1
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Hopwood JD, Casey H, Cussons M, Knott P, Humphreys PN, Andrews H, Banks J, Coleman S, Haley J. Spherulitic Lead Calcium Apatite Minerals in Lead Water Pipes Exposed to Phosphate-Dosed Tap Water. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:4796-4805. [PMID: 36920253 PMCID: PMC10061917 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Phosphate dosing is the principle strategy used in the United Kingdom to reduce the concentration of lead in tap waters supplied by lead water pipes. The mechanisms of phosphate-mediated lead control are not fully understood, but solid solutions of lead calcium apatite are thought to play an important role. This study investigated the microstructure of a lead pipe, supplied with high-alkalinity tap water, in which the lead calcium apatite crystals were spherulitic having rounded and dumb-bell-shaped morphologies. XRD, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy showed that the lead pipe had a well-established inner layer of litharge; a middle layer containing lead calcium apatite spherulites, plumbonacrite, and some hydrocerussite; and an outer layer containing iron, lead, phosphorus, calcium, silicon, and aluminum. It was found that spherulitic lead calcium apatite could be grown in the laboratory by adding hydrocerussite to synthetic soft and hard water-containing phosphate, chloride, and citrate ions at pH 5.5 but not when the citrate was absent. This suggests that dissolved organic molecules might play a role in spherulite formation on lead water pipes. These molecules might inhibit the formation of lead calcium apatite, reducing the effectiveness of phosphate dosing in lead water pipes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy D. Hopwood
- School
of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K.
| | - Helen Casey
- School
of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K.
| | - Martin Cussons
- School
of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K.
| | - Porsha Knott
- School
of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K.
| | - Paul N. Humphreys
- School
of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, U.K.
| | - Hayley Andrews
- Faculty
of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan
University, Manchester M15 6BH, U.K.
| | - Jenny Banks
- Yorkshire
Water, Yorkshire Water Services, Western House, Halifax Road, Bradford BD6 2SZ, U.K.
| | - Stephen Coleman
- Yorkshire
Water, Yorkshire Water Services, Western House, Halifax Road, Bradford BD6 2SZ, U.K.
| | - John Haley
- Yorkshire
Water, Yorkshire Water Services, Western House, Halifax Road, Bradford BD6 2SZ, U.K.
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2
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Montanari E, Krupke H, Leroux JC. Engineering Lipid Spherulites for the Sustained Release of Highly Dosed Small Hydrophilic Compounds. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 12:e2202249. [PMID: 36571233 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there is a lack of parenteral sustained release formulations for the delivery of highly dosed small hydrophilic drugs. Therefore, parenteral lipid spherulites are engineered capable of entrapping large amounts of such compounds and spontaneously releasing them in a sustained fashion. A library of spherulites is prepared with a simple green process, using phosphatidylcholine (PC) and/or phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), nonionic surfactants and water. The vesicle formulations exhibiting appropriate size distribution and morphology are selected and loaded with 4,6-di-O-(methoxy-diethyleneglycol)-myo-inositol-1,2,3,5-tetrakis(phosphate), ((OEG2 )2 -IP4), an inositol phosphate derivative currently under clinical evaluation for the treatment of aortic valve stenosis. The loading efficiency of spherulites is up to 12.5-fold higher than that of liposomes produced with the same materials. While the PC-containing vesicles showed high stability, the PE spherulites gradually lost their multilayer organization upon dilution, triggering the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) release over time. In vitro experiments and pharmacokinetic studies in rats demonstrated the ability of PE spherulites to increase the systemic exposure of (OEG2 )2 -IP4 up to 3.1-fold after subcutaneous injection, and to completely release their payload within 3-4 d. In conclusion, PE spherulites represent a promising lipid platform for the extravascular parenteral administration of highly dosed small hydrophilic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elita Montanari
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Krupke
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Christophe Leroux
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8093, Switzerland
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3
