Supercritical carbon dioxide: putting the fizz into biomaterials

Supercritical carbon dioxide: putting the fizz into biomaterials

This paper describes recent progress made in the use of high pressure or supercritical fluids to process polymers into three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds. Three current examples are highlighted: foaming of acrylates for use in cartilage tissue engineering; plasticization and encapsulation of bioactive species into biodegradable polyesters for bone tissue engineering; and a novel las...

Putting the Bio into Biomaterials

Yeast Mating: Putting Some Fizz into Fungal Sex?

The mating-competent form of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans is not stable in vitro at the temperature found in its mammalian host where mating occurs. Recent evidence that high levels of CO(2) can stabilize the mating-competent state provides a solution to this puzzle.

Polymerizations in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.

Reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide

Use of conventional organic solvents often leads to the formation of hazardous waste, the disposal of which is a matter of environmental concern. Carbon dioxide is considered to be a green reaction medium and a good replacement for conventional organic solvents as it is benign and leads to elimination/reduction of hazardous wastes. Use of CO2 at near/above critical conditions has several additi...