1. |
Rinoldi C., Ziai Y., Zargarian Seyed S., Nakielski P., Zembrzycki K., Haghighat Bayan Mohammad A., Zakrzewska A., Fiorelli R., Lanzi M.♦, Kostrzewska-Księżyk A.♦, Czajkowski R.♦, Kublik E.♦, Kaczmarek L.♦, Pierini F., In Vivo Chronic Brain Cortex Signal Recording Based on a Soft Conductive Hydrogel Biointerface,
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ISSN: 1944-8244, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c17025, Vol.15, No.5, pp.6283-6296, 2023 Streszczenie: In neuroscience, the acquisition of neural signals from the brain cortex is crucial to analyze brain processes, detect neurological disorders, and offer therapeutic brain–computer interfaces. The design of neural interfaces conformable to the brain tissue is one of today’s major challenges since the insufficient biocompatibility of those systems provokes a fibrotic encapsulation response, leading to an inaccurate signal recording and tissue damage precluding long-term/permanent implants. The design and production of a novel soft neural biointerface made of polyacrylamide hydrogels loaded with plasmonic silver nanocubes are reported herein. Hydrogels are surrounded by a silicon-based template as a supporting element for guaranteeing an intimate neural-hydrogel contact while making possible stable recordings from specific sites in the brain cortex. The nanostructured hydrogels show superior electroconductivity while mimicking the mechanical characteristics of the brain tissue. Furthermore, in vitro biological tests performed by culturing neural progenitor cells demonstrate the biocompatibility of hydrogels along with neuronal differentiation. In vivo chronic neuroinflammation tests on a mouse model show no adverse immune response toward the nanostructured hydrogel-based neural interface. Additionally, electrocorticography acquisitions indicate that the proposed platform permits long-term efficient recordings of neural signals, revealing the suitability of the system as a chronic neural biointerface. Słowa kluczowe: brain−machine interface,conductive hydrogels,nanostructured biomaterials,in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility,long-term neural recording Afiliacje autorów:
Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Zargarian Seyed S. | - | IPPT PAN | Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | Zembrzycki K. | - | IPPT PAN | Haghighat Bayan Mohammad A. | - | IPPT PAN | Zakrzewska A. | - | IPPT PAN | Fiorelli R. | - | IPPT PAN | Lanzi M. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Kostrzewska-Księżyk A. | - | inna afiliacja | Czajkowski R. | - | inna afiliacja | Kublik E. | - | inna afiliacja | Kaczmarek L. | - | inna afiliacja | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 200p. |
2. |
Ziai Y., Zargarian Seyed S., Rinoldi C., Nakielski P., Sola A.♦, Lanzi M.♦, Truong Yen B.♦, Pierini F., Conducting polymer-based nanostructured materials for brain–machine interfaces,
WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, ISSN: 1939-0041, DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1895, pp.e1895-1-33, 2023 Streszczenie: As scientists discovered that raw neurological signals could translate into bioelectric information, brain–machine interfaces (BMI) for experimental and clinical studies have experienced massive growth. Developing suitable materials for bioelectronic devices to be used for real-time recording and data digitalizing has three important necessitates which should be covered. Biocompatibility, electrical conductivity, and having mechanical properties similar to soft brain tissue to decrease mechanical mismatch should be adopted for all materials. In this review, inorganic nanoparticles and intrinsically conducting polymers are discussed to impart electrical conductivity to systems, where soft materials such as hydrogels can offer reliable mechanical properties and a biocompatible substrate. Interpenetrating hydrogel networks offer more mechanical stability and provide a path for incorporating polymers with desired properties into one strong network. Promising fabrication methods, like electrospinning and additive manufacturing, allow scientists to customize designs for each application and reach the maximum potential for the system. In the near future, it is desired to fabricate biohybrid conducting polymer-based interfaces loaded with cells, giving the opportunity for simultaneous stimulation and regeneration. Developing multi-modal BMIs, Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to design advanced materials are among the future goals for this field. Słowa kluczowe: 3D printing, brain–machine interface, conductive hydrogels, electrospinning, neural recording Afiliacje autorów:
Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Zargarian Seyed S. | - | IPPT PAN | Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | Sola A. | - | inna afiliacja | Lanzi M. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Truong Yen B. | - | inna afiliacja | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 140p. |
3. |
Jain A., Ziai Y., Bochenek K., Manippady Sai R., Pierini F., Michalska M.♦, Utilization of compressible hydrogels as electrolyte materials for supercapacitor applications,
RSC Advances, ISSN: 2046-2069, DOI: 10.1039/d3ra00893b, Vol.13, pp.11503-11512, 2023 Streszczenie: Utilization of CoO@Co3O4-x-Ag (x denotes 1, 3, and 5 wt% of Ag) nanocomposites as supercapacitor electrodes is the main aim of this study. A new low-temperature wet chemical approach is proposed to modify the commercial cobalt oxide material with silver nanoparticle (NP) balls of size 1–5 nm. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption–desorption measurements. Hydrogels known to be soft but stable structures were used here as perfect carriers for conductive nanoparticles such as carbons. Furthermore, hydrogels with a large amount of water in their network can give more flexibility to the system. Fabrication of an electrochemical cell can be achieved by combining these materials with a layer-by-layer structure. The performance characteristics of the cells were examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD). Cobalt oxide modified with 5 wt% Ag gave the best supercapacitor results, and the cell offers a specific capacitance of ∼38 mF cm−2 in two-electrode configurations. Afiliacje autorów:
Jain A. | - | IPPT PAN | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Bochenek K. | - | IPPT PAN | Manippady Sai R. | - | IPPT PAN | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN | Michalska M. | - | Łukasiewicz Research Network‒Institute of Electronic Materials Technology (PL) |
|  | 100p. |
4. |
Nakielski P., Rinoldi C., Pruchniewski M.♦, Pawłowska S., Gazińska M.♦, Strojny B.♦, Rybak D., Jezierska-Woźniak K.♦, Urbanek O., Denis P., Sinderewicz E.♦, Czelejewska W.♦, Staszkiewicz-Chodor J.♦, Grodzik M.♦, Ziai Y., Barczewska M.♦, Maksymowicz W.♦, Pierini F., Laser-assisted fabrication of injectable nanofibrous cell carriers,
Small, ISSN: 1613-6810, DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104971, Vol.18, No.2, pp.2104971-1-18, 2022 Streszczenie: The use of injectable biomaterials for cell delivery is a rapidly expanding field which may revolutionize the medical treatments by making them less invasive. However, creating desirable cell carriers poses significant challenges to the clinical implementation of cell-based therapeutics. At the same time, no method has been developed to produce injectable microscaffolds (MSs) from electrospun materials. Here the fabrication of injectable electrospun nanofibers is reported on, which retain their fibrous structure to mimic the extracellular matrix. The laser-assisted micro-scaffold fabrication has produced tens of thousands of MSs in a short time. An efficient attachment of cells to the surface and their proliferation is observed, creating cell-populated MSs. The cytocompatibility assays proved their biocompatibility, safety, and potential as cell carriers. Ex vivo results with the use of bone and cartilage tissues proved that NaOH hydrolyzed and chitosan functionalized MSs are compatible with living tissues and readily populated with cells. Injectability studies of MSs showed a high injectability rate, while at the same time, the force needed to eject the load is no higher than 25 N. In the future, the produced MSs may be studied more in-depth as cell carriers in minimally invasive cell therapies and 3D bioprinting applications. Afiliacje autorów:
Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Pruchniewski M. | - | inna afiliacja | Pawłowska S. | - | IPPT PAN | Gazińska M. | - | inna afiliacja | Strojny B. | - | inna afiliacja | Rybak D. | - | IPPT PAN | Jezierska-Woźniak K. | - | inna afiliacja | Urbanek O. | - | IPPT PAN | Denis P. | - | IPPT PAN | Sinderewicz E. | - | inna afiliacja | Czelejewska W. | - | inna afiliacja | Staszkiewicz-Chodor J. | - | inna afiliacja | Grodzik M. | - | inna afiliacja | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Barczewska M. | - | University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (PL) | Maksymowicz W. | - | University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (PL) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 200p. |
