Supercritical methanol drying as a convenient route to phenolic-furfural aerogels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albert, Donald F.; Bruno, Joseph W. [Department of Chemistry, Wesleyan University, 06459 Middletown, CT (United States); Andrews, Greg R.; Mendenhall, Robert S. [American Aerogel Corporation, 1000 Corporate Row, 06416 Cromwell, CT (United States)

2001-12-01

Organic aerogels are prepared by the acid catalyzed cross-linking of phenolic-furfural (PF) precursors in methanol solution, and the solvent is subsequently removed at high temperature as the supercritical fluid. The resulting aerogel is a brown opaque solid and has been prepared as 30 ml cylindrical monoliths exhibiting little or no shrinkage during formation. These solids, which are routinely available with a density as low as ca. 125mg/cm{sup 3}, have been characterized by chemical methods (infrared spectroscopy and CP-MAS 13C NMR spectrometry) and physical techniques (Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area, transmission and scanning electron microscopy). In addition, thermal conductivities have been determined, and show that the PF aerogels are excellent thermal insulators. These studies establish that the materials described herein exhibit chemical and physical properties very similar to those seen for organic aerogels prepared with low temperature processing techniques. The current method constitutes a convenient and rapid route to organic aerogels.

Aerogel nanocomposite materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, A.J.; Ayers, M.; Cao, W. [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, CA (United States)] [and others

1995-05-01

Aerogels are porous, low density, nanostructured solids with many unusual properties including very low thermal conductivity, good transparency, high surface area, catalytic activity, and low sound velocity. This research is directed toward developing new nanocomposite aerogel materials for improved thermal insulation and several other applications. A major focus of the research has been to further increase the thermal resistance of silica aerogel by introducing infrared opacification agents into the aerogel to produce a superinsulating composite material. Opacified superinsulating aerogel permit a number of industrial applications for aerogel-based insulation. The primary benefits from this recently developed superinsulating composite aerogel insulation are: to extend the range of applications to higher temperatures, to provide a more compact insulation for space sensitive-applications, and to lower costs of aerogel by as much as 30%. Superinsulating aerogels can replace existing CFC-containing polyurethane in low temperature applications to reduce heat losses in piping, improve the thermal efficiency of refrigeration systems, and reduce energy losses in a variety of industrial applications. Enhanced aerogel insulation can also replace steam and process pipe insulation in higher temperature applications to substantially reduce energy losses and provide much more compact insulation.

Highly Porous, Rigid-Rod Polyamide Aerogels with Superior Mechanical Properties and Unusually High Thermal Conductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jarrod C; Nguyen, Baochau N; McCorkle, Linda; Scheiman, Daniel; Griffin, Justin S; Steiner, Stephen A; Meador, Mary Ann B

2017-01-18

We report here the fabrication of polyamide aerogels composed of poly-p-phenylene-terephthalamide, the same backbone chemistry as DuPont's Kevlar. The all-para-substituted polymers gel without the use of cross-linker and maintain their shape during processing-an improvement over the meta-substituted cross-linked polyamide aerogels reported previously. Solutions containing calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) and para-phenylenediamine (pPDA) in N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) at low temperature are reacted with terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). Polymerization proceeds over the course of 5 min resulting in gelation. Removal of the reaction solvent via solvent exchange followed by extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide provides aerogels with densities ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 g/cm 3 , depending on the concentration of calcium chloride, the formulated number of repeat units, n, and the concentration of polymer in the reaction mixture. These variables were assessed in a statistical experimental study to understand their effects on the properties of the aerogels. Aerogels made using at least 30 wt % CaCl 2 had the best strength when compared to aerogels of similar density. Furthermore, aerogels made using 30 wt % CaCl 2 exhibited the lowest shrinkage when aged at elevated temperatures. Notably, whereas most aerogel materials are highly insulating (thermal conductivities of 10-30 mW/m K), the polyamide aerogels produced here exhibit remarkably high thermal conductivities (50-80 mW/(m K)) at the same densities as other inorganic and polymer aerogels. These high thermal conductivities are attributed to efficient phonon transport by the rigid-rod polymer backbone. In conjunction with their low cost, ease of fabrication with respect to other polymer aerogels, low densities, and high mass-normalized strength and stiffness properties, these aerogels are uniquely valuable for applications such as lightweighting in consumer electronics, automobiles, and aerospace where weight reduction is

Aerogel Antennas Communications Study Using Error Vector Magnitude Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Felix A.; Mueller, Carl H.; Meador, Mary Ann B.

2014-01-01

This presentation discusses an aerogel antennas communication study using error vector magnitude (EVM) measurements. The study was performed using 2x4 element polyimide (PI) aerogel-based phased arrays designed for operation at 5 GHz as transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) antennas separated by a line of sight (LOS) distance of 8.5 meters. The results of the EVM measurements demonstrate that polyimide aerogel antennas work appropriately to support digital communication links with typically used modulation schemes such as QPSK and 4 DQPSK. As such, PI aerogel antennas with higher gain, larger bandwidth and lower mass than typically used microwave laminates could be suitable to enable aerospace-to- ground communication links with enough channel capacity to support voice, data and video links from CubeSats, unmanned air vehicles (UAV), and commercial aircraft.

Aerogel Antennas Communications Study Using Error Vector Magnitude Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Felix A.; Mueller, Carl H.; Meador, Mary Ann B.

2014-01-01

This paper discusses an aerogel antennas communication study using error vector magnitude (EVM) measurements. The study was performed using 4x2 element polyimide (PI) aerogel-based phased arrays designed for operation at 5 GHz as transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) antennas separated by a line of sight (LOS) distance of 8.5 meters. The results of the EVM measurements demonstrate that polyimide aerogel antennas work appropriately to support digital communication links with typically used modulation schemes such as QPSK and pi/4 DQPSK. As such, PI aerogel antennas with higher gain, larger bandwidth and lower mass than typically used microwave laminates could be suitable to enable aerospace-to-ground communication links with enough channel capacity to support voice, data and video links from cubesats, unmanned air vehicles (UAV), and commercial aircraft.

Transparent Ethenylene-Bridged Polymethylsiloxane Aerogels: Mechanical Flexibility and Strength and Availability for Addition Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Taiyo; Kanamori, Kazuyoshi; Maeno, Ayaka; Kaji, Hironori; Doherty, Cara M; Nakanishi, Kazuki

2017-05-09

Transparent, low-density ethenylene-bridged polymethylsiloxane [Ethe-BPMS, O 2/2 (CH 3 )Si-CH═CH-Si(CH 3 )O 2/2 ] aerogels from 1,2-bis(methyldiethoxysilyl)ethene have successfully been synthesized via a sol-gel process. A two-step sol-gel process composed of hydrolysis under acidic conditions and polycondensation under basic conditions in a liquid surfactant produces a homogeneous pore structure based on cross-linked nanosized colloidal particles. Visible-light transmittance of the aerogels varies with the concentration of the base catalyst and reaches as high as 87% (at a wavelength of 550 nm for a 10 mm thick sample). Gelation and aging temperature strongly affect the deformation behavior of the resultant aerogels against uniaxial compression, and the obtained aerogels prepared at 80 °C show high elasticity after being unloaded. This highly resilient behavior is primarily derived from the rigidity of ethenylene groups, which is confirmed by a comparison with other aerogels with similar molecular structures, ethylene-bridged polymethylsiloxane and polymethylsilsesquioxane. Applicability of the addition reaction using a Diels-Alder reaction of benzocyclobutene has also been investigated, revealing that a successful addition takes place on the ethenylene linkings, which is verified using Raman and solid-state NMR spectroscopies. Insights into the effect of molecular structure on mechanical properties and the availability of surface functionalization provided in this study are important for realizing transparent aerogels with the desired functionality.

A facile route for 3D aerogels from nanostructured 1D and 2D materials

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Sung Mi; Jung, Hyun Young; Dresselhaus, Mildred S.; Jung, Yung Joon; Kong, Jing

2012-01-01

Aerogels have numerous applications due to their high surface area and low densities. However, creating aerogels from a large variety of materials has remained an outstanding challenge. Here, we report a new methodology to enable aerogel production with a wide range of materials. The method is based on the assembly of anisotropic nano-objects (one-dimensional (1D) nanotubes, nanowires, or two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets) into a cross-linking network from their colloidal suspensions at the transition from the semi-dilute to the isotropic concentrated regime. The resultant aerogels have highly porous and ultrafine three-dimensional (3D) networks consisting of 1D (Ag, Si, MnO2, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)) and 2D materials (MoS2, graphene, h-BN) with high surface areas, low densities, and high electrical conductivities. This method opens up a facile route for aerogel production with a wide variety of materials and tremendous opportunities for bio-scaffold, energy storage, thermoelectric, catalysis, and hydrogen storage applications. PMID:23152940

Technical applications of aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hrubesh, L.W.

1997-01-01

Aerogel materials posses such a wide variety of exceptional properties that a striking number of applications have developed for them. Many of the commercial applications of aerogels such as catalysts, thermal insulation, windows, and particle detectors are still under development and new application as have been publicized since the ISA4 Conference in 1994: e.g.; supercapacitors, insulation for heat storage in automobiles, electrodes for capacitive deionization, etc. More applications are evolving as the scientific and engineering community becomes familiar with the unusual and exceptional physical properties of aerogels, there are also scientific and technical application, as well. This paper discusses a variety of applications under development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for which several types of aerogels are formed in custom sizes and shapes. Particular discussions will focus on the uses of aerogels for physics experiments which rely on the exceptional, sometimes unique, properties of aerogels

Ambient Dried Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Steven M.; Paik, Jong-Ah

2013-01-01

A method has been developed for creating aerogel using normal pressure and ambient temperatures. All spacecraft, satellites, and landers require the use of thermal insulation due to the extreme environments encountered in space and on extraterrestrial bodies. Ambient dried aerogels introduce the possibility of using aerogel as thermal insulation in a wide variety of instances where supercritically dried aerogels cannot be used. More specifically, thermoelectric devices can use ambient dried aerogel, where the advantages are in situ production using the cast-in ability of an aerogel. Previously, aerogels required supercritical conditions (high temperature and high pressure) to be dried. Ambient dried aerogels can be dried at room temperature and pressure. This allows many materials, such as plastics and certain metal alloys that cannot survive supercritical conditions, to be directly immersed in liquid aerogel precursor and then encapsulated in the final, dried aerogel. Additionally, the metalized Mylar films that could not survive the previous methods of making aerogels can survive the ambient drying technique, thus making multilayer insulation (MLI) materials possible. This results in lighter insulation material as well. Because this innovation does not require high-temperature or high-pressure drying, ambient dried aerogels are much less expensive to produce. The equipment needed to conduct supercritical drying costs many tens of thousands of dollars, and has associated running expenses for power, pressurized gasses, and maintenance. The ambient drying process also expands the size of the pieces of aerogel that can be made because a high-temperature, high-pressure system typically has internal dimensions of up to 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. In the case of this innovation, the only limitation on the size of the aerogels produced would be in the ability of the solvent in the wet gel to escape from the gel network.

Development of windows based on highly insulating aerogel glazings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev; Schultz, Jørgen Munthe; Kristiansen, Finn Harken

2004-01-01

of buildings, the window area is the weakest part with respect to the heat loss, but at the same time, it also provides e.g. solar energy gain. Glazing prototypes have been made of aerogel tiles of about 55 cm sq. (elaborated within the projects). Those tiles are quickly evacuated and easily sealed between two...... glass panes and a specific rim seal. A heat treatment phase (after the supercritical CO2 drying) of the aerogel is currently being developed in order to improve its optical quality. This step increases the solar transmittance about 6 percent points. For glazing prototypes with an aerogel thickness...... of approx. 15 mm, a centre heat loss coefficient of below 0.7 W/m² K and a solar transmittance of 76% have been obtained. The research is funded in part by the European Commission within the frameworks of the Non-Nuclear Energy Programme – JOULE III and the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development...

Flexible Carbon Aerogels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Schwan

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Carbon aerogels are highly porous materials with a large inner surface area. Due to their high electrical conductivity they are excellent electrode materials in supercapacitors. Their brittleness, however, imposes certain limitations in terms of applicability. In that context, novel carbon aerogels with varying degree of flexibility have been developed. These highly porous, light aerogels are characterized by a high surface area and possess pore structures in the micrometer range, allowing for a reversible deformation of the aerogel network. A high ratio of pore size to particle size was found to be crucial for high flexibility. For dynamic microstructural analysis, compression tests were performed in-situ within a scanning electron microscope allowing us to directly visualize the microstructural flexibility of an aerogel. The flexible carbon aerogels were found to withstand between 15% and 30% of uniaxial compression in a reversible fashion. These findings might stimulate further research and new application fields directed towards flexible supercapacitors and batteries.

Silica aerogel Cerenkov counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasumi, S.; Masaike, A.; Yamamoto, A.; Yoshimura, Y.; Kawai, H.

1984-03-01

In order to obtain silica aerogel radiators of good quality, the prescription used by Saclay group has been developed. We have done several experiments using beams from KEK.PS to test the performance of a Cerenkov counter with aerogel modules produced in KEK. It turned out that these modules had excellent quality. The production rate of silica aerogel in KEK is 15 -- 20 litres a week. Silica aerogel modules of 20 x 10 x 3 cm 3 having the refractive index of 1.058 are successfully being used by Kyoto University group in the KEK experiment E92 (Σ). Methodes to produce silica aerogel with higher refractive index than 1.06 has been investigated both by heating an module with the refractive index of 1.06 and by hydrolyzing tetraethyl silicate. (author)

Evacuated aerogel glazings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Jørgen Munthe; Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev

2008-01-01

This paper describes the main characteristics of monolithic silica aerogel and its application in evacuated superinsulating aerogel glazing including the evacuation and assembling process. Furthermore, the energetic benefit of aerogel glazing is quantified. In evacuated aerogel glazing the space ......) combined with a solar energy transmittance above 0.75.......This paper describes the main characteristics of monolithic silica aerogel and its application in evacuated superinsulating aerogel glazing including the evacuation and assembling process. Furthermore, the energetic benefit of aerogel glazing is quantified. In evacuated aerogel glazing the space...... between the glass panes is filled with monolithic silica aerogel evacuated to a rough vacuum of approximately 1-10 hPa. The aerogel glazing does not depend on use of low emissive coatings that have the drawback of absorbing a relatively large part of the solar radiation that otherwise could reduce...

Aerogels in Chemical Engineering: Strategies Toward Tailor-Made Aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnova, Irina; Gurikov, Pavel

2017-06-07

The present review deals with recent advances in the rapidly growing field of aerogel research and technology. The major focus of the review lies in approaches that allow tailoring of aerogel properties to meet application-driven requirements. The decisive properties of aerogels are discussed with regard to existing and potential application areas. Various tailoring strategies, such as modulation of the pore structure, coating, surface modification, and post-treatment, are illustrated by results of the last decade. In view of commercialization of aerogel-based products, a panorama of current industrial aerogel suppliers is given, along with a discussion of possible alternative sources for raw materials and precursors. Finally, growing points and perspectives of the aerogel field are summarized.

Mechanically Strong Aerogels Formed by Templated Growth of Polymer Cross- Linkers on Inorganic Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Leventis, Nicholas; Fabrizio, Eve F.; Johnston, Chris; Meador, Maryann

2004-01-01

In the search for materials with better mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, it is becoming evident that oftentimes dispersing ceramic nanoparticles in plastics improves performance. Along these lines, chemical bonding (both covalent and noncovalent) between a filler and a polymer improves their compatibility, and thus enhances certain properties of the polymeric matrix above and beyond what is accomplished by simple doping with the filler. When a similarly sized dopant and matrix are used, elementary building blocks may also have certain distinct advantages (e.g., in catalysis). In this context, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center reasoned that in the extreme case, where the dopant and the matrix (e.g., a filler and a polymer) are not only sized similarly, but their relative amounts are comparable, the relative roles of the dopant and matrix can be reversed. Then, if the "filler," or a certain form thereof, possesses desirable properties of its own, such properties could be magnified by cross-linking with a polymer. We at Glenn have identified silica as such a filler in its lowest-density form, namely the silica aerogel.

Optically Transparent Thermally Insulating Silica Aerogels for Solar Thermal Insulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Günay, A Alperen; Kim, Hannah; Nagarajan, Naveen; Lopez, Mateusz; Kantharaj, Rajath; Alsaati, Albraa; Marconnet, Amy; Lenert, Andrej; Miljkovic, Nenad

2018-04-18

Rooftop solar thermal collectors have the potential to meet residential heating demands if deployed efficiently at low solar irradiance (i.e., 1 sun). The efficiency of solar thermal collectors depends on their ability to absorb incoming solar energy and minimize thermal losses. Most techniques utilize a vacuum gap between the solar absorber and the surroundings to eliminate conduction and convection losses, in combination with surface coatings to minimize reradiation losses. Here, we present an alternative approach that operates at atmospheric pressure with simple, black, absorbing surfaces. Silica based aerogels coated on black surfaces have the potential to act as simple and inexpensive solar thermal collectors because of their high transmission to solar radiation and low transmission to thermal radiation. To demonstrate their heat-trapping properties, we fabricated tetramethyl orthosilicate-based silica aerogels. A hydrophilic aerogel with a thickness of 1 cm exhibited a solar-averaged transmission of 76% and thermally averaged transmission of ≈1% (at 100 °C). To minimize unwanted solar absorption by O-H groups, we functionalized the aerogel to be hydrophobic, resulting in a solar-averaged transmission of 88%. To provide a deeper understanding of the link between aerogel properties and overall efficiency, we developed a coupled radiative-conductive heat transfer model and used it to predict solar thermal performance. Instantaneous solar thermal efficiencies approaching 55% at 1 sun and 80 °C were predicted. This study sheds light on the applicability of silica aerogels on black coatings for solar thermal collectors and offers design priorities for next-generation solar thermal aerogels.

Carbon aerogels; Les aerogels de carbone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berthon-Fabry, S.; Achard, P

2003-06-15

The carbon aerogel is a nano-porous material at open porosity, electrical conductor. The aerogels morphology is variable in function of the different synthesis parameters. This characteristic offers to the aerogels a better adaptability to many applications: electrodes (super condensers, fuel cells). The author presents the materials elaboration and their applications. It provides also the research programs: fundamental research, realization of super-condenser electrodes, fuel cells electrodes, gas storage materials and opaque materials for thermal insulation. (A.L.B.)

Synthesis and studies of novel high metal content organic aerogels obtained from a polymerizable titanium complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadra, S.

2010-01-01

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is a technique widely studied by the French atomic commission (CEA). Experiments will be performed within the Laser Megajoule (LMJ). They require innovative materials like organic aerogels that constitute laser targets. Such polymeric material must provide both a high porosity and a significant titanium percentage (1 atom %). Moreover, the monomers developed must be compatible with the synthesis procedure already in use. According to these specifications, a new polymerizable titanium complex was synthesized and fully characterized. This air and moisture-stable monomer provides a high metal percentage. Its free-radical cross-linked copolymerization affords several titanium-containing polymers. These gels were dried under supercritical conditions and organic aerogels were obtained. The chemical compositions of these materials were investigated by NMR, IR and elemental analysis while their structure was characterized by MEB-EDS, MET, N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms measurements and SAXS. The data collected fit the specification requirements. Moreover, the mechanisms responsible of the foam nano-structure formation were discussed. (author) [fr

Radiation cross-linked polymers: Recent developments and new applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouif, Sophie

2005-01-01

The purpose of the present paper is to review the innovative and recent applications of radiation cross-linking of polymers that reinforces their dimensional stability in chemically aggressive and high temperature conditions. Radiation cross-linking can be applied to a great number of plastics: thermoplastics, elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). Some of them can cross-link on their own, some others need to be formulated with a cross-linking agent (promoter) or to be modified during their polymerization. Some results of chemical and thermomechanical characterizations of radiation cross-linked plastics based on engineering polymers will be described, and their advantages will be emphasized in relation with their applications in various sectors: pipes and cables, packaging, automotive, electrical engineering and electronics, including connectors, surface mounted devices, integrated circuits, 3D-MID technology, etc. The paper will conclude with a short review of the industrial irradiation facilities (EB facilities and gamma plants) adapted to the treatment of such various products

Fabrication and characterization of silica aerogel as synthetic tissues for medical imaging phantoms

Science.gov (United States)

In, Eunji; Naguib, Hani

2015-05-01

Medical imaging plays an important role in the field of healthcare industry both in clinical settings and in research and development. It is used in prevention, early detection of disease, in choosing the optimal treatment, during surgical interventions and monitoring of the treatment effects. Despite much advancement in the last few decades, rapid change on its technology development and variety of imaging parameters that differ with the manufacturer restrict its further development. Imaging phantom is a calibrating medium that is scanned or imaged in the field of medical imaging to evaluate, analyze and tune the performance of various imaging devices. A phantom used to evaluate an imaging device should respond in a similar manner to how human tissue and organs would act in that specific imaging modality. There has been many research on the phantom materials; however, there has been no attempt to study on the material that mimics the structure of lung or fibrous tissue. So with the need for development of gel with such structure, we tried to mimic this structure with aerogel. Silica aerogels have unique properties that include low density (0.003g/cm) and mesoporosity (pore size 2-50nm), with a high thermal insulation value (0.005W/mK) and high surface area (500-1200m-2/g).] In this study, we cross-linked with di-isocyanate, which is a group in polyurethane to covalently bond the polymer to the surface of silica aerogel to enhance the mechanical properties. By formation of covalent bonds, the structure can be reinforced by widening the interparticle necks while minimally reducing porosity.

Aerogels Handbook

CERN Document Server

Aegerter, Michel A; Koebel, Matthias M

2011-01-01

Aerogels are the lightest solids known. Up to 1000 times lighter than glass and with a density as low as only four times that of air, they show very high thermal, electrical and acoustic insulation values and hold many entries in Guinness World Records. Originally based on silica, R&D efforts have extended this class of materials to non-silicate inorganic oxides, natural and synthetic organic polymers, carbon, metal and ceramic materials, etc. Composite systems involving polymer-crosslinked aerogels and interpenetrating hybrid networks have been developed and exhibit remarkable mechanical strength and flexibility. Even more exotic aerogels based on clays, chalcogenides, phosphides, quantum dots, and biopolymers such as chitosan are opening new applications for the construction, transportation, energy, defense and healthcare industries. Applications in electronics, chemistry, mechanics, engineering, energy production and storage, sensors, medicine, nanotechnology, military and aerospace, oil and gas recove...

Protective Skins for Aerogel Monoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Leventis, Nicholas; Johnston, James C.; Kuczmarski, Maria A.; Meador, Ann B.

2007-01-01

A method of imparting relatively hard protective outer skins to aerogel monoliths has been developed. Even more than aerogel beads, aerogel monoliths are attractive as thermal-insulation materials, but the commercial utilization of aerogel monoliths in thermal-insulation panels has been inhibited by their fragility and the consequent difficulty of handling them. Therefore, there is a need to afford sufficient protection to aerogel monoliths to facilitate handling, without compromising the attractive bulk properties (low density, high porosity, low thermal conductivity, high surface area, and low permittivity) of aerogel materials. The present method was devised to satisfy this need. The essence of the present method is to coat an aerogel monolith with an outer polymeric skin, by painting or spraying. Apparently, the reason spraying and painting were not attempted until now is that it is well known in the aerogel industry that aerogels collapse in contact with liquids. In the present method, one prevents such collapse through the proper choice of coating liquid and process conditions: In particular, one uses a viscous polymer precursor liquid and (a) carefully controls the amount of liquid applied and/or (b) causes the liquid to become cured to the desired hard polymeric layer rapidly enough that there is not sufficient time for the liquid to percolate into the aerogel bulk. The method has been demonstrated by use of isocyanates, which, upon exposure to atmospheric moisture, become cured to polyurethane/polyurea-type coats. The method has also been demonstrated by use of commercial epoxy resins. The method could also be implemented by use of a variety of other resins, including polyimide precursors (for forming high-temperature-resistant protective skins) or perfluorinated monomers (for forming coats that impart hydrophobicity and some increase in strength).

Aerogel Projects Ongoing in MSFC's Engineering Directorate

Science.gov (United States)

Shular, David A.; Smithers, Gweneth A.; Plawsky, Joel L.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

When we speak of an aerogel material, we are referring more to process and structure am to a specific substance. Aerogel, considered the lightest solid material, has been made from silica for seventy years. Resorcinol-formaldehyde, organic aerogels have been developed more recently. However, aerogel can be made from almost any type of substance, even lead. Because an aerogel is mostly air (about 99 %), the solid substance used will affect the weight very little. The term "aerogel" connotes the sol-gel process used to manufacture the material. The aerogel begins as a liquid "sol," becomes a solid "alcogel," and is then dried to become an "aerogel." The final product has a unique structure, useful for exploitation. It is an "open pore" system with nano-sized particles and pores, has very high surface area, and is highly interconnected. Besides low weight, aerogels have ultimate (lowest) values in other properties: thermal conductivity, refractive index, sound speed, and dielectric constant. Aerogels were first prepared in 1931 by Steven Kistler, who used a supercritical drying step to replace the liquid in a gel with air, preserving the structure (1). Kistler's procedure involved a water-to-alcohol exchange step; in the 1970's, this step was eliminated when a French investigator introduced the use of tetramethylorthosilicate. Still, alcohol drying involved dangerously high temperatures and pressures. In the 1980's, the Microstructured Materials Group at Berkeley Laboratory found that the alcohol in the gel could be replaced with liquid carbon dioxide before supercritical drying, which greatly improved safety (2). 'Me most recent major contribution has been that of Deshpande, Smith and Brinker in New Mexico, who are working to eliminate the supercritical drying step (3). When aerogels were first being developed, they were evaporatively dried. However, the wet gel, when dried, underwent severe shrinkage and cracking; this product was termed "xerogel." When the

Novel bioactive materials: silica aerogel and hybrid silica aerogel/pseudowollastonite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reséndiz-Hernández, P. J.

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Silica aerogel and hybrid silica aerogel/pseudowollastonite materials were synthesized by controlled hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS using also methanol (MeOH and pseudowollastonite particles. The gels obtained were dried using a novel process based on an ambient pressure drying. Hexane and hexamethyl-disilazane (HMDZ were the solvents used to chemically modify the surface. In order to assess bioactivity, aerogels, without and with pseudowollastonite particles, were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF for 7 and 14 days. The hybrid silica aerogel/pseudowollastonite showed a higher bioactivity than that observed for the single silica aerogel. However, as in both cases a lower bioactivity was observed, a biomimetic method was also used to improve it. In this particular method, samples of both materials were immersed in SBF for 7 days followed by their immersion in a more concentrated solution (1.5 SBF for 14 days. A thick and homogeneous bonelike apatite layer was formed on the biomimetically treated materials. Thus, bioactivity was successfully improved even on the aerogel with no pseudowollastonite particles. As expected, the hybrid silica aerogel/pseudowollastonite particles showed a higher bioactivity.Se sintetizaron aerogel de sílice y aerogel híbrido de sílice/partículas de pseudowollastonita por hidrólisis controlada de tetraetoxisilano (TEOS usando metanol (MeOH y partículas de pseudowollastonita. Los geles obtenidos se secaron utilizando un novedoso proceso basado en una presión de secado ambiental. Hexano y hexametil-disilazano fueron los solventes usados para modificar químicamente la superficie. Para evaluar la bioactividad, los aerogeles con y sin partículas de pseudowollastonita se sumergieron en un fluido fisiológico simulado (SBF por 7 y 14 días. El aerogel híbrido de sílice/partículas de pseudowollastonita mostró más alta bioactividad que la observada por el aerogel solo. Sin embargo, en ambos casos, se

Collagen and elastin cross-linking is altered during aberrant late lung development associated with hyperoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mižíková, Ivana; Ruiz-Camp, Jordi; Steenbock, Heiko; Madurga, Alicia; Vadász, István; Herold, Susanne; Mayer, Konstantin; Seeger, Werner; Brinckmann, Jürgen; Morty, Rory E

2015-06-01

Maturation of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the formation of alveolar gas exchange units. A key step in ECM maturation is cross-linking of collagen and elastin, which imparts stability and functionality to the ECM. During aberrant late lung development in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) patients and animal models of BPD, alveolarization is blocked, and the function of ECM cross-linking enzymes is deregulated, suggesting that perturbed ECM cross-linking may impact alveolarization. In a hyperoxia (85% O2)-based mouse model of BPD, blunted alveolarization was accompanied by alterations to lung collagen and elastin levels and cross-linking. Total collagen levels were increased (by 63%). The abundance of dihydroxylysinonorleucine collagen cross-links and the dihydroxylysinonorleucine-to-hydroxylysinonorleucine ratio were increased by 11 and 18%, respectively, suggestive of a profibrotic state. In contrast, insoluble elastin levels and the abundance of the elastin cross-links desmosine and isodesmosine in insoluble elastin were decreased by 35, 30, and 21%, respectively. The lung collagen-to-elastin ratio was threefold increased. Treatment of hyperoxia-exposed newborn mice with the lysyl oxidase inhibitor β-aminopropionitrile partially restored normal collagen levels, normalized the dihydroxylysinonorleucine-to-hydroxylysinonorleucine ratio, partially normalized desmosine and isodesmosine cross-links in insoluble elastin, and partially restored elastin foci structure in the developing septa. However, β-aminopropionitrile administration concomitant with hyperoxia exposure did not improve alveolarization, evident from unchanged alveolar surface area and alveoli number, and worsened septal thickening (increased by 12%). These data demonstrate that collagen and elastin cross-linking are perturbed during the arrested alveolarization of developing mouse lungs exposed to hyperoxia. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Development of new cross-linked polyethylene for atomic energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimura, Shun-ichi; Ohya, Shingo; Kubo, Masaji; Tsutsumi, Yukihiro; Seguchi, Tadao.

1988-01-01

Cross-linked polyethylene is the material which is used most as the insulating material for electric wires and cables, but for the cables for nuclear power stations and the wiring materials within machinery and equipment, the cross-linked polyethylene which is hard to burn by mixing burning-retarding agent is frequently used as the disaster-preventing countermeasures. As the burning-retarding agent for cross-linked polyethylene, bromine system agent that gives high burning retardation, chlorine system agent that can prevent melting and dripping at the time of burning and so on have been used so as to meet the objective. However by the addition of burning-retarding agents, the electrical and mechanical characteristics of cross-linked polyethylene lower, therefore consideration must be given to the use. In this paper, the results of the examination on the application of condensed acenaphthylene bromide as a new burning-retarding agent to cross-linked polyethylene are reported. White lead was effective for catching HBr. It was confirmed that more than 30 parts of this agent ensured burning retardation. By mixing this agent, the tensile strength increased, but the elongation lowered. It was found that the good radiation resistance was obtained by adding this agent. (K.I.)

Characterization of the degree of cross-linking in radiation cross-linked low and high density polyethylenes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Posselt, K.; Haedrich, W.

1986-01-01

In practice the cross-linking of irradiated polyethylene is mostly characterized by solubility and thermomechanical data. The irradiation of samples of a LDPE and a HDPE yields very different gel-dose curves. But for a quantitative comparison the complicated connection between the gel values and the corresponding densities of cross-links, especially the dependence on the initial molecular size distribution, has to take into consideration. The analysis of the solubility data according to the statistical theory of cross-linking developed by Inokuti and Saito shows that at equal doses in both investigated PE types in spite of the different gel values nearly the same densities of cross-links are present. That result is confirmed by the densities of cross-links determined from stress-strain measurements at 423 K. (author)

Light-induced cross-linking and post-cross-linking modification of polyglycidol.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquardt, F; Bruns, M; Keul, H; Yagci, Y; Möller, M

2018-02-08

The photoinduced radical generation process has received renewed interest due to its economic and ecological appeal. Herein the light-induced cross-linking of functional polyglycidol and its post-cross-linking modification are presented. Linear polyglycidol was first functionalized with a tertiary amine in a two-step reaction. Dimethylaminopropyl functional polyglycidol was cross-linked in a UV-light mediated reaction with camphorquinone as a type II photoinitiator. The cross-linked polyglycidol was further functionalized by quaternization with various organoiodine compounds. Aqueous dispersions of the cross-linked polymers were investigated by means of DLS and zeta potential measurements. Polymer films were evaluated by DSC and XPS.

