Papers by Keyword: Biomimetic Materials

Abstract: The article discusses the advances of biomimetics in imitation of the laws of nature. Everything in nature is perfect. Nature is smart, rational and innovative, that’s why scientists and engineers from all over the world are trying to reproduce natural principles in the laboratory. The use of ideas borrowed from wildlife is called biomimetics. Since Leonardo da Vinci tried to design an airplane that simulates the flight of birds, the biomimetics - the science of using natural attributes, functions, and structures in technical equipment was first spoken about. Many scientists look to nature in the hope of finding solutions to the complex issues that humans face. In this regard, the nature provides many ready-made solutions - we just need to adapt them to specific technical problems.

Abstract: The article discusses the features of biomimetics as a science that allows to suggest technologies for creating new technologies. Strange to relate, the man is a being completely unadapted to life. At the same time, man made a lot of discoveries precisely thanks to the observation of animals — from primitive tools based on the teeth of other animals to the first flying machines. Over time, the human civilization has defined a whole direction in science, which explores mechanisms in nature in order to use them for the benefit of man. With the help of biomimetics (from the Latin "bios" - life and "mimesis" - imitation), many problems from medicine, architecture, transport and energy were solved.

Abstract: As interface design of autotransportation materials and bioactive ceramics by supersonic treatment, human teeth-originated granules and commercial hydroxyapatite (HAp) were partially dissolved in different acid solutions, such as electrolyzed water and HNO₃ aqueous solution to control bio-absorption, adsorption-release of bone growth factor and anti-bacterial characteristics. Human teeth were pulverized with cooling, dissolved in strongly acidic electrolyzed water (pH 2.6-3.1) or 2.0% HNO₃ solution to obtain demineralized dentin matrix granules. For supersonic or stirring demineralization in the acidic electrolyzed water, dissolution efficiencies (DE) were 3-12% and dentinal tubules with 1-2μm were found, while for supersonic demineralization in the HNO₃ solution, DE was attained to the highest value of 86%. When HAp was dissolved with stirring in the acidic electrolyzed water, DE of porous ceramics was lower than that of spherical particles due to smaller specific surface area and good crystallinity. For supersonic dissolution of porous ceramics in the acidic electrolyzed water, DE was 30% and extension of grain boundary and micro-crack were observed. Concerning supersonic irradiation of the electolyzed water to parietal bone in rats by using ultrasonic scaler, enlargement and propagation of micro-crack were recognized on the hard tissues.

Abstract: For thousands of years, people have been in nature to make use of our natural materials, among them some are harder than iron and steel, some are superior than the best optical device, what let human more amazing is that the natures reasonable application of these materials. Through the study and research of nature, humans create the biomimetic material to meet the demand of industrial design; they were widely used in the field of industrial design according to the different characteristics. Application of these new materials opened up a brand-new road for the development of industrial design.

Abstract: Excessive packaging waste and toxic contaminating material applications have imposed severe impairs on human living environment. It has become the focus of low carbon packaging material study as how to apply low carbon and environmental material and bring packaging material back to its original nature. This paper analyzes the current situation and existing problems of packaging materials, and makes a study on low carbon material application in wine, tea and soft drink products based on discussions of original ecological simple packaging materials, sustainable and reusable packing materials as well as biomimetic packing materials in view of low carbon application. In view of the strategy of sustainable development, development in low carbon and environmental material and exploration of new and improved materials are of great significance to green packaging progress.

Abstract: Bio-absorbable and biomimetic composites (HA-C) of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and collagen were designed utilizing salmon bone and skin at 298K and pH 7.5-7.9 by a dissolution-precipitation method. The HA-C powders were consistuted by Ca²⁺-deficient HAp containing small amounts of Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions and I type-collagen. Microstructure and surface characteristics of the HA-C powders gradually changed depending on the composition ratio of HAp to collagen (H/C). The HA-C powder of H/C=3.5 had frock like-agglomerated particles consisted of nano-crystals, micro-pore, and meso-pore so that it exhibited high specific surface area (75m²¥g^-1) and large total pore volume (0.543 cm³¥g^-1). From adsorption isotherms of water vapor at 298K for the HA-C powders, hysteresis - curves of the amounts of water vapor adsorbed were obtained in the adsorption-desorption processes. The amounts of water vapor adsorbed for the H/C=3.5 powder were the highest values under the relative partial pressures of 0.73-0.93. At 2 weeks after implantation of the HA-C powders into the subcutaneous tissue of the back region in rats, collagen was completely bio-absorbed and body fluid permeated into large agglomerated particles, although bio-absorption by multi-giant cell- infiltration was recognized around the surface layers of HAp particles.

