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The generation of filaments constituted by nanocomposites allows printing pieces with functional properties. A method is proposed for incorporating nanoparticles in plastic filaments (thermoplastic polyurethane, PU) by diffusion in the swollen material. The nanoparticles must be dispersed in solvents (or solvent mixtures) in which the polymer swells but does not dissolve. Nanoparticles are incorporated mainly at the surface as revealed by SEM/EDS mapping. The thermal properties (studied by DSC and TGA) of the PU are only slightly affected by the presence of NPs. Test pieces successfully are printed using the modified filaments. Incorporation of solid lubricant (MoS2) nanoparticles decreases the coefficient of friction of the printed test samples.

PNIPAM hydrogels are widely studied materials which swell in a great extent in water and water like solvents (e.g. alcohols). The hydrophilic nature of PNIPAM networks is very attractive however it is an important disadvantage at the moment of encapsulating hydrophobic drugs, which minimize their use in other fields. In this work we studied the swelling in different solvent mixtures with water and also in pure nonaqueous solvents, some of them immiscible with water. Accordingly, PNIPAM gels swell strongly in highly polar solvents (e.g. chloroform) but it does not swell in slightly polar solvents (e.g.Toluene). The main interaction between the solvent and the polymer chain seems to involve the hydrogen bonding with the amide group, according to the calculated Hansen parameters (δh). It is possible to swell the gel in binary or ternary mixtures containing toluene. In that way, non-polar substances can be loaded inside the gel to change its properties. As a proof of concept, polyaniline (PANI) solubilized in chloroform using camphorsulfonate as solubilizing counterion. The obtained nanocomposites become sensitive to pH changing color and conductivity when exposed to basic or acidic aqueous solutions. Fil: Martinez, María Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Molina, María Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Bongiovanni Abel, Silvestre Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Barbero, César Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina

Resistive sensors for organic vapors were made usingpolyaniline (PANI) and functionalized PANI as thin films ordeposits of PANI nanofibers. PANI thin films were synthesized byin situ chemical polymerization onto flat polyethylene films. PANInanofibers were produced by interfacial polymerization. Bothpolymeric materials were chemically modified through aromaticelectrophilic substitution or nucleophilic addition and used asactive materials in resistive sensors. The analysis of the resistancetimesensor profiles suggested that chemical modification affectsstrongly the sensor response. Moreover, the magnitude, the sign,and the rate of the sensor response showed differences for activematerials with the same chemical structure and differentmorphology. It is demonstrated that using only one conductingpolymer but creating material diversity by chemicalfunctionalization or morphological changes different sensorsresponses for the same volatiles can be obtained. This behaviorallows a simple way to produce sensors arrays which can be usedin electronic noses. Fil: Bongiovanni Abel, Silvestre Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Olejnik, Robert. Univerzita Tomase Bati Ve Zline; República Checa Fil: Rivarola, Claudia Rosana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Slobodian, Petr. Univerzita Tomase Bati Ve Zline; República Checa Fil: Saha, Petr. Univerzita Tomase Bati Ve Zline; República Checa Fil: Acevedo, Diego Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Barbero, César Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina

Increases in the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria require new approaches for the treatment of infectious bacterial pathogens. A new therapeutic modality, which is called photothermal therapy (PTT) involves the absorption of Near Infrared Radiation (NIR) light by absorbing species (e.g. polyaniline nanoparticles) and transfer of the absorbed energy into the surrounding environment as heat that could cause pathogen death. Since the pathogen cells, and the surrounding tissue, does not absorb NIR radiation, an agent which strongly absorb the light has to be added. In this work, were performed experiments to determine if polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI-NP) in combination with NIR irradiation could be used to destroy Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results reveal that this nanomaterial, following NIR exposure could be used for killing bacteria because it was observed a significant decrease in cell viability triggering cell death. In addition, the cell death mechanism was observed by DNA fragmentation. Fil: Bongiovanni Abel, Silvestre Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Gallarato, Lucas Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina Fil: Dardanelli, Marta Susana. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Barbero, César Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Rivarola, Claudia Rosana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina Fil: Yslas, Edith Inés. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina

Polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI-NPs) were easily obtained applying the solvent displacement method by using N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as good solvent and water as poor solvent. Different polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chondroitin sulfate (ChS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were used as stabilizers. Dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy corroborated the size and morphology of the formed NPs. It was demonstrated that the size of nanoparticles could be controlled by setting the concentration of PANI in NMP, the NMP to water ratio, and the stabilizer's nature. The functionalization and fluorescence of NPs were checked by spectroscopic techniques. Since polyaniline show only weak intrinsic luminescence, fluorescent groups were linked to the polyaniline chains prior to the nanoparticle formation using a linker. Polyaniline chains were functionalized by nucleophilic addition of cysteamine trough the thiol group thereby incorporating pendant primary aliphatic amine groups to the polyaniline backbone. Then, dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl), which could act as an extrinsic chromophore, was conjugated to the amine pendant groups. Later, the functionalized polyaniline was used to produce nanoparticles by solvent displacement. The optical and functional properties of fluorescent nanoparticles (F-PANI-NPs) were determined. F-PANI-NPs in the conductive state (pH < 4) are able to absorb near infrared radiation (NIR) creating a photothermal effect in an aqueous medium. Thus, multifunctional nanoparticles are obtained. The application of NIR on a F-PANI-NPs dispersion in contact with Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes bacterial death. Therefore, the F-PANI-NPs could be tracked and applied to inhibit different diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and resistant to antibiotics as well as a new disinfection method to surgical materials.

The development of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with physical and chemical topological cues at the macro-, micro-, and nanometer scale is urgently needed for successful tissue engineering applications. 3D scaffolds can be manufactured by a wide variety of techniques. Electrospinning technology has emerged as a powerful manufacturing technique to produce non-woven nanofibrous scaffolds with very interesting features for tissue engineering products. However, electrospun scaffolds have some inherent limitations that compromise the regeneration of thick and complex tissues. By integrating electrospinning and other fabrication technologies, multifunctional 3D fibrous assemblies with micro/nanotopographical features can be created. The proper combination of techniques leads to materials with nano and macro-structure, allowing an improvement in the biological performance of tissue-engineered constructs. In this review, we focus on the most relevant strategies to produce electrospun polymer/composite scaffolds with 3D architecture. A detailed description of procedures involving physical and chemical agents to create structures with large pores and 3D fiber assemblies is introduced. Finally, characterization and biological assays including in vitro and in vivo studies of structures intended for the regeneration of functional tissues are briefly presented and discussed.

Photo-thermo-mechanochemical (P-T-MCh) nanocomposites provide a mechanical and/or chemical output (MCh) in response to a photonic (P) input, with the thermal (T) flux being the coupling factor. The nanocomposite combines a photon absorbing nanomaterial with a thermosensitive hydrogel matrix. Conjugated (absorbing in the near infrared (NIR, 750&ndash, 850 nm) wavelength range) polymer (polyaniline, PANI) nanostructures are dispersed in cross-linked thermosensitive (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM) hydrogel matrices, giving the nanocomposite P-T-MCh properties. Since PANI is a conductive polymer, electromagnetic radiation (ER) such as radiofrequency (30 kHz) and microwaves (2.4 GHz) could also be used as an input. The alternating electromagnetic field creates eddy currents in the PANI, which produces heat through the Joule effect. A new kind of &ldquo, product&rdquo, nanocomposite is then produced, where ER drives the mechanochemical properties of the material through thermal coupling (electromagnetic radiation thermomechanochemical, ER-T-MCh). Both optical absorption and conductivity of PANI depend on its oxidation and protonation state. Therefore, the ER-T-MCh materials are able to react to the surroundings properties (pH, redox potential) becoming a smart (electromagnetic radiation thermomechanochemical) (sER-T-MCh material. The volume changes of the sER-T-MCh materials are reversible since the size and shape is recovered by cooling. No noticeable damage was observed after several cycles. The mechanical properties of the composite materials can be set by changing the hydrogel matrix. Four methods of material fabrication are described.