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Polymeric Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Energy Applications

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 10064

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Research Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
Interests: polymers; nanomaterials; polymeric materials; nanostructured materials; nanomaterials synthesis; material characteristics; advanced materials; energy
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Guest Editor
Scientist, NAWA, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: polymers; nanomaterials; polymeric materials; nanomaterials synthesis; nanoparticle synthesis; energy

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Guest Editor
School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore
Interests: polyelectrolytes; biological macromolecules; nanoparticle complex; drug delivery; polysaccharide; amorphous systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Academic and Industrial Colleagues,

At present, there is rapid growth regarding innovations in the field of biomedical engineering and energy technologies. During the last 35 years, numerous ground-breaking research outputs have been commercialized. High-quality, durable and efficient bioimplants, biocompatible nanomaterials, artificial organs, artificial skin, energy devices for the human body, flexible electronic, robust batteries, and high-performance supercapacitors  are some examples of the inventions which have been commercialized for use. At present, in-depth investigations and efforts are being made to develop smart materials and humanoid robots especially for the next generation of defense, space exploration, and medical utilities. The aforementioned inventions and developments fundamentally depend on the nature and physical characteristics of the materials being used. Thus, structural and electronic manipulation within the existing materials and their suitable applications are crucial, and we cannot cater to the needs of new technologies using only traditional materials.

This Special Issue will bring together original research, mini review, research prospect, and comprehensive state-of-the-art articles on polymeric hybrid nanomaterials for biomedical and energy-related applications. It will highlight new synthetic approaches, surface manipulation, and device fabrication for the applications linked to biomedical and energies. A key feature of this Special Issue is that it offers open-source rapid sharing of noteworthy research outcomes in the field of polymeric hybrid nanomaterials. We invite all researchers in this field to submit their work related to hybrid nanopolymeric materials that may be used for biomedical and energy applications.

Research areas of interest for this Special Issue include but are not restricted to the following:

  • Organic–inorganic hybrid nanomaterials
  • Molecules for energy and medical utilities
  • Nanomaterials for biomedical engineering
  • Biocompatible nanomaterials
  • Biomedical materials
  • Nanocarbons (graphene, graphene oxide, CNTs, nanoionics, fullerenes etc.) for biomedical and energy applications
  • Polymeric nanohybrids: synthesis, surface manipulation, and device fabrication
  • Applied energy nanosystems
  • Nanomaterials for green energy
  • Biopolymers for energy applications

Dr. Sumanta Sahoo
Dr. Santosh K Tiwari
Dr. Kunn Hadinoto Ong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomolecules
  • materials for medical facilities
  • wearable devices
  • flexible electronics
  • hydrogel and biomedical engineering
  • materials for robotics
  • carbon nanostructures
  • 2D materials
  • energy storage
  • battery
  • supercapacitor
  • nanomaterials
  • energy molecules
  • nanocomposites

