Scaffolds for drug delivery,part I: electrospun porous poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene oxide) hybrid scaffolds

This is the first in a series of papers, focused on the development of a biodegradable, controlled, and potentially targeted drug delivery system. In this paper, we describe the production of highly porous biodegradable fibrous structures suitable for biomedical applications and as a matrix for drug delivery. Two structures are described below. The first structure is composed of electrospun poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fibers and is unique due to (1) the uniformity if its constitute fibers’ diameter, (2) consistent surface pore dimensions of each fiber, (3) the use of only a single solvent, (4) interior nano-size porosity throughout each individual fiber, and (5) the independency of surface pore dimensions on fiber diameter. The produced matrix will be further impregnated with cargo loaded nanoparticles—Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV)—to achieve a controlled drug delivery system (described in Part III) for cancer treatments. Such a structure can also be used as tissue engineering scaffolds and filter media. The second electrospun structure has enhanced hydrophilicity compared to PLA matrix and is formed by blending poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymers. The incorporation of PEO in the matrix introduces preferable sites for aqueous compounds to be attached to while retaining the overall structural integrity and porous morphology. It is hypothesized that the existence of alternative hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments in the structure may reduce post-implantation complications such as platelet adhesion.     

Additive manufacturing of mechanical testing samples based on virgin poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and PLA/wood fibre composites

3D printing in additive manufacturing is considered as one of key technologies to the future high-precision manufacturing in order to benefit diverse industries in building construction, product development, biomedical innovation, etc. The increasing applications of 3D printed components depend primarily on their significant merits of reduced weight, minimum used materials, high precision and shorter production time. Furthermore, it is very crucial that such 3D printed components can maintain the same or even better material performance and product quality as those achieved by conventional manufacturing methods. This study successfully fabricated 3D printed mechanical testing samples of PLA and PLA/wood fibre composites. 3D printing parameters including infill density, layer height and the number of shells were investigated via design of experiments (DoE), among which the number of shells was determined as the most significant factor for maximising tensile strengths of PLA samples. Further, DoE work evaluated the effect of material type (i.e., neat PLA and PLA/wood fibres) and the number of shells on tensile, flexural and impact strengths of material samples. It is suggested that material type is the only predominant factor for maximising all mechanical strengths, which however are consistently lower for PLA/wood fibre composites when compared with those of neat PLA. Increasing the number of shells, on the other hand, has been found to improve almost all strength levels and decrease infill cavities. The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-018-0211-3     

Application of lignin as natural adhesion promoter in cotton fibre-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites

This study investigated how lignin—used as a natural adhesion promoter in biodegradable, thermoplastic cotton fibre-reinforced composites—influences the composites’ mechanical properties. Composites with fibre mass proportions of 40% were produced by compression moulding. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a biopolymer, served as matrix. Cotton/PLA composites with and without lignin content were manufactured. As reference samples of bast fibre-reinforced composites, kenaf/PLA composites were produced under the same conditions. The composites were tested for stiffness, tensile strength, elongation at break and impact strength. Fractured surfaces were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of the composite investigations showed that the addition of lignin has an influence on the cotton/PLA composite characteristics. SEM investigations showed that the adhesion between fibre and matrix could be improved by the addition of lignin. Tensile characteristics like tensile strength and Young’s modulus could be improved clearly, while the impact properties were decreased.     

Preparation and release characteristic of quercetin loaded poly(lactic acid) ultrafine fibers

In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) ultrafine fibers have been prepared by electrospinning method using mix-solvent. The results showed that the variation of solvent ratio (N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/Dichloromethane (DCM)) could change the surface morphology of PLA nanofibers. By adjusting the solvent ratio, the quercetin release rate from the fiber membranes could be controlled. Furthermore, by adjusting the PLA concentration, the nanofibers without beads could be obtained. After addition of quercetin to polymer solution, the spindle-shaped beads on the fiber disappeared, but surface morphology of the fiber changed little with increase in quercetin dosage, and the release rate of quercetin increased with increase of quercetin dosage.     

