Polymer micelles have emerged as promising carriers for controlled release applications, however, several limitations of micelle-based drug delivery have also been reported. To address these issues, we have synthesized a functional biodegradable and cytocompatible block copolymer based on methoxypoly(ethyleneglycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone-co-α-azido-ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-b-poly(εCL-co-αN3εCL)) a...

Hydrogels are biocompatible polymeric materials that are becoming increasingly important in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. Understanding of small-molecule diffusion in these systems is important in the contexts of controlled drug release; transport of nutrients (e.g., O2 and growth factors) into the gel; and transport of cellular waste out of the gel. In ...

A basic investigation on the removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions from metal solution by crosslinked chitosan-g-acrylonitrile copolymer was conducted in a batch adsorption system. Graft copolymers of crosslinked chitosan (CLCS) with acrylonitrile (AN) were prepared by free radical polymerization using initiator ceric ammonium nitrate as redox system. Graft copolymerization was confirmed by FTIR, X...

Two types of externally plasticized cellulose acetate (CA) were chemically modified using 4,4'-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as crosslinking agent. Crosslinking was performed in the molten state by means of melt mixing in an internal mixer. The viscoelastic properties of the non-crosslinked, externally plasticized CA show typical temperature dependence, similar to conventional thermopla...

Autophagy is a cellular catabolic process responsible for the degradation of cytoplasmic constituents, including organelles and long-lived proteins, that helps maintain cellular homeostasis and protect against various cellular stresses. Verteporfin is a benzoporphyrin derivative used clinically in photodynamic therapy to treat macular degeneration. Verteporfin was recently found to inhibit auto...

A synthetic two-stage procedure was developed for the synthesis of moderately crosslinked polymers based on poly(aryl-ethereethereketone) (PEEK). Rigid crosslinks based on aromatic imines were synthetically introduced into PEEK polymer matrix resulting in PEEK materials with various degrees of crosslinking. Two specific crosslinked PEEK polymers (5% and 10% of ketone groups crosslinked) were ch...

Ultra -high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is the current material of choice for bearing surface applications in total joint arthroplasty. In an effort to enhance the wear properties of the material many companies have recently resorted to electron beam and gamma irradiation of the components prior to the machining. It is of considerable interest to accurately determine the dose absorbe...