Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymer Nanofibers Displaying Superparamagnetic Properties

Smart Thermoresponsive Electrospun Nanofibers with On-Demand Release of Carbon Quantum Dots for Cellular Uptake

Developing a smart responsive surface for on-demand delivery of organic, inorganic, and biological cargo in vitro cellular uptake is always in constant demand. Herein, we present carbon quantum dot (CQD)-loaded (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA)) blend nanofiber sheets having a thermoresponsive nature. As a model cargo, fluorescent CQDs are used for the demonstration of the on-demand delivery mechanism. In addition, a thermoresponsive nature is produced by the PNIPAAm polymer in the nanofiber matrix while the PMMA polymer provides extra stability and firmness to the nanofibers against the sudden dissolution of the nanofibers in aqueous media. The synthesis of CQDs and their loading into a blend nanofiber matrix are confirmed using fluorescence spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. The morphologies and diameters of the nanofibers are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Burst effect analysis proves that 30% (w/w) PNIPAAm-containing nanofibers possess the highest stability with the least dissolution in aqueous media. Thermoresponsiveness of the nanofibers is further confirmed through water contact angle measurements. Quantitative fluorescence results show that more than 80% of loaded CQDs can be released upon thermal stimulation. The fluorescence micrographs reveal that the blend nanofiber sheets can effectively improve the cellular uptake of CQDs by simply increasing the local concentrations via applying thermal stimulation as the released mechanism.

Biohybrid and Bioinspired Magnetic Microswimmers

Many motile microorganisms swim and navigate in chemically and mechanically complex environments. These organisms can be functionalized and directly used for applications (biohybrid approach), but also inspire designs for fully synthetic microbots. The most promising designs of biohybrids and bioinspired microswimmers include one or several magnetic components, which lead to sustainable propulsion mechanisms and external controllability. This Review addresses such magnetic microswimmers, which are often studied in view of certain applications, mostly in the biomedical area, but also in the environmental field. First, propulsion systems at the microscale are reviewed and the magnetism of microswimmers is introduced. The review of the magnetic biohybrids and bioinspired microswimmers is structured gradually from mostly biological systems toward purely synthetic approaches. Finally, currently less explored parts of this field ranging from in situ imaging to swarm control are discussed.

Doxorubicin Release Controlled by Induced Phase Separation and Use of a Co-Solvent

Electrospun-based drug delivery is emerging as a versatile means of localized therapy; however, controlling the release rates of active agents still remains as a key question. We propose a facile strategy to control the drug release behavior from electrospun fibers by a simple modification of polymer matrices. Polylactic acid (PLA) was used as a major component of the drug-carrier, and doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) was used as a model drug. The influences of a polar co-solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and a hydrophilic polymer additive, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), on the drug miscibility, loading efficiency and release behavior were investigated. The use of DMSO enabled the homogeneous internalization of the drug as well as higher drug loading efficiency within the electrospun fibers. The PVP additive induced phase separation in the PLA matrix and acted as a porogen. Preferable partitioning of Dox into the PVP domain resulted in increased drug loading efficiency in the PLA/PVP fiber. Fast dissolution of PVP domains created pores in the fibers, facilitating the release of internalized Dox. The novelty of this study lies in the detailed experimental investigation of the effect of additives in pre-spinning formulations, such as co-solvents and polymeric porogens, on the drug release behavior of nanofibers.

A highly efficient nano-Fe3O4 encapsulated-silica particles bearing sulfonic acid groups as a solid acid catalyst for synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene derivatives

ABSTRACT

The functionalization of silica-coated Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂) using chlorosulfonic acid were afforded sulfonic acid-functionalized magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-SO₃H) that can be applied as an organic-inorganic hybrid heterogeneous catalyst. The used Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles are 18-30 nm sized that was rapidly functionalized and can be used as catalyst in organic synthesis. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, magnetization curve, scanning electron microscope, dynamic laser scattering, and FT-IR measurements. The resulting immobilized catalysts have been successfully used in the synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene derivatives under solvent free condition. This procedure has many advantages such as; a much milder method, a shorter reaction time, a wide range of functional group tolerance, and absence of any tedious workup or purification. Other remarkable features include the catalyst can be reused at least five times without any obvious change in its catalytic activity. This procedure also avoids hazardous reagents/solvents, and thus can be an eco-friendly alternative to the existing methods.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

A highly efficient nano-Fe₃O₄ encapsulated-silica particles bearing sulfonic acid groups as a solid acid catalyst for synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene derivatives.

