Pablo J. Peruzzo

Surface, thermal, and mechanical properties of composites and nanocomposites of polyurethane/PTFE nanoparticles

Films from blends of polyurethane and nano-polytetrafluoroethylene aqueous dispersions (PU/nanoPTFE) were prepared, and the effect of the addition of different amounts of PTFE nanoparticles (50xa0nm) was studied. The changes in the superficial properties of the films were studied by means of XPS, ATR/FTIR, and contact angle measurements. SEM and TEM results are also included. The contact angle values confirm the surface hydrophobicity of composite films. Even though nanoparticles are present in the bulk, higher concentrations of particles appear at the surface in samples with lower nanoPTFE content (up to 10xa0wt%), as revealed by XPS. Higher amounts of nanoPTFE particles cause aggregation. The mechanical and thermal properties of composites are also discussed.

Preparation, characterization, and in vitro activity evaluation of triblock copolymer-based polymersomes for drugs delivery

Polymersomes are polymer-based vesicles that form upon hydration of amphiphilic block copolymers and display high stability and durability, due to their mechanical and physical properties. They have hydrophilic reservoirs as well as thick hydrophobic membranes; allowing to encapsulate both water-soluble bioactive agent and hydrophobic drugs. In this study, poly ethylene glycol (PEG3350 and PEG6000) were used as hydrophilic part and poly(vinyl benzoate) (PVBz) as hydrophobic block to synthesize amphiphilic triblock copolymers (PVBz-b-PEG-b-PVBz). Different proportions of hydrophilic/hydrophobic part were assayed in order to obtain polymersomes by solvent injection method. For the synthesis of the copolymers, the initial block of PEG was derived to obtain a macroinitiator through a xanthate functional group (PEGX3 or PEGX6) and the polymerization of vinyl benzoate was carried out through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT). The structure of PEGX and copolymers was confirmed by Infrared, 1H-NMR and UV-Vis spectrometry, while the average molecular weight (Mw) and polydispersity index (PI) were determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The structures adopted by the copolymers in aqueous solution by self-assembly were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Both techniques confirm that polymersomes were obtained for a fraction of hydrophilic block (f)xa0≈xa035u2009±u200910%, with a diameter of 38.3xa0±xa00.3xa0nm or 22.5xa0±xa00.7xa0nm, as determined by TEM and according to the Mw of the precursor block copolymer. In addition, we analyzed the possible cytotoxicity in view of its potential application as biomedical nanocarrier. The results suggest that polymersomes seem not induce cytotoxicity during the periods of time tested.