A Multifunctional Nanocomposite Hydrogel for Endoscopic Tracking and Manipulation

Abstract

Herein, the fabrication of multi‐responsive and hierarchically organized nanomaterial using core‐shell SrF2 upconverting nanoparticles, doped with Yb3+, Tm3+, Nd3+ incorporated into gelatin methacryloyl matrix, is reported. Upon 800 nm excitation, deep monitoring of 3D‐printed constructs is demonstrated. Addition of magnetic self‐assembly of iron oxide nanoparticles within the hydrogel provides anisotropic structuration from the nano‐ to the macro‐scale and magnetic responsiveness permitting remote manipulation. The present study provides a new strategy for the fabrication of a novel highly organized multi‐responsive material using additive manufacturing, which can have important implications in biomedicine.

Bio-Fabrication: Convergence of 3D Bioprinting and Nano-Biomaterials in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

“…Indeed, after the fabrication process the luminescent signal have been detected from the scaffold placed under˜0.6 mm layer of chicken breast muscle upon excitation at 800 nm. Also, orientation and rotation of the construct along the direction of an applied external magnetic field have been shown to be possible (Augurio et al, 2019). The excellent biocompatibility and contactless manipulation of this nano-composite hydrogels open the way toward future applications of the synergy nano-technology-bioprinting where soft-robotics devices will be fabricated for minimally invasive endoscopic tools.…”

“…It is also possible to use multifunctional nano-biomaterials and create complex hydrogel constructs, which show multiple behaviors related to intrinsic characteristics of the embedded nano-particles. Augurio et al (2019) developed a nanocomposite hydrogel which could be deep monitored and remotely controlled under biological tissues. It was exploited the capability of upconverting nano-particles (UCNPs), which can convert near infrared (NIR) radiation in UV-visible emission, and the sensibility to the magnetic field of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) used to magnetically polarize the hydrogel.…”

Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline by ZnO/γ-Fe2O3 Paramagnetic Nanocomposite Material

“…ZnO/γ-Fe2O3 nanostructures were characterized by means of XRD in order to identify the crystalline phase of the two components. As reported in Figure 1, ZnO shows the typical diffraction pattern of the zinc oxide in the wurtzite form (JPCS card 036-1451) and the iron oxide seems to maintain the original maghemite phase [29]. FESEM measurements were performed to investigate the morphological details of the synthesized catalysts.…”

Paramagnetic Functionalization of Biocompatible Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications: A Perspective

“…The other family of chemical compounds largely used to obtain scaffold for tissue engineering is represented by the organic biocompatible polymers [87]. This class of compounds appears particularly appealing since they can be processed by means of many techniques, particularly by the use of 3D printing, a quick and economic technique used to fabricate three-dimensional scaffolds of different size and shape [12]. A mixture of poly(lactic-co-glycol acid)/polycaprolactone (PLGA/PCL) was used for realizing bio-compatible scaffolds decorated with both Fe 3 O 4 and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) [88] by means of 3D printing and layer by layer technique [89].…”

“…The intrinsic nature of the nanoparticles plays, of course, a central role in the choice of the particular application field. For example, ZnO and silver nanoparticles are used for their antibacterial properties [7,8]; gold nanoparticles have been demonstrated to be excellent photothermal agents [9][10][11] able to produce a temperature increase as a consequence of luminous photon absorption; upconverting NPs have been applied for ROS generation for cancer cells treatment [12][13][14]. In this context, the use of the magneto-responsive NPs deserves a special attention.…”