Gel Blends Research Articles

Effect of MoS2 on Simple and Novel PEG/κ-Carrageenan Hydrogels for TNBC Cancer Drug Delivery

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a two-dimensional inorganic molecule, has lately been studied in medical research with regard to carrying pharmaceuticals due to its distinctive characteristics. A biodegradable polymer system applicable in cancer drug delivery can be created with the addition of MoS2. In our research described in this paper, we investigated the influence of the amount of MoS2 on the characteristics and performance of our novel gel blend. It was aimed to prepare a new gel blend, which we thought would have the potential to be used as a stimulus-sensitive, polymeric hydrogel as a carrier in the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) drug delivery system, with the MoS2 added to the polyethylene glycol (PEG)/κ-carrageenan combination. This 2D material (MoS2) impacted the hydrogel by improving the transmittance, swelling, and elasticity performance compared to the normal no MoS2 structure of the polymeric gel. The polymer blend characteristics were mainly tested using UV-VIS spectrophotometry and gravimetric analysis. The varied properties of these gel mixtures were investigated using five different mass ratios of MoS2. The 5 mg MoS2/(PEG)/κ-carrageenan gel was the best sample investigated in terms of the elasticity. The results of the study demonstrated that our gel system can be utilized for precisely targeted and regulated delivery of cancer drugs. To create preliminary data for this near future goal, the release mechanism of the Doxorubicin drug loaded into the produced gel were examined.

The Controlled Release of Abscisic Acid (ABA) Utilizing Alginate-Chitosan Gel Blends: A Synergistic Approach for an Enhanced Small-Molecule Delivery Controller.

The integration of abscisic acid (ABA) into a chitosan-alginate gel blend unveils crucial insights into the formation and stability of these two substances. ABA, a key phytohormone in plant growth and stress responses, is strategically targeted for controlled release within these complexes. This study investigates the design and characterization of this novel controlled-release system, showcasing the potential of alginate-chitosan gel blends in ABA delivery. Computational methods, including molecular dynamics simulations, are employed to analyze the structural effects of microencapsulation, offering valuable insights into complex behavior under varying conditions. This paper focuses on the controlled release of ABA from these complexes, highlighting its strategic importance in drug delivery systems and beyond. This controlled release enables targeted and regulated ABA delivery, with far-reaching implications for pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and plant stress response studies. While acknowledging context dependency, the paper suggests that the liberation or controlled release of ABA holds promise in applications, urging further research and experimentation to validate its utility across diverse fields. Overall, this work significantly contributes to understanding the characteristics and potential applications of chitosan-alginate complexes, marking a noteworthy advancement in the field of controlled-release systems.

Preparation of Phase‐Change Composites and Their Interfacial Water Evaporation Properties

Materials for the photothermal conversion of solar energy for evaporation have attracted the attention of researchers due to their low energy consumption. However, photothermal conversion materials cannot operate continuously in all weathers due to intermittent solar radiation, which reduces the evaporation efficiency of interfacial evaporated materials. Therefore, this article uses phase‐change materials (PCMs) to improve the evaporation efficiency of traditional interfacial evaporation materials, using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as PCMs, polydopamine (PDA) as light absorption material, acrylamide (AM), bacterial nanocellulose (BC), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC‐Na) as matrix raw materials. 3D gel blend (AM/PEG/BC/CMC@PDA) phase transition composite is fabricated using the one‐pot cross‐linking method. Experimental results show that the material achieves 98% light absorption in the entire spectral range. At 1 kW m−2 light, the evaporation rate of the AM/PEG/BC/CMC@PDA phase transition composite reaches 3.44 kg m−2 h−1. The evaporation rate of the material is equivalent to 8 times that of water, and the photothermal conversion efficiency is 95%. The evaporation rate of the material in the dark is 1.2 kg m−2 h−1. The material has excellent evaporation rates in various water bodies and meets drinking water standards.