Effect of diisocyanates as compatibilizer on the properties of ramie/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites

Ramie/PLA composites with the diisocyanates as compatibilizer were fabricated by extrusion and injection molding. The influence of different diisocyanates and various diisocyanate content on the mechanical properties and thermal properties of the composites was investigated. The presence of the diisocyanates in the composites lead to the improvements in mechanical properties and thermal properties of the composites. The morphologies of fracture surface using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided evidence of improved interfacial adhesion between ramie and PLA from the addition of the diisocyanates. The composites containing isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) showed the best mechanical properties. The comparison of various IPDI content showed that the composites with 1.5% IPDI could get the optimum mechanical properties, and the excess diisocyanate content resulted in the decrease in the mechanical properties of the composites. However, IPDI content had almost no effect on the crystallization and melting behavior of the ramie/PLA composites.     

聚乳酸纤维的研究进展

聚乳酸是一种新型的生态环保型高分子材料.本文主要介绍了世界各国对聚乳酸纤维研究及生产的相关情况,对聚乳酸的生产工艺作了深入的探究,并介绍了聚乳酸的应用及发展前景.     

聚乳酸的聚合方法

本文探讨了聚乳酸的现有聚合方法 ,同时对聚乳酸的另一直接 -固相新聚合方法进行了研究 ,分析了聚乳酸固相聚合机理 ,通过实验验证了固相聚合方法的有效性     

Nanodiamond/poly (lactic acid) nanocomposites: Effect of nanodiamond on structure and properties of poly (lactic acid)

Nanodiamond (ND)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites with potential for biological and biomedical applications were prepared by using melting compound methods. By means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Tensile test, the ND/PLA nanocomposites were investigated, and thus the effect of ND on the structural, thermal and mechanical properties of polymer matrix was demonstrated for the first time. Experimental results showed that the mechanical properties and thermal stability of PLA matrix were significantly improved, as ND was incorporated into the PLA matrix. For example, the storage modulus (E′) of 3 wt% ND/PLA nanocomposites was 0.7 GPa at 130 °C which was 75% higher than that of neat PLA, and the initial thermal decomposition was delayed 10.1 °C for 1 wt% ND/PLA nanocomposites compared with the neat PLA. These improvements could be ascribed to the outstanding physical properties of ND, homogeneous dispersion of ND nanoclusters, unique ND bridge morphology and good adhesion between PLA matrix and ND in the ND/PLA nanocomposites.     

聚乳酸的增塑改性

采用溶液共混法,以聚乙二醇(PEG)、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)、邻苯二甲酸二辛酯(DOP)作为增塑剂,对聚左旋乳酸(PLA)进行增塑改性.用综合热分析仪对改性PLA的热性能进行了表征.讨论了不同的增塑剂及其用量对改性PLA性能的影响:当增塑剂的含量增加时,改性PLA的强度下降,伸长率增加,并逐渐由脆性向韧性转变;玻璃化转变温度(Tg)和熔点(Tm)下降.当增塑剂的质量比≤20%时,共混物各组分间有较好的相容性.PEG400改性的PLA效果较好.     

A comparison of the mechanical characteristics of kenaf and lyocell fibre reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) composites

Cellulose fibre-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) composites have become increasingly interesting with regard to their biodegradability and mechanical characteristics. The use of different matrices leads to variable composite characteristics. This study provides a comparison of the mechanical characteristics of compression-moulded 30 mass% lyocell and 40 mass% kenaf fibre-reinforced PLA and PHB. The results of the tensile tests showed that 30 mass% lyocell/PLA composites reached the highest tensile and bending strength with 89 and 148 N/mm², respectively. The highest Young’s modulus was also measured for 30 mass% lyocell/PLA with 9.3 GPa, and the highest flexural modulus was measured for 40 mass% kenaf/PHB with 7.1 GPa. By far, the best impact strength was determined for lyocell/PHB with 70 kJ/m², followed by lyocell/PLA with 52 kJ/m². The investigation of the Shore D hardness resulted in a higher value for the PLA matrix with 81.5. PHB achieved a hardness of 67.5. By adding fibres as reinforcement, the Shore D hardness increased up to 83.6 for lyocell/PLA and 73.1 for kenaf/PHB. Density measurements showed lower densities for the composites with higher fibre loads (kenaf/PLA and kenaf/PHB) in comparison to the theoretical density. This speaks for a higher proportion of air inclusion in the composites which could negatively affect the mechanical composite characteristics.     

