Polymer Shell Research Articles

Multilayer Polymer Shell Perfluoropentane Nanodroplets for Multimodal Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance, and Optoacoustic Imaging

AbstractMultimodal imaging increases the value of stand‐alone modalities by enabling simultaneous multiparametric characterization of biological tissues in vivo. Particularly, optoacoustic (OA) tomography has enabled bringing optical imaging advantages to previously unattainable depths and is currently being hybridized with other imaging technologies for enhanced performance. The full potential of these multimodal imaging approaches can only be achieved with dedicated contrast agents ensuring simultaneous measurements and accurate co‐registration of the information provided. Herein, perfluoropentane‐filled nanodroplets are modified, providing excellent contrast in ultrasound imaging, by introducing shell‐embedded additives offering strong contrast in magnetic resonance and OA imaging. Magnetite nanoparticles and indocyanine green (ICG) dye are simultaneously deposited as a multilayer shell on the droplets with the layer‐by‐layer method. This results in sufficiently high amounts of magnetite (0.54 ± 0.08 mg mL−1) and ICG (0.30 ± 0.08 mg mL−1) for efficient magnetic resonance and OA detection, respectively. The high sensitivity achieved with the developed trimodal nanodroplets is first demonstrated in phantom experiments, after which their potential toxic effects, biodistribution, and clearance are examined in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, the obtained results indicate that the developed multilayer polymer shell nanodroplets are efficient hybrid contrast agents for multimodal biomedical imaging applications.

Polydiacetylene-coated gold nanoparticles as a novel plasmonic thermosensor based on the phase transition of the outer shell

We report the synthesis of a core–shell nanostructure formed by a gold nanosphere surrounded by an external layer of poly(10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid). The gold core provides intense SERS signaling, whereas the polymer shell ensures structure stability. We introduce the concept of temperature response induced by phase-transition, as opposed to current plasmonic thermosensors based on surface adsorption of low molecular weight reporters. The behavior of the core–shell nanostructure has been investigated by Variable Temperature SERS (VT-SERS) measurements in the range of 150 – 400 K. The polymer shell is initially in the blue form and converts into the stable red one starting from 290 K. This transition produces temperature effects on the position and the Full Width at Half Height (FWHH) of the ν(–C = C–) peak that are suitable for temperature monitoring. VT-SERS measurements are proved to be useful for studying the behavior of ultrathin polymer films.

Broad spectral photodetectors based on BiOCl@boronate polymer core-shell heterojunctions

BiOCl has been actively explored as a promising material for photodetectors (PDs), but inefficient charge separation and narrow response spectral range limit the further development of BiOCl-based PDs. Herein, we show that coating BiOCl with a boronate polymer (BP) shell may provide a simple route to overcome the above limitations. The migration of Bi3+ from BiOCl to BP changes the energy level and enhances the light absorption of BP shell. Violent coordination at the core–shell interface, as well as Bi3+ migration induces the generation of Bi3+-O·-Bi3+ defects. Also, BP shell can reduce the darkcurrent of BiOCl@BPs PDs. The optimized PD assembled with BiOCl@BP1.9 (the subscript represents the shell thickness) shows fast photoresponse (rise time: 32, decay time: 52 ms, respectively), high on/off ratio, and responsivity of 119.77 μA/W under 365 nm light at 15 V. Moreover, BiOCl@BP PDs exhibit a gradually broadened spectral response range with the increase of BP shell thickness and show much higher photodetection performances. For example, under 940 nm light stimulation, the optimized PD (BiOCl@BP20.1) exhibits a high responsivity of 22.18 μA/W, 28 times that of BP PD. Our findings may provide a guideline for the design of high-performance PDs based on the precise construction of polymer-inorganic heterostructures.

