Goodfellow says that the product launch will help to meet the research, development and specialist production requirements of biomedicine, surgical implants, 3D scaffold for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biosensors, science and industry. The applications of the new portfolio of products include scientific and industrial usage.
The collaboration between the two companies began in earnest with the Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Program Graphene Mission to Boston in 2019.
Dr. Aphrodite Tomou, Technical Manager at Goodfellow, commented, “It has been a pleasure to collaborate with NanoRegMed in recent years, and we are ecstatic to be introducing these innovative and groundbreaking materials exclusively to the market. Hastalex and BioHastalex are going to make a huge impact on the world of science and innovation, especially in medical science, pushing graphene composites toward the next step in emerging technologies in research and development.”
As part of the deal, Goodfellow is exclusively introducing four products into the catalogue range.
First is reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a chemically- and thermally-processed graphene oxide with reduced oxygen content. Flake sizes range from 200 - 1000nm, with an average flake size of 500nm. The thickness of the rGO is below 5 nm. It contains 1 – 2 wt% oxygen. Applications include elements in electronics and energy storage, such as in polymer solar cells and biosensors.
During the development of graphene nanocomposites, it was realised that there is enormous variation in the quality of Graphene materials available in the market. Second is functionalised graphene oxide (FGO). FGO has been tested in vitro with human stem cells and shown that it is non-toxic. Its purity and quality (high level of functionalisation) have been certified by the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL) as surpassing others on the market in terms of purity and homogeneity, according to Goodfellow. Potential applications include drug & gene delivery systems, bioimaging & biosensors, tissue engineering, nanofiller for biomedical applications such as mixing with collagen to strengthen its properties, and nano filters and oil spill control.
Third is Hastalex, a non-biodegradable nanocomposite polymer, which integrates covalently the FGO nanoparticle with the polyurethane backbone of the special version of poly(carbonate-urea)urethane (PCU). It has been fully characterised and tested, says Goodfellow, which adds that it is also extremely strong and elastic. The material is non-toxic and biocompatible, proven by in vitro and in vivo animal studies. It’s also conductive. The characterisation has been using tensile tests, nano surface topography, SEM and AFM. Applications include the development of medical devices such as heart valves, arterial bypass grafts, cardiac patches and 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering application in the development of human as well animal organs. According to Goodfellow, it also has huge industrial applications virtually in every field of industry.
Fourth is BioHastalex, a nanocomposite-based FGO, covalently bonded at the pre-polymer stage to base chemicals. It has been tested and characterised as a strong, hydrophobic or hydrophilic (as required), biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic and antibacterial nanocomposite, according to Goodfellow. Applications include specialist medical applications, including 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering products, such as skin regeneration, nerve regeneration, facial organs and cardiac patches.
Both Hastalex and BioHastalex nanocomposites are said to be suitable for textiles, automotive, aerospace, agricultural technology and defence applications.
