Sharif Digital Repository

Here we report a versatile new method for endfunctionalizing polystyrene. In order to produce polystyrene with an amino end group, 2-(3-bromo-3- phenylpropyl) isoindoline-1,3-dione was synthesized and used as a novel initiator for ATRP. After ATRP polymerization, tri-n-butyltin hydride ((n-Bu) 3SnH) reductively replace existing halogens on polymer chains by hydrogen. Finally, the phthaloyl groups on polymer backbone were cleaved by treatment with hydrazine yielding amino terminated polystyrene. A polymer with M n≈10,350 and M w/M n01.17 was obtained. Therefore, this method allows the preparation of amino end functionalized polystyrene of narrow polydispersity with complete degree of... 

In this article, an analytical elastic-plastic solution for thick-walled cylinders made of Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) subjected to internal pressure and thermal loading is presented. Based on the experimental results, a mathematical model to predict the yielding through the thickness of FG AlA359/SiCp cylinder is developed. It is shown that under the temperature gradient loading, there is a point in the cylinder where the circumferential stress changes from compressive to tensile. The position of this point depends on the geometry and material properties of the FG cylinder and is independent of the temperature gradient  

Electroactive-Polymers (EAPs) are one of the best soft $mu $ -actuators with great biomedical applications. Ionic ones (i-EAPs) have more promising features and have adequate potential for using in the active microfluidic devices. Here, as a case study, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic micromixer using an i-EAP named Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC). In microfluidics, active devices have more functionality but due to their required facilities are less effective for Point of Care Tests (POCTs). In the direction of solving this paradox, we should use some active components that they need minimum facilities. IPMC can be one of these components, hence by integrating the IPMC... 

Peripheral nerve injuries remain among the most challenging medical issues despite numerous efforts to devise methods in fabrication of nerve conduits to functionally regenerate axonal defects. In this regard, the current study offers a holistic perspective in design by considering the mechanical, topographical and structural aspects which are crucial for a successful nerve guide conduit. Poly(e-caprolactone) and gelatin were employed to serve this purpose in the form of dual-electrospun films which were rolled and later shaped the assembly of a multichannel conduit. Polyaniline/graphene (PAG) nanocomposite was incorporated to endow the conduit with conductive properties. FTIR analysis,... 

The functionality of multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels in physiological states is the reason for the increased attention of hydrogels nowadays. Multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit tunable changes in swelling or mechanical properties in response to predetermined combinations of stimuli such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, electric field, magnetic field, light, chemical triggers, enzyme concentration, redox species, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glucose levels. This review summarizes the recent advances in multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels used in medical approaches. The first part of the review highlights the medical applications of polymer-based and supramolecular hydrogels... 

Multistimuli-responsive hyperbranched polymers were synthesized in one-step polymerization using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer self-condensing vinyl polymerization (RAFT-SCVP). These hyperbranched polymers responded to UV-vis or sunlight, pH changes, and temperature changes. 2-(dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionic acid known as DDMAT participated in esterification with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate to obtain a chain transfer monomer in the name of 2-((2-(((dodecylthio)carbonothioyl)thio)-2-methylpropanoyl)oxy)ethylmethacrylate (MACDT). For the first time, smart hyperbranched polymers were produced with the RAFT-SCVP method in one step by using... 

Conducting polymer-based devices and scaffolds has become remarkably popular due to their properties such as conductivity, tunable electrochemical properties, and straightforward fabrication procedures. Hence, they have versatile applications and can be used as implants, biosensors, cell capture/release devices, and regenerative medicine scaffolds. This review addresses the effect of conductive polymers on cell behavior since their conductive features can be applied to simulate a cellular response. Moreover, the impact of polymer chemical and physical properties on cellular response has been discussed. Recent biomedical engineering approaches used for cell capture and release were reviewed... 

The incorporation of modified β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) into a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/chitosan (PNCS) nanohydrogel was studied. β-CD was functionalized with acrylic groups, with different numbers of vinyl bonds added per β-CD molecule. The surfactant-free dispersion polymerization (SFDP) semi-batch method was used to synthesize the nanohydrogel. Increasing the number of vinyl groups per β-CDAC (β-CD acrylate) molecule induced the formation of smaller nanogels with diameters ranging from 142 to 68 nm. The cyclodextrin-modified dual-responsive nanogels obtained presented an LCST (lower critical solution temperature) in aqueous medium at around 31 C. The incorporation of β-CDAC into... 

The ever increasing applications of shape memory polymers have motivated the development of appropriate constitutive models for these materials. In this work, we present a 3 D constitutive model for shape memory polymers under time-dependent multiaxial thermomechanical loadings in the small strain regime. The derivation is based on an additive decomposition of the strain into six parts and satisfying the second law of thermodynamics in Clausius-Duhem inequality form. In the constitutive model, the evolution laws for internal variables are derived during both cooling and heating thermomechanical loadings. The viscous effects are also fully accounted for in the proposed model. Further, we... 

A new polymer with C 4H stoichiometry based on graphene is synthesized in situ using template-induced polymerization of self-organizing hydrogen adsorbates on graphene. The polymerization is observed "live" on the surface of graphene by photoemission spectroscopy. Photoemission spectroscopy allows for an accurate determination of the carbon/hydrogen stoichiometry, an aspect that is extremely important for understanding functionalized graphene  

The surface defluorination of Teflon in powdery form was performed using a chemical treatment. The reaction parameters including the reaction time, sodium, naphthalene concentrations were optimized using a Taguchi method to obtain maximum functionality on the particles surface. The surface functionality of the treated particles was analyzed by FTIR, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and surface energy. Both treated (g-PTFE) and untreated (PTFE) Teflon were added to polyamide 66 (PA66) at various loadings up to 6 wt%. Mechanical, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tribological analyses for different PA66/Teflon composites were carried out. The chemical treatment enhanced the... 

