scholarly journals Wood-Mimicking Bio-Based Biporous Polymeric Materials with Anisotropic Tubular Macropores

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 2692
Author(s):  
Vierajitha Srikanthan ◽  
Olivier Pitois ◽  
Philippe Coussot ◽  
Benjamin Le Droumaguet ◽  
Daniel Grande

Understanding physical phenomena related to fluid flow transport in plants and especially through wood is still a major challenge for the scientific community. To this end, we have focused our attention on the design of wood-mimicking polymeric architectures through a strategy based on the double porogen templating approach which relies on the use of two distinct types of porogens, namely aligned nylon threads and a porogenic solvent, to produce macro- and nanoporosity levels, respectively. A bio-based phenolic functional monomer, i.e., vanillin methacrylate, was employed to mimic either hard wood or soft wood. Upon free-radical polymerization with a crosslinking agent in the presence of both types of porogenic agents, followed by their removal, biporous materials with anistotropic tubular macropores surrounded by a nanoporous matrix were obtained. They were further fully characterized in terms of porosity and chemical composition via mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography. It was demonstrated that the two porosity levels could be independently tuned by varying structural parameters. Further, the possibility to chemically modify the pore surface and thus to vary the material surface properties was successfully demonstrated by reductive amination with model compounds via Raman spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Kailash Hamal ◽  
Jeremy May ◽  
Haoyu Zhu ◽  
Forrest Dalbec ◽  
Elena Echeverria ◽  
...  

The nitrogen-doped form of GUITAR (pseudo-Graphite from the University of Idaho Thermalized Asphalt Reaction) was examined by X-ray photoelectron, Raman, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopies and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Electrochemical studies indicate that N-GUITAR exhibits significant resistance to fouling by adsorption and by passivation. Unlike other carbon materials, it maintains fast heterogenous electron transfer (HET) kinetics with Fe(CN)63−/4− with exposure to air. The CV peak potential separation (ΔEp) of 66 mV increased to 69 mV in 3 h vs. 67 to 221 mV for a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrode. Water contact angle measurements indicate that N-GUITAR was able to better maintain a hydrophilic state during the 3-h exposure, going from 55.8 to 70.4° while HOPG increased from 63.8 to 80.1°. This indicates that N-GUITAR better resisted adsorption of volatile organic compounds. CV studies of dopamine also indicate N-GUITAR is resistant to passivation. The ΔEp for the dopamine/o-dopaminoquinone couple is 83 mV indicating fast HET rates. This is reflected in the peak current ratios for the oxidation and reduction processes of 1.3 indicating that o-dopaminoquinone is not lost to passivation processes. This ratio along with the minimal signal attenuation is the best reported in literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 268-278
Author(s):  
Christian Schramm ◽  
Beate Rinderer ◽  
Richard Tessadri

Ultra-thin polyimide fibres were fabricated by means of the electrospinning method by using precursor solutions consisting of the organotrialkoxysilanes (3-triethoxysilylpropyl)succinic anhydride (TESP-SA), (3-amino)propyltriethoxysilane (APTES), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS). TESP-SA and APTES were reacted to the corresponding poly(amic)acid (PAA) in an aqueous medium which was electrospun at 15 kV and at a tip to collector distance of 15 cm. TEOS and MTEOS were also incorporated into the precursor solution to modify the surface properties of the ultra-fine fibre mat. The fibre diameter distributions of the as-prepared PAA fibres were measured. The PAA fibres were thermally treated at 220°C resulting in the formation of an organic–inorganic hybrid polyimide fibre mat with ladder-like structure, as could be shown by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The ultra-fine fibre assemblies were also characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and water contact angle measurements.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Mrad ◽  
Saker Saloum ◽  
Ayman Al-Mariri ◽  
Iyas M. Ismail

Abstract The effects of low-pressure RF N2-O2 plasma produced using a 13.56 MHz hollow cathode discharge system on the polymeric materials in terms of both biological and chemical sides are studied. A complete inactivation of most of the studied bacteria has occurred within 30 min. However, this treatment caused an increase of the surface hydrophilicity, as manifested by the contact angle measurements. This increase was explained by the formation of the N and O functionalities revealed by the X-ray photoelectron technique analysis. A careful analysis of the high-resolution C 1s peak has also revealed some variations on the C–C, C–O and O=C– bonds and the emergence of a new C-N bond.


