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Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 13741

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rawil Fakhrullin

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Guest Editor

1. Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kreml uramı 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
2. Department of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, Biological Institute, National Research Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
Interests: drug delivery vehicles; tissue engineering; clay nanomaterials; colloid chemistry; correlative microscopy; cell surface engineering; nanotoxicology; spectroscopy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fabrication of novel materials is a direct way to address a number of challenges faced by biomedical researchers worldwide. Hardly an area of research may evolve and progress without the development of smart and functional materials, which revolutionise healthcare and wellbeing. Starting from a relatively simple drug encapsulation technique and finishing with sophisticated artificial biomimetic constructions, novel biomedical materials encompass biology, chemistry, physics, and medicine. The efforts invested into the generation of novel materials have also stimulated the development of novel experimental techniques suitable for effective materials production or characterisation. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences will serve as a collection of excellent research articles and review papers, where researchers working in a range of biomaterials-related areas will present their advances in the development and application of novel techniques for the fabrication and characterisation of biomedical materials. Every paper submitted for consideration should report a novel technique for the synthesis, development or characterisation of materials of materials-related biological objects. The unusual application of well-established techniques and reports on the use of artificial intelligence in combination with phys–chem techniques, or their applications for environmental monitoring, will also be considered. Multidisciplinary studies where fabrication and characterisation methods normally used for “less biological” objects are successfully applied for biomedical research are particularly welcome. The prospective authors are encouraged to explicitly indicate the originality of their novel techniques in cover letters and abstracts.

Dr. Rawil Fakhrullin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

novel materials
functional materials
characterization techniques
novel methods
biomimetics
multidisciplinary studies

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4336 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Rigidochromic and Anti-Kasha Dual Emission Fluorophores Based on D-π-A Dyads as the Promising Materials for Potential Applications Ranging from Optoelectronics and Optical Sensing to Biophotonics and Medicine

by Svetlana A. Lermontova, Maxim V. Arsenyev, Anton V. Cherkasov, Georgy K. Fukin, Andrey V. Afanasyev, Andrey V. Yudintsev, Ilya S. Grigoryev, Elena Yu. Ladilina, Tatyana S. Lyubova, Natalia Yu. Shilyagina, Irina V. Balalaeva, Larisa G. Klapshina and Alexandr V. Piskunov

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5818; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065818 - 18 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1454

Abstract

Today we see an increasing demand for new fluorescent materials exhibiting various sensory abilities due to their broad applicability ranging from the construction of flexible devices to bioimaging. In this paper, we report on the new fluorescent pigments AntTCNE, PyrTCNE, and PerTCNE which consist of 3–5 fused aromatic rings substituted with tricyanoethylene fragments forming D-π-A diad. Our studies reveal that all three compounds exhibit pronounced rigidochromic properties, i.e., strong sensitivity of their fluorescence to the viscosity of the local environment. We also demonstrate that our new pigments belong to a very rare type of organic fluorophores which do not obey the well-known empirical Kasha’rule stating that photoluminescence transition always occurs from the lowest excited state of an emitting molecule. This rare spectral feature of our pigments is accompanied by an even rarer capability of spectrally and temporally well-resolved anti-Kasha dual emission (DE) from both higher and lowest electronic states in non-polar solvents. We show that among three new pigments, PerTCNE has significant potential as the medium-bandgap non-fullerene electron acceptor. Such materials are now highly demanded for indoor low-power electronics and portable devices for the Internet-of-Things. Additionally, we demonstrate that PyrTCNE has been successfully used as a structural unit in template assembling of the new cyanoarylporphyrazine framework with 4 D-π-A dyads framing this macrocycle (Pyr₄CN₄Pz). Similarly to its structural unit, Pyr₄CN₄Pz is also the anti-Kasha fluorophore, exhibiting intensive DE in viscous non-polar medium and polymer films, which strongly depends on the polarity of the local environment. Moreover, our studies showed high photodynamic activity of this new tetrapyrrole macrocycle which is combined with its unique sensory capacities (strong sensitivity of its fluorescent properties to the local environmental stimuli such as viscosity and polarity. Thus, Pyr₄CN₄Pz can be considered the first unique photosensitizer that potentially enables the real-time combination of photodynamic therapy and double-sensory approaches which is very important for modern biomedicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects)

