Recent textile black technology inventory, can inhibit hypertrophic scars, thermal insulation performance

01

Nanjing University of Technology:

Hydrogel scaffold can inhibit hypertrophic scars

Due to increased inflammation, proliferation of myofibroblasts and excessive collagen secretion, it is easy to form a common clinical pathological disease - hypertrophic scar (HS). Although various biomimetic ECM (extracellular matrix) biomaterials have been designed for HS treatment, most materials cannot simultaneously perform biological functions and application functions in wound repair. Therefore, a biomimetic scaffold with a biomolecule or drug that inhibits scarring is a hope for innocent skin regeneration. These scaffolds can not only carry therapeutic drugs and cellular signaling factors, but also provide a structure for cell proliferation. However, although synthetic polymer scaffolds can mimic the mechanical properties of ECM, they are rarely able to mimic ECM components other than collagen. In addition, the risk of immunity and allergies may limit their use in allergies.

The research team of Nanjing University of Technology, Chi Bo, developed a γ-polyglutamic acid/ginsenoside Rg3 (GS-Rg3) multifunctional hydrogel fiber scaffold based on electrospinning and photo-controlled cross-linking. For tissue repair and wound treatment. The bionic fiber scaffold promotes the proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts under the action of small peptides, forming a tissue-filled space, and repairing the tissue in the depression before the early wound closure. By sustained release of GS-Rg3 in the later stage, the fibrous scaffold further promotes tissue scar-free wound healing. In addition, these biofunctionalized fiber scaffolds exhibited sustained GS-Rg3 release without an explosive effect. Therefore, this result provides a good treatment plan for accelerating wound healing and inhibiting HS formation, and has potential application value in regenerative medicine and drug delivery.

02

Chinese Academy of Sciences:

Kevlar aerogel fiber has better thermal insulation performance

Due to the increased requirements for warmth, lightness and functionalization of cold-proof garments, the demand for their basic materials, warm fibers, is also increasing. In the 1950s, DuPont developed a shaped fiber, and the properties of the chemical fiber such as gloss and bulkiness were greatly improved. Among the many shaped fibers, the hollow fiber has a significant increase in the content of still air inside, so the thermal insulation performance of the chemical fiber is also significantly improved. In the 1970s, researchers developed ultra-fine fibers, and bionic materials such as artificial leather made of microfiber made the chemical fiber's thermal performance flush with natural materials.

Through the study of hollow fiber and ultrafine fiber, it is found that the thermal insulation property of the fiber material is proportional to the static air content inside the fiber material, inversely proportional to the fiber diameter, and inversely proportional to the overall material density. Aerogel fiber has the characteristics of extremely high porosity and ultra-low density, and is theoretically a fiber with the best thermal insulation effect. At the same time, however, high porosity also poses significant challenges to its preparation.

In view of this, Zhang Xuetong, a researcher at the Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology and Nano-Bionics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, obtained a nanofiber dispersion by dissolving DuPontTM Kevlar fiber, and then prepared a process by wet spinning and special drying. Kevlar aerogel fiber with high porosity (98%) and high specific surface area (240 m2/g). The aerogel fiber has excellent mechanical properties and can be bent, knotted, woven, and the like. At the same time, it has excellent thermal insulation performance. The thermal conductivity is only 0.027 W/m·K at normal temperature, and its thermal insulation performance is 2.8 times that of cotton at low temperature. It can be used for a long time in the extreme environment of -196 ° C ~ 300 ° C. Thermal insulation performance. In addition, the aerogel fiber also has excellent chemical stability, and can be subjected to various modifications such as dyeing, hydrophobization, electroless plating, and the like, without damaging the skeleton structure of the aerogel body. Moreover, the aerogel fiber can also be prepared into an air-conditioning fiber by filling the phase change material, and the heat enthalpy value can reach 162 J/g, which is far beyond the thermal enthalpy value of the existing commercial Outlast air-conditioning fiber.

03

Washington State University:

New plant materials are expected to replace foam

American researchers have developed an environmentally-friendly botanical material that is superior to polystyrene foam in thermal insulation and is expected to be an alternative to disposable coffee cups and other products in the future. Recently, Washington State University reported that this environmentally friendly material is mainly composed of plant cellulose nanocrystals, which is simple in manufacturing process and does not require the use of harmful solvents.

Polystyrene foam is widely used in the manufacture of disposable coffee cups and a variety of building materials, but its raw materials are usually derived from non-renewable energy sources such as petroleum. The resulting polystyrene may produce harmful components under high temperature conditions and cannot be naturally degraded. It also causes environmental pollution when burned. Previously, researchers have tried to use plant fiber as a substitute, but the strength and heat insulation are poor, and it is easy to degrade under high temperature and high humidity conditions.

