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Three-dimensional scaffolds are known to directly influence proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into bone tissue due to their properties such as stiffness and topography. While conventional methods for chemical induction of differentiation processes are based on incorporation of growth factors and/or cytokines via blending or adhesion onto the scaffold surfaces, novel approaches use template-mediated biomineralization to mimic the stimuli stem cells receive in their natural niche. This chapter summarizes recent progresses in guided bone tissue engineering with particular focus on design and functionality of three dimensional scaffolds, chemical templates and promising approaches for the corresponding cellbased approaches for future therapies.
Temperature Dependency of Morphological Structure of Thermoplastic Polyurethane using WAXS and SAXS
(2016)
Polyurethanes achieved an exceptional position among the most important organic polymers due to their highly specific technological application areas. Polyurethanes represent a polyaddition product of isocyanate and diols. In terms of their enormous industrial importance, the chemistry of isocyanates has been extensively studied.
Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Baustoffanalytik und anwendungstechnische Prüfungen an Objekten
(2018)
Today, more than 70 million tons of lignin are produced by the pulp and paper industry every year. However, the utilization of lignin as a source for chemical synthesis is still limited due to the complex and heterogeneous lignin structure. The purpose of this study was a selective photodegradation of industrially available kraft lignin in order to obtain appropriate fragments and building block chemicals for further utilization, e.g. polymerization. Thus, kraft lignin obtained from soft wood black liquor by acidification was dissolved in sodium hydroxide and irradiated at a wavelength of 254 nm with and without the presence of titanium dioxide in various concentrations. Analyses of the irradiated products via SEC showed decreasing molar masses and decreasing polydispersity indices over time. At the end of the irradiation period the lignin was depolymerised to form fragments as small as the lignin monomers. TOC analyses showed minimal mineralisation due to the depolymerisation process.
Antioxidant activity is an essential aspect of oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging, cosmetics, and biomedicine. Technical lignin has not yet been applied as a natural antioxidant, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. This report presents antioxidant capacity studies completed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The influence of purification on lignin structure and activity was investigated. The purification procedure showed that double-fold selective extraction is the most efficient (confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and X-ray diffraction), resulting in fractions of very narrow polydispersity (3.2⁻1.6), up to four distinct absorption bands in UV/Vis spectroscopy. Due to differential scanning calorimetry measurements, the glass transition temperature increased from 123 to 185 °C for the purest fraction. Antioxidant capacity is discussed regarding the biomass source, pulping process, and degree of purification. Lignin obtained from industrial black liquor are compared with beech wood samples: antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition) of kraft lignin fractions were 62⁻68%, whereas beech and spruce/pine-mixed lignin showed values of 42% and 64%, respectively. Total phenol content (TPC) of the isolated kraft lignin fractions varied between 26 and 35%, whereas beech and spruce/pine lignin were 33% and 34%, respectively. Storage decreased the TPC values but increased the DPPH inhibition.
Polyurethane (PU) coatings were successfully produced using unmodified kraft lignin (KL) as an environmentally benign component in contents of up to 80 wt%. Lignin samples were precipitated from industrial black liquor in aqueous solution working at room temperature and different pH levels (pH 2 to pH 5). Lignins were characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, pyrolysis-GC/MS, SEC and 31P-NMR. Results show a correlation between pH level, OH number and molecular weight Mw of isolated lignins. Lignin-based polyurethane coatings were prepared in an efficient one step synthesis dissolving lignin in THF and PEG425 in an ultrasonic bath followed by addition of 4,4-diphenylmethanediisocyanate (MDI) and triethylamine (TEA). Crosslinking was achieved under very mild conditions (1 hour at room temperature followed by 3 hours at 35 °C). The resulting coatings were characterized regarding their physical properties including ATR-IR, TGA, optical contact angle, light microscopy, REM-EDX and AFM data. Transparent homogeneous films of high flexibility resulted from lignins isolated at pH 4, possessing a temperature resistance up to 160 °C. Swelling tests revealed a resistance against water. Swelling in DMSO depends on index, pH of precipitation and catalyst utilization for PU preparation. According to AFM studies, surface roughness is between 10 and 28 nm.