Electrical Stimuli-Responsive Gelatin/Shellac Gel Blends for Use as Controllable Transdermal Delivery Patches

Electrical Stimuli-Responsive Gelatin/Shellac Gel Blends for Use as Controllable Transdermal Delivery Patches

Quality evaluation of peach jam prepared by incorporation of Aloe vera gel

This research work was conducted to evaluate the sensual characteristics of peach and Aloe vera gel (Aloe Barbadensis Miller) blended jam. Different proximate and sensory parameters such as total soluble solids, moisture content, crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat and ash content were analyzed. Results revealed that the maximum score for proximate analysis was found in jam sample Treatment₃ (Crude protein 0.42, ash content 0.40, Crude fats 0.15, Crude fiber, 1.26, carbohydrates 62.77, and total calories 254.15 Kcal). The sensory attribute result showed that sample T₃ was remarkable as compared to other treatments (color 7.6, flavor 7.8, taste 7.8, texture 7.7, and overall acceptability 7.7). Based on sensual acceptability it was concluded that virtuous quality of jam can be made by incorporating 85% Peach + 15% Aloe vera gel blend. Keywords: Aloe vera; Blend; Jam; Peach; Sensory analysis http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2021.100097

Fucoidan hydrogels induced by κ-carrageenan: Rheological, thermal and structural characterization

Fucoidan (FUC) is a non-gelling polysaccharide but could interact with κ-carrageenan (KC) to form a stable gel blend. However, their interaction mechanism is unclear. Herein, FUC and KC blended gels are prepared by mixing FUC (10 and 20 mg/mL) and KC (6, 7 and 8 mg/mL) solutions, and characterized through LF-NMR, rheology, DSC, Cryo-SEM, and FTIR. The FTIR analysis confirms the formation of hydrogen bonds between FUC and KC chains. The KC addition to FUC significantly improves the water retention and frost resistance. The viscoelastic measurements reveal higher gelling nature of the FUC-KC binary mixtures, and the DSC results confirm the higher thermal stability. The Cryo-SEM images clearly reveal the gel network structure. The outcome of this study deemed to further the FUC use in food and non-food applications.

Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitor Cells Produce Distinct Neural 3D In Vitro Models Depending on Alginate/Gellan Gum/Laminin Hydrogel Blend Properties.

Stable and predictive neural cell culture models are a necessary premise for many research fields. However, conventional 2D models lack 3D cell-material/-cell interactions and hence do not reflect the complexity of the in vivo situation properly. Here two alginate/gellan gum/laminin (ALG/GG/LAM) hydrogel blends are presented for the fabrication of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based 3D neural models. For hydrogel embedding, hiPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (hiNPCs) are used either directly or after 3D neural pre-differentiation. It is shown that stiffness and stress relaxation of the gel blends, as well as the cell differentiation strategy influence 3D model development. The embedded hiNPCs differentiate into neurons and astrocytes within the gel blends and display spontaneous intracellular calcium signals. Two fit-for-purpose models valuable for i) applications requiring a high degree of complexity, but less throughput, such as disease modeling and long-term exposure studies and ii) higher throughput applications, such as acute exposures or substance screenings are proposed. Due to their wide range of applications, adjustability, and printing capabilities, the ALG/GG/LAM based 3D neural models are of great potential for 3D neural modeling in the future.

Enhancement of sensitivity for dichlorvos detection by a low-weight gelator based on bolaamphiphile amino acid derivatives decorated with a hybrid graphene quantum dot/enzyme/hydrogel

The use of fluorescent gel blends with GQDs provides new insights into gel formation and hydrogen peroxide detection utilizing the peroxidase-like catalytic activity of graphene quantum dots. This hybrid hydrogel enhances the performance of hybrid hydrogel properties by a low molecular weight gelator with the assistance of GQDs and phosphate buffer and taking an advantage of sensing application with a highly potential sensitivity and stability.

Effect of Curdlan on the Rheological Properties of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose.