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Legchenkova I, Frenkel M, Shvalb N, Shoval S, Gendelman OV, Bormashenko E. From Chaos to Ordering: New Studies in the Shannon Entropy of 2D Patterns. Entropy (Basel) 2022; 24:e24060802. [PMID: 35741523 PMCID: PMC9222286 DOI: 10.3390/e24060802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Properties of the Voronoi tessellations arising from random 2D distribution points are reported. We applied an iterative procedure to the Voronoi diagrams generated by a set of points randomly placed on the plane. The procedure implied dividing the edges of Voronoi cells into equal or random parts. The dividing points were then used to construct the following Voronoi diagram. Repeating this procedure led to a surprising effect of the positional ordering of Voronoi cells, reminiscent of the formation of lamellae and spherulites in linear semi-crystalline polymers and metallic glasses. Thus, we can conclude that by applying even a simple set of rules to a random set of seeds, we can introduce order into an initially disordered system. At the same time, the Shannon (Voronoi) entropy showed a tendency to attain values that are typical for completely random patterns; thus, the Shannon (Voronoi) entropy does not distinguish the short-range ordering. The Shannon entropy and the continuous measure of symmetry of the patterns demonstrated the distinct asymptotic behavior, while approaching the close saturation values with the increase in the number of iteration steps. The Shannon entropy grew with the number of iterations, whereas the continuous measure of symmetry of the same patterns demonstrated the opposite asymptotic behavior. The Shannon (Voronoi) entropy is not an unambiguous measure of order in the 2D patterns. The more symmetrical patterns may demonstrate the higher values of the Shannon entropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Legchenkova
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Ariel University, P.O. Box 3, Ariel 407000, Israel; (I.L.); (M.F.)
| | - Mark Frenkel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Ariel University, P.O. Box 3, Ariel 407000, Israel; (I.L.); (M.F.)
| | - Nir Shvalb
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Mechatronics, Faculty of Engineering, Ariel University, P.O. Box 3, Ariel 407000, Israel;
| | - Shraga Shoval
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Faculty of Engineering, Ariel University, P.O. Box 3, Ariel 407000, Israel;
| | - Oleg V. Gendelman
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 10, Haifa 3200003, Israel;
| | - Edward Bormashenko
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Ariel University, P.O. Box 3, Ariel 407000, Israel; (I.L.); (M.F.)
- Correspondence:
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4
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Wang Q, Yu X, Chen X, Gao J, Shi D, Shen Y, Tang J, He J, Li A, Yu L, Ding J. A Facile Composite Strategy to Prepare a Biodegradable Polymer Based Radiopaque Raw Material for "Visualizable" Biomedical Implants. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:24197-24212. [PMID: 35580332 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Enabling a biodegradable polymer radiopaque under X-ray is much desired for many medical devices. Physical blending of a present biodegradable polymer and a commercialized medical contrast agent is convenient yet lacks comprehensive fundamental research. Herein, we prepared a biodegradable polymer-based radiopaque raw material by blending poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA or simply PLA) and iohexol (IHX), where PLA constituted the continuous phase and IHX particles served as the dispersed phase. The strong X-ray adsorption of IHX enabled the composite radiopaque; the hydrolysis of the polyester and the water solubility of the contrast agent enabled the composite biodegradable in an aqueous medium. The idea was confirmed by in vitro characterizations of the resultant composite, in vivo subcutaneous implantation in rats up to 6 months, and the clear visualization of a part of a biodegradable occluder in a Bama piglet under X-ray. We also found that the crystallization of PLA was significantly enhanced in the presence of the solid particles, which should be taken into consideration in the design of an appropriate biomaterial composite because crystallization degree influences the biodegradation rate and mechanical property of a material to a large extent. We further tried to introduce a small amount of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) into the blend of PLA and IHX. Compared to the bicomponent composite, the tricomponent one exhibited decreased modulus and increased elongation at break and tensile strength. This paves more ways for researchers to select appropriate raw materials according to the regenerated tissue and the application site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunsong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaoye Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xianmiao Chen
- R&D Center, Lifetech Scientific (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jingming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Daokun Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jingyu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Junhao He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Anning Li
