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Polymers
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Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications
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Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 9263

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jayita Bandyopadhyay

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, 1 Meiring Naude Drive, Brummeria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1K7P4, Canada
Interests: nanomaterials; polymer nanocomposites; biodegradable polymers; sustainability and circularity of the polymeric materials; reactive processing; morphology development and material properties
Prof. Dr. Frej Mighri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC), Department of Chemical Engineering, Laval University, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Interests: rheology and implementation of polymers; implementation of reactive systems; mixtures of polymers; relationships between processing parameters/morphology/properties; online monitoring of implementation processes (injection, extrusion)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers and bio-composites, including nanocomposites, are the leading materials suitable for various biomedical applications. Such materials can be used in multiple applications, including therapeutics, tissue engineering, and device manufacturing. However, it is important to design material and manufacturing processes considering the circularity and the industrial symbiosis to minimize plastic leakage into the environment. Biocompatibility, mechanical and flow properties, functionalization potential, toxicity, pharmacological profile, and the regenerative potentials of polymer materials are the essential requirements for biomedical applications.

The special issue titled “Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications” will focus on the latest advances in the material, processing methods, material characterization techniques, and the sustainability of the biopolymers and their composites intended for the biomedical applications. While covering a broad range of fundamental, experimental, and industrial topics, we warmly invite academics and scientists to contribute with original research papers, short communications, and review articles.

Prof. Dr. Jayita Bandyopadhyay
Prof. Dr. Frej Mighri
Guest Editor

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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • biopolymer
  • nanoparticles-based polymeric biomaterials
  • biomedical applications
  • processing and manufacturability of the nanoparticles-based polymeric biomaterials
  • nanotoxicology
  • sustainability and the end of life of the materials designed for the biomedical applications