This work focuses on the effect of curdlan (CL) on dynamic viscoelastic property, thermal reversible property, viscosity, and the fluid types of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) at different temperatures. Compared to the blends at 25 °C, the blends had a smaller linear viscoelastic region (LVR), a higher gel strength, and larger storage modulus (G’) and loss modulus (G”) values at 82 °C. G’, G”, gel strength, and viscosity increased with the increase of CL. Repeated temperature sweep led to increased G’ and G” of HPMC/CL blends. For HC6 and HC8, the gel formation temperature of the repeated temperature sweep was significantly lower than that of the first sweep. The samples at 82 °C, except for the sample with 8% CL, were all yield-shear thinning fluids, and the samples at 40 °C were shear thinning fluids. The creation of HPMC/CL and its rheological research might provide some methodological references for the study of other thermal–thermal gel blends.

PROPIEDADES MICROBIOLÓGICAS Y FISICOQUÍMICAS DE MEZCLAS DE GEL DE Aloe vera PROCESADAS CON UV-C A DIFERENTES pHs EN UN SISTEMA UV DE FLUJO CONTINUO

UV-C irradiation doses (12.8, 24.2, 35.8, and 54.6 mJ×cm-2) on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of 10% Aloe vera gel at different pHs (3.5, 4.5, and 5.5) were evaluated. An unprocessed treatment (UP) and a short (45 s) thermal treatment (TT) at 90 °C were used as controls. The irradiation doses and pH levels affected (p < 0.05) the elimination of coliforms and aerobic mesophilic microorganisms with the same efficiency as TT. Molds and yeasts were successfully eliminated at doses ≥24.2 mJ×cm-2 regardless of pH. Reducing sugars, total polyphenols, and aloin A content decreased as pH increased (p < 0.05). Although, the antioxidant activity was significantly reduced at doses ≥35.8 mJ×cm-2. TT and UV-C treatments affected the a* color parameter (p < 0.05), resulting the UV-C with the highest values. In both treatments, a reddish color was present at pH ≥ 4.5. The UV-C treatment resulted in minimal changes in most physicochemical properties, compared to UP treatment. However, TT significantly affected most physicochemical properties of A. vera gel blends. These results suggest that dose of 24.2 mJ×cm-2 in a continuous flow UV system is a non-thermal alternative for the stabilization of 10% A. vera gel blends at pH of 3.5.

Effects of UV-C irradiation and traditional thermal processing on acemannan contained in Aloe vera gel blends

The effects of pH (3.5, 4.5, and 5.5) and UV-C irradiation dose (12.8, 24.2, 35.8, and 54.6 mJ/cm2) on the physicochemical properties changes in 10% Aloe vera gel blends; in addition, the acemannan concentration and structural changes in the precipitated polysaccharides were evaluated. A thermal treatment (TT; 45 s at 90 °C) was used for comparison. In contrast to TT, a dose of 24.2 mJ/cm2 did not induce significant changes of free sugar content. Moreover, TT and UV-C irradiation did not significantly affect the content of mannose but increased those of galactose, fructose, and glucose. 1H NMR analysis revealed minimal changes in the isolated fractions of acemannan, indicating that compared to the unprocessed control sample, the acemannan deacetylation was more pronounced by TT (27%) than by UV-C irradiation (11% at 54.6 mJ/cm2), without any significant difference between the two. UV-C irradiation of Aloe vera gel blends at pH 3.5 and 24.2 mJ/cm2 was an alternative to TT and efficiently preserve the characteristics of acemannan.

Polymer Electrolyte Blend Gate Dielectrics for High-Performance Ultrathin Organic Transistors: Toward Favorable Polymer Blend Miscibility and Reliability.