Processing and characterization of solid and microcellular poly(lactic acid)/polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate (PLA/PHBV) blends and PLA/PHBV/Clay nanocomposites

The morphology, microstructure, tensile properties, and dynamic mechanical properties of solid and microcellular poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate (PHBV) blends, as well as PLA/PHBV/clay nanocomposites, together with the thermal and rheological properties of solid PLA/PHBV blends and PLA/PHBV/clay nanocomposites, were investigated. Conventional and microcellular injection-molding processes were used to produce solid and microcellular specimens in the form of ASTM tensile test bars. Nitrogen in the supercritical state was used as the physical blowing agent in the microcellular injection molding experiments. In terms of rheology, the PLA/PHBV blends exhibited a Newtonian fluid behavior, and their nanocomposite counterparts showed a strong shear-thinning behavior, over the full frequency range. An obvious pseudo-solid-like behavior over a wide range of frequencies in the PLA/PHBV/clay nanocomposites suggested a strong interaction between the PLA/PHBV blend and the nanoclay that restricted the relaxation of the polymer chains. PLA/PHBV/clay nanocomposites possess a higher modulus and greater melt strength than PLA/PHBV blends. The addition of nanoclay also decreased the average cell size and increased the cell density of microcellular PLA/PHBV specimens. As a crystalline nucleating agent, nanoclay significantly improved the crystallinity of PHBV in the blend, thus leading to a relatively high modulus for both solid and microcellular specimens. However, the addition of nanoclay had less of an effect on the tensile strength and strain-at-break.     

基于聚甲基丙烯酸的pH敏感靶向释药性能研究

以5-氨基水杨酸(5-ASA)为模型药物分子,pH敏感水凝胶聚甲基丙烯酸(PMAA)为载体,采用浸渍法实现了药物在载体上的负载,载药量约为23.3wt%。通过体外模拟释放实验,研究了该凝胶在不同pH值模拟胃液(pH=1.2)和模拟肠液(pH=7.5)中的释药行为。结果表明,药物在pH值较低的模拟胃液中释放的较慢,且最大累积释药率较低(～10.4%);在pH值较高的模拟肠液中释放的较快,最大累积释药率达～47.6%,并揭示了释药机理。因此,PMAA可实现药物5-ASA在模拟肠液中的靶向释放,在智能药物控释系统领域具有潜在的应用价值。     

Natural and man-made cellulose fibre-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites: An overview about mechanical characteristics and application areas

The paper describes the production and the mechanical characteristics of composites made completely of renewable raw materials. Composites of different kinds of natural fibres like cotton, hemp, kenaf and man-made cellulose fibres (Lyocell) with various characteristics were processed with a fibre mass proportion of 40% and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by compression moulding. Additionally, composites were made of fibre mixtures (hemp/kenaf, hemp/Lyocell). The composites were tested for tensile strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus and Charpy impact strength. Their characteristics varied markedly depending on the characteristics of the raw fibres and fibre bundles and fibre mixtures used. While kenaf and hemp/PLA composites showed very high tensile strength and Young’s modulus values, cotton/PLA showed good impact characteristics. Lyocell/PLA composites combined both, high tensile strength and Young’s modulus with high impact strength. Thus, the composites could be applied in various fields, each meeting different requirements.     

聚乳酸类组织工程支架材料的设计

聚乳酸无毒、易加工、可生物降解、生物相容性好,是目前医学界作为组织工程支架最有开发和应用潜力一类材料。从材料的制备、支架的加工、生物学评价三方面出发,结合本课题组的研究,论述了聚乳酸类支架的设计,并对今后的研究做了进一步展望。     

新型生物降解材料聚乳酸的微孔发泡技术研究进展

介绍了新型生物可降解材料聚乳酸(PLA)微孔塑料的最新研究进展,并详细介绍了PLA微孔塑料的泡孔形态和力学性能的影响因素.     