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 28354 KiB  
Article
Specifics of Cryopreservation of Hydrogel Biopolymer Scaffolds with Encapsulated Mesenchymal Stem Cells
by Marfa N. Egorikhina, Yulia P. Rubtsova, Daria D. Linkova, Irina N. Charykova, Ekaterina A. Farafontova and Diana Ya. Aleinik
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020247 - 15 Jan 2024
Viewed by 862
Abstract
The demand for regenerative medicine products is growing rapidly in clinical practice. Unfortunately, their use has certain limitations. One of these, which significantly constrains the widespread distribution and commercialization of such materials, is their short life span. For products containing suspensions of cells, [...] Read more.
The demand for regenerative medicine products is growing rapidly in clinical practice. Unfortunately, their use has certain limitations. One of these, which significantly constrains the widespread distribution and commercialization of such materials, is their short life span. For products containing suspensions of cells, this issue can be solved by using cryopreservation. However, this approach is rarely used for multicomponent tissue-engineered products due to the complexity of selecting appropriate cryopreservation protocols and the lack of established criteria for assessing the quality of such products once defrosted. Our research is aimed at developing a cryopreservation protocol for an original hydrogel scaffold with encapsulated MSCs and developing a set of criteria for assessing the quality of their functional activity in vitro. The scaffolds were frozen using two alternative types of cryocontainers and stored at either −40 °C or −80 °C. After cryopreservation, the external state of the scaffolds was evaluated in addition to recording the cell viability, visible changes during subsequent cultivation, and any alterations in proliferative and secretory activity. These observations were compared to those of scaffolds cultivated without cryopreservation. It was shown that cryopreservation at −80 °C in an appropriate type of cryocontainer was optimal for the hydrogels/adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) tested if it provided a smooth temperature decrease during freezing over a period of at least three hours until the target values of the cryopreservation temperature regimen were reached. It was shown that evaluating a set of indicators, including the viability, the morphology, and the proliferative and secretory activity of the cells, enables the characterization of the quality of a tissue-engineered construct after its withdrawal from cryopreservation, as well as indicating the effectiveness of the cryopreservation protocol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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11 pages, 3527 KiB  
Article
A Spike-like Self-Assembly of Polyaspartamide Integrated with Functionalized Nanoparticles
by Sa Ra Han, Yujin Ahn, Sungwoo Cho, Hyewon Jeong, Yoonsook Ji, Woonggyu Jung and Jae Hyun Jeong
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020234 - 15 Jan 2024
Viewed by 821
Abstract
The integration of nanoparticles (NPs) into molecular self-assemblies has been extensively studied with the aim of building well-defined, ordered structures which exhibit advanced properties and performances. This study demonstrates a novel strategy for the preparation of a spike-like self-assembly designed to enhance UV [...] Read more.
The integration of nanoparticles (NPs) into molecular self-assemblies has been extensively studied with the aim of building well-defined, ordered structures which exhibit advanced properties and performances. This study demonstrates a novel strategy for the preparation of a spike-like self-assembly designed to enhance UV blocking. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide) (PHEA) substituted with octadecyl chains and menthyl anthranilate (C18-M-PHEA) was successfully synthesized by varying the number of grafted groups to control their morphology and UV absorption. The in situ incorporation of polymerized rod-like TiO2 within the C18-M-PHEA self-aggregates generated spike-like self-assemblies (TiO2@C18-M-PHEA) with a chestnut burr structure in aqueous solution. The results showed that the spike-like self-assemblies integrated with TiO2 NPs exhibited a nine-fold increase in UV protection by simultaneous UV absorption and scattering compared with the pure TiO2 NPs formed via a bulk mixing process. This work provides a novel method for UV protection using self-assembling poly(amino acid)s derivatives integrated with functional nanoparticles to tune their morphology and organization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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16 pages, 7488 KiB  
Article
Self-Healing Hydrogels Fabricated by Introducing Antibacterial Long-Chain Alkyl Quaternary Ammonium Salt into Marine-Derived Polysaccharides for Wound Healing
by Rongkai Li, Qinbing Qi, Chunhua Wang, Guige Hou and Chengbo Li
Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1467; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061467 - 15 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2151
Abstract
The development of hydrogels as wound dressings has gained considerable attention due to their promising ability to promote wound healing. However, in many cases of clinical relevance, repeated bacterial infection, which might obstruct wound healing, usually occurs due to the lack of antibacterial [...] Read more.
The development of hydrogels as wound dressings has gained considerable attention due to their promising ability to promote wound healing. However, in many cases of clinical relevance, repeated bacterial infection, which might obstruct wound healing, usually occurs due to the lack of antibacterial properties of these hydrogels. In this study, we fabricated a new class of self-healing hydrogel with enhanced antibacterial properties based on dodecyl quaternary ammonium salt (Q12)-modified carboxymethyl chitosan (Q12-CMC), aldehyde group- modified sodium alginate (ASA), Fe3+ via Schiff bases and coordination bonds (QAF hydrogels). The dynamic Schiff bases and coordination interactions conferred excellent self-healing abilities to the hydrogels, while the incorporation of dodecyl quaternary ammonium salt gave the hydrogels superior antibacterial properties. Additionally, the hydrogels displayed ideal hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility, crucial for wound healing. Our full-thickness skin wound studies demonstrated that QAF hydrogels could result in rapid wound healing with reduced inflammatory response, increased collagen disposition and improved vascularization. We anticipate that the proposed hydrogels, possessing both antibacterial and self-healing properties, will emerge as a highly desirable material for skin wound repair. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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22 pages, 6875 KiB  
Article
Development and Characterization of Functional Polylactic Acid/Chitosan Porous Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
by Miada Abubaker Osman, Nick Virgilio, Mahmoud Rouabhia and Frej Mighri
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5079; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235079 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1831
Abstract
In this study, we developed and characterized various open-cell composite scaffolds for bone regeneration. These scaffolds were made from Polylactic acid (PLA) as the scaffold matrix biopolymeric phase, and chitosan (CS) and chitosan-grafted-PLA (CS-g-PLA) copolymer as the dispersed biopolymeric phase. As a first [...] Read more.
In this study, we developed and characterized various open-cell composite scaffolds for bone regeneration. These scaffolds were made from Polylactic acid (PLA) as the scaffold matrix biopolymeric phase, and chitosan (CS) and chitosan-grafted-PLA (CS-g-PLA) copolymer as the dispersed biopolymeric phase. As a first step, successful grafting of PLA onto CS backbone was executed and confirmed by both FTIR and XPS. Mechanical characterization confirmed that adding CS or CS-g-PLA to the intrinsically rigid PLA made their corresponding PLA/CS and PLA/CS-g-PLA composite scaffolds more flexible under compression. This flexibility was higher for the latter due to the improved compatibility between PLA and CS-g-PLA copolymer. The hydrolytic stability of both PLA/CS and PLA/CS-g-PLA composite scaffolds inside phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution, as well as MG-63 osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation inside both scaffolds, were characterized. The corresponding results revealed that PLA/CS composite scaffolds showed hydrolytic degradation due to the cationic properties of CS. However, modified PLA/CS-g-PLA scaffolds were hydrolytically stable due to the improved interfacial adhesion between the PLA matrix and CS-g-PLA copolymer. Finally, biological characterization was done for both PLA/CS and PLA/CS-g-PLA composite scaffolds. Contrarily to what was observed for uncompatibilized PLA/CS scaffolds, compatibilized PLA/CS-g-PLA scaffolds showed a high MG-63 osteoblast cell proliferation after three and five days of cell culture. Moreover, it was observed that cell proliferation increased with CS-g-PLA content. This suggests that the PLA/CS-g-PLA composite scaffolds could be a potential solution for bone regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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14 pages, 1877 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of a Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)/Polybutylene Adipate-Co-Terephthalate (PBAT)-Based Hybrid System Reinforced with Lignin and Zinc Nanoparticles for Potential Biomedical Applications
by Asanda Mtibe, Lerato Hlekelele, Phumelele E. Kleyi, Sudhakar Muniyasamy, Nomvuyo E. Nomadolo, Osei Ofosu, Vincent Ojijo and Maya J. John
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5065; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235065 - 22 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2531
Abstract
Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) was used in an effort to improve the properties of polybutylene succinate (PBS). The resultant blend consisting of PBS/PBAT (70/30) was reinforced with lignin at different loadings (5 to 15 wt.%) and zinc (ZnO) nanoparticles (1.5 wt.%). Hot melt extrusion [...] Read more.
Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) was used in an effort to improve the properties of polybutylene succinate (PBS). The resultant blend consisting of PBS/PBAT (70/30) was reinforced with lignin at different loadings (5 to 15 wt.%) and zinc (ZnO) nanoparticles (1.5 wt.%). Hot melt extrusion and injection moulding were used to prepare the hybrid composites. The mechanical, thermal, physical, self-cleaning, and antimicrobial properties of the resultant hybrid composites were investigated. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results confirmed that ZnO was successfully prepared with average diameters of 80 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that there were interactions between the fillers and the blend. The tensile strength and elongation at the break of the resultant materials decreased with increasing the loadings, while the tensile modulus showed the opposite trend. The melting behaviour of the blend was practically unaffected by incorporating lignin and ZnO nanoparticles. In addition, the incorporation of fillers reduced the thermal stability of the materials. Furthermore, the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles introduced photocatalytic properties into the polymer blend, rendering it to be a functional self-cleaning material and enhancing its antimicrobial activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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