High performance materials from biopolymer blends

生物材料文献中最重要的两个应用领域分别是用于组织工程和药物输送的支架和输送系统的开发。在这两种情况下，控制孔隙度和微观结构的互连多孔结构的发展以及对表面功能化的控制都是重要的问题。生物聚合物的聚合物-聚合物共混提供了开发全新材料平台的可能性，而无需合成或开发全新的聚合物。在这个项目中，我们将专注于多相生物聚合物系统的形态和界面控制，作为开发新型多孔生物材料的途径。我们提出了一种基于聚合物共混物中共连续形态控制和逐层（LbL）沉积现象相结合的方法，该方法将用于制备具有60-90%空隙体积且孔径可控的完全互连的多孔生物聚合物结构。LbL沉积也将用于控制表面功能，以提高生物相容性，细胞粘附性和药物释放率，这取决于特定的应用。将制备用于药物递送应用的亚微米多孔结构，将制备用于组织生长支架应用的50-200微米范围的多孔结构。理想情况下，聚合物支架需要处理多种功能，如营养运输和组织生长。在这方面，我们还将研究基于封装共连续共混物制备多重渗透体系的可能性，作为制备多重网络孔隙度材料的途径。这些材料的性质和性能将被详细研究。该项目旨在开发新的生物材料，并在当前激烈的研究活动的一些领域推进知识。

Two of the most important application areas in the biomaterial literature have been the development of scaffolds and delivery systems for tissue engineering and drug delivery respectively. In both cases the development of interconnected porous structures of controlled porosity and microstructure as well as control over surface functionalization are important concerns. Polymer-polymer blending of biopolymers offers the possibility to develop an entirely new platform of materials without having to synthesize or develop entirely new polymers. In this project we will concentrate on morphology and interface control in multiphase biopolymer systems as a route towards the development of novel porous biomaterials. We propose an approach based on a combination of co-continuous morphology control in polymer blends and layer by layer (LbL) deposition phenomena which will be used to prepare fully interconnected porous biopolymer structures of 60-90% void volume with controlled pore size. LbL deposition will also be used to control the surface functionality in order to enhance biocompatibility, cell adhesion, and drug release rates depending on the particular application. Sub-micron porous structures will be prepared for the drug delivery application and porous structures in the 50-200 micron range will be prepared for the tissue growth scaffold application. Ideally a polymeric scaffold needs to address multiple functions such as nutrient transport as well as tissue growth. In this regard we will also study the possibility of preparing multiple-percolated systems based on encapsulated co-continuous blends as a route towards preparing materials of multiple network porosity. The properties and performance of these materials will be examined in detail. This project will aim to develop novel biomaterials as well as advance knowledge in a number of areas of current intense research activity.