Water SA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Mathumba ◽  
Khona Maziya ◽  
Alex T Kuvarega ◽  
Langelihle N Dlamini ◽  
Soraya P Malinga

A photocatalytically active membrane was synthesized through the embedding of HPEI/TiO2 nanocomposite in PES membrane for the removal of methyl orange (MO) dye from water. Membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray, atomic force microscopy, water contact angle measurements and water flux analysis.  PES/HPEI/TiO2 membranes showed improved hydrophilicity and were effective in the photodegradation of MO. The reaction rate for MO degradation was 11.6 x 10−3∙min−1, and the degradation was accompanied by the generation of sulphate ions as degradation by-products.


2002 ◽  
Vol 727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denys Usov ◽  
Manfred Stamm ◽  
Sergiy Minko ◽  
Christian Froeck ◽  
Andreas Scholl ◽  
...  

AbstractWe investigated the interplay between different mechanisms of the lateral and vertical segregation in the synthesized via “grafting from” approach symmetric A/B (where A and B are poly(styrene-co-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene) and poly(methylmethacrylate), respectively) polymer brushes upon exposure to different solvents. We used X-ray photoemission electron spectroscopy and microscopy (X-PEEM), AFM, water contact angle measurements, and oxygen plasma etching to study morphology of the brushes. The ripple morphology after toluene (nonselective solvent) revealed elongated lamellar-like domains of A and B polymers alternating across the surface. The dimple-A morphology consisting of round clusters of the polymer A was observed after acetone (selective solvent for B). The top layer was enriched with the polymer B showing that the brush underwent both the lateral and vertical phase segregation. A qualitative agreement with predictions of SCF theory was found.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryama Hammi ◽  
Younes Ziat ◽  
Zakaryaa Zarhri ◽  
Charaf Laghlimi ◽  
Abdelaziz Moutcine

AbstractThe main purpose of this study is to elaborate anticorrosive coatings for the welded steel 316L, since this later is widely used in industrial field. Hence, within this work we have studied the electrochemical behaviour of different zones of the welded steel 316 in 1 M HCl media. The macrography study of the welded steel has revealed the different areas with a good contrast. We have stated three different zones, namely; melted zone (MZ), heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal zone (BM). Impedance studies on welded steel 316L were conducted in 1 M HCl solution, coating of Epoxy/Alumina composite was applied on different zones, in order to reveal the anti-corrosion efficiency in each zone. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was undertaken in order to check how far the used coating in such aggressive media protects the studied zones and these findings were assessed by water contact angle measurements. The choice of this coating is based on the cost and the safety. We concluded that the Epoxy/Alumina composite has a good protecting effect regarding welded steel in aggressive media.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Magiera ◽  
Jarosław Markowski ◽  
Elzbieta Menaszek ◽  
Jan Pilch ◽  
Stanislaw Blazewicz

The aim of the study was to manufacture poly(lactic acid)- (PLA-) based nanofibrous nonwovens that were modified using two types of modifiers, namely, gelatin- (GEL-) based nanofibres and carbon nanotubes (CNT). Hybrid nonwovens consisting of PLA and GEL nanofibres (PLA/GEL), as well as CNT-modified PLA nanofibres with GEL nanofibres (PLA + CNT/GEL), in the form of mats, were manufactured using concurrent-electrospinning technique (co-ES). The ability of such hybrid structures as potential scaffolds for tissue engineering was studied. Both types of hybrid samples and one-component PLA and CNTs-modified PLA mats were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle measurements, and biological and mechanical tests. The morphology, microstructure, and selected properties of the materials were analyzed. Biocompatibility and bioactivity in contact with normal human osteoblasts (NHOst) were studied. The coelectrospun PLA and GEL nanofibres retained their structures in hybrid samples. Both types of hybrid nonwovens were not cytotoxic and showed better osteoinductivity in comparison to scaffolds made from pure PLA. These samples also showed significantly reduced hydrophobicity compared to one-component PLA nonwovens. The CNT-contained PLA nanofibres improved mechanical properties of hybrid samples and such a 3D system appears to be interesting for potential application as a tissue engineering scaffold.


