Tapered silicon photonic crystals (PhCs) with smooth sidewalls are realized using a novel single-step deep reactive ion etching. The PhCs can significantly reduce the surface reflection over the wavelength range between the ultra-violet and near-infrared regions. From the measurements using a spectrophotometer and an angle-variable spectroscopic ellipsometer, the sub-wavelength periodic structu...

This study focuses on the use of bio-nanocomposite microspheres, consisting of carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp) nanospheres within a poly(L: -lactide) (PLLA) matrix, to produce tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds using a modified selective laser sintering (SLS) machine. PLLA microspheres and PLLA/CHAp nanocomposite microspheres were prepared by emulsion techniques. The resultant microspheres had ...

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers have been extensively studied for various applications. In this work, PLLA and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by coelectrospinning to form composite nonwoven materials. The structures and diameter distribution of the electrospun PLLA/PVA composite nonwovens were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The wet...

A one-step method using a high-voltage electrostatic anti-solvent process was employed to fabricate poly-l-lactide (PLLA) porous microspheres (PMs). To address the simplification and control of the preparation process, a 2⁴ full factorial experiment was performed to optimize the operating process and analyze the effect of the factors on the morphology and aerodynamic properties of the PLLA PMs,...

Nanosized iron oxide particles exhibit osteogenic and radiopaque properties. Thus, iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were incorporated into a biodegradable polymer (poly-L-lactic acid, PLLA) to fabricate a composite bone screw. This multifunctional, 3D printable bone screw was detectable on X-ray examination. In this study, mechanical tests including three-point bending and ultimate tensile stre...

We examine photonic crystals PhC made of periodic stacks of anisotropic dielectric layers with a split band edge SBE on the band diagram. Just below the band edge frequency, the dispersion relation k of SBE PhCs can be approximated as a linear combination of a quadratic term and a quartic term. This is in contrast to regular conventional band edge PhCs, which produce a quadratic dispersion rela...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of phagocytosed poly(L-lactic acid) particles on the morphology and viability of phagocytes, mainly macrophages. Therefore, predegraded poly(L-lactic acid) (P-PLLA) and nontreated PLLA (N-PLLA) particles, both having diameters not exceeding 38 microns, were injected intraperitoneally in mice. P-PLLA particles were obtained by 25 kGy gamma-irra...

The N1,N1-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(N2-phenyloxalamide) (OXA) is a soluble-type nucleator with a dissolving temperature of 230 ◦C in poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) matrix. The effect of thermal history and shear flow on the crystallization behavior of the PLLA/OXA samples was investigated by rheometry, polarized optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffract...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to improve the drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and sustained-release properties of supercritical CO(2)-based drug-loaded polymer carriers via a process of suspension-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO(2) (SpEDS), which is an advanced version of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO(2) (SEDS). METHODS Methotrexate nanoparticles were ...

In this study, paclitaxel loaded poly( L-lactic acid) (PTX-PLLA) microparticles were prepared using solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2(SEDS) technique. This supercritical antisolvent technique offers the advantage of negligible organic solvent residua in the drug loaded microparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that microparticles exhibited rather spherical shape ...