Silk fibroin-based scaffolds for tissue engineering

Silk fibroin (SF) from the Bombyx mori silkworm exhibits attractive potential applications as biomechanical materials, due to its unique mechanical and biological properties. This review outlines the structure and properties of SF, including of its biocompatibility and biodegradability. It highlights recent researches on the fabrication of various SF-based composites scaffolds that are promising for tissue engineering applications, and discusses synthetic methods of various SF-based composites scaffolds and valuable approaches for controlling cell behaviors to promote the tissue repair. The function of extracellular matrices and their interaction with cells are also reviewed here.     

Heparinization of a biomimetic bone matrix: integration of heparin during matrix synthesis versus adsorptive post surface modification

This study intended to evaluate a contemporary concept of scaffolding in bone tissue engineering in order to mimic functions of the extracellular matrix. The investigated approach considered the effect of the glycosaminoglycan heparin on structural and biological properties of a synthetic biomimetic bone graft material consisting of mineralized collagen. Two strategies for heparin functionalization were explored in order to receive a three-component bone substitute material. Heparin was either incorporated during matrix synthesis by mixing with collagen prior to simultaneous fibril reassembly and mineralization (in situ) or added to the matrix after fabrication (a posteriori). Both methods resulted in an incorporation of comparable amounts of heparin, though its distribution in the matrix varied as indicated by TOF-SIMS analyses, and a similar modulation of their protein binding properties. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the thermal stability and thereby the degree of crosslinking of the heparinized matrices was increased. However, in contrast to the a posteriori modification, the in situ integration of heparin led to considerable changes of morphology and composition of the matrix: a more open network of collagen fibers yielding a more porous surface and a reduced mineral content were observed. Cell culture experiments with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) revealed a strong influence of the mode of heparin functionalization on cellular processes, as demonstrated for proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hMSC. Our results indicate that not only heparin per se but also the way of its incorporation into a collagenous matrix determines the cell response. In conclusion, the a posteriori modification was beneficial to support adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of hMSC.     

Split off-specular reflection and surface scattering from woven materials

We measured radiance distributions for black lining cloth and copper gauze using the convenient technique of wrapping the materials around a circular cylinder, irradiating it with a parallel light source and collecting the scattered radiance by a digital camera. One family of parallel threads (weave or weft) was parallel to the cylinder generator. The most salient features for such glossy plane weaves are a splitting up of the reflection peak due to the wavy variations in local slopes of the threads around the cylinders and a surface scattering lobe due to the threads that run along the cylinder. These scattering characteristics are quite different from the (off-)specular peaks and lobes that were found before for random rough specular surfaces. The split off-specular reflection is due to the regular structures in our samples of man-made materials. We derived simple approximations for these reflectance characteristics using geometrical optics.     

乙烯基三乙氧基硅烷表面改性纳米SiO2

采用硅烷偶联剂A-151处理的纳米二氧化硅(SiO2)粒子,具有良好的疏水性,并且反应副产物没有腐蚀性,有利于保护设备和环境.对改性前后纳米SiO2的表面进行研究,证明该工艺能够实现纳米SiO2的表面改性,能够有效分散纳米SiO2聚集体.红外光谱分析表明,A-151确实已经和纳米SiO2表明的羟基发生了化学反应.     

纳米增韧三维正交玻璃纤维机织物增强环氧树脂复合材料的力学性能

为研究纳米改性对复合材料力学性能的影响,以纳米黏土改性环氧树脂与固化剂混合胶液为基体,以三维正交机织玻璃纤维织物为增强体,利用真空辅助树脂传递模压工艺（Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding,VARTM）,制备纳米增韧三维正交玻璃纤维机织物增强环氧树脂复合材料。分别测试不同质量分数（1wt%、2wt%、3wt%、4wt%）纳米黏土改性复合材料沿0°和90°方向的弯曲和拉伸性能。结果表明:当纳米黏土质量分数为1wt%时,复合材料弯曲强度最大,沿0°和90°方向的弯曲强度分别增大了约7.21%和13.71%,弯曲模量分别增大了约5.69%和16.64%。当纳米黏土质量分数为3wt%时,复合材料拉伸强度最大,沿0°和90°方向的拉伸强度分别增大了约24.96%和27.93%,拉伸模量分别增加了约21.35%和13.26%。这是由于纳米黏土呈纳米尺度以片层状分散于环氧树脂中,增加了两相间的接触面积,提高纤维/树脂界面的结合力,进而增强了复合材料的力学性能。      

Controlled functionalization of graphene oxide through surface modification with acetone

The facile method to functionalize graphene oxide through surface modification with acetone was studied and improved. The resulting nanomaterials showed variable characteristics as the surface energy could be tailored according to the combination (proportion of H₂O to acetone) of mixed solvent under sonication. Stability test and contact angle measurement showed that the treated graphene oxide exhibited different dispersibility and wettability. SEM images of graphene oxide films corroborated the changes in chemical composition of the sheets. FT-IR, XPS, and TGA observation provided direct evidence for chemical composition changes occurred on the surface. The presence of alkyl chain could decrease the surface energy and obviously control the hydrophilicity of the graphene oxide sheets. These results will provide significant guidance for the study of graphene-based bio-materials and nano-composites.     

