colloidal polymers as stabilizing agents. The physicochemical properties of both the nanocrystals and the polymers can be tailored. By incorporating functional groups into colloidal polymers, desired functions can be integrated with inorganic nanocrystals, expanding their potential applications.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fouad S. S. Moghrabi, Hala M. M. Fadda
Summary: The research systematically investigated the effects of different capsule-fill parameters on premature gastric drug release from enteric capsules, highlighting the importance of drug solubility, ionization profile, and fill level in determining drug release. By optimizing fill loads and diluents, premature drug release from enteric capsules can be reduced effectively.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yujie Su, Wanqiu Zhang, Ruidan Liu, Cuihua Chang, Junhua Li, Wen Xiong, Yanjun Yang, Luping Gu
Summary: Oleogels were prepared using egg-white protein microgel as a gelator and xanthan gum (XG) as a thickener. The properties of the emulsion and oleogels were investigated. The studies showed that a concentration of 2% of protein microgel resulted in the saturation of protein adsorption on the surface of oil droplets. Excess protein combined with XG and accumulated on the outer layer of the oleogel, preventing flocculation and enhancing the oil-holding capacity. Furthermore, XG concentration affected the viscosity and mechanical properties of the emulsion, but had no significant effect on oil oxidation.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Karin Schroen, Lingfeng Wu, Meinou Corstens
Summary: Microfluidics is extensively used in studying bubbles and droplets, and producing uniform emulsions and foams. Microfluidic production of microgel capsules has great potential in anti-obesity strategies, activating intestinal brakes through controlled delivery of nutrients.
CURRENT OPINION IN FOOD SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Liangdong Liu, Jingjing Wei, Kin Man Ho, Kwan Yeung Chiu, To Ngai
Summary: A method for encapsulating sensitive ingredients and protecting their activity was proposed. By changing the template and crosslinking method of the capsules, the active ingredients were successfully encapsulated and protected. This method has great potential for applications in the food, drug, and cosmetic industries.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sahin Demirci, Selin S. Suner, Mustafa Yildiz, Nurettin Sahiner
Summary: In this study, polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) forms of polyethyleneimine (PEI) microgels were prepared and used as metal-free catalysts for hydrogen production from sodium borohydride (NaBH4) solution in methanol. The PEI-based PIL microgels exhibited excellent catalytic performances and regenerability, enabling hydrogen production at various temperatures and easy recovery of catalytic activities through regeneration treatments.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jihane Mzoughi, Thierry Vandamme, Valeriy Luchnikov
Summary: Biphasic drug delivery systems are used to quickly release a specific amount of drug for immediate relief, followed by sustained release to avoid repeated dosing. This study presents a novel architecture for biphasic release media without the need for a rapidly disintegrating layer and with adjustable sustained release rate capabilities.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhuangxin Wei, Yongqing Ren, Pan Wang, Yue Ma, Jianming Pan
Summary: In this study, a novel functional sorbent CPNIPAM-AGE-PEI was successfully synthesized for rapid removal of lead ions from water. The unique crescent-shaped structure of CPNIPAM-AGE-PEI enhanced its adsorption performance, making it highly selective for lead ions.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Krutika Meena Harish Jain, Ronald A. Siegel
Summary: Pulsed drug release can be achieved through osmotic capsules that delay the burst release by exploiting the principle of osmosis. This study used a dip coating technique to encapsulate osmotic agent solution or solid in biodegradable PLGA spherical capsule shells. Mathematical modeling was used to predict the lag time before burst, and in vitro experiments validated the model's predictions.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Kerr D. G. Samson, Eleonore C. L. Bolle, Mariah Sarwat, Tim R. Dargaville, Ferry P. W. Melchels
Summary: This study focused on developing an osmotically triggered delayed delivery device to improve the efficiency of single-administration vaccine delivery systems. Factors controlling the release delay were characterized, with adjustments in material permeability and device wall thickness shown to be advantageous for maintaining reproducibility. The photo-cured poly(epsilon-caprolactone) network showed full degradability in vitro and no cytotoxicity after direct contact with dermal fibroblasts for 11 days, supporting further development of flexible biomaterials for in vivo vaccine booster delivery.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenxin Jiang, Jing Wang, Dan Yuan, Zhiming Gao, Bing Hu, Yanlei Li, Yuehan Wu
Summary: Agarose microgels were prepared using a bottom-up approach to investigate their emulsifying properties. The physical properties of the microgels varied with agarose concentration, which affected their emulsifying performance. Increasing the agarose concentration resulted in enhanced surface hydrophobicity index and decreased particle size, benefiting the emulsifying properties of the microgels. The study also explored the influence of external conditions, such as pH and NaCl, on the physical properties of the microgels and evaluated their effects on emulsion stability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Alireza Eivazi, Bruno Medronho, Bjorn Lindman, Magnus Norgren
