Thiol-ene photopolymerization of gelatin- norbornene/poly(limonene) enriched with iodine, Maytenus ilicifolia, and Copaifera sp. extracts from Brazilian flora towards advanced wound dressings

• Grant number: 24/14458-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Roniérik Pioli Vieira
• Grantee: Iago Aguiar Dias Carmo
• Supervisor: Sandra Van Vlierberghe
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Ghent University (UGent), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/00095-6 - Synthesis, characterization and processing of photo-crosslinkable hydrogels based on gelatin functionalized with norbornene groups and added with terpene oligomers, BP.DR

Abstract

In this proposal, the objective is to develop photocrosslinkable hydrogels using type B gelatin and stable antioxidant poly(limonene) as matrix for wound dressings. The innovation lies in the use of iodine, extracts from Maytenus ilicifolia and Copaifera sp., as source of antimicrobial compounds to enhance the biomaterials' performance, aiming at medical applications for the treatment of chronic wounds associated with diabetes. The photocrosslinking will be performed employing the "thiol-ene" mechanism, using the strategy of additives incorporation before crosslinking and aiming to preserve theantioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the additive compounds. The characterization will include the evaluation of the physico-chemical and functional properties of the hydrogels obtained. In addition, a preliminary study will be conducted to verify the feasibility of processing these hydrogels through 3D printing by the DLP technique. This approach seeks to explore new manufacturing techniques to produce hydrogels with complex structures and specific functionalities, with potential application in several areas of regenerative medicine.