Control of the structure and of the release profile of biological active molecules from materials prepared via sol-gel

The purpose of this paper, which contains both unpublished and published results, is to present and to discuss the efforts made by three generation of women with the objective of correlating the physicochemical and structural characteristics of polymeric ureasil-polyether hybrids and ZnO quantum dot (QD) nanostructured materials obtained by sol–gel processing with their final properties and applications. Ureasil-polyether polymers with optimized mechanical, swelling, toxicity, cell viability, and modified release profile characteristics were developed and studied. The results demonstrated that the knowledge of the physicochemical and structural properties was decisive for achieving a fine control of the release profile of biologically active molecules and to propose the application of these polymers as film-forming systems and implants for bone regeneration. We also demonstrate the application of the sol–gel method to prepare size-controlled ZnO QDs, with and without surface modifiers, which are stable in aqueous suspension. The systematic study of the structure and growth of nanoparticles and the formation of aggregates was essential to control both the luminescent properties and the antimicrobial activity of ZnO QDs.