Among the new materials developed by the Washington State University team, plant cellulose nanocrystals extracted from wood pulp account for about 75%. The researchers added another polymeric material, polyvinyl alcohol, to the plant cellulose nanocrystals to synthesize a unique structure. Experiments have shown that the thermal insulation is better than that of polystyrene foam. Studies have also shown that this environmentally friendly material is lighter in weight and can support objects with a weight of 200 times without deformation, and can also be naturally degraded, and combustion does not produce polluting soot.

Related research has been published in the online edition of the Journal of Carbohydrate Polymers. Amir Ameli, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering at Washington State University, said that plant cellulose nanocrystals, which are renewable materials, have good thermal insulation and mechanical properties, which can save fossil energy and reduce environmental impact. .

04

Beijing Aerospace University:

Multi-scale spiral fiber bundle for stretchable tissue engineering

Recently, the Zhao Yong research team of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the MIT Guo Ming research team were inspired by the multi-scale spiral fiber structure of natural biological tissues. The multi-scale structure was designed by electrospinning combined with continuous twisting technology. Spiral fiber bundles, which have excellent mechanical properties in addition to excellent mechanical properties. Using this structural feature, the research team used biocompatible materials to prepare artificial micro-tissue with dynamic stretch stability of cells, and studied the dynamic orientation, growth, proliferation and differentiation behavior of cells on multi-scale spiral fibers. Through mechanical stretching and three-dimensional real-time observation, the biological activity and stability of different structural fiber bundles under dynamic stretching conditions (including stretching and bending) as cell scaffolds were investigated.

Studies have shown that multi-scale fiber bundles are significantly superior to linear fiber bundles in dynamic stretch cell activity due to their unique helical structure. The multi-scale periodic topology of the surface of the material can not only change the physical properties of the cells, such as the survival rate, volume, orientation, growth and shedding of the cells, but also induce the filling of the cells by regulating the cell types and the transport of specific transcription factors to the nucleus. The differentiation of stem cells into muscle cells, such multi-scale spiral fiber materials are expected to be used in tissue repair and replacement products, such as ligament tendon tissue.

This study proposes a universal method for preparing multi-scale helical fibers. This method provides a new idea for the preparation of new large strain biomaterials. By adding other active components, regulating composition and microstructure, the prepared materials are expected. It has been further applied in the fields of health monitoring, tissue engineering scaffold materials and so on.

05

Chinese Academy of Forestry:

Cellulose modification to achieve high value utilization of resources

In recent years, with the growing concern about petrochemical resources shortage and environmental pollution, the use of renewable resources such as cellulose, lignin, starch, protein and other renewable resources to prepare polymer materials has become a research hotspot. Cellulose, a natural polymer with the richest reserves, low cost, biodegradability and regenerability in nature, has been widely used in daily life. Since the performance of pure cellulose materials is worse than that of petroleum-based products, it is an important way to realize the high value utilization of agricultural and forestry biomass resources and develop sustainable economy by modifying cellulose to enhance its functionality and scope of use.

Recently, the team of the researcher of the Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, Chu Fuxiang, focused on the use of green preparation technology to achieve high value utilization of agricultural and forestry biomass resources, modified and modified cellulose, and can be used for metal-free photo-induced ATRP. The cellulose-based photoinitiator achieves controllable activity on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the graft copolymer. In this work, cellulose was modified with α-bromophenylacetic acid to prepare cellulose-based photoinitiator EC-B-Br. Then, the initiator is used to respectively induce the polymerization of a substance-based monomer such as lauryl methacrylate (LMA), decyl methacrylate (FMA), and rosin-based monomer (DAGMA), and the results show that there is no metal light. The initiation of the ATRP process has better controllability, and the chain end group Br has higher fidelity. The cellulose-based graft copolymer having a block side chain structure can be further prepared by chain extension of metal-free photoinitiated ATRP. This achievement provides a new method for designing cellulose graft copolymers with a well-defined structure and further expanding their fields of application.

06

Donghua University:

Super biomimetic materials to build multiple protective properties

Recently, Professor Zheng Zhengwei of the Key National Laboratory of Fiber Materials Modification of Donghua University has made important progress in the field of multifunctional protective materials, and proposed a new idea of ​​constructing multiple protective properties in a material using multiple reactive groups, which will have room temperature reversibility. Multi-reactive dimethylglyoxime groups such as dynamic cleavage, metal coordination, photolysis, etc. are introduced into the polyurethane material, and correspondingly obtained toughness, mechanical gradient, spontaneous self-repair at room temperature, and all-in-one fluorescence performance Protective material.

Based on the above materials, the research team built a super-protective film that exhibits rapid surface scratch self-repairing ability, excellent resistance to sharp object puncture, fluorescent anti-counterfeiting performance, and seamless fit to plastics. Capability, the film is potentially used for the protection of valuables such as computers, mobile phones, and certificates. This work initially demonstrates the multiple reactivity, superior performance and potential applications of polyurethane, and can be further derived to obtain a range of new materials.