Recently, biodegradable polymers such as starch based blends have been well renowned in the biomedical field. Studies have considered them suitable for bone scaffolds, bone cements, tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery systems and hydrogels. The aim of this study was to synthesize nanocomposite biomaterial consisting a blend of thermoplastic starch and ethylene vinyl alcohol as the polymer matrix, and nano-structured forsterite as the ceramic reinforcing phase for bone tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, vitamin E was applied as a thermal stabilizer during melt compounding. Extrusion and injection molding were incorporated for melt blending and shaping of samples,... 

We used an extension of the Variable Material Property method for materials with varying elastic and plastic properties to evaluate the residual stresses in an autofrettaged thick vessel made of functionally graded metal-ceramic composite. It is shown that the reinforcement of the metal vessel by ceramic particles, with an increasing ceramic volume fraction from inner to outer radius, increases the magnitude of compressive residual stresses at the inner section of an autofrettaged vessel and thus, could lead to better fatigue life and load-carrying capacity of the vessel. A parametric study is carried out to highlight the role of ceramic particle strength and spatial distribution, as well as... 

Polycaprolactone-polylactide block copolymers (PCL-block-PLA) were grafted onto filled multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) successfully. In this synthesis, MWCNTs were opened and functionalized, and then they were filled by silver nanoparticles. The filled MWCNT were used as macroinitiator for ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and L-lactide. Then the end hydroxyl functional groups of MWCNT-graft-PCL or MWCNT-graft-PLA were used as initiator for ring opening polymerization of lactide and ε-caprolactone and MWCNT-graft-PCL-block-PLA or MWCNT-graft-PLA-block-PCL were obtained, respectively. Length of grafted copolymer chains onto the MWCNT was controlled using CNT/monomer ratio.... 

New biocompatible and water soluble hybrid materials containing multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as core and hyperbranched polyglycerol (PG) as shell were synthesized successfully. In this work, pristine MWCNTs were opened and functionalized through treatment with acid and polyglycerol was covalently grafted onto their surface by the "grafting from" approach based on in-situ ring-opening polymerization of glycidol. Some short-term In vitro cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility tests were conducted on HT1080 cell line (human Fibrosarcoma), because this epithelial cell line can be one of the first route of entry of the exogenous materials to the vascular system and therefore subsequent... 

This paper presents a comparative study of plasticity and fracture behavior of the NiTi/Ag bilayer for the different crystallographic orientations of the substrate. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was used to determine the deformation mechanism, dislocation density, plastic energy dissipation and delamination of the NiTi/Ag bilayers near the interface, when NiTi aligned at (1 0 0), (1 1 1), (1 1 0), (3 2 1), (2 1 0) and (2 1 1) faces during the cyclic-nanoindentation test. The Griffith energy balance model was used to estimate the energy release associated with the delamination. The results of the simulation are suggested the dependence of deformation mechanism, energy release rate (Gin),... 

Smart bio-based shape memory polymers with high performance and fast response have the exciting potential to meet the growing need in biomedical applications. In this study, novel fast response UV-curable shape memory polyurethane acrylates (SMPUAs) comprising polycaprolactone diols (PCL-Diol), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and hydroxy-methyl methacrylate (HEMA) were synthesized by two-step bulk polymerization. Two series of PUAs with almost the same amount of hard segment content (HSC) were prepared with varying soft-segment molecular weight (2000, 3000, and 4000 g/mol) and different molar ratios of constituents. A mono-functional reactive diluent was used to control HSC and reduce the... 

In this study, titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) and austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) biomedical alloys were subjected to surface severe plastic deformation (SSPD) via severe shot peening (SSP) with the conditions of A28-30 Almen intensity. SSP is widely accepted as much more effective than the conventional surface modification techniques since it forms a nano-grain layer with large number of dislocations and grain boundaries. The SSP treatment in this study was led to a very thin rough layer in Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy compared to that of AISI 304. The thicker layer of AISI 304 was created by twin-twin intersections and a martensite structure transformations. SSP treatment was resulted in a... 

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an extracellular natural polymer produced by many microorganisms and its properties could be tailored via specific fabrication methods and culture conditions. There is a growing interest in BC derived materials due to the main features of BC such as porous fibrous structure, high crystallinity, impressive physico-mechanical properties, and high water content. However, pristine BC lacks some features, limiting its practical use in varied applications. Thus, fabrication of BC composites has been attempted to overcome these constraints. This review article overviews most recent advance in the development of BC composites and their potential in biomedicine including... 

Biocompatible and biodegradable three-dimensional scaffolds are commonly porous which serve to provide suitable microenvironments for mechanical supporting and optimal cell growth. Silk fibroin (SF) is a natural and biomedical polymer with appropriate and improvable mechanical properties. Making a composite with a bioceramicas reinforcement is a general strategy to prepare a scaffold for hard tissue engineering applications. In the present study, SF was separately combined with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and fluoridated titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-F) as bioceramic reinforcements for bone tissue engineering purposes. At the first step, SF was extracted from Bombyx mori cocoons. Then,...