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3911 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Separation with Selective Fibronectin Coating and Topographical Modification on Polydimethylsiloxane Scaffold Platforms
by M. T. Wang and S. W. Pang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12409; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512409 - 03 Aug 2023
Viewed by 874
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as a complex scaffold with diverse physical dimensions and surface properties influencing NPC cell migration. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a widely used biocompatible material, is hydrophobic and undesirable for cell seeding. Thus, the establishment of a biomimetic model with varied [...] Read more.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as a complex scaffold with diverse physical dimensions and surface properties influencing NPC cell migration. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a widely used biocompatible material, is hydrophobic and undesirable for cell seeding. Thus, the establishment of a biomimetic model with varied topographies and surface properties is essential for effective NPC43 cell separation from NP460 cells. This study explored how ECM surface properties influence NP460 and NPC43 cell behaviors via plasma treatments and chemical modifications to alter the platform surface. In addition to the conventional oxygen/nitrogen (O2/N2) plasma treatment, O2 and argon plasma treatments were utilized to modify the platform surface, which increased the hydrophilicity of the PDMS platforms, resulting in enhanced cell adhesion. (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and fibronectin (FN) were used to coat the PDMS platforms uniformly and selectively. The chemical coatings significantly affected cell motility and spreading, as cells exhibited faster migration, elongated cell shapes, and larger spreading areas on FN-coated surfaces. Furthermore, narrower top layer trenches with 5 µm width and a lower concentration of 10 µg/mL FN were coated selectively on the platforms to limit NP460 cell movements and enhance NPC43 cell separation efficiency. A significantly high separation efficiency of 99.4% was achieved on the two-layer scaffold platform with 20/5 µm wide ridge/trench (R/T) as the top layer and 40/10 µm wide R/T as the bottom layer, coupling with 10 µg/mL FN selectively coated on the sidewalls of the top and bottom layers. This work demonstrated an innovative application of selective FN coating to direct cell behavior, offering a new perspective to probe into the subtleties of NPC cell separation efficiency. Moreover, this cost-effective and compact microsystem sets a new benchmark for separating cancer cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Energy Applications)
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18 pages, 2829 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Colloidal Stability of Polymer-Coated NaYF4:Yb,Er Nanoparticles in Aqueous Media and Viability of Cells: The Effect of a Protective Coating
by Mykhailo Nahorniak, Vitalii Patsula, Dana Mareková, Petr Matouš, Oleksandr Shapoval, Viktoriia Oleksa, Magda Vosmanská, Lucia Machová Urdzíková, Pavla Jendelová, Vít Herynek and Daniel Horák
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2724; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032724 - 01 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2490
Abstract
Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are of particular interest in nanomedicine for in vivo deep-tissue optical cancer bioimaging due to their efficient cellular uptake dependent on polymer coating. In this study, particles, ca. 25 nm in diameter, were prepared by a high-temperature coprecipitation of lanthanide [...] Read more.
Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are of particular interest in nanomedicine for in vivo deep-tissue optical cancer bioimaging due to their efficient cellular uptake dependent on polymer coating. In this study, particles, ca. 25 nm in diameter, were prepared by a high-temperature coprecipitation of lanthanide chlorides. To ensure optimal dispersion of UCNPs in aqueous milieu, they were coated with three different polymers containing reactive groups, i.e., poly(ethylene glycol)-alendronate (PEG-Ale), poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide-co-2-aminoethylacrylamide)-alendronate (PDMA-Ale), and poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) (PMVEMA). All the particles were characterized by TEM, DLS, FTIR, and spectrofluorometer to determine the morphology, hydrodynamic size and ξ-potential, composition, and upconversion luminescence. The degradability/dissolution of UCNPs in water, PBS, DMEM, or artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) was evaluated using an ion-selective electrochemical method and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The dissolution that was more pronounced in PBS at elevated temperatures was decelerated by polymer coatings. The dissolution in DMEM was relatively small, but much more pronounced in ALF. PMVEMA with multiple anchoring groups provided better protection against particle dissolution in PBS than PEG-Ale and PDMA-Ale polymers containing only one reactive group. However, the cytotoxicity of the particles depended not only on their ability to rapidly degrade, but also on the type of coating. According to MTT, neat UCNPs and UCNP@PMVEMA were toxic for both rat cells (C6) and rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs), which was in contrast to the UCNP@Ale-PDMA particles that were biocompatible. On the other hand, both the cytotoxicity and uptake of the UCNP@Ale-PEG particles by C6 and rMSCs were low, according to MTT assay and ICP-MS, respectively. This was confirmed by a confocal microscopy, where the neat UCNPs were preferentially internalized by both cell types, followed by the UCNP@PMVEMA, UCNP@Ale-PDMA, and UCNP@Ale-PEG particles. This study provides guidance for the selection of a suitable nanoparticle coating with respect to future biomedical applications where specific behaviors (extracellular deposition vs. cell internalization) are expected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Energy Applications)
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17 pages, 9469 KiB  
Article
Lyophilization of Curcumin–Albumin Nanoplex with Sucrose as Cryoprotectant: Aqueous Reconstitution, Dissolution, Kinetic Solubility, and Physicochemical Stability
by Angeline Chua, The-Thien Tran, Siyu Pu, Jin-Won Park and Kunn Hadinoto
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911731 - 03 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1542
Abstract
