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Polymers
Special Issues
Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications
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Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 18155

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Donatella Duraccio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council (CNR), STEMS - Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Turin, Italy
Interests: polymer composites and nanocomposites; biopolymers; coatings; structure–property relationship; food packaging; biomedical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Giulia Faga

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
National Research Council (CNR), STEMS - Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Turin, Italy
Interests: composite materials; oxidic bioceramics; coatings; wear; industrial engineering; surface properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala

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Guest Editor
National Research Council (CNR), IPCB, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
Interests: polymer synthesis; stimuli-responsive polymers; biocomposites; biomaterials; wound healing; bone regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that the demand for using polymer composite biomaterials in various medical applications has increased significantly across the globe over the last few years. Recent developments in the area of material science and biomedical engineering have enabled an impressive progress in attempts to develop innovative polymer composite biomaterials thanks to their tailorable manufacturing processes and characteristics comparable to those of the host tissues. However, for successful applications, some properties, such as mechanical properties, durability, biodegradability, bioactivity, etc., need to be optimized and tuned as a function of the specific application.

This Special Issue is concerned with the preparation and characterization of polymer composites for various biomedical applications. There are no limits in terms of biomedical application (i.e., soft, hard tissue, others) nature (biodegradable or not), composition, type of polymers (natural or synthetic polymers) and nature and dimension of the fillers. Both original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Donatella Duraccio
Dr. Maria Giulia Faga
Dr. Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala
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. Polymers 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 2700 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

  • polymer composite
  • biomedical application
  • tissue engineering
  • mechanical properties
  • soft tissue
  • hard tissue
  • bioactivity
  • durability
  • biodegradability

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2080 KiB  
Article
Stability Efficiencies of POSS and Microalgae Extracts on the Durability of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer Based Hybrids
by Traian Zaharescu and Carmen Mateescu
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 187; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14010187 - 03 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1305
Abstract
The EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer) hybrids with improved thermal and radiation strengths containing 1 and 5 phr of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (vinyl-POSS, Ov-POSS) and/or 2 phr of microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris (CV) and Spirulinaplatensis (SP)) powders were investigated in [...] Read more.
The EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer) hybrids with improved thermal and radiation strengths containing 1 and 5 phr of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (vinyl-POSS, Ov-POSS) and/or 2 phr of microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris (CV) and Spirulinaplatensis (SP)) powders were investigated in respect to their thermal stability after γ-irradiation. The material durability under accelerated degradation was qualified by chemiluminescence and gelation, which prove the contribution of inorganic filler and microalgae extracts on the increase of hybrid thermal stability, as well as the interaction between added components (POSS and CV or SP). The activation energies and the durabilities under accelerated degradation were calculated, indicating their suitable usage as appropriate materials in various applications. The reported results indicate the improvement effect of both microalgal powders on the oxidation strength, but the contribution of Spirulinaplatensis grabs attention on its efficient effects upon the prevention of degradation under accelerated aging conditions. The thermal performances of the tested EPDM based hybrids are remarkably ameliorated, if the certain formulation includes Ov-POSS (5 phr) and Spirulinaplatensis (2 phr), certifying its suitability for the pertinent applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications)
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17 pages, 3330 KiB  
Article
Electron-Beam-Induced Grafting of Chitosan onto HDPE/ATZ Composites for Biomedical Applications
by Maria Giulia Faga, Donatella Duraccio, Mattia Di Maro, Christelle Kowandy, Giulio Malucelli, Federico Davide Mussano, Tullio Genova and Xavier Coqueret
Polymers 2021, 13(22), 4016; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13224016 - 20 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2409
Abstract
The surface functionalisation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and HDPE/alumina-toughened zirconia (ATZ) surfaces with chitosan via electron-beam (EB) irradiation technique was exploited for preparing materials suitable for biomedical purposes. ATR–FTIR analysis and wettability measurements were employed for monitoring the surface changes after both irradiation [...] Read more.
The surface functionalisation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and HDPE/alumina-toughened zirconia (ATZ) surfaces with chitosan via electron-beam (EB) irradiation technique was exploited for preparing materials suitable for biomedical purposes. ATR–FTIR analysis and wettability measurements were employed for monitoring the surface changes after both irradiation and chitosan grafting reaction. Interestingly, the presence of ATZ loadings beyond 2 wt% influenced both the EB irradiation process and the chitosan functionalisation reaction, decreasing the oxidation of the surface and the chitosan grafting. The EB irradiation induced an increase in Young’s modulus and a decrease in the elongation at the break of all analysed systems, whereas the tensile strength was not affected in a relevant way. Biological assays indicated that electrostatic interactions between the negative charges of the surface of cell membranes and the –NH3+ sites on chitosan chains promoted cell adhesion, while some oxidised species produced during the irradiation process are thought to cause a detrimental effect on the cell viability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications)
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16 pages, 3349 KiB  
Article
Polyelectrolyte Nanoparticles of Amphiphilic Chitosan/Pectin from Banana Peel as Potential Carrier System of Hydrophobic Molecules
by Paula A. Méndez and Betty L. López
Polymers 2020, 12(9), 2109; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12092109 - 16 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3220
Abstract
In this study, pectins were extracted from banana wastes Musa paradisiaca under different acidic conditions, obtaining pectins with different degrees of esterification (DE) depending on the acid type and pH. The formation of the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles was evaluated according to the DE of [...] Read more.
In this study, pectins were extracted from banana wastes Musa paradisiaca under different acidic conditions, obtaining pectins with different degrees of esterification (DE) depending on the acid type and pH. The formation of the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles was evaluated according to the DE of the pectin, the mass ratio of the polymers of pectin to amphiphilic chitosan (AmCh), and their concentration. The properties of the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles were evaluated at different pH and temperatures. The pectin with 24.3% DE formed polyelectrolyte nanoparticles through the electrostatic interaction with AmCh, which was evidenced by changes in the zeta potential and particle size. The study of mass ratio AmCh:Pectin, to get a stable system, showed that it must be at least equal (1:1), or AmCh must be in higher proportion (6:1, 50:1, 100:1), and the polymers concentration must be 1 mg/mL. The study of the temperature effect showed that, when the temperature increases, the particle size decreases, and the pH study showed a stable particle size for the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles in the range of pH 5–6. Nile Red (NR), a hydrophobic molecule, was encapsulated in the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles with a loading capacity of 1.8% and an encapsulation efficiency of 80%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications)
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Review

