Materials Science and Engineering: C 

About: Materials Science and Engineering: C is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Drug delivery & Self-healing hydrogels. It has an ISSN identifier of 0928-4931. Over the lifetime, 12105 publications have been published receiving 430725 citations. The journal is also known as: Materials science and engineering. C & Materials science and engineering. C, Biomimetic materials, sensors and systems.

FTIR spectroscopy characterization of poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogel with different hydrolysis degree and chemically crosslinked with glutaraldehyde

Abstract: In this work, poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels with different degree of hydrolysis (DH) were prepared by chemical crosslinking with glutaraldehyde (GA) The nanostructure of the resulting hydrogels was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering characterization (SAXS) In vitro tests were performed by swelling ratio assays in different pH solutions The infrared spectra of the crosslinked PVA showed absorption bands of the acetal bridges resulted from the reaction of the GA with the OH groups from PVA Also the FTIR spectroscopy was used to determine the crystallinity of the PVA film based on the relative intensity of the vibration band at 1141 cm− 1 The results have showed an increase of hydrogel crystallinity with higher DH of PVA SAXS patterns have clearly indicated important modifications on the PVA semicrystalline structure when it was crosslinked by GA The swelling ratio was significantly reduced by chemically crosslinking the PVA network PVA-derived hydrogel with chemically modified network was found to be pH-sensitive, indicating a high potential to be used in drug delivery polymer system

Antimicrobial activity of the metals and metal oxide nanoparticles

Abstract: The ever increasing resistance of pathogens towards antibiotics has caused serious health problems in the recent years. It has been shown that by combining modern technologies such as nanotechnology and material science with intrinsic antimicrobial activity of the metals, novel applications for these substances could be identified. According to the reports, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles represent a group of materials which were investigated in respect to their antimicrobial effects. In the present review, we focused on the recent research works concerning antimicrobial activity of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles together with their mechanism of action. Reviewed literature indicated that the particle size was the essential parameter which determined the antimicrobial effectiveness of the metal nanoparticles. Combination therapy with the metal nanoparticles might be one of the possible strategies to overcome the current bacterial resistance to the antibacterial agents. However, further studies should be performed to minimize the toxicity of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles to apply as proper alternatives for antibiotics and disinfectants especially in biomedical applications.

Titanium alloys for biomedical applications

Abstract: Titanium alloys, because of their excellent mechanical, physical and biological performance, are finding ever-increasing application in biomedical devices. This paper provides an overview of titanium alloy use for medical devices, their current status, future opportunities and obstacles for expanded application. The article is divided into three main sections, the first discussing recent efforts focused on commercial purity titanium. This is followed by considering effects of chemistry, grain size and α/β morphologies on mechanical properties of α + β alloys. Finally, the third section reviews the status of metastable β alloys specifically designed for biomedical applications emphasizing their aging behavior and its effects on mechanical properties.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CuO nanocomposite for the degradation of textile dye on visible light illumination.

Abstract: The photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes such as methylene blue and methyl orange in the presence of various percentages of composite catalyst under visible light irradiation was carried out. The catalyst ZnO nanorods and ZnO/CuO nanocomposites of different weight ratios were prepared by new thermal decomposition method, which is simple and cost effective. The prepared catalysts were characterized by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. Further, the most photocatalytically active composite material was used for degradation of real textile waste water under visible light illumination. The irradiated samples were analysed by total organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand. The efficiency of the catalyst and their photocatalytic mechanism has been discussed in detail.

Classification, processing and application of hydrogels: A review.

Abstract: This article aims to review the literature concerning the choice of selectivity for hydrogels based on classification, application and processing. Super porous hydrogels (SPHs) and superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) represent an innovative category of recent generation highlighted as an ideal mould system for the study of solution-dependent phenomena. Hydrogels, also termed as smart and/or hungry networks, are currently subject of considerable scientific research due to their potential in hi-tech applications in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, bioseparation, biosensor, agriculture, oil recovery and cosmetics fields. Smart hydrogels display a significant physiochemical change in response to small changes in the surroundings. However, such changes are reversible; therefore, the hydrogels are capable of returning to its initial state after a reaction as soon as the trigger is removed.