Topography and mechanical properties of nanostructured chitosan scaffolds

• Grant number: 21/13925-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: May 02, 2022
• End date: May 01, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Denise Freitas Siqueira Petri
• Grantee: Rafael Leonardo Cruz Gomes da Silva
• Supervisor: Michael Kappl
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Max Planck Society, Mainz, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/05632-9 - Nanotopography and nanomechanical properties of nanostructured chitosan scaffolds and of cells adhered on them, BP.DR

Abstract

This project aims to study a new methodology for the production of chitosan scaffolds with tunable topographies and mechanical properties for further evaluation of fibroblasts adhesion and proliferation on them. One of the main challenges comprises the creation of patterns on the surface of vanillin cross-linked chitosan films by evaporation or polymerization of emulsified hydrophobic domains with controlled size. N-hexane domains are potential candidates for the production of nanometric cavities by evaporation, whereas domains of methyl methacrylate monomer (neat or mixed with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) will be polymerized in order to create protuberances with different mechanical properties. The resulting surface topographies will be evaluated from a qualitative (size, morphology and reproducibility of the structures) and quantitative point of view (nanotopography and nanomechanical properties of the films via AFM indentation technique). (AU)