Abstract: Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been demonstrated to be a promising class of biomimetic materials that can be tailored to meet specific end use recognition requirements. Molecular imprinting is achieved by the interaction, either covalent or non-covalent between complementary groups in a template molecule and functional monomer units through polymerization. MIPs have been widely employed for divers applications such as chiral separation, chemical sensing, catalysis, drug screening, chromatographic separations and solid phase extraction. During respiration and metabolism, human body produce free radicals as by products, which can damage genetic material, lipids and proteins leading to several fatal diseases such as Cancer, Cardio-vascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Immune dysfunction etc. Antioxidants define a family of natural or synthetic nutrients in food, which acts as free radical scavengers. They are present in complex matrix such as herbs, fruit pulp in small concentration, either combined or in free form. Although several techniques have been developed for their detection, (e.g. HPLC, Thin layer chromatography, Capillary gas chromatography, Supercritical fluid chromatography), to achieve highly specific and sensitive analysis, high affinity, stable and specific recognition agents are needed. In this review, special attention is paid to the MIPs based analytical methods for antioxidants, focusing on solid phase extraction, chromatographic and non chromatographic separations and sensing approaches as well as on novel approaches for the discovery of new imprinted materials for antioxidants.

Abstract: We synthesized a self-oscillating polymer chain with a negatively charged moiety. The polymer chain caused the aggregation-disaggregation self-oscillation under the constant temperature induced by the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. In this study, we investigated the influence of temperature and the concentration of sodium bromate on the aggregation-disaggregation self-oscillation of the polymer solution (1.0 wt%) in a strongly acidic condition. As a consequence, we clarified that the life-time of the self-oscillation increased with decrease in the concentration of sodium bromate. On the other hand, the lifetime of the self-oscillation decreased with increase in temperature. In high temperature condition (48 and 60 °C), the amplitude of the self-oscillation was significantly inhomogeneous. Moreover, the frequency of the self-oscillation increased with increasing temperature. On the other hand, the frequency decreased with increase in the concentration of sodium bromate. This tendency was opposite to that in the acid-free condition and the 2.0 wt% AMPS-containing polymer solution.

Abstract: In this paper, we studied the effect of the temperature and the initial concentration of sodium bromate (NaBrO3) on the aggregation-disaggregation self-oscillation for a polymer chain. The polymer chain consisted of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), Ru catalyst of the BZ reaction and Acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) as a solubility control site. The concentration of sodium bromate and the temperature significantly affected the self-oscillating behavior and the period of the aggregation-disaggregation self-oscillation. Moreover, the amplitude of the aggregation-disaggregation self-oscillation of the AMPS-containing polymer solution decreased with time. The damping behavior is originating from the increase in the size of the polymer chain. In addition, this study clarified that the period of the self-oscillation of the AMPS-containing polymer solution in the strongly acidic condition was significantly shorter than that in the acid-free condition.

Abstract: We have developed polymer and gels with an autonomous self-oscillating function by utilizing the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. Under the coexistence of the substrates, the polymer undergoes spontaneous cyclic soluble-insoluble changes or swelling-deswelling changes (in the case of gel) without any on-off switching of external stimuli. By using microfabrication technique, ciliary motion actuator or self-walking gel have been demonstrated. Further, in order to realize nano-actuator, the linear polymer chain and the submicrometer-sized gel beads were prepared. By grafting the polymers or arraying the gel beads on the surface of substrates, we have attempted to design self-oscillating surface as nano-conveyer. For application to biomaterials, it is necessary to cause the self-oscillation under biological condition without using non-biorelated BZ substrates. So we attempted to introduce pH-control site and oxidant-supplying site into the polymer. By using the polymer, self-oscillation only in the existence of biorelated organic acid was actually achieved.