Electrospun poly(L-lactide) fiber with ginsenoside rg3 for inhibiting scar hyperplasia of skin

Hypertrophic scarring (HS) has been considered as a great concern for patients and a challenging problem for clinicians as it can be cosmetically disfiguring and functionally debilitating. In this study, Ginsenoside Rg3/Poly(l-lactide) (G-Rg3/PLLA) electrospun fibrous scaffolds covering on the full-thickness skin excisions location was designed to suppress the hypertrophic scar formation in vivo. SEM and XRD results indicated that the crystal G-Rg3 carried in PLLA electrospun fibers was in amorphous state, which facilitates the solubility of G-Rg3 in the PLLA electrospun fibrous scaffolds, and solubility of G-Rg3 in PBS is increased from 3.2 µg/ml for pure G-Rg3 powders to 19.4 µg/ml for incorporated in PLLA-10% fibers. The released G-Rg3 content in the physiological medium could be further altered from 324 to 3445 µg in a 40-day release period by adjusting the G-Rg3 incorporation amount in PLLA electrospun fibers. In vitro results demonstrated that electrospun G-Rg3/PLLA fibrous scaffold could significantly inhibit fibroblast cell growth and proliferation. In vivo results confirmed that the G-Rg3/PLLA electrospun fibrous scaffold showed significant improvements in terms of dermis layer thickness, fibroblast proliferation, collagen fibers and microvessels, revealing that the incorporation of the G-Rg3 in the fibers prevented the HS formation. The above results demonstrate the potential use of G-Rg3/PLLA electrospun fibrous scaffolds to rapidly minimize fibroblast growth and restore the structural and functional properties of wounded skin for patients with deep trauma, severe burn injury, and surgical incision.

Electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone fibers with high concentrations of ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic nanoparticles

Electrospun polymer fibers were prepared containing mixtures of different proportions of ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The magnetic properties of these fibers were then explored using a superconducting quantum interference device. Mixed superparamagnetic/ferromagnetic fibers were examined for mesoscale magnetic exchange coupling, which was not observed as theoretically predicted. This study includes some of the highest magnetic nanoparticle loadings (up to 50 wt%) and the highest magnetization values (≈ 25 emu/g) in an electrospun fiber to date and also demonstrates a novel mixed superparamagnetic/ferromagnetic system.

Rotational maneuver of ferromagnetic nanowires for cell manipulation

1-D magnetic nanowires provide a powerful tool for investigating biological systems because such nanomaterials possess unique magnetic properties, which allow effective manipulation of cellular and subcellular objects. In this study, we report the rotational maneuver of ferromagnetic nanowires and their applications in cell manipulation. The rotational maneuver is studied under two different suspension conditions. The rotation of nanowires in the fluid is analyzed using Stokes flow assumption. Experimental results show that when the nanowires develop contacts with the bottom surfaces, the rotational maneuver under a modest external magnetic field can generate rapid lateral motion. The floating nanowires, on the other hand, do not exhibit substantial lateral displacements. Cell manipulation using skeletal myoblasts C2C12 shows that living cells can be manipulated efficiently on the bottom surface by the rotational maneuver of the attached nanowires. We also demonstrate the use of rotational maneuver of nanowires for creating 3-D nanowire clusters and multicellular clusters. This study is expected to add to the knowledge of nanowire-based cell manipulation and contribute to a full spectrum of control strategies for efficient use of nanowires for micro-total-analysis. It may also facilitate mechanobiological studies at cellular level, and provide useful insights for development of 3-D in vivo-like multicellular models for various applications in tissue engineering.