The monolithic carbon aerogels and aerogel composites for electronics and thermal protection applications

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Sheng; Guo, Hui; Zhou, Yugui; Liu, Yuanyuan; Jin, Zhaoguo; Liu, Bin; Zhao, Yingmin

2017-09-01

Monolithic carbon aerogels have been prepared by condensation polymerization and high temperature pyrolysis. The morphology of carbon aerogels are characterized by SEM. The pore structure is characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption technique. Monolithic carbon aerogels are mesoporous nanomaterials. Carbon fiber reinforced carbon aerogel composites are prepared by in-situ sol-gel process. Fiber reinforced carbon aerogel composites are of high mechanical strength. The thermal response of the fiber reinforced aerogel composite samples are tested in an arc plasma wind tunnel. Carbon aerogel composites show good thermal insulation capability and high temperature resistance in inert atmosphere even at ultrahigh temperature up to 1800 °C. The results show that they are suitable for applications in electrodes for supercapacitors/ Lithium-ion batteries and aerospace thermal protection area.

Graphene aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Pauzauskie, Peter J; Worsley, Marcus A; Baumann, Theodore F; Satcher, Jr., Joe H; Biener, Juergen

2015-03-31

Graphene aerogels with high conductivity and surface areas including a method for making a graphene aerogel, including the following steps: (1) preparing a reaction mixture comprising a graphene oxide suspension and at least one catalyst; (2) curing the reaction mixture to produce a wet gel; (3) drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and (4) pyrolyzing the dry gel to produce a graphene aerogel. Applications include electrical energy storage including batteries and supercapacitors.

Sorption Properties of Aerogel in Liquid Nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Wesley L.

2006-01-01

Aerogel products are now available as insulation materials of the future. The Cryogenics Test Laboratory at the NASA Kennedy Space Center is developing aerogel-based thermal insulation systems for space launch applications. Aerogel beads (Cabot Nanogel ) and aerogel blankets (Aspen Aerogels Spaceloft ) have outstanding ambient pressure thermal performance that makes them useful for applications where sealing is not possible. Aerogel beads are open-celled silicone dioxide and have tiny pores that run throughout the body of the bead. It has also recently been discovered that aerogel beads can be used as a filtering device for aqueous compounds at room temperature. With their hydrophobic covering, the beads absorb any non-polar substance and they can be chemically altered to absorb hot gases. The combination of the absorption and cryogenic insulating properties of aerogel beads have never been studied together. For future cryogenic insulation applications, it is crucial to know how the beads react while immersed in cryogenic liquids, most notably liquid nitrogen. Aerogel beads in loose-fill situation and aerogel blankets with composite fiber structure have been tested for absorption properties. Depending on the type of aerogel used and the preparation, preliminary results show the material can absorb up to seven times its own weight of liquid nitrogen, corresponding to a volumetric ratio of 0.70 (unit volume nitrogen per unit volume aerogel). These tests allow for an estimate on how much insulation is needed in certain situations. The theory behind the different processes of sorption is necessary for a better understanding of the preparation of the beads before they are used in an insulation system.

B1 Aerogels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duer, Karsten; Svendsen, Sv Aa Højgaard

1996-01-01

, engineering and architectural basis which will support the appropriate use of aerogels in windows, solar collectors and passive solar applications, with the aim of saving or producing thermal energy for use in buildings".This objective is in very good agreement with the general scope of task 18 but where Task...... of aerogel as a material for window applications3. Construction of an aerogel DGU and measurement of key performance parameters. The goal for the aerogel DGU was to reach a Total Solar Energy Transmittance above 0.75 and a U-value below 0.5 W/m²K. These are values that can not be simultaneously reached......The report summarizes the work that has been carried out within the project "B1 AEROGELS" as a part of the IEA SH&CP Task 18 "Advanced Glazing and Associated Materials For Solar And Building Applications".By providing at the same time thermal insulation and transparency the silica aerogel is a very...

Carbon aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berthon-Fabry, S.; Achard, P.

2003-06-01

The carbon aerogel is a nano-porous material at open porosity, electrical conductor. The aerogels morphology is variable in function of the different synthesis parameters. This characteristic offers to the aerogels a better adaptability to many applications: electrodes (super condensers, fuel cells). The author presents the materials elaboration and their applications. It provides also the research programs: fundamental research, realization of super-condenser electrodes, fuel cells electrodes, gas storage materials and opaque materials for thermal insulation. (A.L.B.)

Aerogel

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Aerogel, a material not much denser than air on a foggy morning ... between a liquid and a gas, leading to minimum effect on surface ... approached by the French Government to design a method to ... catalysts. • Aerogel dust in grain and seed stocks was found to kill insects by mere ... radiation detectors in nuclear reactors.

Silver-Loaded Aluminosilicate Aerogels As Iodine Sorbents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riley, Brian J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States; Kroll, Jared O. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States; Peterson, Jacob A. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States; Matyáš, Josef [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States; Olszta, Matthew J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States; Li, Xiaohong [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States; Vienna, John D. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States

2017-09-14

This paper discusses the development of aluminosilicates aerogels as scaffolds for Ag0 nanoparticles used for chemisorption of I2(g). The starting materials for these scaffolds included both Na-Al-Si-O and Al-Si-O aerogels, both synthesized from metal alkoxides. The Ag0 particles are added by soaking the aerogels in AgNO3 followed by drying and flowing under H2/Ar to reduce Ag+ → Ag0. In some cases, samples were soaked in 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane under supercritical CO2 to add –SH tethers to the aerogel surfaces for more effective binding of Ag+. During the Ag+-impregnation steps, for the Na-Al-Si-O aerogels, Na was replaced with Ag, and for the Al-Si-O aerogel, Si was replaced with Ag. The Ag-loading of thiolated versus non-thiolated Na-Al-Si-O aerogels was comparable at ~35 at% whereas the Ag-loading in unthiolated Al-Si-O aerogels was significantly lower at ~ 7 at% after identical treatment. Iodine loadings in both thiolated and unthiolated Ag0-functionalized Na-Al-Si-O aerogels were > 0.5 g g-1 showing almost complete utilization of the Ag through chemisorption to form AgI. Iodine loading in the thiolated Al-Si-O aerogel was 0.31 g g-1. The control of Ag uptake over solution residence time and [AgNO3] demonstrates the ability to customize the Ag-loading in the base sorbent to regulate the capacity of iodine chemisorption. Consolidation experimental results are also presented.

Development of extremely low wear cross-link polyethylene for 30 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oonishi, Hironobu; Fujita, Hiroshi; Kim, Seok-Cheol; Ito, Shigeru; Masuda, Shingo; Clarke, I.C.

2003-01-01

In this report we present our long-term developmental and clinical results with both highly cross-linked and extensively cross-linked polyethylene materials. Beginning in 1970s, we performed wear screening studies on ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) (GUR412) sterilized by gamma-irradiation in air (range 0 to 10,000 kGy). From these scientific studies the 1,000 kGy dose (100 Mrad) appeared optimal, and so we began clinical use in 1971, and that continued into 1978. The radiographic wear-rates in patients with 1,000 kGy sockets, assessed by radiography, appeared 6-fold reduced compared to our standard UHMWPE sockets. Note also that we had not used any post-sterilization heat treatment for these pioneering extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets. With clinical use now over 30 years, it was also clear that there was no adverse oxidation created by any free radicals present in our extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets. With these encouraging clinical results, we further studied laboratory wear results with the modern UHMWPE resins, using the irradiation doses 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 kGy and with both saline and serum lubricants in hip simulators. These more recent studies demonstrated that the wear in extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets was undetectable, less even than the measurement errors in the simulator techniques. It was unfortunate that the physical properties of such extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets did not meet the current International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Thus, despite the excellent wear performance of these materials, we decided to investigate also the properties of the 60 kGy irradiated UHMWPE. The polyethylene sheet (GUR1050) was first irradiated with 35 kGy under N2 and then heat treated to remove free radicals. The socket liners were then machined to shape and resterilized with 25 kGy under N2 gas. The

Carbon aerogels by pyrolysis of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Sizhao; Feng, Jian; Feng, Junzong; Jiang, Yonggang; Ding, Feng

2018-05-01

Although carbon aerogels derived from naturally occurring materials have been developed extensively, a reasonable synthetic approach using cellulose-resource remains unclear. Here, we report a strategy to prepare carbon aerogels originated from cellulose position-selectively oxidized by TEMPO-oxidized process. Contrary to non-TEMPO-oxidized cellulose-derived carbon aerogels (NCCA) with relative loose structure, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose-derived carbon aerogels (TCCA) with tight fibrillar-continuous network are monitored, suggesting the importance of TEMPO-oxidized modification towards creating the architecture of subsequently produced carbon aerogels. TCCA endows a higher BET area despite owning slightly dense bulk density comparing with that of NCCA. The structural texture of TCCA could be maintained in a way in comparison to TEMPO-oxidized cellulose-derived aerogel, due to the integration and aggregation effect by losing the electric double layer repulsion via ionization of the surface carboxyl groups. FTIR and XPS analyses signify the evidence of non-functionalized carbon-skeleton network formation in terms of TCCA. Further, the mechanism concerning the creation of carbon aerogels is also established. These findings not only provide new insights into the production of carbon aerogels but also open up a new opportunity in the field of functional carbon materials.

Transparent aerogel Windows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev; Schultz, Jørgen Munthe

the supercritical washing step included in the drying phase. At the same time the production plant have been modified to recycle most of the chemicals involved in the production process. A large number of aerogel glazing prototypes have been made with partly evacuated aerogel in between two layers of low iron...... and anti reflection treated glass panes with an airtight edge seal solution based on multi-layered plastic foil developed for vacuum insulation purposes. The edge seal solution shows only a very limited thermal bridge effect. The final glazing has a total solar energy transmittance about 87% and a U...

Influence of Aerogel Morphology and Reinforcement Architecture on Gas Convection in Aerogel Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Hurwitz, Frances I.; Meyer, Matthew; Guo, Haiquan; Rogers, Richard B.; DeMange, Jeffrey J.; Richardson, Hayley

2016-01-01

A variety of thermal protection applications require lightweight insulation capable of withstanding temperatures well above 900 C. Aerogels offer extremely low-density thermal insulation due to their mesoporous structure, which inhibits both gas convection and solid conduction. Silica aerogel systems are limited to use temperatures of 600-700 C, above which they sinter. Alumina aerogels maintain a porous structure to higher temperatures than silica, before transforming to -alumina and densifying. We have synthesized aluminosilicate aerogels capable of maintaining higher surface areas at temperatures above 1100 C than an all-alumina aerogel using -Boehmite as the aluminum source and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the silicon source. The pore structure of these aerogels varies with thermal exposure temperature and time, as the aluminosilicate undergoes a variety of phase changes to form transition aluminas. Transformation to -alumina is inhibited by incorporation of silica into the alumina lattice. The aerogels are fragile, but can be reinforced using a large variety of ceramic papers, felts or fabrics. The objective of the current study is to characterize the influence of choice of reinforcement and architecture on gas permeability of the aerogel composites in both the as fabricated condition and following thermal exposure, as well as understand the effects of incorporating hydrophobic treatments in the composites.

Design and Development of Aerogel-Based Antennas for Aerospace Applications: A Final Report to the NARI Seedling

Science.gov (United States)

Meador, Mary Ann B.; Miranda, Felix A.

2014-01-01

As highly porous solids possessing low density and low dielectric permittivity combined with good mechanical properties, polyimide (PI) aerogels offer great promise as an enabling technology for lightweight aircraft antenna systems. While they have been aggressively explored for thermal insulation, barely any effort has been made to leverage these materials for antennas or other applications that take advantage of their aforementioned attributes. In Phase I of the NARI Seedling Project, we fabricated PI aerogels with properties tailored to enable new antenna concepts with performance characteristics (wide bandwidth and high gain) and material properties (low density, environmental stability, and robustness) superior to the state of practice (SOP). We characterized electromagnetic properties, including permittivity, reflectivity, and propagation losses for the aerogels. Simple, prototype planar printed circuit patch antennas from down-selected aerogel formulations were fabricated by molding the aerogels to net shapes and by gold-metalizing the pattern onto the templates via electron beam evaporation in a clean room environment. These aerogel based antennas were benchmarked against current antenna SOP, and exhibited both broader bandwidth and comparable or higher gain performance at appreciably lower mass. Phase II focused on the success of the Phase I results pushing the PI aerogel based antenna technology further by exploring alternative antenna design (i.e., slot coupled antennas) and by examining other techniques for fabricating the antennas including ink jet printing with the goal of optimizing antenna performance and simplifying production. We also examined new aerogel formulations with better moisture and solvent resistance to survive processing conditions. In addition, we investigated more complex antenna designs including passive phased arrays such as 2x4 and 4x8 element arrays to assess the scalability of the aerogel antenna concept. Furthermore, we

An emerging platform for drug delivery: aerogel based systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulker, Zeynep; Erkey, Can

2014-03-10

Over the past few decades, advances in "aerogel science" have provoked an increasing interest for these materials in pharmaceutical sciences for drug delivery applications. Because of their high surface areas, high porosities and open pore structures which can be tuned and controlled by manipulation of synthesis conditions, nanostructured aerogels represent a promising class of materials for delivery of various drugs as well as enzymes and proteins. Along with biocompatible inorganic aerogels and biodegradable organic aerogels, more complex systems such as surface functionalized aerogels, composite aerogels and layered aerogels have also been under development and possess huge potential. Emphasis is given to the details of the aerogel synthesis and drug loading methods as well as the influence of synthesis parameters and loading methods on the adsorption and release of the drugs. Owing to their ability to increase the bioavailability of low solubility drugs, to improve both their stability and their release kinetics, there are an increasing number of research articles concerning aerogels in different drug delivery applications. This review presents an up to date overview of the advances in all kinds of aerogel based drug delivery systems which are currently under investigation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Super insulating aerogel glazing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Jørgen Munthe; Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev; Kristiansen, Finn Harken

2004-01-01

form the weakest part of the thermal envelope with respect to heat loss coefficient, but on the other hand also play an important role for passive solar energy utilisation. For window orientations other than south, the net energy balance will be close to or below zero. However, the properties......Monolithic silica aerogel offers the possibility of combining super insulation and high solar energy transmittance, which has been the background for a previous and a current EU project on research and development of monolithic silica aerogel as transparent insulation in windows. Generally, windows...... of aerogel glazing will allow for a positive net energy gain even for north facing vertical windows in a Danish climate during the heating season. This means that high quality daylight can be obtained even with additional energy gain. On behalf of the partners of the two EU projects, results related...

Superior microwave absorption properties of ultralight reduced graphene oxide/black phosphorus aerogel

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Chunxue; Wang, Bochong; Wen, Fusheng; Mu, Congpu; Xiang, Jianyong; Li, Lei; Liu, Zhongyuan

2018-06-01

Through a facile self-assembled process, an ultralight reduced graphene oxide/black phosphorus (rGO/BP) composite aerogel was successfully fabricated. The BP nanosheets were homogeneously distributed throughout the rGO 3D framework, and the interfaces between rGO and BP possessed four kinds of interconnections, such as wrapping, wearing, bridging and weak linking. As an ultralight composite, the rGO/BP aerogel could easily stand on the stamen of a flower. Compared with pure rGO aerogel, the rGO/BP composite aerogel exhibited enhanced microwave absorption ability. The minimum reflection loss value of ‑46.9 dB with a thickness of 2.53 mm was obtained, and a wide absorption band of 6.1 GHz (RL < ‑10 dB) was achieved. The superior microwave absorption property was demonstrated to stem from the interfacial polarization loss mechanism in which the multiform interface interactions between the rGO skeleton and BP nanosheets played critical roles. The rGO/BP aerogel has great potential to be used as an ultralight microwave absorber.

Three dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels functionalized with melamine for multifunctional applications in supercapacitors and adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Ling-Bao; Hou, Shu-Fen; Zhou, Jin; Zhang, Jing-Li; Si, Weijiang; Dong, Yunhui; Zhuo, Shuping

2015-10-01

In present work, we demonstrate an efficient and facile strategy to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels (NGAs) based on melamine, which serves as reducing and functionalizing agent of graphene oxide (GO) in an aqueous medium with ammonia. Benefiting from well-defined and cross-linked 3D porous network architectures, the supercapacitor based on the NGAs exhibited a high specific capacitance of 170.5 F g-1 at 0.2 A g-1, and this capacitance also showed good electrochemical stability and a high degree of reversibility in the repetitive charge/discharge cycling test. More interestingly, the prepared NGAs further exhibited high adsorption capacities and high recycling performance toward several metal ions such as Pb2+, Cu2+ and Cd2+. Moreover, the hydrophobic carbonized nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels (CNGAs) showed outstanding adsorption and recycling performance for the removal of various oils and organic solvents.

Development of aerogel-lined targets for inertial confinement fusion experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun, Tom [Technical Univ. Munchen (Germany)

2013-03-28

This thesis explores the formation of ICF compatible foam layers inside of an ablator shell used for inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility. In particular, the capability of p- DCPD polymer aerogels to serve as a scaffold for the deuterium-tritium mix was analyzed. Four different factors were evaluated: the dependency of different factors such as thickness or composition of a precursor solution on the uniformity of the aerogel layer, how to bring the optimal composition inside of the ablator shell, the mechanical stability of ultra-low density p-DCPD aerogel bulk pieces during wetting and freezing with hydrogen, and the wetting behavior of thin polymer foam layers in HDC carbon ablator shells with liquid deuterium. The research for thesis was done at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in cooperation with the Technical University Munich.

Chemical modification of graphene aerogels for electrochemical capacitor applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jin-Yong; Wie, Jeong Jae; Xu, Yu; Park, Ho Seok

2015-12-14

Graphene aerogel is a relatively new type of aerogel that is ideal for energy storage applications because of its large surface area, high electrical conductivity and good chemical stability. Also, three dimensional interconnected macropores offer many advantages such as low density, fast ion and mass transfer, and easy access to storage sites. Such features allow graphene aerogels to be intensively applied for electrochemical capacitor applications. Despite the growing interest in graphene aerogel-based electrochemical capacitors, however, the graphene aerogels still suffer from their low capacitive performances and high fragility. Both relatively low capacitance and brittleness of physically crosslinked graphene aerogels remain a critical challenge. Until now, a number of alternative attempts have been devoted to overcome these shortcomings. In this perspective, we summarize the recent research progress towards the development of advanced graphene aerogel-based electrochemical capacitors according to the different approaches (e.g. porosity, composition and structure controls). Then, the recently proposed chemical strategies to improve the capacitive performances and mechanical durability of graphene aerogels for practical applications are highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and perspectives in this emerging material are also discussed.

Three dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels functionalized with melamine for multifunctional applications in supercapacitors and adsorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Ling-Bao; Hou, Shu-Fen; Zhou, Jin; Zhang, Jing-Li; Si, Weijiang; Dong, Yunhui, E-mail: hgxydyh@sdut.edu.cn; Zhuo, Shuping, E-mail: zhuosp_academic@yahoo.com

2015-10-15

In present work, we demonstrate an efficient and facile strategy to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels (NGAs) based on melamine, which serves as reducing and functionalizing agent of graphene oxide (GO) in an aqueous medium with ammonia. Benefiting from well-defined and cross-linked 3D porous network architectures, the supercapacitor based on the NGAs exhibited a high specific capacitance of 170.5 F g{sup −1} at 0.2 A g{sup −1}, and this capacitance also showed good electrochemical stability and a high degree of reversibility in the repetitive charge/discharge cycling test. More interestingly, the prepared NGAs further exhibited high adsorption capacities and high recycling performance toward several metal ions such as Pb{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+}. Moreover, the hydrophobic carbonized nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels (CNGAs) showed outstanding adsorption and recycling performance for the removal of various oils and organic solvents. - Graphical abstract: Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels were prepared by using melamine as reducing and functionalizing agent in an aqueous medium with ammonia, which showed multifunctional applications in supercapacitors and adsorption. - Highlights: • Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels (NGAs) were prepared. • Melamine was used as reducing and functionalizing agent. • NGAs exhibited relatively good electrochemical properties in supercapacitor. • NGAs exhibited high adsorption performance toward several metal ions. • CNGAs showed outstanding adsorption capacities for various oils and solvents.

On the improvement of mechanical properties of monolithic silica aerogels (for transparent insulating material); Silica aerogel (tomei dannetsu zairyo) kyodo no kaizen ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tajiri, K; Igarashi, K; Tanemura, S [National Industrial Research Institute of Nagoya, Nagoya (Japan)

1997-11-25

Study was made on improvement of the strength of silica aerogel as transparent insulating material. Silica aerogel is a low-density porous material with high heat insulation and transparency. To develop a insulating material with high transparency, monolithic silica aerogel was studied. For direct use of it for windows, its strength improvement was attempted. The aerogel was prepared by supercritical drying (alcohol or CO2) of silica wet gel obtained by hydrolysis and condensation of silicon alkoxide solution. To prepare the aerogel bonded on plate glass for strength improvement, the aerogel was bonded to alkoxide by exposing active silanol radical through F-etching of plate glass surface. However, to obtain the practical large-area bonded aerogel, shrinkage control of the aerogel in supercritical drying was necessary. Addition of Laponite into a silica network for strength improvement by polymer increased the bending strength by 50%. Although some reduction of its transparency was observed because of clouding, its heat insulation was stable. Further strength improvement is necessary for its practical use. 5 figs., 1 tab.

Aerogels: transparent and super-insulating materials; Les aerogels: isolants transparent-super isolants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melka, S.; Rigacci, A.; Achard, P.; Bezian, J.J. [Ecole des Mines de Paris, 06 - Sophia-Antipolis (France); Sallee, H.; Chevalier, B. [Centre des Sciences et Techniques du Batiment, 38 - Saint-Martin-d`Heres (France)

1996-12-31

Recent studies have demonstrated the super-insulating properties of silica aerogel in its monolithic or finely divided state. In its monolithic state, this material conciliates excellent thermal insulation performances, a good transmission of visible light and interesting acoustic properties. Also its amazing structural characteristics (lightness, high global porosity, small diameter of pores) are particularly interesting for its use in double glazing windows as transparent insulating spacer. The aim of the work carried out by the Energetic Centre of the Ecole des Mines of Paris is to understand the thermal transfer phenomena in all forms of silica aerogel. In this paper, the main steps of the synthesis process of monolithic silica aerogel is presented with the thermal conductivities obtained. Then, a model is built to describe the thermal transfer mechanisms in finely divided aerogel beds. Finally, the hot wire thermal characterization method is presented and the results obtained on silica aerogels are discussed. (J.S.) 16 refs.

Dynamics of capillary condensation in aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, R; Miyashita, W; Yoneyama, K; Okuda, Y

2006-03-01

Dynamics of capillary condensation of liquid 4He in various density silica aerogels was investigated systematically. Interfaces were clearly visible when bulk liquid was rapidly sucked into the aerogel. Time evolution of the interface positions was consistent with the Washburn model and their effective pore radii were obtained. Condensation was a single step in a dense aerogel and two steps in a low density aerogel. Crossover between the two types of condensation was observed in an intermediate density aerogel. Variety of the dynamics may be the manifestation of the fractal nature of aerogels which had a wide range of distribution of pore radii.

Mechanically Strong Lightweight Materials for Aerospace Applications (x-aerogels)

Science.gov (United States)

Leventis, Nicholas

2005-01-01

The X-Aerogel is a new NASA-developed strong lightweight material made by reacting the mesoporous surfaces of 3-D networks of inorganic nanoparticles with polymeric crosslinkers. Since the relative amount of the crosslinker and the backbone are comparable, X-Aerogels can be viewed either as aerogels modified by templated accumulation of polymer on the skeletal nanoparticles, or as nanoporous polymers made by templated casting of polymeric precursors on a nanostructured framework. The most striking feature of X-Aerogels is that for a nominal 3-fold increase in density (still a ultralightweight material), the mechanical strength can be up to 300 times higher than the strength of the underlying native aerogel. Thus, X-Aerogels combine a multiple of the specific compressive strength of steel, with the thermal conductivity of styrofoam. XAerogels have been demonstrated with several polymers such as polyurethanes/polyureas, epoxies and polyolefins, while crosslinking of approximately 35 different oxide aerogels yields a wide variety of dimensionally stable, porous lightweight materials with interesting structural, magnetic and optical properties. X-Aerogels are evaluated for cryogenic rocket fuel storage tanks and for Advanced EVA suits, where they will play the dual role of the thermal insulator/structural material. Along the same lines, major impact is also expected by the use of X-Aerogels in structural components/thermal protection for small satellites, spacecrafts, planetary vehicles and habitats.

Melamine-formaldehyde aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Pekala, Richard Walter

1992-01-01

Organic aerogels that are transparent and essentially colorless are prepa from the aqueous, sol-gel polymerization of melamine with formaldehyde. The melamine-formaldehyde (MF) aerogels have low densities, high surface areas, continuous porsity, ultrafine cell/pore sizes, and optical clarity.

Aerogels in Aerospace: An Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadiir Bheekhun

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aerogels are highly porous structures prepared via a sol-gel process and supercritical drying technology. Among the classes of aerogels, silica aerogel exhibits the most remarkable physical properties, possessing lower density, thermal conductivity, refractive index, and dielectric constant than any solids. Its acoustical property is such that it can absorb the sound waves reducing speed to 100 m/s compared to 332 m/s for air. However, when it comes to commercialization, the result is not as expected. It seems that mass production, particularly in the aerospace industry, has dawdled behind. This paper highlights the evolution of aerogels in general and discusses the functions and significances of silica aerogel in previous astronautical applications. Future outer-space applications have been proposed as per the current research trend. Finally, the implementation of conventional silica aerogel in aeronautics is argued with an alternative known as Maerogel.

Hydrogels Prepared from Cross-Linked Nanofibrillated Cellulose

Science.gov (United States)

Sandeep S. Nair; J.Y. Zhu; Yulin Deng; Arthur J. Ragauskas

2014-01-01

Nanocomposite hydrogels were developed by cross-linking nanofibrillated cellulose with poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) and polyethylene glycol. The cross-linked hydrogels showed enhanced water absorption and gel content with the addition of nanocellulose. In addition, the thermal stability, mechanical strength, and modulus increased with an increase in the...

Quantitative analysis of silica aerogel-based thermal insulation coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiil, Søren

2015-01-01

containing intact hollow glass or polymer spheres showed that silica aerogel particles are more efficient in an insulation coating than hollow spheres. In a practical (non-ideal) comparison, the ranking most likely cannot be generalized. A parameter study demonstrates how the model can be used, qualitatively......A mathematical heat transfer model for a silica aerogel-based thermal insulation coating was developed. The model can estimate the thermal conductivity of a two-component (binder-aerogel) coating with potential binder intrusion into the nano-porous aerogel structure. The latter is modelled using...... a so-called core–shell structure representation. Data from several previous experimental investigations with silica aerogels in various binder matrices were used for model validation. For some relevant cases with binder intrusion, it was possible to obtain a very good agreement between simulations...

Modified gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarika, P.R.; Cinthya, Kuriakose; Jayakrishnan, A.; Anilkumar, P.R.; James, Nirmala Rachel

2014-01-01

The present work deals with development of modified gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold for cell culture. A new biocompatible scaffold was developed by cross-linking gelatin (Gel) with gum arabic, a polysaccharide. Gum arabic was subjected to periodate oxidation to obtain gum arabic aldehyde (GAA). GAA was reacted with gelatin under appropriate pH to prepare the cross-linked hydrogel. Cross-linking occurred due to Schiff's base reaction between aldehyde groups of oxidized gum arabic and amino groups of gelatin. The scaffold prepared from the hydrogel was characterized by swelling properties, degree of cross-linking, in vitro degradation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytocompatibility evaluation using L-929 and HepG2 cells confirmed non-cytotoxic and non-adherent nature of the scaffold. These properties are essential for generating multicellular spheroids and hence the scaffold is proposed to be a suitable candidate for spheroid cell culture. - Highlights: • Gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold was developed for tissue engineering. • Cross-linking was achieved by Schiff's base reaction. • The scaffold is non-cytotoxic and non adherent to fibroblast and hepatocytes. • The scaffolds are potential candidates for spheroid cell culture

Modified gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarika, P.R. [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 547 (India); Cinthya, Kuriakose [Tissue Culture Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 012 (India); Jayakrishnan, A. [Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600 036 (India); Anilkumar, P.R., E-mail: anilkumarpr@sctimst.ac.in [Tissue Culture Laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 012 (India); James, Nirmala Rachel, E-mail: nirmala@iist.ac.in [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 547 (India)

2014-10-01

The present work deals with development of modified gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold for cell culture. A new biocompatible scaffold was developed by cross-linking gelatin (Gel) with gum arabic, a polysaccharide. Gum arabic was subjected to periodate oxidation to obtain gum arabic aldehyde (GAA). GAA was reacted with gelatin under appropriate pH to prepare the cross-linked hydrogel. Cross-linking occurred due to Schiff's base reaction between aldehyde groups of oxidized gum arabic and amino groups of gelatin. The scaffold prepared from the hydrogel was characterized by swelling properties, degree of cross-linking, in vitro degradation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytocompatibility evaluation using L-929 and HepG2 cells confirmed non-cytotoxic and non-adherent nature of the scaffold. These properties are essential for generating multicellular spheroids and hence the scaffold is proposed to be a suitable candidate for spheroid cell culture. - Highlights: • Gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold was developed for tissue engineering. • Cross-linking was achieved by Schiff's base reaction. • The scaffold is non-cytotoxic and non adherent to fibroblast and hepatocytes. • The scaffolds are potential candidates for spheroid cell culture.

Radiation cross-linked collagen/dextran dermal scaffolds: effects of dextran on cross-linking and degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yaqing; Zhang, Xiangmei; Xu, Ling; Wei, Shicheng; Zhai, Maolin

2015-01-01

Ionizing radiation effectively cross-links collagen into network with enhanced anti-degradability and biocompatibility, while radiation-cross-linked collagen scaffold lacks flexibility, satisfactory surface appearance, and performs poor in cell penetration and ingrowth. To make the radiation-cross-linked collagen scaffold to serve as an ideal artificial dermis, dextran was incorporated into collagen. Scaffolds with the collagen/dextran (Col/Dex) ratios of 10/0, 7/3, and 5/5 were fabricated via (60)Co γ-irradiation cross-linking, followed by lyophilization. The morphology, microstructure, physicochemical, and biological properties were investigated. Compared with pure collagen, scaffolds with dextran demonstrated more porous appearance, enhanced hydrophilicity while the cross-linking density was lower with the consequence of larger pore size, higher water uptake, as well as reduced stiffness. Accelerated degradation was observed when dextran was incorporated in both the in vitro and in vivo assays, which led to earlier integration with cell and host tissue. The effect of dextran on degradation was ascribed to the decreased cross-linking density, looser microstructure, more porous and hydrophilic surface. Considering the better appearance, softness, moderate degradation rate due to controllable cross-linking degree and good biocompatibility as well, radiation-cross-linked collagen/dextran scaffolds are expected to serve as promising artificial dermal substitutes.

MOLECULAR DESCRIPTION OF ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION IN A CARBON AEROGEL ELECTRODE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.Kovalenko

2003-01-01

Full Text Available We develop a molecular theory of aqueous electrolyte solution sorbed in a nanoporous carbon aerogel electrode, based on the replica reference interaction site model (replica RISM for realistic molecular quenched-annealed systems. We also briefly review applications of carbon aerogels for supercapacitor and electrochemical separation devices, as well as theoretical and computer modelling of disordered porous materials. The replica RISM integral equation theory yields the microscopic properties of the electrochemical double layer formed at the surface of carbon aerogel nanopores, with due account of chemical specificities of both sorbed electrolyte and carbon aerogel material. The theory allows for spatial disorder of aerogel pores in the range from micro- to macroscopic size scale. We considered ambient aqueous solution of 1 M sodium chloride sorbed in two model nanoporous carbon aerogels with carbon nanoparticles either arranged into branched chains or randomly distributed. The long-range correlations of the carbon aerogel nanostructure substantially affect the properties of the electrochemical double layer formed by the solution sorbed in nanopores.

