Electro-spinning/netting: A strategy for the fabrication of three-dimensional polymer nano-fiber/nets.

Since 2006, a rapid development has been achieved in a subject area, so called electro-spinning/netting (ESN), which comprises the conventional electrospinning process and a unique electro-netting process. Electro-netting overcomes the bottleneck problem of electrospinning technique and provides a versatile method for generating spider-web-like nano-nets with ultrafine fiber diameter less than 20 nm. Nano-nets, supported by the conventional electrospun nanofibers in the nano-fiber/nets (NFN) membranes, exhibit numerious attractive characteristics such as extremely small diameter, high porosity, and Steiner tree network geometry, which make NFN membranes optimal candidates for many significant applications. The progress made during the last few years in the field of ESN is highlighted in this review, with particular emphasis on results obtained in the author's research units. After a brief description of the development of the electrospinning and ESN techniques, several fundamental properties of NFN nanomaterials are addressed. Subsequently, the used polymers and the state-of-the-art strategies for the controllable fabrication of NFN membranes are highlighted in terms of the ESN process. Additionally, we highlight some potential applications associated with the remarkable features of NFN nanostructure. Our discussion is concluded with some personal perspectives on the future development in which this wonderful technique could be pursued

Improving Unsupervised Defect Segmentation by Applying Structural Similarity to Autoencoders

Convolutional autoencoders have emerged as popular methods for unsupervised defect segmentation on image data. Most commonly, this task is performed by thresholding a pixel-wise reconstruction error based on an $\ell^p$ distance. This procedure, however, leads to large residuals whenever the reconstruction encompasses slight localization inaccuracies around edges. It also fails to reveal defective regions that have been visually altered when intensity values stay roughly consistent. We show that these problems prevent these approaches from being applied to complex real-world scenarios and that it cannot be easily avoided by employing more elaborate architectures such as variational or feature matching autoencoders. We propose to use a perceptual loss function based on structural similarity which examines inter-dependencies between local image regions, taking into account luminance, contrast and structural information, instead of simply comparing single pixel values. It achieves significant performance gains on a challenging real-world dataset of nanofibrous materials and a novel dataset of two woven fabrics over the state of the art approaches for unsupervised defect segmentation that use pixel-wise reconstruction error metrics

Electrospinning of poly (lactic) acid for biomedical applications: analysis of solution properties and process parameters, drug encapsulation and release

Electrospinning or electrostatic fibre spinning employs electrostatic force to draw fibres from a liquid, either a polymeric solution or a polymer melt in the form of a charged jet. The jet solidifies and is deposited on a collector in the form of a non-woven fibrous mat. Electrospun fibres have diameters between several nanometres to a few microns, which is one of the main advantages of the process, as materials at the nanoscale have shown great potential in a wide range of healthcare and energy applications. The initial selection of solvents to dissolve the polymer for production of electrospun defect-free nanofibres has generally been based on experience from similar polymer-solvent systems. The selection of a solvent is important to control the fibre surface morphology that would eventually determine the field of application for the electrospun nanofibrous structures. However, little attempt has been made to study the correlation between the solubility behaviour of the polymer in different solvents and the electrospinnability of the polymer solutions. From this perspective, the first part of this thesis focused on the selection of different solvents for the production of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibres. Solution properties were measured and the electrospun nanofibrous structures were analysed in terms of morphology and nanofibre diameter. Understanding the molecular interactions between polymer and solvents enables the correct solvent selection to ensure the desired nanofibrous structure. Solubility is not the only criterion for nanofibre formation from a polymer solution. Polymer concentration is one of the main factors affecting electrospinning. For this reason, a relationship between PLA concentration and nanofibre morphology was determined by solution property measurements. A three step systematic methodology has been proposed in this thesis in order to select appropriate solvent and polymer concentration for the production of homogeneous electrospun mats made of defect-free nanofibres. This methodology was validated for PLA nanofibres, but it can be used for a wide range of polymers. It simplifies the solvent selection process and can significantly improve the trial and error approaches used at present. Despite several models for electrospinning having been proposed to predict the behaviour of the electrospun jet, there are no simple methods for a priori prediction of the final morphology of the electrospun mat from the knowledge of solution properties and electrospinning process parameters. Moreover the prediction of nanofibre diameter is still a difficulty and little research has been done on this. For these reasons, the second part of this thesis is dedicated to understanding the effect of some process parameters on the jet electric current and hence on the morphology of PLA nanofibres. The values of current measured were used to verify an equation proposed in the literature for the prediction of the final diameter. The experimental diameter of the PLA nanofibres was compared with the predicted value. In the last chapter coaxial electrospinning was employed to produce PLA nanofibres with a core shell structure for the incorporation of a model hydrophilic drug in the nanofibre core. The large surface area to volume ratio of nanofibres offers the great advantage of higher efficiency of encapsulation and better control of the release profile compared with other drug delivery systems. Even though successful encapsulation of drug and proteins have been reported, it is not clear how to verify the continuous drug distribution in the core throughout the whole length of the fibre. The solution properties of both core and shell strongly affect the outcome of the electrospinning process. For this reason, several techniques have been used to verify the formation of a core shell structure and proper encapsulation of the drug. In addition, the efficiency of drug encapsulation was evaluated and drug release studies were performed