- R&D Center, Lifetech Scientific (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Lin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jiandong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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Konyuba Y, Marubayashi H, Haruta T, Jinnai H. Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy of poly(ʟ-lactic acid) Spherulites for Fast Morphological Measurements using a Convolutional Neural Network. Microscopy (Oxf) 2021; 71:104-110. [PMID: 34936702 PMCID: PMC8973406 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfab058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are widely used for imaging polymer spherulite structures. TEM provides nanometer resolution to image small spherulites of sub-micrometer in diameter, while POM is more suitable for observing large spherulites. However, high-resolution images with a large field of view are challenging to achieve due to the deformations of ultrathin sectioned samples used for TEM observations. In this study, we demonstrated that correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) combining POM and TEM could effectively characterize the spherulite structures in a wide range from nanometer to several hundred micrometers that neither TEM nor POM alone could cover. Furthermore, the deformations of the TEM ultrathin sections were corrected by referencing to the POM images at the same position of the sample, and large-area TEM images without deformations were successfully produced. The spherulite structures of poly(ʟ-lactic acid) were successfully analyzed using CLEM and TEM in a wide range of spatial scales at the same field of view. The large-area TEM image (250 µm × 250 µm), consisting of 702 TEM images stitched together, was subjected to machine learning to extract the essential structural information of spherulites. Analysis using the convolutional neural network, a well-known algorithm You Only Look Once (YOLO), demonstrated that it was practical to accurately obtain the diameter distribution and the space-filling factor (relative crystallinity) of the spherulites. This study presents a new approach for acquiring high-resolution images with a large field of view and processing the images at a fast speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Konyuba
- JEOL Ltd, 3-1-2 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558, Japan
| | - Hironori Marubayashi
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | | | - Hiroshi Jinnai
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
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6
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Huang Z, Zhong M, Yang H, Xu E, Ji D, Joseph P, Zhang RC. In-Situ Isothermal Crystallization of Poly(l-lactide). Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:3377. [PMID: 34641192 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The isothermal crystallization of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) has been investigated by in-situ wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and polarized optical microscopes (POM) equipped with a hot-stage accessory. Results showed that the spherulites of PLLA were formed at high temperature, whereas irregular morphology was observed under a low temperature. This can be attributed to the varying rates of crystallization of PLLA at different temperatures. At low temperatures, the nucleation rate is fast and hence the chains diffuse very slow, resulting in the formation of imperfect crystals. On the other hand, at high temperatures, the nucleation rate is slow and the chains diffuse fast, leading to the formation of perfect crystals. The change in the value of the Avrami exponent with temperature further verifies the varying trend in the morphological feature of the crystals.
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7
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Horn TD, Heidrich D, Wulf H, Gehde M, Ihlemann J. Multiscale Simulation of Semi-Crystalline Polymers to Predict Mechanical Properties. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:3233. [PMID: 34641047 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A multiscale simulation method for the determination of mechanical properties of semi-crystalline polymers is presented. First, a four-phase model of crystallization of semi-crystalline polymers is introduced, which is based on the crystallization model of Strobl. From this, a simulation on the nanoscale is derived, which models the formation of lamellae and spherulites during the cooling of the polymer by using a cellular automaton. In the solidified state, mechanical properties are assigned to the formed phases and thus the mechanical behavior of the nanoscale is determined by a finite element (FE) simulation. At this scale, simulations can only be performed up to a simulation range of a few square micrometers. Therefore, the dependence of the mechanical properties on the degree of crystallization is determined by means of homogenization. At the microscale, the cooling of the polymer is simulated by a cellular automaton according to evolution equations. In combination with the mechanical properties determined by homogenization, the mechanical behavior of a macroscopic component can be predicted.