CrossWork: Software-assisted identification of cross-linked peptides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Morten; Refsgaard, Jan; Peng, Li

2011-01-01

Work searches batches of tandem mass-spectrometric data, and identifies cross-linked and non-cross-linked peptides using a standard PC. We tested CrossWork by searching mass-spectrometric datasets of cross-linked complement factor C3 against small (1 protein) and large (1000 proteins) search spaces, and show...

3D Networked Tin Oxide/Graphene Aerogel with a Hierarchically Porous Architecture for High-Rate Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xiuqiang; Chen, Shuangqiang; Sun, Bing; Wang, Chengyin; Wang, Guoxiu

2015-09-07

Low-cost and sustainable sodium-ion batteries are regarded as a promising technology for large-scale energy storage and conversion. The development of high-rate anode materials is highly desirable for sodium-ion batteries. The optimization of mass transport and electron transfer is crucial in the discovery of electrode materials with good high-rate performances. Herein, we report the synthesis of 3 D interconnected SnO2 /graphene aerogels with a hierarchically porous structure as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. The unique 3 D architecture was prepared by a facile in situ process, during which cross-linked 3 D conductive graphene networks with macro-/meso-sized hierarchical pores were formed and SnO2 nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene surface simultaneously. Such a 3 D functional architecture not only facilitates the electrode-electrolyte interaction but also provides an efficient electron pathway within the graphene networks. When applied as anode materials in sodium-ion batteries, the as-prepared SnO2 /graphene aerogel exhibited high reversible capacity, improved cycling performance compared to SnO2 , and promising high-rate capability. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of Microgravity on the Formation of Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, A. J.; Ayers, M. R.; Sibille, L.; Cronise, R. J.; Noever, D. A.

1999-01-01

This paper describes research to investigate fundamental aspects of the effects of microgravity on the formation of the microstructure of metal oxide alcogels and aerogels. We are studying the role of gravity on pore structure and gel uniformity in collaboration with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on gelling systems under microgravity conditions. While this project was just initiated in May 1998, related research performed earlier is described along with the plans and rationale for the current microgravity investigation to provide background and describe newly developing techniques that should be useful for the current gellation studies. The role of gravity in materials processing must be investigated through the study of well-mastered systems. Sol-gel processed materials are near-perfect candidates to determine the effect of gravity on the formation and growth of random clusters from hierarchies of aggregated units. The processes of hydrolysis, condensation, aggregation and gellation in the formation of alcogels are affected by gravity and therefore provide a rich system to study under microgravity conditions. Supercritical drying of the otherwise unstable wet alcogel preserves the alcogel structure produced during sol-gel processing as aerogel. Supercritically dried aerogel provides for the study of material microstructures without interference from the effects of surface tension, evaporation, and solvent flow. Aerogels are microstructured, low density open-pore solids. They have many unusual properties including: transparency, excellent thermal resistance, high surface area, very low refractive index, a dielectric constant approaching that of air, and extremely low sound velocity. Aerogels are synthesized using sol-gel processing followed by supercritical solvent extraction that leaves the original gel structure virtually intact. These studies will elucidate the effects of microgravity on the homogeneity of the microstructure and porosity of aerogel. The

Cross-linking of polymeric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, L.I.; Du Plessis, T.A.; Meij, G.O.

1991-01-01

The invention provides a method of producing a cured polymeric artifact from a polymeric thermoplastic starting material, the material of the artifact having reduced thermoplasticity relative to the starting material and exhibiting an enhanced degree of cross-linking relative to the starting material. The method includes subjecting a polymeric thermoplastic starting material, which is capable of being cross-linked by irradiation, to sufficient irradiation partially to cross-linked the starting material to produce a thermoplastic partially cross-linked intermediate material. The thermoplasticity of the intermediate material is then reduced by heating it to raise its melting point. The invention also provides a method of making a partially cross-linked feedstocks and a master batch for use in making such artifacts

MXP(M = Co/Ni)@carbon core-shell nanoparticles embedded in 3D cross-linked graphene aerogel derived from seaweed biomass for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wentong; Lu, Xiaoqing; Selvaraj, Manickam; Wei, Wei; Jiang, Zhifeng; Ullah, Nabi; Liu, Jie; Xie, Jimin

2018-05-24

Low-cost electrocatalysts play an important role in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Particularly, transition metal phosphides (TMPs) are widely applied in the development of HER electrocatalysts. To improve the poor electrochemical reaction kinetics of HER, we introduce a facile way to synthesize carbon core-shell materials containing cobalt phosphide nanoparticles embedded in different graphene aerogels (GAs) (CoP@C-NPs/GA-x (x = 5, 10 and 20)) using seaweed biomass as precursors. The synthesized CoP@C-NPs/GA-5 exhibits efficient catalytic activity with small overpotentials of 120 and 225 mV at current densities of 10 mA cm-2, along with the low Tafel slopes of 57 and 66 mV dec-1, for HER in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, respectively. Compared with carbon aerogel (CA) containing cobalt phosphide nanoparticles (CoP-NPs@CA), the stability of CoP@C-NPs/GA-5 coated with carbon-shells (∼0.8 nm) was significantly improved in acidic electrolytes. We also prepared carbon core-shell materials containing nickel phosphide nanoparticles embedded in GA (Ni2P@C-NPs/GA) to further expand this synthetic route. The graphene-Ni2P@C aerogel shows a similar morphology and better catalytic activity for HER in acidic and alkaline electrolytes. In this work, the robust three-dimensional (3D) GA matrix with abundant open pores and large surface area provides unblocked channels for electrolyte contact and electronic transfer and enables very close contact between the catalyst and electrolyte. The MxP@C core-shell structure prevents the inactivation of MxP NPs during HER processes, and the thin graphene oxide (GO) layers and 3D CA together build up a 3D conductive matrix, which not only adjusts the volume expansion of MxP NPs as well as preventing their aggregation, but also provides a 3D conductive pathway for rapid charge transfer processes. The present synthetic strategy for phosphides via in situ phosphorization with 3D GA can be extended to other novel high

Monolithic silica aerogel - material design on the nano-scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev; Schultz, Jørgen Munthe; Kristiansen, Finn Harken

structure of aerogel could be used for gas filters in the 20 to 100 nm region. - The sound velocity within aerogel is in the range of 100 to 300 m/s, which should be one of lowest for an inorganic material. Due to the low density, low acoustic impedance of aerogel could help boost the efficiency...... of piezoelectric transducers. - Other applications could be; waste encapsulation, spacers for vacuum insulation panels, membranes, etc. Department of Civil Engineering is co-ordinator of a current EU FP5 research project1, which deals with the application of aerogel as transparent insulation materials in windows....... Due to the excellent optical and thermal properties of aerogel, it is possible to develop windows with both high insulation and high transmittance, which is impossible applying the conventional window techniques, i.e. extra layers of glass, low-e coatings and gas fillings. It can be shown...

Spray freeze-dried nanofibrillated cellulose aerogels with thermal superinsulating properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Saelices, Clara; Seantier, Bastien; Cathala, Bernard; Grohens, Yves

2017-02-10

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) aerogels were prepared by spray freeze-drying (SFD). Their structural, mechanical and thermal insulation properties were compared to those of NFC aerogels prepared by conventional freeze-drying (CFD). The purpose of this investigation is to develop superinsulating bioaerogels by reducing their pore size. Severe reduction of the aerogel pore size and skeleton architecture were observed by SEM, aerogels prepared by SFD method show a fibril skeleton morphology, which defines a mesoporous structure. BET analyses confirm the appearance of a new organization structure with pores of nanometric sizes. As a consequence, the thermal insulation properties were significantly improved for SFD materials compared to CFD aerogel, reaching values of thermal conductivity as low as 0.018W/(mK). Moreover, NFC aerogels have a thermal conductivity below that of air in ambient conditions, making them one of the best cellulose based thermal superinsulating material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polyimide-Foam/Aerogel Composites for Thermal Insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Martha; Fesmire, James; Sass, Jared; Smith, Trent; Weoser. Erol

2009-01-01

Composites of specific types of polymer foams and aerogel particles or blankets have been proposed to obtain thermal insulation performance superior to those of the neat polyimide foams. These composites have potential to also provide enhanced properties for vibration dampening or acoustic attenuation. The specific type of polymer foam is denoted "TEEK-H", signifying a series, denoted H, within a family of polyimide foams that were developed at NASA s Langley Research Center and are collectively denoted TEEK (an acronym of the inventors names). The specific types of aerogels include Nanogel aerogel particles from Cabot Corporation in Billerica, MA. and of Spaceloft aerogel blanket from Aspen Aerogels in Northborough, MA. The composites are inherently flame-retardant and exceptionally thermally stable. There are numerous potential uses for these composites, at temperatures from cryogenic to high temperatures, in diverse applications that include aerospace vehicles, aircraft, ocean vessels, buildings, and industrial process equipment. Some low-temperature applications, for example, include cryogenic storage and transfer or the transport of foods, medicines, and chemicals. Because of thermal cycling, aging, and weathering most polymer foams do not perform well at cryogenic temperatures and will undergo further cracking over time. The TEEK polyimides are among the few exceptions to this pattern, and the proposed composites are intended to have all the desirable properties of TEEK-H foams, plus improved thermal performance along with enhanced vibration or acoustic-attenuation performance. A composite panel as proposed would be fabricated by adding an appropriate amount of TEEK friable balloons into a mold to form a bottom layer. A piece of flexible aerogel blanket material, cut to the desired size and shape, would then be placed on the bottom TEEK layer and sandwiched between another top layer of polyimide friable balloons so that the aerogel blanket would become

Highly stretchable carbon aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Fan; Jiang, Yanqiu; Xu, Zhen; Xiao, Youhua; Fang, Bo; Liu, Yingjun; Gao, Weiwei; Zhao, Pei; Wang, Hongtao; Gao, Chao

2018-02-28

Carbon aerogels demonstrate wide applications for their ultralow density, rich porosity, and multifunctionalities. Their compressive elasticity has been achieved by different carbons. However, reversibly high stretchability of neat carbon aerogels is still a great challenge owing to their extremely dilute brittle interconnections and poorly ductile cells. Here we report highly stretchable neat carbon aerogels with a retractable 200% elongation through hierarchical synergistic assembly. The hierarchical buckled structures and synergistic reinforcement between graphene and carbon nanotubes enable a temperature-invariable, recoverable stretching elasticity with small energy dissipation (~0.1, 100% strain) and high fatigue resistance more than 10 6 cycles. The ultralight carbon aerogels with both stretchability and compressibility were designed as strain sensors for logic identification of sophisticated shape conversions. Our methodology paves the way to highly stretchable carbon and neat inorganic materials with extensive applications in aerospace, smart robots, and wearable devices.

Synthesis and characterization of a nanocrystalline diamond aerogel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pauzauskie, Peter J.; Crowhurst, Jonathan C.; Worsley, Marcus A.; Laurence, Ted A.; Kilcoyne, A. L. David; Wang, Yinmin; Willey, Trevor M.; Visbeck, Kenneth S.; Fakra, Sirine C.; Evans, William J.; Zaug, Joseph M.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.

2011-07-06

Aerogel materials have myriad scientific and technological applications due to their large intrinsic surface areas and ultralow densities. However, creating a nanodiamond aerogel matrix has remained an outstanding and intriguing challenge. Here we report the high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis of a diamond aerogel from an amorphous carbon aerogel precursor using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. Neon is used as a chemically inert, near-hydrostatic pressure medium that prevents collapse of the aerogel under pressure by conformally filling the aerogel's void volume. Electron and X-ray spectromicroscopy confirm the aerogel morphology and composition of the nanodiamond matrix. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of recovered material reveal the formation of both nitrogen- and silicon- vacancy point-defects, suggesting a broad range of applications for this nanocrystalline diamond aerogel.

Coated Aerogel Beads

Science.gov (United States)

Littman, Howard (Inventor); Plawsky, Joel L. (Inventor); Paccione, John D. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Methods and apparatus for coating particulate material are provided. The apparatus includes a vessel having a top and a bottom, a vertically extending conduit having an inlet in the vessel and an outlet outside of the vessel, a first fluid inlet in the bottom of the vessel for introducing a transfer fluid, a second fluid inlet in the bottom of the vessel for introducing a coating fluid, and a fluid outlet from the vessel. The method includes steps of agitating a material, contacting the material with a coating material, and drying the coating material to produce a coated material. The invention may be adapted to coat aerogel beads, among other materials. A coated aerogel bead and an aerogel-based insulation material are also disclosed.

An environmentally benign route for the development of compressible, thermally insulating and fire retardant aerogels through self-assembling the silk fibroin biopolymer inside the silica structure - An approach towards 3D printing of aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Maleki, Hajar; Montes, Susan; Hayati-Roodbari, Nastaran; Putz, Florian; Huesing, Nicola

2018-06-04

Thanks to the exceptional materials properties of silica aerogels, this fascinating highly porous material has found high performance and real-life applications in various modern industries. However, a requirement for a broadening of these applications is based on the further improvement of their properties especially with regard to mechanical strength and post-synthesis processability with minimum compromise to the other physical properties. Here, we report an entirely novel, simple and aqueous based synthesis approach to prepare mechanically robust aerogel hybrids by co-gelation of silk fibroin (SF) biopolymer, extracted from silkworm cocoons. The synthesis is based on a one-step sequential processes of acid catalysis (physical) crosslinking of the SF biopolymer and simultaneous polycondensation of tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS), in the presence of 5-(trimethoxysilyl)pentanoic acid (TMSPA) as a coupling agent and subsequent solvent exchange and supercritical drying. Extensive characterizations by solid-state 1H-NMR, 29Si-NMR, and 2D 1H-29Si heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) MAS NMR spectroscopy as well as various microscopic techniques (SEM, TEM) and mechanical assessment, confirmed the molecular-level homogeneity of the hybrid nanostructure. The developed silica-SF aerogel hybrids contained an improved set of material properties, such as low density (ρb, average = 0.11 - 0.2 g cm-3), high porosity (~90%), high specific surface area (~ 400-800 m2 g-1), excellent flexibility in compression (up to 80% of strain) with three-order of magnitude improvement in the Young's modulus over that of pristine silica aerogels. In addition, the silica-SF hybrid aerogels are fire retardant and demonstrated excellent thermal insulation performance with thermal conductivities (λ) of (0.033-0.039 Wm-1 K-1). As a further advantage, the formulated hybrid silica-SF aerogel showed an excellent printability in the wet state using a micro-extrusion based 3D printing approach. The

Aerogel-Based Insulation for High-Temperature Industrial Processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr. Owen Evans

2011-10-13

Under this program, Aspen Aerogels has developed an industrial insulation called Pyrogel HT, which is 4-5 times more thermally efficient than current non-aerogel technology. Derived from nanoporous silica aerogels, Pyrogel HT was specifically developed to address a high temperature capability gap not currently met with Aspen Aerogels{trademark} flagship product, Pyrogel XT. Pyrogel XT, which was originally developed on a separate DOE contract (DE-FG36-06GO16056), was primarily optimized for use in industrial steam processing systems, where application temperatures typically do not exceed 400 C. At the time, further improvements in thermal performance above 400 C could not be reasonably achieved for Pyrogel XT without significantly affecting other key material properties using the current technology. Cumulative sales of Pyrogel HT into domestic power plants should reach $125MM through 2030, eventually reaching about 10% of the total insulation market share in that space. Global energy savings would be expected to scale similarly. Over the same period, these sales would reduce domestic energy consumption by more than 65 TBtu. Upon branching out into all industrial processes in the 400 C-650 C regime, Pyrogel HT would reach annual sales levels of $150MM, with two-thirds of that being exported.

Evacuation and assembly of aerogel glazings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev

1999-01-01

The application of monolithic silica aerogel as transparent insulation material for windows has been investigated for some years. It has been realised that a major problem of an industrial production of aerogel glazings will be the time for evacuation of the aerogel material. However, in a previous...... process, it can be considered as semi-online, and especially the capital cost is significantly lower for this method in comparison with a true online process. So hereby, a major obstacle is overcome with respect to a first industrial production of aerogel glazings.The apparatus has been constructed...

Practical application of thermoreversibly Cross-linked rubber products

Science.gov (United States)

Polgar, L. M.; Picchioni, F.; de Ruiter, E.; van Duin, M.

2017-07-01

Currently, rubber products cannot simply be reprocessed after their product life, due to the irreversible cross-linking methods traditionally applied. The purpose of this work is to investigate how thermoreversible cross-linking of rubbers via Diels Alder chemistry can be used for the development of recyclable rubber products. Unfortunately, the applicability of the thermoreversible EPM-g-furan/BM system appears to be limited to room temperature applications, because of the rapid deterioration of the compression set at elevated temperatures compared to irreversibly cross-linked EPM. However, the use of EPM rubber modified with thiophene or cyclopentadiene moieties may extend the temperature application range and results in rubber products with acceptable properties. Finally, rubber products generally comprise fillers such as silica, carbon black or fibers. In this context, the reinforcing effect of short cut aramid fibers on the material properties of the newly developed thermoreversibly cross-linked EPM rubbers was also studied. The material properties of the resulting products were found to be comparable to those of a fiber reinforced, peroxide cured reference sample.

Preparation and characterization of phloroglucinol-formaldehyde aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Changgang; China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang; Tang Yongjian; Wang Chaoyang; Yan Hongmei

2006-01-01

Phloroglucinol-formaldehyde (PF) aerogels and carbonized PF (CPF) aerogels were prepared from Phloroglucinol (P) and Formaldehyde (F) by sol-gel, solvent exchanging, supercritical drying and carbonization processes. The aerogel has a large specific surface area, continuous nano-network and porous structure. The density and mean porosity radius will enlarge after being carbonized, while the specific surface area will be influenced little. The micro-structure and density of aerogel are controlled by concentration of total reactants and catalyzer, respectively. Aerogels with different micro-structure and different density fit for ICF targets can be prepared by optimizing synthesis conditions. (authors)

Cross-linking of dermal sheep collagen using a water-soluble carbodiimide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Damink, LHHO; Dijkstra, PJ; vanLuyn, MJA; vanWachem, PB; Nieuwenhuis, P; Feijen, J

A cross-linking method for collagen-based biomaterials was developed using the water-soluble carbodiimide 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). Cross-linking using EDC involves the activation of carboxylic acid groups to give O-acylisourea groups, which form cross-links

Cross-linking of dermal sheep collagen using a water-soluble carbodiimide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olde damink, L.H.H.; Olde Damink, L.H.H.; Dijkstra, Pieter J.; van Luyn, M.J.A.; van Wachem, P.B.; Nieuwenhuis, P.; Feijen, Jan

1996-01-01

A cross-linking method for collagen-based biomaterials was developed using the water-soluble carbodiimide 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). Cross-linking using EDC involves the activation of carboxylic acid groups to give O-acylisourea groups, which form cross-links

Aerogels Materials as Space Debris Collectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry Woignier

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Material degradation due to the specific space environment becomes a key parameter for space missions. The use of large surface of brittle materials on satellites can produce, if impacted by hypervelocity particles, ejected volumes of mater 100 times higher than the impacting one. The presented work is devoted to the use of silica aerogels as passive detectors. Aerogels have been exposed to the low earth orbit of the ISS for 18 months. The study describes the aerogels process and the choice of synthesis parameters in such a way to get expected features in terms of porosity, mechanical properties, internal stresses, and transparency. Low-density aerogels (0.09 g·cm−3 have been prepared. The control of transparency necessary to see and identify particles and fragments collected is obtained using a base catalysis during gel synthesis. After return to earth, the aerogels samples have been observed using optical microscopy to detect and quantify craters on the exposed surface. First results obtained on a small part of the aerogels indicate a large number of debris collected in the materials.

Aerogel-Based Insulation for Industrial Steam Distribution Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John Williams

2011-03-30

Thermal losses in industrial steam distribution systems account for 977 trillion Btu/year in the US, more than 1% of total domestic energy consumption. Aspen Aerogels worked with Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program to specify, develop, scale-up, demonstrate, and deliver Pyrogel XT®, an aerogel-based pipe insulation, to market to reduce energy losses in industrial steam systems. The product developed has become Aspen’s best selling flexible aerogel blanket insulation and has led to over 60 new jobs. Additionally, this product has delivered more than ~0.7 TBTU of domestic energy savings to date, and could produce annual energy savings of 149 TBTU by 2030. Pyrogel XT’s commercial success has been driven by it’s 2-4X better thermal performance, improved durability, greater resistance to corrosion under insulation (CUI), and faster installation times than incumbent insulation materials.

Hydrogen storage property of nanoporous carbon aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Jun; Liu Nianping; Ouyang Ling; Zhou Bin; Wu Guangming; Ni Xingyuan; Zhang Zhihua

2011-01-01

Carbon aerogels were prepared from resorcinol and formaldehyde via sol-gel process, high temperature carbonization and atmospheric pressure drying technology with solvent replacement. By changing the resorcinol-sodium carbonate molar ratio and the mass fraction of the reactants,resorcinol and formaldehyde, the pore structure of carbon aerogels can be controlled and the palladium-doped carbon aerogels were prepared.By transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, it is confirmed that the Pd exists in the skeleton structure of carbon aerogels as a form of nano simple substance pellet. The specific surface area is successfully raised by 2 times, and palladium-doped carbon aerogels with a specific surface area of 1 273 m 2 /g have been obtained by carrying out the activation process as the post-processing to the doped carbon aerogels. The hydrogen adsorption results show that the saturated hydrogen storage mass fraction of the carbon aerogels with the specific surface area of 3 212 m 2 /g is 3% in the condition of 92 K, 3.5 MPa, and 0.84% in the condition of 303 K, 3.2 MPa. In addition, the hydrogen adsorption test of palladium-doped carbon aerogels at room temperature (303 K) shows that the total hydrogen storage capacity of doped carbon aerogels is declined due to the relative small specific surface, but the hydrogen storage of unit specific surface area is enhanced. (authors)

Durable polymer-aerogel based superhydrophobic coatings, a composite material

Science.gov (United States)

Kissel, David J; Brinker, Charles Jeffrey

2014-03-04

Provided are polymer-aerogel composite coatings, devices and articles including polymer-aerogel composite coatings, and methods for preparing the polymer-aerogel composite. The exemplary article can include a surface, wherein the surface includes at least one region and a polymer-aerogel composite coating disposed over the at least one region, wherein the polymer-aerogel composite coating has a water contact angle of at least about 140.degree. and a contact angle hysteresis of less than about 1.degree.. The polymer-aerogel composite coating can include a polymer and an ultra high water content catalyzed polysilicate aerogel, the polysilicate aerogel including a three dimensional network of silica particles having surface functional groups derivatized with a silylating agent and a plurality of pores.

Durable polymer-aerogel based superhydrophobic coatings: a composite material

Science.gov (United States)

Kissel, David J.; Brinker, Charles Jeffrey

2016-02-02

Provided are polymer-aerogel composite coatings, devices and articles including polymer-aerogel composite coatings, and methods for preparing the polymer-aerogel composite. The exemplary article can include a surface, wherein the surface includes at least one region and a polymer-aerogel composite coating disposed over the at least one region, wherein the polymer-aerogel composite coating has a water contact angle of at least about 140.degree. and a contact angle hysteresis of less than about 1.degree.. The polymer-aerogel composite coating can include a polymer and an ultra high water content catalyzed polysilicate aerogel, the polysilicate aerogel including a three dimensional network of silica particles having surface functional groups derivatized with a silylating agent and a plurality of pores.

Cross-link guided molecular modeling with ROSETTA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Kahraman

Full Text Available Chemical cross-links identified by mass spectrometry generate distance restraints that reveal low-resolution structural information on proteins and protein complexes. The technology to reliably generate such data has become mature and robust enough to shift the focus to the question of how these distance restraints can be best integrated into molecular modeling calculations. Here, we introduce three workflows for incorporating distance restraints generated by chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry into ROSETTA protocols for comparative and de novo modeling and protein-protein docking. We demonstrate that the cross-link validation and visualization software Xwalk facilitates successful cross-link data integration. Besides the protocols we introduce XLdb, a database of chemical cross-links from 14 different publications with 506 intra-protein and 62 inter-protein cross-links, where each cross-link can be mapped on an experimental structure from the Protein Data Bank. Finally, we demonstrate on a protein-protein docking reference data set the impact of virtual cross-links on protein docking calculations and show that an inter-protein cross-link can reduce on average the RMSD of a docking prediction by 5.0 Å. The methods and results presented here provide guidelines for the effective integration of chemical cross-link data in molecular modeling calculations and should advance the structural analysis of particularly large and transient protein complexes via hybrid structural biology methods.

Aerogel / Polymer Composite Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Martha K. (Inventor); Smith, Trent M. (Inventor); Fesmire, James E. (Inventor); Roberson, Luke B. (Inventor); Clayton, LaNetra M. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

The invention provides new composite materials containing aerogels blended with thermoplastic polymer materials at a weight ratio of aerogel to thermoplastic polymer of less than 20:100. The composite materials have improved thermal insulation ability. The composite materials also have better flexibility and less brittleness at low temperatures than the parent thermoplastic polymer materials.

Aerogels: II. Applications in catalysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlović Aleksandar M.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Sol-gel synthesis, and the resulting materials (xerogels and aerogels are finding increasing application in the synthesis of catalysts, due to their unique characteristics. The most important features of the sol-gel process are: the ability to achieve homogeneity at the molecular level, the introduction of several species in only one step and the ability to stabilize metastable phases. The supercritical drying process produces aerogels with structural features quite different to conventional materials. Some of these characteristics of aerogels can make them very effective catalysts.

Super insulating aerogel glazing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Jørgen Munthe; Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev; Kristiansen, Finn Harken

2005-01-01

of the glass and a heat-treatment of the aerogel increases the visible quality and the solar energy transmittance. A low-conductive rim seal solution with the required vacuum barrier properties has been developed along with a reliable assembly and evacuation process. The prototypes have a centre heat loss...

Measurements of scattering, transmittance/reflectance, IR-transmittance and thermal conductivity of small aerogel samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duer, Karsten; Svendsen, Sv Aa Højgaard

1997-01-01

By providing at the same time thermal insulation and transparency the silica aerogel is a very attractive material for the purpose of improving the thermal performance of windows. Nevertheless a lot of problems have to be solved on the way from concept to the developed product. The B1 Aerogels...... project deals with some of these problems.This report summarizes the work that has been carried out on the subject of characterizing the optical and thermal performance of different types of aerogels and aerogel-like materials for the purpose of using aerogel in clear glazings.All measurements presented...

Aerogels from Chitosan Solutions in Ionic Liquids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalo Santos-López

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Chitosan aerogels conjugates the characteristics of nanostructured porous materials, i.e., extended specific surface area and nano scale porosity, with the remarkable functional properties of chitosan. Aerogels were obtained from solutions of chitosan in ionic liquids (ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (BMIMAc, and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate (EMIMAc, in order to observe the effect of the solvent in the structural characteristics of this type of materials. The process of elaboration of aerogels comprised the formation of physical gels through anti-solvent vapor diffusion, liquid phase exchange, and supercritical CO2 drying. The aerogels maintained the chemical identity of chitosan according to Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR spectroscopy, indicating the presence of their characteristic functional groups. The internal structure of the obtained aerogels appears as porous aggregated networks in microscopy images. The obtained materials have specific surface areas over 350 m2/g and can be considered mesoporous. According to swelling experiments, the chitosan aerogels could absorb between three and six times their weight of water. However, the swelling and diffusion coefficient decreased at higher temperatures. The structural characteristics of chitosan aerogels that are obtained from ionic liquids are distinctive and could be related to solvation dynamic at the initial state.

Aerogel RICH for the Belle II forward PID

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishida, S., E-mail: shohei.nishida@kek.jp [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Adachi, I. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Hamada, N. [Toho University, Funabashi (Japan); Hara, K. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Iijima, T. [Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Iwata, S.; Kakuno, H. [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Kawai, H. [Chiba University, Chiba (Japan); Korpar, S.; Krizan, P. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Ogawa, S. [Toho University, Funabashi (Japan); Pestotnik, R.; Ŝantelj, L.; Seljak, A. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Sumiyoshi, T. [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Tabata, M. [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara (Japan); Tahirovic, E. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Yoshida, K. [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Yusa, Y. [Niigata University, Niigata (Japan)

2014-12-01

The Belle II spectrometer, a follow up of the very successful Belle experiment, is under construction at the SuperKEKB electron–positron collider at KEK in Japan. For the PID system in the forward region of the spectrometer, a proximity focusing ring-imaging Cherenkov (RICH) counter with an aerogel radiator is being developed. The counter will provide a 4σ separation of pions and kaons up to momenta of 4 GeV/c. For the position sensitive photon sensor, a 144-channel Hybrid Avalanche Photo-Detector (HAPD) has been developed with Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. The readout electronics is based on the custom developed ASIC. The design of the components is currently being finalized and part of their mass production have already started. Herein, we report the final design of the counter and a prototype test conducted with test beams at DESY. - Highlights: • We are constructing a RICH counter with aerogel radiator for Belle II. • Beam test for the prototype Aerogel RICH shows its good performance. • The effect of the neutron irradiation of the photodetector is examined.

The cross linking of EPDM and NBR rubber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samardžija-Jovanović Suzana

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In the process of macromolecule cross linking, the choice of type and quantity of the components and the experimental conditions are important to obtain the new cross linked materials with better mechanical and chemical characteristics. The cross linking method depends on the rubber type and structure. Intermolecular cross linking results in the formation elastomer network. The basis of the cross linking process, between ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR, is a chemical reaction. Fillers and other additives are present in different mass ratios in the material. The exploitation properties of the cross linked materials depend on the quantity of additive in the cross linked systems.

Efficiently dense hierarchical graphene based aerogel electrode for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Lu, Chengxing; Peng, Huifen; Zhang, Xin; Wang, Zhenkun; Wang, Gongkai

2016-08-01

Boosting gravimetric and volumetric capacitances simultaneously at a high rate is still a discrepancy in development of graphene based supercapacitors. We report the preparation of dense hierarchical graphene/activated carbon composite aerogels via a reduction induced self-assembly process coupled with a drying post treatment. The compact and porous structures of composite aerogels could be maintained. The drying post treatment has significant effects on increasing the packing density of aerogels. The introduced activated carbons play the key roles of spacers and bridges, mitigating the restacking of adjacent graphene nanosheets and connecting lateral and vertical graphene nanosheets, respectively. The optimized aerogel with a packing density of 0.67 g cm-3 could deliver maximum gravimetric and volumetric capacitances of 128.2 F g-1 and 85.9 F cm-3, respectively, at a current density of 1 A g-1 in aqueous electrolyte, showing no apparent degradation to the specific capacitance at a current density of 10 A g-1 after 20000 cycles. The corresponding gravimetric and volumetric capacitances of 116.6 F g-1 and 78.1 cm-3 with an acceptable cyclic stability are also achieved in ionic liquid electrolyte. The results show a feasible strategy of designing dense hierarchical graphene based aerogels for supercapacitors.

