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Polymers
Special Issues
Biopolymers-Based Composites for Multifunctional Applications
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Biopolymers-Based Composites for Multifunctional Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2022) | Viewed by 11287

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hernane S. Barud

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Guest Editor
Universidade de Araraquara (Uniara), Araraquara, São Paulo 14801-050, Brazil
Interests: biopolymers; nanocomposites; medical and pharmaceutical devices; biological control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Tercjak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Plaza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain
Interests: bacterial cellulose; bionanocomposites; biohybrid inorganic/organic materials; polymeric materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Cristiano Legnani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Grupo de Nanociência e Nanotecnologia (NANO), Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-330, Brazil
Interests: organic electronics; oxide transparent conductors; flexible biocompatible electronic devices; biopolymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymer-based organic–inorganic nanocomposites for Multifunctional applications: Basics Fundamental to advanced applications.

Biopolymers (for example, alginate, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, chitosan, gellum gum, polyhydroxialcanoate, silk fibroin, starch, xantato) are attractive candidates for the preparation of multifunctional bionanocomposites applications, taking into account their renewability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability.  Biopolymers can be associated with organic/inorganic entities to produce new organic-inorganic nanocomposites (OIN). Using different pathways named bottom-up approach and top-down approach, biopolymer-based OIN can be applied to tailored functionalities and emerging applications in different areas (medical, pharmaceutical, opto-electronic, photonic, biological control) among others.

This Special Issue is concerned with the state-of-the-art fundamental aspects of biopolymers and organic–inorganic nanocomposites. Physicochemical and structural properties of pristine biopolymers and biopolymer-based nanocomposites will be explored, as well the main chemical and physical processes that produce them. Furthermore, the main advanced applications of bionanocomposites for medical (scaffolds, cell culture platform, antimicrobial devices) pharmaceutical (drug delivery systems, orodispersible films, micro/nanoparticles), opto-electronic devices (Flexible Organic Lightning emitting diodes, solar cells, transistors) photonic (random lasers, up and down conversion, smart windows, photodynamic therapy) and biological control (bioencapsulation, chemical and physical dry process) are desirable. Both original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Hernane S. Barud
Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Tercjak
Prof. Dr. Cristiano Legnani
Guest Editors

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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • Biopolymers
  • Organic-inorganic Nanocomposites
  • Biomedical devices
  • Drug delivery devices
  • Flexible Organic Lightning emitting diodes
  • Antimicrobial devices
  • Bioencapsulation
  • Photonic devices

