Preparation of porous polylactide microspheres by emulsion‐solvent evaporation based on solution induced phase separation

Porous polylactide (PLA) microspheres were fabricated by an emulsion‐solvent evaporation method based on solution induced phase separation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations confirmed the porous structure of the microspheres with good connectivity. The pore size was in the range of decade micrometers. Besides large cavities as similarly existed on non‐porous microspheres, small pores were found on surfaces of the porous microspheres. The apparent density of the porous microspheres was much smaller than that of non‐porous microspheres. Fabrication conditions such as stirring rate, good solvent/non‐solvent ratio, PLA concentration and dispersant (polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) concentration had an important influence on both the particle size and size distribution and the pore size within the microspheres. A larger pore size was achieved at a slower stirring rate, lower good solvent/non‐solvent ratio or lower PLA concentration due to longer coalescence time. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TiO2/SiO2气凝胶微球的制备及其表征

以TiOSO4和硅溶胶为原料, 加入甲酰胺作为干燥控制化学添加剂, 采用W/O乳状液中的溶胶-凝胶法制备TiO2/SiO2凝胶微球, 通过正硅酸乙酯母液浸泡、溶剂交换、陈化和常压干燥技术制备TiO2/SiO2气凝胶微球, 采用光学显微镜、SEM、TEM和BET比表面及孔分布测定等手段对所得样品进行表征. 典型的气凝胶微球样品是由粒径15 nm左右, 粒度分布相当均匀的球状纳米粒子构成的轻质纳米多孔材料, 表观密度为177 kg•m-3, 比表面积372 m2•g-1, 平均孔径22.78 nm, 孔隙率高达92.0％, 微球的宏观粒径为50 m. 依据制备条件的变化, TiO2/SiO2气凝胶微球的宏观粒径可控在10～200 m之间, 表观密度为150～300 kg•m-3, 比表面积为300～400 m2•g-1, 平均孔径在18.71～22.78 nm之间变化.     

Highly porous core-shell polymeric fiber network

Core-shell nanofibers are of great interest in the field of tissue engineering and cell biology. We fabricated porous core-shell fiber networks using an electrospinning system with a water-immersed collector. We hypothesized that the phase separation and solvent evaporation process would enable the control of the pore formation on the core-shell fiber networks. To synthesize porous core-shell fiber networks, we used polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin. Quantitative analysis showed that the sizes of gelatin-PCL core-shell nanofibers increased with PCL concentrations. We also observed that the shapes of the pores created on the PCL fiber networks were elongated, whereas the gelatin-PCL core-shell fiber networks had circular pores. The surface areas of porous nanofibers were larger than those of the nonporous nanofibers due to the highly volatile solvent and phase separation process. The porous core-shell fiber network was also used as a matrix to culture various cell types, such as embryonic stem cells, breast cancer cells, and fibroblast cells. Therefore, this porous core-shell polymeric fiber network could be a potentially powerful tool for tissue engineering and biological applications.     

聚己二酸丁二酯纳米纤维构建的微球的制备

建立了采用异相成核和可控水解相结合的方法制备由纳米纤维构建的聚合物微球的新方法.根据多取代卞叉山梨醇(TM6)对聚己二酸丁二酯(PBA)的异相成核作用以及结晶形态的影响,采用两种乳液溶剂挥发法、并在聚合物溶液中加入成核剂TM6制备了PBA微球,研究了成核剂含量对PBA微球在酶促降解之后形态变化的影响.研究结果表明,二次乳液溶剂挥发法可以制备具有多孔结构的PBA微球,这种多孔结构有利于酶溶液进入到微球内部,促进PBA微球的均匀水解,最终获得由PBA纳米纤维构建的微球.当TM6的含量为3 wt%时,采用二次乳液溶剂挥发法制备的PBA微球,经过5 h酶促降解处理,可以得到表面和内部由PBA纳米纤维均匀组成的微球.进一步的细胞实验表明,微球的纳米纤维结构,有利于MG-63细胞在聚合物微球上的黏附、铺展和向内生长.     

