Hydrogel three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a highly valuable fabrication tool for applications ranging from electronics and biomedicine. While conventional hydrogels such as gelatin, alginate, and hyaluronic acid satisfy biocompatibility requirements, they distinctly lack reproducibility in terms of mechanical properties and 3D printability. Aiming to offer a high-performance alternative, here we present a range of amphiphilic star-shaped diblock copolypeptides of l-glutamate and l-leucine residues with different topologies. Hydrophobic side chains of the l-leucine polymer block drive conformational self-assembly in water, spontaneously forming hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties, through variation of star topology. Their amenable shear-thinning and self-recovery properties render them suitable as hydrogel inks for direct ink writing. Well-defined 3D-printed structures can be readily generated and rapidly photo-cross-linked using visible light (405 nm) after methacrylamide functionalization, while hydrogel inks demonstrate good biocompatibility with top-seeded and encapsulated MC3T3 cells.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.4c01500 | DOI Listing |
J Colloid Interface Sci
December 2024
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Electronic address:
Polymer nanocomposites with high concentrations of nanoparticles (NPs) possess exceptional mechanical, transport, and thermal properties. To enable their widespread use in structural applications and functional coatings, it is crucial to understand how nanoconfinement and the polymer-NP interface influence polymer degradation under various environmental conditions, including prolonged UV exposure. In this study, we investigate the photooxidative degradation of polystyrene (PS)-confined in the interstices of SiO NP films.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLuminescence
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
This study investigates the optical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of polypropylene (PP) fibers enhanced with titanium dioxide (TiO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Using a Mach-Zehnder interferometric system, we examined the refractive indices, birefringence, and opto-mechanical behavior of blank PP, PP/TiO, and PP/ZnO nanocomposite fibers under various conditions, including different polarization orientations and during cold drawing processes. The 2D Fourier transform algorithm is employed to analyze interferometric data, enabling precise measurements of refractive index profiles and birefringence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Comput Chem
January 2025
Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences (CNRS UMR7645, INSERM U1182), Ecole Polytechnique, Institut polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France.
Folates comprise a crucial class of biologically active compounds related to folic acid, playing a vital role in numerous enzymatic reactions. One-carbon metabolism, facilitated by the folate cofactor, supports numerous physiological processes, including biosynthesis, amino acid homeostasis, epigenetic maintenance, and redox defense. Folates share a common pterin heterocyclic ring structure capable of undergoing redox reactions and existing in various protonation states.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrthop Traumatol Surg Res
December 2024
Laboratoire ICube, Université de Strasbourg - CNRS, 4 rue de la Manufacture des Tabacs, 67000 Strasbourg, France; Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie, Hôpital de Hautepierre II, 1 Avenue Molière, 67098 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Electronic address:
Introduction: High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is indicated for managing isolated medial knee osteoarthritis in a young patient with a metaphyseal deformity of the proximal tibia. In a medial open-wedge HTO, maintaining the integrity of the hinge is crucial for consolidation and preservation of the correction. Based on a validated model and preliminary results, the objective of this work was to measure and monitor the distribution of mechanical load on a locking fixation plate and the lateral hinge of an HTO using a finite element (FE) model during different phases of consolidation evolution, simulating single leg weightbearing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Biomater
December 2024
Institute for Vision Research, Carver College of Medicine; University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Electronic address:
In retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and choroideremia, a key pathophysiologic step is loss of endothelial cells of the choriocapillaris. Repopulation of choroidal vasculature early in the disease process may halt disease progression. Prior studies have shown that injection of donor cells in suspension results in significant cellular efflux and poor cell survival.
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