MODIFIED ELECTROSPUN CHITOSAN GUIDED BONE REGENERATION MEMBRANES FOR STIMULATING OSTEOGENESIS AND ANGIOGENESIS

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes are commonly used to maximize bone healing/regeneration by protecting bone grafted sites from invasion by soft tissues. Electrospun chitosan membranes modified by short chain fatty acids (Acetic anhydride (AA), butyric anhydride (BA) and hexanoic anhydride (HA)) or with tBOC (tert-Butyloxycarbonyl group) have many characteristics including retention of nanofiber structure, occlusive to soft tissues and osteoconductive properties in vivo that are important for GBR applications. The high surface area of the nanofiber structure of the membranes provides opportunity for the local delivery of osteogenic or angiogenic agents for enhancing their healing and bone regeneration properties. The objective of this research was to fabricate modified electrospun chitosan membranes capable of controlling the release of an osteogenic (Simvastatin, SMV) and angiogenic (magnesium) agent and evaluate their bioactivity for GBR applications in a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Electrospun chitosan membranes with different modifications were fabricated that enabled the controlled release of loaded/incorporated agents. SMV was released faster by AA and tBOC modified membranes than BA and HA modified membranes. SMV loaded membranes prevented soft tissue infiltration into the defect site and promoted better bone healing than non-loaded membranes in a rat calvarial defect model. A slow release of high SMV dose showed better bone healing than fast release of high or low dose. Membranes incorporated with magnesium were capable of stimulating angiogenesis in vitro. The AA modified membranes released more magnesium and thereby showed better angiogenesis than HA modified membranes. Osteogenic and angiogenic potential of our drug loaded chitosan membranes was successfully demonstrated. Since angiogenesis plays an important role in the bone healing process, future studies with dual loading of SMV and magnesium might prove useful in enhancing the ability of these membranes to stimulate better/faster bone regeneration

Highly selective surface adsorption-induced efficient photodegradation of cationic dyes on hierarchical ZnO nanorod-decorated hydrolyzed PIM-1 nanofibrous webs

Selectivity of catalysts toward harmful cationic pollutants in industrial wastewater remains challenging but is of crucial importance in environmental remediation processes. Here, we present a complex network of a hydrolyzed polymer of intrinsic microporosity (HPIM)-based electrospun nanofibrous web with surface functional decoration of ZnO nanorods (NRs) as a hierarchical platform for selective and rapid degradation of cationic dyes. Over a single species or binary mixtures, cationic dyes were selectively adsorbed by the HPIM surface, which then rapidly degraded under simultaneous photoirradiation through the ZnO NRs. Both HPIM and ZnO exhibited high electronegative surfaces, which induced the selectivity towards the cationic dyes and rapidly degraded the pollutants with the production of reactive oxygen species under photoirradiation. Further, as a free-standing web, the catalytic network could be easily separated and reused without any significant loss of catalytic activity after multiple cycles of use. The hierarchical platform of ZnO/HPIM-based heterostructures could be a promising catalytic template for selective degradation of synthetic dyes in mixed wastewater samples. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Polymeric Nanocomposite Structures Based on Functionalized Graphene with Tunable Properties for Nervous Tissue Replacement