Novel lightweight sandwich-structured bio-fiber-reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites

Novel bio-based lightweight sandwich-structured composites with both skin and core materials made from biofiber and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix were developed. The composites contained 48 wt% cellulose fiber and 52 wt% PLA matrix. The fabrication process was simple and required no adhesive for the skin–core bonding. The effects of fiber weight fraction and density on the core compressive properties were evaluated experimentally. Fifty percent of fibers gave the best results among the three fiber weight fractions studied and was used in preparing cores for subsequent fabrication of the sandwich-structured composites. The flexural properties and failure modes of the sandwich-structured composites were assessed. The flexural properties of the composites met the published deflection requirements for automotive load floor applications. Since these biocomposites were made using natural renewable materials that are fully biodegradable and recyclable, they show potential to be used as environmentally friendly alternatives to the existing products.     

端羧基聚乳酸共聚物的合成及表征

以乳酸为原料,辛酸亚锡为催化剂,采用梯度升温法,在168℃、0.098MPa下直接熔融缩聚生成端羧基聚乳酸共聚物P(LA/SA)、P(LA/CA)和P(LA/AC).用乌氏粘度法、FT-IR、1H-NMR、DSC、TGA及XRD等对共聚物进行了表征.结果表明和PLA相比,3种端羧基共聚物Tg均有不同程度的降低,说明端羧...     

Testing of drug release from bioadhesive vaginal tablets

To establish an in vitro test method that can predict the drug release and dissolution behaviour of vaginal bioadhesive controlled release tablets, a system was developed and its appropriateness to the in situ conditions was examined. For this purpose, the dissolution rates of vaginal bioadhesive tablets were measured by three different methods. These were, USF dissolution tester apparatus two and a new vaginal dissolution tester (NVDT) which was developed by us with some modification of the vaginal tablet desentegration apparatus of BP 1988 and, testing in cow vaginas in situ. Four different bioadhesive tablet formulations were used being composed of the drug and the anionic polymer, polyacrylic acid (PAA) and the nonionic polymers, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) and ethycellulose (EC). The release profiles of the in vitro and in situ methods were ivestigated and evaluated kinetically     

Chopped glass and recycled newspaper as reinforcement fibers in injection molded poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites: A comparative study

Natural/bio-fibers are replacing synthetic reinforcements traditionally used for the preparation of the environmentally friendly composites. Composite materials are also replacing conventional materials in various fields due to their ease of processability. Chopped glass fiber- and recycled newspaper cellulose fiber (RNCF)- reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites were processed using a full size twin-screw extruder and an injection molder. Additionally, a glass-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composite was compounded and molded, and compared to PLA/RNCF and PLA/glass fiber composites. The tensile and flexural moduli of RNCF- reinforced composites were significantly higher when compared to the virgin resin. The morphology, evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, indicated uniform dispersion of both fibers in the PLA matrix. The mechanical and thermo-physical properties of PLA/RNCF, PLA/glass and PP/glass fiber composite were studied and compared using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). DMA results confirmed that the storage and loss moduli of the PLA/RNCF composites increased with respect to the pure polymer, whereas the mechanical loss factor (tan delta) decreased. The results of the TGA experiments indicated that the addition of fibers increased the thermal stability of the biocomposites compared to neat PLA. The heat defection temperature of PLA/RNCF was found to be comparable to that of the glass fiber-reinforced PLA composites. Such studies are of great interest in the development of environmentally friendly composites from biodegradable polymers.     

Controlled release of salicylic acid from poly(D,L-Lactide)

Poly(D,L-Lactide) of high molecular weight (M_v was prepared by ring-opening bulk polymerization of D,L-Lactide and characterized in terms of M_v, melting point and swelling behavior in buffer solution. Samples of the polymers with low and high M_v (2000 and 22 000 respectively) loaded with various amounts of salicylic acid (SA) were immersed in a buffer solution and the release of SA was recorded. The results obtained showed that swelling of the poly(D,L-Lactide) samples obeyed Fick's law, especially for those with high molecular weight, where biodegradation proceeds slowly. The release of SA seemed to follow a simplified relationship which is linear with time, at least for the early stages of delivery. The extent of linearity is dependent on the content of the acidic SA, which probably accelerates decomposition of the high molecular weight products. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers