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The high potential of bottom-up fabrication strategies for realizing sophisticated optical sensors combining the high sensitivity of a surface plasmon resonance with the exceptional properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogel is demonstrated. The sensor is composed of a periodic hole array in a gold film whose holes are filled with gold-capped poly(N-isoproyl-acrylamide) (polyNIPAM) microspheres. The production of this sensor relies on a pure chemical approach enabling simple, time-efficient, and cost-efficient preparation of sensor platforms covering areas of cm(2). The transmission spectrum of this plasmonic sensor shows a strong interaction between propagating surface plasmon polaritons at the metal film surface and localized surface plasmon resonance of the gold cap on top of the polyNIPAM microspheres. Computer simulations support this experimental observation. These interactions lead to distinct changes in the transmission spectrum, which allow for the simultaneous, sensitive optical detection of refractive index changes in the surrounding medium and the swelling state of the embedded polyNIPAM microsphere under the gold cap. The volume of the polyNIPAM microsphere located underneath the gold cap can be changed by certain stimuli such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, and distinct molecules bound to the hydrogel matrix facilitating the detection of analytes which do not change the refractive index of the surrounding medium significantly.
Proteins are natural polypeptides produced by cells; they can be found in both animals and plants, and possess a variety of functions. One of these functions is to provide structural support to the surrounding cells and tissues. For example, collagen (which is found in skin, cartilage, tendons and bones) and keratin (which is found in hair and nails) are structural proteins. When a tissue is damaged, however, the supporting matrix formed by structural proteins cannot always spontaneously regenerate. Tailor-made synthetic polypeptides can be used to help heal and restore tissue formation.
Synthetic polypeptides are typically synthesized by the so-called ring opening polymerization (ROP) of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA). Such synthetic polypeptides are generally non-sequence-controlled and thus less complex than proteins. As such, synthetic polypeptides are rarely as efficient as proteins in their ability to self-assemble and form hierarchical or structural supramolecular assemblies in water, and thus, often require rational designing. In this doctoral work, two types of amino acids, γ-benzyl-L/D-glutamate (BLG / BDG) and allylglycine (AG), were selected to synthesize a series of (co)polypeptides of different compositions and molar masses.
A new and versatile synthetic route to prepare polypeptides was developed, and its mechanism and kinetics were investigated. The polypeptide properties were thoroughly studied and new materials were developed from them. In particular, these polypeptides were able to aggregate (or self-assemble) in solution into microscopic fibres, very similar to those formed by collagen. By doing so, they formed robust physical networks and organogels which could be processed into high water-content, pH-responsive hydrogels. Particles with highly regular and chiral spiral morphologies were also obtained by emulsifying these polypeptides. Such polypeptides and the materials derived from them are, therefore, promising candidates for biomedical applications.
Tissue reconstruction has an unmet need for soft active scaffolds that enable gentle loading with regeneration-directing bioactive components by soaking up but also provide macroscopic dimensional stability. Here microporous hydrogels capable of an inverse shape-memory effect (iSME) are described, which in contrast to classical shape-memory polymers (SMPs) recover their permanent shape upon cooling. These hydrogels are designed as covalently photo cross-linked polymer networks with oligo(ethylene glycol)-oligo(propylene glycol)-oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG-OPG-OEG) segments. When heated after deformation, the OEG-OPG-OEG segments form micelles fixing the temporary shape. Upon cooling, the micelles dissociate again, the deformation is reversed and the permanent shape is obtained. Applicability of this iSME is demonstrated by the gentle loading of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) without causing any platelet activation during this process. PRP is highly bioactive and is widely acknowledged for its regenerative effects. Hence, the microporous inverse shape-memory hydrogel (iSMH) with a cooling induced pore-size effect represents a promising candidate scaffold for tissue regeneration for potential usage in minimally invasive surgery applications.
In this work, the development of temperature- and protein-responsive sensor materials based on biocompatible, inverse hydrogel opals (IHOs) is presented. With these materials, large biomolecules can be specifically recognised and the binding event visualised. The preparation of the IHOs was performed with a template process, for which monodisperse silica particles were vertically deposited onto glass slides as the first step. The obtained colloidal crystals with a thickness of 5 μm displayed opalescent reflections because of the uniform alignment of the colloids. As a second step, the template was embedded in a matrix consisting of biocompatible, thermoresponsive hydrogels. The comonomers were selected from the family of oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylates. The monomer solution was injected into a polymerisation mould, which contained the colloidal crystals as a template. The space in-between the template particles was filled with the monomer solution and the hydrogel was cured via UV-polymerisation. The particles were chemically etched, which resulted in a porous inner structure. The uniform alignment of the pores and therefore the opalescent reflection were maintained, so these system were denoted as inverse hydrogel opals. A pore diameter of several hundred nanometres as well as interconnections between the pores should facilitate a diffusion of bigger (bio)molecules, which was always a challenge in the presented systems until now. The copolymer composition was chosen to result in a hydrogel collapse over 35 °C. All hydrogels showed pronounced swelling in water below the critical temperature. The incorporation of a reactive monomer with hydroxyl groups ensured a potential coupling group for the introduction of recognition units for analytes, e.g. proteins. As a test system, biotin as a recognition unit for avidin was coupled to the IHO via polymer-analogous Steglich esterification. The amount of accessible biotin was quantified with a colorimetric binding assay. When avidin was added to the biotinylated IHO, the wavelength of the opalescent reflection was significantly shifted and therefore the binding event was visualised. This effect is based on the change in swelling behaviour of the hydrogel after binding of the hydrophilic avidin, which is amplified by the thermoresponsive nature of the hydrogel. A swelling or shrinking of the pores induces a change in distance of the crystal planes, which are responsible for the colour of the reflection. With these findings, the possibility of creating sensor materials or additional biomolecules in the size range of avidin is given.
