A new strategy for the synthesis of modified novolac resin and its polymer/clay nanocomposite

A novel epoxy nanocomposite composed of epoxidized novolac (ENR), epoxidized polystyrene (EPSt), and nanoclay was fabricated and characterized successfully. For this purpose, the novolac was epoxylated using a substitution nucleophilic reaction between hydroxyl group of novolac and chlorine group of epichlorohydrin. The EPSt was synthesized through the oxidizing of an allylated PSt (All-PSt). A mixture of ENR (70 wt%), EPSt (20 wt%) and Cloisite®R 20A (5 wt%) was cured using ethylenediamine (EDA; 5 wt%) to afford a C-ENR-EPSt/clay nanocomposite. The transition electron microscopy (TEM) as well as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the fabricated nanocomposite has an exfoliated structure. As the thermal property studies results, the addition of EPSt as well as Cloisite® 20A has synergistic effect on the thermal stability of the ENR resin

Bioinspired hydrogels build a bridge from bench to bedside

During million years, Nature has created a �wealthy repertoire of novel features.� These features are frequently used in the fabric of artificial materials, referred to as �biomaterials.� Hydrogels are among the most attractive biomaterials because they are highly amenable to accept nature-derived properties/functionalities. The inclusion of these features in biomaterials serves as promising tools for today's most urged clinical needs, among others. In this review, we explore the major applications of different bioinspired hydrogels. We focused on rationale design, multi-faceted biomimetics strategies, and their potentials utility in the clinic. For the clinical application, we focused on four major clinical areas of i) regenerative medicine, ii) tissue engineering, iii) cancer therapy, and iv) bioinspired devices/actuators/robots. We discussed how incorporating nature-inspired properties into hydrogels� design can introduce novel solutions to the many unresolved and persistent problems in biomedicine. Finally, given the complexity of bioinspired hydrogels, we propose that a collective effort among the material scientists, artificial intelligence experts, clinicians, and life sciences is required to pave the path for the entrance of bioinspired hydrogel into personalized medicine and from bench to bedside. © 202

Recent advances in ultrasound-triggered drug delivery through lipid-based nanomaterials

The high prescribed dose of anticancer drugs and their resulting adverse effects on healthy tissue are significant drawbacks to conventional chemotherapy (CTP). Ideally, drugs should have the lowest possible degree of interaction with healthy cells, which would diminish any adverse effects. Therefore, an ideal scenario to bring about improvements in CTP is the use of technological strategies to ensure the efficient, specific, and selective transport and/or release of drugs to the target site. One practical and feasible solution to promote the efficiency of conventional CTP is the use of ultrasound (US). In this review, we highlight the potential role of US in combination with lipid-based carriers to achieve a targeted CTP strategy in engineered smart drug delivery systems. © 2020 Elsevier Lt