• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.326-334
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• 2002

The purpose of this work was the producing of a biodegradable poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) microcapsule and the analyzing of form and features for the manufacturing conditions which could be observed in a prospective drug delivery systems (DDS) through drug release. The effects of different stirring rates, stirring times and concentrations of emulsifier for the diameter and form of the microcapsules were observed using image analyzer (IA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result, the microcapsules were made in wrinkle and spherical forms with a mean particle size of 40~300$\pm$20 $mu extrm{m}$. PCL microcapsules containing drugs were confirmed using FT-IR spectra. The role of interfacial adhesion between PCL and drug was determined by contact angle measurements. The drug release test of PCL microcapsules was characterized by UV/vis. spectra. It was found that the drug release rate of the microcapsules prepared with high concentration emulsifier was significantly fast.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.392-400
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• 2010

The electrospinning process was established as a promising method to fabricate nano and micro-textured scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. A BCP-loaded PCL micro-textured scaffold thus can be a viable option. The biocompatibility as well as the mechanical properties of such scaffold materials should be optimized for this purpose. In this study, a composite scaffold of poly ($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL)-biphase calcium phosphate (BCP) was successfully fabricated by electrospinning. EDS and XRD data show successful loading of BCP nano particles in the PCL fibers. Morphological characterization of fibers shows that with a higher loaded BCP content the fiber surface was rougher and the diameter was approximately 1 to 7 ${\mu}m$. Tensile modulus and ultimate tensile stress reached their highest values in the PCL- 10 wt% BCP composite. When content of nano ceramic particles was low, they were dispersed in the fibers as reinforcements for the polymer matrix. However, at a high content of ceramic particles, the particles tend to agglomerate and lead to decreasing tensile modulus and ultimate stress of the PCL-BCP composite mats. Therefore, the use of nano BCP content for distribution in fiber polymer using BCP for reinforcement is limited. Tensile strain decreased with increasing content of BCP loading. From in vitro study using MG-63 osteoblast cells and L-929 fibroblast like cells, it was confirmed that electrospun PCL-BCP composite mats were biocompatible and that spreading behavior was good. As BCP content increased, the area of cell spreading on the surface of the mats also increased. Cells showed the best adherence on the surface of composite mats at 50 wt% BCP for both L-929 fibroblast-like cells and MG-63 osteoblast cell. PCL- BCP composites are a promising material for application in bone scaffolds.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.618-626
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• 2019

Stem cell therapy is not expected to bestow any therapeutic benefit because of the low engraftment rates after transplantation.Various cell-carrying scaffolds have been developed in order to overcome this problem. When the scaffold is formed by 3-dimensional (3D) printing, it is possible to create various shapes of scaffolds for specific regions of injury. At the same time, scaffolds provide stem cells as therapeutic-agents and mechanically support an injured region. PCL is not only cost effective, but it is also a widely used material for 3D printing. Therefore, rapid and economical technology development can be achieved when PCL is printed and used as a cell carrier. Yet PCL materials do not perform well as cell carriers, and only a few cells survive on the PCL surface. In this study, we tried to determine the conditions that maximize the cell-loading capacity on the PCL surface to overcome this issue. By applying a plasma treated condition and then collagen coating known to improve the cell loading capacity, it was confirmed that the 3% collagen coating after plasma treatment showed the best cell engraftment capacity during 72 hours after cell loading. By applying the spheroid cell culture method and scaffold structure change, which can affect the cell loading ability, the spheroid cell culture methods vastly improved cell engraftment, and the scaffold structure did not affect the cell engraftment properties. We will conduct further experiments using PCL material as a cell carrier and as based the excellent results of this study.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.247-251
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• 2008

Degradation behavior in the seawater of Tongyeong, Incheon, Kunsan and Hongsung was explored for Mater-Bi$^{(R)}$, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy valerate) (PHBV), poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) which can eventually be used for various fishery tools. Acinetobacter lwoffu/junii and Shewanella algae/putrefaciens inhabited all the seawater samples. Eikenella corrodens was also detected in all the seawater samples, although identified with poor confidence by VITEK system. Mater-Bi$^{(R)}$ was degraded faster than PHBV, PBSA and PCL in the seawater in contradiction to the degradation behavior in soil environment. The seawater retrieved from Incheon exhibited the most elevated activity for the plastic degradation, which may be partly ascribed to the largest number of total viable counts.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.179-182
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• 2017

Waterborne polyurethanes(WPU) based on castor oil were successfully prepared using polycaprolactone diol(PCL), castor oil(CO) and 4,4'-methylene dicyclohexyl diisocyanate($H_{12}MDI$) as soft segment part, dimethylolbutanoic acid (DMBA) as emulsifier, and trimethylamine(TEA) as neutralizer based on different molecular weight of prepolymer. The various properties such as mechanical strength and surface reforming were evaluated using UTM, contact angle, FE-SEM based on the different molecular weight of polyol. Waterborne polyurethanes based on castor oil could be considered as a promising candidate to be applied the various adhesion fields.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.686-692
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• 2012

