Loredana Nita

Loredana Nita
Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry · Laboratory of Inorganic Polymers

Senior researcher

About

169
Publications
42,127
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2,384
Citations
Introduction
- multifunctional polymeric materials based on synthetic/natural structures, - development of multifunctional and bioactive carrier as gel systems, - gels with antimicrobial activity and healing capacity

Publications

Publications (169)
Article
This research focuses on the synthesis of hydrogels exhibiting enhanced antioxidant properties derived from hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(ethylene brassylate‐co‐squaric acid) (PEBSA), a copolymacrolactone that have the ability to be used in drug delivery applications. Quercetin (Q), a bioflavonoid with strong antioxidant properties, is employed as...
Article
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Low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) are compounds with an intrinsic tendency to self-assemble forming various supramolecular architectures via non-covalent interactions. Considering that the development of supramolecular assemblies through the synergy of molecules is not entirely understood at the molecular level, this study introduced a Fmoc-sho...
Article
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The inability to meet and ensure as many requirements as possible is fully justified by the continuous interest in obtaining new multifunctional materials. A new cryogel system based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid) (PEBSA) obtained by repeated freeze–thaw processes was previously reported and used for the...
Article
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Development of natural protein-based hydrogels with self-healing performance and tunable physical properties has attracted increased attention owing to their wide potential not only in the pharmaceutical field, but also in wounds management. This work reports the development of a versatile hydrogel based on enzymatically-crosslinked gelatin and nan...
Article
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Double network (DN) hydrogels composed of self-assembling low-molecular-weight gelators and a hybrid polymer network are of particular interest for many emerging biomedical applications, such as tissue regeneration and drug delivery. The major benefits of these structures are their distinct mechanical properties as well as their ability to mimic th...
Article
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The study presents the achievement of a new assembly with antioxidant behaviour based on a copolymacrolactone structure that encapsulates erythritol (Eryt). Poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid) (PEBSA) was synthesised in environmentally friendly conditions, respectively, through a process in suspension in water by opening the cycle of ethylene...
Article
Short aromatic peptide derivatives, i.e. peptides or amino acids modified with aromatic groups, such as 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), can self‐assemble into extracellular matrix‐like hydrogels due to their nanofibrillar architecture. Among different types of amino acids, lysine (Lys) and glycine (Gly) are involved in multiple physiological pro...
Article
The present study aims to confer antimicrobial properties of PVA/PEBSA cryogels synthesized by the freeze-thaw method. The effect of thymol content on the property and structure of the cryogel was put into evidence by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). T...
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Hydrogels based on natural, biodegradable materials have gained considerable interest in the medical field due to their improved drug delivery profiles and tissue-mimicking architecture. In this regard, this study was devoted to the preparation and characterization of new physically crosslinked hydrogels based on carboxymethyl cellulose and an unco...
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One of the methods of obtaining supramolecular gels consists of the possibility of self-assembly of low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs). However, LMWG-based gels are often difficult to handle, easy to destroy and have poor rheological performance. In order to improve the gels’ properties, the LMWGs molecules are co-assembled, which induces more c...
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Squaric acid (SA) is a compound with potential to crosslink biomacromolecules. Although SA has become over the last years a well-known crosslinking agent as a result of its good biocompatibility, glutaraldehyde (GA), a compound with proven cytotoxicity is still one of the most used crosslinkers to develop nanomaterials. In this regard, the novelty...
Article
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Physical cryogels were obtained using the successive freeze–thaw technique of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid) (PEBSA) solutions. The cryogel systems were prepared by using two different molecular weights of PVA and PEBSA with three different ratios between the ethylene brassylate (EB) and squaric acid (SA) comono...
Article
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The study presents the development of a new copolymacrolactone structure based on ethylene brassylate (EB) and squaric acid (SA) with different ratios between comonomers. The new system was tested as a network for essential oils encapsulation. The structure of the copolymers was confirmed by spectroscopic investigations and correlated in interdepen...
Article
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The evaluation of the properties and characteristics of macromolecular compounds is essential, especially from the point of view of the potential uses of the studied compounds. In this regard, poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid) (PEBSA) copolymacrolactone was investigated in order to correlate the relationships between the structure of the co...
Article
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Bioinspired peptides are attractive biomolecules which can improve our understanding of self‐assembly processes for rational design of new peptide‐based materials. Herein, a new amidated peptide FRSAPFIE (FRS), based on a sequence present in human collagen, was synthesized, characterized by mass spectrometry and subjected to self‐assembling investi...