Smart Microcapsules Designed for On-Demand Local Heating and Drug Release

Chemophotothermal therapy is promising for cancer treatment with its synergistic effect. Although various photothermal agents have been formulated as drug carriers, low payload, burst release, and severe dilution usually restrict their uses. To overcome the limitations, we design smart microcapsules as a pragmatic material for chemophotothermal therapy. With a microfluidic device, water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double-emulsion templates are produced to have photothermal polydopamine nanoparticles and drugs in the water core and a mixture of photocurable monomers and phase-change material (PCM) in the oil shell. The droplets are significantly shrunken by the osmotic extraction of water from the core, which enables the size reduction for the ease of injection and enrichment of polydopamine nanoparticles and drugs for enhanced photothermal performance and high payload. The microcapsules, produced by photopolymerization of monomers, release drugs when PCM in continuous nanochannels of the polymer shell is molten while retaining drugs without leakage when frozen. As the concentrated polydopamine nanoparticles provide rapid and drastic heating by near-infrared irradiation, the drug release can be switched on and off in a programmed manner by manipulating the irradiation. The smart microcapsules secure high drug payload in a spacious core, negligible initial bursting, and dilution-free high photothermal performance, potentially serving as a pragmatic therapy platform.

Doxorubicin-loaded mPEG-pPAd-mPEG triblock polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery systems: Preparation and in vitro evaluation

Conventional methods in chemotherapy and radiotherapy do not target tumor sites treating breast cancer. Therefore, they cause some extra adverse effects on healthy tissues and cells, which bring fatal results. In recent applications, drug delivery systems have been used to target tumors directly or their environment indirectly. The new approach has attracted considerable interest due to its promise to overcome breast cancer with little adverse effect. Synthetic or natural polymer shell capsules are generally used to deliver therapeutic agents due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Doxorubicin (DOX), a convenient chemotherapeutic agent, was encapsulated using produced monomethyl ether ended poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene adipate)- monomethyl ether ended poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-pPAd-mPEG) triblock copolymers in this study. The nanoparticle form of the prepared mPEG-pPAd-mPEG tri-block copolymer system was produced by a double emulsion-solvent evaporation method. To prepare triblock copolymer, firstly, poly (propylene adipate) (pPAd) was synthesized and characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy structurally and end-group analysis method to determine the number average molecular weight. The nanoparticle's size characteristics were measured by the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method, while encapsulation efficacy and DOX-release profile were determined by spectrofluorometer instrument. Following the production of the nanoparticles, the antiproliferative effect and cellular uptake efficiency of the mPEG-pPAd-mPEG nanoparticles (PANPs), the doxorubicin-loaded mPEG-pPAd-mPEG nanoparticles (DPANPs), ICG-loaded mPEG-pPAd-mPEG nanoparticles (IPANPs), free-DOX, and free-ICG were tested on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. The cytotoxicity analysis revealed that the DPANPs exhibited low toxicity compared to free-DOX. The physical and chemical analysis showed that the nanoparticles produced within this study's scope could be used as new drug delivery systems for breast cancer treatment.

Моделирование теплового старения кабельной полимерной композиции на основе этиленвинилацетата

The aging of a cable polymer shell composition based on ethylene vinyl acetate has been studied. During accelerated aging tests in the temperature range from 110 to 150 °С, the change in the mechanical and thermal properties of the elastomeric samples was monitored. The sample properties were controlled by measuring the following characteristics: the relative elongation at break (REB), the indentation modulus of elasticity (IME), the oxidative induction temperature, and the oxidative induction time. To simulate a REB change during the aging, an empirical kinetic equation was used, which reflects the three stages of elastomer aging: finish cross-linking, inhibited oxidation and non-inhibited oxidation. The developed model was validated, and a forecast of the REB of the shell elastomer for the maximum operating temperature of low-voltage cables’ operation, stipulated by technical documents is presented. The possibility of a non-destructive testing and prediction of the cable state, using IME is demonstrated. A system of models associated with each other with common physical parameters has been developed. It includes both the models describing a change in the mechanical properties in the course of the thermal aging and the thermal-oxidative parameters of the polymer composition based on ethylene vinyl acetate.

Smart Delivery Platform Using Core-Shell Nanofibers for Sequential Drug Release in Wound Healing.

An effective approach to accelerating wound healing is through a smart delivery platform that releases drugs according to the needs of different healing periods. With the growing demand for wound care and treatment, electrospun nanofibers have attracted considerable attention owing to their simple and versatile method of manufacturing, unique structure, and biological functions similar to those of the extracellular matrix. Moreover, nanofibers can be loaded with active substances that promote targeted wound healing. In this study, we investigated the performance of a core-shell nanofiber platform loaded with two drugs in the core and shell, respectively. The shell polymer, poly-l-lactic acid, initially releases the encapsulated drug into an aqueous solution at room temperature. Gold nanorods with near-infrared absorbance were incorporated in the core polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) to produce localized heat by plasmon resonance when exposed to light. This allows the thermally responsive core polymer to swell and shrink for programmable drug release. Our study provides a versatile platform for controlled and safe drug delivery to wound sites and could be applied to the treatment of other topical diseases.

