POROUS NANOSHEATH NETWORKS, METHOD OF MAKING AND USES THEREOF

• US 20090087641A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polyvalor LP
• Original Assignee: Polyvalor LP
• Inventors: Roy, Xavier, Sarazin, Pierre, Favis, Basil D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,257,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/304.400
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/12 Nanosized materials, e.g. nanofibres, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes; Nanostructured surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/18 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/10 Filtering material manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1676 of synthetic origin
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/268 Polymers created by use of a template, e.g. molecularly imprinted polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28097 being coated, filled or plugged with specific compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/305 Addition of material, later completely removed, e.g. as result of heat treatment, leaching or washing, e.g. for forming pores
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3212 consisting of a polymer obtained by reactions otherwise than involving only carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/327 Polymers obtained by reactions involving only carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3272 Polymers obtained by reactions otherwise than involving only carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3274 Proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, antibodies or antigens
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3289 Coatings involving more than one layer of same or different nature
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2220/445 comprising a mixture of polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2201/046 Elimination of a polymeric phase
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2467/00 Characterised by the use of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain of polyester-amides C08J2477/12; of polyester-imides C08J2479/08; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0061 characterized by the use of several polymeric components
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/26 by elimination of a solid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. leaching out
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 : Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]

Abstract

A method for making a porous material, includes melt-blending two or more non-miscible polymers to obtain a co-continuous melt, solidifying the melt to obtain a solid mass consisting of two co-continuous polymer phases, and selectively extracting one of the co-continuous phases thereby creating within the solid mass an essentially continuous pore network having an internal surface. The method further includes replicating the internal surface of the pore network within the solid mass by coating the internal surface with successive layers of materials, and selectively extracting the solid mass without extracting the layers of materials, to thereby yield the product porous material, formed of the layers of materials. The material has a void fraction higher than about 75%, and mainly having essentially fully interconnected sheath-like non-spherical pores and essentially non-fibrous walls.

Claims

1. A method for making a porous material, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) melt-blending two or more non-miscible polymers to obtain a co-continuous melt;

(b) solidifying the melt of step (a) to obtain a solid mass;

(c) selectively extracting at least one of the polymers from said solid mass, thereby creating an essentially continuous pore network within said solid mass, said pore network having an internal surface;

(d) replicating the internal surface of the pore network within said solid mass by coating said internal surface with successive material layers; and

(e) selectively extracting said solid mass without extracting said layers, thereby producing a porous material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said material layers are polymeric layers.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the last material layer contains functional chemical groups.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein at least some of said polymeric layers are conductive.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said polymeric layers are conductive.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after step (b), quiescent annealing of the solid mass obtained.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising exchanging the solvent and freeze-drying the porous material.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after step (c), depositing one or more precursor layers on the internal surface of said pore network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a first precursor layer comprises poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), a second precursor layer comprises poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), and a third precursor layer comprises poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (e), the extraction is partial so as to provide the porous material within a partially extracted solid mass.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (e), the extraction is total.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (d), one or more of the successive layers comprises poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (d), one or more of the successive layers comprises proteins, cell growth promoters, functionalizing agents or mixture thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (d), about half of the successive layers comprises a mixture of bovine serum albumin and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and wherein about half of the successive layers comprises bovine serum albumin and are essentially free of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).

15. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (a), the non-miscible polymers are poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(ε

-caprolactone).

16. The method of claim 1 wherein step in (a) is performed at about 200°

C.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising after step (c), depositing precursor layers on the internal surface of said pore network, said precursor layers consisting of a first precursor layer comprising poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), a second precursor layer comprising poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), and a third precursor layer comprising poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).

18. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (d), about half of the successive layers comprises a mixture of bovine serum albumin and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and wherein about half of the successive layers comprises bovine serum albumin and are essentially free of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride).

19. A porous material manufactured using the method of claim 1.

26. The use of the porous material of claim 19 in tissue engineering.

28. The use of the porous material of claim 19 as a substrate for controlled release applications.

30. The use of the porous material of claim 19 as an implantable medical device.

32. The use of the porous material of claim 19 as a separation sieve in separation systems.

34. The use of the porous material of claim 19 in catalysis.

36. The use of the porous material of claim 19 in conductivity applications.

20. A porous material having a void fraction higher than about 75% and mainly consisting of comprising essentially fully interconnected sheath-like non-spherical pores and essentially non-fibrous walls.

21. The porous material of claim 20 having a void fraction higher than about 90%.

22. The porous material of claim 20 having a void fraction ranging from 98.7% to 99.6%.

23. The porous material of claim 22 having average pore wall thickness of about 100 nanometers.

24. The porous material of claim 22 having a specific surface area of about 0.4 to about 140 m² /gram.

25. The porous material of claim 22 having an internal surface area per unit volume of about 0.29 to about 2.3 μ

m<sup>−

1</sup>.

27. The use of the porous materials of claim 22 in tissue engineering.

29. The use of the porous materials of claim 22 as a substrate for controlled release applications.

31. The use of the porous materials of claim 22 as an implantable medical device.

33. The use of the porous materials of claim 22 as separation sieve in separation systems.

35. The use of the porous materials of claim 22 in catalysis.

37. The use of the porous materials of claim 22 in conductivity applications.