Probing the cytotoxicity of CdSe quantum dots with surface modification

The cytotoxicity of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) with surface modification was reported first in the paper. CdSe QDs were incorporated into poly (d, l) lactide (PLA) nanoparticles and then surface modified with Fluronic® 68 (F-68), cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), respectively. Three different particle sizes and zeta potential of the surface modified CdSe QDs were produced using a nano-precipitation method. The cytotoxicity of the surface modified CdSe QDs was evaluated in HepG2 cell model with MTT viability assay. The results showed that the cytotoxicity of the surface modified CdSe QDs in vitro was dependent on the surface properties. Surface modification with F-68 and SDS could lessen the cytotoxicity of CdSe QDs, while surface modification with CTAB showed significant cell damage. CdSe QDs surface modified with F-68 were injected into mice and the fluorescence images in viscus were obtained. The results suggested that CdSe QDs surface modified with F-68 have low cytotoxicity and good potential for biological labeling and imaging applications.     

PEO在医用聚氨酯表面润滑改性中的研究

采用聚氧化乙烯/聚氨酯互穿网络体系对医用聚氨酯材料表面进行了涂层改性.研究不同浓度的聚氧化乙烯对涂层表面形貌、接触角、吸水性、润滑性、牢固性等性能的影响,结果表明:改性后材料表面的润滑性能有明显提高,当聚氧化乙烯浓度为2.5％时,摩擦系数由改性前的0.455降到0.101;涂层牢固性较好.     

FEP纤维的等离子体表面改性

以空气气氛对聚全氟乙丙烯（FEP）纤维进行等离子体处理,利用SEM、DSC、XPS对改性前后纤维的性能及形貌进行表征,并测试水在纤维表面的接触角。等离子体处理后纤维的表面发生了C—F键断裂,表面形貌变得粗糙,O原子含量增加4.65%,F原子含量降低4.37%,O/C、F/C原子含量比分别由0.19和0.28变为0.25和0.22,但DSC结果表明结晶度未发生变化;水在纤维表面的接触角由改性前的112.3°降至改性后的54.1°,纤维亲水性得到明显增强。     

重晶石表面改性工艺

通过控制单因素实验条件,油酸钠作为改性剂,对重晶石进行疏水调控,探究其改性后的效果与改性剂用量、改性温度、改性时间以及BaSO_4质量分数之间的关系。结果表明:重晶石改性的优化条件是:油酸钠的质量分数为1.0%、改性时间为15 min、改性温度为80℃,BaSO_4的质量分数为30%;获得改性后的重晶石润湿接触角度为128°,使重晶石表面从亲水性转化为疏水性。     

纳米SiO2的制备与表面改性

以正硅酸乙酯为硅源,用反相微乳液法制备了单分散SiO2微球。为改善SiO2微球在有机介质中的分散性和相容性,用硅烷偶联剂KH-570对其进行了表面改性。采用FT-IR、TEM、亲油化度及亲油性测定对产物的结构、形貌和性能进行了表征。结果表明:改性SiO2亲油性增加,在有机介质中的分散性明显提高。最佳的改性条件是:改性剂用量为6%,反应温度91℃,反应时间为5h。在此条件下,改性SiO2的亲油化度为21%。     

Plasma surface modification of polylactic acid to promote interaction with fibroblasts

In this work, medium pressure plasma treatment of polylactic acid (PLA) is investigated. PLA is a biocompatible aliphatic polymer, which can be used for bone fixation devices and tissue engineering scaffolds. Due to inadequate surface properties, cell adhesion and proliferation are far less than optimal and a surface modification is required for most biomedical applications. By using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) operating at medium pressure in different atmospheres, the surface properties of a PLA foil are modified. After plasma treatment, water contact angle measurements showed an increased hydrophilic character of the foil surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed an increased oxygen content. Cell culture tests showed that plasma modification of PLA films increased the initial cell attachment both quantitatively and qualitatively. After 1 day, cells on plasma-treated PLA showed a superior cell morphology in comparison with unmodified PLA samples. However, after 7 days of culture, no significant differences were observed between untreated and plasma-modified PLA samples. While plasma treatment improves the initial cell attachment, it does not seem to influence cell proliferation. It has also been observed that the difference between the 3 discharge gases is negligible when looking at the improved cell-material interactions. From economical point of view, plasma treatments in air are thus the best choice.     

硅烷偶联剂对纳米ZnO的有机表面修饰研究

利用硅烷偶联荆(LM-N308)对纳米ZnO进行了有机表面改性.采用红外光谱(IR)、热分析(TG-DTA)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)、润湿性实验等对表面改性前后的纳米ZnO进行了表征.红外光谱和高分辨透射电镜结果表明,在纳米ZnO表面有LM-N308的存在,并形成了有机包覆层.润湿性实验表明,经LM-N308表面改性的纳米ZnO由亲水性变成了疏水性.     

