Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Item
    Porous PEDOT:PSS Particles and their Application as Tunable Cell Culture Substrate
    (Weinheim : Wiley, 2021) Rauer, Sebastian Bernhard; Bell, Daniel Josef; Jain, Puja; Rahimi, Khosrow; Felder, Daniel; Linkhorst, John; Wessling, Matthias
    Due to its biocompatibility, electrical conductivity, and tissue-like elasticity, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) constitutes a highly promising material regarding the fabrication of smart cell culture substrates. However, until now, high-throughput synthesis of pure PEDOT:PSS geometries was restricted to flat sheets and fibers. In this publication, the first microfluidic process for the synthesis of spherical, highly porous, pure PEDOT:PSS particles of adjustable material properties is presented. The particles are synthesized by the generation of PEDOT:PSS emulsion droplets within a 1-octanol continuous phase and their subsequent coagulation and partial crystallization in an isopropanol (IPA)/sulfuric acid (SA) bath. The process allows to tailor central particle characteristics such as crystallinity, particle diameter, pore size as well as electrochemical and mechanical properties by simply adjusting the IPA:SA ratio during droplet coagulation. To demonstrate the applicability of PEDOT:PSS particles as potential cell culture substrate, cultivations of L929 mouse fibroblast cells and MRC-5 human fibroblast cells are conducted. Both cell lines present exponential growth on PEDOT:PSS particles and reach confluency with cell viabilities above 95 vol.% on culture day 9. Single cell analysis could moreover reveal that mechanotransduction and cell infiltration can be controlled by the adjustment of particle crystallinity.
  • Item
    Porous PVDF Monoliths with Templated Geometry
    (Weinheim : Wiley, 2021) Djeljadini, Suzana; Bongartz, Patrick; Alders, Michael; Hartmann, Nils; Oing, Alexander; Cornelissen, Christian; Hesselmann, Felix; Arens, Jutta; Steinseifer, Ulrich; Linkhorst, John; Wessling, Matthias
    Additive manufacturing of complex porous polymer geometries is a new field of advanced materials processing. Such new geometries can be used to fabricate porous polymer monoliths serving as a support for other material functions. Here, a novel fabrication technology to manufacture tailored 3D porous monoliths via additive manufacturing and templating is presented. The method is based on replicating a 3D-printed mold with a polymer solution of polyvinylidenfluorid-triethyl phosphate (PVDF-TEP) and induce phase separation of the polymer solution subsequently. In a second step, the mold is removed without affecting the porous PVDF phase. As a result, porous monoliths with a templated 3D architecture are successfully fabricated. The manufacturing process is successfully applied to complex structures and can be applied to any conceivable geometry. Coating the porous 3D monoliths with another PVDF solution allows applying a skin layer yielding an asymmetric membrane monolith. As a showcase, a polydimethylsiloxane coating even leads to a smooth and dense layer of micrometer size. The methodology enables a new generation of complex porous polymer monoliths with tailored surface coatings. For the combination of poly(dimethylsiloxane) on a porous support, gas/liquid mass transfer is used in blood oxygenation with reduced diffusion limitation is within reach.