The article describes the surface modification of 3D printed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds with calcium phosphate (CP)/gelatin and CP/chitosan hybrid coating layers. The presence of gelatin or chitosan significantly enhances CP co-deposition and adhesion of the mineral layer on the PLA scaffolds. The hydrogel/CP coating layers are fairly thick and the mineral is a mixture of brushite, octacalcium phosphate, and hydroxyapatite. Mineral formation is uniform throughout the printed architectures and all steps (printing, hydrogel deposition, and mineralization) are in principle amenable to automatization. Overall, the process reported here therefore has a high application potential for the controlled synthesis of biomimetic coatings on polymeric biomaterials.
The article describes the surface modification of 3D printed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds with calcium phosphate (CP)/gelatin and CP/chitosan hybrid coating layers. The presence of gelatin or chitosan significantly enhances CP co-deposition and adhesion of the mineral layer on the PLA scaffolds. The hydrogel/CP coating layers are fairly thick and the mineral is a mixture of brushite, octacalcium phosphate, and hydroxyapatite. Mineral formation is uniform throughout the printed architectures and all steps (printing, hydrogel deposition, and mineralization) are in principle amenable to automatization. Overall, the process reported here therefore has a high application potential for the controlled synthesis of biomimetic coatings on polymeric biomaterials.
Viele klinische Schnelltestsysteme benötigen vorpräparierte oder aufgereinigte Analyte mit frisch hergestellten Lösungen. Fernab standardisierter Laborbedingungen wie z.B. in Entwicklungsländern oder Krisengebieten sind solche Voraussetzungen oft nur unter einem hohen Aufwand herstellbar.
Zusätzlich stellt die erforderliche Sensitivität die Entwicklung einfach zu handhabender Testsysteme vor große Herausforderungen.
Autokatalytische Reaktionen, die sich mit Hilfe sehr geringer Initiatorkonzentrationen auslösen lassen, können hier eine Perspektive für Signalverstärkungsprozesse bieten.
Aus diesem Grund wird im ersten Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit das Verhalten der autokatalytischen Arsenit-Jodat-Reaktion in einem mikrofluidischen Kanal untersucht. Dabei werden insbesondere die diffusiven und konvektiven Einflüsse auf die Reaktionskinetik im Vergleich zu makroskopischen Volumenmengen betrachtet.
Im zweiten Teil werden thermoresponsive Hydrogele mit einem kanalstrukturierten Papiernetzwerk zu einem neuartigen, kapillargetriebenen, extern steuerbaren Mikrofluidik-System kombiniert. Das hier vorgestellte Konzept durch Hydrogele ein papierbasiertes LOC-System zu steuern, ermöglicht zukünftig die Herstellung von komplexeren, steuerbaren Point-Of-Care Testsystemen (POCT). Durch z.B. einen thermischen Stimulus, wird das Lösungsverhalten eines Hydrogels so verändert, dass die gespeicherte Flüssigkeit freigesetzt und durch die Kapillarkraft des Papierkanals ins System transportiert wird. Die Eigenschaften dieses Gelnetzwerks können dabei so eingestellt werden, dass eine Freisetzung von Flüssigkeiten sogar bei Körpertemperatur möglich wäre und damit eine Anwendung gänzlich ohne weitere Hilfsmittel denkbar ist. Für die Anwendung notwendige Chemikalien oder Enzyme lassen sich hierbei bequem in getrocknetem Zustand im Papiersubstrat vorlagern und bei Bedarf in Lösung bringen.
Im abschließenden dritten Teil der Arbeit wird ein durch Hydrogele betriebener, Antikörper-basierter Mikroorganismenschnelltest für Escherichia coli präsentiert. Darüber hinaus wird weiterführend eine einfache Methode zur Funktionalisierung eines Hydrogels mit Biomolekülen über EDC/NHS-Kopplung vorgestellt.