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12 pages, 2770 KiB  
Review
A Review on Current Trends of Polymers in Orthodontics: BPA-Free and Smart Materials
by Rozita Hassan, Muhammad Umar Aslam Khan, Abdul Manaf Abdullah and Saiful Izwan Abd Razak
Polymers 2021, 13(9), 1409; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13091409 - 27 Apr 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5094
Abstract
Polymeric materials have always established an edge over other classes of materials due to their potential applications in various fields of biomedical engineering. Orthodontics is an emerging field in which polymers have attracted the enormous attention of researchers. In particular, thermoplastic materials have [...] Read more.
Polymeric materials have always established an edge over other classes of materials due to their potential applications in various fields of biomedical engineering. Orthodontics is an emerging field in which polymers have attracted the enormous attention of researchers. In particular, thermoplastic materials have a great future utility in orthodontics, both as aligners and as retainer appliances. In recent years, the use of polycarbonate brackets and base monomers bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (bis-GMA) has been associated with the potential release of bisphenol A (BPA) in the oral environment. BPA is a toxic compound that acts as an endocrine disruptor that can affect human health. Therefore, there is a continuous search for non-BPA materials with satisfactory mechanical properties and an esthetic appearance as an alternative to polycarbonate brackets and conventional bis-GMA compounds. This study aims to review the recent developments of BPA-free monomers in the application of resin dental composites and adhesives. The most promising polymeric smart materials are also discussed for their relevance to future orthodontic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications)
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17 pages, 5553 KiB  
Review
Supramolecular Polymer Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications
by Xiumei Li, Wanjia Xu, Yue Xin, Jiawei Yuan, Yuancheng Ji, Shengnan Chu, Junqiu Liu and Quan Luo
Polymers 2021, 13(4), 513; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13040513 - 09 Feb 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4828
Abstract
Polymer nanocomposites, a class of innovative materials formed by polymer matrixes and nanoscaled fillers (e.g., carbon-based nanomaterials, inorganic/semiconductor nanoparticles, metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles, polymeric nanostructures, etc.), display enhanced mechanical, optoelectrical, magnetic, catalytic, and bio-related characteristics, thereby finding a wide range of applications in the biomedical [...] Read more.
Polymer nanocomposites, a class of innovative materials formed by polymer matrixes and nanoscaled fillers (e.g., carbon-based nanomaterials, inorganic/semiconductor nanoparticles, metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles, polymeric nanostructures, etc.), display enhanced mechanical, optoelectrical, magnetic, catalytic, and bio-related characteristics, thereby finding a wide range of applications in the biomedical field. In particular, the concept of supramolecular chemistry has been introduced into polymer nanocomposites, which creates myriad “smart” biomedical materials with unique physicochemical properties and dynamic tunable structures in response to diverse external stimuli. This review aims to provide an overview of the chemical composition, morphological structures, biological functionalities, and reinforced performances of supramolecular polymer nanocomposites. Additionally, recent advances in biomedical applications such as therapeutic delivery, bioimaging, and tissue engineering are also discussed, especially their excellent properties leveraged in the development of multifunctional intelligent biomedical materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications)
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