Polymer hydrogel films change their properties in response to environmental change. This remarkable phenomenon results in many potential applications of polymer hydrogel films. In this thesis colored thermo-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel film was prepared by firstly synthesizing polymer latex and secondarily crosslinking the nanoparticles and casting the polymers onto glass. The shape-memory effect has been observed when changing the environmental temperature. The temperature-dependent of turbidity of polymer hydrogel film was measured by HP UVVisible spectrophotometer. This intelligent hydrogel might be used in chemomechanical systems and separation devices as well as sensors. Polymer adsorption plays an important role in many products and processes. In this thesis, surfactant-free three-dimensional polystyrene (PS) nanoparticle network has been prepared. The infrared spectroscopy and solubility experiment are performed to prove the crosslinking mechanism, also the BET method was used to measure the adsorption and desorption of polystyrene network. The BET constant (C) is calculated (C=6.32). The chemically bonded polymer nanoparticle network might have potential applications as catalyst or used for chromatographic columns.

The thermally responsive hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel nanoparticles have been synthesized and characterized. The HPC particles were obtained by chemically crosslinking collapsed HPC polymer chains in water-surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide) dispersion above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the HPC. The size distributions of microgel particles, measured by dynamic light scattering, have been correlated with synthesis conditions including surfactant concentration, polymer concentration, and reaction temperature. The swelling and phase transition properties of resultant HPC microgels have been analyzed using both static and dynamic light scattering techniques. By first making gel nanoparticles and then covalently bonding them together, we have engineered a new class of gels with two levels of structural hierarchy: the primary network is crosslinked polymer chains in each individual particle, while the secondary network is a system of crosslinked nanoparticles. The covalent bonding contributes to the structural stability of the nanostructured gels, while self-assembly provides them with crystal structures that diffract light, resulting in colors. By using N-isopropylacrylamide copolymer hydrogel nanoparticles, we have synthesized nanoparticle networks that display a striking iridescence like precious opal but are soft and flexible like gelatin. This is in contrast to previous colored hydrogels, which were created either by adding dyes or fluorescent, or by organic solvent or by embedding a colloidal crystal array of polymer solid spheres . Creating such periodic 3D structures in materials allows us to obtain useful functionality not only from the constituent building blocks but also from the long-range ordering that characterizes these structures. Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and poly (acrylic acid ) (PAA) complexes were studied using turbidity measurement and laser light scattering. The phase transition temperature of the complexes is found to depend on pH and molecular weights of PAA and HPC. The driving force for this phenomenon is due to the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction of the macromolecules. Based on the principle of the PAA/HPC complexes, the PAA nanoparticles were synthesized in 0.1wt % HPC aqueous solution at room temperature.

Topical medication is a standard treatment for glaucoma. However, frequent dosing makes the therapy inconvenient and patient unfriendly. There is a great need to develop new topical formulations that provide long lasting noninvasive drug release. In this thesis, novel clickable dendrimer hydrogels for anti-glaucoma drug delivery were synthesized and characterized. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers have been widely applied for drug delivery. The physical characteristics they possess include monodispersity, water solubility, encapsulation ability, and a large number of surface groups. Polycationic PAMAM dendrimer G3 was surface modified with alkyne-PEG5-acid and then reacted with polyethylene glycol bisazide (PEG-BA, 1100 gmol-1) through click chemistry to form a cross-linked hydrogel. The resulting hydrogels were characterized in terms of mechanical properties, swelling, structural morphology, pH-dependent degradation, anti-glaucoma drugs (brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate) release and cytotoxicity. To fully explore PAMAM dendrimers to make clickable hydrogels, polyanionic PAMAM dendrimer G4.5 was also surface modified with propargylamine to possess alkyne groups and successfully formed a hydrogel with PEG-BA. The work conducted in the thesis shows that clickable dendrimer hydrogels were successfully developed and shown to possess desired properties for delivery of anti-glaucoma drugs.