Bioinspired stem cell-based hard tissue engineering includes numerous aspects: The synthesis and fabrication of appropriate scaffold materials, their analytical characterization, and guided osteogenesis using the sustained release of osteoinducing and/or osteoconducting drugs for mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, growth, and proliferation. Here, the effect of silicon- and silicate-containing materials on osteogenesis at the molecular level has been a particular focus within the last decade. This review summarizes recently published scientific results, including material developments and analysis, with a special focus on silicon hybrid bone composites. First, the sources, bioavailability, and functions of silicon on various tissues are discussed. The second focus is on the effects of calcium-silicate biomineralization and corresponding analytical methods in investigating osteogenesis and bone formation. Finally, recent developments in the manufacturing of Si-containing scaffolds are discussed, including in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as recently filed patents that focus on the influence of silicon on hard tissue formation.
Antioxidant activity is an essential feature required for oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging as well as materials used in cosmetics and biomedicine. For example, vanillin, one of the most prominent antioxidants, is fabricated from lignin, the second most abundant natural polymer in the world. Antioxidant potential is primarily related to the termination of oxidation propagation reactions through hydrogen transfer. The application of technical lignin as a natural antioxidant has not yet been implemented in the industrial sector, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. Thus, current research focuses on various isolation and purification strategies to improve the compatibility of lignin material with substrates and enhancing its stabilizing effect.
Bone tissue engineering is an ever-changing, rapidly evolving, and highly interdisciplinary field of study, where scientists try to mimic natural bone structure as closely as possible in order to facilitate bone healing. New insights from cell biology, specifically from mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and signaling, lead to new approaches in bone regeneration. Novel scaffold and drug release materials based on polysaccharides gain increasing attention due to their wide availability and good biocompatibility to be used as hydrogels and/or hybrid components for drug release and tissue engineering. This article reviews the current state of the art, recent developments, and future perspectives in polysaccharide-based systems used for bone regeneration.
Pozzolanic properties of Pennisetum purpureum grass ash were tested on Portland cement. Results show that the ash can be blended with cements without compromising binding strength of the cement. It was found that Portland cement could be blended with Pennisetum purpureum up to a ratio of 3:2 compromising compressive strength of mortar.Mortar with lower cement replacement took longer to set as evidenced by lower compressive strength within the 28-day aging time. Mortar with higher cement replacement had lower water absorption capacity, an indication that the test pozzolan was of smaller particulate size. XRF analysis and the FTIR spectrum showed that the ash has a higher content of silica. The XRD pattern of the ash showed that the ash was predominantly amorphous. SEM images showed that the ash produced at 600 o C had residual carbon material.
Polyether and polyether/ester based TPU (thermoplastic polyurethanes) were investigated with wide-angle XRD (X-ray diffraction) and SAXS (small angle X-ray scattering). Furthermore, SAXS measurements were performed in the temperature range of 30 °C to 130 °C. Polyether based polymers exhibit only one broad diffraction signal in a region of 2 θ 15° to 25°. In case of polyurethanes with ether/ester modification, the broad diffraction signal arises with small sharp diffraction signals. SAXS measurements of polymers reveal the size and shape of the crystalline zones of the polymer. Between 30 °C and 130 °C the size of the crystalline zone changes significantly. The size decreases in most of investigated TPU. In the case of Desmopan 9365D an increase of the particle size was observed.
The strength of hydrated cement and its cohesive properties are determined to a great extent by the structure of the calcium silicate hydrate phases. There is a description of investigations into the crystallization of calcium silicate hydrate (tobermorite) in the presence of various amino acids that lead to significant changes in the elementary cells.
Due to increased emissions of palladium nanoparticles in recent years, it is important to develop analytical techniques to characterize these particles. The synthesis of defined and stable particles plays a key role in this process, as there are not many materials commercially available yet which could act as reference materials. Polyvinylpyrrolidone- (PVP-) stabilized palladium nanoparticles were synthesized through the reduction of palladium chloride by tetraethylene glycol (TEG) in the presence of KOH. Four different methods were used for particle size analysis of the palladium nanoparticles. Palladium suspensions were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), single-particle ICP-MS (SP-ICP-MS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Secondary particles between 30 nm and 130 nm were detected in great compliance with SAXS and SP-ICP-MS. SEM analysis showed that the small particulates tend to form agglomerates.
