Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.2
3.4
Journals
Materials
Special Issues
Hydrophilic Copolymers for Bioapplications or Water Remediation
materials-logo
Submit to Materials Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Hydrophilic Copolymers for Bioapplications or Water Remediation

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2023) | Viewed by 11080

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zacharoula Iatridi

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
ICE/HT-FORTH (Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences/Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas), 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: polymeric materials; stimuli-responsive polymers; graft copolymers; polymer self-assembly; drug delivery from polymer systems; hydrogels; organic/inorganic nanostructured hybrid materials
Prof. Dr. Vlasoula Bekiari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Production, Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Patras, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece
Interests: hydrogels in water purification; nanostructured materials in water treatment; thin surfactant films; characterization of organic and inorganic pollutants in aqueous systems; photocatalysis; fluorescence probing; luminescent hybrid materials
Prof. Dr. Georgios Bokias

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: polymer synthesis and characterization; stimuli-responsive and functional polymeric materials; synthetic and reversible hydrogels; optically-labelled polymers; hybrid inorganic/organic soft materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrophilic copolymers are a class of polymers with adjustable properties and functionalities that find numerous applications in many scientific areas, e.g., drug delivery, tissue engineering, wastewater remediation, water absorption, and removal and recovery of pollutants.

In recent years, incredible progress has been achieved in the design and development of functional materials that are based not only on synthetic polymers but also on natural biopolymers (e.g., alginate, cellulose, dextran, starch, chitosan). A variety of synthetic methods can be applied to provide novel hydrophilic or otherwise water-soluble copolymers or hydogels of various architectures, composition, and tailored functionalities (e.g., stimuli responsiveness, enrichment of amphiphilicity, interaction with organic or inorganic species). Due to these functionalities, copolymers can self-assemble into nano- or microstructures (micelles, vesicles, capsules) in dilute aqueous media or they can form 3D-transient networks in semi-dilute aqueous media. Such self-organizations can in turn encapsulate biological molecules or therapeutic agents or interact with organic or inorganic substances such as surfactants, biomolecules, and inorganic nanoparticles. In addition, hydrogels or functional polymeric membranes can respond to or interact with chemical or biological species found in the surrounding aqueous environment.

This Special Issue entitled “Hydrophilic Copolymers for Bioapplications or Water Remediation” focuses on recent reports in the field of hydrophilic copolymers. It pursues scientific works reporting the design, synthesis, and characterization of hydrophilic copolymers (synthetic copolymers, biodegradable polymers, biocompatible biopolymers, and polypeptides are included) as well as their use in applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, water remediation, antifouling, etc.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Zacharoula Iatridi
Assoc. Prof. Vlasoula Bekiari
Prof. Georgios Bokias
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Synthetic polymers
  • Hydrophilic copolymers
  • Biopolymers
  • Biocompatible polymers
  • Functional copolymers
  • Hydrogels
  • Organic/inorganic hybrids
  • Drug delivery
  • Water remediation
  • Antifouling

