Mesoscopic and microscopic investigation on poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels in the presence of sodium decylsulfate

The structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels formed as a result of freeze/thaw treatments of aqueous solutions of the polymer (11 wt % PVA) in the freshly prepared state is analyzed through the combined use of small (SANS) and ultrasmall (USANS) angle neutron scattering techniques. The structure of these hydrogels may be described in terms of polymer rich regions, with dimensions of the order of 1-2 microm, dispersed in a water rich phase, forming two bicontinuous phases. The PVA chains in the polymer rich phase form a network where the cross-linking points are mainly crystalline aggregates of PVA having average dimensions of approximately 45 A. The structural organization of freeze/thaw PVA hydrogel membranes does not change either after rehydration of dried gels or in the presence of a tensile force. Finally, addition of surfactant micelles inside the gel provides a formulation with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, which demonstrates the potential of the system for drug delivery. Both SANS and EPR measurements show that sodium decylsulfate (C10OS) micelles do not significantly interact with the PVA gel. Variation of the gel structure by the number of freeze/thaw cycles should modulate the rate of release of an active constituent, for example, in a dermal patch.     

Nanoreinforced hemicellulose-based hydrogels prepared by freeze–thaw treatment

A novel hybrid hydrogel was prepared from hemicelluloses, polyvinyl alcohol, and chitin nanowhiskers by the freeze–thaw technique. The hydrogel was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, cross-polarization (CP)/magic-angle spinning (MAS) ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and swelling property and compressive strength measurements. Atomic force microscopy images of chitin implied that the size of whiskers reached nanometer level with average length of about 200 nm and width of 40 nm. The FT-IR and NMR results indicated that physical cross-linking rather than chemical reaction occurred during the gelation process. The mechanical properties of the hydrogels were significantly improved with increasing proportion of chitin nanowhiskers, with the highest compressive stress of 9.6 MPa being found for Gel-0.5. The results showed that the repeated freeze–thaw cycles induced physical cross-linking of packed chains by hydrogen bonds among the polymers, and the concentration of chitin nanowhiskers affected the hydrogel morphology and properties. It is suggested that hydrogels with good mechanical properties can be successfully prepared by this physical method, offering promise for tissue engineering applications.     

Preparation and characterization of a high-efficiency radon adsorbing material based on activated carbon modified by water immersion and freeze–thaw

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - In this paper, activated carbon has been modified by water immersion and freeze–thaw cycles to further improve its radon adsorption...     

锐钛矿型多孔TiO2薄膜的溶解法制备及性能表征

在具有锐钛矿晶粒的TiO₂溶胶中加入苯丙乳液粒子，使用该混合液浸渍提拉涂膜，然后利用甲苯将薄膜中的苯丙乳液粒子溶解去除，并通过重复涂膜，在室温下获得了具有良好多孔性的锐钛矿型TiO₂薄膜。考察了多孔薄膜的表面形貌、光学性能、吸附性能和光催化性能。结果表明：随薄膜涂膜次数的增加，TiO₂多孔薄膜的吸光度增大，透光率减小，光吸收边波长向长波方向移动。罗丹明B在TiO₂多孔薄膜上的吸附量随涂膜次数的增加先升高，后降低；多次涂膜会在薄膜中产生半封闭的孔洞，经过长时间的毛细渗透等作用能进一步增加薄膜对罗丹明B的吸附。TiO₂多孔薄膜通过吸附+光催化氧化的模式快速分解罗丹明B，其活性主要受到薄膜在光催化反应初期的吸附能力的影响。此外，TiO₂的负载量、光的利用效率、以及光生电荷迁移及其分离等也是影响薄膜光催化活性的因素。     

A Self‐Healing Integrated All‐in‐One Zinc‐Ion Battery

The self‐healing of zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) will not only significantly improve the durability and extend the lifetime of devices, but also decrease electronic waste and economic cost. A poly(vinyl alcohol)/zinc trifluoromethanesulfonate (PVA/Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂) hydrogel electrolyte was fabricated by a facile freeze/thaw strategy. PVA/Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂ hydrogels possess excellent ionic conductivity and stable electrochemical performance. Such hydrogel electrolytes can autonomously self‐heal by hydrogen bonding without any external stimulus. All‐in‐one integrated ZIBs can be assembled by incorporating the cathode, separator, and anode into hydrogel matrix since the fabrication of PVA/Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂ hydrogel is a process of converting the liquid to quasi‐solid state. The ZIBs show an outstanding self‐healing and can recover electrochemical performance completely even after several cutting/healing cycles.     

