Cristina Busuioc

Electrochromic properties of polyaniline-coated fiber webs for tissue engineering applications

By combining the electrospinning method advantages (high surface-to-volume ratio, controlled morphology, varied composition and flexibility for the resulting structures) with the electrical activity of polyaniline, a new core-shell-type material with potential applications in the field of artificial muscles was synthesized. Thus, a poly(methylmethacrylate) solution was electrospun in optimized conditions to obtain randomly oriented polymer fiber webs. Further, a gold layer was sputtered on their surface in order to make them conductive and improve the mechanical properties. The metalized fiber webs were then covered with a PANI layer by in situ electrochemical polymerization starting from aniline and using sulphuric acid as oxidizing agent. By applying a small voltage on PANI-coated fiber webs in the presence of an electrolyte, the oxidation state of PANI changes, which is followed by the device color modification. The morphological, electrical and biological properties of the resulting multilayered material were also investigated.

New Coll-HA/BT composite materials for hard tissue engineering.

The integration of ceramic powders in composite materials for bone scaffolds can improve the osseointegration process. This work was aimed to the synthesis and characterization of new collagen-hydroxyapatite/barium titanate (Coll-HA/BT) composite materials starting from barium titanate (BT) nanopowder, hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder and collagen (Coll) gel. BT nanopowder was produced by combining two wet-chemical approaches, sol-gel and hydrothermal methods. The resulting materials were characterized in terms of phase composition and microstructure by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the biocompatibility and bioactivity of the composite materials were assessed by in vitro tests. The synthesized BT particles exhibit an average size of around 35 nm and a spherical morphology, with a pseudo-cubic or tetragonal symmetry. The diffraction spectra of Coll-HA and Coll-HA/BT composite materials indicate a pronounced interaction between Col and the mineral phases, meaning a good mineralization of Col fibres. As well, the in vitro tests highlight excellent osteoinductive properties for all biological samples, especially for Coll-HA/BT composite materials, fact that can be attributed to the ferromagnetic properties of BT.

Vitroceramic interface deposited on titanium substrate by pulsed laser deposition method.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method was used to obtain biovitroceramic thin film coatings on titanium substrates. The composition of the targets was selected from SiO2-CaO-P2O5-(CaF2) systems and the corresponding masses were prepared using the sol-gel method. The depositions were performed in oxygen atmosphere (100mTorr), while the substrates were heated at 400°C. The PLD deposited films were analysed through different experimental techniques: X-ray diffraction, scanning (SEM, EDX) and transmission (HRTEM, SAED) electron microscopy and infra-red spectroscopy coupled with optical microscopy. They were also biologically tested by in vitro cell culture and the contact angle was determined. The bioevaluation results indicate a high biocompatibilty of the obtained materials, demonstrating their potential use for biomedical applications.

Improvement of silicate cement properties with bacterial cellulose powder addition for applications in dentistry

The goal of this paper was to synthesize a new family of composites starting from mineral binder powders and biocellulose membranes, with applications in endodontics. An important achievement consisted in the crushing of biocellulose 3D structure in a polygranular powder via an hydrothermal treatment. Afterwards, the polymer powder was mixed with silicate cement powders synthesized through the sol-gel technique. The resulting hybrid materials were investigated by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and mechanical measurements. The hydrocompounds developed after 28days of hardening exhibited an increased structuring degree and favourably adhered to the surface of the embedded biocellulose particles, which led to a faster setting time. A large part of the paper was dedicated to in vitro biological tests. All materials showed a pronounced mineralization process in simulated conditions. Moreover, they did not exert cytotoxic effects, but presented the ability to sustain cell survival and to promote cell proliferation.