The study was based on understanding the relationship between titanium (Ti) doping amount and magnetic heating performance of magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Superparamagnetic nanosized Ti-doped magnetite ((Fe_1−x,Ti_x)₃O₄; x = 0.02, 0.03 and 0.05) particles were synthesized by sol-gel technique. In addition to (Fe_1−x,Ti_x)₃O₄ nanoparticles, SiO₂ coated (Fe_1−x,Ti_x)₃O₄ nanoparticles were produced as core-shell structures to understand the effects of silica coating on the magnetic properties of nanoparticles. Moreover, the magnetic properties were associated with the Néel relaxation mechanism due to the magnetic heating ability of single-domain state nanoparticles. In terms of results, it was observed that the induced RF magnetic field for SiO₂ coated (Fe_0.97,Ti_0.03)₃O₄ nanoparticles caused an increase in temperature difference (ΔT), which reached up to 22 °C in 10 min. The ΔT values of SiO₂ coated (Fe_0.97,Ti_0.03)₃O₄ nanoparticles were very close to the values of uncoated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles.

The attempts to explore and optimize the efficiency of diabetic wound healing’s promotors are still in progress. Incorporation of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO₂) in appropriate nanofibers (NFs) can prolong and maximize their promoting effect for the healing of diabetic wounds, through their sustained releases, as well as the nanofibers role in mimicking of the extra cellular matrix (ECM). The as-prepared nCeO₂ were analyzed by using UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, SEM–EDX, TEM and FTIR, where TEM and SEM images of both aqueous suspension and powder showed spherical/ovoid-shaped particles. Biodegradable trilayer NFs with cytobiocompatibility were developed to sandwich nCeO₂ in PVA NFs as a middle layer where PLA NFs were electrospun as outer bilayer. The nCeO₂-loaded trilayer NFs were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR and DSC. A two-stage release behavior was observed when the nanoceria was released from the trilayer-based nanofibers; an initial burst release took place, and then it was followed by a sustained release pattern. The mouse embryo fibroblasts, i.e., 3T3 cells, were seeded over the nCeO₂-loaded NFs mats to investigate their cyto-biocompatibility. The presence and sustained release of nCeO₂ efficiently enhance the adhesion, growth and proliferation of the fibroblasts’ populations. Moreover, the incorporation of nCeO₂ with a higher amount into the designed trilayer NFs demonstrated a significant improvement in morphological, mechanical, thermal and cyto-biocompatibility properties than lower doses. Overall, the obtained results suggest that designated trilayer nanofibrous membranes would offer a specific approach for the treatment of diabetic wounds through an effective controlled release of nCeO₂.

We evaluated the Bovine hydroxyapatite (BHA) structure. BHA powder was admixed with 5 and 10 wt% natural pumice (NP). Compression strength, Vickers micro hardness, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction studies were performed on the final NP-BHA composite products. The cells proliferation was investigated by MTT assay and SEM. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of NP-BHA samples was interrogated. Variances in the sintering temperature (for 5 wt% NP composites) between 1000 and 1300 °C, reveal about 700 % increase in the microhardness (~100 and 775 HV, respectively). Composites prepared at 1300 °C demonstrate the greatest compression strength with comparable result for 5 wt% NP content (87 MPa), which are significantly better than those for 10 wt% and those that do not include any NP (below 60 MPa, respectively). The results suggested the optimal parameters for the preparation of NP-BHA composites with increased mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Changes in micro-hardness and compression strength can be tailored by the tuning the NP concentration and sintering temperature. NP-BHA composites have demonstrated a remarkable potential for biomedical engineering applications such as bone graft and implant.

Şişmanoğlu S, et al. J Adv Prosthodont. 2020 Apr;12(2):89-99. https://doi.org/10.4047/jap.2020.12.2.89