Ag nanoparticles decorated electrospinning carbon nanotubes/polyamide nanofibers

Fabrication of silver nanoparticles-deposited fabrics as a potential candidate for the development of reusable facemasks and evaluation of their performance

Recently, wearing facemasks in public has been raised due to the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic worldwide. However, the performance and effectiveness of many existing products have raised significant concerns among people and professionals. Therefore, greater attempts have been focused recently to increase the efficacy of these products scientifically and industrially. In this respect, doping or impregnating facemask fabrics with metallic substances or nanoparticles like silver nanoparticles has been proposed. So, in the present study, we aimed to sonochemically coat silver nanoparticles on the non-woven Spunbond substrates at different sonication times and concentrations to develop antibacterial and antiviral facemask. The coated substrates were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive X-Ray, X-ray diffraction, and Thermogravimetry analysis. The amount of silver released from the coated substrates was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The filtration efficiency, pressure drop, and electrical conductivity of the coated samples were also investigated. The antibacterial activity of fabrics was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Cellular viability of samples assessed by MTT and brine shrimp lethality tests. The results revealed that the higher sonication times and precursor concentrations result in a higher and more stable coating, larger particle size, wider particle size distribution, and lower content of released silver. Coated fabrics also revealed enhanced filtration efficiency (against nanosize particles), desired pressure drop, and antibacterial activity without significant cytotoxicity toward HEK 293 cells and Artemia nauplii. As a result, the coated fabrics could find potential applications in the development of facemasks for protection against different pathogenic entities.

A concise review on implications of silver nanoparticles in bone tissue engineering

Skeletal disorders represent a variety of degenerative diseases that affect bone and cartilage homeostasis. The regenerative capacity of bone is affected in osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures, congenital defects, and bone cancers. There is no viable, non-invasive treatment option and bone regeneration requires surgical intervention with the implantation of bone grafts. Incorporating nanoparticles in bone grafts have improved fracture healing by providing fine structures for bone tissue engineering. It is currently a revolutionary finding in the field of regenerative medicine. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have garnered particular attention due to their well-known anti-microbial and potential osteoinductive properties. In addition, AgNPs have been demonstrated to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) involved in bone regeneration. Furthermore, AgNPs have shown toxicity towards cancer cells derived from bone. In the last decade, there have been multiple studies focusing on the effect of nanoparticles on the proliferation and/or differentiation of MSCs and bone cancer cells; however, the specific studies with AgNPs are limited. Although the reported investigations show promising in vitro and in vivo potential of AgNPs for application in bone regeneration, more studies are required to ensure their implications in bone tissue engineering. This review aims to highlight the current advances related to the production of AgNPs and their effect on MSCs and bone cancer cells, which will potentiate their possible implications in orthopedics. Moreover, this review article evaluates the future of AgNPs in bone tissue engineering.

Carbon nanotube reinforced polyvinyl alcohol/biphasic calcium phosphate scaffold for bone tissue engineering

In this paper, a well-developed porous carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polyvinyl alcohol/biphasic calcium phosphate (PVA/BCP) scaffold was fabricated by a freeze-thawing and freeze-drying method. The microstructure, mechanical properties and the composition of the scaffolds were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results illustrate that after the incorporation of CNTs, the compressive strength of the hydrogels (moisture state) reached 81 ± 6 kPa, presenting a significantly higher value than that of pure PVA/BCP hydrogels (48 ± 2 kPa). Meanwhile, CNT reinforced PVA/BCP scaffolds exhibited a porous structure and high interconnectivity (80 ± 0.6%). The degradation analysis indicated that the degradation ratio of scaffolds can be varied by changing the concentrations of BCP powders and CNTs. Cell culture results show that PVA/BCP/CNT porous scaffolds have no negative effects on the survival and proliferation of cells. These results strongly show that the composite scaffolds may possess a potential application in the field of bone tissue engineering and regeneration.

In this paper, a well-developed porous carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polyvinyl alcohol/biphasic calcium phosphate (PVA/BCP) scaffold was fabricated by a freeze-thawing and freeze-drying method.