Humectants effect on aqueous fluids absorption of γ-irradiated PVA hydrogel followed by freeze thawing

To evaluate the effect of humectants such as glycerol, poly(vinyl alcohol)/glycerol (P/G) hydrogels were prepared by using γ-ray irradiation followed by freeze thawing (FT). The gel fraction ratio (G) and equilibrium swelling ratio (S) of the P/G hydrogels were investigated as functions of glycerol content and FT cycles. Interestingly, G increases while S decreases with increase in glycerol content. This result indicates that even if the glycerol is useful to improve the smoothness and moisture of the hydrogels, further consideration of conditioning the use of glycerol to improve the absorption of exudates from wounds for an advanced wound healing is needed.     

Intracellular release of recombinant green fluorescent protein (gfp uv ) from Escherichia coli

The recombinant green fluorescent protein (gfp _uv ) was expressed by Escherichia coli DH5-α cells transformed with the plasmid pGFPuv. The gfp _uv was selectively permeabilized from the cells in buffer solution (25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0), after freezing (−70°C for 15 h), by four freeze (−20°C)/thaw cycles interlaid by sonication. The average content of released gfp _uv (experiment 2) was 7.76, 34.58, 39.38, 12.90, and 5.38%, for the initial freezing (−70°C) and the first, second, third and fourth freeze/thaw cycles, respectively. Superfusion on freezing was observed between −11°C and −14°C, after which it reached −20°C at 0.83°C/min.     

聚乙烯醇/丝胶共混凝胶薄膜的制备与表征

采用反复冷冻-解冻的方法制备了聚乙烯醇/丝胶共混凝胶薄膜,考察了薄膜热性能、力学性能和在水中的失重率,并对其微观结构进行了分析。结果表明:当制备过程中循环冷冻-解冻次数增加,且共混薄膜中丝胶与聚乙烯醇的含量相等时,可提高薄膜的综合性能。     

Nanocomposite scaffolds based on gelatin and alginate reinforced by Zn2SiO4 with enhanced mechanical and chemical properties for tissue engineering

Hydrogels have been employed in regenerative treatments for decades because of their biocompatibility and structural similarity to the native extracellular matrix. Injectable hydrogels with interconnected porosity and specific internal structures are momentous for tissue engineering. Here, we develop a group of injectable hydrogels comprised of oxidized alginate (OA)/gelatin (GEL) strengthened by modifying the amount of Zn₂SiO₄ nanoparticles. The physicochemical characteristics of OA/GEL/Zn₂SiO₄ hydrogels were studied by mechanical strength, swelling ratio, and morphology. The outcomes revealed that the mechanical characteristics of hydrogels containing a higher amount of Zn₂SiO₄ (0.12 wt%) improved more than five times than the hydrogels fabricated without Zn₂SiO₄. The in vitro degradation outcomes manifested the degradation of the hydrogel comprising 0.12 wt% Zn₂SiO₄ NPs was slower than one without NPs, and remaining masses of hydrogels depend on different contents of Zn₂SiO₄ NPs. The hydrogel containing Zn₂SiO₄ NPs exhibited less cytotoxicity and good cell attachment than the hydrogels prepared without the nanoparticles. The cell viability and attachment show that the nanocomposite hydrogels are biocompatible (>96%) with great cell adhesion to osteosarcoma cell line MG63 depending on the presence of Zn₂SiO₄. The superior physical, chemical as well as mechanical characteristics of the hydrogels containing Zn₂SiO₄ NPs along with their cytocompatibility suggest that they can introduce as good candidates as scaffolds in tissue engineering.     