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13 pages, 5455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fluoridated Apatite Coating on Human Dentin via Laser-Assisted Pseudo-Biomineralization with the Aid of a Light-Absorbing Molecule

by Ayako Oyane, Ikuko Sakamaki, Maki Nakamura, Kenji Koga, Kanako Shitomi, Saori Tanaka and Hirofumi Miyaji

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 15981; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232415981 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1381

Abstract

A simple, area-specific coating technique for fluoridated apatite (FAp) on teeth would be useful in dental applications. Recently, we achieved area-specific FAp coating on a human dentin substrate within 30 min by a laser-assisted biomimetic (LAB) process; pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation in a fluoride-containing supersaturated calcium phosphate solution (FCP solution). The LAB-processed, FAp-coated dentin substrate exhibited antibacterial activity against a major oral bacterium, Streptococcus mutans. In the present study, we refined the LAB process with a combination of a dental diode laser and a clinically approved light-absorbing molecule, indocyanine green (ICG). A micron-thick FAp layer was successfully formed on the dentin surface within only 3 min by the refined LAB process, i.e., dental diode laser irradiation in the FCP solution following ICG treatment. The ICG layer precoated on the dentin substrate played a crucial role in inducing rapid pseudo-biomineralization (FAp layer formation) on the dentin surface by absorbing laser light at the solid-liquid interface. In the refined LAB process, the precoated ICG layer was eliminated and replaced with the newly formed FAp layer composed of vertically oriented pillar-like nanocrystals. Cross-sectional ultrastructural analysis revealed a smooth interface between the FAp layer and the dentin substrate. The refined LAB process has potential as a tool for the tooth surface functionalization and hence, is worth further process refinement and in vitro and in vivo studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects)

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22 pages, 8918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Hybrid Biomimetic Enamel-Biocomposite Interface and a Study of Its Molecular Features Using Synchrotron Submicron ATR-FTIR Microspectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis Techniques

by Pavel Seredin, Dmitry Goloshchapov, Vladimir Kashkarov, Yury Khydyakov, Dmitry Nesterov, Ivan Ippolitov, Yuri Ippolitov and Jitraporn Vongsvivut

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11699; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911699 - 02 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1553

Abstract

Using a biomimetic strategy and bioinspired materials, our work proposed a new technological approach to create a hybrid transitional layer between enamel and dental biocomposite. For this purpose, an amino acid booster conditioner based on a set of polar amino acids (lysine, arginine, hyaluronic acid), calcium alkali, and a modified adhesive based on BisGMA and nanocrystalline carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite are used during dental enamel restoration. The molecular properties of the hybrid interface formed using the proposed strategy were understood using methods of multivariate statistical analysis of spectral information collected using the technique of synchrotron infrared microspectroscopy. The results obtained indicate the possibility of forming a bonding that mimics the properties of natural tissue with controlled molecular properties in the hybrid layer. The diffusion of the amino acid booster conditioner component, the calcium alkali, and the modified adhesive with nanocrystalline carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite in the hybrid interface region creates a structure that should stabilize the reconstituted crystalline enamel layer. The developed technology can form the basis for an individualized, personalized approach to dental enamel restorations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects)

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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 4484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fullerene Rosette: Two-Dimensional Interactive Nanoarchitectonics and Selective Vapor Sensing

by Guoping Chen, Biswa Nath Bhadra, Linawati Sutrisno, Lok Kumar Shrestha and Katsuhiko Ariga

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(10), 5454; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23105454 - 13 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2294

