• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.370-371
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• 2003

Poly(lactic acid) is a thermoplastic and biodegradable polymer[1-3]. It has a wide range of application in medical fields such as sutures, screws for bone fractures and drug delivery systems. It has additional potential in other fields like agriculture and packaging. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in star-shaped polymers because they have a higher segment density within the distance of its radius of rotation than linear polymers have under the same conditions.[4] (omitted)

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.54-59
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• 2002

ABA triblock copolymers of L-lactide and trimethylene carbonate with several different compositions were prepared by sequential ring-opening polymerization in the presence of diethylene glycol. Also chain-extension reactions of the resulting copolymers were carried out using hexamethylene diisocyanate to produce relatively high molecular weight polymers, which could be cast into elastomeric tough films. The polymers with certain L-lactide contents were partially crystalline, exhibiting two-phase morphology. The polymer films showed reversible elastic behavior under tensile tension, providing a novel thermoplastic elastomer possessing desirable properties such as biodegradability and good mechanical properties.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.379-380
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• 2002

Biodegradable polymers have been regarded as a good alternative to solve the plastic waste problems caused by nondegradable synthetic polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene. In the soil environment, plastics are mainly being used as a mulching film for agricultural purposes. In this research, the miscibility, tensile properties and biodegradation effect of poly-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone(PCL) with polyvinyl chloride(PVC) have been studied. After 8 weeks of biodegradation, PCL/PVC(9/91) blend surface showed newly formed many holes. Consequently, the antiplasticization phenomenon and biodegradation were observed in the PCL/PVC blends. It was confirmed that a test for general biodegradation condition can be applied to plastic biodegradation in soil.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.324-331
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• 2003

Particulate leaching method for the preparation of porous PLLA scaffolds was carried out and especially, the effect of PLLA/$CHCl_3$ solution concentration on the salt leaching rate and the pore structure of PLLA scaffolds were considered. It was found that maintaining lower PLLA/$CHCl_3$ concentration and higher $CHCl_3$ evaporation temperature in the preparation of PLLA/NaCl mixtures resulted in the enhancement of salt leaching rat e and higher porosity. This is understood that those conditions could minimize the formation of dense PLLA layer on the surface of PLLA/NaCl mixture as well as introducing better porosity on the surface. Higher salt leaching temperature accelerated the salt leaching rate but it seems that there is no influence on the porosity of PLLA scaffolds.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.26-36
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• 2016

Emerging trends for cardiac tissue engineering are focused on increasing the biocompatibility and tissue regeneration ability of artificial heart tissue by incorporating various cell sources and bioactive molecules. Although primary cardiomyocytes can be successfully implanted, clinical applications are restricted due to their low survival rates and poor proliferation. To develop successful cardiovascular tissue regeneration systems, new technologies must be introduced to improve myocardial regeneration. Electrospinning is a simple, versatile technique for fabricating nanofibers. Here, we discuss various biodegradable polymers (natural, synthetic, and combinatorial polymers) that can be used for fiber fabrication. We also describe a series of fiber modification methods that can increase cell survival, proliferation, and migration and provide supporting mechanical properties by mimicking micro-environment structures, such as the extracellular matrix (ECM). In addition, the applications and types of nanofiber-based scaffolds for myocardial regeneration are described. Finally, fusion research methods combined with stem cells and scaffolds to improve biocompatibility are discussed. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(1): 26-36]

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.207-214
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• 2015

It has been reported in the technical literature that orotic acid can be used in order to induce improved crystallization of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers like poly(L-lactic acid), polyhydroxybutyrate and poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexaonat). The expected advantage of the changed crystalline structure is a reinforcing effect of the polymers. A lot of papers reported about the application of inorganic and organic agents for acceleration of heterogeneous nucleation. This study reports on an attempt to use orotic acid as appropriate non-toxic nucleating agent for improving mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene. Special attention is given to demonstrate the effect of nucleation in a typical melt spinning process in order to improve the mechanical properties. The effects were demonstrated using rheology, thermal analysis and tensile testing.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.359-364
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• 2002