The research team studied the coordination of the above-mentioned diacetyl ketone by metal ions, and the copper ion coordination not only improved the mechanical properties of the material, but also promoted the dynamic exchange reaction of the urethane group and improved the material. The self-repairing property at room temperature provides a new idea for solving the contradiction between high mechanical properties and self-repairing efficiency prevalent in self-healing materials, and obtains a room temperature self-repairing elastomer with the reported maximum strength and toughness.

It is worth mentioning that the core raw materials (butyl ketone oxime, isocyanate) involved in this work are cheap and easy to obtain industrial products. Polyurethane materials can be constructed by a simple one-step method, and can also be introduced into other materials through reasonable design. A series of functional materials have broad application prospects.

07

Zhejiang University:

Flexible zeolite cotton fiber material solves the problem of emergency hemostasis

In order to solve the problem of emergency life-saving and hemostasis, Fan Jie, a professor of Chemistry Department of Zhejiang University, after two years of exploration, developed an in-situ micro-loading technique to grow mesoporous chabazite to the surface of cotton fiber and pass cotton fiber and zeolite. The chemical bonds are tightly bound. The material perfectly retains the physicochemical properties and stability of the zeolite, and at the same time, the mesopores are generated by interrupting the skeleton, thereby greatly enhancing the adsorption of the substance and facilitating hemostasis. The appearance and feel of the hemostatic material are almost indistinguishable from ordinary fibers, have good flexibility, and the zeolite is very strong in combination with cotton fibers. Recently, this research was published online by the internationally renowned journal Nature Communications.

"We have been engaged in the research of zeolite hemostasis for a long time, and the original zeolite hemostatic products have obvious drawbacks," Fan Jie said. The type A zeolite hemostatic agent used abroad has saved the lives of thousands of soldiers in the war, but the product will release a lot of heat when it is in contact with water or blood during use. The local temperature of the wound is above 90 °C, causing skin burns and affecting. wound healing. Moreover, since the existing zeolite hemostatic agent is a hard inorganic powder material, it is easy to adhere to the wound, which is not conducive to debridement.

According to Fan Jie, the emergency hemostasis life jacket is expected to come out in August this year. In addition, it can also manufacture a variety of products such as hemostatic towels and hemostatic gauze. It can be used as protection equipment for special sports such as outdoor sports, extreme sports, racing cars, etc. It can also be used as first aid equipment to play a role in accidents such as war, traffic, and earthquakes.

08

4 high performance materials for sports shoes X-Swift

On May 15th, BASF cooperated with Longterm Concept and well-known designer Gu Guojun to create a new sports and leisure shoes X-Swift. X-Swift combines 4 advanced BASF materials innovations, crafted with the latest footwear automation technology. The BASF Innovation Center aims to attract and inspire designers and turn ideas into reality through technology.

Gu Guojun, who has designed shoes for famous brands such as Reebok and Nike, said, “X-Swift sports shoes combine fashion and functionality to meet the modern lifestyle and are the best for multi-purpose, high-performance footwear consumers. Choice.” Longterm Concept is a Taiwan-based footwear manufacturer that uses the latest automation technology to perfectly integrate four BASF materials into X-Swift sports shoes. Compared to traditional shoemaking processes, this process is less expensive and more productive.

The four BASF high-performance materials used in X-Swift sports shoes are complementary and complement each other to provide users with good stability and foot support: the outsole is made of Elastollan® thermoplastic polyurethane with a high grip tread pattern. And provide maximum surface contact; the midsole uses high resilience polyurethane elastomer®, which has excellent cushioning properties and durability, superior to the traditional midsole; the midsole is complemented by a special breathable insole made by Elastopan, designed to High performance insoles provide support. In addition, X-Swift features an innovative two-piece material upper structure using sustainable synthetic leather Haptex® and fibers made from Freeflex® TPU. The seams between these materials are small, the stitches are exquisite, and the feet fit perfectly to provide superior comfort.

09

Environmentally friendly polyurethane synthetic materials for shoes

On May 10th, Covestro and Austrian Lenzing Group launched environmentally friendly polyurethane synthetic materials for the footwear industry. Competing with each other's strengths, Covestro is an expert in waterborne INSQIN® technology and PU textile coatings. The Lenzing Group offers a unique expertise in the production of fibres and the development of wood-based renewable materials.

The environmental compatibility of coated textiles depends on a number of factors, such as the source of the raw materials, the use of organic solvents, and the energy and water consumption. Waterborne polyurethane coatings using INSQIN® technology have a significantly lower global warming impact than solventborne polyurethane coatings. The TENCEL® fiber produced by Lenzing Group has reduced the ecological footprint of synthetic leather mainly because it uses a resource-saving and innovative recycling process.

Thomas Michelle, director of textile coatings at Covestro, said that the new standard for polyurethane composites used in the footwear industry is sustainable, so the partnership has provided customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Innovative solutions, which also coincide with Covestro's slogan “Material solutions are inspired by sustainable innovation”.