Muitas estratégias são indicadas a fim de suplantar a baixa permeabilidade de fármacos através da epiderme, umas delas, a de incluir promotores de penetração em formulações farmacêuticas e/ou cosméticas, formulados em sistemas terapêuticos transdérmicos (TTS). Estas substâncias são passíveis de modificar os domínios proteicos da epiderme e removerem provisoriamente a resistência da barreira do estrato córneo, permitindo o acesso dos fármacos aos tecidos viáveis através da circulação sistêmica. A natureza do veículo tópico é conhecida por desempenhar um papel importante na promoção da absorção dentro e através da pele. Os veículos tópicos convencionais, como pomadas, cremes ou géis, exercem predominantemente seus efeitos ao liberar o medicamento na superfície, e as moléculas dos fármacos, então, se difundem através de suas camadas. Os hidrogéis foram obtidos a partir de material polimérico reticulado por processo de radiação ionizante. A cafeína foi escolhida como substância modelo de permeação dérmica, por ser hidrofílica. Entretanto, para que a molécula penetre na barreira cutânea, deve ser associada a promotores de absorção cutânea. A papaína tem sido aplicada na pele íntegra como agente promotor de penetração e absorção cutânea. As enzimas interferem na absorção percutânea de fármacos por duas formas: como um potencializador de penetração e retardador de absorção. Neste trabalho, foram sintetizadas membranas de hidrogéis com poli (N-2- vinil - pirolidona) (PVP), poli (etilenoglicol) (PEG), poli (etilenoglicol diacrilato) (PEG-DA), cafeína e gel de papaína formado de polímero sintético pré-neutralizado para estudo da cinética de permeação cutânea, utilizando ecdise de cobra (Boa Constrictor) como membrana modelo de permeação. As membranas de hidrogel preparadas, foram caracterizadas por análise de termogravimetria (TG), calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC), intumescimento, fração gel, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), e realizados ensaios de permeação dérmica em células de Franz e tomografia de coerência óptica (OCT). O teste de permeação \"in vitro\" desses hidrogéis na ecdise foram satisfatórios, comprovando a eficácia da papaína como promotora de permeação dérmica e contribuindo, assim, para futuros trabalhos que possam explorar ainda mais essa área de entrega de fármacos. / Many strategies are indicated for supplanting the low permeability of pharmaceuticals through the epidermis, one of them to include developers of access in cosmetics formulations, produced in Transdermal Drug Systems. Those substances are capable of modifying the protein dominates of the epidermis and temporarily remove the resistant barrier of the stratum cornea, allowing this way, the access to the pharmaceutical to the viable fabric through the systemic circulation. The nature of the topic vehicle is known for developing an important role of the absorption inside and through the skin. The conventional ways, as ointments, creams or gels, predominated theirs effects by liberating the medication in the superficies, so the pharmaceutical molecules defund beyond their layers. The hydrogels were got from the polymeric reticulate material for ionizing radiation process. The caffeine was chosen as a substance model of the dermis permeation, due to be hydrophilic. Moreover, for the molecule access, it is necessary to the developers of dermal absorption. The papain has been applied in the integra skin as agent promoter of access and dermal absorption. The enzymes interfere in the dermal absorption of the pharmaceutical in two forms: as optimizing, as well as, retarding absorption. This essay we could synthesized hydrogel membranes as Poly (N -2 - vinyl-pirolidon) (PVP), Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), Poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA), caffeine and papain gel formed by polymeric synthetic pre-neutralized for the studies of kinetic of dermal access for using ecdysis of a snake (Boa constrictor) as a membrane model of access. The membranes of hydrogel prepared for this essay were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), swelling, gel fraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rehearsal of dermal access in Franz cells and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The test of permeation in vitro was satisfactory evidencing the efficacies of papain as a developer of dermal permeation, as well as, contributing for the future work that can explore even more this area of pharmaceutical delivery.

