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Polymers
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Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application
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Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 10194

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yinglong Wu

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Guest Editor
Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
Interests: organic chromophores; polymeric materials; chemosensors and biosensors; fluorescence and optoacoustic imaging systems; nanomedicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hongzhong Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Interests: nanomedicine; biomaterials; polymers; prodrugs; supramolecular chemistry; cancer theranostics
Dr. Xiaodong Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
Interests: polymeric nanoparticles; drug delivery; biosensing/bioimaging; cancer therapy; bacterial infection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymeric materials from natural or synthetic sources have attracted increasing interest in academia and industry due to their structural diversity and functional tunability. The unique characteristics of polymeric materials mainly result from the presence of functional groups in the polymeric matrixes that regulate their physical (size, shape, solubility, mechanical), chemical (degradability, stability), electrical (conductivity, thermoelectricity, magnetism), optical (fluorescence, absorption, optoacoustic effects) or thermal properties. Furthermore, the low cost, facile synthesis, and non-toxicity of polymeric materials also contribute to a wide range of applications. Particularly, the development of polymeric materials for environmental and biomedical applications has seen remarkable progress in the past years.

This Special Issue on Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application is devoted to the dissemination of high-quality original research articles or comprehensive reviews on cutting-edge developments in this interdisciplinary field, demonstrating the scientific and commercial value of polymeric materials. The topics of interest for this Special Issue cover the latest advancements in polymeric materials in the form of nanoparticles, supramolecular assemblies, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), composites, fibers, sponges, films, wound dressings, hydrogels, aerogels, etc. and their applications, such as environmental bioremediation, water decontamination, air purification, biosensing/bioimaging, drug delivery, wound healing, anti-microbial, cancer treatment, implants, tissue engineering, etc.

Dr. Yinglong Wu
Dr. Hongzhong Chen
Dr. Xiaodong Zhang
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. 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

  • polymeric materials
  • nanoparticles
  • environmental remediation
  • water decontamination
  • air purification
  • biosensing/bioimaging
  • drug delivery
  • wound healing
  • antimicrobial
  • cancer treatment
  • tissue engineering