PLA/MSM缓释微球的制备及生物活性

采用膜乳化-液中干燥法制备出担载二甲基砜(MSM)的聚乳酸(PLA)微球(PLA/MSM), 并研究了膜孔径、 搅拌转速和MSM浓度对载药微球形貌、 尺寸、 载药量、 体外释放及细胞活性的影响; 采用场发射环境扫描电子显微镜(ESEM)观察微球形貌、 尺寸及分布, 用等离子体发射光谱(ICP-AES)法检测PLA/MSM微球载药量、 包封率及体外释放, 采用ESEM观察微球内部结构, 并通过体外细胞培养和噻唑蓝(MTT)法检测MC-3T3-E1细胞的增殖能力. 研究结果表明, 膜乳化法制备的载药微球规整, 呈典型的圆球状, 表面光滑, 内部有多孔结构. 当膜孔径为5.1 μm且搅拌转速为500 r/min时, PLA/MSM微球大小更为均一; 当体系中MSM质量分数为8.6%时, 载药量可达到77.43%. 随着膜孔径减小及药物浓度的增加, 体外释放速率加快, 但初期均无明显的突释现象, 约10 d后累积释放量达到89.2%. 细胞实验结果显示, 在膜孔径为5.1 μm且MSM质量分数为8.6%的条件下, 制备的载药微球在细胞培养7 d时表现出明显的促增殖作用.     

气凝胶微球的制备及应用

气凝胶由于其优异的理化性能和广阔的应用前景,近年来的发展十分迅速。然而传统的气凝胶多为块体材料,一定程度上忽略了特殊应用场景下对尺寸和形状的特定需求。将气凝胶材料制备成微球,一方面能够拓宽气凝胶材料的应用领域,另一方面也丰富了多孔微球材料的内涵。本文从几类主要的气凝胶体系(氧化硅气凝胶、纤维素气凝胶、间苯二酚-甲醛(RF)/碳气凝胶和石墨烯气凝胶)出发,综述了这些气凝胶微球的制备方法及其应用实例,并对气凝胶微球的研究现状及发展趋势做了简要评述。     

Polymer Structure‐Guided Self‐Assisted Preparation of Poly(ester‐thioether)‐Based Hollow Porous Microspheres and Hierarchically Interconnected Microcages for Drug Release

Porous polymer microspheres (PPMs) have been widely applied in various biomedical fields. Herein, the self‐assisted preparation of poly(ester‐thioether)‐based porous microspheres and hierarchical microcages, whose pore sizes can be controlled by varying the polymer structures, is reported. Poly(ester‐thioether)s with alkyl side chains (carbon atom numbers were 2, 4, and 8) can generate hollow porous microspheres; the longer alkyl chain length, the larger pore size of microspheres. The allyl‐modified poly(ester‐thioether) (PHBDT‐g‐C₃) can form highly open, hierarchically interconnected microcages. A formation mechanism of these PPMs is proposed; the hydrophobic side chains‐mediated stabilization of oil droplets dictate the droplet aggregation and following solvent evaporation, which is the key to the formation of PPMs. The hierarchically interconnected microcages of PHBDT‐g‐C₃ are due to the partially crosslinking of polymers. Pore sizes of PPMs can be further tuned by a simple mixing strategy of poly(ester‐thioether)s with different pore‐forming abilities. The potential application of these PPMs as H₂O₂‐responsive vehicles for delivery of hydrophobic (Nile Red) and hydrophilic (doxorubicin hydrochloride) cargos is also investigated. The microspheres with larger pore sizes show faster in vitro drug release. The poly(ester‐thioether)‐based polymer microspheres can open a new avenue for the design of PPMs and provide a H₂O₂‐responsive drug delivery platform.     

聚乙烯醇多孔膜的制备

以醋酸乙烯酯微乳液聚合所得的微乳粒子为占孔物质,通过辅助倒相法制备了聚乙烯醇多孔膜,其中部分孔的尺寸与占孔微乳粒子的大小相近（小于300nm)。利用透射电镜观测微乳粒子的大小和形态并且在扫描电镜下观察PVA多孔膜的孔形态,探讨了通过控制微乳粒子粒径以实现多孔膜孔径调节的可行性。     

Thermally produced biodegradable scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