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8
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Svoboda P, Trivedi K, Stoklasa K, Svobodova D, Ougizawa T. Study of crystallization behaviour of electron beam irradiated polypropylene and high-density polyethylene. R Soc Open Sci 2021; 8:202250. [PMID: 34035941 PMCID: PMC8101015 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The influence of electron-beam irradiation on polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was investigated with a focus on crystallization. A high-temperature (200°C) creep test revealed that the HDPE gradually increased cross-linking density in the range 30-120 kGy, while the PP underwent a chain scission which was quantitatively evaluated by gel permeation chromatography. The mechanical properties were measured in the range -150 to 200°C by a dynamic mechanical analysis. A small presence of C=C and C=O bonds was found in the irradiated PP by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Crystallization kinetics measured by differential scanning calorimetry and hot-stage optical microscopy results were influenced tremendously by irradiation for HDPE and to a lesser extent for PP. Irradiation caused a decrease in both the number of nucleation centres and the growth rate of individual spherulites. Crystallization was analysed in detail with the help of Hoffman-Lauritzen, Avrami and Arrhenius equations. Interestingly an increasing β-crystal formation with an increasing irradiation level was discovered for PP by X-ray diffraction. A generation of defects in the crystalline structure owing to irradiation was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Svoboda
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 762 72 Zlin, Czech Republic
| | - Krunal Trivedi
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 762 72 Zlin, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Stoklasa
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 762 72 Zlin, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmar Svobodova
- Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Stefanikova 5670, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
| | - Toshiaki Ougizawa
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S8-33, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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9
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Dunkel KG, Morales LFG, Jamtveit B. Pristine microstructures in pseudotachylytes formed in dry lower crust, Lofoten, Norway. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2021; 379:20190423. [PMID: 33517873 PMCID: PMC7898121 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Feldspar-rich pseudotachylytes from the island of Moskenesøya, Lofoten, formed in dry granulites under lower crustal conditions during the Caledonian orogeny. The central parts of the pseudotachylytes, where the cooling rates were slowest, are characterized by microlites and spherulites of plagioclase and K-feldspar. K-feldspar surrounding plagioclase is consistent with crystallization from a melt during cooling instead of devitrification as the origin of the spherulites. Very thin (a few micrometres wide) injection veins, which experienced very rapid quenching, contain amorphous or cryptocrystalline material. The preservation of this material and of the fine-grained microstructures shows that, under fluid-absent conditions, recrystallization and reactions are slow and the original microstructures of the pseudotachylytes can be preserved. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Understanding earthquakes using the geological record'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina G. Dunkel
- Physics of Geological Processes (PGP), The Njord Centre, University of Oslo, PO Box 1048 Blindern, 0136 Oslo, Norway
| | - Luiz F. G. Morales
- Scientific Center for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM), ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich
- Geological Institute, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bjørn Jamtveit
- Physics of Geological Processes (PGP), The Njord Centre, University of Oslo, PO Box 1048 Blindern, 0136 Oslo, Norway
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Somville E, Kumar AA, Guicheux J, Halgand B, Demoustier-Champagne S, des Rieux A, Jonas AM, Glinel K. Green and Tunable Animal Protein-Free Microcarriers for Cell Expansion. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:50303-50314. [PMID: 33119274 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c16875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cell culture on microcarriers emerges as an alternative of two-dimensional culture to produce large cell doses, which are required for cell-based therapies. Herein, we report a versatile and easy solvent-free greener fabrication process to prepare microcarriers based on a biosourced and compostable polymer. The preparation of the microcarrier core, which is based on poly(L-lactide) crystallization from a polymer blend, allows us to easily tune the density, porosity, and size of the microparticles. A bioadhesive coating based on biopolymers, devoid of animal protein and optimized to improve cell adhesion, is then successfully deposited on the surface of the microcarriers. The ability of these new microcarriers to expand human adipose-derived stromal cells with good yield, in semistatic and dynamic conditions, is demonstrated. Finally, bead-to-bead cell transfer is shown to increase the yield of cell production without having to stop the culture. These microcarriers are therefore a promising and efficient green alternative to currently existing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleana Somville
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Bio and Soft Matter, Universite' catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 1, Box L7.04.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Anitha Ajith Kumar
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Bio and Soft Matter, Universite' catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 1, Box L7.04.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Guicheux
- Inserm, UMR 1229, RMeS, Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton, Université de Nantes, ONIRIS, 44042 Nantes, France
| | - Boris Halgand