2016 ◽  
Vol 869 ◽  
pp. 913-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Lucia do Amaral Escada ◽  
Javier Andres Muñoz Chaves ◽  
Ana Paula Rosifini Alves Claro

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the TiO2 nanotubes growth and the variation in its diameter to improve the surface properties of Ti-7.5Mo to use for biomedical applications. For the nanotubes TiO2 growth, the samples were anodized in glycerol and ammonium fluoride and divided according to the anodizing potential at 5V to 10V and 24 hour time. The surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray analysis (XRD) and contact angle measurements. The average tube diameter, ranging in size from 13 to 23 nm, was found to increase with increasing anodizing voltage. It was also observed a decrease in contact angle in accordance with the increase in the anodizing potential. The X-ray analysis showed the presence of anatase phase in samples whose potential was 10V and this condition represents a simple surface treatment for Ti-7.5Mo alloy that has high potential for biomedical applications.


Polymers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Mariusz Gadzinowski ◽  
Maciej Kasprów ◽  
Teresa Basinska ◽  
Stanislaw Slomkowski ◽  
Łukasz Otulakowski ◽  
...  

In this paper, an original method of synthesis of coil–brush amphiphilic polystyrene-b-(polyglycidol-g-polyglycidol) (PS-b-(PGL-g-PGL)) block copolymers was developed. The hypothesis that their hydrophilicity and micellization can be controlled by polyglycidol blocks architecture was verified. The research enabled comparison of behavior in water of PS-b-PGL copolymers and block–brush copolymers PS-b-(PGL-g-PGL) with similar composition. The coil–brush copolymers were composed of PS-b-PGL linear core with average DPn of polystyrene 29 and 13 of polyglycidol blocks. The DPn of polyglycidol side blocks of coil–b–brush copolymers were 2, 7, and 11, respectively. The copolymers were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, GPC, and FTIR methods. The hydrophilicity of films from the linear and coil–brush copolymers was determined by water contact angle measurements in static conditions. The behavior of coil–brush copolymers in water and their critical micellization concentration (CMC) were determined by UV-VIS using 1,6-diphenylhexa-1,3,5-trien (DPH) as marker and by DLS. The CMC values for brush copolymers were much higher than for linear species with similar PGL content. The results of the copolymer film wettability and the copolymer self-assembly studies were related to fraction of hydrophilic polyglycidol. The CMC for both types of polymers increased exponentially with increasing content of polyglycidol.


2013 ◽  
Vol 690-693 ◽  
pp. 1636-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Te Hsing Wu ◽  
Ko Shao Chen ◽  
Lie Hang Shen

In this study, We immobilized hydrogel material onto expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) film and used as an functional biomaterial. The material is a film containing titanium oxide onto polymer sheet. The hydrogel film is hydrophilic, bacterial inactivated and bio-compatible. In order to improve the ePTFE film biocompatibility, the cold plasma or γ-ray technology was used with acetic acid as monomer to deposit onto ePTFE film and then (N-isopropylacrylamide) was grafted onto the surface by radiation photo-grafting. The characteristics of the material surface were evaluated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FTIR and water contact angle. It was found that the contact angle of water on the untreated ePTFE significantly decrease from125° to 72° after ePTFE film being treated with acetic acid plasma deposition procedure. Due to the hydrophilicity of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), so the contact angle of water on the ePTFE-g-NIPAAm almost approached to 0°. This thermal sensitive ePTFE hydrogels can be applied to artificial guiding tube and wound dressing material.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document