Application of plasma polymerized pyrrole nanoparticles to prevent or reduce de-differentiation of adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, cell therapies have been shown to recover cardiac function in animal models. Biomaterials used as scaffolds can solve some of the problems that cell therapies currently have, plasma polymerized pyrrole (PPPy) is a biomaterial that has been shown to promote cell adhesion and survival. The present research aimed to study PPPy nanoparticles (PPPyN) interaction with adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (ARVC), to explore whether PPPyN could be employed as a nanoscaffold and develop cardiac microtissues.

Electrospun PCL-protein scaffolds coated by pyrrole plasma polymerization.

Polymeric scaffolds prepared from polycaprolactone (PCL), PCL-collagen and PCL-elastin were prepared by electrospinning. The scaffolds were coated by plasma polymerization of pyrrole doped with iodine, to improve cellular adhesion and fibroblast proliferation. The morphology, composition, and crystalline structure of the scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.

Effect of poly(ethylene oxide)-silane graft molecular weight on the colloidal properties of iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

The size, charge, and stability of colloidal suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and grafted with poly(ethylene glycol)-silane of different molecular weights were studied in water, biological buffers, and cell culture media. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provided information on the chemical nature of the nanoparticle surface, indicating the particle surfaces consisted of a mixture of amine groups and grafted polymer. The results indicate that the exposure of the amine groups on the surface decreased as the molecular weight of the polymer increased.

Effect of molecular weight, temperature, and additives on the moisture sorption properties of polyethylene glycol.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a hygroscopic polymer that undergoes the phenomenon of deliquescence once a critical relative humidity (RH(0)) is reached. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the deliquescence behavior of PEG will be affected by the polymer molecular weight, temperature, and the presence of additives. The deliquescence relative humidity for single component (RH(0)) and binary mixtures (RH(0,mix)) were measured using an automated gravimetric moisture analyzer at 25 and 40 degrees C.

Ordered nanoporous polymers from polystyrene-polylactide block copolymers.

Nanoporous polystyrene monoliths were prepared from polystyrene-polylactide (PS-PLA) block copolymers that form hexagonally packed nanocylinders of PLA in a PS matrix. A morphology diagram was developed to determine the range in composition and molecular weight over which this morphology existed. Macroscopic alignment of these materials gave anisotropic monoliths that were subjected to mild degradation conditions leading to the chemical etching of the PLA.