Programmed release of hydrogel microspheres via regulating the immune microenvironment to promotes bone repair

Bone tissue repair is influenced by the synergistic interaction between acute immune microenvironment and osteogenesis. In this study will be independently by film dispersion method and static loading shell polymers and resveratrol liposome preparation CS - Res @ Lipo (CRL) and microfluidic technology preparation of HAMA@HepMA hydrogel microspheres (MS) by condensation reaction of chemical grafting, and then the non-covalent binding site of the MS microsphere was used to skillfully bind BMP-2, construct procedural release of hydrogel microspheres (CRL @ BMP - 2 @ MS). CRL@BMP-2@MS inhibit the acute immune peak by rapidly releasing Res, in addition, the sustained liberation of BMP-2 synchronizes osteoimmunity and osteogenesis, thereby accelerating bone repair. The results showed that Res was released with an increased cumulative rate of 72.4 ± 3.6% in the first 24 h, TNF-α and IL-1β levels were significantly decreased by 4.27 times and 3.65 times as compared to the control group, respectively. Furthermore, continuous release of approximately 40.26 ± 6.8% of BMP-2 occurred within the first 72 h, CRL@BMP-2@MS microspheres significantly increased osteogenic activity compared with the control group by 2.98 and 2.82 times, respectively. In conclusion, the programmed CRL@BMP-2@MS constructed in this study can realize the programmed synergistic linkage of immunity and osteogenesis, dynamically regulate bone repair, and the treatment of clinical bone repair will be based on a new strategy for diagnosis and treatment.

Bacteriophage-loaded functional nanofibers for treatment of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus wound infections

The increasing incidence of infected skin wounds poses a major challenge in clinical practice, especially when conventional antibiotic therapy fails. In this context, bacteriophages emerged as promising alternatives for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, clinical implementation remains hampered by the lack of efficient delivery approaches to infected wound tissue. In this study, bacteriophage-loaded electrospun fiber mats were successfully developed as next-generation wound dressings for the treatment of infected wounds. We employed a coaxial electrospinning approach, creating fibers with a protective polymer shell, enveloping bacteriophages in the core while maintaining their antimicrobial activity. The novel fibers exhibited a reproducible fiber diameter range and morphology, while the mechanical fiber properties were ideal for application onto wounds. Further, immediate release kinetics for the phages were confirmed as well as the biocompatibility of the fibers with human skin cells. Antimicrobial activity was demonstrated against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the core/shell formulation maintained the bacteriophage activity for 4 weeks when stored at − 20 °C. Based on these promising characteristics, our approach holds great potential as a platform technology for the encapsulation of bioactive bacteriophages to enable the translation of phage therapy into clinical application.

Hierarchically hollow microcapsules with antibacterial and angiogenic properties for abdominal wall defects treatment

The utilization of mesh materials to repair abdominal wall defects (AWDs) is one of the most common operations in the surgical field. However, the repair efficiency for biological meshes is restricted by poor neovascularization and limited abilities to prevent bacterial contamination. To address these issues, we design a new type of hierarchically hollow microcapsules (HHMs) by microfluidics. The hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles filled in the aqueous core of HHMs form the first hollow structure, while the polymer shell of HHMs with tailorable thickness forms the second hollow structure. Under the precise emulsification process of microfluidics, HHMs have a high monodispersity with the coefficient of variation value about 1.9%. Taking advantages of the hierarchically hollow structure, the resultant microcapsules can store large amounts of angiogenic molecules, and deliver these cargos in a controlled manner. In vitro experiments find that the bioactivities of angiogenic molecules are well preserved after microencapsulation and promote the capillary tube formation of endothelial cells. In addition, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are incorporated into the HHMs shell to provide antibacterial properties for these microcapsules. When AgNPs concentration set to 0.4‰, the colony counting is reduced by 99.8% for Gram-negative bacteria and 94.8% for Gram-positive bacteria, while the proliferation activity of normal cells remains more than 80.0%. In vivo experiments find that HHMs can facilitate the new blood vessel formation, restrain the bacteria adhesion, and decrease the inflammatory response after implantation into a rat model with AWDs. These unique characteristics of HHMs thus create a healthy environment for biological meshes to induce the regeneration of AWDs, accompanied by collagen deposition and granulation formation. Collectively, the proposed HHMs are promising devices in the application of defected tissue repair.

Mixed shell nanoparticles via polymerization-induced self-assembly of Y-shaped ABC miktoarm star copolymers

Mixed shell polymer nanoparticles (MSPNs) have emerged as a very significant research topic in the field of macromolecular science. In this study, a robust method for efficient preparation of MSPNs with various morphologies via polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) of Y-shaped ABC miktoarm star copolymers was demonstrated. Poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers carrying a trithiocarbonate (TTC) group at the diblock joint (PCL-TTC-PMMA) were synthesized via the sequential ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using a multifunctional initiator. Subsequently, PCL-TTC-PMMA copolymers acted as both macromolecular chain transfer agents (CTAs) and stabilizers to mediate reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of 4-vinylpyridene (4-VP) in toluene, producing MSPNs with different morphologies including spheres, short rods, worms and vesicles. The factors influencing the morphologies of MSPNs during PISA, including solid content and the chain length of stabilizers, were investigated. RAFT-based dispersion polymerizations of 4-VP monomers mediated by PCL-TTC-PMMA copolymers were also compared with those mediated by linear PMMA-TTC with approximately the same length of PCL-TTC-PMMA under the identical conditions. Their different PISA behaviors were unraveled.

Exploring the Effect of Drug Loading on the Biological Fate of Polymer-Coated Solid Nanoparticles

Polymer-coated inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted great attention in drug delivery fields due to their unique magnetic, optical, and thermal properties. Recent studies have shown that the surface physicochemical properties of these NPs, including the size, shape, shell hydration, protein corona, and so forth, affect their biological fate. However, there has been less attention on the effect of the drug loading amount on the biological activity of inorganic NPs. Here, we used upconverting NPs (UCNPs) as an inorganic nanocarrier model, coated them with a triblock terpolymer poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-block-polymethacrylic acid-block-ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate (PPEGMEMA-b-PMAA-b-PEGMP), and loaded them with different amounts of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) by electrostatic interactions. Our results show that the UCNPs with the lowest DOX loading amount (1.32%) have the best biological behavior. We find that the effect of DOX loading on the biological behavior of UCNPs is dominated by polymer shell hydration and the protein corona. The lowest drug-loading UCNPs are more hydrated and have more albumin coronas around, which leads to an increasing effect on the association with cancer cells and drug accumulation in the mouse tumor area. Our findings highlight the importance of optimizing the drug loading amounts in polymer-coated inorganic drug delivery systems as the amount and type of drug will alter the physical properties of the polymer shell.

Thermal-/pH-triggered hollow mesoporous carbon nanocarrier for NIR-responsive drug release

Intelligent drug-delivery systems are considered one of the most important techniques for improving cancer treatment using existing over-the-counter medicines. However, metallic materials are always accompanied by metabolism problems, whereas chemotherapy produces several side effects in humans. Carbon-based materials exhibit exceptional features such as bio-affinity and bio-degradability. Herein, hollow mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (HMCs) are reported as effective nanocarriers of anti-cancer small drug molecules. Near IR (NIR) sources, which can penetrate most organs, induce thermal effects via non-invasive pathways. NIR radiation not only provides thermal therapy but also is compatible with temperature-sensitive coated responsive polymer shells. The template method was used to synthesize HMCs with size 200 ± 50 nm, under various conditions, to obtain suitably sized and hollow structures for liver-cancer treatment. Additional pH/thermal-bi-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shells were further coated onto the HMCs to produce multiple shells that could trigger swelling motions in PNIPAM@HMCs, as confirmed via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). NIR results demonstrated an extreme increase to the ∆T of 8.7 and 14.2 °C for HMC and PNIPAM@HMCs, respectively. The SAXS spectra analyzed using SasView simulations demonstrated the multi-shell structures of synthesized HMCs and the release mechanism of PNIPAM@HMCs. Based on the model simulation of SAXS, the different rates of polymer swelling indicated the core shrinkage (229.7 to 134.2 Å) and shell expansion (324.3 to 514.3 Å) at 37 °C and 42 °C, respectively. In addition, the first-order, Higuchi, Korsmeyer–Peppas, and Weibull mathematical models were used to verify the drug-release kinetics, and the model with the highest R2 value was considered most suitable for further application. This paper presents the first SAXS study on PNIPAM@HMCs release kinetics and related mechanisms. This phenomenon indicates NIR-induced PNIPAM@HMCs as an effective strategy for cancer treatment via doxorubicin release.

