Tailoring of the Properties of Amorphous Mesoporous Titanosilicates Active in Acetone Condensation.

Amorphous mesoporous materials are promising as catalysts for processes involving or forming bulk molecules. In a reaction such as acetone condensation to form mesitylene, an effective catalyst should not only have a developed porous structure but also have active centers of acidic and basic types. The sol-gel approach allows one to obtain titanosilicates with such characteristics.

Hydrolysis of plasma-polymerized poly(ethylene glycol)/ZnO nanocomposites in food simulants: Identification of components and potential toxicity.

Plasma polymerization at atmospheric pressure provides an eco-friendly alternative to wet chemistry for creating antibacterial coatings for food packaging. However, the degradation of these coatings in contact with food remains underexplored. This study employs an aerosol-assisted atmospheric plasma system to deposit polyethylene glycol (PEG)-like coatings with 1 wt% zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on a polymer substrate.

Advanced Hollow Cathode Discharge Plasma Treatment of Unique Bilayered Fibrous Nerve Guidance Conduits for Enhanced/Oriented Neurite Outgrowth.

Despite all recent progresses in nerve tissue engineering, critical-sized nerve defects are still extremely challenging to repair. Therefore, this study targets the bridging of critical nerve defects and promoting an oriented neuronal outgrowth by engineering innovative nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) synergistically possessing exclusive topographical, chemical, and mechanical cues. To do so, a mechanically adequate mixture of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic--glycolic acid (PLGA) was first carefully selected as base material to electrospin nanofibrous NGCs simulating the extracellular matrix.

Polypeptide-Based Systems: From Synthesis to Application in Drug Delivery.

Synthetic polypeptides are biocompatible and biodegradable macromolecules whose composition and architecture can vary over a wide range. Their unique ability to form secondary structures, as well as different pathways of modification and biofunctionalization due to the diversity of amino acids, provide variation in the physicochemical and biological properties of polypeptide-containing materials. In this review article, we summarize the advances in the synthesis of polypeptides and their copolymers and the application of these systems for drug delivery in the form of (nano)particles or hydrogels.