High performance materials from biopolymer blends

在生物材料文献中，两个最重要的应用领域分别是用于组织工程和药物递送的支架和递送系统的开发。在这两种情况下，控制孔隙率和微观结构以及控制表面功能化的相互连接的多孔结构的发展是重要的关注点。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，我们将集中在多相生物聚合物系统中的形态和界面控制，作为开发新型多孔生物材料的途径。我们提出了一种方法的基础上，在聚合物共混物和层的层（LBL）沉积现象，这将被用来制备完全互连的多孔生物聚合物结构的60-90%的空隙体积与控制孔径的组合连续形态控制。LbL沉积也将用于控制表面功能性，以便根据特定应用增强生物相容性、细胞粘附和药物释放速率。将制备亚微米多孔结构用于药物递送应用，并且将制备50-200微米范围内的多孔结构用于组织生长支架应用。理想情况下，聚合物支架需要解决多种功能，如营养运输以及组织生长。在这方面，我们还将研究的可能性，制备多个包封的共连续共混物的基础上，作为一种途径，对制备材料的多个网络孔隙度的多个-双相系统。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的先进知识。

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.