A series of PLA-PEO-PLA triblock stereo-copolymers with varying PLA/PEO and L-DL-LA ratios were synthesized via ring opening pelymerizations. Aqueous solutions of these copolymers undergo thermo-responsive phase transitions as the temperature monotonically increases. Further study shows that there is a critical gel concentration (CGC), and also lower and upper critical gel temperatures (CGTs), at which the thermo-responsive phase transition occurs. The CGC and CGTs are affected by various factors such as block length, as well as the compositions of the PLA blocks and of the additives. In particular, the changes in the phase diagram produced by varying the L-/DL-LA ratio in the PLA blocks were determined to be mainly due to consequent stereo-regularity changes in the PLA blocks.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.87-97
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• 2007

Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (MCL-PHAs), which have constituents with a typical chain length of $C_{6}-C_{14}$, are polyesters that are synthesized and accumulated in a wide variety of Gram-negative bacteria, mainly pseudomonads. These biopolyesters are promising materials for various applications because they have useful mechanical properties and are biodegradable and biocompatible. The versatile metabolic capacity of some Pseudomonas spp. enables them to synthesize MCL-PHAs that contain various functional substituents; these MCL-PHAs are of great interest because these functional groups can improve the physical properties of the polymers, allowing the creation of tailor-made products. Moreover, some functional substituents can be modified by chemical reactions to obtain more useful groups that can extend the potential applications of MCL-PHAs as environmentally friendly polymers and functional biomaterials for use in biomedical fields. Although MCL-PHAs are water-insoluble, hydrophobic polymers, they can be degraded by microorganisms that produce extracellular MCL-PHA depolymerase. MCL-PHA-degraders are relatively uncommon in natural environments and, to date, only a limited number of MCL-PHA depolymerases have been investigated at the molecular level. All known MCL-PHA depolymerases share a highly significant similarity in amino acid sequences, as well as several enzymatic characteristics. This paper reviews recent advances in our knowledge of MCL-PHAs, with particular emphasis on the findings by our research group.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.518-521
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• 2005

Biodegradable polymers and hydrogels have been increasingly applied in a variety of biomedical applications including current drug delivery system and tissue engineering field. ${\alpha},\;{\beta}-Poly$(N-2-hydroxyethyl-DL-aspart-amide), PHEA. is one of poly(amino acids) with hydroxyethyl pendants, which is hewn to be biodegradable and potentially biocompatible. So that, the utilization and various chemical modifications of PHEA have been attempted for useful biomedical applications. In this wort chemical gels based on PHEA were prepared by crosslinking with diisocyanate compound in DMF in the presence of catalyst. Here, the PHEA was prepared from polysuccinimde, the thermal polycondensation product of aspartic acid, via ring-opening reaction with ethanolamine. The preparation of gels and their swelling behavior, depending on the different medium and pH, were investigated. Also the morphology by SEM and simple hydrolytic degradation were observed.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.670-679
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• 2002

1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU, carmustine) is one of the effective chemotherapeutic agents which has been used clinically for treating malignant glioma. Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA, molecular weight: 20000 g/mole. mole ratio of lactide to glycolide 75 : 15) is a well known biodegradable polymer used as a drug carrier for drug delivery system. In this study, we investigated the BCNU release behaviour of BCNU-loaded PLGA wafers containing poly (N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) or polyethyleneoxide (PEO) and the effect of hydrophilic polymers incoporated in the wafers. BCNU-loaded PLGA microparticles with or without hydrophilic polymers were prepared by a spray drying method and fabricated into wafers by direct compression. Encapsulation efficiency of BCNU-loaded PLGA microparticles containing PVP and PEO was 85 ∼ 97% and crystallinity of BCNU encapsulated in PLGA decreased significantly initial release amount and release rate of BCNU increased with the increasing PVP or PEO amount. Morphological change and mass loss of wafers during the release test were confirmed that hydration and degradation of PLGA would be facilitated with an increase of hydrophilic polymers.