A novel process was developed to fabricate biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, without using organic solvents. Solvent residues in scaffolds fabricated by processes involving organic solvents may damage cells transplanted onto the scaffolds or tissue near the transplantation site. Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) powder and NaCl particles in a mold were compressed and subsequently heated at 180 degrees C (near the PLLA melting temperature) for 3 min. The heat treatment caused the polymer particles to fuse and form a continuous matrix containing entrapped NaCl particles. After dissolving the NaCl salts, which served as a porogen, porous biodegradable PLLA scaffolds were formed. The scaffold porosity and pore size were controlled by adjusting the NaCl/PLLA weight ratio and the NaCl particle size. The characteristics of the scaffolds were compared to those of scaffolds fabricated using a conventional solvent casting/particulate leaching (SC/PL) process, in terms of pore structure, pore-size distribution, and mechanical properties. A scanning electron microscopic examination showed highly interconnected and open pore structures in the scaffolds fabricated using the thermal process, whereas the SC/PL process yielded scaffolds with less interconnected and closed pore structures. Mercury intrusion porosimetry revealed that the thermally produced scaffolds had a much more uniform distribution of pore sizes than the SC/PL process. The utility of the thermally produced scaffolds was demonstrated by engineering cartilaginous tissues in vivo. In summary, the thermal process developed in this study yields tissue-engineering scaffolds with more favorable characteristics, with respect to, freedom from organic solvents, pore structure, and size distribution than the SC/PL process. Moreover, the thermal process could also be used to fabricate scaffolds from polymers that are insoluble in organic solvents, such as poly(glycolic acid). Cartilage tissue regenerated from thermally produced PLLA scaffold.     

Effect of polyethylene glycol on preparation of rifampicin-loaded PLGA microspheres with membrane emulsification technique

Monodisperse poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres containing rifampicin (RFP), anti-tubercle drug, as hydrophobic model drug were prepared by solvent evaporation method with a membrane emulsification technique using Shirasu Porous Glass (SPG) membranes. Five kinds of rifampicin-loaded PLGA (RFP/PLGA) microspheres with different sizes were prepared by changing pore size of the membranes. Effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) added to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution (continuous phase) upon the monodispersity of microspheres was studied. PEG was used as a stabilizer for microspheres dispersing in PVA solution. The most suitable molecular weight of PEG as a stabilizer was 20,000. RFP/PLGA microspheres prepared with PEG20000 were apparently more uniform than those prepared without PEG. The yield of RFP/PLGA microspheres was 100%. The initial burst observed in the release of RFP from RFP/PLGA microspheres was suppressed by the addition of PEG.     

Fabrication of open‐porous PCL/PLA tissue engineering scaffolds and the relationship of foaming process,morphology, and mechanical behavior

Tissue engineering scaffolds should provide a suitable porous structure and proper mechanical strength, which is beneficial for the delivery of growth factor and regulation of cells. In this study, the open‐porous polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) tissue engineering scaffolds with suitable porous scale were fabricated using different ratios of PCL/PLA blends. At the same time, the relationship of foaming process, morphology, and mechanical behavior in the optimized batch microcellular foaming process were studied based on the single‐factor experiment method. The porous structures and mechanical strength of the scaffolds were optimized by adjusting foaming parameters, including the temperature, pressure, and CO₂ dissolution time. The results indicated that the foaming parameters influence the cell morphology, further determine the mechanical behavior of PCL/PLA blends. When the PCL content is high, with the increase of temperature and time, the cell diameter and the elastic modulus increased, and the tensile strength and elastic modulus increased with the increase of the average cell size, and decreased as the increase of the cell density. While when the PLA content was high, the cell diameter showed the same trend, and the tensile strength and elastic modulus were higher, and the elongation at break was lower, and tensile strength and elastic modulus decreased with the increase of the average cell size and increased with the increase of cell density. This work successfully fabricated optimized porous PCL/PLA scaffolds with excellent suitable mechanical properties, pore sizes, and high interconnectivity, indicating the effectiveness of modulating the batch foaming process parameters.     

Green Preparation of Durian Rind-Based Cellulose Nanofiber and Its Application in Aerogel

In this study, a green, highly efficient and low energy consumption preparation method of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) was developed by using agricultural and forestry waste durian rinds as raw materials. The power of ultrasonic treatment was successfully reduced to only 360 W with low molecular weight liquid DMSO. The obtained durian rind-based CNF had a diameter of 8–20 nm and a length of several micrometers. It had good dispersion and stability in water, and could spontaneously cross-link to form hydrogel at room temperature when the concentration was more than 0.5%. The microscopic morphology and compressive properties of CNF aerogels and composite cellulose aerogels prepared from durian rind-based CNF were evaluated. It was found that CNF could effectively prevent the volume shrinkage of aerogel, and the concentration of CNF had a significant effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aerogel. The CNF aerogel with 1% CNF exhibited a sheet structure braced by fibers, which had the strongest compression performance. The porosity of CNF aerogels was high to 99%. The compressive strength of the composite cellulose aerogel with durian rind-based CNF was effectively enhanced.     