Article
Hydrogels with nanostructured morphology formed by embedding polymeric nanoparticles in a biodegradable polymer matrix have gained considerable interest in the medical field due to improved drug delivery profiles and tissue-mimicking architecture. Moreover, through hydrogels biodegradation, the encapsulated nanoparticles are released and can easily...
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This study reports a strategy for developing a biohybrid complex based on a natural/synthetic polymer conjugate as a gel-type structure. Coupling synthetic polymers with natural compounds represents an important approach to generating gels with superior properties and with potential for biomedical applications. The study presents the preparation of...
Article
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In the last years, physical hydrogels have been widely studied due to the characteristics of these structures, respectively the non−covalent interactions and the absence of other necessary components for the cross−linking processes. Low molecular weight gelators are a class of small molecules which form higher ordered structures through hydrogen bo...
Article
In the last decade, numerous innovative strategies have been used to obtain highly efficient synthetic or semi-synthetic biomaterials. Between these innovative biomaterials, hydrogels occupy a distinct place due to their superior biological and physico-chemical characteristics. Alginate is a natural linear polysaccharide with important physico-chem...
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The article reviews the possibilities of encapsulating essential oils EOs, due to their multiple benefits, controlled release, and in order to protect them from environmental conditions. Thus, we present the natural polymers and the synthetic macromolecular chains that are commonly used as networks for embedding EOs, owing to their biodegradability...
Article
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Bio-based compounds are a leading direction in the context of the increased demand for these materials due to the numerous advantages associated with their use over conventional materials, which hardly degrade in the environment. At the same time, the use of essential oils and their components is generated mainly by finding alternative solutions to...
Article
The rheological behavior of two associative polymers in aqueous solutions, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and polyurethane (PU) was carefully investigated in steady shear conditions at different temperatures, ranging from 4°C to 80 °C. Also, dynamic light scattering measurements were carried out for rested and sheared samples and distinctive features we...
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A new method for chemical modification of lignin product under dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma at atmospheric pressure is proposed. The motivation of this study is to obtain from ammonium lignosulfonate powder (ALS) and carboxylic acids (oleic acid, OA and lactic acid, LA) and butyrolactone (BL), new products with improved functionalities...
Article
Alginate hydrogels are extremely versatile and flexible biomaterials, with an enormous potential for bio-applications use. Their similarity with extracellular matrix is a key factor in their performance for cell and tissue regeneration. In this study superabsorbent high porous hydrogels based on sodium alginate physical crosslinked with a natural c...
Article
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Protein-polysaccharide systems are of increasing interest as their combined attributes allow for fulfilling a broad range of applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. In this study, the preparation of nanogels based on maleic anhydride chitosan derivatives (MAC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was achieved through a self-assembly process...
Article
Maleoyl-chitosan/poly(aspartic acid) nanogels were developed and characterized in order to assess its suitability for biomedical applications. Thus, the physicochemical properties were investigated and correlated with the composition of the new structures. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements, correlated with Transmission electron microscopy...
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(1) Background: The fascinating properties of currently synthesized aerogels associated with the flexible approach of sol-gel chemistry play an important role in the emergence of special biomedical applications. Although it is increasingly known and mentioned, the potential of aerogels in the medical field is not sufficiently explored. Interest in...
Article
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Additive manufacturing (AM) is considered the latest technology that creates breakthrough innovations and addresses complex medical problems. This is clearly demonstrated by the promising results obtained in regenerative medicine, diagnosis, implants, artificial tissues and organs. This paper provides a basic understanding of the fundamentals of 3D...
Article
The purpose of the study is to obtain multicomponent polyelectrolyte hydrogels with optimal synergistic properties by combining a modified starch with a synthetic one. Thus, new low-cost and biocompatible semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels of carboxymethyl starch and poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) are prepared and i...
Article
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Xanthan gum (XG) is a widely applied natural polysaccharide in food industry as thickening agent. Nowadays, one of the major problems is that some food products are found to be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reducing so, their shelf life. This research aims to demonstrate the antibacterial act...
Article
This study presents the hydrogelation of bovine serum albumin by using a natural‐derived photo‐initiator system based on riboflavin and l‐arginine that ensures the preparation of biocompatible hydrogels. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that the synthesis conditions do not induce protein denaturation and confirms the potential UV‐cro...
