Biodegradable Thermoplastic Starch/Polycaprolactone Blends with Co-Continuous Morphology Suitable for Local Release of Antibiotics
| Autor: | Veronika Gajdosova, Beata Strachota, Adam Strachota, Danuse Michalkova, Sabina Krejcikova, Petr Fulin, Otakar Nyc, Adam Brinek, Marek Zemek, Miroslav Slouf |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2022 |
| Předmět: |
Technology
Microscopy QC120-168.85 microindentation poly(epsilon-caprolactone) QH201-278.5 structure–properties relations Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) thermoplastic starch poly(ε-caprolactone) polymer blends micromechanical properties TK1-9971 Descriptive and experimental mechanics General Materials Science Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering TA1-2040 structure-properties relations |
| Zdroj: | Materials . 2022, vol. 15, issue 3, p. 1-22. Materials; Volume 15; Issue 3; Pages: 1101 Materials, Vol 15, Iss 1101, p 1101 (2022) |
| Popis: | We report a reproducible preparation and characterization of highly homogeneous thermoplastic starch/pol(ε-caprolactone) blends (TPS/PCL) with a minimal thermomechanical degradation and co-continuous morphology. These materials would be suitable for biomedical applications, specifically for the local release of antibiotics (ATB) from the TPS phase. The TPS/PCL blends were prepared in the whole concentration range. In agreement with theoretical predictions based on component viscosities, the co-continuous morphology was found for TPS/PCL blends with a composition of 70/30 wt.%. The minimal thermomechanical degradation of the blends was achieved by an optimization of the processing conditions and by keeping processing temperatures as low as possible, because higher temperatures might damage ATB in the final application. The blends’ homogeneity was verified by scanning electron microscopy. The co-continuous morphology was confirmed by submicron-computed tomography. The mechanical performance of the blends was characterized in both microscale (by an instrumented microindentation hardness testing; MHI) and macroscale (by dynamic thermomechanical analysis; DMTA). The elastic moduli of TPS increased ca four times in the TPS/PCL (70/30) blend. The correlations between elastic moduli measured by MHI and DMTA were very strong, which implied that, in the future studies, it would be possible to use just micromechanical testing that does not require large specimens. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|