Fibrous-Ceramic/Aerogel Composite Insulating Tiles

Science.gov (United States)

White, Susan M.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2004-01-01

Fibrous-ceramic/aerogel composite tiles have been invented to afford combinations of thermal-insulation and mechanical properties superior to those attainable by making tiles of fibrous ceramics alone or aerogels alone. These lightweight tiles can be tailored to a variety of applications that range from insulating cryogenic tanks to protecting spacecraft against re-entry heating. The advantages and disadvantages of fibrous ceramics and aerogels can be summarized as follows: Tiles made of ceramic fibers are known for mechanical strength, toughness, and machinability. Fibrous ceramic tiles are highly effective as thermal insulators in a vacuum. However, undesirably, the porosity of these materials makes them permeable by gases, so that in the presence of air or other gases, convection and gas-phase conduction contribute to the effective thermal conductivity of the tiles. Other disadvantages of the porosity and permeability of fibrous ceramic tiles arise because gases (e.g., water vapor or cryogenic gases) can condense in pores. This condensation contributes to weight, and in the case of cryogenic systems, the heat of condensation undesirably adds to the heat flowing to the objects that one seeks to keep cold. Moreover, there is a risk of explosion associated with vaporization of previously condensed gas upon reheating. Aerogels offer low permeability, low density, and low thermal conductivity, but are mechanically fragile. The basic idea of the present invention is to exploit the best features of fibrous ceramic tiles and aerogels. In a composite tile according to the invention, the fibrous ceramic serves as a matrix that mechanically supports the aerogel, while the aerogel serves as a low-conductivity, low-permeability filling that closes what would otherwise be the open pores of the fibrous ceramic. Because the aerogel eliminates or at least suppresses permeation by gas, gas-phase conduction, and convection, the thermal conductivity of such a composite even at

Refractive index dispersion law of silica aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Calvi, M.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Perego, D.L.; Storaci, B.

2007-01-01

This paper presents measurements of the refractive index of a hygroscopic silica aerogel block at several wavelengths. The measurements, performed with a monochromator, have been compared with different parameterisations for n(λ), in order to determine the best chromaticity law for the aerogel. This is an important input for design and operation of RICH detectors with silica aerogel radiator. (orig.)

On the Reproducibility of Label-Free Quantitative Cross-Linking/Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Fränze; Fischer, Lutz; Chen, Zhuo Angel; Auchynnikava, Tania; Rappsilber, Juri

2018-02-01

Quantitative cross-linking/mass spectrometry (QCLMS) is an emerging approach to study conformational changes of proteins and multi-subunit complexes. Distinguishing protein conformations requires reproducibly identifying and quantifying cross-linked peptides. Here we analyzed the variation between multiple cross-linking reactions using bis[sulfosuccinimidyl] suberate (BS3)-cross-linked human serum albumin (HSA) and evaluated how reproducible cross-linked peptides can be identified and quantified by LC-MS analysis. To make QCLMS accessible to a broader research community, we developed a workflow that integrates the established software tools MaxQuant for spectra preprocessing, Xi for cross-linked peptide identification, and finally Skyline for quantification (MS1 filtering). Out of the 221 unique residue pairs identified in our sample, 124 were subsequently quantified across 10 analyses with coefficient of variation (CV) values of 14% (injection replica) and 32% (reaction replica). Thus our results demonstrate that the reproducibility of QCLMS is in line with the reproducibility of general quantitative proteomics and we establish a robust workflow for MS1-based quantitation of cross-linked peptides.

High strength air-dried aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Coronado, Paul R.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.

2012-11-06

A method for the preparation of high strength air-dried organic aerogels. The method involves the sol-gel polymerization of organic gel precursors, such as resorcinol with formaldehyde (RF) in aqueous solvents with R/C ratios greater than about 1000 and R/F ratios less than about 1:2.1. Using a procedure analogous to the preparation of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogels, this approach generates wet gels that can be air dried at ambient temperatures and pressures. The method significantly reduces the time and/or energy required to produce a dried aerogel compared to conventional methods using either supercritical solvent extraction. The air dried gel exhibits typically less than 5% shrinkage.

Novel polybenzoxazine-based carbon aerogel electrode for supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katanyoota, Porawee [Petroleum and Petrochemical College and National Center of Excellence for Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Chaisuwan, Thayanlak, E-mail: thanyalak.c@hotmail.co [Petroleum and Petrochemical College and National Center of Excellence for Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Wongchaisuwat, Atchana [Department of Chemistry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900 (Thailand); Wongkasemjit, Sujitra, E-mail: dsujitra@chula.ac.t [Petroleum and Petrochemical College and National Center of Excellence for Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2010-02-25

In this study, polybenzoxazine, a new high performance thermosetting resin, was used to prepare carbon aerogels used as an electrode for supercapacitors. Two types of polybenzoxazines, derived from two different amines, aniline and triethylenetetramine, and denoted as BA-a and BA-teta, respectively, were chosen as the reactants for the organic precursor preparation. The surface area of carbon aerogels from both BA-a and BA-teta was 391 and 368 m{sup 2}/g, respectively. The pore size of each carbon aerogel was in the range of 2-5 nm, which is a suitable pore size for use as electrodes in electrochemical applications. The electrochemical properties of the obtained carbon aerogels showed good performance for supercapacitor applications with a specific capacitance of 55.78 and 20.53 F/g for BA-teta and BA-a, respectively. At low voltage scanning, 1 and 5 mV/s, the cyclic voltammogram of the carbon aerogel derived from BA-teta gave a better rectangular shape than that of the other carbon aerogel. The impedance spectra of both carbon aerogels confirmed the results of the capacitance and the cyclic voltammogram analyses.

Novel polybenzoxazine-based carbon aerogel electrode for supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katanyoota, Porawee; Chaisuwan, Thayanlak; Wongchaisuwat, Atchana; Wongkasemjit, Sujitra

2010-01-01

In this study, polybenzoxazine, a new high performance thermosetting resin, was used to prepare carbon aerogels used as an electrode for supercapacitors. Two types of polybenzoxazines, derived from two different amines, aniline and triethylenetetramine, and denoted as BA-a and BA-teta, respectively, were chosen as the reactants for the organic precursor preparation. The surface area of carbon aerogels from both BA-a and BA-teta was 391 and 368 m 2 /g, respectively. The pore size of each carbon aerogel was in the range of 2-5 nm, which is a suitable pore size for use as electrodes in electrochemical applications. The electrochemical properties of the obtained carbon aerogels showed good performance for supercapacitor applications with a specific capacitance of 55.78 and 20.53 F/g for BA-teta and BA-a, respectively. At low voltage scanning, 1 and 5 mV/s, the cyclic voltammogram of the carbon aerogel derived from BA-teta gave a better rectangular shape than that of the other carbon aerogel. The impedance spectra of both carbon aerogels confirmed the results of the capacitance and the cyclic voltammogram analyses.

Basic science of new aerogels. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-08-01

Feasibility of making monolithic composite aerogels containing silica and natural clay minerals, synthetic clay minerals or zeolites has been demonstrated, using two different processes; up to 30 wt% of the mineral phase has been successfully added. Addition of natural and synthetic clay minerals or zeolites to silica aerosols was shown to retard densification. Composite silica aerogels showed significant surface area still present after sintering at 800 or 1000 C. For most samples, 1 wt% of the second phase is equally effective in retarding densification as 10 wt%. Composite aerogels, in general, had lower hardness values than pure silica. Hardness values were inversely proportional to aerogel pore radius.

Functionalized silica aerogels for gas-phase purification, sensing, and catalysis: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amonette, James E.; Matyáš, Josef

2017-09-01

Silica aerogels have a rich history and a unique, fascinating gas-phase chemistry that has lent them to many diverse applications. This review starts with a brief discussion of the fundamental issues driving the movement of gases in silica aerogels and then proceeds to provide an overview of the work that has been done with respect to the purification of gases, sensing of individual gases, and uses of silica aerogels as catalysts for gas-phase reactions. Salient features of the research behind these different applications are presented, and, where appropriate, critical aspects that affect the practical use of the aerogels are noted. Specific sections under the gas-purification category focus on the removal of airborne nanoparticles, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, sulfur gases and radioactive iodine from gas streams. The use of silica aerogels as sensors for humidity, oxygen, hydrocarbons, volatile acids and bases, various non-ammoniacal nitrogen gases, and viral particles is discussed. With respect to catalysis, the demonstrated use of silica aerogels as supports for oxidation, Fischer-Tropsch, alkane isomerization, and hydrogenation reactions is reviewed, along with a section on untested catalytic formulations involving silica aerogels. A short section focuses on recent developments in thermomolecular Knudsen compressor pumps using silica aerogel membranes. The review continues with an overview of the production methods, locations of manufacturing facilities globally, and a brief discussion of the economics before concluding with a few remarks about the present and future trends revealed by the work presented.

Fabrication and characterization of Aerogel-Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) Insulation Film

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Yeoung ah; Song, Sinae; Taik Kim, Hee

2018-03-01

The building has a large impact on the space heating demand and the indoor environment is affected by climate or daylight. Hence, silica aerogel has generally used as a film to reduce the coefficient of the window in the building. Silica aerogel is a suitable material to apply for insulation material with lower thermal conductivity than that of air to save interior energy. However expensive precursor and drying process were the main issue of the silica aerogel synthesis and practical usage. We attempt to fabricate aerogel insulation film for energy saving through the economic process under ambient pressure. Silica aerogel was synthesized from rice husk ash, which was an agricultural waste to be able to recycle. Taguchi design was used to optimize the parameters (amount of rice husk ash, pH, aging time) controlling the surface area of silica aerogel. The silica aerogel is prepared by sol-gel processing through acidic treatment and aging. The silica aerogel was obtained by modification of silica hydrogel surface and dry at ambient pressure. Finally, aerogel film was respectively fabricated by the different content of aerogel in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Silica aerogel obtained 21 – 24nm average particle size was analyzed by SEM and silica aerogel with high surface area (832.26 m2/g), pore size ( 3.30nm ) was characterized by BET. Then silica Aerogel – PDMS insulation film with thermal conductivity (0.002 W/mK) was analyzed by thermal wave system. The study demonstrates an eco-friendly and low-cost route toward silica – PDMS insulation film with low thermal conductivity (0.002 W/mK).

Electrospinning of polymer-aerogel composite fibres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Lasse; Fojan, Peter

En poster om produktion af polymer-aerogel kompositfibre ved hjælp af elektrospinning. Fiberne er produceret fra en opløsning af aerogel og polyethylene oxide i vand, som er elektrospundet gennem en enkeltnålsprocess....

Aerogel for FARICH detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnyakov, A.Yu. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Barnyakov, M.Yu. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State Technical University, Karl Marks 20, Novosibirsk 630073 (Russian Federation); Bobrovnikov, V.S.; Buzykaev, A.R.; Gulevich, V.V. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Danilyuk, A.F. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentieva 5, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kononov, S.A.; Kravchenko, E.A. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova 2, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kuyanov, I.A. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Lopatin, S.A. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentieva 5, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Onuchin, A.P.; Ovtin, I.V.; Podgornov, N.A. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State Technical University, Karl Marks 20, Novosibirsk 630073 (Russian Federation); Porosev, V.V. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lavrentieva 11, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Predein, A.Yu.; Protsenko, R.S. [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentieva 5, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)

2014-12-01

We present our current experience in preparation of focusing aerogels for the Focusing Aerogel RICH detector. Multilayer focusing aerogel tiles have been produced in Novosibirsk by a collaboration of the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics and Boreskov Institute of Catalysis since 2004. We have obtained 2–3–4-layer blocks with the thickness of 30–45 mm. In 2012, the first samples of focusing blocks with continuous density (refractive index) gradient along thickness were produced. This technology can significantly reduce the contribution from the geometric factor of the radiator thickness to the resolution of the measured Cherenkov angle in the FARICH detector. The special installation was used for automatic control of reagents ratio during the synthesis process. The first samples were tested using the digital radiography method and on the electron beam with the FARICH prototype.

Lithium polymer cell assembled by in situ chemical cross-linking of ionic liquid electrolyte with phosphazene-based cross-linking agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Ji-Ae; Kang, Yongku; Kim, Dong-Won

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Ionic liquid-based cross-linked gel polymer electrolytes were synthesized and their electrochemical properties were investigated. ► Lithium polymer cells with in situ cross-linked gel polymer electrolytes exhibited reversible cycling behavior with good capacity retention. ► The use of ionic liquid-based cross-linked gel polymer electrolytes significantly improved the thermal stability of the cells. -- Abstract: Ionic liquid-based cross-linked gel polymer electrolytes were prepared with a phosphazene-based cross-linking agent, and their electrochemical properties were investigated. Lithium polymer cells composed of lithium anode and LiCoO 2 cathode were assembled with ionic liquid-based cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte and their cycling performance was evaluated. The interfacial adhesion between the electrodes and the electrolyte by in situ chemical cross-linking resulted in stable capacity retention of the cell. A reduction in the ionic mobility in both the electrolyte and the electrode adversely affected discharge capacity and high rate performance of the cell. DSC studies demonstrated that the use of ionic liquid-based cross-linked gel polymer electrolytes provided a significant improvement in the thermal stability of the cell

Green synthesis of hybrid graphene oxide/microcrystalline cellulose aerogels and their use as superabsorbents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Xiao; Huang, Ting; Yang, Jing-hui; Zhang, Nan; Wang, Yong, E-mail: yongwang1976@163.com; Zhou, Zuo-wan

2017-08-05

Highlights: • Hybrid GO/MCC aerogels were prepared using LiBr aqueous solution as the solvent. • GO was exfoliated by MCC through the strong interaction between them. • The adsorption ability of GO per unit mass in the hybrid aerogels was greatly enhanced. - Abstract: In this work, we developed a green synthesis method to prepare the hybrid aerogels containing graphene oxide (GO) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) using lithium bromide (LiBr) aqueous solution as the solvent, which insured the complete dissolution of MCC. The interaction between GO and MCC was investigated through different methods The results demonstrate that there is a strong interaction between GO and MCC molecules, which promotes the exfoliation of GO in the hybrid aerogels. The hybrid GO/MCC aerogels exhibit typical three dimensional porous structure and the pore morphology can be well adjusted by changing the content of GO. The adsorption ability of the hybrid aerogels was measured using methylene blue (MB) as an adsorbate. The results show that the adsorption ability of GO per unit mass is greatly enhanced compared with the pure GO aerogel, especially at relatively low GO content the adsorption amount of GO per unit mass is enhanced up to 2630 mg/g. Further results demonstrate that the hybrid GO/MCC aerogels still obey the pseudo-second-order adsorption model, which is similar to that of the pure GO aerogel. The mechanism for the amplified adsorption ability of GO in the hybrid GO/MCC aerogels is then analyzed.

Green synthesis of hybrid graphene oxide/microcrystalline cellulose aerogels and their use as superabsorbents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Xiao; Huang, Ting; Yang, Jing-hui; Zhang, Nan; Wang, Yong; Zhou, Zuo-wan

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Hybrid GO/MCC aerogels were prepared using LiBr aqueous solution as the solvent. • GO was exfoliated by MCC through the strong interaction between them. • The adsorption ability of GO per unit mass in the hybrid aerogels was greatly enhanced. - Abstract: In this work, we developed a green synthesis method to prepare the hybrid aerogels containing graphene oxide (GO) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) using lithium bromide (LiBr) aqueous solution as the solvent, which insured the complete dissolution of MCC. The interaction between GO and MCC was investigated through different methods The results demonstrate that there is a strong interaction between GO and MCC molecules, which promotes the exfoliation of GO in the hybrid aerogels. The hybrid GO/MCC aerogels exhibit typical three dimensional porous structure and the pore morphology can be well adjusted by changing the content of GO. The adsorption ability of the hybrid aerogels was measured using methylene blue (MB) as an adsorbate. The results show that the adsorption ability of GO per unit mass is greatly enhanced compared with the pure GO aerogel, especially at relatively low GO content the adsorption amount of GO per unit mass is enhanced up to 2630 mg/g. Further results demonstrate that the hybrid GO/MCC aerogels still obey the pseudo-second-order adsorption model, which is similar to that of the pure GO aerogel. The mechanism for the amplified adsorption ability of GO in the hybrid GO/MCC aerogels is then analyzed.

Silica aerogel and space astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch-Miramond, L.

1985-09-01

Silica aerogels have been produced in large and transparent blocks for space astrophysics experiments since the beginning of the 1970's. They were used in cosmic ray experiments on board balloons by the Saclay group. A new space venture where aerogel Cerenkov radiators will play a decisive role is currently being prepared by a large collaboration of European and US Institutes. It will be part of the so-called International Solar Polar Mission (ISPM) which will explore the heliosphere over the full range of solar latitudes from the ecliptic (equatorial) plane to the magnetic poles of the sun. Comments on properties and long term behaviour of silica aerogel cerenkov radiators in space environment are given

Nitrogen-doped carbon aerogels for electrical energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Patrick; Montalvo, Elizabeth; Baumann, Theodore F.; Biener, Juergen; Merrill, Matthew; Reed, Eric W.; Worsley, Marcus A.

2017-10-03

Disclosed here is a method for making a nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel, comprising: preparing a reaction mixture comprising formaldehyde, at least one nitrogen-containing resorcinol analog, at least one catalyst, and at least one solvent; curing the reaction mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and thermally annealing the dry gel to produce the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel. Also disclosed is a nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel obtained according to the method and a supercapacitor comprising the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel.

Chemical cross-linking of Chlamydia trachomatis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkelund, Svend; Lundemose, AG; Christiansen, Gunna

1988-01-01

Purified elementary bodies (EBs) of Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 were analyzed by chemical cross-linking with disuccinimidyl selenodipropionate. The effect of the cross-linking was analyzed by immunoblotting sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated components which...

Development of horseradish peroxidase-based cross-linked enzyme aggregates and their environmental exploitation for bioremediation purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilal, Muhammad; Iqbal, Hafiz M N; Hu, Hongbo; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Xuehong

2017-03-01

In the present study, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), in-house isolated crude cocktail enzyme, from Armoracia rusticana was cross-linked using a new type of cross-linking agent, i.e., ethylene glycol-bis [succinic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide, (EG-NHS)], which is mild in nature as compared to the glutaraldehyde (GA). The HRP-immobilized cross-linked enzyme aggregates (HRP-CLEAs) were developed using a wider range of EG-NHS and notably no adverse effect was observed. In a comparative evaluation, in the case of EG-NHS, a high-level stability in the residual activity was recorded, whereas a sharp decrease was observed in the case of glutaraldehyde. Following initial cross-linker evaluation, the HRP-CLEAs were tested to investigate their bio-catalytic efficacy for bioremediation purposes using a newly developed packed bed reactor system (PBRS). A maximal of 94.26% degradation of textile-based methyl orange dye was recorded within the shortest time frame, following 91.73% degradation of basic red 9, 84.35% degradation of indigo, 81.47% degradation of Rhodamin B, and 73.6% degradation of Rhodamine 6G, respectively, under the same working environment. Notably, the HRP-CLEAs retained almost 60% of its original activity after methyl orange dye degradation in seven consecutive cycles using PBRS. Furthermore, after HRP-CLEAs-mediated treatment in the PBRS, a significant toxicity reduction in the dye samples was recorded as compared to their pristine counterparts. In conclusion, the results suggest that the newly developed HRP-CLEAs have a great potential for industrial exploitation, to tackle numerous industrial dye-based emergent pollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bluedec in product design : Isolatiemateriaal op basis van aerogel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beurden, van K.M.M. (Karin); Goselink, E.A. (Erik)

2014-01-01

Aerogel is een zeer kostbaar voor de ruimtevaart ontwikkeld basismateriaal. Bluedec is een isolatiemateriaal bestaande uit een non woven kunststof dat met deze aerogel geïmpregneerd is. Hierdoor ontstaat een zeer goed isolerend materiaal dat goedkoper is dan aerogel. De

Aerogels made of chitosan and chondroitin sulfate at high degree of neutralization: Biological properties toward wound healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Concha, Miguel; Vidal, Alejandra; Giacaman, Annesi; Ojeda, Javier; Pavicic, Francisca; Oyarzun-Ampuero, Felipe A; Torres, César; Cabrera, Marcela; Moreno-Villoslada, Ignacio; Orellana, Sandra L

2018-02-09

In this study, highly neutralized, highly porous, and ultralight polymeric aerogels prepared from aqueous colloidal suspensions of chitosan (CS) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS) nanocomplexes, formulated as quasi-equimolar amounts of both, are described. These aerogels were designed as healing agents under the inspiration of minimizing the amount of matter applied to wounds, reducing the electrostatic potential of the material and avoiding covalent cross-linkers in order to decrease metabolic stress over wounds. Aerogels synthesized under these criteria are biocompatible and provide specific properties for the induction of wound healing. They do not affect neither the metabolic activity of cultured 3T3 fibroblasts nor the biochemical parameters of experimental animals, open wounds close significantly faster and, unlike control wounds, complete reepithelialization and scarring can be attained 14 days after surgery. Because of its hydration abilities, rapid adaptation to the wound bed and the early accelerator effect of wound closure, the CS/ChS aerogels appear to be functional inducers of the healing. Previous information show that CS/ChS aerogels improve wound bed quality, increase granulation tissue and have pain suppressive effect. CS/ChS aerogels are useful as safe, inexpensive and easy to handle materials for topical applications, such as skin chronic wounds. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In vivo oxidation in remelted highly cross-linked retrievals.

Science.gov (United States)

Currier, B H; Van Citters, D W; Currier, J H; Collier, J P

2010-10-20

Elimination of free radicals to prevent oxidation has played a major role in the development and product differentiation of the latest generation of highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene bearing materials. In the current study, we (1) examined oxidation in a series of retrieved remelted highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene bearings from a number of device manufacturers and (2) compared the retrieval results with findings for shelf-stored control specimens. The hypothesis was that radiation-cross-linked remelted ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene would maintain oxidative stability in vivo comparable with the stability during shelf storage and in published laboratory aging tests. Fifty remelted highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene acetabular liners and nineteen remelted highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene tibial inserts were received after retrieval from twenty-one surgeons from across the U.S. Thirty-two of the retrievals had been in vivo for two years or more. Each was measured for oxidation with use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A control series of remelted highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene acetabular liners from three manufacturers was analyzed with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure free radical content and with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to measure oxidation initially and after eight to nine years of shelf storage in air. The never-implanted, shelf-aged controls had no measurable free-radical content initially or after eight to nine years of shelf storage. The never-implanted controls showed no increase in oxidation during shelf storage. Oxidation measurements showed measurable oxidation in 22% of the retrieved remelted highly cross-linked liners and inserts after an average of two years in vivo. Because never-implanted remelted highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight

Impact of polishing on the light scattering at aerogel surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnyakov, A.Yu.; Barnyakov, M.Yu.; Bobrovnikov, V.S.; Buzykaev, A.R.; Danilyuk, A.F.; Katcin, A.A.; Kononov, S.A.; Kirilenko, P.S.; Kravchenko, E.A.; Kuyanov, I.A.; Onuchin, A.P.; Ovtin, I.V.; Predein, A.Yu.; Protsenko, R.S.

2016-01-01

Particle identification power of modern aerogel RICH detectors strongly depends on optical quality of radiators. It was shown that wavelength dependence of aerogel tile transparency after polishing cannot be described by the standard Hunt formula. The Hunt formula has been modified to describe scattering in a thin layer of silica dust on the surface of aerogel tile. Several procedures of polishing of aerogel tile have been tested. The best result has been achieved while using natural silk tissue. The resulting block has optical smooth surfaces. The measured decrease of aerogel transparency due to surface scattering is about few percent. This result could be used for production of radiators for the Focusing Aerogel RICH detectors.

Recent advances in corneal collagen cross-linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gitansha Shreyas Sachdev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Corneal collagen cross-linking has become the preferred modality of treatment for corneal ectasia since its inception in late 1990s. Numerous studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the conventional protocol. Our understanding of the cross-linking process is ever evolving, with its wide implications in the form of accelerated and pulsed protocols. Newer advancements in technology include various riboflavin formulations and the ability to deliver higher fluence protocols with customised irradiation patterns. A greater degree of customisation is likely the path forward, which will aim at achieving refractive improvements along with disease stability. The use of cross-linking for myopic correction is another avenue under exploration. Combination of half fluence cross-linking with refractive correction for high errors to prevent post LASIK regression is gaining interest. This review aims to highlight the various advancements in the cross-linking technology and its clinical applications.

Flexible aerogel composite for mechanical stability and process of fabrication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coronado, P.R.; Poco, J.F.

1999-10-26

A flexible aerogel and process of fabrication are disclosed. An aerogel solution is mixed with fibers in a mold and allowed to gel. The gel is then processed by supercritical extraction, or by air drying, to produce a flexible aerogel formed to the shape of the mold. The flexible aerogel has excellent thermal and acoustic properties, and can be utilized in numerous applications, such as for energy absorption, insulation (temperature and acoustic), to meet the contours of aircraft shapes, and where space is limited since an inch of aerogel is a 4--5 times better insulator than an inch of fiberglass. The flexible aerogel may be of an inorganic (silica) type or an organic (carbon) type, but containing fibers, such as glass or carbon fibers.

Flexible aerogel composite for mechanical stability and process of fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Coronado, Paul R.; Poco, John F.

1999-01-01

A flexible aerogel and process of fabrication. An aerogel solution is mixed with fibers in a mold and allowed to gel. The gel is then processed by supercritical extraction, or by air drying, to produce a flexible aerogel formed to the shape of the mold. The flexible aerogel has excellent thermal and acoustic properties, and can be utilized in numerous applications, such as for energy absorption, insulation (temperature and acoustic), to meet the contours of aircraft shapes, and where space is limited since an inch of aerogel is a 4-5 times better insulator than an inch of fiberglass. The flexible aerogel may be of an inorganic (silica) type or an organic (carbon) type, but containing fibers, such as glass or carbon fibers.

Flexible aerogel composite for mechanical stability and process of fabrication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coronado, P.R.; Poco, J.F.

2000-07-11

A flexible aerogel and process of fabrication are disclosed. An aerogel solution is mixed with fibers in a mold and allowed to gel. The gel is then processed by supercritical extraction, or by air drying, to produce a flexible aerogel formed to the shape of the mold. The flexible aerogel has excellent thermal and acoustic properties, and can be utilized in numerous applications, such as for energy absorption, insulation (temperature and acoustic), to meet the contours of aircraft shapes, and where space is limited since an inch of aerogel is a 4--5 times better insulator than an inch of fiberglass. The flexible aerogel may be of an inorganic (silica) type or an organic (carbon) type, but containing fibers, such as glass or carbon fibers.

Evaluation of supercritical CO2 dried cellulose aerogels as nano-biomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sinah; Kang, Kyu-Young; Jeong, Myung-Joon; Potthast, Antje; Liebner, Falk

2017-10-01

Cellulose is the renewable, biodegradable and abundant resource and is suggested as an alternative material to silica due to the high price and environmental load of silica. The first step for cellulose aerogel production is to dissolve cellulose, and hydrated calcium thiocyanate molten salt is one of the most effective solvents for preparing porous material. Cellulose aerogels were prepared from dissolved cellulose samples of different degree of polymerization (DP) and drying methods, and tested with shrinkage, density and mechanical strength. Supercritical CO2 dried cellulose aerogels shrank less compared to freeze-dried cellulose aerogels, whereas the densities were increased according to the DP increases in both cellulose aerogels. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the higher DP cellulose aerogels were more uniform with micro-porous structure. Regarding the mechanical strength of cellulose aerogels, supercritical CO2 dried cellulose aerogels with higher molecular weight were much more solid.

Polyimide Cellulose Nanocrystal Composite Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Baochau N.; Meador, Mary Ann; Rowan, Stuart; Cudjoe, Elvis; Sandberg, Anna

2014-01-01

Polyimide (PI) aerogels are highly porous solids having low density, high porosity and low thermal conductivity with good mechanical properties. They are ideal for various applications including use in antenna and insulation such as inflatable decelerators used in entry, decent and landing operations. Recently, attention has been focused on stimuli responsive materials such as cellulose nano crystals (CNCs). CNCs are environmentally friendly, bio-renewable, commonly found in plants and the dermis of sea tunicates, and potentially low cost. This study is to examine the effects of CNC on the polyimide aerogels. The CNC used in this project are extracted from mantle of a sea creature called tunicates. A series of polyimide cellulose nanocrystal composite aerogels has been fabricated having 0-13 wt of CNC. Results will be discussed.

Nitric oxide-induced interstrand cross-links in DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Caulfield, Jennifer L; Wishnok, John S; Tannenbaum, Steven R

2003-05-01

The DNA damaging effects of nitrous acid have been extensively studied, and the formation of interstrand cross-links have been observed. The potential for this cross-linking to occur through a common nitrosating intermediate derived from nitric oxide is investigated here. Using a HPLC laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) system, the amount of interstrand cross-link formed on nitric oxide treatment of the 5'-fluorescein-labeled oligomer ATATCGATCGATAT was determined. This self-complimentary sequence contains two 5'-CG sequences, which is the preferred site for nitrous acid-induced cross-linking. Nitric oxide was delivered to an 0.5 mM oligomer solution at 15 nmol/mL/min to give a final nitrite concentration of 652 microM. The resulting concentration of the deamination product, xanthine, in this sample was found to be 211 +/- 39 nM, using GC/MS, and the amount of interstrand cross-link was determined to be 13 +/- 2.5 nM. Therefore, upon nitric oxide treatment, the cross-link is found at approximately 6% of the amount of the deamination product. Using this system, detection of the cross-link is also possible for significantly lower doses of nitric oxide, as demonstrated by treatment of the same oligomer with NO at a rate of 18 nmol/mL/min resulting in a final nitrite concentration of 126 microM. The concentration of interstrand cross-link was determined to be 3.6 +/- 0.1 nM in this sample. Therefore, using the same dose rate, when the total nitric oxide concentration delivered drops by a factor of approximately 5, the concentration of cross-link drops by a factor of about 4-indicating a qausi-linear response. It may now be possible to predict the number of cross-links in a small genome based on the number of CpG sequences and the yield of xanthine derived from nitrosative deamination.

Ultralight and fire-resistant ceramic nanofibrous aerogels with temperature-invariant superelasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Yang; Wang, Xueqin; Dou, Lvye; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2018-04-01

Ultralight aerogels that are both highly resilient and compressible have been fabricated from various materials including polymer, carbon, and metal. However, it has remained a great challenge to realize high elasticity in aerogels solely based on ceramic components. We report a scalable strategy to create superelastic lamellar-structured ceramic nanofibrous aerogels (CNFAs) by combining SiO 2 nanofibers with aluminoborosilicate matrices. This approach causes the random-deposited SiO 2 nanofibers to assemble into elastic ceramic aerogels with tunable densities and desired shapes on a large scale. The resulting CNFAs exhibit the integrated properties of flyweight densities of >0.15 mg cm -3 , rapid recovery from 80% strain, zero Poisson's ratio, and temperature-invariant superelasticity to 1100°C. The integral ceramic nature also provided the CNFAs with robust fire resistance and thermal insulation performance. The successful synthesis of these fascinating materials may provide new insights into the development of ceramics in a lightweight, resilient, and structurally adaptive form.

Evaluation of cross-linked gelatin membranes as delivery carriers for retinal sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, Jui-Yang, E-mail: jylai@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Institute of Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302 Taiwan (China); Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302 Taiwan (China); Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302 Taiwan (China); Li, Ya-Ting [Institute of Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302 Taiwan (China)

2010-06-15

The delivery of intact sheet transplants to the subretinal space can prevent cell loss that is generally associated with the injection of cell suspensions or cell aggregates. The aim of this study was to develop chemically modified gelatin matrices that enhance the delivery efficiency and analyze whether the gelatin membranes cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) can be considered as potential carriers for retinal sheets. The characteristics of EDC cross-linked gelatin membranes were determined by mechanical and in vitro degradation tests, melting point measurements, cell proliferation assays, cytokine expression analyses, and tissue delivery studies. Gelatin membranes without cross-linking and glutaraldehyde cross-linked gelatin samples were used for comparison. Results of this study indicated that introduction of cross-links is capable of rendering the gelatin network more stable against mechanical stresses and deformations as well as rapid hydrolysis during intraocular delivery of delicate tissue sheets. In comparison with the glutaraldehyde treated samples, the EDC cross-linked gelatin membranes showed a better degradation profile and a relatively higher cytocompatibility. In addition, after EDC cross-linking, the gelatin matrices having an acceptable melting point could be used for the fabrication of a sandwich-like carrier with a high transfer and encapsulation efficiency. These findings suggest that the cross-linking agent type gives an influence on delivery functionality of gelatin membranes. In summary, the EDC cross-linked gelatin is an ideal candidate for use as a carrier material in retinal sheet delivery applications.