An amorphous curcumin (CUR) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticle complex (nanoplex) was previously developed as a promising anticancer nanotherapy. The CUR-BSA nanoplex had been characterized in its aqueous suspension form. The present work developed a dry-powder form of the CUR-BSA nanoplex by [...] Read more.
An amorphous curcumin (CUR) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticle complex (nanoplex) was previously developed as a promising anticancer nanotherapy. The CUR-BSA nanoplex had been characterized in its aqueous suspension form. The present work developed a dry-powder form of the CUR-BSA nanoplex by lyophilization using sucrose as a cryoprotectant. The cryoprotective activity of sucrose was examined at sucrose mass fractions of 33.33, 50.00, and 66.66% by evaluating the lyophilized nanoplex’s (1) aqueous reconstitution and (2) CUR dissolution and kinetic solubility. The physicochemical stabilizing effects of sucrose upon the nanoplex’s 30-day exposures to 40 °C and 75% relative humidity were examined from (i) aqueous reconstitution, (ii) CUR dissolution, (iii) CUR and BSA payloads, (iv) amorphous form stability, and (v) BSA’s structural integrity. The good cryoprotective activity of sucrose was evidenced by the preserved BSA’s integrity and good aqueous reconstitution, resulting in a fast CUR dissolution rate and a high kinetic solubility (≈5–9× thermodynamic solubility), similar to the nanoplex suspension. While the aqueous reconstitution, CUR dissolution, and amorphous form were minimally affected by the elevated heat and humidity exposures, the treated nanoplex exhibited a lower BSA payload (≈7–26% loss) and increased protein aggregation postexposure. The adverse effects on the BSA payload and aggregation were minimized at higher sucrose mass fractions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Energy Applications)
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18 pages, 4938 KiB  
Article
Advantage of Dimethyl Sulfoxide in the Fabrication of Binder-Free Layered Double Hydroxides Electrodes: Impacts of Physical Parameters on the Crystalline Domain and Electrochemical Performance
by Gayi Nyongombe, Guy L. Kabongo, Luyanda L. Noto and Mokhotjwa S. Dhlamini
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 10192; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231710192 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1247
Abstract
The electrode fabrication stage is a crucial step in the design of supercapacitors. The latter involves the binder generally for adhesive purposes. The binder is electrochemically dormant and has weak interactions, leading to isolating the active material and conductive additive and then compromising [...] Read more.
The electrode fabrication stage is a crucial step in the design of supercapacitors. The latter involves the binder generally for adhesive purposes. The binder is electrochemically dormant and has weak interactions, leading to isolating the active material and conductive additive and then compromising the electrochemical performance. Designing binder-free electrodes is a practical way to improve the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. However, most of the methods developed for the fabrication of binder-free LDH electrodes do not accommodate LDH materials prepared via the co-precipitation or ions exchange routes. Herein, we developed a novel method to fabricate binder-free LDH electrodes which accommodates LDH materials from other synthesis routes. The induced impacts of various physical parameters such as the temperature and time applied during the fabrication process on the crystalline domain and electrochemical performances of all the binder-free LDH electrodes were studied. The electrochemical analysis showed that the electrode prepared at 200 °C-1 h exhibited the best electrochemical performance compared to its counterparts. A specific capacitance of 3050.95 Fg−1 at 10 mVs−1 was achieved by it, while its Rct value was 0.68 Ω. Moreover, it retained 97% of capacitance after 5000 cycles at 120 mVs−1. The XRD and FTIR studies demonstrated that its excellent electrochemical performance was due to its crystalline domain which had held an important amount of water than other electrodes. The as-developed method proved to be reliable and advantageous due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Energy Applications)
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15 pages, 2983 KiB  
Article
Prototype Development of a Temperature-Sensitive High-Adhesion Medical Tape to Reduce Medical-Adhesive-Related Skin Injury and Improve Quality of Care
by Shawn Swanson, Rahaf Bashmail, Christopher R. Fellin, Vivian Luu, Nicholas Shires, Phillip A. Cox, Alshakim Nelson, Devin MacKenzie, Ann-Marie Taroc, Leonard Y. Nelson and Eric J. Seibel
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(13), 7164; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23137164 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2931
Abstract
Medical adhesives are used to secure wound care dressings and other critical devices to the skin. Without means of safe removal, these stronger adhesives are difficult to painlessly remove from the skin and may cause medical-adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI), including skin tears and [...] Read more.
Medical adhesives are used to secure wound care dressings and other critical devices to the skin. Without means of safe removal, these stronger adhesives are difficult to painlessly remove from the skin and may cause medical-adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI), including skin tears and an increased risk of infection. Lower-adhesion medical tapes may be applied to avoid MARSI, leading to device dislodgement and further medical complications. This paper outlines the development of a high-adhesion medical tape designed for low skin trauma upon release. By warming the skin-attached tape for 10–30 s, a significant loss in adhesion was achieved. A C14/C18 copolymer was developed and combined with a selected pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) material. The addition of 1% C14/C18 copolymer yielded the largest temperature-responsive drop in surface adhesion. The adhesive film was characterized using AFM, and distinct nanodomains were identified on the exterior surface of the PSA. Our optimized formulation yielded 67% drop in adhesion when warmed to 45 °C, perhaps due to melting nanodomains weakening the adhesive–substrate boundary layer. Pilot clinical testing resulted in a significant decrease in pain when a heat pack was used for removal, giving an average pain reduction of 66%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Energy Applications)
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