This book addresses surface modification techniques, which are critical for tailoring and broadening the applications of naturally occurring biopolymers. Biopolymers represent a sustainable solution to the need for new materials in the auto, waste removal, biomedical device, building material, defense, and paper industries. Features: First comprehensive summary of biopolymer modification methods to enhance compatibility, flexibility, enhanced physicochemical properties, thermal stability, impact response, and rigidity, among others Address of a green, eco-friendly materials that is increasing in use, underscoring the roles of material scientists in the future of new "green" bioolymer material use Coverage applications in automotive development, hazardous waste removal, biomedical engineering, pulp and paper industries, development of new building materials, and defense-related technologies Facilitation of technology transfer

"Covers most of the recent technical accomplishments in the area of surface modification of biopolymers for different applications"--

Applications of synthetic materials in medicine date back over 4000 year2. The Egyptians used linen as sutures. In the Roman Empire, gold was used in dentistry. Perhaps even earlier, ivory and bone may have been used in the body by practitioners of the healing arts. The historical origins of modem biomaterials science are also hard to precisely trace, but many of the ideas that define biomaterials as we know them today evolved in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Surface modification technology has played a prominent role in biomaterials science, and has paralleled the evolution of the modem field. In a symposium organized by the Artifical Heart Program of the NIH National Heart Institute and the Artificial Kidney program of the NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1968, there were already a number of presentations on surface modification. Surface characterization at that time included scanning electron microscopy, ellipsometry, contact angle methods, and infrared internal reflection methods.

This unique volume covers the results of the world-wide efforts to implement natural polymers as engineering plastics and the use of their inherent properties. The processing opportunities and the applications of the natural materials as reinforcement of polymer composites are discussed, including the structural, morphological and thermal characterization as well as the mechanical behavior of the obtained materials. Also covered is the preparation of biodegradable homopolymers, blends and composites, which involves chemical reactions, regardless of the type of the starting material.

Polymers are widely used in bioengineering for a wide range of applications, including substrates for in vitro cell culture and scaffolds for in vivo tissue engineering. Because polymer surfaces are usually non-polar and exhibit low biocompatibility, surface chemical modification must be used to enhance biocompatibility. In this study, biopolymer surfaces were modified by various plasma treatments and the resulting surface properties were characterized in detail by various microanalysis techniques. Although surface chemistry modification of biopolymers is important, modification of the near-surface structure of biopolymers is also critical because it affects cell attachment, proliferation, and infiltration, which is of paramount importance in the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering. Plasma polymerized fluorocarbon (FC) films grafted onto Ar plasma-treated low-density polyethylene surfaces were shown to increase the surface shear strength while maintaining low friction. These surface characteristics illustrate the potential of FC films as coating materials of bioinstruments, such as catheters used for the treatment of diseased arteries where blood flow is restricted by plaque deposits onto the inner wall of the vessel. In addition to FC film grafting, plasma polymerization with diethylene glycol dimethyl ether monomer was used to graft non-fouling polyethylene glycol (PEG)-like films on various substrates to prevent both protein adsorption and cell attachment, which is of great importance to the fabrication of non-clotting artificial grafts for bypass surgery. Non-fouling PEG-like films were used to chemically pattern substrate surfaces for single-cell culture. Polystyrene culture dishes coated with a PEG-like film were chemically patterned using a silicon shadow mask or a poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) membrane mask, fabricated by standard lithography methods, to locally remove the PEG film by Ar plasma etching through the mask windows. Another surface chemical patterning method for long-term single-cell culture was accomplished with polystyrene and parylene C surfaces by taking advantage of the change in surface hydrophilicity induced by plasma treatment. These surface chemical patterning methods were used to regulate the shape and size of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). A strong effect of the shape and size of SMCs on proliferation rate was observed, which was correlated to changes in nuclei shape and volume of the SMCs. In contrast to solid polymers, plasma surface treatment of fibrous polymer materials to improve biocompatibility has received relatively less attention. Thus, another objective of this dissertation was to explore how plasma surface modification with inert (e.g., Ar) and reactive (e.g., NH3) gas plasmas can be used to enhance cell attachment, growth and infiltration into fibrous polymer scaffolds. Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) microfibrous scaffolds synthesized by electrospinning were plasma treated with Ar and NH3 gases to improve cell affinity and incorporate functional groups for biomolecule immobilization. Both Ar and NH3 plasma treatments were shown to improve the cell attachment and growth onto the fabricated microfibrous scaffolds, while surface functional groups produced by NH3 plasma treatment were also effective in immobilizing biomolecules. In addition to the surface chemistry, the structure of biopolymer materials also impacts the effectiveness of tissue engineering scaffolds. Using microfabrication technology to produce a patterned PDMS template for electrospinning, patterned PLLA microfibrous scaffolds with different structures were fabricated and their potential for tissue engineering was demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo cell culture experiments. The results of this thesis indicate that surface chemistry and structure modification of biopolymers by combining plasma treatment with microfabrication/micropatterning techniques is an effective method of engineering surfaces for single-cell culture and scaffold materials with tailored two- and three-dimensional structures that enhance cell growth and infiltration. The findings of this work have direct application in the development of patterned surfaces for controlled single-cell attachment, which is of particular value to studies of individual cell behavior, and scaffolds for tissue engineering and repair.