Optical sensing of triethylamine using CdSe aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Qinghong; Brock, Stephanie L

2010-01-01

The photoluminescence (PL) response of highly porous CdSe aerogels to triethylamine (TEA) is investigated and compared to results from prior studies on single crystals and nanoparticle-polymer composites. As-prepared CdSe aerogels show significant and reversible enhancement of luminescence intensity upon exposure to TEA relative to the intensity in pure argon carrier gas. The enhancement in the PL response is dependent on the concentration and linear over the range of TEA concentration studied (4.7 x 10 3 -75 x 10 3 ppm). The sensing response of previously tested samples exhibits saturation behavior that is modeled using Langmuir adsorption isotherms, yielding adsorption equilibrium constants in the range 300-380 atm -1 . The response is sensitively affected by the surface characteristics of the aerogel; when the wet gels are treated with pyridine prior to aerogel formation, the response to TEA is diminished, and when as-prepared aerogels are heated in a vacuum, no subsequent response is observed. Deactivation is attributed to an increase in surface oxide (SeO 2 ) and decrease in surface Cd 2+ Lewis acid sites. Sensing runs of approximately one hour have little impact on the morphology or crystallinity of the aerogels, but do result in partial removal of residual thiolate ligands left over from the gelation process.

Preparation and properties of silk sericin/cellulose cross-linking films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Kunyan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Silk sericin/cellulose cross-linked films were successfully prepared using glutaraldehyde as cross-linkinger. FTIR was applied to characterize the chemical structure of films. Cross-linked silk sericin film was found the peak intensity of FTIR for cross-linked film decreased markedly compared to pure silk sericin, which indicating cross-linking reaction has been occurred. The increasing value of swelling ratio also indicated the cross-linking has been happened. The cross-linking reaction increased the thermal decomposition temperature.

Hybrid aerogels and bioactive aerogels under uniaxial compression: an in situ SAXS study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esquivias, L.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The complex structure of hybrid organic/inorganic aerogels is composed by an inorganic phase covalently bonded to an organic chain forming a copolymer. Conventional hybrid aerogels were studied as well as bioactive hybrid aerogels, that is, aerogels with a calcium active phase added. In this work, the relationship between mechanical response and nanostructure was studied, using a specifically designed sample-holder for in situ uniaxial compression obtaining at the same time the small-angle X-ray pattern from synchrotron radiation (SAXS. Structural elements can be described as a particulated silica core surrounded by the organic chains. These chains are compressed on the direction parallel to the load, and a relationship between macroscopic uniaxial compression and particle and pore deformations can be established.

La compleja estructura de los aerogeles híbridos orgánico/inorgánicos está compuesta por una fase inorgánica de sílice, unida mediante enlaces covalentes a una red de cadenas orgánicas. Se han estudiado composites híbridos convencionales y bioactivos, esto es, con una fase activa de calcio añadida. En este trabajo se ha investigado la relación entre la respuesta mecánica y la nanoestructura, con ayuda de un portamuestras específicamente diseñado para el estudio in situ de muestras bajo compresión uniaxial, a la vez que se obtiene el espectro de rayos-X a bajo-ángulo de radiación sincrotrón (SAXS. Los elementos estructurales se pueden describir como núcleos particulados de sílice rodeados de las cadenas orgánicas. Estas, se comprimen en la dirección paralela a la carga pudiéndose establecer una relación entre la compresión uniaxial macroscópica y la deformación de las partículas y poros que forman la estructura.

Silica aerogel Cherenkov counter for the KEK B-factory experiment

CERN Document Server

Sumiyoshi, T; Enomoto, R; Iijima, T; Suda, R; Leonidopoulos, C; Marlow, D R; Prebys, E; Kawabata, R; Kawai, H; Ooba, T; Nanao, M; Suzuki, K; Ogawa, S; Murakami, A; Khan, M H R

1999-01-01

Low-refractive-index silica aerogel is a convenient radiator for threshold-type Cherenkov counters, which are used for particle identification in high-energy physics experiments. For the BELLE detector at the KEK B-Factory we have produced about 2 m sup 3 of hydrophobic silica aerogels of n=1.01-1.03 using a new production method. The particle identification capability of the aerogel Cherenkov counters was tested and 3 sigma pion/proton separation has been achieved at 3.5 GeV/c. Radiation hardness of the aerogels was confirmed up to 9.8 Mrad. The Aerogel Cherenkov counter system (ACC) was successfully installed in the BELLE just before this conference.

Monolithic Silica aerogel in superinsulating glazings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duer, Karsten; Svendsen, Sv Aa Højgaard

1988-01-01

. This phenomenon is considered being the main obstacle to incorporate the material in clear glazings but a significant improvement of the optical quality of aerogel has been observed during the last five years. A number of prototypical evacuated 500x500x28 mm aerogel double glazed units employing a new edge seal...... competetion in heating dominated climates....

Cross-linked structure of network evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassett, Danielle S.; Wymbs, Nicholas F.; Grafton, Scott T.; Porter, Mason A.; Mucha, Peter J.

2014-01-01

We study the temporal co-variation of network co-evolution via the cross-link structure of networks, for which we take advantage of the formalism of hypergraphs to map cross-link structures back to network nodes. We investigate two sets of temporal network data in detail. In a network of coupled nonlinear oscillators, hyperedges that consist of network edges with temporally co-varying weights uncover the driving co-evolution patterns of edge weight dynamics both within and between oscillator communities. In the human brain, networks that represent temporal changes in brain activity during learning exhibit early co-evolution that then settles down with practice. Subsequent decreases in hyperedge size are consistent with emergence of an autonomous subgraph whose dynamics no longer depends on other parts of the network. Our results on real and synthetic networks give a poignant demonstration of the ability of cross-link structure to uncover unexpected co-evolution attributes in both real and synthetic dynamical systems. This, in turn, illustrates the utility of analyzing cross-links for investigating the structure of temporal networks

Cross-linked structure of network evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bassett, Danielle S., E-mail: dsb@seas.upenn.edu [Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Sage Center for the Study of the Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Wymbs, Nicholas F.; Grafton, Scott T. [Department of Psychology and UCSB Brain Imaging Center, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Porter, Mason A. [Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG (United Kingdom); CABDyN Complexity Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 1HP (United Kingdom); Mucha, Peter J. [Carolina Center for Interdisciplinary Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 (United States); Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 (United States)

2014-03-15

We study the temporal co-variation of network co-evolution via the cross-link structure of networks, for which we take advantage of the formalism of hypergraphs to map cross-link structures back to network nodes. We investigate two sets of temporal network data in detail. In a network of coupled nonlinear oscillators, hyperedges that consist of network edges with temporally co-varying weights uncover the driving co-evolution patterns of edge weight dynamics both within and between oscillator communities. In the human brain, networks that represent temporal changes in brain activity during learning exhibit early co-evolution that then settles down with practice. Subsequent decreases in hyperedge size are consistent with emergence of an autonomous subgraph whose dynamics no longer depends on other parts of the network. Our results on real and synthetic networks give a poignant demonstration of the ability of cross-link structure to uncover unexpected co-evolution attributes in both real and synthetic dynamical systems. This, in turn, illustrates the utility of analyzing cross-links for investigating the structure of temporal networks.

Current status of accelerated corneal cross-linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Mrochen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Corneal cross-linking with riboflavin is a technique to stabilize or reduce corneal ectasia, in diseases such as keratoconus and post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK ectasia. There is an interest by patient as well as clinicians to reduce the overall treatment time. Especially, the introduction of corneal cross-linking in combination with corneal laser surgery demands a shorter treatment time to assure a sufficient patient flow. The principles and techniques of accelerated corneal cross-linking is discussed.

Shaped articles of cross-linked fluorocarbon polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gotcher, A.J.; Germeraad, P.B.

1981-01-01

A process is described which comprises (1) contacting (a) a shaped article of a polymeric composition wherein the polymer is a fluorocarbon polymer having a melting point of at least 200 0 C, the article having a tensile strength of at least 3,000 psi, with (b) a fluid composition comprising a cross-linking agent, until the article contains at least 2.5% by weight of the cross-linking agent; and (2) irradiating the shaped article with ionising radiation to a dosage not exceeding 50 Mrads under conditions such that the composition is cross-linked sufficiently to impart thereto an M 100 value of at least 300 psi, while maintaining a tensile strength of at least 3000 psi, the shaped article containing a specified proportion of the cross-linking agent. (author)

Recyclable cross-linked anion exchange membrane for alkaline fuel cell application

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jianqiu; Liu, Yazhi; Ge, Qianqian; Yang, Zhengjin; Wu, Liang; Xu, Tongwen

2018-01-01

Cross-linking can effectively solve the conductivity-swelling dilemma in anion exchange membranes (AEMs) but will generate solid wastes. To address this, we developed an AEM cross-linked via disulfide bonds, bearing quaternary ammonium groups, which can be easily recycled. The membrane (RC-QPPO) with IEC of 1.78 mmol g-1, when cross-linked, showed enhanced mechanical properties and good hydroxide conductivity (24.6 mS cm-1 at 30 °C). Even at higher IEC value (2.13 mmol g-1), it still has low water uptake, low swelling ratio and delivers a peak power density of 150 mW cm-2 at 65 °C. Exploiting the formation of disulfide bonds from -SH groups, the membrane can be readily cross-linked in alkaline condition and recycled by reversibly breaking disulfide bonds with dithiothreitol (DTT). The recycled membrane solution can be directly utilized to cast a brand-new AEM. By washing away the residual DTT with water and exposure to air, it can be cross-linked again and this process is repeatable. During the recycling and cross-linking processes, the membrane showed a slight IEC decrease of 5% due to functional group degradation. The strategy presented here is promising in enhancing AEM properties and reducing the impact of artificial polymers on the environment.

Silica aerogel radiator for use in the A-RICH system utilized in the Belle II experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tabata, Makoto, E-mail: makoto@hepburn.s.chiba-u.ac.jp [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara (Japan); Department of Physics, Chiba University, Chiba (Japan); Adachi, Ichiro [Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Hamada, Nao [Department of Physics, Toho University, Funabashi (Japan); Hara, Koji [Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Iijima, Toru [Kobayashi–Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe, Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Iwata, Shuichi; Kakuno, Hidekazu [Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Kawai, Hideyuki [Department of Physics, Chiba University, Chiba (Japan); Korpar, Samo [Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor (Slovenia); Experimental High Energy Physics Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Križan, Peter [Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Experimental High Energy Physics Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kumita, Tetsuro [Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Nishida, Shohei [Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Ogawa, Satoru [Department of Physics, Toho University, Funabashi (Japan); Pestotnik, Rok; Šantelj, Luka; Seljak, Andrej [Experimental High Energy Physics Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Sumiyoshi, Takayuki [Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); and others

2014-12-01

This paper presents recent progress in the development and mass production of large-area hydrophobic silica aerogels for use as radiators in the aerogel-based ring-imaging Cherenkov (A-RICH) counter, which will be installed in the forward end cap of the Belle II detector. The proximity-focusing A-RICH system is especially designed to identify charged kaons and pions. The refractive index of the installed aerogel Cherenkov radiators is approximately 1.05, and we aim for a separation capability exceeding 4σ at momenta up to 4 GeV/c. Large-area aerogel tiles (over 18×18×2 cm{sup 3}) were first fabricated in test productions by pin drying in addition to conventional methods. We proposed to fill the large end-cap region (area 3.5 m{sup 2}) with 124 water-jet-trimmed fan-shaped dual-layer-focusing aerogel combinations of different refractive indices (1.045 and 1.055). Guided by the test production results, we decided to manufacture aerogels by the conventional method and are currently proceeding with mass production. In an electron beam test undertaken at the DESY, we confirmed that the K/π separation capability of a prototype A-RICH counter exceeded 4σ at 4 GeV/c. - Highlights: • Aerogel tiling as a RICH radiator in the end cap of Belle II detector is proposed. • Conventional method for producing real-size aerogels is established. • No crack-free, real-size aerogels attained in the test production by pin drying. • Beam test confirms the utility of real-size aerogels made by conventional method. • Mass aerogel production for an actual RICH system started by conventional method.

Alumina/silica aerogel with zinc chloride as an alkylation catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DEJAN U. SKALA

2001-10-01

Full Text Available The alumina/silica with zinc chloride aerogel alkylation catalyst was obtained using a one step sol-gel synthesis, and subsequent drying with supercritical carbon dioxide. The aerogel catalyst activity was found to be higher compared to the corresponding xerogel catalyst, as a result of the higher aerogel surface area, total pore volume and favourable pore size distribution. Mixed Al–O–Si bonds were present in both gel catalyst types. Activation by thermal treatment in air was needed prior to catalytic alkylation, due to the presence of residual organic groups on the aerogel surface. The optimal activation temperature was found to be in the range 185–225°C, while higher temperatures resulted in the removal of zinc chloride from the surface of the aerogel catalyst with a consequential decrease in the catalytic activity. On varying the zinc chloride content, the catalytic activity of the aerogel catalyst exhibited a maximum. High zinc chloride contents decreased the catalytic activity of the aerogel catalyst as the result of the pores of the catalyst being plugged with this compound, and the separation of the alumina/silica support into Al-rich and Si-rich phases. The surface area, total pore volume, pore size distribution and zinc chloride content had a similar influence on the activity of the aerogel catalyst as was the case of xerogel catalyst and supported zinc chloride catalysts.

A saxs study of silica aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craievich, A.F.

1986-01-01

Aerogels produced by hypercritical drying of gels from hydrolysis of TMOS (Tetramethoxysilane) in various pH conditions and subjected to a densification process were studied by SAXS using LURE synchrotron facility. The evaluation of scattering data combined with BET measurements leads to a model of aerogels consisting of a light density matrix in which meso-and macro-pores are embedded. (Author) [pt

Flexible Supercapacitors Based on Polyaniline Arrays Coated Graphene Aerogel Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yu; Xi, Yunlong; Li, Junzhi; Wei, Guodong; Klyui, N I; Han, Wei

2017-12-01

Flexible supercapacitors(SCs) made by reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based aerogel usually suffer from the low energy density, short cycle life and bad flexibility. In this study, a new, synthetic strategy was developed for enhancing the electrochemical performances of rGO aerogel-based supercapacitor via electrodeposition polyaniline arrays on the prepared ultralight rGO aerogel. The novel hybrid composites with coated polyaniline (PANI) arrays growing on the rGO surface can take full advantage of the rich open-pore and excellent conductivity of the crosslinking framework structure of 3D rGO aerogel and high capacitance contribution from the PANI. The obtained hybrid composites exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 432 F g -1 at the current density of 1 A g -1 , robust cycling stability to maintain 85% after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles and high energy density of 25 W h kg -1 . Furthermore, the flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor have superior flexibility and outstanding stability under different bending states from the straight state to the 90° status. The high-performance flexible all-solid-state SCs together with the lighting tests demonstrate it possible for applications in portable electronics.

Nanoporous aerogel as a bacteria repelling hygienic material for healthcare environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jun Kyun; Kohli, Nandita; Zhang, Yuanzhong; Min, Younjin; Jayaraman, Arul; Cisneros-Zevallos, Luis; Akbulut, Mustafa

2016-02-26

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) caused by pathogenic bacteria are a worldwide problem and responsible for numerous cases of morbidity and mortality. Exogenous cross-contamination is one of the main mechanisms contributing to such infections. This work investigates the potential of hydrophobically modified nanoporous silica aerogel as an antiadhesive hygienic material that can inhibit exogenous bacterial contamination. Nanoporous silica aerogels were synthesized via sol-gel polymerization of tetraethyl orthosilicate and hydrophobized using trimethylsilyl chloride. Bacterial adhesion characteristics were evaluated via dip-inoculation in suspensions of Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The attachment of E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus to hydrophobic nanoporous silica aerogel (HNSA) was found to be significantly lower than that to hydrophilic and hydrophobic nonporous silica materials: 99.91% (E. coli O157:H7) and 99.93% (S. aureus) reduction in comparison to hydrophilic nonporous silica, and 82.95% (E. coli O157:H7) and 84.90% (S. aureus) reduction in comparison to hydrophobic nonporous silica. These results suggest that the use of HNSA as surfaces that come into contact with bacterial pathogens in the healthcare environment can improve bacterial hygiene, and therefore may reduce the rate of HAIs.

Nanoporous aerogel as a bacteria repelling hygienic material for healthcare environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Jun Kyun; Akbulut, Mustafa; Kohli, Nandita; Jayaraman, Arul; Zhang, Yuanzhong; Min, Younjin; Cisneros-Zevallos, Luis

2016-01-01

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) caused by pathogenic bacteria are a worldwide problem and responsible for numerous cases of morbidity and mortality. Exogenous cross-contamination is one of the main mechanisms contributing to such infections. This work investigates the potential of hydrophobically modified nanoporous silica aerogel as an antiadhesive hygienic material that can inhibit exogenous bacterial contamination. Nanoporous silica aerogels were synthesized via sol–gel polymerization of tetraethyl orthosilicate and hydrophobized using trimethylsilyl chloride. Bacterial adhesion characteristics were evaluated via dip-inoculation in suspensions of Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The attachment of E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus to hydrophobic nanoporous silica aerogel (HNSA) was found to be significantly lower than that to hydrophilic and hydrophobic nonporous silica materials: 99.91% (E. coli O157:H7) and 99.93% (S. aureus) reduction in comparison to hydrophilic nonporous silica, and 82.95% (E. coli O157:H7) and 84.90% (S. aureus) reduction in comparison to hydrophobic nonporous silica. These results suggest that the use of HNSA as surfaces that come into contact with bacterial pathogens in the healthcare environment can improve bacterial hygiene, and therefore may reduce the rate of HAIs. (paper)

Aerogel sorbents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Begag, Redouane; Rhine, Wendell E.; Dong, Wenting

2018-04-03

The current invention describes methods and compositions of various sorbents based on aerogels of various silanes and their use as sorbent for carbon dioxide. Methods further provide for optimizing the compositions to increase the stability of the sorbents for prolonged use as carbon dioxide capture matrices.

Preparation and characterization of silica aerogels from diatomite via ambient pressure drying

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Baomin; Ma, Hainan; Song, Kai

2014-07-01

The silica aerogels were successfully fabricated under ambient pressure from diatomite. The influence of different dilution ratios of diatomite filtrate on physical properties of aerogels were studied. The microstructure, surface functional groups, thermal stability, morphology and mechanical properties of silica aerogels based on diatomite were investigated by BET adsorption, FT-IR, DTA-TG, FESEM, TEM, and nanoindentation methods. The results indicate that the filtrate diluted with distilled water in a proportion of 1: 2 could give silica aerogels in the largest size with highest transparency. The obtained aerogels with density of 0.122-0.203 g/m3 and specific surface area of 655.5-790.7 m2/g are crack free amorphous solids and exhibited a sponge-like structure. Moreover, the peak pore size resided at 9 nm. The initial aerogels were hydrophobic, when being heat-treated around 400°C, the aerogels were transformed into hydrophilic ones. The obtained aerogel has good mechanical properties.

Low dielectric constant and moisture-resistant polyimide aerogels containing trifluoromethyl pendent groups

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tingting; Dong, Jie; Gan, Feng; Fang, Yuting; Zhao, Xin; Zhang, Qinghua

2018-05-01

Conventional polyimide aerogels made from biphenyl-3,3‧,4,4‧-tetracarboxylic dianydride (BPDA) and 4,4‧-oxidianiline (ODA) exhibit poor resistance to moisture and mechanical properties. In this work, a versatile diamine, 2,2‧-bis-(trifluoromethyl)-4,4‧-diaminobiphenyl (TFMB), is introduced to BPDA/ODA backbone to modify the comprehensive performance of this aerogel. Among all formulations, the resulted polyimide aerogels exhibit the lowest shrinkage and density as well as highest porosity, at the ODA/TFMB molar ratio of 5/5. Dielectric constants and loss tangents of the aerogels fall in the range of 1.29-1.33 and 0.001-0.004, respectively, and more TFMB fractions results in a slightly decrease of dielectric constant and loss tangent. In addition, moisture-resistance of the aerogels are dramatically enhanced as the water absorption decreasing from 415% for BPDA/ODA to 13% for the polyimide aerogel at the ODA/TFMB molar ratio of 7/3, and even to 4% for the homo-BPDA/TFMB polyimide aerogel, showing a superhydrophobic characteristic, which is a great advantage for polyimide aerogels used as low dielectric materials. Meanwhile, all of formulations of aerogels exhibit high absorption capacities for oils and common organic solvents, indicating that these fluorinated polyimide aerogels are good candidates for the separation of oils/organic solvents and water. Mechanical properties and thermal stability of the polyimide aerogels are also raised to varying degrees due to the rigid-rod biphenyl structure introduced by TFMB.

Preparation of sponge-reinforced silica aerogels from tetraethoxysilane and methyltrimethoxysilane for oil/water separation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming; Jiang, Hongyi; Xu, Dong

2018-04-01

Polyurethane sponge-reinforced silica aerogels based on tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) were fabricated by a facile method through sol-gel reaction followed by ambient pressure drying. In sponge-reinforced silica aerogels, nanoporous aerogel aggregates fill in the pores of polyurethane sponge. The sponge-reinforced aerogels are hydrophobic and oleophilic and show extremely high absorption for machine oil (10.6 g g‑1 for TEOS-based aerogel and 9.2 g g‑1 for MTMS-based aerogel). In addition, the sponge-reinforced aerogel composites exhibit notable improvements with regards to mechanical properties. The compressive strength was enhanced obviously up to about 349 KPa for TEOS-based aerogel and 60 KPa for MTMS-based aerogel. Specially, sponge-reinforced silica aerogels based on MTMS drastically shrank upon loading and then recovered to the original size when unloaded. The property differences of the sponge-reinforced silica aerogels caused by the two precursors were discussed in terms of morphologies, pore size distributions and chemical structure.

Donor cross-linking for keratoplasty: a laboratory evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Achyut; Hayes, Sally; Aslanides, Ioannis; Lanchares, Elena; Meek, Keith M

2015-12-01

This laboratory-based investigation compares the topographic outcomes of conventional penetrating keratoplasty with that of a novel procedure in which donor corneas are cross-linked prior to keratoplasty. Penetrating keratoplasty procedures with continuous running sutures were carried out in a porcine whole globe model. Sixty eyes were randomly paired as 'donor' and 'host' tissue before being assigned to one of two groups. In the cross-linked group, donor corneas underwent riboflavin/UVA cross-linking prior to being trephined and sutured to untreated hosts. In the conventional keratoplasty group, both host and donor corneas remained untreated prior to keratoplasty. Topographic and corneal wavefront measurements were performed following surgery, and technical aspects of the procedure evaluated. Mean keratometric astigmatism was significantly lower in the cross-linked donor group at 3.67D (SD 1.8 D), vs. 8.43 D (SD 2.4 D) in the conventional keratoplasty group (p < 0.005). Mean wavefront astigmatism was also significantly reduced in the cross-linked donor group 4.71 D (SD 2.1) vs. 8.29D (SD 3.6) in the conventional keratoplasty group (p < 0.005). Mean RMS higher order aberration was significantly lower in the cross-linked donor group at 1.79 um (SD 0.98), vs. 3.05 um (SD 1.9) in the conventional keratoplasty group (P = 0.02). Qualitative analysis revealed less tissue distortion at the graft-host junction in the cross-linked group. Cross-linking of donor corneas prior to keratoplasty reduces intraoperative induced astigmatism and aberrations in an animal model. Further studies are indicated to evaluate the implications of this potential modification of keratoplasty surgery.

Biocatalytic cross-linking of pectic polysaccharides for designed food functionality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zaidel, Dayang Norulfairuz Abang; Meyer, Anne S.

2012-01-01

the mechanisms of formation of functional pectic polysaccharide cross-links, including covalent cross-links (notably phenolic esters and uronyl ester linkages) and non-covalent, ionic cross-links (which involve calcium and borate ester links). The treatise examines how such cross-links can be designed via......Recent research has demonstrated how cross-linking of pectic polysaccharides to obtain gel formation can be promoted by enzymatic catalysis reactions, and provide opportunities for functional upgrading of pectic polysaccharides present in agro-industrial sidestreams. This review highlights...... specific enzymatic reactions, and highlights the most recent data concerning enzyme catalyzed engineering of cross-links for in situ structural design of functional properties of foods....

Synthesis of aerogel tiles with high light scattering length

CERN Document Server

Danilyuk, A F; Okunev, A G; Onuchin, A P; Shaurman, S A

1999-01-01

The possibility of aerogel tiles production for RICH detectors is described. Monolithic blocks of silica aerogel were synthesized by two-step sol-gel processing of tetraethoxysilane Si(OEt) sub 4 followed by high temperature supercritical drying with organic solvent. The important characteristic of aerogel is the light scattering length. In the wide range of refraction indexes the light scattering length exceeds 4 cm at 400 nm.

Robust superhydrophobic bridged silsesquioxane aerogels with tunable performances and their applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhen; Wang, Dong; Qian, Zhenchao; Guo, Jing; Dong, Haixia; Zhao, Ning; Xu, Jian

2015-01-28

Aerogels are a family of highly porous materials whose applications are commonly restricted by poor mechanical properties. Herein, thiol-ene chemistry is employed to synthesize a series of novel bridged silsesquioxane (BSQ) precursors with various alkoxy groups. On the basis of the different hydrolyzing rates of the methoxy and ethoxy groups, robust superhydrophobic BSQ aerogels with tailorable morphology and mechanical performances have been prepared. The flexible thioether bridge contributes to the robustness of the as-formed aerogels, and the property can be tuned on the basis of the distinct combinations of alkoxy groups with the density of the aerogels almost unchanged. To the best of our knowledge, the lowest density among the ambient pressure dried aerogels is obtained. Further, potential application of the aerogels for oil/water separation and acoustic materials has also been presented.

[Biophysical principles of collagen cross-linking].

Science.gov (United States)

Spörl, E; Raiskup-Wolf, F; Pillunat, L E

2008-02-01

The reduced mechanical stability of the cornea in keratoconus or in keratectasia after Lasik may be increased by photooxidative cross-linking of corneal collagen. The biophysical principles are compiled for the safe and effective application of this new treatment method. The setting of the therapy parameters should be elucidated from the absorption behaviour of the cornea. The safety of the method for the endothelium cells and the lens will be discussed. The induced cross-links are shown to be the result of changes in the physico-chemical properties of the cornea. To reach a high absorption of the irradiation energy in the cornea, riboflavin of a concentration of 0.1% and UV light of a wavelength of 370 nm, corresponding to the relative maximum of absorption of riboflavin, were used. An irradiance of 3 mW/cm(2) and an irradiation time of 30 min lead to an increase of the mechanical stiffness. The endothelium cells will be protected due to the high absorption within the cornea, that means the damaging threshold of the endothelium cells will not be reached in a 400 microm thick stroma. As evidence for cross-links we can consider the increase of the biomechanical stiffness, the increased resistance against enzymatic degradation, a higher shrinkage temperature, a lower swelling rate and an increased diameter of collagen fibres. The therapy parameters were tested experimentally and have been proven clinically in the corneal collagen cross-linking. These parameters should be respected to reach a safe cross-linking effect without damage of the adjacent tissues.

A Co-Precursor Approach Coupled with a Supercritical Modification Method for Constructing Highly Transparent and Superhydrophobic Polymethylsilsesquioxane Aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Chaoshuai; Li, Junning; Sun, Chencheng; Yang, Hailong; Xia, Tao; Hu, Zijun; Zhang, Yue

2018-03-30

Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels obtained from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) are well-known high-performance porous materials. Highly transparent and hydrophobic PMSQ aerogel would play an important role in transparent vacuum insulation panels. Herein, the co-precursor approach and supercritical modification method were developed to prepare the PMSQ aerogels with high transparency and superhydrophobicity. Firstly, benefiting from the introduction of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) in the precursor, the pore structure became more uniform and the particle size was decreased. As the TMOS content increased, the light transmittance increased gradually from 54.0% to 81.2%, whereas the contact angle of water droplet decreased from 141° to 99.9°, ascribed to the increase of hydroxyl groups on the skeleton surface. Hence, the supercritical modification method utilizing hexamethyldisilazane was also introduced to enhance the hydrophobic methyl groups on the aerogel's surface. As a result, the obtained aerogels revealed superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 155°. Meanwhile, the developed surface modification method did not lead to any significant changes in the pore structure resulting in the superhydrophobic aerogel with a high transparency of 77.2%. The proposed co-precursor approach and supercritical modification method provide a new horizon in the fabrication of highly transparent and superhydrophobic PMSQ aerogels.

Carbon aerogel electrodes for direct energy conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, Steven T.; Kaschmitter, James L.; Pekala, Richard W.

1997-01-01

A direct energy conversion device, such as a fuel cell, using carbon aerogel electrodes, wherein the carbon aerogel is loaded with a noble catalyst, such as platinum or rhodium and soaked with phosphoric acid, for example. A separator is located between the electrodes, which are placed in a cylinder having plate current collectors positioned adjacent the electrodes and connected to a power supply, and a pair of gas manifolds, containing hydrogen and oxygen positioned adjacent the current collectors. Due to the high surface area and excellent electrical conductivity of carbon aerogels, the problems relative to high polarization resistance of carbon composite electrodes conventionally used in fuel cells are overcome.

Diffusion of gases in metal containing carbon aerogels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marques, L.M.; Conceicao, F.L.; Carrott, M.M.L. Ribeiro; Carrott, P.J.M. [Evora Univ. (Portugal). Centro de Quimica de Evora

2011-02-15

Carbon aerogels containing Fe, Ni, Cu or no metal were prepared by carbonisation of polymer aerogels synthesised from 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and formaldehyde and modified by CVD of benzene. Uptakes and diffusion coefficients of CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} were measured and the results compared with those obtained using a commercial carbon molecular sieve. The results indicated that the diffusion of light gas molecules in carbon aerogels cannot be interpreted solely on the basis of micropore diffusion, but that the very high mesopore volumes of the aerogel monoliths exert a strong influence on the kinetics of diffusion in these materials. The mesoporosity is decreased when the % solids used during synthesis of the polymer precursor increases and this resulted in kinetic behaviour which was more similar to that predicted by Fickian or LDF models. Increasing % solids was also accompanied by generally slower diffusion rates and generally lower uptakes. The single gas uptakes and diffusion coefficients could be altered by varying the % solids used during synthesis of the polymer precursor, by introducing different metals into the polymer hydrogel by ion exchange, or by CVD of benzene on the carbon aerogel. (author)

Diffusion of gases in metal containing carbon aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, L.M.; Conceicao, F.L.; Carrott, M.M.L. Ribeiro; Carrott, P.J.M.

2011-01-01

Carbon aerogels containing Fe, Ni, Cu or no metal were prepared by carbonisation of polymer aerogels synthesised from 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and formaldehyde and modified by CVD of benzene. Uptakes and diffusion coefficients of CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 and O 2 were measured and the results compared with those obtained using a commercial carbon molecular sieve. The results indicated that the diffusion of light gas molecules in carbon aerogels cannot be interpreted solely on the basis of micropore diffusion, but that the very high mesopore volumes of the aerogel monoliths exert a strong influence on the kinetics of diffusion in these materials. The mesoporosity is decreased when the % solids used during synthesis of the polymer precursor increases and this resulted in kinetic behaviour which was more similar to that predicted by Fickian or LDF models. Increasing % solids was also accompanied by generally slower diffusion rates and generally lower uptakes. The single gas uptakes and diffusion coefficients could be altered by varying the % solids used during synthesis of the polymer precursor, by introducing different metals into the polymer hydrogel by ion exchange, or by CVD of benzene on the carbon aerogel. (author)

Cross Country MetroLink Segment I Business Plan

Science.gov (United States)

1997-12-02

In the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area, the East-West Gateway Coordinating : Council decided the route for the first MetroLink extension in the Cross-County : Corridor in September 1997. The next phase, reflected in this paper is develop, : dur...

