Anisotropic Character of Talc Surfaces as Revealed by Streaming Potential Measurements, Atomic Force Microscopy, Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Contact Angle Measurements

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Nalaskowski ◽  
B. Abdul ◽  
H. Du ◽  
J.D. Miller
Cellulose ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Auernhammer ◽  
Alena K. Bell ◽  
Marcus Schulze ◽  
Yue Du ◽  
Lukas Stühn ◽  
...  

Abstract Polymer coatings on cellulosic fibres are widely used to enhance the natural fibre properties by improving, for example, the hydrophobicity and wet strength. Here, we investigate the effects of a terpolymer P(S-co-MABP-co-PyMA) coating on cotton linters and eucalyptus fibres to improve the resistance of cellulose fibres against wetness. Coated and uncoated fibres were characterised by using scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy with the objective of correlating macroscopic properties such as the hydrophobicity of the fleece with microscopic properties such as the coating distribution and local nanomechanics. The scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy results revealed the distribution of the coating on the paper fleeces and fibres. Contact angle measurements proved the hydrophobic character of the coated fleece, which was also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy measurements that investigated the water uptake in single fibres. The water uptake also induced a change in the local mechanical properties, as measured by atomic force microscopy. These results verify the basic functionality of the hydrophobic coating on fibres and paper fleeces but call into question the homogeneity of the coating. Graphic abstract


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Koide ◽  
Noriyuki Kodera ◽  
Shveta Bisht ◽  
Shoji Takada ◽  
Tsuyoshi Terakawa

The condensin protein complex compacts chromatin during mitosis using its DNA-loop extrusion activity. Previous studies proposed scrunching and loop-capture models as molecular mechanisms for the loop extrusion process, both of which assume the binding of double-strand (ds) DNA to the so-called hinge domain formed at the interface of the condensin subunits Smc2 and Smc4. However, how the hinge domain contacts dsDNA has remained unknown, potentially due to its conformational plasticity. Here, we conducted atomic force microscopy imaging of the budding yeast condensin holo-complex and used this data as basis for coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to model the hinge structure in a transient open conformation. We then simulated the dsDNA binding to open and closed hinge conformations, predicting that dsDNA binds to the outside surface when closed and to the outside and inside surfaces when open. Our simulations also suggested that the hinge can close around dsDNA bound to the inside surface. The conformational change of the hinge domain might be essential for the dsDNA binding regulation and play important roles in condensin-mediated DNA-loop extrusion.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3171
Author(s):  
AbdolAli Moghaddasi ◽  
Patrik Sobolčiak ◽  
Anton Popelka ◽  
Igor Krupa

Purpose: Copolyamide 6,10 (coPA) electrospun mats were covered with multilayered (ML) and single-layered (SL) MXene (Ti3C2Tx) as a membrane for the separation of water/vegetable oil emulsions. Methods: Prepared membranes were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), profilometry, the contact angle measurements of various liquids in air, and the underwater contact angle of vegetable oil. The separation efficiency was evaluated by measuring the UV transmittance of stock solutions compared to the UV transmittance of the filtrate. Results: The MXene coating onto coPA mats led to changes in the permeability, hydrophilicity, and roughness of the membranes and enhanced the separation efficiency of the water/vegetable oil emulsions containing 10, 100, and 1000 ppm of sunflower vegetable oil. It was found that membranes were highly oleophobic (>124°) under water, unlike in air, where the membranes showed high oleophobicity (<5°). The separation efficiency of water/oil emulsions for both types of covered membranes reached over 99%, with a surface coverage of 3.2 mg/cm2 Ti3C2Tx (for ML-Ti3C2Tx) and 2.9 mg/cm2 (for SL-Ti3C2Tx). Conclusions: The separation efficiency was greater than 98% for membranes covered with 2.65 mg/cm2 of ML-Ti3C2Tx, whereas the separation efficiency for membranes containing 1.89 and 0.77 mg/cm2 was less than 90% for all studied emulsion concentrations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 583 ◽  
pp. 95-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Sionkowska ◽  
Katarzyna Lewandowska ◽  
A. Planecka ◽  
P. Szarszewska ◽  
K. Krasinska ◽  
...  

Blends of two polymer, namely chitosan with silk fibroin or partially hydrolysed polyacrylamide (HPAM) were prepared. The surface properties of chitosan/silk fibroin and chitosan/HPAM blended films were investigated using the technique of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and by means of contact angle measurements allowing the calculation of surface free energy. Measurements of the contact angle for diiodomethane (D), and glycerol (G) on the surface of chitosan films and chitosan/silk fibroin films were made and surface free energy was calculated. It was found that chitosan/silk fibroin blend surface is enriched in high surface energy component i.e. silk fibroin. The surface roughness of chitosan, silk fibroin, HPAM, chitosan/silk fibroin and chitosan/HPAM blended films differs with the composition of the blend. Film-forming polymeric blends can be potentially used as biomaterials and cosmetic materials.


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