Abstract

The simplicity of fullerenes as assembled components provides attractive opportunities for basic understanding in self-assembly research. We applied in situ reactive methods to the self-assembly process of C₆₀ molecules with melamine/ethylenediamine components in solution, resulting in a novel type of fullerene assemblies, micron-sized two-dimensional, amorphous shape-regular objects, fullerene rosettes. ATR–FTIR spectra, XPS, and TGA results suggest that the melamine/ethylenediamine components strongly interact and/or are covalently linked with fullerenes in the fullerene rosettes. The broad peak for layer spacing in the XRD patterns of the fullerene rosettes corresponds roughly to the interdigitated fullerene bilayer or monolayer of modified fullerene molecules. The fullerene rosettes are made from the accumulation of bilayer/monolayer assemblies of hybridized fullerenes in low crystallinity. Prototype sensor systems were fabricated upon immobilization of the fullerene rosettes onto surfaces of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and selective sensing of formic acid was demonstrated as preliminary results for social-demanded toxic material sensing. The QCM sensor with fullerene rosette is categorized as one of the large-response sensors among reported examples. In selectivity to formic acids against basic guests (formic acid/pyridine >30) or aromatic guests (formic acid/toluene >110), the fullerene rosette-based QCM sensor also showed superior performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects)

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12 pages, 9338 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Nanomechanical Atomic Force Microscopy to Probe Cellular Microplastics Uptake and Distribution

by Farida Akhatova, Ilnur Ishmukhametov, Gölnur Fakhrullina and Rawil Fakhrullin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(2), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020806 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3240

Abstract

The concerns regarding microplastics and nanoplastics pollution stimulate studies on the uptake and biodistribution of these emerging pollutants in vitro. Atomic force microscopy in nanomechanical PeakForce Tapping mode was used here to visualise the uptake and distribution of polystyrene spherical microplastics in human skin fibroblast. Particles down to 500 nm were imaged in whole fixed cells, the nanomechanical characterization allowed for differentiation between internalized and surface attached plastics. This study opens new avenues in microplastics toxicity research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects)

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Review

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36 pages, 150596 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biomimetic and Biological Nanoarchitectonics

by Katsuhiko Ariga

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3577; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073577 - 25 Mar 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2918

Abstract

A post-nanotechnology concept has been assigned to an emerging concept, nanoarchitectonics. Nanoarchitectonics aims to establish a discipline in which functional materials are fabricated from nano-scale components such as atoms, molecules, and nanomaterials using various techniques. Nanoarchitectonics opens ways to form a more unified paradigm by integrating nanotechnology with organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, material chemistry, microfabrication technology, and biotechnology. On the other hand, biological systems consist of rational organization of constituent molecules. Their structures have highly asymmetric and hierarchical features that allow for chained functional coordination, signal amplification, and vector-like energy and signal flow. The process of nanoarchitectonics is based on the premise of combining several different processes, which makes it easier to obtain a hierarchical structure. Therefore, nanoarchitectonics is a more suitable methodology for creating highly functional systems based on structural asymmetry and hierarchy like biosystems. The creation of functional materials by nanoarchitectonics is somewhat similar to the creation of functional systems in biological systems. It can be said that the goal of nanoarchitectonics is to create highly functional systems similar to those found in biological systems. This review article summarizes the synthesis of biomimetic and biological molecules and their functional structure formation from various viewpoints, from the molecular level to the cellular level. Several recent examples are arranged and categorized to illustrate such a trend with sections of (i) synthetic nanoarchitectonics for bio-related units, (ii) self-assembly nanoarchitectonics with bio-related units, (iii) nanoarchitectonics with nucleic acids, (iv) nanoarchitectonics with peptides, (v) nanoarchitectonics with proteins, and (vi) bio-related nanoarchitectonics in conjugation with materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Techniques for Fabrication and Characterisation of Novel Biomimetic Materials and Biological Objects)

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