Current Research Projects
Optimizing the magnetocuring of epoxy resins via electromagnetic additives |
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| Magnetocuring of adhesives refers to the curing of an epoxy + Curie temperature controlled magnetic nanoparticles composite using a suitable alternating magnetic field. The controlled heating of the nanoparticles results in remote, wireless curing without resin overheating. Tuning the nanoparticles composition and addition of carbon allotropes (CA) within the resin result in improved heating profiles of epoxy thermosets. |
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| Image from: Optimizing the magnetocuring of epoxy resins via electromagnetic additives |
Rapid activation of diazirine biomaterials with the blue light photocatalyst |
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| Activation of diazirine-grafted polycaprolactone polyol (CaproGlu) is limited to UVA wavelengths that have tissue exposure constraints and limited light intensities. This is circumvented using visible light-emitting diodes at 445 nm (blue) to rapidly activate diazirine-to-carbene covalent cross-linking with the aid of a photocatalyst. Considerable differences in cross-linking chemistry are observed in UVA vs visible/photocatalyst formulations. |
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| Image from: Rapid activation of diazirine biomaterials with the blue light photocatalyst |
Sunlight activated film forming adhesive polymers |
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| Stimuli-sensitive biomaterials that are activated by light are in need of formulations that are stable under indoor lighting yet can be activated under direct sunlight. Carbene-based bioadhesives are a new generation of film-forming polymers that are stable under indoor lighting yet are rapidly activated with low-energy UVA light, but have never been evaluated under sunlight exposure. The results show that carbene-based polymers are a class of stimuli-sensitive biomaterials that are stable to indoor lighting, yet can be rapidly activated under direct sunlight. |
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| Image from: Sunlight activated film forming adhesive polymers |
Minimally invasive electroceutical catheter for endoluminal defect sealing |
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| Surgical repair of lumen defects is associated with periprocedural morbidity and mortality. Endovascular repair with tissue adhesives may reduce host tissue damage, but current bioadhesive designs do not support minimally invasive deployment. Voltage-activated tissue adhesives offer a new strategy for endoluminal repair. |
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| Image from: Minimally invasive electroceutical catheter for endoluminal defect sealing |
CaproGlu: Multifunctional tissue adhesive platform |
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| Driven by the clinical need for a strong tissue adhesive with elastomeric material properties, a departure from legacy crosslinking chemistries was sought as a multipurpose platform for tissue mending. A fresh approach to bonding wet substrates has yielded a synthetic biomaterial that overcomes the drawbacks of free-radical and nature-inspired bioadhesives. |
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| Image from: CaproGlu: Multifunctional tissue adhesive platform |
