RESUMEN

Flexible and conformable conductive composites have been developed using different polymers, including water-based polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chemical-resistant polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and elastomeric styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) reinforced with nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide with suitable viscosity in composites for printable solutions with functional properties. Manufactured by screen-printing using low-toxicity solvents, leading to more environmentally friendly conductive materials, the materials present an enormous step toward functional devices. The materials were enhanced in terms of filler/binder ratio, achieving screen-printed films with a sheet resistance lower than Rsq < 100 Ω/sq. The materials are biocompatible and support bending deformations up to 10 mm with piezoresistive performance for the different polymers up to 100 bending cycles. The piezoresistive performance of the SEBS binder is greater than double that the other composites, with a gauge factor near 4. Thermoforming was applied to all materials, with the PVP-based ones showing the lowest electrical resistance after the bending process. These conductive materials open a path for developing sustainable and functional devices for printable and conformable electronics.

RESUMEN

13-93 bioglass (BG) scaffolds reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) were fabricated by robocasting (direct-ink-writing) technique. Composite scaffolds with 0-4 vol% content of GO platelets were printed, and then consolidated by pressureless spark plasma sintering at 650 °C. It was found that, despite hampering densification of the bioglass, the addition of GO platelets up to a certain content enhanced the mechanical performance of the 13-93 bioglass scaffolds in terms of strength and, especially, toughness. Best performance was obtained for 2 vol.% GO, which increased strain energy density (toughness) of the scaffolds by ∼894%, and their compressive strength by ∼26%. At higher contents, agglomeration of the nanoplatelets and increased porosity significantly reduced the mechanical enhancement obtained. Implications of the results on the fabrication of novel bioglass scaffolds that may find use in load-bearing bone tissue engineering applications are discussed.

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RESUMEN

The effect of different polymeric coatings, including natural and synthetic compositions, on the mechanical performance of 45S5 bioglass robocast scaffolds is systematically analyzed in this work. Fully amorphous 45S5 bioglass robocast scaffolds sintered at 550 °C were impregnated with natural (gelatin, alginate, and chitosan) and synthetic (polycaprolactone, PCL and poly-lactic acid, PLA) polymers through a dip-coating process. Mechanical enhancement provided by these coatings in terms of both compressive strength and strain energy density was evaluated. Natural polymers, in general, and chitosan, in particular, were found to produce the greater reinforcement. The effect of these coatings on the in vitro bioactivity and degradation behavior of 45S5 bioglass robocast scaffolds was also investigated through immersion tests in simulated body fluid (SBF). Coatings from natural polymers, especially chitosan, are shown to have a positive effect on the bioactivity of 45S5 bioglass, accelerating the formation of an apatite-like layer. Besides, most coating compositions reduced the degradation (weight loss) rate of the scaffold, which has a positive impact on the evolution of their mechanical properties.

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RESUMEN

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mechanical enhancement provided by nanocomposite coatings deposited on robocast 45S5 bioglass (BG) scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration. In particular, a nanocomposite layer consisting of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles, as reinforcing phase, in a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix was deposited onto the surface of the BG struts conforming the scaffold. Three different HA nanopowders were used in this study. The effect of particle size and morphology of these HA nanopowders on the mechanical performance of 45S5 BG scaffolds is evaluated.

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RESUMEN

The effect of different dip-coating variables-solvent, deposition temperature and polymer concentration-on the mechanical performance of polycaprolactone-coated 45S5 bioglass robocast scaffolds is systematically analyzed in this work. The reproducible geometry of the scaffolds produced by this additive manufacturing technique makes them an optimal model system and facilitates the analysis. The results suggest that the mechanical performance of the hybrid scaffolds is improved monotonically with polymer concentration, but this concentration cannot be increased indefinitely if the macroporosity interconnectivity, and thus the scaffold׳s capacity to promote tissue ingrowth, are to be preserved. An optimal concentration, and therefore viscosity (~1-4Pas in the present case), exists for any given set of process variables (scaffold geometry and material, polymer, solvent and process temperature) that yields coatings with optimal reinforcement and minimal reduction of scaffold functionality. Solvent and process temperature do not directly affect the strengthening provided by the polymeric coating. However they can determine the maximum concentration at the critical viscosity, and thereby the maximum achievable mechanical performance of the resulting hybrid scaffold.

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