Recent Patents on Materials Science - Volume 9, Issue 2, 2016

New emerging micro-invasive bone grafting techniques have recently risen the interest towards injectable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) as bone filling material that is able to set itself within the body temperature. There are various formulations of injectable CPC that have been developed in recent years. The development of injectable CPC mainly focuses on getting optimum setting times, mechanical properties, injection capabilities and in vivo properties so that the cement is clinically applicable for biomedical applications. The existing studies on injectable CPCs have investigated the effects of some factors, such as liquid to powder (P/L) ratio, types solid and liquid phase used, concentration of the liquid phase, density and porosity of the cement, particle size of the cement powder and its crystallinity, needle size, and use of setting retardants, setting accelerators and cohesion promoters on the handling, mechanical and biological properties of the cement. The aim of this paper is to review the recent developments of injectable CPC for bone filling materials. Some prominent patents related to the developments of injectable CPC are also reviewed.

Background: As long as breast cancer is one of the leading cancers for women in the world, it is understandable and has justified the interest for studies in medicine to lead to an increase in demand for materials that can fulfill specific functions to enhance the therapeutic effects. Objective: The review is focused on the research and the current progress in the development of self-assembled structures based on natural and/or synthetic polymers, functionalized or not with various targeting molecules, focusing especially on the recent publications and patents that describe these nanostructures and highlight their potential applications in breast cancer therapy. Conclusion: The paper may help in designing better therapy for the evasion of efflux pumps in the cancer cells and to overcome resistance to chemotherapeutic agents which is a major impediment in the treatment of various types of cancers including breast cancer.

There is an on-going drive to replace traditional transparent conducting electrode (TCE), indium tin oxide (ITO), as its brittleness and scarcity, and to meet the development of flexible and wearable electronics. Metal nanowires, typically Ag and Cu nanowires (NWs), are of particular interest for optoelectronic applications as the next-generation flexible, stretchable and transparent conductive electrodes due to their excellent mechanical and electrical properties. It is necessary to develop a facile route to produce well-defined metal nanowires for their large scale production and commercialization. Among a variety of processes that used to prepare Cu NWs and Ag NWs, solution synthesis was considered to be a promising approach due to the precursors are abundant and the morphology and structure of the product could be modulated by tuning reaction conditions. Herein, we highlight the review of latest developed strategies based on published patents and researches to prepare Ag NWs and Cu NWs with particular discussion on flexible and transparent conductors based on their percolating networks. The applications of these flexible transparent conductors with future research perspectives and challenges are also concluded and discussed.

Background: The interest for tissue engineering and drug delivery systems are continuously increasing for serious diseases that are difficult to treat using conventional therapies (drugs, surgical treatments). Objective: The review underlines the use of scaffolds as the key component of tissue engineering. In this context, the review presented recent patents centered on the use of three-dimensional gels as scaffolds for tissue engineering and delivery systems. The scaffolds detailed in the paper are based especially on biopolymers like: collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, but also matrix based on synthetic polymers are described in detail. Conclusion: Tissue engineering and delivery systems are among the most studied biomedical applications. Gels, used as supports for tissue engineering or as delivery systems and designed as injectable systems or scaffolds, are often prepared from a variety of biomaterials and bioploymers like chitosan, gelatin, collagen and hyluronic acid being often involved in the preparation of the gels. Moreover, synthetic polymers such as polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polyurethanes, etc., are used in the above mentioned applications.

Background: Rare earth elements (Re), nickel and oxygen could form a series of compounds with the general formula Ren+1NinO3n+1 whose structures are described by stacking along the c-axis of n finite LaNiO3 pervoskite layers separated by ReO rock salt like layers. Objective: This study aims at synthesing Y4Ni3O10 (YNO) by ball milling and annealing procedures using oxides of rare earth element, yttrium (Y) and transition metal, nickel (Ni) oxides as a precursor. Methods: X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) is used to investigate samples and magnetic measurements were conducted using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Results and Conclusion: The XRD exhibits that there is no significant formation of the compound Y4Ni3O10 under lower speed of the mill (about 300 rpm). The Y4Ni3O10 compound is partially formed by increasing the mill speed to 500 rpm. There are a number of significant peaks that have been observed in the XRD patterns. The annealed samples without milling up to 1200°C have no effect on the formation of the specified compound. Y4Ni3O10 compound has formed with annealing and high speed of mill. Milling and annealing have a significant effect on the crystallite size of the materials. The crystallite size of phases is varied within nano-range. Magnetic properties of oxide mixture, milled and annealed, which form the Y4Ni3O10 compound, were studied by means of a vibrating sample magnetometer. Annealed samples show low magnetization. The saturation magnetization increases with milling. There are a number of patents invented using rare earth metals, and used in many applications, such as magnets, coats, and biomedical devices.

Background: Zeaxanthin is a natural pigment known to play an important role in macular region of retina. However, the biological functions of the microbial zeaxanthin from a new source were not clear. Objective: To study the biological functions of the new microbial zeaxanthin. Method: Cell viability, antioxidant activity, melanin content, anti-proliferation effect were measured after treatments of the microbial zeaxanthin. Results: It was found that the microbial zeaxanthin was a potent antioxidant which could also increase cell viability under UV irradiation, decrease melanin content, and suppress cancer cell proliferation. Conclusion: The present study showed that microbial zeaxanthin could be a good ingredient for use in health care and skin care products (Ken-Shwo Dai, Olleya marilimosa and its use in a method for the preparation of a composition comprising zeaxanthin; EP2441433).

Background: We previously reported that polypyrrole microtubes (ca. 10 and 0.4 um in length and diameter, respectively) form on the surface of working electrode during the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole without any shape-guiding template. However, the influence of supporting salt to the shape of the mocrostructure during the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole was not well studied. Objective: In first part of this short article, we briefly report influence of supporting salt to the shape of the mocrostructure during the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole. In second part we briefly reviewed recent patents relevant to conducting polymers. Method: Electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole was conducted using a designed supporting salt with three-electrode setup. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations of the microstructures were carried out. Results: When sodium p-toluenesulfonate was used as a supporting salt, usually microtubes were formed, but sometimes, “micro-flowers” or “micro-corals also were formed. When sodium 1,3-benzenesulfonate was used “micro-vases” or “micro-cactuses” were formed. In the case of lithium chloride “microcucumbers” were formed. Conclusion: We found that the shape of the spontaneously formed microstructure is evidently influenced by the kind of the supporting salt.