Summary: In this study, cellulose-based core-shell particles were developed using the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique by alternating two cellulose derivatives onto a cationic vesicular template. The size of the particles could be tuned by controlling the number of layers deposited, with pH having a significant effect on the process. This work demonstrates the electrostatic driving force for LbL deposition and the potential advantages of using biobased containers for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuebin Ma, Haiyan Sui, Qun Yu, Jiwei Cui, Jingcheng Hao
Summary: Inspired by the unique microenvironments of eukaryotic cells, hollow capsules are promising for immobilizing enzymes due to their physical protection and improved activity. A facile method using ZIF-8 NPs as templates was reported to fabricate enzyme-encapsulated SiO2 capsules, with enzyme activity improved over 15 times and high relative activity maintained after exposure to extreme conditions. The coencapsulation of multiple enzymes within the SiO2 capsules also showed high cascade catalytic efficacy.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Eva Dieuzy, Stephane Auguste, Kamel Chougrani, Valerie Alard, Laurent Billon, Christophe Derail
Summary: Soft self-supported cohesive films were formed by self-assembly of pH- and thermo-responsive microgels without any preparation and/or post-treatments. Compared to microgels crosslinked with Oligo(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (OEGDA), microgels with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) demonstrate a less crosslinked structure but especially a looser shell which enables the particles to better interpenetrate between one another and resist to higher deformation.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Quinn A. Besford, Petra Uhlmann, Andreas Fery
Summary: Surfaces that respond to local environmental stimuli offer intriguing possibilities for new surface-based sensing concepts to emerge. The importance of developing methods for spatially resolving chain conformation is discussed, which can lead to new understandings of surface contact.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felix Nagel, Anne Susemihl, Tobias Eulberg, Mihaela Delcea
Summary: Kazal inhibitors have potential as therapeutic molecules due to their easily exchangeable binding loop. The impact of different Kazal-like scaffolds on binding properties is still largely unknown.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brahmaiah Meesaragandla, Dennis Oliver Blessing, Sanjai Karanth, Alena Rong, Norman Geist, Mihaela Delcea
Summary: This article investigates the interaction of polystyrene nanoparticles with proteins and lipid bilayers. Experimental measurements and theoretical simulations show that the diameter of the PSNP-protein bioconjugates depends on the size of the nanoparticles and the type of proteins. The study also reveals that the interaction between proteins and the lipid bilayer is influenced by their composition. Furthermore, the toxicity of PSNPs and their bioconjugates is assessed in human cells, showing an increase in reactive oxygen species production in certain cases.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Alexander Banger, Peter Pasch, Luca-Cesare Blawitzki, Simon Weber, Marius Otten, Cornelia Monzel, Stephan Schmidt, Jens Voskuhl, Laura Hartmann
Summary: This study explores the cell's glycocalyx model by synthesizing amphiphilic glycan-functionalized oligomers and introducing an aggregation-induced luminophore for detection and localization of clustering events in self-assembled structures.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Quinn A. Besford, Christian Rossner, Andreas Fery
Summary: Identifying changes in the nanoscopic domain is a key challenge in the physicochemical sciences. Recently, new systems that leverage established concepts with fluorescence- and plasmonic-based sensing have been devised, which has reinvigorated the domain. The role of specific functional polymer architectures for the realization of nano-to-macro sensing of subtle nano-messengers is discussed.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anik Kumar Ghosh, Swagato Sarkar, Takuya Tsuda, Soosang Chae, Andre Knapp, Mirko Nitschke, Amit Das, Sven Wiessner, Tobias A. F. Koenig, Andreas Fery
Summary: Metal-semiconductor nanostructures are widely used in photodetection, photocatalysis, and photovoltaics. In photodetection, the resistance typically decreases with the generation of charge carriers upon illumination, but an opposite response, an increase in resistance, is observed in interconnected metal-semiconductor gratings. This study presents a fabrication method using wrinkle structuring and oblique angle material deposition to create photoresistors with large-area periodic structures and cracks that serve as connections for two-point contact measurements. It is also found that an additional deposition of an amorphous titania layer further enhances the current reduction on photoexcitation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Niclas Weigel, Yue Li, Andreas Fery, Julian Thiele
Summary: Over the past two decades, microfluidics has played a significant role in the design and fabrication of nano-, micro-, and mesoscale materials such as nanoparticles, micelles, vesicles, emulsion droplets, and microgels. Microfluidics offers precise control over material parameters and has contributed to understanding the early stages of material design, nucleation, and growth processes. Recent advancements in microfluidic techniques have expanded hydrogel design to incorporate multiple functions and produce hierarchical structures, enabling applications in sensing, 3D bioprinting, continuous fabrication, and shaping via microchannels.