Article
Smart hydrogels endowed with self-healing performance, enhanced stability and unique environmental responsiveness were prepared by interpenetrating the crosslinked poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) between the chains of the water-soluble maleoyl-chitosan. The influence of the ratio between the modified polysaccharide and the homopolymer upon...
Article
In the last years, responsive hydrogels have been widely studied due to their capacity to interact with the biological environment in a pre-programmed manner. Another aspect worth considering when synthesizing intelligent hydrogels is the introduction of self – healing characteristics, which can sustain the recovery of a material to its original sh...
Article
The elasticity, soft consistency and similarity to the human body are important characteristics of the gels. Such similarities allow the hydrogels to be biocompatible and, as a consequence, they are very attractive to be applied as biomaterials. This study presents a new strategy for developing a biohybrid complex based on a natural/synthetic polym...
Article
The study presents a novel strategy for obtaining highly ordered interpolymeric complexes based on a protein, bovine serum albumin and a synthetic polymer, poly(aspartic acid). In this approach, experimental tests were carried out in the presence of a magnetic field of different intensities, namely 0.11 T and 0.3 T produced by permanent magnets. Th...
Article
The research is following the properties of a new nanogel structure (PItAU_Ch) based on poly(itaconic anhydride-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5.5] undecane) and a low molecular mass gelator, namely cholesterol. The interest is entirely justified as nano-sized gel systems, presenting 3D polymer structures, are considered to be the most effec...
Article
The study presents an investigation on the conformational changes and the interaction between the components of a new network structure based on a polymer system with spiroacetal moieties, namely poly(itaconic anhydride-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5.5] undecane) (PItAU), and riboflavin (Rb) as low molecular mass gelator, in order to tailo...
Article
Background: The interest for polymeric nanogels is entirely justified taken into consideration their diversity brought by the composition and their multiple applications, especially in the biomedical field. Nanogels can be defined as three-dimensional networks with interconnected pores and diameters below 100 nm. These materials exhibit distinct pr...
Article
The study presents synthesis of the “core–shell” nanocomposite with magnetic properties based on carboxymethyl starch-g-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid (CMS-g-PLGA) and magnetite (Fe3O4). The polymeric matrix used for obtaining the nanocomposite particles was synthesized by the grafting reaction of carboxymethyl starch (CMS) with l-lactic acid (L-LA)...
Article
The interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) are promising materials due to their unique properties. In this context, in the present study, new IPN structures based on poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and poly(itaconic anhydride-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5.5] undecane) (PITAU) were synthesized. The double network was prep...
Article
Recently, injectable hydrogels became particularly attractive as biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. The intrinsic drug-loading capability of polysaccharide-based hydrogels and their potential use as drug delivery systems can be combined with more sophisticated techniques in order to develop effective approaches for...
Article
In this study the synthesis of poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), via free radical polymerization by using three different variants of initiation namely azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN), 4,4'-Azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) (ACVA), and a redox system composed of potassium persulfate (KPS) and ascorbic acid (AscA), is presented. The st...
Article
Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate and characterize the oral lyophilisates containing the pregabalin-acetaminophen drug combination and as xcipients mannitol with microcrystalline cellulose or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, in order to conclude upon drug-excipient interactions and their stability implications, impact of excipi...
Article
Macromolecular co-assemblies built up in aqueous solutions, by using a linear polypeptide, poly(aspartic acid) (PAS), and a globular protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), have been studied. The main interest was to identify the optimum conditions for an interpenetrated complex formation in order to design materials suitable for biomedical applicatio...
Article
The complexation of globular proteins with both natural and synthetic flexible polyelectrolytes is of considerable technological importance. In the study the critical conditions for the formation of complex systems between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and polyelectrolytes was examined. Poly(aspartic acid) (PAS), belonging to the family of synthetic p...
Article
The approach of covalent conjugation for coupling synthetic polymers with biomolecules represents an appealing strategy to produce new compounds with distinctive properties for biomedical applications. In the present study we generated hybrid gels with tunable characteristics by using hyaluronic acid (HA) and four variants of poly(itaconic anhydrid...
Article
Full-text available
Nanogels in biomedical field are promising and innovative materials as dispersions of hydrogel nanoparticles based on crosslinked polymeric networks that have been called as next generation drug delivery systems due to their relatively high drug encapsulation capacity, uniformity, tunable size, ease of preparation, minimal toxicity, stability in th...
