Macromol. Mater. Eng. 10/2013

Abstract

Cover: The fabrication of polyelectrolyte nanofibrous scaffolds from aqueous polymer solutions through a simple and versatile green electrospinning process is presented. The generation of different architectures under various spinning conditions and the application of polyelectrolyte scaffolds from polysaccharides and biopolymers for skin, cartilage, heart, and bone applications are reviewed. Further details can be found in the article by R. Krishnan, S. Sundarrajan,* and S. Ramakrishna* http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/mame.201200323.

Self‐Assembly‐Driven Electrospinning: The Transition from Fibers to Intact Beaded Morphologies

“…Since the early 1990s, several research groups (most notably, Reneker and co‐workers have demonstrated the ability of electrospinning to fabricate ultrafine fibers. Electrospinning has attracted vast interest in research for potential application in diverse fields, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, sensors, catalysis and fuel cells . One of the two main reasons for such wide ranging applications is that almost all polymers with sufficiently high molecular weight, including highly branched polymers, can be prepared as ultrafine fibers using this simple technique .…”

Polycaprolactone Electrospun Fiber Mats Prepared Using Benign Solvents: Blending with Copper(II)‐Chitosan Increases the Secretion of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in a Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Line

“…According to ICH guidelines,41 these solvents belong to Class 3 and are deemed benign at a residual concentration <0.5% (higher amounts may also be acceptable with a proper justification), as also previously described 42. The use of such class of solvents in electrospinning has been recently proposed as an interesting processing method for biomedical polymers 40,43. The use of benign solvents for electrospinning is an emerging concept that aims at the development of electrospinning protocols based on low‐toxicity solvents, avoiding typically used halogenated solvents, such as chloroform.…”

“…[42] The use of such class of solvents in electrospinning has been recently proposed as an interesting processing method for biomedical polymers. [40,43] The use of benign solvents for electrospinning is an emerging concept that aims at the development of electrospinning protocols based on low-toxicity solvents, avoiding typically used halogenated solvents, such as chloroform. This in turn results in better lab worker safety and simpler waste management.…”

Observations on metallurgical phenomena and formation of onion ring nugget during friction stir lap welding of dissimilar aluminum by a new 3D technique

“…Many investigations on the formation mechanism of onion ring have been conducted [1]. The material flow during FSW is an important factor to obtain a good joint without defects.…”