In: Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2011, vol. 32, no. 17, p. 1367–1372
Attempts to create hierarchically structured, uniaxially oriented nanocomposites comprising cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs), which promise anisotropic mechanical properties, are exceedingly rare. We report here the fabrication of uniaxially-oriented arrays of microfibers based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and CNWs by electrospinning. Compared with the neat PEO fibers, the incorporation of CNWs...
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In: Biomacromolecules, 2011, vol. 12, no. 10, p. 3666–3673
Cellulose nanofibers are an attractive component of a broad range of nanomaterials. Their intriguing mechanical properties and low cost, as well as the renewable nature of cellulose make them an appealing alternative to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which may pose a considerable health risk when inhaled. Little is known, however, concerning the potential toxicity of aerosolized cellulose nanofibers....
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In: Biomacromolecules, 2015, vol. 16, no. 4, p. 1267–1275
When considering the inhalation of high-aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN), the characterization of their specific interaction with lung cells is of fundamental importance to help categorize their potential hazard. The aim of the present study was to assess the interaction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with a multicellular in vitro model of the epithelial airway barrier following realistic...
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In: Particle and Fibre Toxicology, 2015, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 40
The challenge remains to reliably mimic human exposure to high aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN) via inhalation. Sophisticated, multi-cellular in vitro models are a particular advantageous solution to this issue, especially when considering the need to provide realistic and efficient alternatives to invasive animal experimentation for HARN hazard assessment. By incorporating a systematic test-bed...
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In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2013, vol. 429, no. 1, p. 012008
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) exhibit advantageous chemical and mechanical properties that render them attractive for a wide range of applications. During the life-cycle of CNC containing materials the nanocrystals could be released and become airborne, posing a potential inhalatory exposure risk towards humans. Absent reliable and dose-controlled models that mimic this exposure in situ is a...
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In: CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2011, vol. 65, no. 9, p. 745
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In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2018, vol. 57, no. 35, p. 11445-11450
The introduction of mechanophores into polymers makes it possible to transduce mechanical forces into chemical reactions that can be used to impart functions such as self‐healing, catalytic activity, and mechanochromic response. Here, an example of mechanically induced metal ion release from a polymer is reported. Ferrocene (Fc) was incorporated as an iron ion releasing mechanophore into...
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In: Topics in current chemistry, 2015, vol. 369, p. 345-375
Mechanochemistry is a burgeoning field of materials science. Inspired by nature, many scientists have looked at different ways to introduce weak bonds into polymeric materials to impart them with function and in particular mechano-responsiveness. In the following sections, the incorporation of some of the weakest bonds, i.e. non- covalent bonds, into polymeric solids is being surveyed. This...
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In: Journal of Neural Engineering, 2011, vol. 8, no. 4, p. 046010
We recently introduced a series of stimuli-responsive, mechanically adaptive polymer nanocomposites. Here, we report the first application of these bio-inspired materials as substrates for intracortical microelectrodes. Our hypothesis is that the ideal electrode should be initially stiff to facilitate minimal trauma during insertion into the cortex, yet become mechanically compliant to match the...
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In: Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2011, vol. 21, no. 5, p. 054009
This paper reports the development of micromachining processes and mechanical evaluation of a stimuli-responsive, mechanically dynamic polymer nanocomposite for biomedical microsystems. This nanocomposite consists of a cellulose nanofiber network encased in a polyvinyl acetate matrix. Micromachined tensile testing structures fabricated from the nanocomposite displayed a reversible and switchable...
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