The field of tissue engineering has grown immensely since its inception in the late 1980s. However, currently commercialized tissue engineered products are simple in structure. This is due to a pre-clinical bottleneck in which complex tissues are unable to be fabricated. 3D bioprinting has become a versatile tool in engineering complex tissues and offers a solution to this bottleneck. Characterizing the mechanical properties of engineered tissue constructs provides powerful insight into the viability of engineered tissues for their desired application. Current methods of mechanical characterization of soft hydrogel materials used in tissue engineering destroy the sample and ignore the effect of 3D bioprinting on the overall mechanical properties of a construct. Herein, this work reports on the novel use of a non-destructive method of viscoelastic analysis to demonstrate the influence of 3D bioprinting strategy on mechanical properties of hydrogel tissue scaffolds. 3D bioprinting is demonstrated as a versatile tool with the ability to control mechanical and physical properties. Structure-function relationships are developed for common 3D bioprinting parameters such as printed fiber size, printed scaffold pattern, and bioink formulation. Further studies include effective real-time monitoring of crosslinking, and mechanical characterization of multi-material scaffolds. We envision this method of characterization opening a new wave of understanding and strategy in tissue engineering. / Graduate

Der Meniskus gleicht die Inkongruenz der beiden Gelenkpartner im Kniegelenk aus und führt somit zu einer Reduktion der Knorpelbelastung. Aufgrund der eingeschränkten Selbstheilungsfähigkeit des bradytrophen Meniskusgewebes bleibt bei Verletzung oft nur die operative Teilresektion als Therapie der Wahl. In dieser in vitro Untersuchung erfolgte die Implantation eines mit mesenchymalen (MSZ) Stammzellen beladenem Polylaktid-Kollagen-I-Hydrogel. Die MSZ zeigten eine in der Histologie und PCR nachgewiesene chondrogene Differenzierungspotenz innerhalb des Polylaktidkonstruktes. Innerhalb des Stanzdefektes konnte eine Anhaftung der MSZ an das Meniskusgewebe sowie die Ausbildung einer stabilen Kollagen-I-Matrix gezeigt werden. Die Arbeit stellt die Grundlage für eine spätere tierexperimentelle Studie dar. / The meniscus adjust the different shapes of the femor and Tibia and reduces the load of the articular cartilage. Because of his reduced regeneration rate, the meniscus often has to be partly removed in case of an injury. In this examination a polylactid-collagen I-hydrogel loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (msc) was implanted in the meniscus defect region. A chondral differentiation of the msc in the polylactid-construct was shown in the histology and a pcr-analysis was made. In the defect region the msc showed a near acclomeration to the meniscus tissue and a stable collagen-I-matrix was developed. The results are the base for a further examination in an animal model.

Articular cartilage defects are still one of the major challenges in orthopedic and trauma surgery. Today, autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT), as a cell-based therapy, is an established procedure. However, one major limitation of this technique is the loss of the chondrogenic phenotype during expansion. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have an extensive proliferation potential and the capacity to differentiate into chondrocytes when maintained under specific conditions. They are therefore considered as candidate cells for tissue engineering approaches of functional cartilage tissue substitutes. First in this study, hMSCs were embedded in a collagen type I hydrogel to evaluate the cartilaginous construct in vitro. HMSC collagen hydrogels cultivated in different culture media showed always a marked contraction, most pronounced in chondrogenic differentiation medium supplemented with TGF-ß1. After stimulation with chondrogenic factors (dexamethasone and TGF-ß1) hMSCs were able to undergo chondrogenesis when embedded in the collagen type I hydrogel, as