ABSTRACT
Compositing is an interesting strategy that has always been employed to introduce or enhance desired functionalities in material systems. In this paper, sponges containing polypropylene, lignin, and octavinyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OV-POSS) were successfully prepared via an easy and elegant strategy called thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). To fully explore the behaviour of different components of prepared sponges, properties were characterized by a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared measurement (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, wettability properties toward an organic liquid and oil were investigated. The FTIR analysis confirmed the chemical modification of the components. TGA and DSC measurements revealed thermal stability was much better with an increase in OV-POSS content. OV-POSS modified sponges exhibited ultra-hydrophobicity and high oleophilicity with water contact angles of more than 125°. The SEM revealed that POSS molecules acted as a support for reduced surface roughness. Moreover, OV-POSS-based blend sponges showed higher sorption capacities compared with other blend sponges without OV-POSS. The new blend sponges demonstrated a potential for use as sorbent engineering materials in water remediation.
ABSTRACT
Diabetic wound (DW) healing is a major clinical challenge due to multifactorial complications leading to prolonged inflammation. Electrospun nanofibrous (NF) membranes, due to special structural features, are promising biomaterials capable to promote DW healing through the delivery of active agents in a controlled manner. Herein, we report a multifunctional composite NF membrane loaded with ZnO nanoparticles (NP) and oregano essential oil (OEO), employing a new loading strategy, capable to sustainedly co-deliver bioactive agents. Physicochemical characterization revealed the successful fabrication of loaded nanofibers with strong in vitro anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities. Furthermore, in vivo wound healing confirmed the potential of bioactive NF membranes in epithelialization and granulation tissue formation. The angiogenesis was greatly prompted by the bioactive NF membranes through expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Moreover, the proposed NF membrane successfully terminated the inflammatory cycle by downregulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin -6 (IL-6) and matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9). In vitro and in vivo studies revealed the proposed NF membrane is a promising dressing material for the healing of DW.
