Effect of the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) compaction degree and concentration on rGO-polymer composite printability and cell interactions.

Graphene derivatives combined with polymers have attracted enormous attention for bone tissue engineering applications. Among others, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is one of the preferred graphene-based fillers for the preparation of composites melt compounding, and their further processing into 3D scaffolds, due to its established large-scale production method, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity. In this study, rGO (low bulk density 10 g L) was compacted by densification using a solvent (either acetone or water) prior to melt compounding, to simplify its handling and dosing into a twin-screw extrusion system.

A hybrid additive manufacturing platform to create bulk and surface composition gradients on scaffolds for tissue regeneration.

Scaffolds with gradients of physico-chemical properties and controlled 3D architectures are crucial for engineering complex tissues. These can be produced using multi-material additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. However, they typically only achieve discrete gradients using separate printheads to vary compositions.

Tuning Cell Behavior on 3D Scaffolds Fabricated by Atmospheric Plasma-Assisted Additive Manufacturing.

Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with optimum physicochemical properties are able to elicit specific cellular behaviors and guide tissue formation. However, cell-material interactions are limited in scaffolds fabricated by melt extrusion additive manufacturing (ME-AM) of synthetic polymers, and plasma treatment can be used to render the surface of the scaffolds more cell adhesive. In this study, a hybrid AM technology, which combines a ME-AM technique with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet, was employed to fabricate and plasma treat scaffolds in a single process.

3D additive manufactured composite scaffolds with antibiotic-loaded lamellar fillers for bone infection prevention and tissue regeneration.

Bone infections following open bone fracture or implant surgery remain a challenge in the orthopedics field. In order to avoid high doses of systemic drug administration, optimized local antibiotic release from scaffolds is required. 3D additive manufactured (AM) scaffolds made with biodegradable polymers are ideal to support bone healing in non-union scenarios and can be given antimicrobial properties by the incorporation of antibiotics.

Nanoroughness, Surface Chemistry, and Drug Delivery Control by Atmospheric Plasma Jet on Implantable Devices.

Implantable devices need specific tailored surface morphologies and chemistries to interact with the living systems or to actively induce a biological response also by the release of drugs or proteins. These customized requirements foster technologies that can be implemented in additive manufacturing systems. Here, we present a novel approach based on spraying processes that allow to control separately topographic features in the submicron range (∼60 nm to 2 μm), ammine or carboxylic chemistry, and fluorophore release even on temperature-sensitive biodegradable polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL).

Ensembles-of Gold Nanowires for the Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Inorganic Arsenic.

3D-ensembles of gold nanowires electrodes (3D-NEEs) are produced by electroless gold deposition in track-etched polycarbonate (PC) membranes, followed by partial etching (plama or chemical) of the polymeric membrane. These electrodes are applied to the anodic stripping voltammetric determination of inorganic As. The controlled etching of the PC template increased the gold surface area, widening the linear range of the analytical response with respect to ensembles of gold nanodisk electrodes (2D-NEEs).

Highly luminescent metal-organic frameworks through quantum dot doping.

The incorporation of highly luminescent core-shell quantum dots (QDs) within a metal-organic framework (MOF) is achieved through a one-pot method. Through appropriate surface functionalization, the QDs are solubilized within MOF-5 growth media. This permits the incorporation of the QDs within the evolving framework during the reaction.

Method for optimizing coating properties based on an evolutionary algorithm approach.

In industry as well as many areas of scientific research, data collected often contain a number of responses of interest for a chosen set of exploratory variables. Optimization of such multivariable multiresponse systems is a challenge well suited to genetic algorithms as global optimization tools. One such example is the optimization of coating surfaces with the required absolute and relative sensitivity for detecting analytes using devices such as sensor arrays.