evaluated by the temporal induction of cartilage-specific gene expression. Furthermore, the cells showed a chondrocyte-like appearance and were homogeneously distributed within a proteoglycan- and collagen type II-rich extracellular matrix, except a small area in the center of the constructs. In this study, chondrogenic differentiation could not be realized with every hMSC preparation. With the improvement of the culture conditions, e.g. the use of a different FBS lot in the gel fabrication process, a higher amount of cartilage-specific matrix deposition could be achieved. Nevertheless, the large variations in the differentiation capacity display the high donor-to-donor variability influencing the development of a cartilaginous construct. Taken together, the results demonstrate that the collagen type I hydrogel is a suitable carrier matrix for hMSC-based cartilage regeneration therapies which present a promising future alternative to ACT. Second, to further improve the quality of tissue-engineered cartilaginous constructs, mechanical stimulation in specific bioreactor systems are often employed. In this study, the effects of mechanical loading on hMSC differentiation have been examined. HMSC collagen hydrogels were cultured in a defined chondrogenic differentiation medium without TGF-ß1 and subjected to a combined mechanical stimulation protocol, consisting of perfusion and cyclic uniaxial compression. Bioreactor cultivation neither affected overall cell viability nor the cell number in collagen hydrogels. Compared with non-loaded controls, mechanical loading promoted the gene expression of COMP and biglycan and induced an up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 3. These results circumstantiate that hMSCs are sensitive to mechanical forces, but their differentiation to chondrocytes could not be induced. Further studies are needed to identify the specific metabolic pathways which are altered by mechanical stimulation. Third, for the development of new cell-based therapies for articular cartilage repair, a reliable cell monitoring technique is required to track the cells in vivo non-invasively and repeatedly. This study aimed at analyzing systematically the performance and biological impact of a simple and efficient labeling protocol for hMSCs. Very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (VSOPs) were used as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent. Iron uptake was confirmed histologically with prussian blue staining and quantified by mass spectrometry. Compared with unlabeled cells, VSOP-labeling did neither influence significantly the viability nor the proliferation potential of hMSCs. Furthermore, iron incorporation did not affect the differentiation capacity of hMSCs. The efficiency of the labeling protocol was assessed with high resolution MR imaging at 11.7 Tesla. VSOP-labeled hMSCs were visualized in a collagen type I hydrogel indicated by distinct hypointense spots in the MR images, resulting from an iron specific loss of signal intensity. This was confirmed by prussian blue staining. In summary, this labeling technique has great potential to visualize hMSCs and track their migration after transplantation for articular cartilage repair with MR imaging. / Gelenkknorpeldefekte stellen immer noch eine der großen Herausforderungen in der Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie dar. Als zellbasiertes Verfahren ist die Autologe Chondrozytentransplantation (ACT) heute in der klinischen Routine etabliert. Ein großer Nachteil dieser Methode ist jedoch der Verlust des chondrozytären Phänotyps während der Expansion der Zellen. Humane mesenchymale Stammzellen (hMSZ) verfügen über ein ausgeprägtes Proliferationspotential und besitzen die Fähigkeit, unter spezifischen Bedingungen zu Knorpelzellen zu differenzieren. Sie werden daher als alternative Zellen für das Tissue Engineering von funktionellem Knorpelersatzgewebe in Betracht gezogen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden erstens hMSZ in ein Kollagen Typ I Hydrogel eingebracht und zunächst der Grad der chondrogenen Zelldifferenzierung im