Search results for "Biomaterial"

Enzyme-Mediated Deposition of a TiO2Coating onto Biofunctionalized WS2 Chalcogenide Nanotubes

2009

A chemically specific and facile method for the biofunctionalization of WS2 nanotubes (NT-WS2) is reported. The covalent modification strategy is based on the affinity of the nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) side chain, which serves as a ligand for the surface binding to NT-WS2 and simultaneously as an anchor group for the binding of His-tagged proteins to the polymer backbone. The polymer functionalized WS2 nanotubes can be solubilized either in water or organic solvents; they are stable for at least one week. The probes were characterized by FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The immobilization of silicatein, a hydrolytic protein encountered in marine sponges, was visualized by scanning force micr…

Metal Oxide/Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles with Versatile Functionality Prepared by Controlled Surface Crystallization

2012

Metal oxide/polymer hybrids are prepared from polystyrene nanoparticles functionalized at the surface with phosphonate and phosphate groups. The polymer particles are synthesized with specifically designed surface-active monomers (surfmers) and used as nucleation surfaces for the controlled in situ crystallization of cerium, iron, and zinc oxide nanocrystals. The formation of the metal oxide is driven by the addition of a base to suspensions of the polymer particles containing the corresponding precursor. The crystal formation at the particle surface is studied for the different hybrid systems by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The potential catalytic activity …

Organic-Inorganic Hybrids: Metal Oxide/Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles with Versatile Functionality Prepared by Controlled Surface Crystallization (Adv.…

2013

Chemical modification of Topaz surfaces

1999

In chemisorption, one is typically faced with the problem that the two-dimensional structure of the organic layer does not match the structure of the inorganic substrate. This work describes the first steps toward an induced epitaxial correlation of organic compounds on an inorganic surface. The idea of this work was to use a single crystal with a two-dimensional surface structure, Topaz (001), that matches an alkyl chain lattice better than existing substrates. X-ray reflectivity and FTIR experiments prove the surface modification of the Topaz, which is probably an etherification of the reactive OH-groups on the Topaz (001) surface.

Towards completely miscible PMMA nanocomposites reinforced by shear-stiff, nano-mica

2014

Abstract Optimizing the reinforcement of polymers with nanoplatelets requires optimization of the aspect ratio and the moduli of the filler while providing a complete stress transfer. Employing a novel shear-stiff, nano-mica with large aspect ratio, we focus on maximizing the interfacial interaction between filler and matrix. External surfaces of the nano-mica were selectively modified by a polycationic macro-initiator and two PMMA-polymer brushes of length below and above critical entanglement length, respectively, and the mechanical properties of the three PMMA nanocomposites were measured. The multiple electrostatic anchoring groups of the macro-initiator not only provide reliable adhesi…

Stable Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells Using Hyperbranched Polymer Electrolyte

2021

The choice of an adequate electrolyte is a fundamental aspect in polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) as it provides the in situ electrochemical doping and influences the performance of these devices. In this study, a hyperbranched polymer (Hybrane DEO750 8500) blended with a Li salt is used as a novel electrolyte in state-of-the-art Super Yellow (a polyphenylenevinylene) based LECs. Due to the desirable properties of the hyperbranched polymer and the homogeneous and smooth films that it forms with the emitting polymer, PLEC with excellent electroluminescent properties are obtained using a pulsed current bias scheme. The devices are very stable, with lifetimes in excess of 2…

Photoresponsive Ferroelectric Liquid-Crystalline Polymers

2007

The photoresponse of ferroelectric smectic side-chain liquid-crystalline (LC) polymers containing a photoisomerizable azobenzene derivative as a covalently linked photochromic side group is investigated. By static measurements in different photostationary states, the effect of trans-cis isomerization on the material's phase-transition temperatures and its ferroelectric properties (spontaneous electric polarization Ps and director tilt angle 0) are analyzed. It turns out that the Curie temperature (transition S C * to S A ) can be reversibly shifted by up to 17 °C. The molecular mechanism of this "photoferroelectric effect" is studied in detail using time-resolved measurements of the dye's o…

Glycopolymer Functionalization of Engineered Spider Silk Protein-based Materials for Improved Cell Adhesion

2014

Silk protein-based materials are promising biomaterials for application as tissue scaffolds, due to their processability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The preparation of films composed of an engineered spider silk protein (eADF4(C16)) and their functionalization with glycopolymers are described. The glycopolymers bind proteins found in the extracellular matrix, providing a biomimetic coating on the films that improves cell adhesion to the surfaces of engineered spider silk films. Such silk-based materials have potential as coatings for degradable implantable devices.

Calculation of Dependent Elastic Constants of Plastic Foams with a Pronounced Strut-Like Structure

2003

Seven dependent elastic constants of monotropic plastic foams with an expressed strut-like structure are calculated. For this purpose, the basic results of the previously elaborated mathematical model for light-weight plastic foams is used. The model includes a model cell of local structure for monotropic/isotropic plastic foams and an ensemble of structural elements, which allows one to calculate the seven dependent elastic constants, taking into account the pronounced polydispersity of the structure of plastic foams. The numerical values of the constants are compared with the available experimental data, and a satisfactory agreement is found to exist. As a final result, a full set of gene…

Role of Solvent Compatibility in the Phase Behavior of Binary Solutions of Weakly Associating Multivalent Polymers

2021

AbstractCondensate formation of biopolymer solutions, prominently those of various intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), is determined by “sticky” interactions between associating residues, multivalently present along the polymer backbone. Using a ternary mean field “stickers-and-spacers” model, we demonstrate that if sticker association is of the order of a few times the thermal energy, a delicate balance between specific binding and non-specific polymer-solvent interactions gives rise to a particularly rich ternary phase behavior under physiological circumstances. For a generic system represented by a solution comprising multi-associative scaffold and client polymers, the difference i…