High throughput sonication: evaluation for compound solubilization

Dissolution of organic compounds in DMSO in HTS plate or tube format is a difficult problem as users move to higher compression plate formats. Precipitation of compounds from DMSO screening stocks is a recognized problem in the HTS materials management process. The adverse effect of freeze thaw cycles on DMSO stock solutions stored in plate format as a result of cherry picking operations has led to the gradual replacement of plate-based storage with tube-based storage so as to minimize the number of freeze thaw cycles. Compound solubility in DMSO is markedly decreased by uptake of small quantities of water. We attribute this effect to the non ideal properties of DMSO water mixtures such that cavity formation in solvent, a necessary step in dissolution, is more difficult in wet DMSO than in dry DMSO or in pure water. We report here that efficient compound dissolution is possible even in 384 well format by the use of in-well plate-based sonication. Surprisingly, compounds precipitated from DMSO stocks either by water uptake or repeated freeze thaw cycles can be re-dissolved by low energy sonication. Finally, we demonstrate that precipitation of compound from DMSO stock solutions is synergistically enhanced by water uptake into DMSO compound stock solutions as well as by increasing the number of freeze thaw cycles.     

不同结晶度聚乙烯醇水凝胶中水氢键缺损的拉曼光谱学研究

聚乙烯醇 (ＰＶＡ)是一种水溶性高分子 ,它在一定条件下可以部分结晶形成水凝胶 ,其结晶度必然影响其机械性能及水在水凝胶中的状态 .部分结晶交联所得的ＰＶＡ水凝胶 ,由于无毒、机械性能好常用来作为生物医用材料 ,如接触眼镜、人工关节润滑软骨等[1,2 ] .水凝胶是轻度交联的高分子网络 ,其内含有大量的水 ,高分子交联网络与水之间的相互作用决定着水凝胶的物理性质和化学性质[3 ,4 ] .一般认为 ,水凝胶中的水以三种状态存在 ,即键合水 (Ｂｏｕｎｄｗａｔｅｒ)、自由水 (Ｆｒｅｅｗａｔｅｒ)和间隙水 (Ｉｎｔｅｒｓｔｉｔｉａｌｗａｔｅｒ…     

Direct Adhesion of Endothelial Cells to Bioinspired Poly(dopamine) Coating Through Endogenous Fibronectin and Integrin α5β1

Mussel‐inspired poly(dopamine) (PDA) coating is proven to be a simple, versatile, and effective strategy to promote cell adhesion onto various substrates. In this study, the initial adhesive behavior of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is evaluated on a PDA coating under serum‐free conditions. It is found that HUVECs can attach directly to and spread with well‐organized cytoskeleton and fibrillar adhesions on the PDA surface, whereas cells adhere poorly to and barely spread on the control polycaprolactone surface. Endogenous fibronectin and α₅β₁ integrin are found to be involved in the cell adhesion process. These findings will lead to a better understanding of interactions between cells and PDA coating, paving the way for the further development of PDA.

     

Crosslinked Platform Coatings Incorporating Bioactive Signals for the Control of Biointerfacial Interactions

Control over biointerfacial interactions on material surfaces is of significant interest in many biomedical applications and extends from the modulation of protein adsorption and cellular responses to the inhibition of bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Effective control over biointerfaces is best achieved by reducing nonspecific interactions on the surface while also displaying specific bioactive signals. A poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐based multifunctional coating has been developed that provides effective reduction of protein fouling while enabling covalent immobilization of peptides in a one or two‐step manner. The highly protein resistant properties of the coating, synthesized via the crosslinking of PEG diepoxide and diaminopropane, are confirmed via europium‐labeled fibronectin adsorption and cell attachment assays. The ability to covalently incorporate bioactive signals is demonstrated using the cyclic peptides cRGDfK and cRADfK. L929 cells show enhanced attachment on the biologically active cRGDfK containing surfaces, while the surface remains nonadhesive when the nonbiologically active cRADfK peptide is immobilized. The crosslinked PEG‐based coating also demonstrates excellent resistance toward Staphylococcus aureus attachment in a 48 h biofilm assay, achieving a >96% reduction compared to the control surface. Additionally, incorporation of the antimicrobial peptide melimine during coating formation further significantly decreases biofilm formation (>99%).