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 4303 KiB  
Article
Self-Supported Biopolymeric Films Based on Onion Bulb (Allium cepa L.): Gamma-Radiation Effects in Sterilizing Doses
by Marco Antonio da Costa Borges, Amanda Rinaldi Sorigotti, Rafaella Takehara Paschoalin, José Alberto Paris Júnior, Lucas Henrique Domingos da Silva, Diógenes Santos Dias, Clóvis Augusto Ribeiro, Elmo Silvano de Araújo, Flávia Aparecida Resende and Hernane da Silva Barud
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040914 - 11 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1793
Abstract
Sterilization is a fundamental step to eliminate microorganisms prior to the application of products, especially in the food and medical industries. γ-irradiation is one of the most recommended and effective methods used for sterilization, but its effect on the properties and performance of [...] Read more.
Sterilization is a fundamental step to eliminate microorganisms prior to the application of products, especially in the food and medical industries. γ-irradiation is one of the most recommended and effective methods used for sterilization, but its effect on the properties and performance of bio-based polymers is negligible. This work is aimed at evaluating the influence of γ-radiation at doses of 5, 10, 15, 25, 30, and 40 kGy on the morphology, properties, and performance of bioplastic produced from onion bulb (Allium cepa L.), using two hydrothermal synthesis procedures. These procedures differ in whether the product is washed or not after bioplastic synthesis, and are referred to as the unwashed hydrothermally treated pulp (HTP) and washed hydrothermally treated pulp (W-HTP). The morphological analysis indicated that the film surfaces became progressively rougher and more irregular for doses above 25 kGy, which increases their hydrophobicity, especially for the W-HTP samples. In addition, the FTIR and XRD results indicated that irradiation changed the structural and chemical groups of the samples. There was an increase in the crystallinity index and a predominance of the interaction of radiation with the hydroxyl groups—more susceptible to the oxidative effect—besides the cleavage of chemical bonds depending on the γ-radiation dose. The presence of soluble carbohydrates influenced the mechanical behavior of the samples, in which HTP is more ductile than W-HTP, but γ-radiation did not cause a change in mechanical properties proportionally to the dose. For W-HTP, films there was no mutagenicity or cytotoxicity—even after γ-irradiation at higher doses. In conclusion, the properties of onion-based films varied significantly with the γ-radiation dose. The films were also affected differently by radiation, depending on their chemical composition and the change induced by washing, which influences their use in food packaging or biomedical devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Composites for Multifunctional Applications)
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11 pages, 10016 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Organic Semiconductor Nanoparticles with Different Conformations Using the Nanoprecipitation Method
by Nathalia A. Yoshioka, Thales A. Faraco, Hernane S. Barud, Sidney J. L. Ribeiro, Marco Cremona, Benjamin Fragneaud, Indhira O. Maciel, Welber G. Quirino and Cristiano Legnani
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5336; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14245336 - 07 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1712
Abstract
In recent years, nanoparticulate materials have aroused interest in the field of organic electronics due to their high versatility which increases the efficiency of devices. In this work, four different stable conformations based on the organic semiconductors P3HT and PC71BM were [...] Read more.
In recent years, nanoparticulate materials have aroused interest in the field of organic electronics due to their high versatility which increases the efficiency of devices. In this work, four different stable conformations based on the organic semiconductors P3HT and PC71BM were synthesized using the nanoprecipitation method, including blend and core-shell nanoparticles. All nanoparticles were obtained free of surfactants and in aqueous suspensions following the line of ecologically correct routes. The structural and optoelectronic properties of the nanoparticles were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and UV-visible photoluminescence (PL). Even in aqueous media, the blend and core-shell nanoparticles exhibited a greater light absorption capacity, and these conformations proved to be effective in the process of dissociation of excitons that occurs at the P3HT donor/PC71BM acceptor interface. With all these characteristics and allied to the fact that the nanoparticles are surfactant-free aqueous suspensions, this work paves the way for the use of these colloids as a photoactive layer of organic photovoltaic devices that interface with biological systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Composites for Multifunctional Applications)
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14 pages, 6543 KiB  
Article
Hydrophilic Poly(glutamic acid)-Based Nanodrug Delivery System: Structural Influence and Antitumor Efficacy
by Yifei Guo, Yiping Shen, Bo Yu, Lijuan Ding, Zheng Meng, Xiaotong Wang, Meihua Han, Zhengqi Dong and Xiangtao Wang
Polymers 2022, 14(11), 2242; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14112242 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1848
Abstract
Poly(amino acids) have advanced characteristics, including unique secondary structure, enzyme degradability, good biocompatibility, and stimuli responsibility, and are suitable as drug delivery nanocarriers for tumor therapy. The isoform structure of poly(amino acids) plays an important role in their antitumor efficacy and should be [...] Read more.
Poly(amino acids) have advanced characteristics, including unique secondary structure, enzyme degradability, good biocompatibility, and stimuli responsibility, and are suitable as drug delivery nanocarriers for tumor therapy. The isoform structure of poly(amino acids) plays an important role in their antitumor efficacy and should be researched in detail. In this study, two kinds of pH-sensitive isoforms, including α-poly(glutamic acid) (α-PGA) and γ-PGA, were selected and used as nanocarriers to prepare a nanodrug delivery system. According to the preparation results, α-PGA can be used as an ideal drug carrier. Selecting doxorubicin (DOX) as the model drug, an α-PGA/DOX nanoparticle (α-PGA/DOX NPs) with a particle size of 110.4 nm was prepared, and the drug-loading content was 66.2%. α-PGA/DOX NPs presented obvious sustained and pH-dependent release characteristics. The IC50 value of α-PGA/DOX NPs was 1.06 ± 0.77 μg mL−1, decreasing by approximately 8.5 fold in vitro against 4T1 cells after incubation for 48 h. Moreover, α-PGA/DOX NPs enhanced antitumor efficacy in vivo, the tumor inhibition rate was 67.4%, increasing 1.5 fold over DOX injection. α-PGA/DOX NPs also reduced the systemic toxicity and cardiotoxicity of DOX. In sum, α-PGA is a biosafe nanodrug delivery carrier with potential clinical application prospects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Composites for Multifunctional Applications)
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Review

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29 pages, 1951 KiB  
Review
A Review of Recent Advances in Natural Polymer-Based Scaffolds for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering
by Jingzhi Fan, Keyvan Abedi-Dorcheh, Asma Sadat Vaziri, Fereshteh Kazemi-Aghdam, Saeed Rafieyan, Masoume Sohrabinejad, Mina Ghorbani, Fatemeh Rastegar Adib, Zahra Ghasemi, Kristaps Klavins and Vahid Jahed
Polymers 2022, 14(10), 2097; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14102097 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4412
Abstract
The musculoskeletal (MS) system consists of bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, and skeletal muscle, which forms the basic framework of the human body. This system plays a vital role in appropriate body functions, including movement, the protection of internal organs, support, hematopoiesis, and postural [...] Read more.
The musculoskeletal (MS) system consists of bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, and skeletal muscle, which forms the basic framework of the human body. This system plays a vital role in appropriate body functions, including movement, the protection of internal organs, support, hematopoiesis, and postural stability. Therefore, it is understandable that the damage or loss of MS tissues significantly reduces the quality of life and limits mobility. Tissue engineering and its applications in the healthcare industry have been rapidly growing over the past few decades. Tissue engineering has made significant contributions toward developing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of MS defects and relevant disease. Among various biomaterials used for tissue engineering, natural polymers offer superior properties that promote optimal cell interaction and desired biological function. Natural polymers have similarity with the native ECM, including enzymatic degradation, bio-resorb and non-toxic degradation products, ability to conjugate with various agents, and high chemical versatility, biocompatibility, and bioactivity that promote optimal cell interaction and desired biological functions. This review summarizes recent advances in applying natural-based scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Composites for Multifunctional Applications)
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