Readout ASICs and Electronics for the 144-channel HAPDs for the Aerogel RICH at Belle II

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida, S.; Adachi, I.; Ikeda, H.; Hara, K.; Iijima, T.; Iwata, S.; Korpar, S.; Križan, P.; Kuroda, E.; Pestotnik, R.; Seljak, A.; Sumiyoshi, T.; Takagaki, H.

The particle identification (PID) device in the endcap of the Belle detector will be upgraded to a ring imaging Cherenkov counter (RICH) using aerogel as a radiator at the Belle II experiment. We develop the electronics to read out the 70,000 channels of hit information from the 144-channel hybrid avalanche photodetectors (HAPD), of the aerogel RICH detector. A readout ASIC is developed to digitize the HAPD signals, and was used in a beam test with the prototype detector. The performance and plan of the ASIC is reported in this study. We have also designed the readout electronics for the aerogel RICH, which consist of front-end boards with the ASICs merger boards to collect data from the front-end boards. A front-end board that fits in the actual available space for the aerogel RICH electronics was produced.

Nonlinear hydrodynamic equations for superfluid helium in aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brusov, Peter N.; Brusov, Paul P.

2003-01-01

Aerogel in superfluids is studied very intensively during last decade. The importance of these systems is connected to the fact that this allows to investigate the influence of impurities on superfluidity. We have derived for the first time nonlinear hydrodynamic equations for superfluid helium in aerogel. These equations are generalization of McKenna et al. equations for nonlinear hydrodynamics case and could be used to study sound propagation phenomena in aerogel-superfluid system, in particular--to study sound conversion phenomena. We have obtained two alternative sets of equations, one of which is a generalization of a traditional set of nonlinear hydrodynamics equations for the case of an aerogel-superfluid system and, the other one represents a la Putterman equations (equation for v→ s is replaced by equation for A→=((ρ n )/(ρσ))w→, where w→=v→ n -v→ s )

Study of ageing effects in aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Calvi, M.; Coluzza, C.; Longo, G.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Negri, P.; Perego, D.L.

2004-01-01

Ageing effects on aerogel due to irradiation and absorption of humidity have been investigated. Aerogel tiles have been exposed to γ radiation from a 60 Co source and to proton and neutron high intensity beams. The transmittance has been monitored in the wavelength range between 200 and 800 nm, determining the clarity factor C as a function of the increasing dose of irradiation. The index of refraction n was also measured

Synthesis of nano-Au doped SiO2 aerogels by seeding method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Hongbo; Wan Xiaobo; Zhang Lin; Du Aiming; Xiu Peng

2006-01-01

A new approach to synthesize gold nano cluster doped aerogel on the basis of surface-catalyzed reduction of metal ions was described. Au nano particles were formed in a silica aerogel matrix by hydroxylamine seeding method of reducing gold ions on the silica colloidal surface. Subsequently, the pH value of system was adjusted to about 7-8, the gel formed within 2 h. After aging for 2 d, the gels were washed in aceton, and then dried supercritically (from CO 2 ) to yield aerogels. The reduction process was attributed to hydroxylamine-induced surface catalysis. Au clusters in the aerogel monoliths were characterized with optical adsorption, transmission electron microscopy. These techniques have shown the cluster size and weight content in the aerogels. Brunauer-emmett-teller surface area measurements show that the specific surface area of silica aerogels and doped aerogels are higher than 800 m 2 /g. (authors)

DNA cross-linking by dehydromonocrotaline lacks apparent base sequence preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieben, W Kurt; Coulombe, Roger A

2004-12-01

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are ubiquitous plant toxins, many of which, upon oxidation by hepatic mixed-function oxidases, become reactive bifunctional pyrrolic electrophiles that form DNA-DNA and DNA-protein cross-links. The anti-mitotic, toxic, and carcinogenic action of PAs is thought to be caused, at least in part, by these cross-links. We wished to determine whether the activated PA pyrrole dehydromonocrotaline (DHMO) exhibits base sequence preferences when cross-linked to a set of model duplex poly A-T 14-mer oligonucleotides with varying internal and/or end 5'-d(CG), 5'-d(GC), 5'-d(TA), 5'-d(CGCG), or 5'-d(GCGC) sequences. DHMO-DNA cross-links were assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) of 32P endlabeled oligonucleotides and by HPLC analysis of cross-linked DNAs enzymatically digested to their constituent deoxynucleosides. The degree of DNA cross-links depended upon the concentration of the pyrrole, but not on the base sequence of the oligonucleotide target. Likewise, HPLC chromatograms of cross-linked and digested DNAs showed no discernible sequence preference for any nucleotide. Added glutathione, tyrosine, cysteine, and aspartic acid, but not phenylalanine, threonine, serine, lysine, or methionine competed with DNA as alternate nucleophiles for cross-linking by DHMO. From these data it appears that DHMO exhibits no strong base preference when forming cross-links with DNA, and that some cellular nucleophiles can inhibit DNA cross-link formation.

Reactive electrospinning and biodegradation of cross-linked methacrylated polycarbonate nanofibers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu Ruizhi; Zhang Jianfeng; Fan Yuwei; Xu Xiaoming [Department of Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1100 Florida Avenue, Box 137, New Orleans, LA 70119 (United States); Stoute, Diana; Lallier, Thomas, E-mail: xxu@lsuhsc.edu [Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, 1100 Florida Avenue, Box 137, New Orleans, LA 70119 (United States)

2011-06-15

The objectives of this study were to fabricate cross-linked biodegradable polycarbonate nanofibers and to investigate their biodegradability by different enzymes. Poly(2,3-dihydroxycarbonate) was synthesized from naturally occurring l-tartaric acid. The hydroxyl groups on the functional polycarbonate were converted to methacrylate groups to enable the polymer to cross-link under UV irradiation. Smooth cross-linked methacrylated polycarbonate nanofibers (300-1800 nm) were fabricated by a reactive electrospinning process with in situ UV radiation from a mixed solution of linear methacrylated polycarbonate (MPC) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (MPC:PEO = 9:1) in methanol/chloroform (50/50). These cross-linked nanofibers have shown excellent solvent resistance and their solubility decreases with increasing degree of cross-linking. The thermal properties of linear and cross-linked polycarbonate nanofibers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The cross-linked polycarbonate nanofibers show no melting point below 200 {sup 0}C and their decomposition temperature increases with increasing cross-linking degree. Their biodegradation products by five different enzymes were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The biodegradability of the polycarbonate nanofibers decreases with increasing cross-linking degree. These nanofibers were found to support human fibroblast survival and to promote cell attachment. This study demonstrates that cross-linked biodegradable polycarbonate nanofibers with different chemical properties and biodegradability can be fabricated using the novel reactive electrospinning technology to meet the needs of different biomedical applications.

Hexadecane trapped in nano-pores of silica-aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slavikova, B.; Jesenak, K.; Iskrova, M.; Majernik, V.; Sausa, O.; Kristiak, J.

2009-01-01

Ways of filling of the high-porous silica-aerogel with hydrocarbon C 16 H 34 and its efficient removal from the pores by physical method of the Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy were studied. As the most effective way to fill the SiO 2 aerogel appears through the implementation of a liquid phase, while the most appropriate way of removing of hexadecane is firing at an elevated temperature. Molecular system of hexadecane closed in nano-pores of silica-aerogel behaves otherwise than volume system of the same molecules. In the case of pure hexadecane phase transition was observed at 291 K, while solidification process is gradual with decrease of temperature in cetane trapped in pores of silica-aerogel. The results of the periods of life of o-Ps indicate greater turbidity in the pores of the molecular system compared to the volume sample of hexadecane.

Study of ageing effects in aerogel

CERN Document Server

Bellunato, T F; Coluzza, C; Longo, G; Matteuzzi, C; Musy, M; Negri, P; Perego, D L

2004-01-01

Ageing effects on aerogel due to irradiation and absorption of humidity have been investigated. Aerogel tiles have been exposed to gamma radiation from a 60-Co source and to proton and neutron high intensity beams. The transmittance has been monitored in the wavelength range between 200 nm and 800 nm, determining the clarity factor C as a function of the increasing dose of irradiation. The index of refraction n was also measured.

Bluedec in product design: Isolatiemateriaal op basis van aerogel

OpenAIRE

Beurden, van, K.M.M. (Karin); Goselink, E.A. (Erik)

2014-01-01

Aerogel is een zeer kostbaar voor de ruimtevaart ontwikkeld basismateriaal. Bluedec is een isolatiemateriaal bestaande uit een non woven kunststof dat met deze aerogel geïmpregneerd is. Hierdoor ontstaat een zeer goed isolerend materiaal dat goedkoper is dan aerogel. De warmtegeleidingscoëfficiënt van Bluedec in de basisuitvoering is 0,0135 W/m*K . Dat is lager dan conventionele isolatiematerialen, zie ook pagina 4. Voordeel hiervan is dat vergelijkbare of betere warmte-isolati...

Manufacture of polyethylene foam by electron beam cross-linking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamai, Isamu

1976-01-01

The manufacturing process of polyethylene foam, comparison between electron beam cross-linking process and chemical cross-linking process, the electron beam irradiation technique for continuous sheets, the characteristics and uses of polyethylene foam are reviewed. The pore diameter can be controlled by selecting the dose rate, because there is strong relationship between the pore diameter and the dose rate. As the dose if higher, the foam becomes finer. The electron accelerators having large capacity show the lowest cost as the radiation source, and are applicable industrially. If the production capacity exceeds about 200 tons per month, the costs of electron beam irradiation process may be more advantageous than that of chemical process according to the circumstances. It is difficult to obtain the uniform distribution of absorption dose in the direction of thickness. General characteristics of cross-linked polyethylene foam are listed. The special feature of electron beam process is that the degree of cross-linking can be controlled arbitrarily before foaming. The products obtained by the electron beam cross-linking process have finer foams and smoother surfaces than those obtained by the chemical process, because the separation of the decomposition of foaming agents from that of cross-linking agents in the chemical cross-linking is difficult. (Iwakiri, K.)

Composition of cross-linked 125I-follitropin-receptor complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, J.; Ji, T.H.

1985-10-15

Both of the alpha and beta subunits of intact human follitropin (FSH) were radioiodinated with SVI-sodium iodide and chloramine-T and could be resolved on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Radioiodinated FSH was affinity-cross-linked with a cleavable (nondisulfide) homobifunctional reagent to its membrane receptor on the porcine granulosa cell surface as well as to a Triton X-100-solubilized form of the receptor. Cross-linked samples revealed three additional bands of slower electrophoretic mobility, corresponding to 65, 83, and 117 kDa, in addition to the hormone bands. The hormone alpha beta dimer band corresponded to 43 kDa. Formation of the three bands requires the SVI-hormone to bind specifically to the receptor with subsequent cross-linking. Binding was prevented by an excess of the native hormone but not by other hormones. A monofunctional analog of the cross-linking reagent failed to produce the three bands. Reagent concentration-dependent cross-linking revealed that their formation was sequential; smaller complexes formed first and then larger ones. When gels of cross-linked complexes were treated to cleave covalent cross-links and then electrophoresed in a second dimension, 18-, 22-, and 34-kDa components were released, in addition to the alpha and beta subunits of the hormone.

Cross-linked PAN-based thin-film composite membranes for non-aqueous nanofiltration

KAUST Repository

Pérez-Manríquez, Liliana

2015-01-01

A new approach on the development of cross-linked PAN based thin film composite (TFC) membranes for non-aqueous application is presented in this work. Polypropylene backed neat PAN membranes fabricated by phase inversion process were cross-linked with hydrazine to get excellent solvent stability toward dimethylformamide (DMF). By interfacial polymerization a selective polyamide active layer was coated over the cross-linked PAN using N,N′-diamino piperazine (DAP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) as monomers. Permeation and molecular weight cut off (MWCO) experiments using various dyes were done to evaluate the performance of the membranes. Membranes developed by such method show excellent solvent stability toward DMF with a permeance of 1.7 L/m2 h bar and a molecular weight cut-off of less than 600 Da.

Flexible, highly graphitized carbon aerogels based on bacterial cellulose/lignin: Catalyst-free synthesis and its application in energy storage devices

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xuezhu

2015-04-15

Currently, most carbon aerogels are based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene, which are produced through a catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Biomass based organic aerogels and carbon aerogels, featuring low cost, high scalability, and small environmental footprint, represent an important new research direction in (carbon) aerogel development. Cellulose and lignin are the two most abundant natural polymers in the world, and the aerogels based on them are very promising. Classic silicon aerogels and available organic resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) or lignin-resorcinol-formaldehyde (LRF) aerogels are brittle and fragile; toughening of the aerogels is highly desired to expand their applications. This study reports the first attempt to toughen the intrinsically brittle LRF aerogel and carbon aerogel using bacterial cellulose. The facile process is catalyst-free and cost-effective. The toughened carbon aerogels, consisting of blackberry-like, core-shell structured, and highly graphitized carbon nanofibers, are able to undergo at least 20% reversible compressive deformation. Due to their unique nanostructure and large mesopore population, the carbon materials exhibit an areal capacitance higher than most of the reported values in the literature. This property makes them suitable candidates for flexible solid-state energy storage devices. Besides energy storage, the conductive interconnected nanoporous structure can also find applications in oil/water separation, catalyst supports, sensors, and so forth. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis and Characterization Carbon Nanotubes Doped Carbon Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yuelong; Yan, Meifang; Liu, Zhenfa

2017-12-01

Polycondensation of phloroglucinol, resorcinol and formaldehyde with carbon nanotube (CNT) as the additives, using sodium carbonate as the catalyst, leads to the formation of CNT - doped carbon aerogels. The structure of carbon aerogels (CAs) with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The specific surface area, pore size distribution and pore volume were measured by surface area analyzer. The results show that when the optimum doping dosage is 5%, the specific surface area of CNT - doped carbon aerogel is up to 665 m2 g-1 and exhibit plentiful mesoporous.

SINTESIS SILIKA AEROGEL DENGAN BAHAN DASAR ABU BAGASSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazriati Nazriati

2012-05-01

Full Text Available SYNTHESIS OF SILICA AEROGEL FROM BAGASSE ASH. Synthesis of silica aerogel from bagasse ash was done by alkaline extraction followed by sol-gel. Bagasse ash was extracted with NaOH at its boiling temperature for one hour with continue stirring, to produce sodium silicate. Subsequently, sodium silicate was pass through ionic exchanger resin, to produces silicic acid (SA. Silicic acid solution was then added with TMCS and HMDS as surface modifier agent. In order to form gel pH must be adjusted to final pH of 8-9 by addition of NH4OH solution. The resulting gel then was aged and dried at ambient pressure and at a certain time and temperature. Characterization of products was done by measuring its pore volume, surface area, and hydrophobisity (contact angle. TMCS serves as water expeller from the pores and subsequently surface was modified by HMDS and TMCS. HMDS content will linearly increase surface area, pore volume, and the contact angle of the resulting silica aerogel. Characteristics of silica aerogel was generated by varying the composition of the SA:TMCS:HMDS resulting has a surface area of 50-488 m2/g, pore volume from 0.2 to 0.9 m3 /g, the contact angle of 48-119 and pore diameter ranging from 5.7-22.56 nm. Based on the resulting pore diameter, the synthesized of silica aerogel categorized as mesoporous.      Abstrak   Sintesis silika aerogel dari bahan dasar abu bagasse dilakukan dengan ekstraksi basa dan diikuti dengan sol-gel. Abu bagasse diekstrak dengan NaOH pada suhu didihnya sambil diaduk selama satu jam, menghasilkan sodium silikat. Selanjutnya, sodium silikat dilewatkan resin penukar ion, menghasilkan asam silicic (SA. Larutan asam silicic kemudian ditambahkan trimethy­l­chlorosilane (TMCS dan hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS sebagai agen pemodifikasi permukaan. Untuk terjadinya gel pH diatur hingga mencapai 8-9 dengan penambahan larutan NH4OH. Gel yang dihasilkan kemudian di-aging dan dikeringkan pada tekanan ambien pada suhu dan

Modeling silica aerogel optical performance by determining its radiative properties

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lin; Yang, Sungwoo; Bhatia, Bikram; Strobach, Elise; Wang, Evelyn N.

2016-02-01

Silica aerogel has been known as a promising candidate for high performance transparent insulation material (TIM). Optical transparency is a crucial metric for silica aerogels in many solar related applications. Both scattering and absorption can reduce the amount of light transmitted through an aerogel slab. Due to multiple scattering, the transmittance deviates from the Beer-Lambert law (exponential attenuation). To better understand its optical performance, we decoupled and quantified the extinction contributions of absorption and scattering separately by identifying two sets of radiative properties. The radiative properties are deduced from the measured total transmittance and reflectance spectra (from 250 nm to 2500 nm) of synthesized aerogel samples by solving the inverse problem of the 1-D Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE). The obtained radiative properties are found to be independent of the sample geometry and can be considered intrinsic material properties, which originate from the aerogel's microstructure. This finding allows for these properties to be directly compared between different samples. We also demonstrate that by using the obtained radiative properties, we can model the photon transport in aerogels of arbitrary shapes, where an analytical solution is difficult to obtain.

UV laser-induced cross-linking in peptides

Science.gov (United States)

Leo, Gabriella; Altucci, Carlo; Bourgoin-Voillard, Sandrine; Gravagnuolo, Alfredo M.; Esposito, Rosario; Marino, Gennaro; Costello, Catherine E.; Velotta, Raffaele; Birolo, Leila

2013-01-01

RATIONALE The aim of this study was to demonstrate, and to characterize by high resolution mass spectrometry, that it is possible to preferentially induce covalent cross-links in peptides by using high energy femtosecond UV laser pulses. The cross-link is readily formed only when aromatic amino acids are present in the peptide sequence. METHODS Three peptides, xenopsin, angiotensin I, interleukin, individually or in combination, were exposed to high energy femtosecond UV laser pulses, either alone or in the presence of spin trapping molecules, the reaction products being characterized by high resolution mass spectrometry. RESULTS High resolution mass spectrometry and spin trapping strategies showed that cross-linking occurs readily, proceeds via a radical mechanism, and is the highly dominant reaction, proceeding without causing significant photo-damage in the investigated range of experimental parameters. CONCLUSIONS High energy femtosecond UV laser pulses can be used to induce covalent cross-links between aromatic amino acids in peptides, overcoming photo-oxidation processes, that predominate as the mean laser pulse intensity approaches illumination conditions achievable with conventional UV light sources. PMID:23754800

Synthesis of ZnO-CuO Nanocomposite Aerogels by the Sol-Gel Route

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rula M. Allaf

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The epoxide addition sol-gel method has been utilized to synthesize porous zinc-copper composite aerogels in the zinc-to-copper molar ratios of 50 : 50 to 90 : 10. A two-step mixing approach has been employed to produce aerogels composed of nano- to micrometer sized particles. The aerogels were characterized by ultrahigh resolution scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. The as-synthesized aerogels had a thin flake- or petal-like microstructure comprised of clustered flakes on two size scales; they were identified as being crystalline with the crystalline species identified as copper nitrate hydroxide, zinc hydroxide chloride hydrate, and zinc hydroxide nitrate hydrate. Annealing of the aerogel materials at a relatively low temperature (400°C resulted in a complete phase transition of the material to give highly crystalline ZnO-CuO aerogels; the aerogels consisted of networked nanoparticles in the ~25–550 nm size range with an average crystallite size of ~3 nm and average crystallinity of 98%. ZnO-CuO aerogels are of particular interest due to their particular catalytic and sensing properties. This work emphasizes the versatility of this sol-gel route in synthesizing aerogels; this method offers a possible route for the fabrication of aerogels of different metal oxides and their composites.

Refractive index of silica aerogel: Uniformity and dispersion law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Calvi, M.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Perego, D.L.; Storaci, B.

2008-01-01

Two methods for the measurement of the uniformity of the refractive index n within a single block of silica aerogel are described. One is based on the deflection of a laser beam induced by transverse index gradients. The second exploits the Cherenkov effect, measuring the emission angle of photons radiated by 500 MeV electrons traversing the aerogel. The beam can scan the full aerogel surface providing information on point to point variations of n. The measurement of the dispersion law n(λ) is also reported. An Xe lamp coupled to a diffraction grating provides the monochromatic source. The index for each λ is measured by the prism method at a corner of an aerogel sample. A Sellmeier functional form for n(λ) is assumed, and the parameters best fitting the experimental data are given

Using of Aerogel to Improve Thermal Insulating Properties of Windows

Science.gov (United States)

Valachova, Denisa; Zdrazilova, Nada; Panovec, Vladan; Skotnicova, Iveta

2018-06-01

For the best possible thermal-technical properties of building structures it is necessary to use materials with very low thermal conductivity. Due to the increasing thermal-technical requirements for building structures, the insulating materials are developed. One of the modern thermal insulating materials is so-called aerogel. Unfortunately, this material is not used in the field of external thermal insulation composite systems because of its price and its properties. The aim of this paper is to present possibilities of using this insulating material in the civil engineering - specifically a usage of aerogel in the production of windows.

Magnetic and Mössbauer spectroscopy studies of nanocrystalline iron oxide aerogels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carpenter, E.E.; Long, J.W.; Rolison, D.R.

2006-01-01

A sol-gel synthesis was used to produce iron oxide aerogels. These nanocrystalline aerogels have a pore-solid structure similar to silica aerogels but are composed entirely of iron oxides. Mössbauer experiments and x-ray diffraction showed that the as-prepared aerogel is an amorphous or poorly...... crystalline iron oxide, which crystallized as a partially oxidized magnetite during heating in argon. After further heat treatment in air, the nanocrystallites are fully converted to maghemite. The particles are superparamagnetic at high temperatures, but the magnetic properties are strongly influenced...

Thermal Failure Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Silica Aerogels under Liquid Nitrogen Thermal Shock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ai Du

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Aerogel materials are recognized as promising candidates for the thermal insulator and have achieved great successes for the aerospace applications. However, the harsh environment on the exoplanet, especially for the tremendous temperature difference, tends to affect the tenuous skeleton and performances of the aerogels. In this paper, an evaluation method was proposed to simulate the environment of exoplanet and study the influence on the fiber-reinforced silica aerogels with different supercritical point drying (SPD technology. Thermal conductivity, mechanical property and the microstructure were characterized for understanding the thermal failure mechanism. It was found that structure and thermal property were significantly influenced by the adsorbed water in the aerogels under the thermal shocks. The thermal conductivity of CO2-SPD aerogel increased 35.5% after the first shock and kept in a high value, while that of the ethanol-SPD aerogel increased only 19.5% and kept in a relatively low value. Pore size distribution results showed that after the first shock the peak pore size of the CO2-SPD aerogel increased from 18 nm to 25 nm due to the shrinkage of the skeleton, while the peak pore size of the ethanol-SPD aerogel kept at ~9 nm probably induced by the spring-back effect. An 80 °C treatment under vacuum was demonstrated to be an effective way for retaining the good performance of ethanol-SPD aerogels under the thermal shock. The thermal conductivity increases of the ethanol-SPD aerogels after 5 shocks decreased from ~30 to ~0% via vacuum drying, while the increase of the CO2-SPD aerogels via the same treatments remains ~28%. The high-strain hardening and low-strain soften behaviors further demonstrated the skeleton shrinkage of the CO2-SPD aerogel.

Property control of graphene aerogels by in situ growth of silicone polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shuai; Zhou, Xiang; Hao, Gazi; Jiang, Wei; Wang, Tianhe

2018-05-01

Modulation of the density (from 3.5 to 64 mg cm-3), hydrophobicity and oil-uptake capability of graphene aerogels in extensive ranges were achieved by reacting (3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPS) with graphene oxide solutions under heating. The reaction allowed a characteristic silicone substructure to be formed on graphene and joint the graphene layers firmly together. With the increase of MPS concentrations (≤ca. 0.2 vol%), the nano silicone polymer grown on graphene functioned as a "linker" and "spacer", leading to a substantial decrease of the aerogel density. Because of the formation of silicone polymer and the characteristic nano-micro substructures on the backbones of graphene aerogels, the graphene aerogels exhibited a high hydrophobicity with the water contact angle consistently exceeding 142 degrees. Functionalized graphene aerogels with a density of 3.5 mg cm-3 were conveniently fabricated that displayed an extraordinary oil absorption capacity, 182 times for lubricating oil and 143 times for n-hexane of its own weight. Furthermore, the aerogels maintained their ultra-high absorption capability even after 20 absorption-distillation cycles, due to structural integrity held by the strong interfacial adhesion between graphene sheets and polymer chains of aerogels. This study offers a promising graphene aerogels and also provides a strategy for fabricating extra low dense functional materials.

Test of aerogel as Cherenkov radiator

CERN Document Server

Alemi, M; Calvi, M; Matteuzzi, C; Negri, P; Paganoni, M; Liko, D; Neufeld, N; Chesi, Enrico Guido; Joram, C; Séguinot, Jacques; Ypsilantis, Thomas

2001-01-01

Two different stacks of aerogel were tested in a pion/proton beam of momentum between 3 and 10 GeV/c. The optical characteristics of the aerogel samples were different: one sample was hygroscopic while the other was hydrophobic. Two HPD tubes were used as photodetectors, and different thicknesses of the stacks were used, in order to determine the photoelectron yield, the Cherenkov angle and its precision. Pion/proton separation has been demonstrated at momenta up to 10 GeV/c.

Multifunctional Aerogel Thermal Protection Systems for Hypersonic Vehicles, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The overall objective of the Phase II project is to develop lightweight reinforced aerogel materials for use as the core structural insulation material in...

Preparation of lignin-based carbon aerogels as biomaterials for nano-supercapacitor

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bong Suk; Kang, Kyu-Young; Jeong, Myung-Joon

2017-10-01

Kraft and organosolv lignins, generally produced in chemical pulping and bio-refinery processes of lignocellulosic biomass, were used to prepare lignin-based carbon aerogels for supercapacitors as raw materials. The difference between lignins and lignin-based aerogels were compared by analyzing physical and chemical properties, including molecular weight, polydispersity, and reactivity with formaldehyde. Also, density, shrinkage, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the lignin-based aerogel were investigated. Kraft lignin consisting of coniferyl alcohol (G) and p-coumaryl alcohol (H) increased the reactivity of formaldehyde, formed a hydrogel well (porosity > 0.45), and specific surface area higher than organosolv lignin. In the case of kraft lignin, there were irregular changes such as oxidation and condensation in the pulping process. However, reaction sites with aromatic rings in lignin impacted the production of aerogel and required a long gelation period. The molecular weight of lignin influences the gelation time in producing lignin-based aerogel, and lignin composition affects the BET surface area and pore structures of the lignin-based carbon aerogels.

Polymeric micelles with ionic cores containing biodegradable cross-links for delivery of chemotherapeutic agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong Oh; Sahay, Gaurav; Kabanov, Alexander V; Bronich, Tatiana K

2010-04-12

Novel functional polymeric nanocarriers with ionic cores containing biodegradable cross-links were developed for delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. Block ionomer complexes (BIC) of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacylic acid) (PEO-b-PMA) and divalent metal cations (Ca(2+)) were utilized as templates. Disulfide bonds were introduced into the ionic cores by using cystamine as a biodegradable cross-linker. The resulting cross-linked micelles with disulfide bonds represented soft, hydrogel-like nanospheres and demonstrated a time-dependent degradation in the conditions mimicking the intracellular reducing environment. The ionic character of the cores allowed to achieve a very high level of doxorubicin (DOX) loading (50% w/w) into the cross-linked micelles. DOX-loaded degradable cross-linked micelles exhibited more potent cytotoxicity against human A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells as compared to micellar formulations without disulfide linkages. These novel biodegradable cross-linked micelles are expected to be attractive candidates for delivery of anticancer drugs.

Van der Waal Interactions in Ultrafine Nanocellulose Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Fritch, Byron; Bradley, Derek; Kidd, Tim

Nanocellulose aerogels have shown an ability to be used in many different applications ranging from oil sponges to conductive materials to possibly a low calorie food substitute. Not much is known about the structural and physical property changes that occur when the composition of the aerogel changes. We studied what properties change when the aerogel amounts change, as well as how sticky the aerogels are and how strong they are. The higher concentrations appeared to have more plate-like structures while the lower concentrations had a more fibrous material. These fibers in the low concentrations had a smaller diameter than a human hair. Only the low concentration aerogels were able to stick to a glass surface in the adhesion test, but were able to support a mass much larger than their own. These low concentrations also would stick to your finger when lightly touched. Preliminary tests show that a concentration that is not too low, but not too high, is best for tensile strength. All concentrations were able to hold many times their own mass. Cellulose should be studied more because it is a renewable material and is easily accessed. Nanocellulose is also not environmentally dangerous allowing it to be used in applications involving humans and the environment like noted above. National Science Foundation Grant DMR-1410496.

Plasmonic Aerogels as a Three-Dimensional Nanoscale Platform for Solar Fuel Photocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

DeSario, Paul A; Pietron, Jeremy J; Dunkelberger, Adam; Brintlinger, Todd H; Baturina, Olga; Stroud, Rhonda M; Owrutsky, Jeffrey C; Rolison, Debra R

2017-09-19

We use plasmonic Au-TiO 2 aerogels as a platform in which to marry synthetically thickened particle-particle junctions in TiO 2 aerogel networks to Au∥TiO 2 interfaces and then investigate their cooperative influence on photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) generation under both broadband (i.e., UV + visible light) and visible-only excitation. In doing so, we elucidate the dual functions that incorporated Au can play as a water reduction cocatalyst and as a plasmonic sensitizer. We also photodeposit non-plasmonic Pt cocatalyst nanoparticles into our composite aerogels in order to leverage the catalytic water-reducing abilities of Pt. This Au-TiO 2 /Pt arrangement in three dimensions effectively utilizes conduction-band electrons injected into the TiO 2 aerogel network upon exciting the Au SPR at the Au∥TiO 2 interface. The extensive nanostructured high surface-area oxide network in the aerogel provides a matrix that spatially separates yet electrochemically connects plasmonic nanoparticle sensitizers and metal nanoparticle catalysts, further enhancing solar-fuels photochemistry. We compare the photocatalytic rates of H 2 generation with and without Pt cocatalysts added to Au-TiO 2 aerogels and demonstrate electrochemical linkage of the SPR-generated carriers at the Au∥TiO 2 interfaces to downfield Pt nanoparticle cocatalysts. Finally, we investigate visible light-stimulated generation of conduction band electrons in Au-TiO 2 and TiO 2 aerogels using ultrafast visible pump/IR probe spectroscopy. Substantially more electrons are produced at Au-TiO 2 aerogels due to the incorporated SPR-active Au nanoparticle, whereas the smaller population of electrons generated at Au-free TiO 2 aerogels likely originate at shallow traps in the high surface-area mesoporous aerogel.

Study of the Conformational State of Non-Cross-Linked and Cross-Linked Poly(alkylmethyldiallylammonium chlorides) in Aqueous Solution by Fluorescence Probing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Guang-Jia; Engberts, Jan B.F.N.

The aggregation behaviour of novel non-cross-linked and cross-linked poly(alkylmethyldiallylammonium chlorides) in aqueous solutions has been investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy using pyrene as a probe. These copolymers were found to exhibit similar aggregate properties as the corresponding

Career development in cross-cultural environment

OpenAIRE

Balčiūnaitienė, Asta; Barvydienė, Violeta; Petkevičiūtė, Nijolė

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to discuss the peculiarities of career development and cultural competence in crosscultural environment. The idea of career development in a cross-cultural environment is usually linked to personal, communication skills, social and cultural issues. Understanding of the concept of peculiarities of career development and cross-cultural communication competence is of crucial significance in a multicultural environment. The main factors of career development in cross-cult...

