Functionalized silsesquioxanes with cage architecture as versatile building blocks in chemistry and biomaterials engineering
Abstract
Double-decker silsesquioxanes (DDSQs) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) occupy an indisputable place among the group of functionalized siloxane-based compounds and find the applications in various fields, including hybrid materials [1], coordination chemistry [2], catalysis [3], etc. They throw light on the development of molecular and macromolecular organosilicon chemistry concepts. While the use of POSS in medicine has been known for years, DDSQ has not been widely exploited in this context so far. DDSQs can be used as building blocks for composited with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) creating potential biomaterials applied for skin regeneration. The method of preparation and characterization of the hybrid biocomposites based on double-decker silsesquioxanes (DDSQs) functionalized by methacrylate derivatives and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) will be presented (Figure 1). The resulting biomaterials fulfill the requirements for potential skin regeneration applications. Human fibroblasts growing on prepared hybrid composites are characterized by proper spindle-shaped morphology, proliferation and activation status similar to control conditions (cells cultured on PVA), as well as increased adhesion and migration abilities. The obtained results suggest that the prepared biomaterials could be used as a factor supporting the wound healing process [4, 5].
