Enhanced photochemical activity and ultrafast photocarrier dynamics in sustainable synthetic melanin nanoparticle-based donor-acceptor inkjet-printed molecular junctions.

Melanin is a stable, widely light-absorbing, photoactive, and biocompatible material viable for energy conversion, photocatalysis, and bioelectronic applications. To achieve multifunctional nanostructures, we synthesized melanin nanoparticles of uniform size and controlled chemical composition (dopamelanin and eumelanin) and used them with titanium dioxide to fabricate donor-acceptor bilayers. Their size enhances the surface-to-volume ratio important for any surface-mediated functionality, such as photocatalysis, sensing, and drug loading and release, while controlling their chemical composition enables to control the film's functionality and reproducibility.

Inkjet Printing of Synthesized Melanin Nanoparticles as a Biocompatible Matrix for Pharmacologic Agents.

Melanin is a natural biopigment that is produced by melanocytes and can be found in most living organisms. The unique physical and chemical properties of melanin render it potentially useful for numerous applications, particularly those in which a biocompatible functional material is required. Herein, we introduce one important technology in which melanin can be utilized: a drug delivery system in terms of a biocompatible matrix.

Energy Band Gap Investigation of Biomaterials: A Comprehensive Material Approach for Biocompatibility of Medical Electronic Devices.

Over the past ten years, tissue engineering has witnessed significant technological and scientific advancements. Progress in both stem cell science and additive manufacturing have established new horizons in research and are poised to bring improvements in healthcare closer to reality. However, more sophisticated indications such as the scale-up fabrication of biological structures (e.

Nanosensors for therapeutic drug monitoring: implications for transplantation.

The number of patients requiring organ transplantations is exponentially increasing. New organs are either provided by healthy or deceased donors, or are grown in laboratories by tissue engineers. Post-surgical follow-up is vital for preventing any complications that can cause organ rejection.

Grain-Resolved Ultrafast Photophysics in CuBaSnSSe Semiconductors Using Pump-Probe Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy and Microscopy.

In this paper, we analyze fundamental photoexcitation processes and charge carrier kinetics in CuBaSnSSe (CBTSSe), a recently introduced alternative to Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) and CuZnSnSSe (CZTSSe) photovoltaic/photoelectrochemical absorbers, using advanced laser spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. The broadband pump-probe diffuse reflectance spectroscopy technique facilitates monitoring the ultrafast processes in opaque CBTSSe films deposited on Mo-coated glass substrates, similar to the configuration found in functional devices. We spectrally resolve a sharp ground-state bleaching (GSB) peak for CBTSSe films, formed around the band edge transition, which is spectrally narrower than the GSB and stimulated emission in corresponding CZTSSe films.

Tissue Engineering: Toward a New Era of Medicine.

The goal of tissue engineering is to mitigate the critical shortage of donor organs via in vitro fabrication of functional biological structures. Tissue engineering is one of the most prominent examples of interdisciplinary fields, where scientists with different backgrounds work together to boost the quality of life by addressing critical health issues. Many different fields, such as developmental and molecular biology, as well as technologies, such as micro- and nanotechnologies and additive manufacturing, have been integral for advancing the field of tissue engineering.

Printing Technologies for Medical Applications.

Over the past 15 years, printers have been increasingly utilized for biomedical applications in various areas of medicine and tissue engineering. This review discusses the current and future applications of 3D bioprinting. Several 3D printing tools with broad applications from surgical planning to 3D models are being created, such as liver replicas and intermediate splints.

Post-deposition bioink self-assembly: a quantitative study.

The outcome of a bioprinting process depends on both the deposition of the discrete bioink units and their ability to self-assemble into the desired structure following deposition. Post-printing structure formation is an autonomous process governed by fundamental biological organizing principles. As the quantitative formulation of such principles is notoriously difficult, bioprinting remains largely a trial and error approach.

Predictive modeling of post bioprinting structure formation.

Cellular particle dynamics (CPD) is an effective computational method to describe the shape evolution and biomechanical relaxation processes in systems composed of micro tissues such as multicellular aggregates. Therefore, CPD is a useful tool to predict the outcome of postprinting structure formation in bioprinting. The predictive power of CPD has been demonstrated for multicellular systems composed of identical volume-conserving spherical and cylindrical bioink units.