@article{Mancino2023,
title = {Agarose Cryogels: Production Process Modeling and Structural Characterization },
author = {Raffaele Mancino and Diego Caccavo and Anna Angela Barba and Gaetano Lamberti and Alice Biasin and Angelo Cortesi and Gabriele Grassi and Mario Grassi and Michela Abrami},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85172281028&doi=10.3390%2fgels9090765&partnerID=40&md5=7753d30977c1b97694c4ede138749d57},
doi = {10.3390/gels9090765},
issn = {23102861},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-20},
journal = {Gels},
volume = {9},
number = {9},
pages = {765},
abstract = {A cryogel is a cross-linked polymer network with different properties that are determined by its manufacturing technique. The formation of a cryogel occurs at low temperatures and results in a porous structure whose pore size is affected by thermal conditions. The adjustable pore sizes of cryogels make them attractive for diverse applications. In this study, the influence of the external operational temperature, which affects the cooling and freezing rates, on the production of cryogels with 2% w/w agarose is investigated. Moreover, a mathematical model is developed to simulate the cryogel production process and provide an initial estimate of the pore size within the structure. The predictions of the model, supported by qualitative light microscopy images, demonstrate that cryogels produced at higher process temperatures exhibit larger pore sizes. Moreover, the existence of pore size distribution within the gel structure is confirmed. Finally, stress relaxation tests, coupled with an image analysis, validates that cryogels produced at lower temperatures possess a higher stiffness and slower water release rates.},
keywords = {Agarose, cryogels, Equilibrium, Hydrogels, Modeling, Rheology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Caccavo2020,
title = {Mechanics and drug release from poroviscoelastic hydrogels: Experiments and modeling},
author = {Diego Caccavo and Gaetano Lamberti and Anna Angela Barba},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2020.05.020},
doi = {10.1016/j.ejpb.2020.05.020},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-05-27},
journal = {European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics},
volume = {152},
pages = {299-306},
abstract = {Hydrogels are peculiar soft materials formed by a 3D polymeric network surrounded by water molecules. In these systems the mechanical and the chemical energy are well balanced and an applied external stimulus (mechanical or chemical) can cause a distinctive response, where the contributions of the mechanics and the mass transport are combined to form a “poroviscoelastic” behavior. In this work the poroviscoelastic behavior of the agarose gels has been investigated, from the experimental and modeling points of view, by applications of external mechanical stimuli. The pure gel, brought in the non-equilibrium condition, showed that the combined effect of mechanical viscoelasticity and water transport were essential to reach the new equilibrium condition. Furthermore, the agarose gel loaded with a model drug, theophylline, showed that the mechanical stimulus can enhance the drug release from the system by stretching the polymeric chains, modifying the mesh size and therefore the drug diffusion coefficient.},
keywords = {Agarose, drug delivery, Hydrogels, Modeling, Poroviscoelasticity},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}