6 research outputs found
Three-Dimensional Porous Sponges from Collagen Biowastes
Three-dimensional, functional, and
porous scaffolds can find applications
in a variety of fields. Here we report the synthesis of hierarchical
and interconnected porous sponges using a simple freeze-drying technique,
employing collagen extracted from animal skin wastes and superparamagnetic
iron oxide nanoparticles. The ultralightweight, high-surface-area
sponges exhibit excellent mechanical stability and enhanced absorption
of organic contaminants such as oils and dye molecules. Additionally,
these biocomposite sponges display significant cellular biocompatibility,
which opens new prospects in biomedical uses. The approach highlights
innovative ways of transforming biowastes into advanced hybrid materials
using simple and scalable synthesis techniques
Electromechanically Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites for Active Cell Culture
Liquid crystal elastomers
(LCEs) are unique among shape-responsive
materials in that they exhibit large and reversible shape changes
and can respond to a variety of stimuli. However, only a handful of
studies have explored LCEs for biomedical applications. Here, we demonstrate
that LCE nanocomposites (LCE-NCs) exhibit a fast and reversible electromechanical
response and can be employed as dynamic substrates for cell culture.
A two-step method for preparing conductive LCE-NCs is described, which
produces materials that exhibit rapid (response times as fast at 0.6
s), large-amplitude (contraction by up to 30%), and fully reversible
shape changes (stable to over 5000 cycles) under externally applied
voltages (5â40 V). The electromechanical response of the LCE-NCs
is tunable through variation of the electrical potential and LCE-NC
composition. We utilize conductive LCE-NCs as responsive substrates
to culture neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) and find that
NRVM remain viable on both stimulated and static LCE-NC substrates.
These materials provide a reliable and simple route to materials that
exhibit a fast, reversible, and large-amplitude electromechanical
response
Electromechanically Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites for Active Cell Culture
Liquid crystal elastomers
(LCEs) are unique among shape-responsive
materials in that they exhibit large and reversible shape changes
and can respond to a variety of stimuli. However, only a handful of
studies have explored LCEs for biomedical applications. Here, we demonstrate
that LCE nanocomposites (LCE-NCs) exhibit a fast and reversible electromechanical
response and can be employed as dynamic substrates for cell culture.
A two-step method for preparing conductive LCE-NCs is described, which
produces materials that exhibit rapid (response times as fast at 0.6
s), large-amplitude (contraction by up to 30%), and fully reversible
shape changes (stable to over 5000 cycles) under externally applied
voltages (5â40 V). The electromechanical response of the LCE-NCs
is tunable through variation of the electrical potential and LCE-NC
composition. We utilize conductive LCE-NCs as responsive substrates
to culture neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) and find that
NRVM remain viable on both stimulated and static LCE-NC substrates.
These materials provide a reliable and simple route to materials that
exhibit a fast, reversible, and large-amplitude electromechanical
response
Electromechanically Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanocomposites for Active Cell Culture
Liquid crystal elastomers
(LCEs) are unique among shape-responsive
materials in that they exhibit large and reversible shape changes
and can respond to a variety of stimuli. However, only a handful of
studies have explored LCEs for biomedical applications. Here, we demonstrate
that LCE nanocomposites (LCE-NCs) exhibit a fast and reversible electromechanical
response and can be employed as dynamic substrates for cell culture.
A two-step method for preparing conductive LCE-NCs is described, which
produces materials that exhibit rapid (response times as fast at 0.6
s), large-amplitude (contraction by up to 30%), and fully reversible
shape changes (stable to over 5000 cycles) under externally applied
voltages (5â40 V). The electromechanical response of the LCE-NCs
is tunable through variation of the electrical potential and LCE-NC
composition. We utilize conductive LCE-NCs as responsive substrates
to culture neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) and find that
NRVM remain viable on both stimulated and static LCE-NC substrates.
These materials provide a reliable and simple route to materials that
exhibit a fast, reversible, and large-amplitude electromechanical
response
SolidâLiquid Self-Adaptive Polymeric Composite
A solidâliquid self-adaptive
composite (SAC) is synthesized
using a simple mixingâevaporation protocol, with polyÂ(dimethylsiloxane)
(PDMS) and polyÂ(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as active constituents.
SAC exists as a porous solid containing a near equivalent distribution
of the solid (PVDF)âliquid (PDMS) phases, with the liquid encapsulated
and stabilized within a continuous solid network percolating throughout
the structure. The pores, liquid, and solid phases form a complex
hierarchical structure, which offers both mechanical robustness and
a significant structural adaptability under external forces. SAC exhibits
attractive self-healing properties during tension, and demonstrates
reversible self-stiffening properties under compression with a maximum
of 7-fold increase seen in the storage modulus. In a comparison to
existing self-healing and self-stiffening materials, SAC offers distinct
advantages in the ease of fabrication, high achievable storage modulus,
and reversibility. Such materials could provide a new class of adaptive
materials system with multifunctionality, tunability, and scale-up
potentials
Hybrid MoS<sub>2</sub>/h-BN Nanofillers As Synergic Heat Dissipation and Reinforcement Additives in Epoxy Nanocomposites
Two-dimensional
(2D) nanomaterials as molybdenum disulfide (MoS<sub>2</sub>), hexagonal
boron nitride (h-BN), and their hybrid (MoS<sub>2</sub>/h-BN) were
employed as fillers to improve the physical properties of epoxy composites.
Nanocomposites were produced in different concentrations and studied
in their microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties. The hybrid
2D mixture imparted efficient reinforcement to the epoxy leading to
increases of up to 95% in tensile strength, 60% in ultimate strain,
and 58% in Youngâs modulus. Moreover, an enhancement of 203%
in thermal conductivity was achieved for the hybrid composite as compared
to the pure polymer. The incorporation of MoS<sub>2</sub>/h-BN mixture
nanofillers in epoxy resulted in nanocomposites with multifunctional
characteristics for applications that require high mechanical and
thermal performance