• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.704-709
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• 2014

In this study, we fabricated a novel micro porous hybrid scaffold of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and a polylectrolyte complex (PEC) of chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA). The fabrication process included loading of CS-HA PEC in a bare BCP scaffold followed by lypophilization. SEM observation and porosimetry revealed that the scaffold was full of micro and macro pores with total porosity of more than 60 % and pore size in the range of $20{\sim}200{\mu}m$. The composite scaffold was mechanically stronger than the bare BCP scaffold and was significantly stronger than the CS-HA PEC polymer scaffold. Bone morphogenetic growth factor (BMP-2) was immobilized in CS-HA PEC in order to integrate the osteoinductive potentiality required for osteogenesis. The BCP frame, prepared by sponge replica, worked as a physical barrier that prolonged the BMP-2 release significantly. The preliminary biocompatibility data show improved biological performance of the BMP-2 immobilized hybrid scaffold in the presence of rabbit bone marrow stem cells (rBMSC).

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.192-196
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• 2009

Recently, the multi-screening of target materials has been made possible by the development of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging method. To adapt this method to biochemical analysis, the multi-patterning technology of protein microarrays is required. Among the different methods of fabricating protein microarrays, the microfluidic platform was selected due to its various advantages over other techniques. Microfluidic devices were designed and fabricated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by the replica molding method. These devices were designed to operate using only capillary force, without the need for additional flow control equipment. With these devices, multiple protein-patterned sensor surfaces were made, to support the two-dimensional detection of various protein-protein interactions with SPR. The fabrication technique of protein microarrays can be applied not only to SPR imaging, but also to other biochemical analyses.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.331-337
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• 2010

A highly porous Biphasic Calcium Phosphate (BCP) scaffold was fabricated by the sponge replica method with a microwave sintering technique. The BCP scaffold had interconnected pores ranging from $80\;{\mu}m$ to $1000\;{\mu}m$, which were similar to natural cancellous bone. To enhance the mechanical properties of the porous scaffold, infiltration of polycaprolactone (PCL) was employed. The microstructure of the BCP scaffold was optimized using various volume percentages of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) for the infiltration process. PCL successfully infiltrated into the hollow space of the strut formed after the removal of the polymer sponge throughout the degassing and high pressure steps. The microstructure and material properties of the BCP scaffold (i.e., pore size, morphology of infiltrated and coated PCL, compressive strength, and porosity) were evaluated. When a 30 vol% of PMMA was used, the PCL-BCP scaffold showed the highest compressive strength. The compressive strength values of the BCP and PCL-BCP scaffolds were approximately 1.3 and 2MPa, respectively. After the PCL infiltration process, the porosity of the PCL-BCP scaffold decreased slightly to 86%, whereas that of the BCP scaffold was 86%. The number of pores in the $10\;{\mu}m$ to $20\;{\mu}m$ rage, which represent the pore channel inside of the strut, significantly decreased. The in-vitro study confirmed that the PCL-infiltrated BCP scaffold showed comparable cell viability without any cytotoxic behavior.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.348-356
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to fabricate a submicro-and micro-patterned fibronectin coated wafer for a cell culture, which allows the positions and dimensions of the attached cells to be controlled. A replica molding was made into silicon via a photomask in quartz, using E-beam lithography, and then fabricated a polydimethylsiloxane stamp using the designed silicon mold. Hexadecanethiol $[HS(CH_2){_{15}}CH_3]$, adsorbed on the raised plateau of the surface of polydimethylsiloxane stamp, was contact-printed to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of hexadecanethiolate on the surface of an Au-coated glass wafer. In order to form another SAM for control of the surface wafer properties, a hydrophilic hexa (ethylene glycol) terminated alkanethiol $[HS(CH_2){_{11}}(OCH_2CH_2){_6}OH]$ was also synthesized. The structural changes were confirmed using UV and $^1H-NMR$ spectroscopies. A SAM terminated in the hexa(ethylene glycol) groups was subsequently formed on the bare gold remaining on the surface of the Aucoated glass wafer. In order to aid the attachment of cells, fibronectin was adsorbed onto the resulting wafer, with the pattern formed on the gold-coated wafer confirmed using immunofluorescence staining against fibronectin. Fibronectin was adsorbed only onto the SAMs terminated in the methyl groups of the substrate. The hexa (ethylene glycol)-terminated regions resisted the adsorption of protein. Human dermal fibroblasts (P=4), obtained from newborn foreskin, only attached to the fibronectin-coated, methyl-terminated hydrophobic regions of the patterned SAMs. N-HDFs were more actively adhered, and spread in a pattern spacing below $14{\mu}m$, rather than above $17{\mu}m$, could easily migrate on the substrate containing spacing of $10{\mu}m$ or less between the strip lines.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2020