Hydrogel Magnetomechanical Actuator Nanoparticles for Wireless Remote Control of Mechanosignaling In Vivo.

As a new enabling nanotechnology tool for wireless, target-specific, and long-distance stimulation of mechanoreceptors in vivo, here we present a hydrogel magnetomechanical actuator (h-MMA) nanoparticle. To allow both deep-tissue penetration of input signals and efficient force generation, h-MMA integrates a two-step transduction mechanism that converts magnetic anisotropic energy to thermal energy within its magnetic core (i.e., Zn0.4Fe2.6O4 nanoparticle cluster) and then to mechanical energy to induce the surrounding polymer (i.e., pNiPMAm) shell contraction, finally delivering forces to activate targeted mechanoreceptors. We show that h-MMAs enable on-demand modulation of Notch signaling in both fluorescence reporter cell lines and a xenograft mouse model, demonstrating its utility as a powerful in vivo perturbation approach for mechanobiology interrogation in a minimally invasive and untethered manner.

IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL DEFECTS ON THE RELIABILITY OF POLYMER PIPES REINFORCED WITH METAL BELTS

Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes (RTP; or Flexible Composite Pipes) are multilayered pipes that consist of inner, outer polymer shell and reinforcement layers. Although there are different types of reinforcement, due to widespread use in oil gathering systems in Russia, we consider steel strip reinforced pipes in this paper. While developing RTP manufacturers state constructive characteristics after conducting analytical analysis and experimental investigations. Final characteristics values are then published in technical regulations documents. Deviation from these values weaken strength of pipeline.As a result of conducted research it was shown that a thinning of a reinforcement strip by 0,1 mm leads to decrease in a burst pressure by 16 %. Similar effect on the pipe reliability has a deviation of the winding angle.

Polymer-Encapsulated ionic liquids as lubricant additives in non-polar oils

While ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much attention as potential next-generation lubricant additives, their implementation in oil formulations has been hindered by their limited solubility in hydrocarbon fluids and corrosivity. Here, we encapsulate an oil-insoluble IL that has been studied in lubrication science, namely 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([HMIM][TFSI]), within poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-buytl methacrylate copolymer) (poly(EGDM-c-BMA)) microshells using a mini-emulsion polymerization process. The synthesized poly(EGDM-c-BMA)-encapsulated [HMIM][TFSI] microparticles are shown to be dispersible in a non-polar, synthetic oil (i.e., poly-α-olefin). Tribological experiments indicated that the microcapsules act as an additive reservoir that reduces friction by releasing the encapsulated IL at the sliding interface following the mechanical rupture of the polymer shell. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements provided evidence that [HMIM][TFSI] does not tribochemically react on steel surfaces to create a reaction layer, thus suggesting that this IL reduces friction by generating a solid-like, layered structure upon nanoconfinement at sliding asperities, as proposed by previous nanoscale studies. The results of this work do not only provide new insights into the lubrication mechanism of ILs when used as additives in base oils in general, but also establish a new, broadly-applicable framework based on polymer encapsulation for utilizing ILs or other compounds with limited solubility as additives for oil formulations.