     

In Situ Synthesis of Robust Conductive Cellulose/Polypyrrole Composite Aerogels and Their Potential Application in Nerve Regeneration

Nanostructured conductive polymers can offer analogous environments for extracellular matrix and induce cellular responses by electric stimulation, however, such materials often lack mechanical strength and tend to collapse under small stresses. We prepared electrically conductive nanoporous materials by coating nanoporous cellulose gels (NCG) with polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles, which were synthesized in situ from pyrrole monomers supplied as vapor. The resulting NCG/PPy composite hydrogels were converted to aerogels by drying with supercritical CO₂, giving a density of 0.41–0.53 g cm^?3, nitrogen adsorption surface areas of 264–303 m² g^?1, and high mechanical strength. The NCG/PPy composite hydrogels exhibited an electrical conductivity of up to 0.08 S cm^?1. In vitro studies showed that the incorporation of PPy into an NCG enhances the adhesion and proliferation of PC12 cells. Electrical stimulation demonstrated that PC12 cells attached and extended longer neurites when cultured on NCG/PPy composite gels with DBSA dopant. These materials are promising candidates for applications in nerve regeneration, carbon capture, catalyst supports, and many others.     

Physical Hydrogels of Poly(vinyl alcohol) with Different Syndiotacticity Prepared in the Presence of Lactosilated Chitosan Derivatives

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) physical hydrogels were prepared by repeated freeze–thawing cycles using aqueous solutions of two PVA samples having different degrees of syndiotacticity, a‐PVA and s‐PVA with 55% and 61% of syndiotactic diads, respectively. The hydrogels were prepared in the presence of different amounts of lactosilated chitosan derivatives (LC) of different molecular weight. The PVA stereoregularity was found to have a dramatic effect on the amount of PVA incorporated into the hydrogels, leading to remarkable differences in the swelling degree and porosity of a‐PVA and s‐PVA hydrogels. A significant amount of LC was retained in the hydrogels after equilibrium swelling. The swelling of the a‐PVA hydrogels was found to increase significantly by increasing the amount of LC while it was only slightly increased in the case of s‐PVA hydrogels. The amount of LC released after equilibrium swelling was lower when chitosan derivatives with higher molecular weights were used. Increased initial concentrations of LC resulted in much higher porosity of the hydrogels. TGA and DSC studies showed that LC is stabilized by the incorporation in the PVA hydrogels. The melting temperature of the crystalline regions of PVA was not significantly influenced by LC. Conversely, the extension of the crystalline domains increased in the presence of LC. The retention of a chitosan derivative bearing β‐D ‐galactose side chain residues makes these hydrogels potentially useful as scaffolds for hepatocytes culture.

Scanning electron micrographs of PVA‐LC hydrogels: (a) a‐PVA; (b) a‐PVA/LC₁₅₀ 80:20; (c) a‐PVA/LC₁₅₀ 50:50.     

Thermally exfoliated graphene oxide reinforced stress responsive conductive nanocomposite hydrogel

Lightweight and flexible biosensors that can sustain mechanical deformation and can be adhered to human skin is an interesting field of study. In the current article, a systematic study on development of thermally exfoliated graphene oxide (TEGO)–reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–based conductive hydrogel nanocomposites has been reported. The free‐standing hydrogels were synthesized using controlled and repetitive freeze‐thaw cycles. The samples were then studied for their mechanical as well as electrical properties. The hydrogels were characterized for their microstructural, chemical, and rheological properties to understand the observed macroscopic properties. Additionally, a study on the behavior of hydrogels immersed in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) was carried out to investigate their hydrolytic stability within simulated biological environment. Overall, the nanocomposite hydrogels demonstrated excellent static and dynamic mechanical performance, stability in PBS, considerable electrical conductivity, and significant electrical response to applied external stress, establishing their potential for use as flexible biosensors.     