- Inserm, UMR 1229, RMeS, Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton, Université de Nantes, ONIRIS, 44042 Nantes, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, PHU4 OTONN, 44093 Nantes, France
| | - Sophie Demoustier-Champagne
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Bio and Soft Matter, Universite' catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 1, Box L7.04.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Anne des Rieux
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Bio and Soft Matter, Universite' catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 1, Box L7.04.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Université catholique de Louvain, Av. E. Mounier 73, Box B1.73.12, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alain M Jonas
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Bio and Soft Matter, Universite' catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 1, Box L7.04.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Karine Glinel
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Bio and Soft Matter, Universite' catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 1, Box L7.04.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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11
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Angmo D, Peng X, Seeber A, Zuo C, Gao M, Hou Q, Yuan J, Zhang Q, Cheng YB, Vak D. Controlling Homogenous Spherulitic Crystallization for High-Efficiency Planar Perovskite Solar Cells Fabricated under Ambient High-Humidity Conditions. Small 2019; 15:e1904422. [PMID: 31651094 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201904422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The influence of precursor solution properties, fabrication environment, and antisolvent properties on the microstructural evolution of perovskite films is reported. First, the impact of fabrication environment on the morphology of methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3 ) perovskite films with various Lewis-base additives is reported. Second, the influence of antisolvent properties on perovskite film microstructure is investigated using antisolvents ranging from nonpolar heptane to highly polar water. This study shows an ambient environment that accelerates crystal growth at the expense of nucleation and introduces anisotropies in crystal morphology. The use of antisolvents enhances nucleation but also influences ambient moisture interaction with the precursor solution, resulting in different crystal morphology (shape, size, dispersity) in different antisolvents. Crystal morphology, in turn, dictates film quality. A homogenous spherulitic crystallization results in pinhole-free films with similar microstructure irrespective of processing environment. This study further demonstrates propyl acetate, an environmentally benign antisolvent, which can induce spherulitic crystallization under ambient environment (52% relative humidity, 25 °C). With this, planar perovskite solar cells with ≈17.78% stabilized power conversion efficiency are achieved. Finally, a simple precipitation test and in situ crystallization imaging under an optical microscope that can enable a facile a priori screening of antisolvents is shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dechan Angmo
- CSIRO, Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Xiaojin Peng
- CSIRO, Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, P. R. China
- Glass and Technology Research Institute of Shahe, Shahe, 054100, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Aaron Seeber
- CSIRO, Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | | | - Mei Gao
- CSIRO, Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Qicheng Hou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Jian Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, P. R. China
- Glass and Technology Research Institute of Shahe, Shahe, 054100, Hebei, P. R. China
| | - Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, P. R. China
- Glass and Technology Research Institute of Shahe, Shahe, 054100, Hebei, P. R. China
- School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Yi-Bing Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Doojin Vak
- CSIRO, Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
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Li XY, Ding JJ, Liu YP, Tian XY. A new small-angle X-ray scattering model for polymer spherulites with a limited lateral size of the lamellar crystals. IUCrJ 2019; 6:968-983. [PMID: 31576229 PMCID: PMC6760438 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252519011035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
As is well known, polymers commonly form lamellar crystals, and these assemble further into lamellar stacks and spherulites during quiescent crystallization. Fifty years ago, Vonk and Kortleve constructed the classical small-angle X-ray scattering theory (SAXS) for a lamellar system, in which it was assumed that the lamellar stack had an infinite lateral size [Vonk & Kortleve (1967 ▸), Kolloid Z. Z. Polym. 220, 19-24]. Under this assumption, only crystal planes satisfying the Bragg condition can form strong scattering, and the scattering from the lamellar stack arises from the difference between the scattering intensities in the amorphous and crystalline layers, induced by the incident X-ray beam. This assumption is now deemed unreasonable. In a real polymer spherulite, the lamellar crystal commonly has dimensions of only a few hundred nanometres. At such a limited lateral size, lamellar stacks in a broad orientation have similar scattering, so interference between these lamellar stacks must be considered. Scattering from lamellar stacks parallel to the incident X-ray beam also needs to be considered when total reflection occurs. In this study, various scattering contributions from lamellar stacks in a spherulite are determined. It is found that, for a limited lateral size, the scattering induced by the incident X-ray beam is not the main origin of SAXS. It forms double peaks, which are not observed in real scattering because of destructive interference between the lamellar stacks. The scattering induced by the evanescent wave is the main origin. It can form a similar interference pattern to that observed in a real SAXS measurement: a Guinier region in the small-q range, a signal region in the intermediate-q range and a Porod region in the high-q range. It is estimated that, to avoid destructive interference, the lateral size needs to be greater than 11 µm, which cannot be satisfied in a real lamellar system. Therefore, SAXS in a real polymer system arises largely from the scattering induced by the evanescent wave. Evidence for the existence of the evanescent wave was identified in the scattering of isotactic polypropyl-ene. This study corrects a long-term misunderstanding of SAXS in a polymer lamellar system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yang Li