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2491 KiB  
Article
Clustering-Triggered Emission of EPS-605 Nanoparticles and Their Application in Biosensing
by Chengcheng Li, Xiaotong Shi and Xiaodong Zhang
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4050; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194050 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1527
Abstract
Natural carbohydrates with intrinsic luminescent properties have drawn increasing attention thanks to their fundamental importance and promising applications. To expand the range of natural nonconventional biomacromolecule luminogens and to gain deep insights into their emission mechanism, we prepared EPS-605, a naturally occurring spherical [...] Read more.
Natural carbohydrates with intrinsic luminescent properties have drawn increasing attention thanks to their fundamental importance and promising applications. To expand the range of natural nonconventional biomacromolecule luminogens and to gain deep insights into their emission mechanism, we prepared EPS-605, a naturally occurring spherical nanoparticle based on negatively charged exopolysaccharides (EPS), and studied its emission behavior. It was found that EPS-605 was highly emissive in the aggregate state, such as powder and film. Furthermore, EPS-605 aqueous solutions exhibited concentration-enhanced emission characteristics. According to fluorescence spectra and confocal images, the fluorescence phenomenon of EPS-605 was not affected by the pH value and the carbon sources. The emission behavior of EPS-605 was attributed to the clustering-triggered emission (CTE) mechanism. Moreover, EPS-605 was successfully utilized for Fe3+ detection since its fluorescence could be selectively quenched by Fe3+. It could be used to detect Fe3+ with a low limit of detection (0.06 μM) and a wide detection range from 0.05 to 250 μM. Overall, these findings not only benefit the exploitation of EPS-based nonconventional biomacromolecule luminogens, but also reveal the potential applications of EPS-605 in biosensing/bioimaging, anticounterfeiting, and encryption owing to its excellent biocompatibility, environmental friendliness, and intrinsic photoluminescence property. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application)
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12 pages, 3636 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) Scaffolds Used for Epidermal Cells Growth as Potential Biomatrix
by Sandra García-Cerna, Uriel Sánchez-Pacheco, Angélica Meneses-Acosta, José Rojas-García, Bernardo Campillo-Illanes, Daniel Segura-González and Carlos Peña-Malacara
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4021; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194021 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2053
Abstract
Advances in tissue engineering have made possible the construction of organs and tissues with the use of biomaterials and cells. Three important elements are considered: a specific cell culture, an adequate environment, and a scaffold. The present study aimed to develop P3HB scaffolds [...] Read more.
Advances in tissue engineering have made possible the construction of organs and tissues with the use of biomaterials and cells. Three important elements are considered: a specific cell culture, an adequate environment, and a scaffold. The present study aimed to develop P3HB scaffolds by 3D printing and evaluate their biocompatibility with HaCaT epidermal cells, as a potential model that allows the formation of functional tissue. By using a method of extraction and purification with ethanol and acetone, a biopolymer having suitable properties for use as a tissue support was obtained. This polymer exhibited a higher molecular weight (1500 kDa) and lower contact angle (less than 90°) compared to the material obtained using the conventional method. The biocompatibility analysis reveals that the scaffold obtained using the ethanol–acetone method and produced by 3D printing without pores was not cytotoxic, did not self-degrade, and allowed high homogenous cell proliferation of HaCaT cells. In summary, it is possible to conclude that the P3HB scaffold obtained by 3D printing and a simplified extraction method is a suitable support for the homogeneous development of HaCaT keratinocyte cell lineage, which would allow the evaluation of this material to be used as a biomatrix for tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application)
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19 pages, 5102 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Highly Conductive Poly(3-hexylthiophene) by Chemical Oxidative Polymerization Using Surfactant Templates
by Sanhanut Kesornsit, Chatrawee Direksilp, Katesara Phasuksom, Natlita Thummarungsan, Phimchanok Sakunpongpitiporn, Kornkanok Rotjanasuworapong, Anuvat Sirivat and Sumonman Niamlang
Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3860; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183860 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2737
Abstract
Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was systematically synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization in chloroform with ferric chloride (FeCl3) as the oxidizing agent and various surfactants of the shape templates. The effects of 3HT: FeCl3 mole ratios, polymerization times, and surfactant types and concentrations [...] Read more.
Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was systematically synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization in chloroform with ferric chloride (FeCl3) as the oxidizing agent and various surfactants of the shape templates. The effects of 3HT: FeCl3 mole ratios, polymerization times, and surfactant types and concentrations on the electrical conductivity, particle shape and size were systematically investigated. Furthermore, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (AOT) were utilized as the surfactant templates. The P3HT synthesized with DBSA at 6 CMC, where CMC stands for the Critical Micelle Concentration of surfactant, provided a higher electrical conductivity than those with PTSA, SDS and AOT. The highest electrical conductivity of P3HT using DBSA was 16.21 ± 1.55 S cm−1 in which the P3HT particle shape was spherical with an average size of 1530 ± 227 nm. The thermal analysis indicated that the P3HT synthesized with the surfactants yielded higher stability and char yields than that of P3HT without. The P3HT_DBSA electrical conductivity was further enhanced by de-doping and doping with HClO4. At the 10:1 doping mole ratio, the electrical conductivity of dP3HT_DBSA increased by one order of magnitude relative to P3HT_DBSA prior to the de-doping. The highest electrical conductivity of dP3HT_DBSA obtained was 172 ± 5.21 S cm−1 which is the highest value relative to previously reported. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application)
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18 pages, 3786 KiB  
Article
Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Evaluation of Chitosan Nanoparticles Physically Admixed with Lactose Microspheres for Pulmonary Delivery of Montelukast
by Faqir Ullah, Kifayat Ullah Shah, Shefaat Ullah Shah, Asif Nawaz, Touseef Nawaz, Kamran Ahmad Khan, Raed F. Alserihi, Hossam H. Tayeb, Shams Tabrez and Mulham Alfatama
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3564; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173564 - 29 Aug 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3145
Abstract
This study aimed to synthesise montelukast-loaded polymeric nanoparticles via the ionic gelation method using chitosan as a natural polymer and tripolyphosphate as a crosslinking agent. Tween 80, hyaluronic acid and leucine were added to modify the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, reduce the nanoparticles’ [...] Read more.
This study aimed to synthesise montelukast-loaded polymeric nanoparticles via the ionic gelation method using chitosan as a natural polymer and tripolyphosphate as a crosslinking agent. Tween 80, hyaluronic acid and leucine were added to modify the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, reduce the nanoparticles’ uptake by alveolar macrophages and improve powder aerosolisation, respectively. The nanoparticles ranged from 220 nm to 383 nm with a polydispersity index of ≤0.50. The zeta potential of nanoparticles ranged from 11 mV to 22 mV, with a drug association efficiency of 46–86%. The simple chitosan nanoparticles (F2) were more spherical in comparison to other formulations (F4–F6), while the roughness of hyaluronic acid (F5) and leucine (F6) added formulations was significantly high er than F2 and Tween 80 added formulation (F4). The DSC and FTIR analysis depict that the physical and chemical properties of the drug were preserved. The release of the drugs from nanoparticles was more sustained in the case of F5 and F6 when compared to F2 and F4 due to the additional coating of hyaluronic acid and leucine. The nanoparticles were amorphous and cohesive and prone to exhalation due to their small size. Therefore, nanoparticles were admixed with lactose microspheres to reduce particle agglomeration and improve powder dispersion from a dry powder inhaler (DPI). The DPI formulations achieved a dispersed fraction of 75 to 90%, a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 1–2 µm and a fine particle fraction (FPF) of 28–83% when evaluated using the Anderson cascade impactor from Handihaler®. Overall, the montelukast-loaded nanoparticles physically admixed with lactose microspheres achieved optimum deposition in the deep lung for potential application in asthmatic patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials for Environmental and Biomedical Application)
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