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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2020The utilization of polymer/metal organic framework (MOF) nanocomposites in various biomedical applications has been widely studied due to their unique properties that... (Review)
Review
The utilization of polymer/metal organic framework (MOF) nanocomposites in various biomedical applications has been widely studied due to their unique properties that arise from MOFs or hybrid composite systems. This review focuses on the types of polymer/MOF nanocomposites used in drug delivery and imaging applications. Initially, a comprehensive introduction to the synthesis and structure of MOFs and bio-MOFs is presented. Subsequently, the properties and the performance of polymer/MOF nanocomposites used in these applications are examined, in relation to the approach applied for their synthesis: (i) non-covalent attachment, (ii) covalent attachment, (iii) polymer coordination to metal ions, (iv) MOF encapsulation in polymers, and (v) other strategies. A critical comparison and discussion of the effectiveness of polymer/MOF nanocomposites regarding their synthesis methods and their structural characteristics is presented.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Drug Delivery Systems; Hydrogen Bonding; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Metals; Nanocomposites; Polymerization; Polymers; Static Electricity
PubMed: 31906398
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25010185 -
Nature Materials Mar 2022Historically, the interlacing of strands at the molecular level has mainly been limited to coordination polymers and DNA. Despite being proposed on a number of... (Review)
Review
Historically, the interlacing of strands at the molecular level has mainly been limited to coordination polymers and DNA. Despite being proposed on a number of occasions, the direct, bottom-up assembly of molecular building blocks into woven organic polymers remained an aspirational, but elusive, target for several decades. However, recent successes in two-dimensional and three-dimensional molecular-level weaving now offer new opportunities and research directions at the interface of polymer science and molecular nanotopology. This Perspective provides an overview of the features and potential of the periodic nanoscale weaving of polymer chains, distinguishing it from randomly entangled polymer networks and rigid crystalline frameworks. We review the background and experimental progress so far, and conclude by considering the potential of molecular weaving and outline some of the current and future challenges in this emerging field.
Topics: DNA; Polymers
PubMed: 35115722
DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01179-w -
Macromolecular Rapid Communications Mar 2023Biodegradation of polymers in composting conditions is an alternative end-of-life (EoL) scenario for contaminated materials collected through the municipal solid waste... (Review)
Review
Biodegradation of polymers in composting conditions is an alternative end-of-life (EoL) scenario for contaminated materials collected through the municipal solid waste management system, mainly when mechanical or chemical methods cannot be used to recycle them. Compostability certification requirements are time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, approaches to accelerate the biodegradation of these polymers in simulated composting conditions can facilitate and speed up the evaluation and selection of potential compostable polymer alternatives and inform faster methods to biodegrade these polymers in real composting. This review highlights recent trends, challenges, and future strategies to accelerate biodegradation by modifying the polymer properties/structure and the compost environment. Both abiotic and biotic methods show potential for accelerating the biodegradation of biodegradable polymers. Abiotic methods, such as the incorporation of additives, reduction of molecular weight, reduction of size and reactive blending, are potentially the most straightforward, providing a level of technology that allows for easy adoption and adaptability. Novel methods, including the concept of self-immolative and triggering the scission of polymer chains in specific conditions, are increasingly sought. In terms of biotic methods, dispersion/encapsulation of enzymes during the processing step, biostimulation of the environment, and bioaugmentation with specific microbial strains during the biodegradation process are promising to accelerate biodegradation.
