Fabrication of gelatin-polyester based biocomposite scaffold via one-step functionalization of melt electrowritten polymer blends in aqueous phase.

The rapid manufacturing of biocomposite scaffold made of saturated-Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and unsaturated Polyester (PE) blends with gelatin and modified gelatin (NCO-Gel) is demonstrated. Polyester blend-based scaffold are fabricated with and without applying potential in the melt electrowriting system. Notably, the applied potential induces phase separation between PCL and PE and drives the formation of PE rich spots at the interface of electrowritten fibers.

Thickness Gradient in Polymer Coating by Reactive Layer-by-Layer Assembly on Solid Substrate.

The study describes a simple yet robust methodology for forming gradients in polymer coatings with nanometer-thickness precision. The thickness gradients of 0-20 nm in the coating are obtained by a reactive layer-by-layer assembly of polyester and polyethylenimine on gold substrates. Three parameters are important in forming thickness gradients: (i) the incubation time, (ii) the incubation concentration of the polymer solutions, and (iii) the tilt angle of the gold substrate during the dipping process.

Metal-Free Click Modification of Triple Bond-Containing Polyester with Azide-Functionalized Vegetable Oil: Plasticization and Tunable Solvent Adsorption.

Pressure from environmental nongovernmental organizations and the public has accelerated research on the development of innovative and renewable polymers and additives. Recently, biobased "green" plasticizers that can be covalently attached to replace toxic and migratory phthalate-based plasticizers have gained a lot of attention from researchers. In this work, we prepared an azide-functionalized soybean oil derivative (AzSBO) and investigated whether it can be used as a plasticizer.

Electroactive Nanogel Formation by Reactive Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polyester and Branched Polyethylenimine via Aza-Michael Addition.

We here demonstrate the utilization of reactive layer-by-layer (rLBL) assembly to form a nanogel coating made of branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) and alkyne containing polyester (PE) on a gold surface. The rLBL is generated by the rapid aza-Michael addition reaction of the alkyne group of PE and the -NH groups of BPEI by yielding a homogeneous gel coating on the gold substrate. The thickness profile of the nanogel revealed that a 400 nm thick coating is formed by six multilayers of rLBL, and it exhibits 50 nm roughness over 8 μm distance.

Synthesis of Poly(vitamin C) through ADMET.

l-Ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C and one of the most important biological compounds, is converted to a α,ω-diene monomer and subsequently polymerized for the first time by acyclic diene metathesis. Various experimental conditions such as polymerization medium, catalyst type, temperature, and monomer/catalyst ratio are studied. The moderate molecular weight polymers are achieved when the polymerizations are conducted under bulk conditions employing the Grubbs first generation (G1) or Hoveyda-Grubbs second generation catalyst (HG-2).

Long-circulating Janus nanoparticles made by electrohydrodynamic co-jetting for systemic drug delivery applications.

Background: Nanoparticles with controlled physical properties have been widely used for controlled release applications. In addition to shape, the anisotropic nature of the particles can be an important design criterion to ensure selective surface modification or independent release of combinations of drugs.

Purpose: Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) co-jetting is used for the fabrication of uniform anisotropic nanoparticles with individual compartments and initial physicochemical and biological characterization is reported.

CXCR4-Targeted Nanocarriers for Triple Negative Breast Cancers.

CXCR4 is a cell membrane receptor that is overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancers and implicated in growth and metastasis of this disease. Using electrohydrodynamic cojetting, we prepared multicompartmental drug delivery carriers for CXCR4 targeting. The particles are comprised of a novel poly(lactide-co-glycolide) derivative that allows for straightforward immobilization of 1,1'-[1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis[1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane] (Plerixafor), a small molecule with affinity for CXCR4.

Selective and Reversible Binding of Thiol-Functionalized Biomolecules on Polymers Prepared via Chemical Vapor Deposition Polymerization.

We use chemical vapor deposition polymerization to prepare a novel dibromomaleimide-functionalized polymer for selective and reversible binding of thiol-containing biomolecules on a broad range of substrates. We report the synthesis and CVD polymerization of 4-(3,4-dibromomaleimide)[2.2]paracyclophane to yield nanometer thick polymer coatings.

Chemically orthogonal three-patch microparticles.

Compared to two-dimensional substrates, only a few methodologies exist for the spatially controlled decoration of three-dimensional objects, such as microparticles. Combining electrohydrodynamic co-jetting with synthetic polymer chemistry, we were able to create two- and three-patch microparticles displaying chemically orthogonal anchor groups on three distinct surface patches of the same particle. This approach takes advantage of a combination of novel chemically orthogonal polylactide-based polymers and their processing by electrohydrodynamic co-jetting to yield unprecedented multifunctional microparticles.