In this study, the effects of kaolin addition on the properties of reticulated porous diatomite-kaolin composites are investigated. A reticulated porous diatomite-kaolin composite is prepared using the replica template method. The microstructure and pore characteristics of the reticulated porous diatomite-kaolin composites are analyzed by controlling the PPI value (45, 60, and 80 PPI) of the polyurethane foam (which are used as the polymer template), the ball-milling time (8 and 24 h), and the amount of kaolin (0-50 wt. %). The average pore size decreases as the amount of kaolin increases in the reticulated porous diatomite-kaolin composite. As the amount of kaolin increases, it can be determined that the amount of inter-connected pore channels is reduced because the plate-shaped kaolin particles connect the gaps between irregular diatomite particles. Consequently, a higher kaolin percentage affects the overall mechanical properties by improving the pore channel connectivity. The effect of kaolin addition on the basic properties of the reticulated porous diatomite-kaolin composite is further discussed with characterization data such as pore size distribution, scanning electron microscopy images, and compressive strength.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2015

Ceramic foams are prepared as positive images corresponding to a plastic foam structure which exhibits high porosities (85-90%). This structure makes the ceramic foams attractive as a catalyst in a dry reforming process, because it could reduce a high pressure drop problem. This problem causes low mass and heat transfers in the process. Furthermore, the reactants would shortly contact to catalyst surface, thus low conversion could occur. Therefore, this research addressed the preparation of dry reforming catalysts using a sol-gel catalyst preparation via a polymeric sponge method. The specific objectives of this work are to investigate the effects of polymer foam structure (such as porosity, pore sizes, and cell characteristics) on a catalyst performance and to observe the influences of catalyst preparation parameters to yield a replica of the original structure of polymeric foam. To accomplish these objectives industrial waste foams, polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) foams, were used as a polymeric template. Results indicated that the porosity of the polyurethane and polyvinyl alcohol foams were about 99% and 97%. Their average cell sizes were approximate 200 and 50 micrometres, respectively. The cell characteristics of polymer foams exhibited the character of a high permeability material that can be able to dip with ceramic slurry, which was synthesized with various viscosities, during a catalyst preparation step. Next, morphology of ceramic foams was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and catalyst properties, such as; temperature profile of catalyst reduction, metal dispersion, and surface area, were also characterized by $H_2-TPR$ and $H_2-TPD$ techniques, and BET, respectively. From the results, it was found that metal-particle dispersion was relatively high about 5.89%, whereas the surface area of ceramic foam catalysts was $64.52m^2/g$. Finally, the catalytic behaviour toward hydrogen production through the dry reforming of methane using a fixed-bed reactor was evaluated under certain operating conditions. The approaches from this research provide a direction for further improvement of marketable environmental friendly catalyst production.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.425-430
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• 2015

ZSM-5 crystals grew by hydrothermal synthesis method on the surface of foam type porous silicon carbide ceramics which fabricated by polymer replica method. Oxide layer was developed on the surface of the porous silicon carbide ceramics to induce growth of ZSM-5 from the surface. In this study, hydrothermal synthesis was carried out for 7 h at $150^{\circ}C$ using TEOS, $Al(NO_3){\cdot}9H_2O$ and TPAOH as raw materials in the presence of the porous silicon carbide ceramics. X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses were confirmed $1{\sim}3{\mu}m$ sized ZSM-5 crystals have grown on the surface of porous silicon carbide ceramics. BET data shows that small pores about $10{\AA}$ size drastically enhanced and surface area increased from $0.83m^2/g$ to $30.75m^2/g$ after ZSM-5 synthesis on the surface of foam type porous silicon carbide ceramics.