Simulation and Analysis of Mechanical Properties of Silica Aerogels: From Rationalization to Prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hao; Zheng, Xiaoyang; Luo, Xuan; Yi, Yong; Yang, Fan

2018-01-30

Silica aerogels are highly porous 3D nanostructures and have exhibited excellent physio-chemical properties. Although silica aerogels have broad potential in many fields, the poor mechanical properties greatly limit further applications. In this study, we have applied the finite volume method (FVM) method to calculate the mechanical properties of silica aerogels with different geometric properties such as particle size, pore size, ligament diameter, etc. The FVM simulation results show that a power law correlation existing between relative density and mechanical properties (elastic modulus and yield stress) of silica aerogels, which are consistent with experimental and literature studies. In addition, depending on the relative densities, different strategies are proposed in order to synthesize silica aerogels with better mechanical performance by adjusting the distribution of pore size and ligament diameter of aerogels. Finally, the results suggest that it is possible to synthesize silica aerogels with ultra-low density as well as high strength and stiffness as long as the textural features are well controlled. It is believed that the FVM simulation methodology could be a valuable tool to study mechanical performance of silica aerogel based materials in the future.

Simulation and Analysis of Mechanical Properties of Silica Aerogels: From Rationalization to Prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Ma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Silica aerogels are highly porous 3D nanostructures and have exhibited excellent physio-chemical properties. Although silica aerogels have broad potential in many fields, the poor mechanical properties greatly limit further applications. In this study, we have applied the finite volume method (FVM method to calculate the mechanical properties of silica aerogels with different geometric properties such as particle size, pore size, ligament diameter, etc. The FVM simulation results show that a power law correlation existing between relative density and mechanical properties (elastic modulus and yield stress of silica aerogels, which are consistent with experimental and literature studies. In addition, depending on the relative densities, different strategies are proposed in order to synthesize silica aerogels with better mechanical performance by adjusting the distribution of pore size and ligament diameter of aerogels. Finally, the results suggest that it is possible to synthesize silica aerogels with ultra-low density as well as high strength and stiffness as long as the textural features are well controlled. It is believed that the FVM simulation methodology could be a valuable tool to study mechanical performance of silica aerogel based materials in the future.

Ambient pressure dried tetrapropoxysilane-based silica aerogels with high specific surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Parale, Vinayak G.; Han, Wooje; Jung, Hae-Noo-Ree; Lee, Kyu-Yeon; Park, Hyung-Ho

2018-01-01

In the present paper, we report the synthesis of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS)-based silica aerogels with high surface area and large pore volume. The silica aerogels were prepared by a two-step sol-gel process followed by surface modification via a simple ambient pressure drying approach. In order to minimize drying shrinkage and obtain hydrophobic aerogels, the surface of the alcogels was modified using trichloromethylsilane as a silylating agent. The effect of the sol-gel compositional parameters on the polymerization of aerogels prepared by TPOS, one of the precursors belonging to the Si(OR)4 family, was reported for the first time. The oxalic acid and NH4OH concentrations were adjusted to achieve good-quality aerogels with high surface area, low density, and high transparency. Controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the TPOS precursor turned out to be the most important factor to determine the pore characteristics of the aerogel. Highly transparent aerogels with high specific surface area (938 m2/g) and low density (0.047 g/cm3) could be obtained using an optimized TPOS/MeOH molar ratio with appropriate concentrations of oxalic acid and NH4OH.

Cross-linking of wheat gluten using a water-soluble carbodiimide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tropini, V.; Lens, J.P.; Mulder, W.J.; Silvestre, F.

2000-01-01

Wheat gluten was cross-linked using water-soluble 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide HCl (EDC). To enhance cross-linking, N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) was added to the reaction mixture. The cross-linking efficiency was evaluated by the decrease in the amount of amino groups, the solubility

Preparation of Nanocellulose Reinforced Chitosan Films, Cross-Linked by Adipic Acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Falamarzpour, Pouria; Behzad, Tayebeh; Zamani, Akram

2017-02-13

Adipic acid, an abundant and nontoxic compound, was used to dissolve and cross-link chitosan. After the preparation of chitosan films through casting technique, the in situ amidation reaction was performed at 80-100 °C as verified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The reaction was accompanied by the release of water which was employed to investigate the reaction kinetics. Accordingly, the reaction rate followed the first-order model and Arrhenius equation, and the activation energy was calculated to be 18 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the chitosan films were comprehensively studied. First, optimal curing conditions (84 °C, 93 min) were introduced through a central composite design. In order to evaluate the effects of adipic acid, the mechanical properties of physically cross-linked (uncured), chemically cross-linked (cured), and uncross-linked (prepared by acetic acid) films were compared. The use of adipic acid improved the tensile strength of uncured and chemically cross-linked films more than 60% and 113%, respectively. Finally, the effect of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) on the mechanical performance of cured films, in the presence of glycerol as a plasticizer, was investigated. The plasticized chitosan films reinforced by 5 wt % CNFs showed superior properties as a promising material for the development of chitosan-based biomaterials.

Effect of catalyst on melamine-formaldehyde organic aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Zhipeng; Yang Xi; Fu Zhibing; Zhong Minglong; Wang Chaoyang; Ma Kangfu; Huang Xiaoli; Chang Lijuan

2013-01-01

A series of melamine-formaldehyde(MF) organic aerogel templates were prepared with different categories and concentration of catalyst. Their molecular structure, thermal stability and pore structure were tested by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption. It is indicated that the type and concentration of catalyst do not affect molecular structure and thermal stability of the MF organic aerogel template. The specific surface area and pore volume of the MF organic aerogel template using Na 2 CO 3 as catalyst are higher than those using NaOH, NaHCO 3 as catalyst. When the ratio of the concentration of melamine to that of catalyst is 500, the specific surface area is maximized. (authors)

An atomistic model for cross-linked HNBR elastomers used in seals

Science.gov (United States)

Molinari, Nicola; Sutton, Adrian; Stevens, John; Mostofi, Arash

2015-03-01

Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) is one of the most common elastomeric materials used for seals in the oil and gas industry. These seals sometimes suffer ``explosive decompression,'' a costly problem in which gases permeate a seal at the elevated temperatures and pressures pertaining in oil and gas wells, leading to rupture when the seal is brought back to the surface. The experimental evidence that HNBR and its unsaturated parent NBR have markedly different swelling properties suggests that cross-linking may occur during hydrogenation of NBR to produce HNBR. We have developed a code compatible with the LAMMPS molecular dynamics package to generate fully atomistic HNBR configurations by hydrogenating initial NBR structures. This can be done with any desired degree of cross-linking. The code uses a model of atomic interactions based on the OPLS-AA force-field. We present calculations of the dependence of a number of bulk properties on the degree of cross-linking. Using our atomistic representations of HNBR and NBR, we hope to develop a better molecular understanding of the mechanisms that result in explosive decompression.

Silica aerogel radiator for use in the A-RICH system utilized in the Belle II experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Tabata, Makoto; Adachi, Ichiro; Hamada, Nao; Hara, Koji; Iijima, Toru; Iwata, Shuichi; Kakuno, Hidekazu; Kawai, Hideyuki; Korpar, Samo; Križan, Peter; Kumita, Tetsuro; Nishida, Shohei; Ogawa, Satoru; Pestotnik, Rok; Šantelj, Luka; Seljak, Andrej; Sumiyoshi, Takayuki; Tahirović, Elvedin; Yoshida, Keisuke; Yusa, Yosuke

2014-12-01

This paper presents recent progress in the development and mass production of large-area hydrophobic silica aerogels for use as radiators in the aerogel-based ring-imaging Cherenkov (A-RICH) counter, which will be installed in the forward end cap of the Belle II detector. The proximity-focusing A-RICH system is especially designed to identify charged kaons and pions. The refractive index of the installed aerogel Cherenkov radiators is approximately 1.05, and we aim for a separation capability exceeding 4σ at momenta up to 4 GeV/c. Large-area aerogel tiles (over 18×18×2 cm3) were first fabricated in test productions by pin drying in addition to conventional methods. We proposed to fill the large end-cap region (area 3.5 m2) with 124 water-jet-trimmed fan-shaped dual-layer-focusing aerogel combinations of different refractive indices (1.045 and 1.055). Guided by the test production results, we decided to manufacture aerogels by the conventional method and are currently proceeding with mass production. In an electron beam test undertaken at the DESY, we confirmed that the K/π separation capability of a prototype A-RICH counter exceeded 4σ at 4 GeV/c.

Photoreactivities and thermal properties of psoralen cross-links

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeung, A.T.; Jones, B.K.; Chu, C.T.

1988-01-01

The authors have studied the photoreaction of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (TMP), and 4'-(hydroxymethyl)-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (HMT) with a pair of 18-base-long oligonucleotides in which a 14-base region is complementary. Only one 5'TpA site, favored for both monoadduct and cross-link formation with psoralen, is present in this oligonucleotide pair. They have used this model system to demonstrate, for the first time, strand specificity in the photoreaction of psoralen with DNA. They found that the two types of cross-links which form at this site have large differences in thermal stabilities. In addition, the denaturation of each cross-links isomer duplex occurred in at least three stages, which can be visualized as three bands in thermal equilibrium under the conditions of a denaturing polyacrylamide gel. This novel observation suggests that there are several domains differing in thermal stability in a psoralen cross-link

Collagen cross-linking in thin corneas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prema Padmanabhan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Collagen cross-linking (CXL has become the standard of care for progressive keratoconus, after numerous clinical studies have established its efficacy and safety in suitably selected eyes. The standard protocol is applicable in eyes which have a minimum corneal thickness of 400 μm after epithelial debridement. This prerequisite was stipulated to protect the corneal endothelium and intraocular tissues from the deleterious effect of ultraviolet-A (UVA radiation. However, patients with keratoconus often present with corneal thickness of less than 400 μm and could have otherwise benefited from this procedure. A few modifications of the standard procedure have been suggested to benefit these patients without a compromise in safety. Transepithelial cross-linking, pachymetry-guided epithelial debridement before cross-linking, and the use of hypoosmolar riboflavin are some of the techniques that have been attempted. Although clinical data is limited at the present time, these techniques are worth considering in patients with thin corneas. Further studies are needed to scientifically establish their efficacy and safety.

The RICH with Aerogel for the LHCb Experiment

CERN Document Server

Bellunato, T; Matteuzzi, C; Musy, M; Negri, P; Perego, D L

2006-01-01

We report on the status of the art of the aerogel project for LHCb, from the production, in terms of specifications and achieved quality, to the optical and beam tests performed to qualify the material as a Cherenkov radiator. A brief summary of the ageing and radiation tolerance tests performed on some aerogel tiles is also given.

The RICH with Aerogel for the LHCb Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Calvi, M.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Negri, P.; Perego, D.L.

2006-01-01

We report on the status of the art of the aerogel project for LHCb, from the production, in terms of specifications and achieved quality, to the optical and beam tests performed to qualify the material as a Cherenkov radiator. A brief summary of the ageing and radiation tolerance tests performed on some aerogel tiles is also given

Nitrogen and Fluorine-Codoped Carbon Nanowire Aerogels as Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Shaofang [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA; Zhu, Chengzhou [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA; Song, Junhua [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA; Engelhard, Mark H. [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Xiao, Biwei [Energy and Environmental Directory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA; Du, Dan [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA; Lin, Yuehe [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA

2017-07-11

The development of active, durable, and low-cost catalysts to replace noble metal-based materials is highly desirable to promote the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. Herein, nitrogen and fluorine-codoped three-dimensional carbon nanowire aerogels, composed of interconnected carbon nanowires, were synthesized for the first time by a hydrothermal carbonization process. Owing to their porous nanostructures and heteroatom-doping, the as-prepared carbon nanowire aerogels, with optimized composition, present excellent electrocatalytic activity that is comparable to commercial Pt/C. Remarkably, the aerogels also exhibit superior stability and methanol tolerance. This synthesis procedure paves a new way to design novel heteroatomdoped catalysts.

Cross-linked polyelectrolyte multilayers for marine antifouling applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, X.; Janczewski, D.; Lee, S.S.C.; Teo, S.L-M.; Vancso, Gyula J.

2013-01-01

A polyionic multilayer film was fabricated by layer-by-layer (LbL) sequential deposition followed by cross-linking under mild conditions on a substrate surface to inhibit marine fouling. A novel polyanion, featuring methyl ester groups for an easy cross-linking was used as a generic solution for

Ultralight Graphene/Carbon Nanotubes Aerogels with Compressibility and Oil Absorption Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Da Zhao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Graphene aerogels have many advantages, such as low density, high elasticity and strong adsorption. They are considered to be widely applicable in many fields. At present, the most valuable research area aims to find a convenient and effective way to prepare graphene aerogels with excellent properties. In this work graphene/carbon nanotube aerogels are prepared through hydrothermal reduction, freeze-drying and high temperature heat treatment with the blending of graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. A new reducing agent-ascorbic acid is selected to explore the best preparation process. The prepared aerogels have compression and resilience and oil absorption properties due to the addition of carbon nanotubes as designed.

Enzymatic digestibility of peptides cross-linked by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dizdaroglu, M.; Gajewski, E.; Simic, M.G.

1984-01-01

Digestibility by proteolytic enzymes of peptides cross-linked by ionizing radiation was investigated. Small peptides of alanine and phenylalanine were chosen as model compounds and aminopeptidases and carboxypeptidases were used as proteolytic enzymes. Peptides exposed to γ-radiation in aqueous solution were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography before and after hydrolysis by aminopeptidase M, leucine aminopeptidase carboxypeptidase A and carboxypeptidase Y. The results obtained clearly demonstrate the different actions of these enzymes on cross-linked aliphatic and aromatic peptides. Peptide bonds of cross-linked dipeptides of alanine were completely resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis whereas the enzymes, except for carboxypeptidase Y, cleaved all peptide bonds of cross-linked peptides of phenylalanine. The actions of the enzymes on these particular compounds are discussed in detail. (author)

Adsorption and desorption of cationic malachite green dye on cellulose nanofibril aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Feng; Dinh, Darren M; Hsieh, You-Lo

2017-10-01

Ultra-light aerogels have been assembled from cellulose nanofibrils into hierarchically macroporous (several hundred μm) honeycomb cellular structure surrounded with mesoporous (8-60nm) thin walls. The high specific surface (193m 2 /g) and surface carboxyl content (1.29mmol/g) of these aerogels were demonstrated to be highly capable of removing cationic malachite green (MG) dye from aqueous media. The rapid MG adsorption was driven by electrostatic interactions and followed a pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic and monolayer Langmuir adsorption isotherm. At a low 1:5mg/mL aerogel/MG ratio, both initial MG adsorption rate (2.3-59.8mgg -1 min -1 ) and equilibrium adsorption capacity (53.0-203.7mgg -1 ) increased with increasing initial MG concentrations from 10 to 200mg/L, reaching a maximum adsorption of 212.7mgg -1 . The excellent dye removal efficiency was demonstrated by complete MG removal through four repetitive adsorptions at a low 1:5mg/mL aerogel/MG ratio and 10mg/L dye concentration as well as 92% MG adsorption in a single batch at one order of magnitude higher10:5mg/mL aerogel/MG ratio and 100mg/L dye concentration. The adsorbed MG in aerogels could be desorbed in aqueous media by increasing ionic strength, demonstrating facile recovery of both dye and aerogel as well as the robust capability of this aerogel for repetitive applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heating tubes of cross-linked polyethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoeppler, H.; Hoffmann, M.

1981-01-01

Oxygen permeability of plastic tubes for floor heating systems was measured as a function of the reduced oxygen content of water in plastic tubes at a flow rate of 0.5 m/s and a temperature of 30 0 C and as a function of oxygen uptake of low-oxygen water in floor heating tubes. Pipes of VEP, periodically cross-linked polyethylene (Engels process), polypropylene copolymeride, and polybutene were compared. The permeability of periodically cross-linked polyethylene is twice as high as that of VEP. Measurements, results, and consequences for floor heating systems are discussed. (KH) [de

Construction of silica aerogel radiator system for Belle II RICH Counter

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, I.; Dolenec, R.; Hataya, K.; Iori, S.; Iwata, S.; Kakuno, H.; Kataura, R.; Kawai, H.; Kindo, H.; Kobayashi, T.; Korpar, S.; Križan, P.; Kumita, T.; Mrvar, M.; Nishida, S.; Ogawa, K.; Ogawa, S.; Pestotnik, R.; Šantelj, L.; Sumiyoshi, T.; Tabata, M.; Yonenaga, M.; Yusa, Y.

2017-12-01

We have developed a RICH counter as a new forward particle identification device for the Belle II experiment. As a Cherenkov radiator in this counter, a dual aerogel layer combination consisting of two refractive indicies, n=1.045 and 1.055, is employed. Mass production of these aerogel tiles has been done during 2013-2014 with new method improved by Chiba group. Optical qualities for them have been examined. The refractive indices of the obtained tiles were found to be in good agreement with our expectations, and the transparencies were high enough to be used for the RICH radiator.

Synthesis and Catalytic Properties of Non-Cross-Linked and Cross-Linked Poly(alkylmethyldiallylammonium bromides) Having Decyl, Octyl, and Hexyl Side Chains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, G.J; Engberts, J.B.F.N.

1995-01-01

A family of non-cross-linked and cross-linked copolymers containing decyl, octyl, and hexyl groups as side chains ((CL)-CopolC1-10, (CL)-CopolC1-8, and (CL)-CopolC1-6, respectively) were synthesized by radical-initiated cyclocopolymerization of alkylmethyldiallylammonium bromide monomers without and

Aerogel as a Sample Collector and Sample Mount for Transmission XRD Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bish, D. L.; Vaniman, D. T.; Chipera, S. J.; Yen, A. S.; Jones, S. M.

2001-01-01

Silica aerogel can be used for dust collection and in situ X-ray analysis. Aerogels can be less absorbing than Be, and it is feasible to obtain X-ray transmission factors >50% using typical aerogels together with a 100-micrometer Be backing foil. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Biomimetic acellular detoxified glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine pericardium for tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathapati, Santosh; Bishi, Dillip Kumar; Guhathakurta, Soma; Cherian, Kotturathu Mammen; Venugopal, Jayarama Reddy; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Verma, Rama Shanker

2013-01-01

Glutaraldehyde (GLUT) processing, cellular antigens, calcium ions in circulation, and phospholipids present in the native tissue are predominantly responsible for calcification, degeneration, and lack of natural microenvironment for host progenitor cell migration in tissue implants. The study presents an improved methodology for adhesion and proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) without significant changes in biomechanical and biodegradation properties of the processed acellular bovine pericardium. The anti-calcification potential of the processed tissue was enhanced by detoxification of GLUT-cross-linked bovine pericardium by decellularization, pretreating it with ethanol or removing the free aldehydes by citric acid treatment and lyophilization. The treated tissues were assessed for biomechanical properties, GLUT ligand quantification, adhesion, proliferation of EPCs, and biodegradability. The results indicate that there was no significant change in biomechanical properties and biodegradability when enzymatic hydrolysis (p > 0.05) is employed in detoxified acellular GLUT cross-linked tissue (DBP–G–CA–ET), compared with the native detoxified GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium (NBP–G–CA–ET). DBP–G–CA–ET exhibited a significant (p > 0.05) increase in the viability of EPCs and cell adhesion as compared to acellular GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium (p < 0.05). Lyophilized acellular detoxified GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium, employed in our study as an alternative to conventional GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium, might provide longer durability and better biocompatibility, and reduce calcification. The developed bovine pericardium patches could be used in cardiac reconstruction and repair, arteriotomy, soft tissue repair, and general surgical procedures with tissue regeneration dimensions. - Highlights: ► We improved the quality of patch biomaterial for cardiovascular surgical procedures. ► Bovine pericardium was

Biomimetic acellular detoxified glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine pericardium for tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathapati, Santosh; Bishi, Dillip Kumar [Stem Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai (India); Frontier Lifeline Pvt Ltd. and Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Foundation, Mogappair, Chennai (India); Healthcare and Energy Materials Laboratory, NUSNNI, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore (Singapore); Guhathakurta, Soma [Departmet of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai (India); Cherian, Kotturathu Mammen [Frontier Lifeline Pvt Ltd. and Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Foundation, Mogappair, Chennai (India); Venugopal, Jayarama Reddy; Ramakrishna, Seeram [Healthcare and Energy Materials Laboratory, NUSNNI, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore (Singapore); Verma, Rama Shanker, E-mail: vermars@iitm.ac.in [Stem Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai (India)

2013-04-01

Glutaraldehyde (GLUT) processing, cellular antigens, calcium ions in circulation, and phospholipids present in the native tissue are predominantly responsible for calcification, degeneration, and lack of natural microenvironment for host progenitor cell migration in tissue implants. The study presents an improved methodology for adhesion and proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) without significant changes in biomechanical and biodegradation properties of the processed acellular bovine pericardium. The anti-calcification potential of the processed tissue was enhanced by detoxification of GLUT-cross-linked bovine pericardium by decellularization, pretreating it with ethanol or removing the free aldehydes by citric acid treatment and lyophilization. The treated tissues were assessed for biomechanical properties, GLUT ligand quantification, adhesion, proliferation of EPCs, and biodegradability. The results indicate that there was no significant change in biomechanical properties and biodegradability when enzymatic hydrolysis (p > 0.05) is employed in detoxified acellular GLUT cross-linked tissue (DBP–G–CA–ET), compared with the native detoxified GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium (NBP–G–CA–ET). DBP–G–CA–ET exhibited a significant (p > 0.05) increase in the viability of EPCs and cell adhesion as compared to acellular GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium (p < 0.05). Lyophilized acellular detoxified GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium, employed in our study as an alternative to conventional GLUT cross-linked bovine pericardium, might provide longer durability and better biocompatibility, and reduce calcification. The developed bovine pericardium patches could be used in cardiac reconstruction and repair, arteriotomy, soft tissue repair, and general surgical procedures with tissue regeneration dimensions. - Highlights: ► We improved the quality of patch biomaterial for cardiovascular surgical procedures. ► Bovine pericardium was

X-ray radiographic technique for measuring density uniformity of silica aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabata, Makoto; Hatakeyama, Yoshikiyo; Adachi, Ichiro; Morita, Takeshi; Nishikawa, Keiko

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a new X-ray radiographic technique for measuring density uniformity of silica aerogels used as radiator in proximity-focusing ring-imaging Cherenkov detectors. To obtain high performance in a large-area detector, a key characteristic of radiator is the density (i.e. refractive index) uniformity of an individual aerogel monolith. At a refractive index of n=1.05, our requirement for the refractive index uniformity in the transverse plane direction of an aerogel tile is |δ(n−1)/(n−1)|<4% in a focusing dual layer radiator (with different refractive indices) scheme. We applied the radiographic technique to evaluate the density uniformity of our original aerogels from a trial production and that of Panasonic products (SP-50) as a reference, and to confirm they have sufficient density uniformity within ±1% along the transverse plane direction. The measurement results show that the proposed technique can quantitatively estimate the density uniformity of aerogels.

Aerogel and xerogel composites for use as carbon anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, John F [Oakland, CA; Tillotson, Thomas M [Tracy, CA; Hrubesh, Lawrence W [Pleasanton, CA

2008-08-12

Disclosed herein are aerogel and xerogel composite materials suitable for use as anodes in fuel cells and batteries. Precursors to the aerogel and xerogel compounds are infused with inorganic polymeric materials or carbon particles and then gelled. The gels are then pyrolyzed to form composites with internal structural support.

Development and evaluation of aerogel-filled BMI sandwich panels for thermal barrier applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Dineshkumar

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study details a fabrication methodology envisaged to manufacture Glass/BMI honeycomb core aerogel-filled sandwich panels. Silica aerogel granules are used as core fillers to provide thermal insulation properties with little weight increase. Experimental heat transfer studies are conducted on these panels to study the temperature distribution between their two surfaces. Numerical studies are also carried out to validate the results. Despite exhibiting good thermal shielding capabilities, the Glass/BMI sandwich panels are found to oxidise at 180 ºC if exposed directly to heat. In order to increase the temperature bearing capacity and the operating temperature range for these panels, a way of coating them from outside with high temperature spray paint was tried. With a silicone-based coating, the temperature sustainability of these sandwich panels is found to increase to 350 ºC. This proved the effectiveness of the formed manufacturing process, selected high temperature coating, the coating method as well as the envisaged sandwich panel concept.

Methods for controlling pore morphology in aerogels using electric fields and products thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Worsley, Marcus A.; Baumann, Theodore F.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.; Olson, Tammy Y.; Kuntz, Joshua D.; Rose, Klint A.

2017-12-16

In one embodiment, an aerogel or xerogel includes column structures of a material having minor pores therein and major pores devoid of the material positioned between the column structures, where longitudinal axes of the major pores are substantially parallel to one another. In another embodiment, a method includes heating a sol including aerogel or xerogel precursor materials to cause gelation thereof to form an aerogel or xerogel and exposing the heated sol to an electric field, wherein the electric field causes orientation of a microstructure of the sol during gelation, which is retained by the aerogel or xerogel. In one approach, an aerogel has elongated pores extending between a material arranged in column structures having structural characteristics of being formed from a sol exposed to an electric field that causes orientation of a microstructure of the sol during gelation which is retained by the elongated pores of the aerogel.

Preparation of Nanocellulose Reinforced Chitosan Films, Cross-Linked by Adipic Acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pouria Falamarzpour

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Adipic acid, an abundant and nontoxic compound, was used to dissolve and cross-link chitosan. After the preparation of chitosan films through casting technique, the in situ amidation reaction was performed at 80–100 °C as verified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR. The reaction was accompanied by the release of water which was employed to investigate the reaction kinetics. Accordingly, the reaction rate followed the first-order model and Arrhenius equation, and the activation energy was calculated to be 18 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the chitosan films were comprehensively studied. First, optimal curing conditions (84 °C, 93 min were introduced through a central composite design. In order to evaluate the effects of adipic acid, the mechanical properties of physically cross-linked (uncured, chemically cross-linked (cured, and uncross-linked (prepared by acetic acid films were compared. The use of adipic acid improved the tensile strength of uncured and chemically cross-linked films more than 60% and 113%, respectively. Finally, the effect of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs on the mechanical performance of cured films, in the presence of glycerol as a plasticizer, was investigated. The plasticized chitosan films reinforced by 5 wt % CNFs showed superior properties as a promising material for the development of chitosan-based biomaterials.

Discovery of undefined protein cross-linking chemistry: a comprehensive methodology utilizing 18O-labeling and mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Min; Zhang, Zhongqi; Zang, Tianzhu; Spahr, Chris; Cheetham, Janet; Ren, Da; Zhou, Zhaohui Sunny

2013-06-18

Characterization of protein cross-linking, particularly without prior knowledge of the chemical nature and site of cross-linking, poses a significant challenge, because of their intrinsic structural complexity and the lack of a comprehensive analytical approach. Toward this end, we have developed a generally applicable workflow-XChem-Finder-that involves four stages: (1) detection of cross-linked peptides via (18)O-labeling at C-termini; (2) determination of the putative partial sequences of each cross-linked peptide pair using a fragment ion mass database search against known protein sequences coupled with a de novo sequence tag search; (3) extension to full sequences based on protease specificity, the unique combination of mass, and other constraints; and (4) deduction of cross-linking chemistry and site. The mass difference between the sum of two putative full-length peptides and the cross-linked peptide provides the formulas (elemental composition analysis) for the functional groups involved in each cross-linking. Combined with sequence restraint from MS/MS data, plausible cross-linking chemistry and site were inferred, and ultimately confirmed, by matching with all data. Applying our approach to a stressed IgG2 antibody, 10 cross-linked peptides were discovered and found to be connected via thioethers originating from disulfides at locations that had not been previously recognized. Furthermore, once the cross-link chemistry was revealed, a targeted cross-link search yielded 4 additional cross-linked peptides that all contain the C-terminus of the light chain.

Fabrication of chemically cross-linked porous gelatin matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozzini, Sabrina; Petrini, Paola; Altomare, Lina; Tanzi, Maria Cristina

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to chemically cross-link gelatin, by reacting its free amino groups with an aliphatic diisocyanate. To produce hydrogels with controllable properties, the number of reacting amino groups was carefully determined. Porosity was introduced into the gelatin-based hydrogels through the lyophilization process. Porous and non-porous matrices were characterized with respect to their chemical structure, morphology, water uptake and mechanical properties. The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the porous matrices are related to the extent of their cross-linking, showing that they can be controlled by varying the reaction parameters. Water uptake values (24 hours) vary between 160% and 200% as the degree of cross-linking increases. The flexibility of the samples also decreases by changing the extent of cross-linking. Young's modulus shows values between 0.188 KPa, for the highest degree, and 0.142 KPa for the lowest degree. The matrices are potential candidates for use as tissue-engineering scaffolds by modulating their physical chemical properties according to the specific application.

Preparation of activated carbon aerogel and its application to electrode material for electric double layer capacitor in organic electrolyte: Effect of activation temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Soon Hyung; Lee, Eunji; Kim, Myung-Soo; Jung, Ji Chul [Myongji University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bum-Soo; Kim, Sang-Gil; Lee, Byung-Jun [Vitzrocell Co., Yesan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-15

Carbon aerogel was chemically activated with KOH at various activation temperatures with the aim of improving the electrochemical performance of carbon aerogel for EDLC electrode. Electrochemical performance of activated carbon aerogel electrode was determined by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge methods using coin-type EDLC cell in organic electrolyte. Activation temperature played an important role in determining the electrochemical performance of activated carbon aerogel for EDLC electrode. Specific capacitance of activated carbon aerogel at a high current density (5 A/g) showed a volcano-shaped curve with respect to activation temperature. Excessively high activation temperature could have an adverse effect on the electrochemical properties of activated carbon aerogel due to the low electrical conductivity caused by a collapse of characteristic structure of carbon aerogel. Among the carbon samples, carbon aerogel activated at 800 .deg. C with a high surface area and a well-developed porous structure exhibited the highest specific capacitance. In addition, carbon aerogel activated at 800 .deg. C retained a considerable specific capacitance at a high current density even after 1000 cycles of charge/discharge. Therefore, it is concluded that carbon aerogel activated with KOH at 800 .deg. C can serve as an efficient electrode material for commercial EDLC with a high power density.

Modeling silica aerogel optical performance by determining its radiative properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Zhao

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Silica aerogel has been known as a promising candidate for high performance transparent insulation material (TIM. Optical transparency is a crucial metric for silica aerogels in many solar related applications. Both scattering and absorption can reduce the amount of light transmitted through an aerogel slab. Due to multiple scattering, the transmittance deviates from the Beer-Lambert law (exponential attenuation. To better understand its optical performance, we decoupled and quantified the extinction contributions of absorption and scattering separately by identifying two sets of radiative properties. The radiative properties are deduced from the measured total transmittance and reflectance spectra (from 250 nm to 2500 nm of synthesized aerogel samples by solving the inverse problem of the 1-D Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE. The obtained radiative properties are found to be independent of the sample geometry and can be considered intrinsic material properties, which originate from the aerogel’s microstructure. This finding allows for these properties to be directly compared between different samples. We also demonstrate that by using the obtained radiative properties, we can model the photon transport in aerogels of arbitrary shapes, where an analytical solution is difficult to obtain.