Direct fabrication of highly nanoporous polystyrene fibers via electrospinning

A direct approach for fabricating nanoporous polymer fibers via electrospinning has been demonstrated. Polystyrene (PS) fibers with micro- and nanoporous structures both in the core and/or on the fiber surfaces were electrospun in a single process by varying solvent compositions and solution concentrations of the PS solutions. The porous structures of the fibrous mats were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements to confirm that they could be accurately controlled by tuning vapor pressure of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent mixtures and PS concentrations in the solutions. As the solution concentration decreased, the average fiber diameter decreased, whereas the bead density increased dramatically to show a beads-on-string morphology. Both the specific surface area and pore volume of the fibrous mats showed a unimodal distributions centered at 1/3 THF /DMF mix ratio. Fibers formed from 5 wt % PS in the 1/3 THF and DMF mixtures had the largest specific surface area of 54.92 m(2) g(-1) and a pore volume of 0.318 cm(3)g(-1), respectively.

One-dimensional composite nanomaterials: synthesis by electrospinning and their applications

This Review provides an overview of the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) composite nanomaterials by electrospinning and their applications. After a brief description of the development of the electrospinning technique, the transformation of an inorganic nanocomponent or polymer into another kind of polymer or inorganic matrix is discussed in terms of the electrospinning process, including the direct-dispersed method, gas-solid reaction, in situ photoreduction, sol-gel method, emulsion electrospinning method, solvent evaporation, and coaxial electrospinning. In addition, various applications of such 1D composite nanomaterials are highlighted in terms of electronic and optical nanodevices, chemical and biological sensors, catalysis and electrocatalysis, superhydrophobic surfaces, environment, energy, and biomedical fields. An increasing number of investigations show that electrospinning has been not only a focus of academic study in the laboratory but is also being applied in a great many technological fields.

One-dimensional magnetopolymeric nanostructures with tailored sizes

Ultra-high aspect ratio nanofibers composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) and CoFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles (PVA/CoFe(2)O(4)) and moderate aspect ratio nanofibers composed of poly(vinyl chloride) and Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (PVC/Fe(3)O(4)) have been prepared. Magnetopolymeric one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures with any diameter and length can be prepared by template synthesis using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) followed by the replication methods presented in this work. These replication methods are very effective, and allow the nanomoulding of any polymer-nanoparticle 1D composite. A first magnetic characterization of the nanostructured composites reveals a modest magnetic anisotropy. The development of magnetopolymeric nanofibers with adjusted length and diameter opens new opportunities in a wide range of applications.

The role of electrospinning in the emerging field of nanomedicine

The fact that in vivo the extracellular matrix (ECM) or substratum with which cells interact often includes topography at the nanoscale underscores the importance of investigating cell-substrate interactions and performing cell culture at the submicron scale. An important and exciting direction of research in nanomedicine would be to gain an understanding and exploit the cellular response to nanostructures. Electrospinning is a simple and versatile technique that can produce a macroporous scaffold comprising randomly oriented or aligned nanofibers. It can also accommodate the incorporation of drug delivery function into the fibrous scaffold. Endowed with both topographical and biochemical signals such electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds may provide an optimal microenvironment for the seeded cells. This review covers the analysis and control of the electrospinning process, and describes the types of electrospun fibers fabricated for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Electrospinning of Nanofibres: Towards New Techniques, Functions, and Applications

Nanofibres, core–shell nanofibres, as well as hollow nanofibres and nanotubes based on polymers, serve as a platform for a broad range of applications as filters, textiles, in photonics, sensors, catalysis, or in medicine and pharmacy. Such nanoobjects become available by techniques such as the well-known electrospinning and the more recently developed co-electrospinning of nanofibres. Electrospinning takes place in the latter case by two or more concentrically arranged dies that yield core–shell fibres or fibres with droplet-like inclusions arranged along the centre of the fibres, where the inclusions are composed of polymers, low-molar-mass synthetic functional units, or molecules of biological origins such as proteins. Furthermore, template methods have been developed using electrospun nanofibres or a porous substrate, which yield core–shell fibres of complex architectures, with or without gradient structures or hollow nanofibres and nanotubes. These techniques are not restricted to polymers of synthetic and natural origin, but are able – based on precursor substances – to deliver nanofibres and nanotubes also composed of metals, glasses, and ceramics. Furthermore, these preparation techniques allow the direct introduction into these nanostructures of specific functional compounds such as semiconductor or catalytic nanoparticles and chromophores, in addition to enzymes, proteins, microorganisms, etc. during the preparation process in a very gentle way. Of particular interest are such nanostructures in medicine and pharmacy, for instance, as scaffolds for tissue engineering or as drug-delivery systems for tumour therapy.