基于曲面信息的平面织物铺覆改进渔网算法

通过分析复合材料平面织物预成形体在铺覆过程中的变形模式,提出铺覆仿真计算的织物变形基本假设。分析已存在的几种渔网铺覆算法,提出一种基于曲面信息的改进渔网算法（SIB渔网法）,该算法利用相邻节点处的曲面切向量及曲率信息来确定当前节点位置,避免了高强度的迭代计算,提高了仿真精度。研究采用非均匀有理B样条（NURBS）技术表达的复杂曲面求交算法。通过不同算法对球面、马鞍面仿真的结果对比,验证了SIB渔网法对复杂曲面铺覆计算的精确性及稳定性。     

金属钴对储氢合金电极的表面修饰研究

运用真空蒸镀法时MH／Ni电池储氢合金电极进行了镀覆金属钴的表面修饰,测试了电池的放电容量、高倍率放电性能、循环寿命和充电时的内压,利用XPS和XRD时电极进行了表面和结构分析。实验结果表明,运用该方法对电极进行表面修饰可以降低电池内阻,提高电池的放电容量和放电电压,极片经过修饰的电池,5C（8．5A）放电容量提高了120mAh,放电平台电压提高了约0．05V,内阻降低了19．3％。极片经过表面镀钴后,显著改善了电池的循环性能,电池500周循环后的放电容量仍为初始容量的94．09／6,同时,电池在充电时的内压有了明显的降低,充电效率有了较大的提高。     

NiO-based nanostructured thin films with Pt surface modification for gas detection

Nanocrystalline NiO thin films were prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering in a mixture of oxygen and argon and subsequently coated by Pt on an NiO film surface. Very thin Pt overlayers with a thickness of about 3 and 5 nm have been deposited by magnetron sputtering. Then, the modified NiO films have been analyzed by TEM, EELS and AES. NiO thin films showed a polycrystalline structure (fcc NiO phase) with the size of nanocrystals ranging from a few nanometres to 10 nm. TEM observations both of unmodified and Pt-modified NiO films revealed that they were formed by nanocrystals and an amorphous phase. Uniformly distributed Pt particles were produced on top of the NiO surface. According to AES measurements, the presence of Ni in the spectra recorded from Pt pad indicated that the Pt layer has discontinuous nature. Electrical responses of NiO-based sensor structures towards hydrogen have been measured.     

Plasma surface modification of advanced organic fibres

A marked improvement in the interlaminar shear strength and flexural strength of aramid/ epoxy composites is observed when the fibres are pretreated in an ammonia or ammonia/ nitrogen gaseous discharge (plasma) to introduce amine groups on to the fibre surface. Scanning electron and optical microscopic observations are used to examine the microscopic basis for these results. Scanning electron micrographs of shear fracture surfaces show clean fibre/matrix separation in composites made from untreated fibres, indicative of weak interfacial bonding. In contrast, shear fracture surfaces of composites containing plasma-treated fibres exhibit clear evidence of fibre fibrillation and matrix cracking, suggesting stronger interfacial bonding. Optical microscopic examination of flexure specimens shows that enhanced strength results mainly from reduced compressive fibre buckling and debonding, due to an increase in fibre/matrix interfacial bond strength. This increase is not accompanied by any significant change in the interlaminar fracture energy or flexural modulus of the composites, but there is an appreciable loss in transverse ballistic impact properties. These results are also examined in terms of the observed increase in fibre/matrix interfacial strength.     

纳米SiO2表面改性研究

以乙醇为分散介质,用硅烷偶联剂γ-(2,3-环氧丙基)氧化丙基三甲氧基硅烷(KH-560)对纳米SiO2进行表面改性.讨论了偶联剂用量对SiO2改性的影响,并采用红外光谱、热失重、扫描电镜、表面羟基滴定等手段表征改性效果.结果表明,硅烷偶联剂与纳米SiO2发生化学反应并接到SiO2表面,改性后的SiO2在有机物中的分散性明显改善.     

Plasma surface modification of advanced organic fibres

The interlaminar shear strength, interlaminar fracture energy, flexural strength and modulus of extended-chain polyethylene/epoxy composites are improved substantially when the fibres are pretreated in an ammonia plasma to introduce amine groups on to the fibre surface. These property changes are examined in terms of the microscopic properties of the fibre/matrix interface. Fracture surface micrographs show clean interfacial tensile and shear fracture in composites made from untreated fibres, indicative of a weak interfacial bond. In contrast, fracture surfaces of composites made from ammonia plasma-treated fibres exhibit fibre fibrillation and internal shear failure as well as matrix cracking, suggesting stronger fibre/matrix bonding, in accord with the observed increase in interlaminar fracture energy and shear strength. Failure of flexural test specimens occurs exclusively in compression, and the enhanced flexural strength and modulus of composites containing plasma-treated fibres result mainly from reduced compressive fibre buckling and debonding due to stronger interfacial bonding. Fibre treatment by ammonia plasma also causes an appreciable loss in the transverse ballistic impact properties of the composite, in accord with a higher fibre/matrix interfacial bond strength.