5. |
Ziai Y., Petronella F.♦, Rinoldi C., Nakielski P., Zakrzewska A., Kowalewski T.A., Augustyniak W.♦, Li X.♦, Calogero A.♦, Sabała I.♦, Ding B.♦, De Sio L.♦, Pierini F., Chameleon-inspired multifunctional plasmonic nanoplatforms for biosensing applications,
NPG Asia Materials, ISSN: 1884-4049, DOI: 10.1038/s41427-022-00365-9, Vol.14, pp.18-1-17, 2022 Streszczenie: One of the most fascinating areas in the field of smart biopolymers is biomolecule sensing. Accordingly, multifunctional biomimetic, biocompatible, and stimuli-responsive materials based on hydrogels have attracted much interest. Within this framework, the design of nanostructured materials that do not require any external energy source is beneficial for developing a platform for sensing glucose in body fluids. In this article, we report the realization and application of an innovative platform consisting of two outer layers of a nanocomposite plasmonic hydrogel plus one inner layer of electrospun mat fabricated by electrospinning, where the outer layers exploit photoinitiated free radical polymerization, obtaining a compact and stable device. Inspired by the exceptional features of chameleon skin, plasmonic silver nanocubes are embedded into a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based hydrogel network to obtain enhanced thermoresponsive and antibacterial properties. The introduction of an electrospun mat creates a compatible environment for the homogeneous hydrogel coating while imparting excellent mechanical and structural properties to the final system. Chemical, morphological, and optical characterizations were performed to investigate the structure of the layers and the multifunctional platform. The synergetic effect of the nanostructured system’s photothermal responsivity and antibacterial properties was evaluated. The sensing features associated with the optical properties of silver nanocubes revealed that the proposed multifunctional system is a promising candidate for glucose-sensing applications. Afiliacje autorów:
Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Petronella F. | - | inna afiliacja | Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | Zakrzewska A. | - | IPPT PAN | Kowalewski T.A. | - | IPPT PAN | Augustyniak W. | - | Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL) | Li X. | - | Donghua University (CN) | Calogero A. | - | Sapienza University of Rome (IT) | Sabała I. | - | Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL) | Ding B. | - | Donghua University (CN) | De Sio L. | - | Sapienza University of Rome (IT) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 140p. |
6. |
Marinelli M.♦, Lanzi M.♦, Pierini F., Ziai Y., Zanelli A.♦, Quadretti D.♦, Di Maria F.♦, Salatelli E.♦, Ionic Push–Pull Polythiophenes: A Further Step towards Eco-Friendly BHJ Organic Solar Cells,
Polymers, ISSN: 2073-4360, DOI: 10.3390/polym14193965, Vol.14, No.19, pp.3965-1-17, 2022 Streszczenie: Four new conjugated polymers alternating benzothiadiazole units and thiophene moieties functionalized with ionic phosphonium or sulfonic acid salts in the side chains were synthesized by a postfunctionalization approach of polymeric precursors. The introduction of ionic groups makes the conjugated polymers soluble in water and/or polar solvents, allowing for the fabrication of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells using environmentally friendly conditions. All polymers were fully characterized by spectroscopic, thermal, electrochemical, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron, and atomic force techniques. BHJ solar cells were obtained from halogen-free solvents (i.e., ethanol and/or anisole) by blending the synthesized ionic push–pull polymers with a serinol-fullerene derivative or an ionic homopolymer acting as electron-acceptor (EA) or electron-donor (ED) counterparts, respectively. The device with the highest optical density and the smoothest surface of the active layer was the best-performing, showing a 4.76% photoconversion efficiency. Słowa kluczowe: donor–acceptor systems, bifunctional materials, phosphonium salts, eco-friendly BHJ solar cells, anisole Afiliacje autorów:
Marinelli M. | - | inna afiliacja | Lanzi M. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Zanelli A. | - | CNR-ISOF (IT) | Quadretti D. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Di Maria F. | - | CNR-ISOF (IT) | Salatelli E. | - | University of Bologna (IT) |
|  | 100p. |
7. |
Ziai Y., Rinoldi C., Nakielski P., De Sio L.♦, Pierini F., Smart plasmonic hydrogels based on gold and silver nanoparticles for biosensing application,
Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, ISSN: 2468-4511, DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2022.100413, Vol.24, pp.100413-1-8, 2022 Streszczenie: The importance of having a fast, accurate, and reusable track for detection has led to an increase investigation in the field of biosensing. Optical biosensing using plasmonic nanoparticles, such as gold and silver, introduces localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors. LSPR biosensors are progressive in their sensing precision and detection limit. Also, the possibility to tune the sensing range by varying the size and shape of the particles has made them extremely useful. Hydrogels being hydrophilic 3D networks can be beneficial when used as matrices, because of a more efficient biorecognition. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels can be great candidates, as their response to a stimulus can increase recognition and detection. This article highlights recent advances in combining hydrogels as a matrix and plasmonic nanoparticles as sensing elements. The end capability and diversity of these novel biosensors in different applications in the near future are discussed. Słowa kluczowe: Smart materials, Plasmonic hydrogel, Biosensing Afiliacje autorów:
Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | De Sio L. | - | Sapienza University of Rome (IT) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 20p. |
8. |
Lanzi M.♦, Quadretti D.♦, Marinelli M., Ziai Y., Salatelli E.♦, Pierini F., Influence of the active layer structure on the photovoltaic performance of water-soluble polythiophene-based solar cells,
Polymers, ISSN: 2073-4360, DOI: 10.3390/polym13101640, Vol.13, No.10, pp.1640-1-20, 2021 Streszczenie: A new side-chain C60-fullerene functionalized thiophene copolymer bearing tributylphosphine-substituted hexylic lateral groups was successfully synthesized by means of a fast and effective post-polymerization reaction on a regioregular ω-alkylbrominated polymeric precursor. The growth of the polymeric intermediate was followed by NMR spectrometry in order to determine the most convenient reaction time. The obtained copolymer was soluble in water and polar solvents and was used as a photoactive layer in single-material organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells. The copolymer photovoltaic efficiency was compared with that of an OPV cell containing a water-soluble polythiophenic homopolymer, functionalized with the same tributylphosphine-substituted hexylic side chains, in a blend with a water-soluble C60-fullerene derivative. The use of a water-soluble double-cable copolymer made it possible to enhance the control on the nanomorphology of the active blend, thus reducing phase-segregation phenomena, as well as the macroscale separation between the electron acceptor and donor components. Indeed, the power conversion efficiency of OPV cells based on a single material was higher than that obtained with the classical architecture, involving the presence of two distinct ED and EA materials (PCE: 3.11% vs. 2.29%, respectively). Moreover, the synthetic procedure adopted to obtain single material-based cells is more straightforward and easier than that used for the preparation of the homopolymer-based BHJ solar cell, thus making it possible to completely avoid the long synthetic pathway which is required to prepare water-soluble fullerene derivatives. Słowa kluczowe: water-soluble polymers, double-cable copolymers, polythiophenes, GRIM polymerization, tributylphosphine, water-soluble fullerenes, OPVs Afiliacje autorów:
Lanzi M. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Quadretti D. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Marinelli M. | - | IPPT PAN | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Salatelli E. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 100p. |
9. |
Nakielski P., Pawłowska S., Rinoldi C., Ziai Y., De Sio L.♦, Urbanek O., Zembrzycki K., Pruchniewski M.♦, Lanzi M.♦, Salatelli E.♦, Calogero A.♦, Kowalewski T.A., Yarin A.L.♦, Pierini F., Multifunctional platform based on electrospun nanofibers and plasmonic hydrogel: a smart nanostructured pillow for near-Infrared light-driven biomedical applications,
