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Development, Characterization and Applications of Novel Polymeric Materials and Composites

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2024 | Viewed by 3668

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniel Dumitru Banciu

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Medical Engineering, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, RO-011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: neuron; synapses; neurobiology; electrophysiology; synaptic transmission; ion channel gating; neuron culture; functional neuroscience

Prof. Dr. Xiao Hu

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
Interests: polymer; biomaterials; biomacromolecules; regenerative medicine; drug delivery; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development in the fields of biotechnologies, from molecular biology to diagnosis and treatment, has had an exponential evolution in the last decades. This has led to an increasing fragmentation of science, with the decrease in the capacity for interdisciplinarity with the decrease in the capacity to use the results for concrete social and commercial purposes, such as diagnosis and the therapy of various pathologies. To overcome this barrier, it is necessary to develop new skills for presenting one's own results, through the lens of presenting the potential impact along with the problems that still need to be solved to achieve the goals.

In this sense, we propose catalyzing an effort to present experimental or theoretical model research activities in the field of polymeric or composite materials, in a way that identifies as many interdisciplinary bridges as possible, starting from the idea of development and characterization to be exploited by the scientific and economic community through diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

For this objective, we want to reach the following targets:

Theoretical models;
Molecular simulations;
New polymers;
New composite materials;
Characterization of the proposed materials;
New applications of existing polymer materials and composites;
Diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Dr. Daniel Dumitru Banciu
Dr. Xiao Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

diagnosis
therapy
polymers
composite materials
theoretical model

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1838 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Characterization of Diffusion in Polymeric vs. Monomeric Solvents

by Ze’ev Porat

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4472; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms25084472 - 18 Apr 2024

Viewed by 377

Abstract

Polymer electrolyte was used as a medium for testing the performance of microband electrodes under conditions of linear diffusion. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) experiments were performed in a highly viscous medium, where diffusion rates are much slower than in fluid solutions. The log i vs. log v (CV) or log i vs. log t (CA) relationships with the current equation confirmed the existence of such conditions, yielding slope values that were lower than the expected 0.5. This could indicate an impure linear diffusion profile, i.e., some contribution from radial diffusion (edge effects). However, the desired value of 0.5 was obtained when performing these tests in monomeric solvents of similar viscosities, such as glycerol or propylene glycol. These results led to the conclusion that the current equations, which are based on Fick’s laws, may not be applicable for polymer electrolytes, where various obstructions to free diffusion result in a more complicated process than for monomeric solvents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Characterization and Applications of Novel Polymeric Materials and Composites)

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12 pages, 2597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyallylamine Binds to Aβ Amyloid and Inhibits Antibody Recognition

by Yusuke Tsuchie, Soichiro Kusuda, Haruka Kawabe, Wakako Mori, Mikael Lindgren, Yutaka Watanabe and Tamotsu Zako

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3112; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms25063112 - 07 Mar 2024

Viewed by 522

Abstract

Protein amyloids have attracted attention for their application as functional amyloid materials because of their strong properties, such as high resistance to chemical or biological degradation, despite their medical issues. Amyloids can be used for various applications by modifying the amyloid surface with functional materials, such as proteins and polymers. In this study, we investigated the effect of polyallylamine (PAA), a functional cationic polymer as a candidate for amyloid modification, on the amyloids formed from amyloid β (Aβ) peptide. It was demonstrated for the first time that PAA can bind to Aβ amyloids through fluorescence observations and the quenched emission from the tyrosine at site 10 near the fibrillogenic core. These results suggest that PAA could be used to develop new functional amyloids. However, notably, coating Aβ amyloid with PAA could affect conventional amyloid detection assays such as thioflavin T assay and detection using antibodies. Thus, our results also indicate that consideration would be necessary for the analysis of functional amyloids coated with various polymers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Characterization and Applications of Novel Polymeric Materials and Composites)

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15 pages, 5957 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toxicity of Water-Soluble D-g-PNIPAM Polymers in a Complex with Chemotherapy Drugs and Mechanism of Their Action In Vitro

by Svitlana Prylutska, Anna Grebinyk, Stanislav Ponomarenko, Defne Gövem, Vasyl Chumachenko, Nataliya Kutsevol, Mykola Petrovsky, Uwe Ritter, Marcus Frohme, Jacek Piosik and Yuriy Prylutskyy