粒径和孔径可控的多孔交联聚苯乙烯微球的制备

采用悬浮聚合方法合成了多孔交联聚苯乙烯微球,研究发现微球的粒径与分散剂含量、水油比、搅拌速度和成孔剂有关,而微球的孔径与成孔剂的种类和含量有关。 增加分散剂的用量,提高水油比和加快搅拌速度都能导致微球的粒径减小。 微球的孔径和粒径均随着成孔剂与聚合物溶度参数差值变大而增加。通过改变以上条件得到粒径为100~300 μm和孔径为8~36 nm的交联度为27%的多孔交联聚苯乙烯微球,并利用光学显微镜、场发射扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和氮气吸附解吸法对微球进行了相应的表征。 得到的微球在固相合成载体中有一定的应用前景。     

纳米孔阵列阳极氧化铝膜的制备和表征

本文通过在0℃、0.5mol·L^-1的草酸溶液中阳极氧化高纯铝片的方法制得了阳极氧化铝(AAO)膜，并用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)对AAO膜的形貌和结构进行了表征。结果表明，阻挡层AAO膜中大小一致的膜胞在铝/氧化铝界面上排成六方形阵列;有孔层AAO膜中含有高度有序的纳米孔阵列和膜胞阵列，并且孔的直径和膜胞的尺寸都具有较窄的分布。另外，考察了阳极氧化电压对膜胞尺寸、孔径大小、孔密度和膜胞密度的影响，表明在一定的电压范围内，膜胞和孔径都随电压的升高而增大，而孔密度和膜胞密度却随电压的升高而减小。     

Preparation of surface-charged CNF aerogels and investigation of their ion adsorption properties

Cross-linked cellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogel with positive and negative surface charge was prepared. For the surface charge modification of CNF from its intrinsic negative charge to positive charge, glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride was used. To stabilize the network structure of CNF aerogel in aqueous condition, maleic acid and sodium hypophosphite cross-linking treatment was applied. The ion adsorption properties of positive and negative charged cross-linked CNF aerogels were evaluated using the Langmuir adsorption model, and it was affected by pH of the ion solution. The maximum ion adsorption capacity of negatively charged cross-linked CNF aerogel was 0.79 mmol/g for the nickel cation while that of the positively charged cross-linked aerogel was 0.62 mmol/g for the permanganate anion.     

Synthesis of porous poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) microspheres through one-step soap-free emulsion polymerization: whys and wherefores

Synthesis of porous poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) (PS-co-PAA) microspheres through one-step soap-free emulsion polymerization is reported. Various porous PS-co-PAA microspheres with the particle size ranging from 150 to 240 nm and with the pore size ranging from 4 to 25 nm are fabricated. The porous structure of the microspheres is confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy measurement and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The reason for synthesis of the porous PS-co-PAA microspheres is discussed, and the phase separation between the encapsulated hydrophilic poly(acrylic acid) segment and the hydrophobic polystyrene domain within the PS-co-PAA microspheres is ascribed to the pore formation. The present synthesis of the porous PS-co-PAA microspheres is anticipated to be a new and convenient way to fabricate porous polymeric particles.     

Crosslinked Silk Fibroin/Gelatin/Hyaluronan Blends as Scaffolds for Cell-Based Tissue Engineering

3D porous scaffolds fabricated from binary and ternary blends of silk fibroin (SF), gelatin (G), and hyaluronan (HA) and crosslinked by the carbodiimide coupling reaction were developed. Water-stable scaffolds can be obtained after crosslinking, and the SFG and SFGHA samples were stable in cell culture medium up to 10 days. The presence of HA in the scaffolds with appropriate crosslinking conditions greatly enhanced the swellability. The microarchitecture of the freeze-dried scaffolds showed high porosity and interconnectivity. In particular, the pore size was significantly larger with an addition of HA. Biological activities of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts seeded on SFG and SFGHA scaffolds revealed that both scaffolds were able to support cell adhesion and proliferation of a 7-day culture. Furthermore, cell penetration into the scaffolds can be observed due to the interconnected porous structure of the scaffolds and the presence of bioactive materials which could attract the cells and support cell functions. The higher cell number was noticed in the SFGHA samples, possibly due to the HA component and the larger pore size which could improve the microenvironment for fibroblast adhesion, proliferation, and motility. The developed scaffolds from ternary blends showed potential in their application as 3D cell culture substrates in fibroblast-based tissue engineering.     

