Polycaprolactone-Based, Porous CaCO3 and Ag Nanoparticle Modified Scaffolds as a SERS Platform With Molecule-Specific Adsorption

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a high-performance technique allowing detection of extremely low concentrations of analytes. For such applications, fibrous polymeric matrices decorated with plasmonic metal nanostructures can be used as flexible SERS substrates for analysis of analytes in many application. In this study, a three-dimensional SERS substrate consisting of a CaCO 3-mineralized electrospun (ES) polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous matrix decorated with silver (Ag) nanoparticles is developed. Such modification of the fibrous substrate allows achieving a significant increase of the SERS signal amplification. Functionalization of fibers by porous CaCO 3 (vaterite) and Ag nanoparticles provides an effective approach of selective adsorption of biomolecules and their precise detection by SERS. This new SERS substrate represents a promising biosensor platform with selectivity to low and high molecular weight molecules.

Fabrication and Impact of Fouling-Reducing Temperature-Responsive POEGMA Coatings with Embedded CaCO3 Nanoparticles on Different Cell Lines

“…In previous papers [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ], the synthesis of CaCO 3 NPs in the presence of poly(ethylene oxide)- block -poly((meth)acrylic acid), poly(ethylene oxide)- block -polyethylenimine and poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly-(methacrylate- graft -poly(acrylic acid)) have been reported. In recent work [ 59 ], novel composite scaffolds based on polymeric polycaprolactone fibers coated with porous calcium carbonate structures were easily fabricated using a mineralization procedure of treatment in a CaCl 2 /Na 2 CO 3 reaction mixture, similar to our methodology but for different application—amplification of weak Raman signals from molecules.…”

“…On the other hand, CaCO 3 NPs or calcite monolith are highly attractive for cell growth [ 77 ]. In addition to the ideas proposed before [ 59 , 78 ], to incorporate inorganic nanoparticles polymer microparticles, in this study, we designed the temperature-responsive POEGMA brush coatings with a “low” concentration of the embedded CaCO 3 NPs as biologically active substrate to test their impact on different types of the cells. In work presented by A. Kamba et al [ 79 ], very low toxicity of the CaCO 3 NPs cultured with cell cultures has been noted.…”

“…On the other hand, CaCO3 NPs or calcite monolith are highly attractive for cell growth [77]. In addition to the ideas proposed before [59,78], to incor- Presented results of physicochemical analysis of the coatings suggest a successful fabrication of the temperature-responsive POEGMA-grafted polymer brush coatings with a low concentration of the embedded CaCO 3 NPs. The size of nanoparticles, determined using SEM, does not exceed several tens of nanometers, and the concentration of the calcium in polymer coatings, provided by XPS measurements, is about 2%.…”

“…In previous papers [52][53][54][55][56][57][58], the synthesis of CaCO3 NPs in the presence of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly((meth)acrylic acid), poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polyethylenimine and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly-(methacrylate-graft-poly(acrylic acid)) have been reported. In recent work [59], novel composite scaffolds based on polymeric polycaprolactone fibers coated with porous calcium carbonate structures were easily fabricated using a mineralization procedure of treatment in a CaCl2/Na2CO3 reaction mixture, similar to our methodology but Scheme 1. Functionalization of glass surface (1) with amino-terminated (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) film (2); subsequent grafting of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator (3); polymerization of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA), initiated by ATRP initiator and resulting in poly(di(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) (POEGMA) (4) brushes; followed by incorporation of CaCO 3 nanoparticles (NPs) into grafted polymer brushes, resulting in the nanocomposite coatings (5).…”

Meshes‐to‐Fibrils Transition of Gellan Gum Hydrogel Architecture by Thermal Annealing

“…For applications requiring further control of the functional release and active surfaces, various coatings can be added to the hydrogel scaffold, as has been shown previously. Depending on the surface modification, [55][56][57] sensor functionality, [58] drug release, [21] and stimulation cell growth functions [21,41,59] can also be realized.…”