Electroconductive scaffolds can be a promising approach to repair conductive tissues when natural healing fails. Recently, nerve tissue engineering constructs have been widely investigated due to the challenges in creating a structure with optimized physiochemical and mechanical properties close to the native tissue. The goal of the current study was to fabricate graphene-containing polycaprolactone/gelatin/polypyrrole (PCL/gelatin/PPy) and polycaprolactone/polyglycerol-sebacate/polypyrrole (PCL/PGS/PPy) with intrinsic electrical properties through an electrospinning process. The effect of graphene on the properties of PCL/gelatin/PPy and PCL/PGS/PPy were investigated. Results demonstrated that graphene incorporation remarkably modulated the physical and mechanical properties of the scaffolds such that the electrical conductivity increased from 0.1 to 3.9 ± 0.3 S m–1 (from 0 to 3 wt % graphene) and toughness was found to be 76 MPa (PCL/gelatin/PPy 3 wt % graphene) and 143.4 MPa (PCL/PGS/PPy 3 wt % graphene). Also, the elastic moduli of the scaffolds with 0, 1, and 2 wt % graphene were reported as 210, 300, and 340 kPa in the PCL/gelatin/PPy system and 72, 85, and 92 kPa for the PCL/PGS/PPy system. A cell viability study demonstrated the noncytotoxic nature of the resultant scaffolds. The sum of the results presented in this study suggests that both PCL/gelatin/PPy/graphene and PCL/PGS/PPy/graphene compositions could be promising biomaterials for a range of conductive tissue replacement or regeneration applications

Potential implantable nanofibrous biomaterials combined with stem cells for subchondral bone regeneration

The treatment of osteochondral defects remains a challenge. Four scaffolds were produced using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved polymers to investigate their therapeutic potential for the regeneration of the osteochondral unit. Polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone) (PVP) scaffolds were made by electrohydrodynamic techniques. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) and/or sodium hyaluronate (HA) can be then loaded to PCL nanofibers and/or PVP particles. The purpose of adding hydroxyapatite and sodium hyaluronate into PCL/PVP scaffolds is to increase the regenerative ability for subchondral bone and joint cartilage, respectively. Humanbone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) were seeded on these biomaterials. The biocompatibility of these biomaterials in vitro and in vivo, as well as their potential to support MSC differentiation under specific chondrogenic or osteogenic conditions, were evaluated. We show here that hBM-MSCs could proliferate and differentiate both in vitro and in vivo on these biomaterials. In addition, the PCL-HAp could effectively increase the mineralization and induce the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts in an osteogenic condition. These results indicate that PCL-HAp biomaterials combined with MSCs could be a beneficial candidate for subchondral bone regeneration

The Influence of Electrospinning Parameters and Drug Loading on Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Nanofibers for Drug Delivery

The impact of polymer concentration and drug loading on nanofiber morphology and diameter were investigated during electrospinning of polyhydroxyalkanoate nanofibrous films. Low molecular weight poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-95 mol% 4HB)] required a 5-fold higher solution concentration than high molecular weight poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] to produce bead-free nanofibers. Loading the films with paclitaxel increased the initial polymer solution viscosity allowing larger diameter nanofibers to form. Furthermore, paclitaxel added at 1% (w/w) into 8 % (w/v) P(3HB-co-95 mol% 4HB) solution eliminated the formation of beads seen in solutions without the drug, at the same initial polymer solution concentration. In preliminary drug release studies, nanofiber mats consisting of large-diameter nanofibers with high drug loading released paclitaxel at a faster rate due to larger pore sizes. This was a consequence of the random packing of larger diameter nanofibers. However, the release pattern of nanofibers with low drug loading was much more consistent and controlled. Lastly, we have shown the potential applications of P(3HB-co-4HB) drug loaded nanofibers in the development of biocompatible drug eluting stents by directly coating a metal stent with a homogeneous layer of electrospun polymer

Preparation and Characterization of New Nano-Composite Scaffolds Loaded With Vascular Stents

In this study, vascular stents were fabricated from poly (lactide-ɛ-caprolactone)/collagen/nano-hydroxyapatite (PLCL/Col/nHA) by electrospinning, and the surface morphology and breaking strength were observed or measured through scanning electron microscopy and tensile tests. The anti-clotting properties of stents were evaluated for anticoagulation surfaces modified by the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. In addition, nano-composite scaffolds of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)/polycaprolactone/nano-hydroxyapatite (PLGA/PCL/nHA) loaded with the vascular stents were prepared by thermoforming-particle leaching and their basic performance and osteogenesis were tested in vitro and in vivo. The results show that the PLCL/Col/nHA stents and PLGA/PCL/nHA nano-composite scaffolds had good surface structures, mechanical properties, biocompatibility and could guide bone regeneration. These may provide a new way to build vascularized-tissue engineered bone to repair large bone defects in bone tissue engineering