Topics: Polymers; Biodegradation, Environmental
PubMed: 36648129
DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200769 -
Biomacromolecules Dec 2019The development of polymer-based drug delivery systems provides efficient modalities for cancer therapy. Most of the polymer pharmaceuticals target cancer cells... (Review)
Review
The development of polymer-based drug delivery systems provides efficient modalities for cancer therapy. Most of the polymer pharmaceuticals target cancer cells directly, but the insufficient penetration always results in unsatisfactory anticancer efficacy. To break the above bottleneck, strategies of penetration-independent cancer therapy have been developed as advanced treatments for various cancers in the past decade. In this Perspective, we discussed the pros and cons of polymer-mediated biological and physical penetration-independent approaches for cancer therapy and highlighted their further prospects from bench to bedsides.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Neoplasms; Polymers
PubMed: 31668061
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01263 -
ACS Nano Dec 2023Stimuli-responsive polymers can respond to internal stimuli, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and pH, biological stimuli, such as enzymes, and... (Review)
Review
Stimuli-responsive polymers can respond to internal stimuli, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and pH, biological stimuli, such as enzymes, and external stimuli, such as lasers and ultrasound, , by changing their hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, degradability, ionizability, , and thus have been widely used in biomedical applications. Due to the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), stimuli-responsive polymers that cater specifically to the TME have been extensively used to prepare smart nanovehicles for the targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents to tumor tissues. Compared to conventional drug delivery nanosystems, TME-responsive nanosystems have many advantages, such as high sensitivity, broad applicability among different tumors, functional versatility, and improved biosafety. In recent years, a great deal of research has been devoted to engineering efficient stimuli-responsive polymeric nanosystems, and significant improvement has been made to both cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we summarize some recent research advances involving the use of stimuli-responsive polymer nanocarriers in drug delivery, tumor imaging, therapy, and theranostics. Various chemical stimuli will be described in the context of stimuli-responsive nanosystems. Accordingly, the functional chemical groups responsible for the responsiveness and the strategies to incorporate these groups into the polymer will be discussed in detail. With the research on this topic expending at a fast pace, some innovative concepts, such as sequential and cascade drug release, NIR-II imaging, and multifunctional formulations, have emerged as popular strategies for enhanced performance, which will also be included here with up-to-date illustrations. We hope that this review will offer valuable insights for the selection and optimization of stimuli-responsive polymers to help accelerate their future applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Topics: Humans; Stimuli Responsive Polymers; Precision Medicine; Drug Delivery Systems; Neoplasms; Polymers; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 38041800
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06019 -
Drug Design, Development and Therapy 2020Film-forming sprays offer many advantages compared to conventional topical preparations because they can provide uniform drug distribution and dose, increased... (Review)
Review
Film-forming sprays offer many advantages compared to conventional topical preparations because they can provide uniform drug distribution and dose, increased bioavailability, lower incidence of irritation, continuous drug release, and accelerated wound healing through moisture control. Film-forming sprays consist of polymers and excipients that improve the characteristics of preparations and enhance the stability of active substances. Each type of polymer and excipient will produce films with different features. Therefore, the various types of polymers and excipients and their evaluation standards need to be examined for the development of a more optimal form of film-forming spray. The selected literature included research on polymers as film-forming matrices and the application of these sprays for medical purposes or for potential medical use. This article discusses the types and concentrations of polymers and excipients, sprayer types, evaluations, and critical parameters in determining the sprayability and film characteristics. The review concludes that both natural and synthetic polymers that have in situ film or viscoelastic properties can be used to optimise topical drug delivery.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Animals; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Polymers
PubMed: 32884234
DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S256666 -
Accounts of Chemical Research Jun 2022Marine organisms such as barnacle larvae and spores of algae adhere to underwater surfaces leading to marine biofouling. This phenomenon has numerous adverse impacts on... (Review)
Review
