Tunable Surfaces and Interfaces from Responsive Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Design of responsive surfaces, interfaces and nanostructures, whose characteristics can be modulated on demand is an important challenge in diverse applications. In this presentation, we discuss the responsive behaviour of soft surfaces, interfaces and solid-liquid interfaces derived from biomimetic polymers. The unique structural features of such polymers and the changes in their characteristics properties and conformation induced by a change in the environment have been evaluated in detail using highly sensitive tools such as quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), dynamic light scattering, small angle neutron scattering, UV-Vis, and spectroscopy. The talk will illustrate how this responsiveness could be used towards the construction of novel hydrogels, hybrids, conjugates and functional nanoparticles such as high surface area nanoparticles for specific applications. It will also highlight the new classes of multifunctional biomimetic polypeptide synthesis, 3D fabrication of hydrogel and the nano-bioconjugates, that we are developing for biomedical and injury applications, including effective therapeutic, adhesion and repair.<br/><br/><br/>References: 1. R. Balu, N. K. Dutta, A. K. Dutta & N. Roy Choudhury, Nature Communication 2021, 12, 149. 2. N. K. Dutta, M. Y. Truong, S. Mayavan, N. Roy Choudhury, C. M. Elvin, M. Kim, R. Knott, K. M. Nairn, A. J. Hill. A Genetically engineered protein responsive to multiple stimuli. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 4428–443. 3. N Wanasingha, NK Dutta, NR Choudhury, Emerging bioadhesives: From traditional bioactive and bioinert to a new biomimetic protein-based approach, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 296, 102521, 2021 4. NR Choudhury, JC Liu, NK Dutta, Biomimetic Protein-based Elastomers: Emerging Materials for the Future, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2022. 5. Rajkamal Balu, Naba K.Dutta, & Namita Roy Choudhury, Resilin-mimetic polypeptides and elastomeric modular protein-polymers: amino acid sequence, conformational ensemble and stimuli-responsiveness. In Biomimetic protein-based elastomeric hydrogels, Eds.: Namita, R.C. et al, Royal Society of Chemistry: 2022