Miriam Rafailovich

By Divya Bhatnagar, Marcia Simon and Miriam H. Rafailovich

Regenerative medicine requires materials that are biodegradable, biocompatible, structurally and chemically stable, and that can mimic the properties of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). Hydrogels are hydrophilic three-dimensional networks that have long received attention in the field of regenerative medicine due to their unique properties. Hydrogels have a potential to be the future of regenerative medicine due to their desirable mechanical and chemical properties, ease of their synthesis, and their multiple applicability as drug delivery vehicles, scaffolds, and constructs for cell culture. In this chapter, we have described hydrogels in terms of their cross-linking and then discussed the most recent developments in the use of hydrogels for peripheral nerve regeneration, tooth regeneration, and 3D bioprinting.

Part of the book: Recent Advances in Biopolymers

By Yuan Xue, Yichen Guo and Miriam H. Rafailovich

The flame retardant efficiency of polymer nanocomposites is highly dependent on the dispersion of the nano-fillers within the polymer matrix. In order to control the filler dispersion, it is very essential to explore the interfacial compatibility between fillers and matrices, which provides a guide for the flame retardant nanocomposites compounding. In this short review, we mainly focus on the thermoplastic polymers and their interactions with the surfaces of the flame retardant fillers. Other physical properties of those nanocomposites such as mechanical properties, gas permeability, rheological performance and thermal conductivity are also briefly reviewed along with the flame retardancy, since they are all dispersion related.

Part of the book: Flame Retardants