Konstrukt evaluiert. HMSZ-Kollagenhydrogele zeigten in allen Kultivierungsmedien eine deutliche Kontraktion, welche am stärksten im chondrogenen Differenzierungsmedium unter Zugabe von TGF-ß1 ausgeprägt war. Nach Stimulation mit chondrogenen Faktoren (Dexamethason und TGF-ß1) differenzierten hMSZ zu Knorpelzellen, nachgewiesen durch die Induktion von knorpelspezifischer Genexpression. Die Zellen wiesen eine Chondrozyten-ähnliche Morphologie auf und waren bis auf einen kleinen Bereich in der Mitte des Konstrukts homogen in einer Proteoglykan- und Kollagen Typ II-haltigen extrazellulären Matrix verteilt. Eine chondrogene Differenzierung konnte in der vorliegenden Arbeit jedoch nicht mit jeder hMSZ-Präparation realisiert werden. Durch die Verbesserung der Kulturbedingungen, z.B. durch die Verwendung einer anderen Serumcharge im Gelherstellungsprozess, konnte eine Steigerung der knorpelspezifischen Matrixsynthese erzielt werden. Nichtsdestotrotz spiegeln die großen Schwankungen in der Differenzierungskapazität die hohe Variabilität zwischen verschiedenen Spendern wider, welche die Entwicklung eines knorpelartigen Gewebes beeinflussen. Zusammengefasst zeigen die Ergebnisse, dass das Kollagen Typ I Hydrogel eine geeignete Trägermatrix für hMSZ darstellt, um in Stammzell-basierten Knorpelregenerationstherapien zukünftig als vielversprechende Alternative zur ACT eingesetzt zu werden. Um die Qualität eines in vitro generierten knorpelartigen Gewebes weiter zu verbessern, wird häufig eine mechanische Stimulation in spezifischen Bioreaktorsystemen durchgeführt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden daher zweitens die Effekte von mechanischer Belastung auf die Differenzierung von hMSZ untersucht. HMSZ-Kollagenhydrogele wurden im chondrogenen Differenzierungsmedium ohne TGF-ß1 kultiviert und einem kombinierten mechanischen Stimulationsprotokoll, bestehend aus Perfusion und zyklischer uniaxialer Kompression, ausgesetzt. Die Kultivierung im Bioreaktor hatte weder einen Einfluss auf die Zellvitalität noch auf die Anzahl der Zellen im Kollagen Typ I Hydrogel. Die mechanische Beeinflussung steigerte im Vergleich mit den unbelasteten Kontrollgelen die Genexpression von COMP und Biglykan und führte zu einer Hochregulation von Matrix Metalloproteinase 3. Diese Ergebnisse belegen, dass hMSZ mechanosensitiv sind, jedoch konnte keine Differenzierung zu Knorpelzellen induziert werden. Hierfür sind weitere Studien notwendig, um spezifische Stoffwechselwege zu identifizieren, welche durch die mechanische Stimulation beeinflusst werden. Drittens, für die Entwicklung von neuen zellbasierten Therapien für die Gelenkknorpelrekonstruktion ist eine zuverlässige Bildgebung auf zellulärer Ebene erforderlich, um die Zellen in vivo wiederholt nicht invasiv zu detektieren. Die vorliegende Arbeit hatte zum Ziel, systematisch die Effizienz und die biologischen Auswirkungen einer einfachen und dauerhaften Markierung für hMSZ zu untersuchen. Superparamagnetische Eisenoxidnanopartikel (VSOPs), ein Magnetresonanz (MR)-Kontrastmittel, wurden für die Markierung eingesetzt. Die Aufnahme der Eisenoxidnanopartikel wurde histologisch mittels eisenspezifischer Berliner-Blau-Färbung nachgewiesen und durch Massenspektroskopie quantifiziert. Im Vergleich zu unmarkierten Zellen beeinträchtigte die VSOP-Markierung weder die Vitalität noch das Proliferationspotential der hMSZ. Weiterhin war durch die Aufnahme der Eisenoxidnanopartikel keine Beeinflussung der Differenzierungskapazität der hMSZ zu verzeichnen. Die Effizienz der Zellmarkierung wurde mittels hochauflösender MR-Bildgebung bei 11,7 Tesla beurteilt. VSOP-markierte hMSZ im Kollagen Typ I Hydrogel erschienen als hypointense Punkte in den MR-Bildern, hervorgerufen durch die typische, VSOP-bedingte Signalauslöschung. Histologische Untersuchungen dieser Konstrukte bestätigten die MR-Ergebnisse. Zusammenfassend lässt sich festhalten, dass diese Zellmarkierungsmethode in Verbindung mit der MR-Bildgebung über das Potential verfügt, nach einer Gelenkknorpelrekonstruktion Aufschluss über die Lokalisation und Migration der transplantierten hMSZ zu liefern.

