Weaving the next generation of (bio)materials: Semi-interpenetrated and interpenetrated polymeric networks for biomedical applications.

Advances in polymer science have led to the development of semi-interpenetrated and interpenetrated networks (SIPN/IPN). The interpenetration procedure allows enhancing several important properties of a polymeric material, including mechanical properties, swelling capability, stimulus-sensitive response, and biological performance, among others. More interestingly, the interpenetration (or semi-interpenetration) can be achieved independent of the material size, that is at the macroscopic, microscopic, or nanometric scale.

Multiresponsive Nanogels for the Selective Delivery of Antimicrobial Drugs to Mucosal Tissues.

Effective drug delivery to bacterially infected mucosa remains a challenge due to the combined obstacles of the mucosal barrier, pH variations, and high concentrations of glutathione. However, polysaccharide-based responsive nanogels (NGs) can take advantage of these conditions to deliver specific antimicrobials. We explored the critical features of pH- and redox-responsive NGs to increase drug penetration, residence time, and efficacy in the infected mucosa.

An ambipolar PEDOT-perfluorinated porphyrin electropolymer: application as an active material in energy storage systems.

The development of functional organic materials is crucial for the advancement of various fields, such as optoelectronics, energy storage, sensing, and biomedicine. In this context, we successfully prepared a stable ambipolar perfluoroporphyrin-based polymeric film by electrochemical synthesis. Our strategy involved the synthesis of a novel tetra-pentafluorophenyl porphyrin covalently linked to four 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) moieties.

Recent Progress and Trends in the Development of Electrospun and 3D Printed Polymeric-Based Materials to Overcome Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) developed by microorganisms is considered one of the most critical public health issues worldwide. This problem is affecting the lives of millions of people and needs to be addressed promptly. Mainly, antibiotics are the substances that contribute to AMR in various strains of bacteria and other microorganisms, leading to infectious diseases that cannot be effectively treated.

Functionalization of Conductive Polymers through Covalent Postmodification.

Organic chemical reactions have been used to functionalize preformed conducting polymers (CPs). The extensive work performed on polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy), and polythiophene (PT) is described together with the more limited work on other CPs. Two approaches have been taken for the functionalization: (i) direct reactions on the CP chains and (ii) reaction with substituted CPs bearing reactive groups (e.

Electromagnetic radiation driving of volume changes in nanocomposites made of a thermosensitive hydrogel polymerized around conducting polymer nanoparticles.

Polymeric nanocomposites were obtained by the formation of a thermosensitive hydrogel matrix around conducting polymer (CP) nanoparticles. The CP is able to absorb electromagnetic radiation which is converted into heat and induces the phase transition of the surrounding hydrogel. The method chosen to form the hydrogel is the free radical polymerization of a copolymer (-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropano sulfonic acid (AMPS), PNIPAM--2% AMPS) in the presence of bisacrylamide as the crosslinker.

Combination of electrospinning with other techniques for the fabrication of 3D polymeric and composite nanofibrous scaffolds with improved cellular interactions.

The development of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with physical and chemical topological cues at the macro-, micro-, and nanometer scale is urgently needed for successful tissue engineering applications. 3D scaffolds can be manufactured by a wide variety of techniques. Electrospinning technology has emerged as a powerful manufacturing technique to produce non-woven nanofibrous scaffolds with very interesting features for tissue engineering products.

Synthesis of a Smart Conductive Block Copolymer Responsive to Heat and Near Infrared Light.

A method for the synthesis of a linear block copolymer (PNIPAM--PANI), containing a thermoresponsive block (poly(-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM) and a Near Infrared (NIR) light-absorbing block (polyaniline, PANI), is reported. The synthetic approach involves a two-step successive polymerization reaction. First, the radical polymerization of NIPAM is done using 4-aminothiophenol as a chain transfer agent for the obtention of thermosensitive block terminated with an aniline (ANI) moiety.

Synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) and functionalized polyaniline (F-PANI) nanoparticles with controlled size by solvent displacement method. Application in fluorescence detection and bacteria killing by photothermal effect.

Polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI-NPs) were easily obtained applying the solvent displacement method by using N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as good solvent and water as poor solvent. Different polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chondroitin sulfate (ChS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were used as stabilizers. Dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy corroborated the size and morphology of the formed NPs.

Smart polyaniline nanoparticles with thermal and photothermal sensitivity.

Conductive polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI NPs) are synthesized by oxidation of aniline with persulfate in acid media, in the presence of polymeric stabilizers: polyvinilpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), and hydroxylpropylcellulose (HPC). It is observed that the size of the nanoparticles obtained depends on the polymeric stabilizer used, suggesting a mechanism where the aggregation of polyaniline molecules is arrested by adsorption of the polymeric stabilizer. Indeed, polymerization in the presence of a mixture of two polymers having different stabilizing capacity (PVP and PNIPAM) allows tuning of the size of the nanoparticles.