Experimental Investigation Of Nanostructures Generated On Glasses Using A MHz Femtosecond Laser

This dissertation reports the synthesis of unique Si0₂ based nanostructures by exposing glass samples to MHz repletion rate femtosecond laser irradiation. A three-dimensional fibrous nanoparticle agglomerate network was observed on soda-lime glass (73% SiO + other compounds) when exposed to femtosecond laser irradiation at 8.4 MHz and 12.6 MHz repetition rate and 0.5 ms dwell time, in air. By irradiating silica glass (96% SiO₂+ trace elements) sample under ambient conditions with femtosecond pulses at 12.6 MHz and dwell time in excess of 3.0 ms; long continuous nanofibers of extremely high aspect ration (certain fibers up to 100000:1) were obtained. The mechanisms that promote such nanostructures with distinct morphologies have been explored. A deeper insight into the fundamentals of femtosecond laser interaction with dielectrics led to the understanding that variations in bandgap alters ablation dynamics and dictates the response of glass to femtosecond laser irradiation, ultimately resulting in the formation of structures with dissimilar morphology on silica and soda-lime glass.

Experimental Investigation Of Nanostructures Generated On Glasses Using A MHz Femtosecond Laser

This dissertation reports the synthesis of unique Si0₂ based nanostructures by exposing glass samples to MHz repletion rate femtosecond laser irradiation. A three-dimensional fibrous nanoparticle agglomerate network was observed on soda-lime glass (73% SiO + other compounds) when exposed to femtosecond laser irradiation at 8.4 MHz and 12.6 MHz repetition rate and 0.5 ms dwell time, in air. By irradiating silica glass (96% SiO₂+ trace elements) sample under ambient conditions with femtosecond pulses at 12.6 MHz and dwell time in excess of 3.0 ms; long continuous nanofibers of extremely high aspect ration (certain fibers up to 100000:1) were obtained. The mechanisms that promote such nanostructures with distinct morphologies have been explored. A deeper insight into the fundamentals of femtosecond laser interaction with dielectrics led to the understanding that variations in bandgap alters ablation dynamics and dictates the response of glass to femtosecond laser irradiation, ultimately resulting in the formation of structures with dissimilar morphology on silica and soda-lime glass.

Vertically aligned nanostructured gold microtube assisted by polymer template with combination of wet phase inversion and Cu grid mask

Tubular architecture has been extensively exploited in diverse applications such as solar cells and sensors. However, the synthesis of microtubes with high aspect ratio using polymer templates has been rarely reported. In this study, we designed a facile avenue for the synthesis of well-aligned Au nanoparticle-agglomerate microtubes with an aspect ratio of ~ 30 using a hollow polyetherimide (PEI) template. The combination of wet phase inversion and use of a Cu grid mask enabled straightforward production of a hollow PEI template with vertically aligned tubular architecture. During wet-phase inversion, exchange between a solvent (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) and a non-solvent (water) occurred at the corners of the square mask cells rather than along their side, thereby producing pores at the corners due to geometrical and entropic factors. The hollow microtubes were comprised of agglomerated Au nanoparticles that coated the inner surfaces of the pores during an electroless plating process performed after wet-phase inversion. This finding is applicable to diverse applications such as sensors and catalysis.

Influence of Glutaraldehyde Cross-Linking Modes on the Recyclability of Immobilized Lipase B from Candida antarctica for Transesterification of Soy Bean Oil

Lipase B from Candida antarctica (CAL-B) is largely employed as a biocatalyst for hydrolysis, esterification, and transesterification reactions. CAL-B is a good model enzyme to study factors affecting the enzymatic structure, activity and/or stability after an immobilization process. In this study, we analyzed the immobilization of CAL-B enzyme on different magnetic nanoparticles, synthesized by the coprecipitation method inside inverse micelles made of zwitterionic surfactants, with distinct carbon chain length: 4 (ImS4), 10 (ImS10) and 18 (ImS18) carbons. Magnetic nanoparticles ImS4 and ImS10 were shown to cross-link to CAL-B enzyme via a Michael-type addition, whereas particles with ImS18 were bond via pyridine formation after glutaraldehyde cross-coupling. Interestingly, the Michael-type cross-linking generated less stable immobilized CAL-B, revealing the influence of a cross-linking mode on the resulting biocatalyst behavior. Curiously, a direct correlation between nanoparticle agglomerate sizes and CAL-B enzyme reuse stability was observed. Moreover, free CAL-B enzyme was not able to catalyze transesterification due to the high methanol concentration; however, the immobilized CAL-B enzyme reached yields from 79.7 to 90% at the same conditions. In addition, the transesterification of lipids isolated from oleaginous yeasts achieved 89% yield, which confirmed the potential of immobilized CAL-B enzyme in microbial production of biodiesel.

Probing dispersion and re-agglomeration phenomena upon melt-mixing of polymer-functionalized graphite nanoplates

Preparation of polymer composites with as-produced and chemically functionalised graphite nanoplates: analysis of nanoparticle agglomerate dispersion and re-agglomeration upon relaxation.