Despite many desirable properties, the use of α-cellulose in biomedical applications is limited because of its poor processability. Here we demonstrate that the chemical network of α-cellulose and epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) can be adequately processed into biocompatible, self-standing, highly-porous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. First, α-cellulose was dissolved in N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide monohydrate (NMMO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this work, the anti-bacterial effect of Aloe vera derivate fibers produced by the electrospinning method was reported. Aloe vera Polyvinylpyrrolidone (Av/PVP) and Aloe vera acetate-Polyvinylpyrrolidone (AvAc/PVP) electrospun fibers were prepared with different concentrations and their microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. Various methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), water contact angle (CA) tests, Fourier-Transform Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FT-NMR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), CHNSO and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterize prepared samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanocapsules containing hexadecane or paraffin as core materials and polystyrene as a shell were produced in a new method through emulsifier-free miniemulsion polymerization using 2,2' azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (V-50) as a cationic ionizable water-soluble initiator. The effect of some parameters such as hexadecane or paraffin amounts and polymerization duration on morphology and thermal properties of resulting nanocapsule particles was studied. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the products had latex particles having a size range of about 200-700 nanometer and both nanocapsules with core-shell morphology and solid particles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, organoclay nanocomposites based on two types of organoclay: montmorillonite intercalated with dimethyle, dehydrogenated tallow quaternary ammonium cation (Cloisite 20A) and dimethyl, 2-ethyl hexyl hydrogenated tallow alkyl ammonium cation (Cloisite 30B) with nylon 6 were prepared through in-situ polymerization. In this experiment, no solvents were used during the synthesis, a method which is employed in green chemistry approach. The organoclay was dispersed in molten monomer (caprolactam) and polymerization took place.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this work, calcium carbonate nanoparticles-polyethylene oxide nanofibers as organic-inorganic hybrid were prepared via in-situ electrospinning. Thus, electrospinning of polyethylene oxide solution saturated with calcium hydroxide was carried out in gaseous carbon dioxide atmosphere. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles were formed on the produced nanofibers of 200-300 nm in diameter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResponse surface methodology (RSM) was used to obtain a more systematic understanding of the electrospinning conditions of polyamide 6 solutions. This method was used to establish a quantitative basis for the relationships between the electrospinning parameters such as applied electric field, the polymer concentrations, the rate of injection and nozzle-collector distance with the diameter of the produced nanofibers, and to predict the optimum conditions for electrospinning to produce nanofibers with controlled size. A response function was empirically determined by central composite design (CCD) using fiber diameter as an observed response and the electrospinning parameters as variables.
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