Recent applications of QCM-D for the design, synthesis, and characterization of bioactive materials

Abstract

The clinical translation of bioactive technologies is lacking compared to the number of novel technologies reported in the literature. This is in part due to the difficulties in characterizing bioactive materials to understand and predict their biological response. To progress the field and increase clinical success, more robust analytical techniques must be utilized when investigating novel bioactive materials. The quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), a label-free sensing instrument based on an acoustic resonator, is used to quantify mass change and viscoelastic parameters from soft materials at the nanoscale, in situ, with precise temporal resolution and operation in both liquid and gaseous environments. The versatility of QCM-D has enhanced the characterization of bioactive polymers and sensing arrays for advanced applications of novel biotechnologies. In this review, we highlight exciting, recent applications of QCM-D for the investigation of bioactive materials. Attention is given to the dynamic mechanical properties of bioactive materials, discerning protein structure on surfaces, probing cell adhesion and cytoskeletal changes, and biosensing applications. We conclude that QCM-D has untapped utility in the pre-clinical investigation of bioactive materials and further utilization can improve the clinical success of novel technologies.

Influence of Front-End Electronics on Metrological Performance of QCM Systems

“…(VCA824, Texas Instruments). This allows for the adjustment of the gain A v through a feedback loop, ensuring that the oscillator poles maintain proximity to marginal stability, i.e., it ensures that the circuit oscillates generating a sine wave, satisfying (12). This strategy facilitates operation in alignment with the Barkhausen conditions regardless of variations in mechanical load by adapting the oscillator to the varying impedance of the quartz Z q ( f o ).…”

“…In this context, it is evident how monitoring other quantities related to the resonant behavior of the quartz can be beneficial, as it provides additional information about the interaction with the target substance. This is usually attained by exploiting different measurement techniques, ranging from impedance analysis [6][7][8][9][10] to simpler and lower-cost ones such as those based on frequency measurement associated with dissipation monitoring [11][12][13][14][15][16], or on a variant of oscillator-based systems, called QCM-R, recently proposed to simultaneously obtain a measurement of the dissipative behavior of the quartz [17][18][19][20][21].…”

Practical Use of Quartz Crystal Microbalance Monitoring in Cartilage Tissue Engineering

“…Looking to the future, the rapid development of biomaterials requires proper selection and preparation before using them as a potential cellular scaffold in TE. Moreover, the clinical translation of bioactive technologies for medical use should be facilitated; therefore, in situ monitoring and understanding of the interfaces are of great importance for clarifying the nature of biocompatibility [ 162 ].…”

Real time monitoring and evaluation of the inhibition effect of fucoxanthin against α-amylase activity by using QCM-A

“…Quartz crystal microbalance is a mass sensing technology characterized by ultra-sensitivity and high resolution, which is approximately 100 times more sensitive than typical precision analytical balances, so it can be used to determine mass changes at a nanogram level or less than 1 µg cm −2 mass density (23)(24)(25)(26)(27). The typical QCM is made of a thin AT-cut quartz crystal and placed between two electrodes linked to an oscillator, which, when energized, produces a piezoelectric effect that has very stable oscillations at a resonant frequency.…”