Für die Rekonstruktion von Gelenkknorpeldefekten des Kniegelenkes in Folge eines Traumas oder einer Osteochondrosis dissecans (OD) stehen verschiedene operative Verfahren zur Verfügung. Die Autologe Chondrozytentransplantation (ACT) hat sich als zuverlässiges Rekonstruktionsverfahren erwiesen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde eine prospektive Fallseriestudie für eine neue Form der ACT mit einem Kollagen I Hydrogel (CaReS-Technologie) durchgeführt. Die Vorteile der Technologie liegen zum Einen darin, dass sich die Zellen homogen im Gel verteilen und zum Anderen, dass die Zellen unmittelbar nach dem Herauslösen aus dem Gelenkknorpel in das Gel eingebracht werden und dadurch eine geringere Dedifferenzierung der Chondrozyten stattfindet. Von März 2003 bis Ende 2006 wurden 29 Patienten in die Studie eingeschlossen. Die Ein- und Ausschlusskriterien erfüllten die Kriterien der Arbeitsgruppe ACT und Tissue Engineering der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie. Die Eingangs- und Nachuntersuchungsbögen wurden an die IKDC Form 2000 angelehnt. Insgesamt zeigte sich ein signifikanter Anstieg des IKDC Scores im mittleren follow-up von 30,7 Monaten von 47,3 auf 74,9 bei den 29 Patienten. Bei Aufschlüsselung der Patienten bzgl. Diagnose, Defektgröße, Lokalisation und Defektanzahl zeigte sich bei den Behandlungsgruppen OD, Trauma/degenerativ, > 4 cm2, mediale Femurkondyle und Einzeldefekte eine signifikante Zunahme des IKDC Scores im zeitlichen Verlauf. Der postoperative Schmerz zeigte einhergehend mit dem Anstieg des IKDC Scores eine signifikante Abnahme der Schmerzintensität in den Behandlungsgruppen OD, Trauma/degenerativ, > 4 cm2, mediale Femurkondyle und Einzeldefekte. Nachgewiesen wurde ebenfalls ein Anstieg des SF36 Scores, der den gegenwärtigen Gesundheitszustand sowohl körperlich als auch psychisch beurteilt. Zusammen mit einer globalen Patientenzufriedenheit von 80% und einem IKDC Funktionsstatus von I und II bei 77% der Patienten spiegeln die gewonnenen Daten die Ergebnisse der klassischen ACT bzw. anderer matrixgekoppelten Verfahren wieder. Die CaReS-Technologie stellt somit ein gleichwertiges Verfahren zu den bisher auf dem Markt befindlichen Techniken der ACT dar. / For the reconstruction of articular cartilage defects of the knee resulting from osteochondritis dissecans (OD) or trauma different surgical techgniques are available. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has proven to be a reliable reconstructive technique. In this work, we have performed a prospective case control study using a new form of ACI with a collagen type I hydrogel (CaReS-technology). The advantages of the technology are that the cells can be distributed homogeneously within the hydrogel and immidiatly after their release from the cartilage they are brought into the gel, resulting in less dedifferentiation of the chondrocytes. From March 2003 to the end of 2006 we enrolled 29 patients in this study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were adopted from the criteria of the working group for ACT and Tissue Engineereing of the German Society for Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery. The inital clinical and follow-up examinations were performed according to the IKDC form 2000. In general, we found a significant increase of the IKDC score at the follow-up of 30.7 months from 47.3 to 74.9 of the 29 patients. When seperating the patients by diagnosis, defect size, defect location and defect number we found in the groups with OD, trauma/degenerativ, > 4 cm2, medial condyle and single defects a significant increase of the IKDC score over the follow-up period. The postoperative pain showed accoring to the increased IKDC score a significant decrease of the pain intensity in the groups with OD, trauma/degenerativ, > 4 cm2, medial condyle and single defects. We also found an increase of the SF36 score, which describes the current physical and mental health status. Together with a global patient satisfaction of 80% and an IKDC functional status of I and II in 77% of the patients our data reflect the results of the classical ACI, as well as other matrix-based technologies. Therefore, the CaReS-technology is comparable to other technologies which are currently on the market.