Mechanical stability and insulation reliability of polymeric layers constructed by thermal fusion of polymer shell particles heterocoagulated on conductive nickel‐plated core particles

AbstractIn this study, the mechanical stability and insulating reliability of polymeric layers constructed on the surface of nickel‐plated particles for anisotropic conductive films were measured by means of a microcompression test. The polymeric layers were constructed by heterocoagulation between the nickel‐plated core particles and the polymeric shell particles and successive thermal fusion. Uniform core‐shell particles with a coverage of approximately 60%–70% were prepared at NaCl concentrations near the critical coagulation concentrations of the shell particles. Continuous polymeric layers were successfully formed by heating the heterocoagulates at a temperature slightly higher than the glass transition temperature of the shell particles. The microcompression test was applied to measure the compression displacement until the heterocoagulates were electrically connected. The larger the shell particles and the higher the coverage of heterocoagualtes, the greater the displacement, reaching a maximum displacement of 0.72 μm for heterocoagulates with shell particles of 217 nm before heating. Heating the heterocoagulates and thermally melting adjacent shell particles could further improve the insulating properties of polymeric layer. Thermal melting of shell particles of heterocoagulates with a coverage more than 60% by 152 or 217 nm shells resulted in the disappearance of zero‐point conductive particles.

Core-shell magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers: nanoparticles targeting selective androgen receptor modulators (sarms) and steroidal models

Super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) (∼12 nm) were synthesized as the magnetic core for an imprinted polymer (MIP) shell using 4-vinylpyridine as the functional monomer and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) as the cross-linker, bringing the average size up to ∼45 nm. Five targets were imprinted—the Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) andarine, ligandrol and RAD-140; and the steroids estradiol and gestrinone. All MMIPs produced good selectivity when loaded with a non-target molecule, with all calculated selectivity factors above the 1.2 recommended threshold and also demonstrated good affinity/capacity. The rebinding of the target molecules from a complex matrix was also explored by using spiked river water samples. The SARMs-based MMIPs were able to rebind 99.56, 87.63 and 72.78% of their target molecules (andarine, ligandrol and RAD-140, respectively), while the steroidal-based MMIPs were able to rebind 64.54 and 55.53% of their target molecules (estradiol and gestrinone, respectively) at a nominal loading of 20 ≈μg in 50 mg of NPs. This work highlights the potential of these bi-functional materials for trace material clean-up of complex samples and/or subsequent analysis and opens up possibilities for further simple, rapid-to-synthesise materials for targeted clean-up.

Enhanced Thermal Conductivity of Phase Change Microcapsules Based on Boron Nitride/Graphene Oxide Composite Sheets

Large energy storage capacity and high heat conduction are very important for phase change materials. Phase change microcapsules (PCMCs) were synthesized through in situ polymerization by using paraffin as the core material. The melamine–formaldehyde (MF) polymer shell of PCMCs was modified with boron nitride/graphene oxide composite sheets (BN/GO CSs) to improve thermal conduction. The preparation condition of BN/GO CSs through the self-assembly process and the synthesis process of composite PCMCs (CPCMCs) in the presence of BN/GO CSs were systematically investigated. The thermal conductivity of CPCMCs synthesized under the optimized condition significantly increased about 190% relative to the incorporated paraffin. Promisingly, the introduction of BN/GO CSs hardly influenced the encapsulation process, allowing high encapsulation rate (>93%) and high phase change enthalpy (∼200 J·g–1). This work is an enlightening complementarity to the very limited research attempts that incorporating multiple fillers in PCMCs. We postulated and proved the synergistic effect of BN/GO CSs and their advantages in improving the thermal conductivity of the resultant PCMCs without scarifying the essential heat storage capacity. We envision that the insights and the CPCMCs synthesized can be applied in a range of material designs for energy and electronic applications.

Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Bio-degradable Hybrid Particulate Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composite

Recent interest in advancement of biomaterials and their implant applications is well known. In the last five decades, great advances have been made in the field of biomaterials, including ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites, glass-ceramics and metal alloys. A variety of bio implants are currently used in body implantation. In the present study, ISO Polymer and crab shell derived hydroxyapatite (HAp) have been selected to develop composites by hand lay-up method targeted for degradable implant applications. Composite was successfully developed with various fractions of crab shell powder (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) & e-glass fiber was composed to prepared hybrid polymer composites. HAp powder reinforced hybrid polymer composites, SEM studies and mechanical properties (hardness, tensile strength and impact strength) were determined as per ASTM standards. The higher mechanical properties were obtained at 15% Crabshell powder particulate composite. The introduced Crab Shell (HAp) enhances bio mineralization and promotes rapid healing rate in the bio medical implants applications.