PGlu-Modified Nanocrystalline Cellulose Improves Mechanical Properties, Biocompatibility, and Mineralization of Polyester-Based Composites

Abstract

The development of biocompatible composite materials is in high demand in many fields such as biomedicine, bioengineering, and biotechnology. In this study, two series of poly (D,L-lactide) and poly (ε-caprolactone)-based films filled with neat and modified with poly (glutamic acid) (PGlu) nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) were prepared. An analysis of scanning electron and atomic force microscopies’ results shows that the modification of NCC with poly (glutamic acid) favored the better distribution of the nanofiller in the polymer matrix. Investigating the ability of the developed materials to attract and retain calcium ions led to the conclusion that composites containing NCC modified with PGlu induced better mineralization from model solutions than composites containing neat NCC. Moreover, compared to unmodified NCC, functionalization with PGlu improved the mechanical properties of composite films. The subcutaneous implantation of these composite materials into the backs of rats and the further histological investigation of neighboring tissues revealed the better biocompatibility of polyester materials filled with NCC–PGlu.

Biodegradable composites from bamboo Fibers - Mechanical and Morphological Study

“…When the CNC content is higher, more sharper peaks are observed, as indicated by darker areas on the surface Fig. 2(g-j), thereby exhibiting the better dispersion of the CNC's [18]. The depth histogram presented by Fig.…”

Effects of Amino Acid Side Chain Length and Chemical Structure on Anionic Polyglutamic and Polyaspartic Acid Cellulose-Based Polyelectrolyte Brushes

“…Intermolecular Ca 2+ bridges in aspartic acid and glutamic acid brushes are illustrated in Figure 13. Cellulose modified by anionic molecules is used for the synthesis of organomineral composites [9]. The distribution of Ca 2+ ions and its dependence on brush structure is an important factor, which allows to determine the structure for the formation of minerals in the brush [71,72].…”

“…Moreover, the polyelectrolyte nature of the grafted chains makes brush structures tunable by external conditions, e.g., pH and ionic strength of the solution, electromagnetic field or presence of multivalent salt, allowing for the design of stimuli-responsive materials. Adhesive properties of polyelectrolyte brushes make them usable for a wide range of applications including water treatment [4], development of anticorrosion agents [5], antifouling materials [6], drug delivery [7] sensors [8], and tissue engineering materials [9]. Balance between two opposite factors determines the size of the brush: Osmotic pressure of counterions and elasticity of the grafted chains [10].…”

“…The biological and physical properties discussed above make cellulose a versatile material for medical applications, in particular for wound dressings [25,26] and for diverse tissue scaffolds [27][28][29]. Materials based on cellulose modified by poly(anionic acids) are also used for the development of metal sorption membranes [30], equipment for virus-capturing [31], and bone scaffolds [9].…”

Effects of Amino Acid Side-Chain Length and Chemical Structure on Anionic Polyglutamic and Polyaspartic Acid Cellulose-Based Polyelectrolyte Brushes

“…Moreover, the polyelectrolyte nature of the grafted chains makes brush structures tunable by external conditions, e.g., pH and ionic strength of the solution, electromagnetic field, or presence of multivalent salt, allowing for the design of stimuli-responsive materials. Adhesive properties of polyelectrolyte brushes make them usable for a wide range of applications, including water treatment [ 4 ], development of anticorrosion agents [ 5 ], antifouling materials [ 6 ], drug delivery [ 7 ] sensors [ 8 ], and tissue engineering materials [ 9 ].…”