- Institute of Applied Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian-Jun Ding
- Institute of Applied Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ping Liu
- National Center for International Research of Micro–Nano Molding Technology and Key Laboratory for Micro Molding Technology of Henan Province, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xing-You Tian
- Institute of Applied Technology, CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088, People’s Republic of China
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Zhang C, Lv J, Li F, Li X. Nucleation and Growth of Mg-Calcite Spherulites Induced by the Bacterium Curvibacter lanceolatus Strain HJ-1. Microsc Microanal 2017; 23:1189-1196. [PMID: 29199632 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927617012715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Calcite spherulites have been observed in many laboratory experiments with different bacteria, and spherulitic growth has received much interest in mineralogy research. However, the nucleation and growth mechanism, as well as geological significance of calcite spherulites in solution with bacteria is still unclear. Herein, spherulites composed of an amorphous core, a Mg-calcite body and an organic film were precipitated by the Curvibacter lanceolatus HJ-1 bacterial strain in a solution with a molar Mg/Ca ratio of 3. Based on the results, we provide a possible mechanism for the biomineralization of Mg-calcite spherulites. First, amorphous calcium carbonate particles are deposited and aggregated into a stable sphere-like core in combination with organic molecules. The core then acts as the nucleus of spherulitic radial growth. Finally, the organic film grows on the surface of Mg-calcite spherulites as a result of bacterial metabolism and calcification. These findings provide insight into the growth mode and crystallization of biogenic spherulites during biomineralization, and are of significance in the application of novel biological materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonghong Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing,210095,China
| | - Jiejie Lv
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing,210095,China
| | - Fuchun Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing,210095,China
| | - Xuelin Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing,210095,China
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Hoffman JD, Frolen LJ, Ross GS, Lauritzen JI. On the Growth Rate of Spherulites and Axialites from the Melt in Polyethylene Fractions: Regime I and Regime II Crystallization. J Res Natl Bur Stand A Phys Chem 1975; 79A:671-699. [PMID: 32184523 PMCID: PMC6589415 DOI: 10.6028/jres.079a.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 401] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John D Hoffman
- Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234
| | - Lois J Frolen
- Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234
| | - Gaylon S Ross
- Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234
| | - John I Lauritzen
- Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234
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Khoury F. The Spherulitic Crystallization of Isotactic Polypropylene From Solution: On the Evolution of Monoclinic Spherulites From Dendritic Chain-Folded Crystal Precursors. J Res Natl Bur Stand A Phys Chem 1966; 70A:29-61. [PMID: 31823979 PMCID: PMC6658552 DOI: 10.6028/jres.070a.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Polypropylene can be crystallized in the form of monoclinic (Natta) spherulites from moderately concentrated solutions of the polymer in different solvents. A study is presented involving both optical and electron microscopy which has led to the characterization of the unusual structure and morphology of the dendritic precursor crystals from which such spherulites evolve, as well as the manner in which these precursors degenerate progressively into spherulites. The overall shape of the above mentioned polypropylene dendrites approximates that of a rectangular parallelepiped (reference axes x, y, z, where x/y ≈ 1.1 and y> 2z). These dendrites consist of a dense but not compact network of monolayer chain-folded lamellar branches which traverse the dendrite diagonally with respect to its rectangular x, y cross section, the fold surfaces of the individual lamellar branches (i.e., those faces between which the constituent molecules in each branch fold back and forth) being normal to the x, y cross section. Electron diffraction data indicate that the orientation of the b-crystallographic axis is unique throughout the cross-hatched array of lamellar branches and is parallel to z, the latter axis corresponding to the direction of slowest growth of the dendrite as a whole as well as its constituent branches. It has also been deduced on the basis of the above features coupled with electron diffraction data and consideration of two different but plausible model twinned dendrites that the fold surfaces of the lamellar branches are (001) and that the angle between the c-crystallographic axis in intercrossing branches is circa 80°. The possible origin of this unusual mode of twinning, which involves an 80° change in the orientation of the chain axes in offspring branches from that in parent branches, is briefly presented. The process of evolution of monoclinic polypropylene spherulites from the unusually twinned dendritic crystal precursors is contrasted with the evolution of spherulites in other polymers; furthermore, the relevance of the observations presented in this study to an understanding of the origin of the previously reported atypical fine structures exhibited by monoclinic spherulites of polypropylene crystallized from the melt, is discussed.
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