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 3069; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms25053069 - 06 Mar 2024

Viewed by 642

Abstract

The application of a biocompatible polymer nanocarrier can provide target delivery to tumor tissues, improved pharmacokinetics, controlled drug release, etc. Therefore, the proposed strategy was to use the water-soluble star-like copolymers with a Dextran core and Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafts (D-g-PNIPAM) for conjugation with the widely used chemotherapy drugs in oncology–Cisplatin (Cis-Pt) and Doxorubicin (Dox). The molecular characteristics of the copolymer were received using size-exclusion chromatography. The physicochemical characterization of the D-g-PNIPAM-Cis-Pt (or Dox) nanosystem was conducted using dynamic light scattering and FTIR spectroscopy. Using traditional biochemical methods, a comparative analysis of the enhancement of the cytotoxic effect of free Cis-Pt and Dox in combination with D-g-PNIPAM copolymers was performed in cancer cells of the Lewis lung carcinoma line, which are both sensitive and resistant to Dox; in addition, the mechanism of their action in vitro was evaluated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Characterization and Applications of Novel Polymeric Materials and Composites)

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23 pages, 7376 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Characterization of Electrospun Composites Built on Polycaprolactone and Cerium-Containing Phases

by Cristiana Plocon, Alexandru Evanghelidis, Monica Enculescu, Gabriela Isopencu, Ovidiu Oprea, Mihaela Bacalum, Mina Raileanu, Sorin Jinga and Cristina Busuioc

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14201; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241814201 - 17 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 859

Abstract

The current study reports on the fabrication of composite scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and cerium (Ce)-containing powders, followed by their characterization from compositional, structural, morphological, optical and biological points of view. First, CeO₂, Ce-doped calcium phosphates and Ce-substituted bioglass were synthesized by wet-chemistry methods (precipitation/coprecipitation and sol-gel) and subsequently loaded on PCL fibres processed by electrospinning. The powders were proven to be nanometric or micrometric, while the investigation of their phase composition showed that Ce was present as a dopant within the crystal lattice of the obtained calcium phosphates or as crystalline domains inside the glassy matrix. The best bioactivity was attained in the case of Ce-containing bioglass, while the most pronounced antibacterial effect was visible for Ce-doped calcium phosphates calcined at a lower temperature. The scaffolds were composed of either dimensionally homogeneous fibres or mixtures of fibres with a wide size distribution and beads of different shapes. In most cases, the increase in polymer concentration in the precursor solution ensured the achievement of more ordered fibre mats. The immersion in SBF for 28 days triggered an incipient degradation of PCL, evidenced mostly through cracks and gaps. In terms of biological properties, the composite scaffolds displayed a very good biocompatibility when tested with human osteoblast cells, with a superior response for the samples consisting of the polymer and Ce-doped calcium phosphates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Characterization and Applications of Novel Polymeric Materials and Composites)

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Other

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14 pages, 1028 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Perspectives on Scaffold Designs with Roles in Liver Cell Asymmetry and Medical and Industrial Applications by Using a New Type of Specialized 3D Bioprinter

by Iuliana Harbuz, Daniel Dumitru Banciu, Rodica David, Cristina Cercel, Octavian Cotîrță, Bogdan Marius Ciurea, Sorin Mihai Radu, Stela Dinescu, Sorin Ion Jinga and Adela Banciu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14722; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241914722 - 29 Sep 2023

Viewed by 768

Abstract

Cellular asymmetry is an important element of efficiency in the compartmentalization of intracellular chemical reactions that ensure efficient tissue function. Improving the current 3D printing methods by using cellular asymmetry is essential in producing complex tissues and organs such as the liver. The use of cell spots containing at least two cells and basement membrane-like bio support materials allows cells to be tethered at two points on the basement membrane and with another cell in order to maintain cell asymmetry. Our model is a new type of 3D bioprinter that uses oriented multicellular complexes with cellular asymmetry. This novel approach is necessary to replace the sequential and slow processes of organogenesis with rapid methods of growth and 3D organ printing. The use of the extracellular matrix in the process of bioprinting with cells allows one to preserve the cellular asymmetry in the 3D printing process and thus preserve the compartmentalization of biological processes and metabolic efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development, Characterization and Applications of Novel Polymeric Materials and Composites)

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