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Several photo-curable hybrid systems based on methacrylate-modified camelina oil (CO) were synthesized through a copolymerization reaction with hydrophilic dimethacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) macromonomers (PEG MW ¼ 300, 550, and 750 g/mol). In a first step, the epoxidation and subsequently the methacrylation reactions of CO were performed and monitorized using 1 H NMR and FTIR. Further, the polymerization reaction of the new synthesized oil-based monomer under visible light was proved by FTIR. The chain length of methacrylate functionalized PEG was found to directly influence some key properties of the oil-based networks. The curing performance of the systems was studied by GF measurements. Water uptake capacity tests and contact angle measurements were undertaken and it was found that the internal arrangement of components is strongly affecting the hydrophilicity of the materials. Furthermore, nanostructured polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) compounds bearing one or eight methacrylated groups were selected in order to obtain innovative organic-inorganic nanocomposites. Mechanical and thermal properties were evaluated by compression tests, DMA, TGA, and also the morphology of the synthesized materials was investigated by SEM.Practical applications: Tailoring the copolymer composition and the reinforcing agent in the manufacturing process leads to a wide range of products with optimum properties suitable for use in a variety of industrial areas. Well-defined oil-derived systems with controllable compressive strength were prepared in this work covering the whole range, from a hard material (with short chain PEG) to a soft and flexible one (with long chain PEG).

Superporous materials based on two proteins, collagen and sericin were synthesized by freeze-drying considering various ratios between the two proteins. To evaluate the influence of sericin content on the structure/properties relationship, the obtained scaffolds were further characterized using spectroscopic analysis, thermal, and mechanical techniques. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphological structure of the scaffolds and the swelling properties as well as the stability of the scaffolds were also assessed.

Cartilage tissue engineering (CTE) applications are focused towards the use of implantable biohybrids consisting of biodegradable scaffolds combined with in vitro cultured cells. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) were identified as the most potent prochondrogenic factors used to design new biomaterials for CTE, while human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were proved to display high chondrogenic potential. In this context, our aim was not only to build novel 3D porous scaffolds based on natural compounds but also to evaluate their in vitro biological performances. Therefore, for prospective CTE, collagen-sericin (Coll-SS) scaffolds improved with HA (5% or 10%) and CS (5% or 10%) were used as temporary physical supports for ASCs and were analyzed in terms of structural, thermal, morphological, and swelling properties and cytotoxic potential. To complete biocompatibility data, ASCs viability and proliferation potential were also assessed. Our studies revealed that Coll-SS hydrogels improved with 10% HA and 5% CS displayed the best biological performances in terms of cell viability, proliferation, morphology, and distribution. Thus, further work will address a novel 3D system including both HA 10% and CS 5% glycoproteins, which will probably be exposed to prochondrogenic conditions in order to assess its potential use in CTE applications.