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ISSN: 1944-8244, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c13266, Vol.12, No.49, pp.54328-54342, 2020 Streszczenie: Multifunctional nanomaterials with the ability torespond to near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation are vital for thedevelopment of highly efficient biomedical nanoplatforms with apolytherapeutic approach. Inspired by the mesoglea structure ofjellyfish bells, a biomimetic multifunctional nanostructured pillowwith fast photothermal responsiveness for NIR light-controlled on-demand drug delivery is developed. We fabricate a nanoplatformwith several hierarchical levels designed to generate a series ofcontrolled, rapid, and reversible cascade-like structural changesupon NIR light irradiation. The mechanical contraction of thenanostructured platform, resulting from the increase of temper-ature to 42°C due to plasmonic hydrogel−light interaction, causesa rapid expulsion of water from the inner structure, passing through an electrospun membrane anchored onto the hydrogel core. Themutual effects of the rise in temperature and waterflow stimulate the release of molecules from the nanofibers. To expand thepotential applications of the biomimetic platform, the photothermal responsiveness to reach the typical temperature level forperforming photothermal therapy (PTT) is designed. The on-demand drug model penetration into pig tissue demonstrates theefficiency of the nanostructured platform in the rapid and controlled release of molecules, while the high biocompatibility confirmsthe pillow potential for biomedical applications based on the NIR light-driven multitherapy strategy. Słowa kluczowe: bioinspired materials, NIR-light responsive nanomaterials, multifunctional platforms, electrospun nanofibers, plasmonic hydrogel, photothermal-based polytherapy, on-demand drug delivery Afiliacje autorów:
Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | Pawłowska S. | - | IPPT PAN | Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | De Sio L. | - | Sapienza University of Rome (IT) | Urbanek O. | - | IPPT PAN | Zembrzycki K. | - | IPPT PAN | Pruchniewski M. | - | inna afiliacja | Lanzi M. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Salatelli E. | - | University of Bologna (IT) | Calogero A. | - | Sapienza University of Rome (IT) | Kowalewski T.A. | - | IPPT PAN | Yarin A.L. | - | Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (IL) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 200p. |
10. |
Pawłowska S., Rinoldi C., Nakielski P., Ziai Y., Urbanek O., Li X.♦, Kowalewski T.A., Ding B.♦, Pierini F., Ultraviolet light‐assisted electrospinning of core–shell fully cross‐linked P(NIPAAm‐co‐NIPMAAm) hydrogel‐based nanofibers for thermally induced drug delivery self‐regulation,
Advanced Materials Interfaces, ISSN: 2196-7350, DOI: 10.1002/admi.202000247, Vol.7, No.12, pp.2000247-1-13, 2020 Streszczenie: Body tissues and organs have complex functions which undergo intrinsic changes during medical treatments. For the development of ideal drug delivery systems, understanding the biological tissue activities is necessary to be able to design materials capable of changing their properties over time, on the basis of the patient's tissue needs. In this study, a nanofibrous thermal‐responsive drug delivery system is developed. The thermo‐responsivity of the system makes it possible to self‐regulate the release of bioactive molecules, while reducing the drug delivery at early stages, thus avoiding high concentrations of drugs which may be toxic for healthy cells. A co‐axial electrospinning technique is used to fabricate core–shell cross‐linked copolymer poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐N‐isopropylmethacrylamide) (P(NIPAAm‐co‐NIPMAAm)) hydrogel‐based nanofibers. The obtained nanofibers are made of a core of thermo‐responsive hydrogel containing a drug model, while the outer shell is made of poly‐l‐lactide‐co‐caprolactone (PLCL). The custom‐made electrospinning apparatus enables the in situ cross‐linking of P(NIPAAm‐co‐NIPMAAm) hydrogel into a nanoscale confined space, which improves the electrospun nanofiber drug dosing process, by reducing its provision and allowing a self‐regulated release control. The mechanism of the temperature‐induced release control is studied in depth, and it is shown that the system is a promising candidate as a "smart" drug delivery platform. Słowa kluczowe: biomimetic nanomaterials, electrospun core–shell nanofibers, hierarchical nanostructures, smart drug delivery, thermo‐responsive hydrogels Afiliacje autorów:
Pawłowska S. | - | IPPT PAN | Rinoldi C. | - | IPPT PAN | Nakielski P. | - | IPPT PAN | Ziai Y. | - | IPPT PAN | Urbanek O. | - | IPPT PAN | Li X. | - | Donghua University (CN) | Kowalewski T.A. | - | IPPT PAN | Ding B. | - | Donghua University (CN) | Pierini F. | - | IPPT PAN |
|  | 100p. |