The objective of this research was to study the adsorption and photodegradation of crystal violet (CV) dye by using poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogel and nanocomposite TiO2-PHEMA hydrogel. Since the TiO2 nanoparticle has poor solubility, another goal of this study was to make a uniform TiO2 nanocomposite gel. These gels can be used in water treatment and can be easily photodegrade by exposure of sunlight which is similar to exposing to UV-vis. PHEMA was synthesized by free radical polymerization. The nanocomposite gels were characterized by FT-IR and XRD to confirm the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles and CV dye inside the PHEMA hydrogel. The XRD data showed that not only maintaining the crystallinity of the three different phases that had been used, but also the uptake of the dye inside the nanocomposite gels. Moreover, the FT-IR demonstrated the presence of the functional groups of the chemical structure of the gel as well as the nanocomposite gels with the CV dye. The adsorption of CV dye was examined through monitoring UV-Vis absorption. The kinetic study indicated the adsorption of the dye by the nanocomposite gels until reached equilibrium, which is the zero concentration. The photodegradation of CV dye was examined using a medium pressure Hg lamp. It was determined that the composite gels adsorb CV dye from the solution at the beginning while under the photochemical condition. Eventually, the dye in the gel was photodegraded, indicating that in the gel system, the photodegradation process is still effective to dyes. The composite gels containing pure anatase phase titanium are much better photocatalysts and took less time of adsorption than those containing pure rutile and anatase/rutile mixed phases of titania.

Cuidar de feridas é um processo dinâmico e complexo que requer atenção especial principalmente quando se refere a uma lesão crônica. A lesão por pressão (LPP) é uma ferida crônica localizada na pele ou no tecido subjacente, geralmente sobre uma proeminência óssea, resultante de pressão isolada ou pressão combinada com fricção ou cisalhamento. O objetivo foi avaliar a aplicabilidade das membranas de hidrogel com nanopartículas de prata no tratamento de lesões por pressão (LPPs) em usuários do SUS, por meio de protocolo clínico. O projeto da pesquisa foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da UFT/TO sob nº 161/2013, e foram seguidos todos os preceitos éticos conforme Resolução 466/12 do CNS do Ministério da Saúde. Trata-se de um estudo de intervenção terapêutica, do tipo ensaio clínico não controlado, sobre a avaliação do uso da membrana de hidrogel com nanopartículas de prata (NPAg) produzida pelo Instituto de Pesquisa em Energia Nuclear (IPEN). A população do estudo foi composta por 19 pacientes, que por critérios de inclusão e exclusão foi constituída por uma amostra de 6 (seis) pacientes de ambos os gêneros, internados no Hospital de Referência de Porto Nacional, no período de janeiro de 2014 a dezembro de 2015, acometidos por lesões por pressão categoria 3, 4 e não classificável. O estudo apresentou como limitações o restrito número de pacientes por amostra, por se tratar de pesquisa clínica experimental, com um grupo investigado altamente selecionado pelos critérios de exclusão e inclusão. Os hidogéis com NPAg, produzidos pelo IPEN, mostraram-se eficazes no tratamento das LPPs, pois proporcionaram a ferida condições para a epitelização. Houve diminuição do odor, dos tecidos desvitalizados e da dor, itens estes que quando presentes retardam a cicatrização. Porém são necessários novos estudos, envolvendo estes curativos com um número maior de pacientes. / Wound\'s care is a dynamic and complex process that requires special attention especially when referring to a chronic injury. Pressure injury (PI) is a chronic wound located on the skin or underlying tissue, usually on a prominent bone, resulting from isolated pressure or pressure combined with friction or shear. The objective of this work is to evaluate the applicability of hydrogel membranes with silver nanoparticles in the treatment of pressure lesions in SUS users, through a clinical protocol. The research project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of UFT / TO under No. 161/2013, and all ethical precepts were followed according to Resolution 466/12 of the CNS of the Ministry of Health. It is a therapeutic intervention\'s study, an uncontrolled clinical trial on the evaluation of the use of hydrogel membrane with silver nanoparticles produced by the Nuclear Energy Research Institute (IPEN). The study population consisted of 19 patients, who, by inclusion and exclusion criteria, consisted of a sample of 6 (six) patients of both genders admitted to the National Reference Hospital of Porto Nacional from January 2014 to December of 2015, affected by category 3, 4 and non-classifiable injuries. The study presented as limitation the restricted number of patients per sample, since it was an experimental clinical research, with a highly selected by the exclusion and inclusion criteria investigated group. The hydrogels with NPAg, produced by IPEN, were effective in the treatment of PI, as they provided the wound conditions for epithelization. There was a decrease in odor, devitalized tissues and pain, which, when present, delays healing. However, new studies are necessary, involving these dressings with a larger number of patients.