title: Micro- and nanostructuring of freestanding, biodegradable, thin sheets of chitosan via soft lithography.
abstract: A technique for imparting micro- and nanostructured topography into the surface of freestanding thin sheets of chitosan is described. Both micro- and nanometric surface structures have been produced using soft lithography. The soft lithography method, based on solvent evaporation, has allowed structures approximately 60 nm tall and approximately 500 x 500 nm(2) to be produced on freestanding approximately 0.5 mm thick sheets of the polymer when cured at 293 K, and structures approximately 400 nm tall and 5 x 5 microm(2) to be produced when cured at 283 K. Nonstructured chitosan thin sheets (approximately 200 microm thick) show excellent optical transmission properties in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The structured sheets can be used for applications where optical microscopic analysis is required, such as cell interaction experiments and tissue engineering.
authors: Laboratory of Nanobioengineering (IBEC), Barcelona Science Park, c/Josep Samitier 1-5, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Javier G
authors: JG
authors: Fernandez
authors: Christopher A
authors: CA
authors: Mills
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Martinez
authors: Maria J
authors: MJ
authors: Lopez-Bosque
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Sisquella
authors: Abdelhamid
authors: A
authors: Errachid
authors: Josep
authors: J
authors: Samitier
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D048271:Chitosan