CURRENT OPINION IN COLLOID & INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexander Baer, Ingo Hoffmann, Najet Mahmoudi, Alexandre Poulhazan, Matthew J. Harrington, Georg Mayer, Stephan Schmidt, Emanuel Schneck
Summary: To understand the mechanoresponsive behavior of the bio-adhesive slime, the nanostructural organization of its components was studied using small-angle scattering with neutrons and X-rays. It was found that the majority of slime proteins exist freely in solution, while only less than 10% are contained in nanoglobules. Comparing scattering data of slime re-hydrated with light and heavy water revealed that the majority of lipids are contained in nanoglobules with homogeneous distribution. Vibrating mechanical impact without air did not lead to fiber formation, suggesting that interfacial phenomena and directional shearing are required for fiber formation.
Article
Polymer Science
Julian Cremer, Bernhard P. Kaltschmidt, Annika Kiel, Jens Eberhard, Stephan Schmidt, Christian Kaltschmidt, Barbara Kaltschmidt, Andreas Huetten, Dario Anselmetti
Summary: The aging-induced surface-covering EBS layers changed the surface morphology, promoting bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study provides insight into the time-dependent, polymer-liquid interface aging process of industrial performance polypropylene samples and highlights the detrimental effects of EBS on surface transformation and degradation.
Article
Polymer Science
Muskan Kularia, Olha Aftenieva, Swagato Sarkar, Anja M. Steiner, Vaibhav Gupta, Andreas Fery, Joby Joseph, Markus A. Schmidt, Tobias A. F. Koenig
Summary: Due to low losses, optical fibers are excellent waveguides, but manipulating the wavefront below the diffraction limit while keeping fabrication costs down is a challenge. We present a coating method using gold nanoparticles to achieve plasmonic gratings on rough surfaces, enabling the fabrication of low-cost fiber-based sensors with low optical losses.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yisheng He, Haoyu Li, Anja Maria Steiner, Andreas Fery, Yuan Zhang, Chunhong Ye
Summary: This study presents a synthetic approach to fabricate 3D plasmonic chiral structures by rolling gold nanospheres-decorated polymer micro-sheets into micro-tubules. The resulting structures exhibit distinctive circularly polarized light-dependent optical responses over a broad range of frequencies, offering great potential for photonic and biomedical applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Andreas Fery, Michael Gradzielski, Walter Richtering, Claudia Schmidt
COLLOID AND POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dmitrii Sychev, Simon Schubotz, Quinn A. Besford, Andreas Fery, Guenter K. Auernhammer
Summary: In this study, the adhesion behavior of PNIPAM polymer brushes in different states was analyzed using SCP AFM combined with RICM. It was found that the adhesion force in the swollen state showed strong time dependence and the pull-off force method exhibited rate dependence, indicating a non-equilibrium process. The contact radius method was found to be more reliable for determining the equilibrium work of adhesion. This work highlights the important benefits of using optical measurements when deriving the works of adhesion between colloidal probes and polymer brush surfaces.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Lorand Bonda, Janita Mueller, Lukas Fischer, Maryna Loewe, Alexej Kedrov, Stephan Schmidt, Laura Hartmann
Summary: The straightforward synthesis of polyamide-derived statistical copolymers with catechol, amine, amide and hydroxy residues via free radical polymerization is presented in this study. The research aims to investigate whether synergistic effects exist in statistical copolymer systems that lack the sequence-defined positioning of functional groups in mussel foot proteins.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Lenny Van Daele, Babs van de Voorde, Robin Colenbier, Lobke De Vos, Laurens Parmentier, Louis Van der Meeren, Andre Skirtach, Ruslan I. Dmitriev, Peter Dubruel, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Poly(alkylene terephthalate)s (PATs) with longer alkyl chain lengths show potential for improving compliance in vascular graft materials. This study investigated the effects of polymer molar mass and alkyl chain length on the surface properties of spin-coated PAT films, as well as endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation. The results showed that higher molar mass and longer alkyl chain lengths increased surface roughness, while no significant trend was observed for wettability. All investigated PATs were non-cytotoxic and supported endothelial cell adhesion and growth, with some PATs even promoting angiogenic maturation.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
