scholarly journals Organogels for the cleaning of artifacts

2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Diletta Pianorsi ◽  
Martina Raudino ◽  
Nicole Bonelli ◽  
David Chelazzi ◽  
Rodorico Giorgi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe cleaning of artifacts must not alter the original properties of the objects. While the use of free solvents is risky, their confinement into polymeric networks can allow the safe removal of unwanted layers from artifacts. Recently, a methyl 2-methylprop-2-enoate (MMA)-based organogel was formulated as loaded with butan-2-one (MEK), and used to remove aged varnishes from canvas paintings. However, this formulation is not enough retentive to allow its use on paper, where higher retentiveness is needed to avoid the uncontrolled spreading of MEK and dissolved materials. Here, a new PMMA-MEK gel was designed to overcome this limitation. The amount of cross-linker and monomer used in the synthesis of the gel were tuned to achieve optimal retentiveness. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermogravimetry (DTG), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) provided information on the solvent content, release rate, and mesoporosity of the gel as compared to the previous system. The lower solvent release rate of the new formulation allowed the safe removal of wax that jeopardized a 19th century paper document. The removal was confirmed through optical microscopy and ATR-FTIR, which also highlighted the absence of gel residues on the treated surface.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fausta Loffredo ◽  
Loredana Tammaro ◽  
Tiziana Di Luccio ◽  
Carmela Borriello ◽  
Fulvia Villani ◽  
...  

AbstractTungsten disulfide (WS2) nanotubes (NTs) are examined here as a filler for polylactide (PLA) for their ability to accelerate PLA crystallization and for their promising biocompatibility in relevant to biomedical applications of PLA-WS2 nanocomposites. In this work, we have studied the structural and thermal properties of PLA-WS2 nanocomposite films varying the concentration of WS2 NTs from 0 (neat PLA) to 0.6 wt%. The films were uniaxially drawn at 90 °C and annealed at the same temperature for 3 and 10 min. Using wide angle x-ray scattering, Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, we probed the effects of WS2 NT addition on the structure of the PLA films at various stages of processing (unstretched, stretching, annealing). We found that 0.6 wt% of WS2 induces the same level of crystallinity in as stretched PLA-WS2 as annealing in neat PLA for 10 min. These data provide useful insights into the role of WS2 NTs on the structural evolution of PLA-WS2 composites under uniaxial deformation, and extend their applicability to situations where fine tuning of PLA crystallinity is desirable.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3539
Author(s):  
Anastasia Meretoudi ◽  
Christina N. Banti ◽  
Panagiotis K. Raptis ◽  
Christina Papachristodoulou ◽  
Nikolaos Kourkoumelis ◽  
...  

The oregano leaves’ extract (ORLE) was used for the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs(ORLE)). ORLE and AgNPs(ORLE) (2 mg/mL) were dispersed in polymer hydrogels to give the pHEMA@ORLE_2 and pHEMA@AgNPs(ORLE)_2 using hydroxyethyl–methacrylate (HEMA). The materials were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD), thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), derivative thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (DTG/DSC), ultraviolet (UV-Vis), and attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopies in solid state and UV–Vis in solution. The crystallite size value, analyzed with XRPD, was determined at 20 nm. The antimicrobial activity of the materials was investigated against Gram-negative bacterial strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The Gram-positive ones of the genus of Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are known to be involved in microbial keratitis by the means of inhibitory zone (IZ), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The IZs, which developed upon incubation of P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. epidermidis, and S. aureus with paper discs soaked in 2 mg/mL of AgNPs(ORLE), were 11.7 ± 0.7, 13.5 ± 1.9, 12.7 ± 1.7, and 14.3 ± 1.7 mm. When the same dose of ORLE was administrated, the IZs were 10.2 ± 0.7, 9.2 ± 0.5, 9.0 ± 0.0, and 9.0 ± 0.0 mm. The percent of bacterial viability when they were incubated over the polymeric hydrogel discs of pHEMA@AgNPs(ORLE)_2 was interestingly low (66.5, 88.3, 77.7, and 59.6%, respectively, against of P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. epidermidis, and S. aureus) and those of pHEMA@ORLE_2 were 89.3, 88.1, 92.8, and 84.6%, respectively. Consequently, pHEMA@AgNPs(ORLE)_2 could be an efficient candidate toward the development of non-infectious contact lenses.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabkwan Chuealee ◽  
Timothy S. Wiedmann ◽  
Teerapol Srichana

Sodium cholesteryl carbonate ester (SCC) was synthesized, and its phase behavior was studied. The chemical structure was assessed by solid-state infrared spectroscopy based on vibration analysis. The wave number at 1705 and 1276 cm−1 corresponds to a carbonyl carbonate and O–C–O stretching of SCC, respectively. Molecular structure of SCC was further investigated with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The chemical shift, for the carbonyl carbonate resonance appeared at 155.5 ppm. A molecular mass of SCC was at m/z of 452. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), video-enhanced microscopy (VEM) together with polarized light microscopy, and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) were used to characterize the phase behavior as a function of temperature of SCC. Liquid crystalline phase was formed with SCC. Based on the thermal properties and x-ray diffraction, it appears that SCC forms a structure analogous to the type II monolayer structure observed with cholesterol esters.