Preparation and Drug Release of PVA Composite Nanofibers Loaded Chitosan Microsphere

In this paper, we reported the fabrication of poly(vinyl alcohol)-chitosan (PVA-CS) microspheres composite nanofibers by electrospinning technique. The chitosan microspheres were firstly prepared by electrospray with the solution of chitosan and combretastatin A4. The morphology and size distribution of chitosan microspheres were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The influencing factors including the concentrations of both PVA and CS microspheres were studied. The physical properties of the composite nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The drug release rate, MTT toxicity test, and cell culture were also investigated in detail. Results indicate that the chitosan microsphere-loaded composite nanofibers can be prepared when the PVA concentration is 120 mg/mL. The continuity of the nanofibers was influenced by the concentration of CS microspheres. The characteristic peaks of CS or PVA were not observed in the diffractograms after the CS and PVA were processed using the high-voltage electrostatic technique. In addition, the drug release rate showed that nanofibers induce an obvious slow-release effect. Composite nanofibers were non-toxic to fibroblasts cells, and the fibroblasts cells could proliferate on the nanofiber mat.     

聚苯乙烯-co-聚(2,3,4,5,6-五氟苯乙烯)共聚物: 合成及其多孔薄膜的制备

利用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)方法, 分别在三氟甲苯、含氟离子液体以及三氟甲苯/含氟离子液体混合溶剂体系中合成了聚苯乙烯-co-聚(2,3,4,5,6-五氟苯乙烯)(PS-co-PPFS)共聚物, 通过¹H NMR、¹⁹F NMR、元素分析以及凝胶渗透色谱法(GPC)对所得聚合物的分子链结构和组成进行了分析和表征. 随后, 利用静态呼吸图法分别在CS₂, CHCl₃ 和CH₂Cl₂ 中制备了有序多孔薄膜, 用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察其表面形貌, 并与利用分子量大小相当的聚苯乙烯均聚物(PS)制备的多孔薄膜进行了对比. 研究结果表明: 在三氟甲苯和含氟离子液体溶剂体系中, 均可利用ATRP 聚合方法获得窄分子量分布的PS-co-PPFS 共聚物(M_n＝5200～7900 g·mol^-1, i>M_w/M_n＝1.12～1.22). 对聚合物薄膜的扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察和分析显示: 分别以CS₂, CHCl₃ 和CH₂Cl₂ 作为溶剂, 利用静态呼吸图法均可制备出PS-co-PPFS 共聚物多孔薄膜. 然而, 与在CHCl₃ 和CH₂Cl₂ 中制备的PS 均聚物多孔薄膜的表面形貌不同的是, PS-co-PPFS 共聚物多孔薄膜呈现出无序排列、平均孔径大小不同的两种孔结构; 在CHCl₃ 中制备所得薄膜的孔结构有序性相对较好, 两种孔的平均孔径分别为0.75 和0.37 μm.     

A 3D printed synergistic aerogel microreactor toward stable and high-efficiency photocatalytic degradation

Photocatalysis offers a credible and prompt approach to solving the growing problems of environmental pollution and energy shortages. However, the practical application of photocatalytic materials still faces the challenge of the efficient catalytic system without secondary recovery. Herein, hollow Fe₂O₃ microspheres with uniform size (polydispersity index = 0.067) were synthesized using an innovative microgel template–assisted solvothermal method with high yield. Via direct writing three-dimensional printing, the as-prepared Fe₂O₃ microspheres and graphene oxide were fabricated into an ultralight, stable, and high-performance aerogel microreactor, achieving wastewater treatment without catalyst recovery. Photocatalytic degradation efficiency of rhodamine B achieved 97.8% by the microreactor under simulated sunlight irradiation for 120 min. The rich porous structures and highly interconnected networks of the microreactor provide high specific surface area and increased numbers of multidimensional mass transfer channels, further enabling the catalytic performance and reusability for photocatalytic degradation.