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Volume 6
Research & Reviews: Journal of Material Sciences
CrystalloPolySci 2018
November 19-20, 2018
4
th
International Conference on
Crystallography & Novel Materials
&
9
th
International Conference on
Biopolymers & Polymer Sciences
November 19-20, 2018 Bucharest, Romania
Denis Mihaela Panaitescu, Res. Rev. J Mat. Sci. 2018, Volume 6
DOI: 10.4172/2321-6212-C9-039
Porous structures from nanocellulose and biopolymers for biomedical application
Denis Mihaela Panaitescu
National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry – ICECHIM, Romania
B
acterial cellulose has attracted a lot of interest in the last years due to its extraordinary properties for biomedical applications,
high purity, water-uptake capability, good biocompatibility, cell adhesion, proliferation, good mechanical properties and
non-toxicity of itself and its degradation products. A key element in tissue engineering is the 3D biomaterial scaffold which
mimics the architecture of the Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM). ECM provides structural support for cell attachment, proliferation
and differentiation. For this purpose, the 3D scaffolds should possess a network of interconnected pores ensuring cell migration,
diffusion of nutrients and clearance of wastes and promoting cell adhesion and cell growth. More than 80% porosity is requested
for porous scaffolds to mimic native ECM. Many tissues like heart, cartilages or bones have a fiber-sponge complex architecture
and the nanofibrillated network of bacterial cellulose is similar to native ECM as respects biocompatibility, fibers size and
assembling. However, the pore size of the cellulose network is much too low than the recommended minimum pore size of 100
microns, which limits cell penetration and migration. Hear we propose new methods to obtain porous biocomposite scaffolds
using bacterial cellulose and eco-friendly additives and processes. Bacterial cellulose was modified with different agents and
crosslinkers and the properties of the new porous structures were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force
microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis. This
study has shown that highly porous cellulose structures that combine lightweight and stiffness may be obtained by using simple
and eco-friendly methods.
Biography
Denis Mihaela Panaitescu has completed her PhD from University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania. She is a Senior Researcher at ICECHIM. She has published
more than 70 papers in reputed journals and has managed several national projects.
panaitescu@icechim.ro