Marine organisms such as barnacle larvae and spores of algae adhere to underwater surfaces leading to marine biofouling. This phenomenon has numerous adverse impacts on marine industries and maritime activities. Due to the diversity of fouling organisms and the complexity of the marine environment, it is a huge challenge to combat marine biofouling, which limits the development and utilization of marine resources. Since the International Marine Organization banned the use of tributyltin self-polishing copolymer (SPC) coatings in 2008, the development of an environmentally friendly and efficient anti-biofouling polymer has been the most important task in this field. Tin-free SPC is a well-established and widely used polymer binder for anti-biofouling coating today. Being a nondegradable vinyl polymer, SPC exhibits poor anti-biofouling performance in static conditions. Even more, such nondegradable polymers were considered to be a source of microplastics by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2019. Recently, numerous degradable polymers, which can form dynamic surface through main chain scission, have been developed for preventing marine biofouling in static conditions. Nevertheless, the regulation of their degradation and mechanical properties is limited, and they are also difficult to functionalize. A new polymer combining the advantages of vinyl polymers and degradable polymers is needed. However, such a combination is a challenge since the former are synthesized via free radical polymerization whereas the latter are synthesized via ring-opening polymerization.In this Account, we review our recent progress toward degradable vinyl polymers for marine anti-biofouling in terms of polymerization methods and structures and properties of polymers. First, we introduce the strategies for preparing degradable vinyl polymers with an emphasis on hybrid copolymerization. Then, we present the synthesis and performance of degradable and hydrolyzable polyacrylates, degradable polyurethanes with hydrolyzable side groups, and surface-fragmenting hyperbranched polymers. Polymers with degradable main chains and hydrolyzable side groups combine the advantages of SPC and degradable polymers, so they are degradable and functional. They are becoming new-generation polymers with great potential for preparing high-efficiency, long-lasting, environmentally friendly and broad-spectrum coatings to inhibit marine biofouling. They can also find applications in wastewater treatment, biomedical materials, and other fields.
Topics: Biofouling; Plastics; Polymerization; Polymers; Surface Properties
PubMed: 35544330
DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00187 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2022There is an urgent need to develop technologies that can physically manipulate the structure of biocompatible and green polymer materials in order to tune their... (Review)
Review
There is an urgent need to develop technologies that can physically manipulate the structure of biocompatible and green polymer materials in order to tune their performance in an efficient, repeatable, easy-to-operate, chemical-free, non-contact, and highly controllable manner. Ultrasound technology produces a cavitation effect that promotes the generation of free radicals, the fracture of chemical chain segments and a rapid change of morphology. The cavitation effects are accompanied by thermal, chemical, and biological effects that interact with the material being studied. With its high efficiency, cleanliness, and reusability applications, ultrasound has a vast range of opportunity within the field of natural polymer-based materials. This work expounds the basic principle of ultrasonic cavitation and analyzes the influence that ultrasonic strength, temperature, frequency and induced liquid surface tension on the physical and chemical properties of biopolymer materials. The mechanism and the influence that ultrasonic modification has on materials is discussed, with highlighted details on the agglomeration, degradation, morphology, structure, and the mechanical properties of these novel materials from naturally derived polymers.
Topics: Biopolymers; Polymers; Temperature; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 35452704
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.04.055 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2022In the present Special Issue "Functional Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites: Current Uses and Potential Applications", two review articles and nine original...
In the present Special Issue "Functional Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites: Current Uses and Potential Applications", two review articles and nine original research articles are published [...].
Topics: Polymers; Nanocomposites
PubMed: 36361503
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112713 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Nov 2020The unique properties of polymer-hybrid nanosystems enable them to play an important role in different fields such as biomedical applications. Hybrid materials, which... (Review)
Review
The unique properties of polymer-hybrid nanosystems enable them to play an important role in different fields such as biomedical applications. Hybrid materials, which are formed by polymer and inorganic- or organic-base systems, have been the focus of many recently published studies whose results have shown outstanding improvements in drug targeting. The development of hybrid polymer materials can avoid the synthesis of new molecules, which is an overall expensive process that can take several years to get to the proper elaboration and approval. Thus, the combination of properties in a single hybrid system can have several advantages over non-hybrid platforms, such as improvements in circulation time, structural disintegration, high stability, premature release, low encapsulation rate and unspecific release kinetics. Thus, the aim of the present review is to outline a rapid and well-oriented scenario concerning the knowledge about polymer-hybrid nanoparticles use in biomedical platforms. Furthermore, the ultimate methodologies adopted in synthesis processes, as well as in applications in vitro/in vivo, are the focus of this review.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Nanoparticles; Polymerization; Polymers
PubMed: 32920512
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110695