We report on systematic mobility enhancements in electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) by thinning down the active layer and exploiting polymer solid-state electrolyte gate insulators (SEGIs). The SEGI is composed of homogeneous poly(vinylidene fluoride- co-hexafluoropropylene) [P(VDF-HFP)] polymer solution-ion gel blends of high areal capacitance of >10 μF cm-2 at 1 Hz. By scaling up the poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) semiconducting layer by 1 order of magnitude (5-50 nm), an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy examination reveals a downward vacuum-level shift generating a substantial hole injection barrier that originates from different interfacial dipole layer formations. The ultrathin (5.1 nm) P3HT FETs outperformed the other devices, exhibiting stable device characteristics with a highest field-effect mobility of >2 cm2 V-1 s-1 (effective mobility of 0.83 ± 0.05 cm2 V-1 s-1), on/off ratio of ∼106, low threshold voltage of <-0.6 V, and low gate-leakage current levels of ∼105 below the on-current levels in 10 μm channel length devices. We observed a positive threshold voltage shift in the P3HT/SEGI FETs with decreasing semiconductor thickness. The aforementioned mobility is at least 10 times greater than that of neat P(VDF-HFP) devices. The significant FET performance is attributed to a better insulator/semiconductor interface, efficient hole injection from the Au electrode resulting in a low contact resistance of <500 Ω cm, and boosted charge-carrier densities in the transistor channel. This work demonstrates an excellent approach for carrier mobility enhancement and reliability assessment in low-voltage-operated electrolyte-gated OFETs.

Reinforcing blade-cast photocatalytic-titania thin film by titanate nanotubes

Titanate nanotubes/titania gel blends were prepared as composite sol-gel material, deposited on a glass substrate using a doctor blade and calcined in order to create thin films. In order to get an insight in titania nanotubes’ ability to reinforce thin films, drying control chemical agents were not used. The effects of titanate nanotubes to titanium n-butoxide ratio on surface morphology, phase composition, mechanical stability and photocatalytic activity were studied. Characterization of the thin films was carried out by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and mechanical stability testing. Photocatalytic properties of the obtained thin films were evaluated on the basis of methylene blue degradation. Moderate blends exhibit favourable microstructural features while the dye degradation rate was greater for films with a greater amount of titanate nanotubes.

Examination of alkali-activated material nanostructure during thermal treatment

The key nanostructural changes occurring in a series of alkali-activated materials (AAM) based on blends of slag and fly ash precursors during exposure to temperatures up to 1000 °C are investigated. The main reaction product in each AAM is a crosslinked sodium- and aluminium-substituted calcium silicate hydrate (C-(N)-A-S-H)-type gel. Increased alkali content promotes the formation of an additional sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N-A-S-(H)) gel reaction product due to the structural limitations on Al substitution within the C-(N)-A-S-H gel. Heating each AAM to 1000 °C results in the crystallisation of the disordered gels and formation of sodalite, nepheline and wollastonite. Increased formation of N-A-S-(H) reduces binder structural water content after thermal treatment and correlates closely with previous observations of improved strength retention and reduced microcracking in these AAM after heating to 1000 °C. This provides new insight into thermally induced changes to gel atomic structure and thermal durability of C-(N)-A-S-H/N-A-S-H gel blends which are fundamental for the development of new fire-resistant construction materials.

Ultrahigh Mobility in Solution-Processed Solid-State Electrolyte-Gated Transistors.

A new concept of a high-capacitance polymeric dielectric based on high-k polymer and ion gel blends is reported. This solid-state electrolyte gate insulator enables remarkable field-effect mobilities exceeding 10 cm2 V-1 s-1 for common polymer and other semiconductor families at VG ≤ 2 V owing to high areal capacitance (>4 µF cm-2 ) from combined polarization of CF interface dipoles and electrical-double-layer formation.

Direct transfer of magnetic sensor devices to elastomeric supports for stretchable electronics.

A novel fabrication method for stretchable magnetoresistive sensors is introduced, which allows the transfer of a complex microsensor systems prepared on common rigid donor substrates to prestretched elastomeric membranes in a single step. This direct transfer printing method boosts the fabrication potential of stretchable magnetoelectronics in terms of miniaturization and level of complexity, and provides strain-invariant sensors up to 30% tensile deformation.