Article
Over the last 10 years, the development of intelligent biomaterials for medical and pharmaceutical applications has attracted growing interest by combining interdisciplinary efforts. Between them nanogels represent one of the most attractive carriers for innovative drug delivery systems. In the present investigation new variants of multi-responsive...
Article
The synthesis of “smart” molecules is in current areas of research as their specific functions can significantly improve the performance in various applications. This study is devoted to the investigation of poly(N,N dimethylacrylamide-co-3, 9-divinyl-2, 4, 8, 10-tetraoxaspiro (5.5) undecane) as “smart” macromolecular compound in order to evaluate...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of a functional polymeric system based on poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and 3, 9-divinyl-2, 4, 8, 10- tetraoxaspiro (5.5) undecane (U), in terms of molecular weight, temperature-sensitive abilities, thermal stability, rheological and dielectrical properties. The dependen...
Article
Protein–polyelectrolyte complexes (PPC) are playing an important role in a variety of chemical and biological processes, such as protein separation, enzyme stabilization, and polymer drug delivery. The present investigation is focused on evaluation of the PPC formation between a synthetic polypeptide (poly(aspartic acid) – PAS) and a natural protei...
Article
In the paper is presented the possibility of using the new magnetic composite (MC) (prepared in situ during functionalization of poly(maleic anhydride-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro [5.5] undecane) copolymer, by opening the anhydride ring with erythritol and by introducing magnetic nanoparticles into the polymer matrix) for covering the sten...
Article
In the paper the deep thermal characterization of the coreshell magnetic composite in relation with the properties of the shell formed from poly(succinimide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PSI-b-PEG), respectively the molecular weight of poly(ethylene glycol), is presented. The study confirms the dependence of the thermal stability, for both the synthesi...
Article
The present investigation is focused on evaluation of self-assembling ability in aqueous solutions of two water soluble polymers: poly(aspartic acid) (PAS) and Pluronic F127 (PL). The intermolecular complexes, realized between polyacid and neutral copolymer surfactant in different ratios, have been studied by combining various characterization tech...
Conference Paper
The study is devoted to the development of a new gel system, based on a copolymer between itaconic anhydride and 3, 9-divinyl-2, 4, 8, 10-tetraoxaspiro (5.5) undecane (PITAU) and hyaluronic acid, used as a potential platform for drug delivery. PITAU is characterized by good capacity of gel network formation, and good biocompatibility, while hyaluro...
Article
The paper is focused on the investigation of thermal induced gelation of Pluronic F127 and poly(vinyl alcohol) mixtures in aqueous solutions. In-situ thermal induced gelation process was investigated through rheological measurements, evidencing the optimum conditions for which the sol-gel transition occurs near the physiological temperature. The ge...
Article
The present work describes the synthesis, properties, and sensitive behavior of a set of copolymers based on itaconic anhydride with different molar ratios of 3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5.5] undecane prepared through radical polymerization process, in the presence of 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The chemical structure of the pre...
Article
Owing to the special characteristics and abilities polymeric networks have received special interest for a range of biomedical applications especially for drug delivery systems. This study was devoted to preparation of new polymeric compounds based on maleic anhydride and 3, 9-divinyl-2, 4, 8, 10-tetraoxaspiro (5.5) undecane copolymer (poly maleic...
Article
Abstract New magnetic hybrid composites were prepared, in situ, during the functionalization of poly[maleic anhydride-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro(5.5)undecane] copolymer, by opening the anhydride ring with erythritol and by introducing magnetic nanoparticles into the polymeric matrix. The procedure allows for magnetic nanocomposite prepar...
Article
Poly(maleic anhydride-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro [5.5] undecane), acquired through radical polymerization, was synthesized with the aim to prepare an alternant copolymer with precise placement of functional groups along the polymer backbones. The new structure owing to the suitable and specific functionalities is anticipated to be used a...
Article
Full-text available
The present study continues our researches in the field of multi-membrane hydrogels preparation with the investigation of a new multi-membrane gel system based on poly(N,N-dimethyl-acrylamide-co-3,9-divinyl-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro(5.5)undecane) copolymer achieved by layer by layer deposition technique, from the gel-core to the periphery. As crosslin...
Article
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In the present study polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) based on new sulfadiazine-chitosan conjugates with sodium hyaluronate have been developed with potential use in treatment of burn wounds. The PECs were chemically characterized using Fourier Transform—Infrared Spectroscopy, Scanning Electon Microscopy and Near Infrared Chemical Imaging Technique...