Biopolymers and biodegradable plastics are finding new applications in various sectors, from packaging, to medical, automotive and many more. As synthetic plastics are increasingly replaced by their bioplastic equivalents, engineers are facing new challenges including processing, costs, environmental sustainability and – ultimately – developing successful products. Biopolymers: Processing and Products, the second book of a trilogy dedicated to biopolymers, gives a detailed insight into all aspects of processing, seamlessly linking the science of biopolymers to the latest trends in the development of new products. Processes covered in the book include blending, compounding, treatment, and shaping, as well as the formation of biocomposites. Biopolymer coatings and adhesives are also investigated. This book unique in its coverage contains information retrieved mainly from patents, which form the bulk of the book. The coverage of processing will help engineers and designers to improve output and efficiency of every stage of the product development process, and will form an indispensable tool in selecting the right biopolymer and processing technique for any given application, covering medical, automotive, food packaging and more. It will assist also engineers, material scientists and researchers to improve existing biopolymer processes and deliver better products at lower cost. - Multi-disciplinary approach and critical presentation of all available processing techniques and new products of biopolymers - Contains information not to be found in any other book - Self-contained chapters

The world faces significant challenges as the population and consumption continue to grow while nonrenewable fossil fuels and other raw materials are depleted at ever-increasing rates. This informative volume provides a technical approach to address these issues using green design and analysis. It takes an interdisciplinary look at concepts that can be applied across engineering disciplines in the development of products, processes, and systems to minimize environmental impacts across all life cycle phases. Topics include polymers for pollutant removal, wood-based biopolymers, bio-based polymers for drug formulations, biomaterial-based medical implants, biodegradabilty of biopolymer materials, bio-based polymers for food packaging applications, biodegradable polymers for tissue engineering applications, and more.

Modification of Polymer Properties provides, for the first time, in one title, the latest information on gradient IPNs and gradient copolymers. The book covers the broad range of polymer modification routes in a fresh, current view representing a timely addition to the technical literature of this important area. Historically, blends, copolymers, or filled polymers have been developed to meet specific properties, or to optimize the cost/properties relationship. Using the gradient structure approach with conventional radical polymerization, it has been shown that it is possible to optimize properties if appropriate gradients in the composition of copolymer chains are obtained. An overview of the gradient structure approach for designing polymers has not appeared in the recent literature and this title covers the different methods used to modify properties, offering the whole range of ways to modify polymers in just one volume and making this an attractive option for a wide audience of practitioners. The approach for each chapter is to explain the fundamental principles of preparation, cover properties modification, describe future research and applications as examples of materials that may be prepared for specific applications, or that are already in use, in present day applications. The book is for readers that have a basic background in polymer science, as well as those interested in the different ways to combine or modify polymer properties. - Provides an integrated view on how to modify polymer properties - Presents the entire panorama of polymer properties modification in one reference, covering the essential information in each topic - Includes the optimization of properties using gradients in polymers composition or structure