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 8108 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Cross-Linked Chitosan-Based Membranes as Potential Adsorbents for the Removal of Cu2+ Ions from Aqueous Solutions
by Irene Vlachou and Georgios Bokias
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1926; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16051926 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1412
Abstract
Rapid industrialization has led to huge amounts of organic pollutants and toxic heavy metals into aquatic environment. Among the different strategies explored, adsorption remains until the most convenient process for water remediation. In the present work, novel cross-linked chitosan-based membranes were elaborated as [...] Read more.
Rapid industrialization has led to huge amounts of organic pollutants and toxic heavy metals into aquatic environment. Among the different strategies explored, adsorption remains until the most convenient process for water remediation. In the present work, novel cross-linked chitosan-based membranes were elaborated as potential adsorbents of Cu2+ ions, using as cross-linking agent a random water-soluble copolymer P(DMAM-co-GMA) of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAM). Cross-linked polymeric membranes were prepared through casting aqueous solutions of mixtures of P(DMAM-co-GMA) and chitosan hydrochloride, followed by thermal treatment at 120 °C. After deprotonation, the membranes were further explored as potential adsorbents of Cu2+ ions from aqueous CuSO4 solution. The successful complexation of copper ions with unprotonated chitosan was verified visually through the color change of the membranes and quantified through UV-vis spectroscopy. Cross-linked membranes based on unprotonated chitosan adsorb Cu2+ ions efficiently and decrease the concentration of Cu2+ ions in water to a few ppm. In addition, they can act as simple visual sensors for the detection of Cu2+ ions at low concentrations (~0.2 mM). The adsorption kinetics were well-described by a pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion model, while the adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir model, revealing maximum adsorption capacities in the range of 66–130 mg/g. Finally, it was shown that the membranes can be effectively regenerated using aqueous H2SO4 solution and reused. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Copolymers for Bioapplications or Water Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 11069 KiB  
Article
Advanced Eco-Friendly Formulations of Guar Biopolymer-Based Textile Conditioners
by Evdokia K. Oikonomou and Jean-François Berret
Materials 2021, 14(19), 5749; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14195749 - 01 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6209
Abstract
Fabric conditioners are household products used to impart softness and fragrance to textiles. They are colloidal dispersions of cationic double chain surfactants that self-assemble in vesicles. These surfactants are primarily derived from palm oil chemical modification. Reducing the content of these surfactants allows [...] Read more.
Fabric conditioners are household products used to impart softness and fragrance to textiles. They are colloidal dispersions of cationic double chain surfactants that self-assemble in vesicles. These surfactants are primarily derived from palm oil chemical modification. Reducing the content of these surfactants allows to obtain products with lower environmental impact. Such a reduction, without adverse effects on the characteristics of the softener and its performance, can be achieved by adding hydrophilic biopolymers. Here, we review the role of guar biopolymers modified with cationic or hydroxyl-propyl groups, on the physicochemical properties of the formulation. Electronic and optical microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray scattering and rheology of vesicles dispersion in the absence and presence of guar biopolymers are analyzed. Finally, the deposition of the new formulation on cotton fabrics is examined through scanning electron microscopy and a new protocol based on fluorescent microscopy. With this methodology, it is possible to quantify the deposition of surfactants on cotton fibers. The results show that the approach followed here can facilitate the design of sustainable home-care products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Copolymers for Bioapplications or Water Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

17 pages, 7100 KiB  
Article
Various Simulated Body Fluids Lead to Significant Differences in Collagen Tissue Engineering Scaffolds
by Tomáš Suchý, Martin Bartoš, Radek Sedláček, Monika Šupová, Margit Žaloudková, Gražyna Simha Martynková and René Foltán
Materials 2021, 14(16), 4388; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14164388 - 05 Aug 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
This study aims to point out the main drawback with respect to the design of simulated body environments. Three media commonly used for the simulation of the identical body environment were selected, i.e., Kokubo’s simulated body fluid that simulates the inorganic component of [...] Read more.
This study aims to point out the main drawback with respect to the design of simulated body environments. Three media commonly used for the simulation of the identical body environment were selected, i.e., Kokubo’s simulated body fluid that simulates the inorganic component of human blood plasma, human blood plasma, and phosphate buffer saline. A comparison was performed of the effects of the media on collagen scaffolds. The mechanical and structural effects of the media were determined via the application of compression mechanical tests, the determination of mass loss, and image and micro-CT analyses. The adsorption of various components from the media was characterized employing energy-dispersive spectrometry. The phase composition of the materials before and after exposure was determined using X-ray diffraction. Infrared spectroscopy was employed for the interpretation of changes in the collagen secondary structure. Major differences in terms of the mechanical properties and mass loss were observed between the three media. Conversely, only minor structural changes were detected. Since no general recommendation exists for selecting the simulated body environment, it is necessary to avoid the simplification of the results and, ideally, to utilize alternative methods to describe the various aspects of degradation processes that occur in the media. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Copolymers for Bioapplications or Water Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop