Coating of modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers with sericin-capped silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial application

Polymer Bulletin - In this work, a kind of amine-type PET fibers was synthesized by reacting hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) with methacrylic acid-g-poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET-g-MAA) fibers for...     

Production of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-g-poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanofibers by electrospinning and evaluation of the properties of the obtained nanofibers

Nanofiber production was investigated from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymers functionalized with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) by grafting of HEMA monomers onto the PET fibers. HEMA grafted PET (PET-g-HEMA) copolymers were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. PET and PET-g-HEMA were dissolved in trifluoroacetic acid and nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning. It was found that the PET and PET-g-HEMA polymers having grafting yield 20 and 55% could be converted to continuous, smooth, and beadles nanofibers. For characterization of the nanofiber membranes, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter analysis, surface contact angle measurement, porosity analysis, and mechanical tests were applied. When compared with the original PET nanofibers, the thermal properties and degradation process of PET-g-HEMA nanofibers changed according to the amount of HEMA present in the structure of nanofibers. The contact angles of the nanofibers obtained from PET-g-HEMA polymers decreased whereas the water retention ability of the nanofibers increased compared to original PET nanofibers. The porosity of PET-g-HEMA nanofibers was found be high compared to PET nanofibers and whereas the mechanical properties of PET was higher than PET-g-HEMA nanofibers. The obtained nanofibers can be used in many fields such as biomaterial applications.     

Treatment of tumour tissue with radio‐frequency hyperthermia (using antibody‐carrying nanoparticles)

Intelligent inorganic nanoparticles were designed and produced for use in imaging and annihilating tumour cells by radio‐frequency (RF) hyperthermia. Nanoparticles synthesised to provide RF hyperthermia must have magnetite properties. For this purpose, magnetite nanoparticles were first synthesised by the coprecipitation method (10–15 NM). These superparamagnetic nanoparticles were then covered with gold ions without losing their magnetic properties. In this step, gold ions are reduced around the magnetite nanoparticles. Surface modification of the gold‐coated magnetic nanoparticles was performed in the next step. A self‐assembled monolayer was created using cysteamine (2‐aminoethanethiol) molecules, which have two different end groups (SH and NH₂). These molecules react with the gold surface by SH groups. The NH₂ groups give a positive charge to the nanoparticles. After that, a monoclonal antibody (Monoclonal Anti‐N‐CAM Clone NCAM‐OB11) was immobilised by the 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide/N‐hydroxysuccinimide method. Then, the antenna RF system (144.00015 MHz) was created for RF hyperthermia. The antibody‐nanoparticle binding rate and cytotoxicity tests were followed by in vitro and in vivo experiments. As the main result, antibody‐bound gold‐coated magnetic nanoparticles were successfully connected to tumour cells. After RF hyperthermia, the tumour size decreased owing to apoptosis and necrosis of tumour cells.