Bio-Compatible Ca-BDC/Polymer Monolithic Composites Templated from Bio-Active Ca-BDC Co-Stabilized CO2-in-Water High Internal Phase Emulsions.

Xule Yang,Liqin Cao,Youwei Hao

doi:10.3390/polym12040931

Abstract

Because of the nontoxic solvents contained in CO2-in-water emulsions, porous polymer composites templated from these emulsions are conducive for bio-applications. Herein, bio-active rod-like calcium-organic framworks (Ca-BDC MOFs, BDC= 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate anion) particles co-stabilized CO2-in-water high internal phase emulsion (C/W HIPE) in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is first presented. After curing of the continuous phase, followed by releasing CO2, integral 3D macro-porous Ca-BDC monolith and Ca-BDC/Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide) HIPEs monolithic composites [Ca-BDC/P(AM-co-HEMA)HIPEs] with open-cell macro-porous structures were successfully prepared. The pore structure of these porous composite can be tuned by means of tailoring the Ca-BDC dosage, carbon dioxide pressure, and continuous phase volume fractions in corresponding C/W HIPEs. Results of bio-compatibility tests show that these Ca-BDC/P(AM-co-HEMA)HIPEs monoliths have non-cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells; also, the E. coli can grow either on the surfaces or inside these monoliths. Furthermore, immobilization of β-amylase on these porous composite presents that β-amylase can be well-anchored into the porous polymer composites, its catalytic activity can be maintained even after 10 cycles. This work combined bio-active MOFs Ca-BDC, bio-compatible open-cell macroporous polymer PAM-co-HEMA and green C/W HIPEs to present a novel and facile way to prepare interconnected macro-porous MOFs/polymer composites. Compared with the existing other well-known materials such as hydrogels, these porous composites possess well-defined tunable pore structures and superior bio-activity, thereby have promising applications in bio-tissue engineering, food, and pharmaceutical.

Highlights

Macroporous structure in bio-materials for tissue engineering scaffolds and enzyme carriers etc.are of great significance [1,2]
An essential element of life, is the main inorganic component of human bones and teeth, accounts for about 1.4% of the body’s mass, and is closely related to the physiological activities associated with enzymes or proteins
Bio-active Ca-BDC particles were synthesized according to the literature reported [41] and were intended to be incorporated into bio-compatible porous polymer composites via high internal emulsion templating

Summary

Introduction

Macroporous structure in bio-materials for tissue engineering scaffolds and enzyme carriers etc. Are of great significance [1,2]. The existing well-known materials such as hydrogel [3], which are used largely in tissue engineering for synthetic bio-materials fabrication or in drug delivery systems for pharmaceuticals are restricted by the unadjustability and irregularity of their pore structure. Researchers have tried to prepare interconnected macro-porous polymer materials by a variety of methods [4,5,6]. High internal phase emulsion (HIPE) is such an emulsion, in which internal phase fractions account for 0.74 or more. Oil-in-water (O/W) HIPEs, in which the oil phases are dispersed

Methods

Results

Conclusion