e-Polymers ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Al-Hussein ◽  
Gert Strobl

AbstractTemperature-dependent small-angle X-ray scattering spectroscopy of isothermally cold crystallized isotactic polystyrene revealed considerable morphological reorganization during subsequent heating to the melt. Both the crystalline thickness and the long period increased continuously with increasing temperature before the samples finally melted. The temperature dependence of these changes correlated very well with the melting behaviour observed with differential scanning calorimetry. As the temperature increased during a heating scan, the initial lamellae that formed during isothermal crystallization showed only little reorganization until they started to melt. Then, the molten material recrystallized continuously into increasingly thicker lamellae at increasing temperature until they finally melted. As the crystallization temperature approached the final melting temperature of the recrystallized lamellae, the initial lamellae melted without further recrystallization and no morphological changes were seen in this case.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruby R. Rafanan

Emulsified microemulsions (EMEs), first described in detail in 2005 by the group of Garti, consist of a thermodynamically stable water-in-oil microemulsion phase (w1/o) further dispersed within an aqueous continuous phase (w2). These internally-structured w1/o/w2 dispersions are promising controlled release vehicles for water-soluble flavouring compounds, drugs and nutraceuticals. With a stable internal droplet structure, storage stability is improved over non-thermodynamically stable structured emulsions and may exhibit unique controlled release behaviour. Use of food-grade components allows for wider and safer applications in food and pharmaceutical products. In this thesis, a food-grade w1/o microemulsion consisting of glycerol monooleate, tricaprylin and water was dispersed in an aqueous (w2) phase by membrane emulsification and stabilized by a caseinate-pectin complex to produce w1/o/w2 EMEs. The resulting EME showed no signs of phase separation for weeks at room temperature. The microemulsion and EME were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cryo-TEM and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine whether the microemulsion’s internal structure was maintained after emulsification. It was shown that EME droplets displayed ordering around the periphery consistent with some loss of microemulsion structure, but maintained the characteristic disordered microemulsion structure at the droplet core. Overall, this research demonstrated the feasibility of developing EME for possible applications in food and non-food applications.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruby R. Rafanan

Emulsified microemulsions (EMEs), first described in detail in 2005 by the group of Garti, consist of a thermodynamically stable water-in-oil microemulsion phase (w1/o) further dispersed within an aqueous continuous phase (w2). These internally-structured w1/o/w2 dispersions are promising controlled release vehicles for water-soluble flavouring compounds, drugs and nutraceuticals. With a stable internal droplet structure, storage stability is improved over non-thermodynamically stable structured emulsions and may exhibit unique controlled release behaviour. Use of food-grade components allows for wider and safer applications in food and pharmaceutical products. In this thesis, a food-grade w1/o microemulsion consisting of glycerol monooleate, tricaprylin and water was dispersed in an aqueous (w2) phase by membrane emulsification and stabilized by a caseinate-pectin complex to produce w1/o/w2 EMEs. The resulting EME showed no signs of phase separation for weeks at room temperature. The microemulsion and EME were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cryo-TEM and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine whether the microemulsion’s internal structure was maintained after emulsification. It was shown that EME droplets displayed ordering around the periphery consistent with some loss of microemulsion structure, but maintained the characteristic disordered microemulsion structure at the droplet core. Overall, this research demonstrated the feasibility of developing EME for possible applications in food and non-food applications.


2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 871-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Huang Lai ◽  
Ya-Sen Sun ◽  
U-Ser Jeng ◽  
Jhih-Min Lin ◽  
Tsang-Lang Lin ◽  
...  

A SWAXS (small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering) instrument was recently installed at the wiggler beamline BL17B3 of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), Taiwan. The instrument, which is designed for studies of static and dynamic nanostructures and correlations between the nano (ormeso) structure (SAXS) and crystalline structure (WAXS), provides a flux of 1010–1011photon s−1at the sample at energies between 5 and 14 keV. With a SAXS area detector and a WAXS linear detector connected to two data acquisition systems operated in master–slave mode, the instrument allows one to perform time-resolved as well as anomalous scattering measurements. Data reduction algorithms have been developed for rapid processing of the large SWAXS data sets collected during time-resolved measurements. The performance of the instrument is illustrated by examples taken from different classes of ongoing projects: (i) time-resolved SAXS/WAXS/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with a time resolution of 10 s on a semicrystalline poly(hexamethylene terephthalate) sample, (ii) anomalous SAXS/WAXS measurements on a nanoparticulate PtRu catalyst, and (iii) grazing-incidence SAXS of a monolayer of oriented semiconductor quantum wires, and humidity-controlled ordering of Alamethicin peptides embedded in an oriented lipid membrane.


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