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Compósitos de poli(álcool vinílico)/dióxido de titânio preparados pela técnica de eletrofiação são potenciais candidatos para aplicações nas quais grande absorbância na região do ultra-violeta e transparência na região do visível são requeridas. A incorporação de semicondutor nas fibras pode ser inferida pela redução da impedância elétrica das fibras fabricadas por eletrofiação, como consequência do aumento na densidade de grãos de semicondutor dispersos nas fibras poliméricas. As propriedades térmicas do compósito polímero/semicondutor são dominadas pela resposta do PVA sendo a influência do dióxido de titânio detectada no espectro de absorção de luz pela maximização da absorbância na faixa de 240 nm a 400 nm. Os resultados indicam que o compósito de PVA/TiO2 pode ser convenientemente aplicado como curativo com proteção adicional contra efeitos de radiação ultravioleta (UVA e UVB) na pele humana. Uma aplicação adicional para o compósito PVA/TiO2 foi abordada com o estudo dos processos fotocatalíticos na degradação da rodamina B.Electrospun composites of polyvinyl alcohol/titanium dioxide are potential candidates for applications that require high level of absorbance in the UV and transparency in the visible region. The incorporation of semiconductor particles in the core of fibers can be inferred from the reduction in the electrical impedance of electrospun fibers, as a consequence of the increased density of semiconductor granules along the fiber. The thermal properties of PVA dominate in the complete response of the composite while the influence from titanium dioxide is noted with an increased absorption from 240 nm to 400 nm. The results indicate that the PVA/TiO2 composites can be applied as wound dressing with additional protection against effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) on human skin. An additional application studied here was based on the use of PVA/TiO2 nanocomposites as active agent in photodegrading rhodamine B.

Neste trabalho, compósitos híbridos metal/polímero (nanopartículas de ouro/polipirrol) foram sintetizados a partir da polimerização química do pirrol sobre a superfície de nanopartículas metálicas estabilizados por um agente surfactante (dodecil sulfato de sódio). A posterior solubilização do compósito em álcool polivinílico permitiu a obtenção de uma matriz orgânica auto-sustentável, flexível, com boa resistência mecânica e aplicável na detecção de compostos voláteis (com especial atenção ao metanol). Nessa direção, foram otimizadas as condições de preparação do compósito, no sentido de promover a detecção e quantificação do metanol em misturas com etanol, com o intuito de aplicar o dispositivo no reconhecimento de resquícios de metanol em bebidas alcoólicas. Dos sistemas analisados, a sensibilidade dos dispositivos se mostrou diretamente proporcional à constante dielétrica do volátil utilizado, indicando que interações físicas ocorrem na matriz na presença de voláteis.In this study, hybrid composites of gold nanoparticles and polypyrrole (AuNPs-PPy) were manufactured by chemical polymerization of the pyrrole monomer on the surface of metal nanoparticles, which were then incorporated in a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix to be exploited in sensing technologies for detecting methanol. The preparation conditions were optimized to maximize sensitivity, allowing for the determination of relative concentrations of methanol molecules in binary mixtures of methanol/ethanol. This was carried out using the electrical response of the sensor, which depends on the dielectric constant of the volatile organic compounds.

Abstract The development of polypyrrole-based nanocomposites as alternative antibacterial agents represents a promising strategy to be applied against the prevailing multi-resistant bacteria. Herein, it is reported the most recent development of antibacterial materials based on the combination of polypyrrole and different fillers (metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and polysaccharides) and strategies to improve their action (such as light and electrical stimulus). The synergistic interaction of electrostatic forces provided by charged polypyrrole combined with the permeation of nanoparticles through the cell wall favors the leakage of cytoplasmic components and reinforces the antibacterial activity of the resulting material, observed in all-organic composites of polypyrrole and chitosan that reached superior performance against Escherichia coli (108 CFU) or metal-polymer composites (polypyrrole-palladium) with an outstanding performance against different types of bacteria. The development of binary and ternary composites is explored to potentialize the antibacterial synergy of components.

Abstract Some species of Lactobacillus have demonstrated beneficial health effects being applied in the production of food supplements. Thus, the incorporation of viable cells as encapsulated probiotics represents an essential condition to be considered in new strategies for the controlled release of microorganisms. Herein, the massive encapsulation of Lactobacillus paracasei is provided by the use of alternative electrospinning technique. Is spite of the high voltage required for the production of fibers, a high density of viable cells is observed into the polymeric electrospun web, allowing the controlled release at targeted pH (characteristic of Eudragit® L100 polymer support). The reported procedure circumvents typical drawbacks of degradation of microorganisms under adverse conditions (storage, package and low pH) and preserves its biologic action after complete release from polymer fibers.