Facile preparation of titanium dioxide micro/nanofibers and tubular structures by air jet spinning

Air jet spinning (AJS) method has been successfully used for manufacturing of micro/nanofibers. AJS method offers a fiber production rate that is several times higher than those produced by electrospinning. This paper discusses the preparation of TiO2 in two different morphological structures using a one-step AJS based on sol–gel blends of alkoxide precursor (titanium isopropoxide), Ti(iso) and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) solutions. Our results confirmed that TiO2 fibers and tubular structures can be prepared by controlling the proportions of Ti(iso) precursor. Spinning Ti(iso)/PVAc solutions with low precursor concentrations (25%) yielded fibers with smooth surfaces. Increasing the precursor concentration more than 25% resulted in production of very rough fibers of highly tubular structure. Overall, the AJS technique proved to be a valuable method for future research related to polymer and ceramic fiber processing and fabrication.

Dispersion of P3HT gelation and its influence on the performance of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells based on P3HT:PCBM

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is a semicrystalline polymer with a strong tendency to form gelation in solvents. Recent investigations focused on the mechanism and the dynamics of P3HT gelation forming in solution. In this work, we systematically studied the effect of the dispersion degree of sol–gel P3HT:PCBM ([6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester), which was characterized by the capillary rise height, on photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells. Without solvent and thermal annealing, the power conversion efficiency of devices fabricated from sol–gel blend solution with certain dispersion can reach 2.35%, 5.6 times higher than that of the devices from the same solution with complete dispersion. The ordered self-assembled P3HT due to the strong intermolecular π-electronic coupling found by UV–vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterizations and the good contact between these P3HT crystalline and PCBM in the films explained the good performance of the BHJ organic solar cells made from these disperse sol–gel solutions without any annealing.

Investigation and optimization of formulation factors of a hydrogel network based on kappa carrageenan–pregelatinized starch blend using an experimental design

In the present work we evaluate the results of a combination of two hydrophilic polymers such as kappa carrageenan (κ-Carr) and pregelatinized starch (PGS) in the improvement of the properties of a gel blend containing miconazole. A design of experiments and in particular a Box–Behnken design was applied for the optimization and assessment of the effects of three independent factors (amounts of κ-Carr, glycerol and polysorbate 80) on the bioadhesive properties and drug release kinetics of kappa carrageenan–pregelatinized starch blend. The in-vitro release study revealed that the most formulations showed extended release profiles of miconazole over 2h. The majority of the matrices that contained 0.3% of κ-Carr eroded prematurely. From the obtained results it was noticed that the gel matrices released drug by diffusion. It was also shown that the addition of κ-Carr to PGS-based gel improves its bioadhesive characteristics and the extended drug release. The optimized gel deduced from the experimental design was characterized and its properties such as swelling, bioadhesion and release kinetics were evaluated.

Blending gelators to tune gel structure and probe anion-induced disassembly.

Blending different low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) provides a convenient route to tune the properties of a gel and incorporate functionalities such as fluorescence. Blending a series of gelators having a common bis-urea motif, and functionalised with different amino acid-derived end-groups and differing length alkylene spacers is reported. Fluorescent gelators incorporating 1-and 2-pyrenyl moieties provide a probe of the mixed systems alongside structural and morphological data from powder diffraction and electron microscopy. Characterisation of the individual gelators reveals that although the expected α-urea tape motif is preserved, there is considerable variation in the gelation properties, molecular packing, fibre morphology and rheological behaviour. Mixing of the gelators revealed examples in which: 1) the gels formed separate, orthogonal networks maintaining their own packing and morphology, 2) the gels blended together into a single network, either adopting the packing and morphology of one gelator, or 3) a new structure not seen for either of the gelators individually was created. The strong binding of the urea functionalities to anions was exploited as a means of breaking down the gel structure, and the use of fluorescent gel blends provides new insights into anion-mediated gel dissolution.