Sediment challenge to promising ultra-low fouling hydrophilic surfaces in the marine environment
(2019)
Hydrophilic coatings exhibit ultra-low fouling properties in numerous laboratory experiments. In stark contrast, the antifouling effect of such coatings in vitro failed when performing field tests in the marine environment. The fouling release performance of nonionic and zwitterionic hydrophilic polymers was substantially reduced compared to the controlled laboratory environment. Microscopy and spectroscopy revealed that a large proportion of the accumulated material in field tests contains inorganic compounds and diatomaceous soil. Diatoms adhered to the accumulated material on the coating, but not to the pristine polymer. Simulating field tests in the laboratory using sediment samples collected from the test sites showed that incorporated sand and diatomaceous earth impairs the fouling release characteristics of the coatings. When exposed to marine sediment from multiple locations, particulate matter accumulated on these coatings and served as attachment points for diatom adhesion and enhanced fouling. Future developments of hydrophilic coatings should consider accumulated sediment and its potential impact on the antifouling performance.
One of the main issues with the use of nickel titanium alloy (NiTi) implants in cardiovascular implants (stents) is that these devices must be of very high quality in order to avoid subsequent operations due to failing stents. For small stents with diameters below ca. 2 mm, however, stent characterization is not straightforward. One of the main problems is that there are virtually no methods to characterize the interior of the NiTi tubes used for fabrication of these tiny stents. The current paper reports on a robust hybrid actuator for the characterization of NiTi tubes prior to stent fabrication. The method is based on a polymer/hydrogel/magnetic nanoparticle hybrid material and allows for the determination of the inner diameter at virtually all places in the raw NiTi tubes. Knowledge of the inner structure of the raw NiTi tubes is crucial to avoid regions that are not hollow or regions that are likely to fail due to defects inside the raw tube. The actuator enables close contact of a magnetic polymer film with the inner NiTi tube surface. The magnetic signal can be detected from outside and be used for a direct mapping of the tube interior. As a result, it is possible to detect critical regions prior to expensive and slow stent fabrication processes.
In dieser Dissertation konnten erfolgreich mechanisch stabile Hydrogele über eine freie radikalische Polymerisation (FRP) in Wasser synthetisiert werden. Dabei diente vor allem das Sulfobetain SPE als Monomer. Dieses wurde mit dem über eine nukleophile Substitution erster bzw. zweiter Ordnung hergestellten Vernetzer TMBEMPA/Br umgesetzt.
Die entstandenen Netzwerke wurden im Gleichgewichtsquellzustand im Wesentlichen mittels Niederfeld-Kernresonanzspektroskopie, Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung (SAXS), Rasterelektronenmikroskopie mit Tieftemperaturtechnik (Kryo-REM), dynamisch-mechanische Analyse (DMA), Rheologie, thermogravimetrische Analyse (TGA) und dynamische Differenzkalorimetrie (DSC) analysiert.
Das hierarchisch aufgebaute Netzwerk wurde anschließend für die matrixgesteuerten Mineralisation von Calciumphosphat und –carbonat genutzt. Über das alternierende Eintauchverfahren (engl. „alternate soaking method“) und der Variation von Mineralisationsparametern, wie pH-Wert, Konzentration c und Temperatur T konnten dann verschiedene Modifikationen des Calciumphosphats generiert werden. Das entstandene Hybridmaterial wurde qualitativ mittels Röntgenpulverdiffraktometrie (XRD), abgeschwächte Totalreflexion–fouriertransformierte Infrarot Spektroskopie (ATR-FTIR), Raman-Spektroskopie, Rasterelektronenmikroskopie (REM) mit energiedispersiver Röntgenspektroskopie (EDXS) und optischer Mikroskopie (OM) als auch quantitative mittels Gravimetrie und TGA analysiert.
Für die potentielle Verwendung in der Medizintechnik, z.B. als Implantatmaterial, ist die grundlegende Einschätzung der Wechselwirkung zwischen Hydrogel bzw. Hybridmaterial und verschiedener Zelltypen unerlässlich. Dazu wurden verschiedene Zelltypen, wie Einzeller, Bakterien und adulte Stammzellen verwendet. Die Wechselwirkung mit Peptidsequenzen von Phagen komplettiert das biologische Unterkapitel.
Hydrogele sind mannigfaltig einsetzbar. Diese Arbeit fasst daher weitere Projektperspektiven, auch außerhalb des biomedizinischem Anwendungsspektrums, auf. So konnten erste Ansätze zur serienmäßige bzw. maßgeschneiderte Produktion über das „Inkjet“ Verfahren erreicht werden. Um dies ermöglichen zu können wurden erfolgreich weitere Synthesestrategien, wie die Photopolymerisation und die redoxinitiierte Polymerisation, ausgenutzt. Auch die Eignung als Filtermaterial oder Superabsorber wurde analysiert.