Polymer-based piezoelectric biomaterials have already proven their relevance for tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, the morphology of the scaffolds plays also an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation. The present work reports on poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), a biocompatible, biodegradable, and piezoelectric biopolymer that has been processed in different morphologies, including films, fibers, microspheres, and 3D scaffolds. The corresponding magnetically active PHBV-based composites were also produced. The effect of the morphology on physico-chemical, thermal, magnetic, and mechanical properties of pristine and composite samples was evaluated, as well as their cytotoxicity. It was observed that the morphology does not strongly affect the properties of the pristine samples but the introduction of cobalt ferrites induces changes in the degree of crystallinity that could affect the applicability of prepared biomaterials. Young’s modulus is dependent of the morphology and also increases with the addition of cobalt ferrites. Both pristine and PHBV/cobalt ferrite composite samples are not cytotoxic, indicating their suitability for tissue engineering applications.

Novel microfluidic substrates based on electrospun poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) membranes were developed to increase the limited range of commercially available paper substrates, commonly used for the fabrication of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs). PLLA advantageous properties include being biodegradable, biocompatible, easily processed in various tailored morphologies, and cost effective, among others. Oriented and non-oriented electrospun PLLA membranes were fabricated using electrospinning and the influence of fibre orientation, addition of hydrophilic additives and plasma treatments on the morphology, physicochemical properties and capillary flow rate were evaluated and compared with commercial Whatman paper. In addition, a proof of concept application based on the colorimetric detection of glucose in printed PLLA and paper-based microfluidic systems was also performed. The results show the potential of PLLA substrates for the fabrication of portable, disposable, ecofriendly and cost-effective microfluidic systems with controllable properties that can be tailored according to specific biotechnological application requirements, being a suitable alternative to conventional paper-based substrates.

The increasing demand on electronic and portable devices requires battery system with improved energy storage capacity. Thus, studies in all battery components are being carried out to increase their performance. One of those battery components in the separator membrane. The present work reports on porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-2 trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) separators with different patterned surfaces constituted by arrays of hexagons, lines, zig-zags and pillars microstructures and their influence on battery performance. Further, computer simulations allow to understand the influence of the patterned surface on battery response. It is observed that separator surface micropatterning increases battery performance. Thus, zig-zag surface micropatterning leads to a higher electrolyte current density (472.6 A.m -2 ), improved uptake value (262%), and larger ionic conductivity (3.00 mS.cm -1 ) than the non-patterned separator. The increase of electrolyte/separator contact area (4.5×10 -7 m), leading to new pathways for lithium-ion diffusion, results in a discharge capacity efficiency ~804% (at 2C-rate) the one obtained for non-patterned separators. Thus, it is shown that micropatterning of separator membranes allow to significantly improve battery performance.

The morphological clues of scaffolds can determine cell behavior and, therefore, the patterning of electroactive polymers can be a suitable strategy for bone tissue engineering. In this way, this work reports on the influence of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) electroactive micropatterned scaffolds on the proliferation and differentiation of bone cells. For that, micropatterned P(VDF-TrFE) scaffolds were produced by lithography in the form of arrays of lines and hexagons and then tested for cell proliferation and differentiation of pre-osteoblast cell line. Results show that more anisotropic surface microstructures promote bone differentiation without the need of further biochemical stimulation. Thus, the combination of specific patterns with the inherent electroactivity of materials provides a promising platform for bone regeneration.

Electroactive polymers are being increasingly used in tissue engineering applications. Together with the electromechanical clues, morphological ones have been demonstrated to determine cell proliferation and differentiation. This work reports on the micropatterning of poly­(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), P­(VDF-TrFE) scaffolds, and their interaction with myoblast and preosteoblasts cell lines, selected based on their different functional morphology. The scaffolds were obtained by soft lithography and obtained in the form of arrays of lines, intermittent lines, hexagons, linear zigzags, and curved zigzags with dimensions of 25, 75, and 150 μm. Moreover, the scaffolds were tested in cell adhesion assays of myoblasts and preosteoblasts cell lines. The results show that more linear surface topographies and dense morphology have a large potential in the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue, while nonpatterned scaffolds or more anisotropic surface microstructures present largest potential to promote the growth and regeneration of bone tissue. In this way, cell adhesion site, orientation, and elongation can be controlled by choosing properly the topography and morphology of the scaffolds, indicating their suitability and potential for further proliferation and differentiation assays.