Synthesis and characterizations of various polyvinyl pyrrolidon/hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate nanocomposite hydrogels as drug delivery systems

Using polymer hydrogels and nanocomposites hydrogels still promising materials for many applications. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) has been used with various polymers synthetic and natural for different applications. In this study PVP and hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) copolymer hydrogels were prepared by the aid of gamma radiation and the PVP/HEMA nanocomposite hydrogels were obtained by in situ adsorption and reduction method of iron salts and silver nitrates (AgNO₃) to form PVP/HEMA-Fe₃O₄ and PVP/HEMA-Ag nanocomposites. The prepared hydrogels and the formed nanoparticles were studied by various techniques; FTIR, TEM, SEM and also the gel content and swelling behavior were evaluated. The prepared hydrogels and nanocomposites hydrogels were examined as drug delivery systems for Ciprofloxacin HCl as model drug. The PVP/HEMA-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite gave the suitable load and release behavior towards Ciprofloxacin HCl.     

Electrochemical (pre)treatments to prevent biofouling

In order to prevent the formation of a biofilm on the surface of materials in an aqueous environment various strategies could be developed. Notably following an electrochemical route it is possible to apply a potential which could lead to (i) oxidation of halide anions leading to the formation of biocidal molecules, (ii) O₂ reduction leading to H₂O₂, (iii) water reduction leading to H₂ bubbles or (iv) a low-intensity electric potential. Moreover an electrochemical method could be used to nano or microstructure the material surface or to deposit on the material a coating which would avoid protein adsorption or microorganism attachment and therefore the formation of a biofilm, this coating could be of an inorganic or an organic film.     

新型半纤维素基磁性水凝胶的制备及性能

采用H₂O₂-Vc氧化还原体系引发半纤维素衍生物,以表面修饰的Fe₃O₄粒子作为磁性组分,利用接枝共聚方法制备了新型半纤维素基磁性水凝胶. 分别用傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对水凝胶的结构及形貌进行了表征,利用X射线衍射(XRD)和振动样品磁强计(VSM)对水凝胶的晶型结构及磁性能进行了分析,发现Fe₃O₄粒子均匀分散在凝胶网络中,半纤维素基磁性水凝胶表现出良好的顺磁性. 考察了丙烯酸/半纤维素比例、Fe₃O₄粒子含量及交联剂用量对水凝胶溶胀性能的影响,并探讨了该水凝胶的溶胀机理,它在pH 8 缓冲溶液中的溶胀较好符合Fickian 和Schott 动力学模型. 通过SEM和溶胀性能分析表明,随着pH值的升高水凝胶的孔径增大,水凝胶的溶胀率逐渐增大. 制备的水凝胶被用于溶菌酶吸附研究,结果表明磁性凝胶的吸附量大于非磁性水凝胶,水凝胶的吸附行为符合Freundlich 和Temkin 等温模型.     

Evaluation of tetracycline removal by magnetic metal organic framework from aqueous solutions: Adsorption isotherm,kinetics, thermodynamics,and Box-Behnken design optimization

In our current research, an intriguing magnetic nano sorbent Fe₃O₄@Zr-MOF was synthesized in the lab. We used this adsorbent for successfully removing tetracycline (TC) from water. We performed a number of experiments and studies to further support this, including the following: vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (BET). Our studies have determined that the Fe₃O₄@Zr-MOF boasts a considerable surface area of 868 m²/g with the highest adsorption capacity (q_max) of 942.12 mg/g. Study the factors that effect on adsorption process such as pH, TC concentration, adsorbent dose, and temperature. The adsorption isotherm was fitted to the Langmuir equation, whereas the kinetic isotherm to the pseudo-second-order equation. The adsorption process was chemisorption as well as the adsorption energy was 20 kJ/mol. Adsorption thermodynamics indicated that the adsorption process was both endothermic and spontaneous. As temperatures increased, the amounts of materials absorbed also increased. The Fe₃O₄@Zr-MOF has magnetic properties as it easily to remove from the solution after adsorption process. The adsorbent was used for five cycles with high efficiency and without change in the chemical composition as well as the XRD was the same before and after reusability. The mechanism of the interaction between Fe₃O₄@Zr-MOF and TC was expected on: Electrostatic interaction, π-π interaction, hydrogen bonding, and pore filling. The adsorption results were optimized using Box Behnken-design (BBD).