Soft synthetic microgels as mimics of mycoplasma.

Artificial model colloids are of special interest in the development of advanced sterile filters, as they are able to efficiently separate pleomorphic, highly deformable and infectious bacteria such as mycoplasma, which, until now, has been considered rather challenging and laborious. This study presents a full range of different soft to super soft synthetic polymeric microgels, including two types with similar hydrodynamic mean diameter, i.e.

Glucose-Responsive Polymeric Hydrogel Materials: From a Novel Technique for the Measurement of Glucose Binding toward Swelling Pressure Sensor Applications.

This work presents new insights into material design and physicochemical interactions that are relevant for the use of glucose-responsive polymeric hydrogels in continuously operating biosensor systems. Investigated hydrogels were based on either acrylamide or -isopropylacrylamide, covalently cross-linked by ,'-methylenebis(acrylamide), and 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid and (-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)) acrylamide were the comonomers to enable selective glucose binding at a physiological pH. A novel assay for the determination of the amount of bound glucose inside the hydrogel was developed, enabling the direct recording of these receptor effects parallel to the determination of the change of water content, i.

Functionalization of titania nanotubes with electrophoretically deposited silver and calcium phosphate nanoparticles: Structure, composition and antibacterial assay.

Herein TiO nanotubes (NTs) were fabricated via electrochemical anodization and coated with silver and calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles (NPs) by electrophoretic deposition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that Ag and CaP NPs were successfully deposited onto the TiO NTs. Using X-ray diffraction, only anatase and Ti were observed after deposition of Ag and CaP NPs.