Solid free-form fabrication (SFF) technology was developed to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) applications. In this study, we developed a polymer deposition system (PDS) and created 3D microstructures using a bioresorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer. Fabrication of 3D scaffolds by PDS requires a combination of several devices, including a heating system, dispenser, and motion controller. The system can process a polymer with extremely high precision by using a 200 ${\mu}m$ nozzle. Based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, both the line width and the piled line height were fine and uniform. Several 3D micro-structures, including the ANU pattern (a pattern named after Andong National University), $45^{\circ}$ pattern square, frame, cylindrical, triangular, cross-shaped, and hexagon, have been fabricated using the polymer deposition system.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.43.1-43.1
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• 2010

조직공학의 중요한 요소로 작용하는 scaffold는 여러 가지 필수적인 조건들을 만족시켜야 한다. 대표적인 특징들로는 (1)생분해성 및 비독성, (2)넓은 표면적을 갖는 상호 연결된 내부 다공성 구조, (3)구조적 안정성, (4)세포부착 기질의 제공, (5)낮은 면역 반응성, (6)혈전 형성 억제, (7)친수성, (8)생체 기능성 등을 들 수 있다. 이러한 scaffold가 갖추어야 할 특성 중에서 세포 부착 기질 제공을 위하여 scaffold에 표면 개질을 통한 기능기를 도입하였다. 본 연구에서는 BCP scaffold의 구조적 안정성 부여를 위하여 PCL(polycaprolactone)을 infiltration 하였다. PCL은 소수성의 특징을 갖고 있어 세포와 상호작용 할 수 있는 생물학적 반응기가 없기 때문에 세포와의 친화성이 떨어진다. 세포의 친화성을 높여주기 위해 실리콘의 전구체인 TEOS(tetraethly orthosilicate)를 코팅하고, 그 위에 카복실기(carboxylic acid group)를 도입하였다. 또한 세포의 고정화를 높여주기 위해 fibronectin을 코팅하여 BCP/PCL scaffold의 세포 친화성을 높여주었다. 이와 같이 제조된 고기능성 BCP/PCL scaffold의 내부 구조와 특성을 Micro-CT로 확인하였고, 또한 실리콘 코팅 여부를 확인하기 위하여 SEM-EDS를 통해 관찰하였으며, FT-IR 관찰을 통해 카복실기 도입 여부를 확인 하였다. 또한 생체적합성 평가를 위해 MTT assay, 조골세포의 부착에 미치는 영향을 관찰하기 위해 SEM, 조골세포의 유전자 발현에 미치는 영향을 관찰하기 위해 RT-PCR을 통해 확인 하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2020

In this study, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and dimethylolbutanoic acid (DMBA) were used on the basis of poly caprolactone diol (3M, 3.5M, 4M, 4.5M) for the synthesis of water-based polyurethanes for coating on skin layers of leather. Tensile strength, elongation, and adhesive strength of the prepared samples were measured. As a result of measuring the tensile strength, the tensile strength was found to be 4.09 kgf / ㎟ when 3 moles were applied, and 1.071 kgf / ㎟ when 4.5 moles were applied. Elongation was 366 % when 3 moles of PCL were applied, and 709 % at 4.5 moles. Adhesive strength was 2.887 kgf / cm when 3 moles of PCL was applied and 0.998 kgf / cm when 4.5 moles were applied.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.283-298
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• 2007

Environment-friendly composites reinforced with bagasse fiber (BF), a kind of natural fiber as the remains from squeezed sugarcane, were fabricated by injection molding and press molding. As appropriate matrices for injection molding and press molding, polypropylene (PP) and polycaprolactone-cornstarch (PCL-C) were selected, as a typical recyclable resin and biodegradable resin, respectively. The mechanical properties of BF/PP composites were investigated in view of fiber mass fraction and injection molding conditions. And the mechanical properties and the biodegradation of BF/PCL composites were also evaluated. In the case of injection molding, the flexural modulus increased with an increase in fiber mass fraction, and the mechanical properties decreased with an increase in cylinder temperature due to the thermal degradation of BF. The optimum conditions increasing the flexural properties and the impact strength were $90^{\circ}C$ mold temperature, 30 s injection interval, and in the range of 165 to $185^{\circ}C$ cylinder temperature. On the other hand, as to BF/PCL-C fully-green composites, both the flexural properties and the impact strength increased with an increase in fiber mass fraction. It is considered that the BF compressed during preparation could result in the enhancement in mechanical properties. The results of the biodegradability test showed the addition of BF caused the acceleration of weight loss, which increased further with increasing fiber content. This reveals that the addition and the quantities of BF could promote the biodegradation of fully-green composites.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.784-788
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• 1999

The effects of pH, moisture content, and the relative amount of a polymer sample on the biodegradation of degradable polymers in soil were studied using various polymer materials such as cellulose, poly-(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (SG) polycaprolactone (PCL), a blend of PCL and starch (PCL-starch), and a poly-lactic acid (PLA). As with other materials, the polymers degraded faster at a neutral pH than at either acidic or basic conditions. Moisture contents of 60 and 100% water holding capacity exhibited a similar biodegradability for various polymers, although the effects differed depending on the polymer. For synthetic polymers, biodegradation was faster at 60%, while the natural polymer (cellulose) degraded faster at 100%. Fungal hypae was observed at a 60% water holding capacity which may have affected the biodegradation of the polymers. A polymer amount of 0.25% to soil revealed the highest biodegradability among the ratios of 0.25, 0.5, and 1%. With a higher sample amount, the residual polymer could be recovered after the biodegradation test. It was confirmed that a test for general biodegradation condition can be applied to plastic biodegradation in soil.