Clay exfoliation and polymer/clay aerogels by supercritical carbon dioxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona eLongo

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 treatments of a montmorillonite (MMT intercalated with ammonium cations bearing two long hydrocarbon tails (organo-modified MMT, OMMT led to OMMT exfoliation, with loss of the long-range order in the packing of the hydrocarbon tails and maintenance of the long-range order in the clay layers. The intercalated and the derived exfoliated OMMT have been deeply characterized, mainly by X-ray diffraction analyses. Monolithic composite aerogels, with large amounts of both intercalated and exfoliated OMMT and including the nanoporous-crystalline δ form of syndiotactic polystyrene (s-PS, have been prepared, by scCO2 extractions of s-PS-based gels. Also for high OMMT content, the gel and aerogel preparation procedures occur without re-aggregation of the exfoliated clay, which is instead observed for other kinds of polymer processing. Aerogels with the exfoliated OMMT have more even dispersion of the clay layers, higher elastic modulus and larger surface area than aerogels with the intercalated OMMT. Extremely light materials with relevant transport properties could be prepared. Moreover, s-PS-based aerogels with exfoliated OMMT could be helpful for the handling of exfoliated clay minerals.

Effects of Supercritical CO 2 Conditioning on Cross-Linked Polyimide Membranes

KAUST Repository

Kratochvil, Adam M.

2010-05-25

The effects of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) conditioning on high-performance cross-linked polyimide membranes is examined through gas permeation and sorption experiments. Under supercritical conditions, the cross-linked polymers do not exhibit a structural reorganization of the polymer matrix that was observed in the non-cross-linkable, free acid polymer. Pure gas permeation isotherms and mixed gas permeabilities and selectivities show the cross-linked polymers to be much more stable to scCO2 conditioning than the free acid polymer. In fact, following scCO2 conditioning, the mixed gas CO2 permeabilities of the cross-linked polymers increased while the CO2/CH4 separation factors remained relatively unchanged. This response highlights the stability and high performance of these cross-linked membranes in aggressive environments. In addition, this response reveals the potential for the preconditioning of cross-linked polymer membranes to enhance productivity without sacrificing efficiency in practical applications which, in effect, provides another tool to \\'tune\\' membrane properties for a given separation. Finally, the dual mode model accurately describes the sorption and dilation characteristics of the cross-linked polymers. The changes in the dual mode sorption model parameters before and after the scCO2 exposure also provide insights into the alterations in the different glassy samples due to the cross-linking and scCO2 exposure. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Evaluation of new 5 inch photomultiplier for use in threshold Cherenkov detectors with aerogel radiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojtsekhowski, B.; Zorn, C.; Flyckt, S.O.

2000-01-01

A cost effective alternative to UV-sensitive 5 inch PMTs often used with threshold Aerogel Cherenkov detectors has been developed and tested. The photomultiplier -XP4572-is a variation of the Photonis XP4512 glass window tube with improved electron collection efficiency. Fast timing and high gain were only moderately compromised. The effective quantum efficiency has been measured as twice that of a Burle 8854 Quantacon when exposed to a Cherenkov spectrum generated by Ru-106 electrons (les;3.54 MeV) through 1 cm of high index, high transparency Matsushita Electric aerogel (n=1.05). This new phototube is being installed in an aerogel-based Cherenkov detector for Hall A at Jefferson Lab

Performance of aerogel as Cherenkov radiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Calvi, M.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Negri, P.; Braem, A.; Chesi, E.; Hansen, C.; Liko, D.; Joram, C.; Neufeld, N.; Seguinot, J.; Weilhammer, P.; Buzykaev, A.R.; Kravchenko, E.A.; Onuchin, A.P.; Danilyuk, A.F.; Easo, S.; Wotton, S.; Jolly, S.

2004-01-01

Aerogel with index of refraction around 1.03 has been studied as Cherenkov radiator in a test at CERN PS using a π - and a mixed π + /p beam of momenta between 6 and 10 GeV/c. The Cherenkov photons were detected by means of four large HPD tubes designed and constructed at CERN. Results on the photoelectron yield, the Cherenkov angle and its resolution, and the π/p separation are obtained. The performances measured demonstrate that a RICH with aerogel is a viable detector for experiments with high multiplicity of particles in the final state

CLMSVault: A Software Suite for Protein Cross-Linking Mass-Spectrometry Data Analysis and Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Courcelles, Mathieu; Coulombe-Huntington, Jasmin; Cossette, Émilie; Gingras, Anne-Claude; Thibault, Pierre; Tyers, Mike

2017-07-07

Protein cross-linking mass spectrometry (CL-MS) enables the sensitive detection of protein interactions and the inference of protein complex topology. The detection of chemical cross-links between protein residues can identify intra- and interprotein contact sites or provide physical constraints for molecular modeling of protein structure. Recent innovations in cross-linker design, sample preparation, mass spectrometry, and software tools have significantly improved CL-MS approaches. Although a number of algorithms now exist for the identification of cross-linked peptides from mass spectral data, a dearth of user-friendly analysis tools represent a practical bottleneck to the broad adoption of the approach. To facilitate the analysis of CL-MS data, we developed CLMSVault, a software suite designed to leverage existing CL-MS algorithms and provide intuitive and flexible tools for cross-platform data interpretation. CLMSVault stores and combines complementary information obtained from different cross-linkers and search algorithms. CLMSVault provides filtering, comparison, and visualization tools to support CL-MS analyses and includes a workflow for label-free quantification of cross-linked peptides. An embedded 3D viewer enables the visualization of quantitative data and the mapping of cross-linked sites onto PDB structural models. We demonstrate the application of CLMSVault for the analysis of a noncovalent Cdc34-ubiquitin protein complex cross-linked under different conditions. CLMSVault is open-source software (available at https://gitlab.com/courcelm/clmsvault.git ), and a live demo is available at http://democlmsvault.tyerslab.com/ .

UV cross-linking of polypeptides associated with 3'-terminal exons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stolow, D.T.; Berget, S.M.

1990-01-01

Association of nuclear proteins with chimeric vertebrate precursor RNAs containing both polyadenylation signals and an intron was examined by UV cross-linking. One major difference in cross-linking pattern was observed between this chimeric precursor RNA and precursors containing only polyadenylation or splicing signals. The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) polypeptide C cross-linked strongly to sequences downstream of the A addition site in polyadenylation precursor RNA containing only the polyadenylation signal from the simian virus 40 (SV40) late transcription unit. In contrast, the hnRNP C polypeptide cross-linked to chimeric RNA containing the same SV40 late poly(A) cassette very poorly, at a level less than 5% of that observed with the precursor RNA containing just the poly(A) site. Observation that cross-linking of the hnRNP C polypeptide to elements within the SV40 late poly(A) site was altered by the presence of an upstream intron suggests differences in the way nuclear factors associate with poly(A) sites in the presence and absence of an upstream intron. Cross-linking of C polypeptide to chimeric RNA increased with RNAs mutated for splicing or polyadenylation consensus sequences and under reaction conditions (high magnesium) that inhibited polyadenylation. Furthermore, cross-linking of hnRNP C polypeptide to precursors containing just the SV40 late poly(A) site was eliminated in the presence of competing poly(U); polyadenylation, however, was unaffected. Correlation of loss of activity with high levels of hnRNP C polypeptide cross-linking raises questions about the specificity of the interaction between the hnRNP C polypeptide and polyadenylation precursor RNAs in vitro

Tailoring the properties of cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix using carbodiimide cross-linking.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Burugapalli, Krishna

2009-01-01

Modulation of properties of extracellular matrix (ECM) based scaffolds is key for their application in the clinical setting. In the present study, cross-linking was used as a tool for tailoring the properties of cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix (CEM). CEM was cross-linked with varying cross-linking concentrations of N,N-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)-N\\'-ethyl carbodiimide (EDC) in the presence of N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). Shrink temperature measurements and ATR-FT-IR spectra were used to determine the degree of cross-linking. The effect of cross-linking on degradation was tested using the collagenase assay. Uniaxial tensile properties and the ability to support fibroblasts were also evaluated as a function of cross-linking. Shrink temperature increased from 59 degrees C for non-cross-linked CEM to 78 degrees C for the highest EDC cross-linking concentration, while IR peak area ratios for the free -NH(2) group at 3290 cm(-1) to that of the amide I band at 1635 cm(-1) decreased with increasing EDC cross-linking concentration. Collagenase assay demonstrated that degradation rates for CEM can be tailored. EDC concentrations 0 to 0.0033 mmol\\/mg CEM were the cross-linking concentration range in which CEM showed varied susceptibility to collagenase degradation. Furthermore, cross-linking concentrations up to 0.1 mmol EDC\\/mg CEM did not have statistically significant effect on the uniaxial tensile strength, as well as morphology, viability and proliferation of fibroblasts on CEM. In conclusion, the degradation rates of CEM can be tailored using EDC-cross-linking, while maintaining the mechanical properties and the ability of CEM to support cells.

Mussel-Inspired Self-Healing Double-Cross-Linked Hydrogels by Controlled Combination of Metal Coordination and Covalent Cross-Linking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Amanda; Krogsgaard, Marie; Birkedal, Henrik

2018-01-01

a catechol-based hydrogel design that allows for the degree of oxidative covalent cross-linking to be controlled. Double cross-linked hydrogels with tunable stiffness are constructed by adding the oxidizable catechol analogue, tannic acid, to an oxidation-resistant hydrogel construct held together...... by coordination of the dihydroxy functionality of 1-(2'-carboxyethyl)-2-methyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone to trivalent metal ions. By varying the amount of tannic acid, the hydrogel stiffness can be customized to a given application while retaining the self-healing capabilities of the hydrogel's coordination chemical...

The spectra character of photodegraded the pyridinoline cross-links by Hypocrellin B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jucheng; Chen Rui; Liu Wei; Chen Zhuo; Shu Lidan; Liu Yingji

2011-01-01

Pyridinoline cross-links is one of the cross-link formation in collagen which in cell matrix, many research shown that this cross-link cause the fibrosis. Hypocrellin B (HB) is one of the nature photosensitizers, this work investigated the pyridinoline cross-link in collagen was photodegraded by HB. The result shown HB can degrade the pyridinoline cross-link with photo. This is to say, HB may be use as the photodynamic reagent to study the fibrosis.

A multi-wavelength, high-contrast contact radiography system for the study of low-density aerogel foams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Opachich, Y. P., E-mail: opachiyp@nv.doe.gov; Koch, J. A.; Haugh, M. J.; Romano, E.; Lee, J. J.; Huffman, E.; Weber, F. A. [National Security Technologies, LLC, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Bowers, J. W. [National Security Technologies, LLC, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Benedetti, L. R.; Wilson, M.; Prisbrey, S. T.; Wehrenberg, C. E.; Baumann, T. F.; Lenhardt, J. M.; Cook, A.; Arsenlis, A.; Park, H.-S.; Remington, B. A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)

2016-07-15

A multi-wavelength, high contrast contact radiography system has been developed to characterize density variations in ultra-low density aerogel foams. These foams are used to generate a ramped pressure drive in materials strength experiments at the National Ignition Facility and require precision characterization in order to reduce errors in measurements. The system was used to characterize density variations in carbon and silicon based aerogels to ∼10.3% accuracy with ∼30 μm spatial resolution. The system description, performance, and measurement results collected using a 17.8 mg/cc carbon based JX–6 (C{sub 20}H{sub 30}) aerogel are discussed in this manuscript.

A Special Material or a New State of Matter: A Review and Reconsideration of the Aerogel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Shen

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The ultrahighly nanoporous aerogel is recognized as a state of matter rather than as a functional material, because of its qualitative differences in bulk properties, transitional density and enthalpy between liquid and gas, and diverse chemical compositions. In this review, the characteristics, classification, history and preparation of the aerogel were introduced. More attention was paid to the sol-gel method for preparing different kinds of aerogels, given its important role on bridging the synthetic parameters with the properties. At last, preparation of a novel single-component aerogel, design of a composite aerogel and industrial application of the aerogel were regarded as the research tendency of the aerogel state in the near future.

Interactions of cross-linked and uncross-linked chitosan hydrogels ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The swelling equilibrium of Chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP) cross-linked chitosan hydrogels in aqueous solutions of surfactants differing in structure and hydrophobicity at 250C is reported. Anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) ...

Interstrand cross-links arising from strand breaks at true abasic sites in duplex DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhiyu; Price, Nathan E.; Johnson, Kevin M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Interstrand cross-links are exceptionally bioactive DNA lesions. Endogenous generation of interstrand cross-links in genomic DNA may contribute to aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Abasic (Ap) sites are common lesions in genomic DNA that readily undergo spontaneous and amine-catalyzed strand cleavage reactions that generate a 2,3-didehydro-2,3-dideoxyribose sugar remnant (3’ddR5p) at the 3’-terminus of the strand break. Interestingly, this strand scission process leaves an electrophilic α,β-unsaturated aldehyde residue embedded within the resulting nicked duplex. Here we present evidence that 3’ddR5p derivatives generated by spermine-catalyzed strand cleavage at Ap sites in duplex DNA can react with adenine residues on the opposing strand to generate a complex lesion consisting of an interstrand cross-link adjacent to a strand break. The cross-link blocks DNA replication by ϕ29 DNA polymerase, a highly processive polymerase enzyme that couples synthesis with strand displacement. This suggests that 3’ddR5p-derived cross-links have the potential to block critical cellular DNA transactions that require strand separation. LC-MS/MS methods developed herein provide powerful tools for studying the occurrence and properties of these cross-links in biochemical and biological systems. PMID:28531327

Formaldehyde cross-linking and structural proteomics: Bridging the gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasa, Savita; Ding, Xuan; Kast, Juergen

2015-11-01

Proteins are dynamic entities constantly moving and altering their structures based on their functions and interactions inside and outside the cell. Formaldehyde cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry can accurately capture interactions of these rapidly changing biomolecules while maintaining their physiological surroundings. Even with its numerous established uses in biology and compatibility with mass spectrometry, formaldehyde has not yet been applied in structural proteomics. However, formaldehyde cross-linking is moving toward analyzing tertiary structure, which conventional cross-linkers have already accomplished. The purpose of this review is to describe the potential of formaldehyde cross-linking in structural proteomics by highlighting its applications, characteristics and current status in the field. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sprayable Aerogel Bead Compositions With High Shear Flow Resistance and High Thermal Insulation Value

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, Danny; Trifu, Roxana; Caggiano, Gregory

2013-01-01

A sprayable aerogel insulation has been developed that has good mechanical integrity and lower thermal conductivity than incumbent polyurethane spray-on foam insulation, at similar or lower areal densities, to prevent insulation cracking and debonding in an effort to eliminate the generation of inflight debris. This new, lightweight aerogel under bead form can be used as insulation in various thermal management systems that require low mass and volume, such as cryogenic storage tanks, pipelines, space platforms, and launch vehicles.

Small Strain Topological Effects of Biopolymer Networks with Rigid Cross-Links

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zagar, G.; Onck, P. R.; Van der Giessen, E.; Garikipati, K; Arruda, EM

2010-01-01

Networks of cross-linked filamentous biopolymers form topological structures characterized by L, T and X cross-link types of connectivity 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The distribution of cross-links over these three types proofs to be very important for the initial elastic shear stiffness of isotropic

Application of polymers cross-linked by electron beam irradiation to electric wire industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, Eisuke

1976-01-01

Applications of the polymers cross-linked by electron beam irradiation to electric wire industry as an example of dully developed utilization are reviewed. The report is divided into five parts, namely 1) radiation sources and irradiation processes, 2) development of crosslinking materials, 3) accumulation of electric charge and accumulation of heat, 4) examples of application, and 5) future prospect. Such a phenomenon as discharge destruction pattern (Lichtenberg figure) must be solved, when cable insulation materials are cross-linked by electron beam irradiation. The measures for preventing the discharge destruction are required, especially when the layers of polyethylene insulation for high voltage cables are irradiated. The accumulation of heat causes the troubles in foaming, degeneration and wire running of high potential cables, when the layers of insulation are thick. Effective promoters for cross-linking must be studied to reduce the radiation dose. The irradiators capable of irradiating wires uniformly are desirable. Electron beam accelerators will be used, as far as the radiation dose of 10 or more Mrad is required for cross-linking irradiation. If the dose of one tenth or less of the above value is required, gamma-ray sources (RI) are rather easily applicable than focused strong beam. The utilization of spent nuclear fuel is desirable. (Iwakiri, K.)

Cross-linked polymeric membranes for carbon dioxide separation

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Tao; Chatterjee, Sabornie; Mahurin, Shannon Mark; Long, Brian Keith; Jiang, De-en; Mays, Jimmy Wayne; Sokolov, Alexei P.; Saito, Tomonori

2018-01-23

A membrane useful in gas separation, the membrane comprising a cross-linked polysiloxane structure having a cross-link density of about 0.1.times.10.sup.-5 mol/cm.sup.3 to about 6.times.10.sup.-5 mol/cm.sup.3, where, in particular embodiments, the cross-linked polysiloxane structure has the following general structure: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently selected from hydrocarbon groups having at least 1 and up to 6 carbon atoms; A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are independently selected from cyclic hydrocarbon groups; L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 are linking groups or covalent bonds; n is an integer of at least 1; r and s are independently selected from integers of at least 1; and p is an integer of at least 10. The invention also includes methods for making and using the above-described membranes for gas separation.

A General Method for Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan D Chavez

Full Text Available Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NMR and cryo-electron microscopy[1]. The extension of traditional quantitative proteomics methods with chemical cross-linking can provide information on the structural dynamics of protein structures and protein complexes. The identification and quantitation of cross-linked peptides remains challenging for the general community, requiring specialized expertise ultimately limiting more widespread adoption of the technique. We describe a general method for targeted quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked peptide pairs. We report the adaptation of the widely used, open source software package Skyline, for the analysis of quantitative XL-MS data as a means for data analysis and sharing of methods. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the method with a cross-laboratory study and present data that is supported by and validates previously published data on quantified cross-linked peptide pairs. This advance provides an easy to use resource so that any lab with access to a LC-MS system capable of performing targeted quantitative analysis can quickly and accurately measure dynamic changes in protein structure and protein interactions.

Superinsulating Polyisocyanate Based Aerogels: A Targeted Search for the Optimum Solvent System.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhiyuan; Snellings, Geert M B F; Koebel, Matthias M; Malfait, Wim J

2017-05-31

Polyisocyanate based aerogels combine ultralow thermal conductivities with better mechanical properties than silica aerogel, but these properties critically depend on the nature of the gelation solvent, perhaps more so than on any other parameter. Here, we present a systematic study of the relationship between the polyurethane-polyisocyanurate (PUR-PIR) aerogel microstructure, surface area, thermal conductivity, and density and the gelation solvent's Hansen solubility parameters for an industrially relevant PUR-PIR rigid foam formulation. We first investigated aerogels prepared in acetone-dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) blends and observed a minimum in thermal conductivity (λ) and maximum in specific surface area for an acetone:DMSO ratio of 85:15 v/v. We then prepared PUR-PIR aerogels in 32 different solvent blends, divided into three series with δ Dispersion , δ Polarity , and δ H-bonding fixed at 15.94, 11.30, and 7.48 MPa 1/2 , respectively, corresponding to the optimum parameters for the acetone:DMSO series. The aerogel properties display distinct dependencies on the various solubility parameters: aerogels with low thermal conductivity can be synthesized in solvents with a high δ H-bonding parameter (above 7.2) and δ Dispersion around 16.3 MPa 1/2 . In contrast, the δ Polarity parameter is of lesser importance. Our study highlights the importance of the gelation solvent, clarifies the influence of the different solvent properties, and provides a methodology for a targeted search across the solvent chemical space based on the Hansen solubility parameters.

Collagen cross linking: Current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srinivas K Rao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Keratoconus is a common ectatic disorder occurring in more than 1 in 1,000 individuals. The condition typically starts in adolescence and early adulthood. It is a disease with an uncertain cause and its progression is unpredictable, but in extreme cases, vision deteriorates and can require corneal transplant surgery. Corneal collagen cross-linking (CCL with riboflavin (C3R is a recent treatment option that can enhance the rigidity of the cornea and prevent disease progression. Since its inception, the procedure has evolved with newer instrumentation, surgical techniques, and is also now performed for expanded indications other than keratoconus. With increasing experience, newer guidelines regarding optimization of patient selection, the spectrum of complications and their management, and combination procedures are being described. This article in conjunction with the others in this issue, will try and explore the uses of collagen cross-linking (CXL in its current form.

Highly Insulating and Light Transmitting Aerogel Glazing for Super Insulating Windows (HILIT+)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karsten Ingerslev; Kristiansen, Finn Harken; Schultz, Jørgen Munthe

2005-01-01

to 1000 m²/g), the material is proposed to serve as substrate for catalytic materials. • The special pore structure of aerogel could be used for gas filters in the 20 to 100 nm region. • The sound velocity within aerogel is in the range of 100 to 300 m/s, which should be one of the lowest for an inorganic......-free nano-structured aerogel materials through a reasonably fast and reproducible process. The applicative part of this project aimed at elaborating, studying and optimising “state-of-the-art” (0.5 W/m2 K) aerogel glazings for windows. An important issue was the risk of outside condensation and rime and its....... No other known glazing exhibits such an excellent combination of solar transmittance and heat loss coefficient. The annual energy savings compared to triple low energy glazing is in the range of 10 – 20% depending on type of building. Beside the application in glazing production the HILIT+ aerogel material...

Aerogel Cherenkov detector for characterizing the intense flash x-ray source, Cygnus, spectrum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y., E-mail: yhkim@lanl.gov; Herrmann, H. W.; McEvoy, A. M.; Young, C. S.; Hamilton, C. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Schwellenbach, D. D.; Malone, R. M.; Kaufman, M. I.; Smith, A. S. [National Security Technologies, LLC, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544 (United States)

2016-11-15

An aerogel Cherenkov detector is proposed to measure the X-ray energy spectrum from the Cygnus—intense flash X-ray source operated at the Nevada National Security Site. An array of aerogels set at a variety of thresholds between 1 and 3 MeV will be adequate to map out the bremsstrahlung X-ray production of the Cygnus, where the maximum energy of the spectrum is normally around 2.5 MeV. In addition to the Cherenkov radiation from aerogels, one possible competing light-production mechanism is optical transition radiation (OTR), which may be significant in aerogels due to the large number of transitions from SiO{sub 2} clusters to vacuum voids. To examine whether OTR is a problem, four aerogel samples were tested using a mono-energetic electron beam (varied in the range of 1–3 MeV) at NSTec Los Alamos Operations. It was demonstrated that aerogels can be used as a Cherenkov medium, where the rate of the light production is about two orders magnitude higher when the electron beam energy is above threshold.

Capillary Condensation of Liquid 4He in Aerogel on Cooling Through λ Point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyashita, W.; Yoneyama, K.; Kato, H.; Nomura, R.; Okuda, Y.

2006-01-01

Capillary condensation of liquid 4He in silica aerogel with a 90% porosity was investigated visually. The initial condition of the experiment was such that liquid 4He was present in the sample cell but not in the aerogel. This situation was realized by introducing the liquid into the cell at a fast rate to avoid liquefaction in the aerogel. The free surface of the liquid rose up in the cell with filling and eventually reached the bottom of the aerogel. Then, the aerogel absorbed the liquid by capillary condensation. The height of the liquid in the aerogel rose with time t roughly as t1/2 in the normal fluid phase. This behavior was consistent with the Washburn model. When the system was cooled through the λ point during the condensation, the liquid height started to rise faster in the superfluid phase with a constant velocity of about 0.3 mm/sec. The dynamics of capillary condensation was strongly dependent on whether the liquid 4He was in the normal or the superfluid phase

Damage and fatigue in cross-linked rubbers

Science.gov (United States)

Melnikov, Alexei

Damage and fatigue of elastomers have not been fundamentally understood because of the complex nature of these materials. All currently existing models are completely phenomenological. Therefore two problems have been investigated in this research to address those fundamental issues. The first problem was creating an innovative concept with a mathematical modeling, which would be able to describe the damage using molecular characteristics of elastomers. The second problem is developing new approaches to study fatigue, and especially impact fatigue of elastomers. The following results have been obtained in this research. A theoretical model of damage has been developed which involves the basic molecular characteristics of cross-linked elastomers and takes into account the effects of viscoelasticity and stress-induced crystallization. This model was found very reliable and successful in description of numerous quasi-static simple extension experiments for monotonous and repeating loadings. It also roughly predicts in molecular terms the failure of elastomers with various degrees of cross-linking. Quasi-impact fatigue tests with different geometry of an indenter have also been performed. Some microscopic features of rubber damage have been investigated using optical microscopy and SEM. In particular, the accumulation of a completely de-vulcanized, liquid-like substance was observed under intense, multi-cycle impacts. All the findings discovered in quasi-impact experiments are consistent with the damage model predictions.

Molecular Model for HNBR with Tunable Cross-Link Density.

Science.gov (United States)

Molinari, N; Khawaja, M; Sutton, A P; Mostofi, A A

2016-12-15

We introduce a chemically inspired, all-atom model of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) and assess its performance by computing the mass density and glass-transition temperature as a function of cross-link density in the structure. Our HNBR structures are created by a procedure that mimics the real process used to produce HNBR, that is, saturation of the carbon-carbon double bonds in NBR, either by hydrogenation or by cross-linking. The atomic interactions are described by the all-atom "Optimized Potentials for Liquid Simulations" (OPLS-AA). In this paper, first, we assess the use of OPLS-AA in our models, especially using NBR bulk properties, and second, we evaluate the validity of the proposed model for HNBR by investigating mass density and glass transition as a function of the tunable cross-link density. Experimental densities are reproduced within 3% for both elastomers, and qualitatively correct trends in the glass-transition temperature as a function of monomer composition and cross-link density are obtained.

Cellulose aerogels functionalized with polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles: In-situ synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Caichao; Li, Jian

2016-08-01

Green porous and lightweight cellulose aerogels have been considered as promising candidates to substitute some petrochemical host materials to support various nanomaterials. In this work, waste wheat straw was collected as feedstock to fabricate cellulose hydrogels, and a green inexpensive NaOH/polyethylene glycol solution was used as cellulose solvent. Prior to freeze-drying treatment, the cellulose hydrogels were integrated with polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles by easily-operated in-situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole using silver ions as oxidizing agent. The tri-component hybrid aerogels were characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, selected area electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the hybrid aerogels against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Listeria monocytogenes (intracellular bacteria) was qualitatively and quantitatively investigated by parallel streak method and determination of minimal inhibitory concentration, respectively. This work provides an example of combining cellulose aerogels with nanomaterials, and helps to develop novel forms of cellulose-based functional materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interstrand cross-links arising from strand breaks at true abasic sites in duplex DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhiyu; Price, Nathan E; Johnson, Kevin M; Wang, Yinsheng; Gates, Kent S

2017-06-20

Interstrand cross-links are exceptionally bioactive DNA lesions. Endogenous generation of interstrand cross-links in genomic DNA may contribute to aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Abasic (Ap) sites are common lesions in genomic DNA that readily undergo spontaneous and amine-catalyzed strand cleavage reactions that generate a 2,3-didehydro-2,3-dideoxyribose sugar remnant (3'ddR5p) at the 3'-terminus of the strand break. Interestingly, this strand scission process leaves an electrophilic α,β-unsaturated aldehyde residue embedded within the resulting nicked duplex. Here we present evidence that 3'ddR5p derivatives generated by spermine-catalyzed strand cleavage at Ap sites in duplex DNA can react with adenine residues on the opposing strand to generate a complex lesion consisting of an interstrand cross-link adjacent to a strand break. The cross-link blocks DNA replication by ϕ29 DNA polymerase, a highly processive polymerase enzyme that couples synthesis with strand displacement. This suggests that 3'ddR5p-derived cross-links have the potential to block critical cellular DNA transactions that require strand separation. LC-MS/MS methods developed herein provide powerful tools for studying the occurrence and properties of these cross-links in biochemical and biological systems. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Studies on Cross-linking of succinic acid with chitosan/collagen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tapas Mitra

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The present study summarizes the cross-linking property of succinic acid with chitosan /collagen. In detail, the chemistry behind the cross-linking and the improvement in mechanical and thermal properties of the cross-linked material were discussed with suitable instruments and bioinformatics tools. The concentration of succinic acid with reference to the chosen polymers was optimized. A 3D scaffold prepared using an optimized concentration of succinic acid (0.2% (w/v with chitosan (1.0% (w/v and similarly with collagen (0.5% (w/v, was subjected to surface morphology, FT-IR analysis, tensile strength assessment, thermal stability and biocompatibility. Results revealed, cross-linking with succinic acid impart appreciable mechanical strength to the scaffold material. In silico analysis suggested the prevalence of non-covalent interactions, which played a crucial role in improving the mechanical and thermal properties of the cross-linked scaffold. The resultant 3D scaffold may find application as wound dressing material, as an implant in clinical applications and as a tissue engineering material.

Assessment of Methods to Consolidate Iodine-Loaded Silver-Functionalized Silica Aerogel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matyas, Josef; Engler, Robert K.

2013-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently investigating alternative sorbents for the removal and immobilization of radioiodine from the gas streams in a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. One of these new sorbents, Ag0-functionalized silica aerogels, shows great promise as a potential replacement for Ag-bearing mordenites because of its high selectivity and sorption capacity for iodine. Moreover, a feasible consolidation of iodine-loaded Ag0-functionalized silica aerogels to a durable SiO2-based waste form makes this aerogel an attractive choice for sequestering radioiodine. This report provides a preliminary assessment of the methods that can be used to consolidate iodine-loaded Ag0-functionalized silica aerogels into a final waste form. In particular, it focuses on experimental investigation of densification of as prepared Ag0-functionalized silica aerogels powders, with or without organic moiety and with or without sintering additive (colloidal silica), with three commercially available techniques: 1) hot uniaxial pressing (HUP), 2) hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and 3) spark plasma sintering (SPS). The densified products were evaluated with helium gas pycnometer for apparent density, with the Archimedes method for apparent density and open porosity, and with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) for the extent of densification and distribution of individual elements. The preliminary investigation of HUP, HIP, and SPS showed that these sintering methods can effectively consolidate powders of Ag0-functionalized silica aerogel into products of near-theoretical density. Also, removal of organic moiety and adding 5.6 mass% of colloidal silica to Ag0-functionalized silica aerogel powders before processing provided denser products. Furthermore, the ram travel data for SPS indicated that rapid consolidation of powders can be performed at temperatures below 950°C.

X-ray-mediated cross linking of protein and DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minsky, B.D.; Braun, A.

1977-01-01

Using a simple filter assay for the binding of BSA or lysozyme to DNA, two mechanisms of x-ray-mediated cross linking are shown to occur. One, a fast reaction, appears to involve a radical intermediate, is inhibited by high pH and salt, and seems to be enhanced by deoxygenation. The second mechanism, a slow time-dependent component, differs from the fast reaction in its stimulation by histidine, its inhibition by catalase, and the lack of an oxygen effect. Separate irradiation of DNA or water does not lead to cross linking. However, separate irradiation of protein leads to cross linking which proceeds with slow-component kinetics

In vitro cross-linking of elastin peptides and molecular characterization of the resultant biomaterials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinz, Andrea; Ruttkies, Christoph K H; Jahreis, Günther

2013-01-01

-link desmosine or isodesmosine was unexpected, however, could be confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulations. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that it is possible to produce biopolymers containing polyfunctional cross-links characteristic of mature elastin from small elastin......BACKGROUND: Elastin is a vital protein and the major component of elastic fibers which provides resilience to many vertebrate tissues. Elastin's structure and function are influenced by extensive cross-linking, however, the cross-linking pattern is still unknown. METHODS: Small peptides containing...... and the insoluble polymers, after digestion with pancreatic elastase or trypsin, were furthermore comprehensively characterized on the molecular level using MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. RESULTS: MS(2) data was used to develop the software PolyLinX, which is able to sequence not only linear and bifunctionally...

Low-temperature specific-heat and thermal-conductivity of silica aerogels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernasconi, A.; Sleator, T.; Posselt, D.

1992-01-01

Specific heat, C(p), and thermal conductivity, lambda, have been measured on a series of base-catalyzed silica aerogels at temperatures between 0.05 and 20 K. Results for both C(p)(T) and lambda(T) confirm that the different length-scale regions observed in the aerogel structure are reflected...

Synthesis of well-dispersed magnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles in cellulose aerogels via a facile oxidative co-precipitation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Caichao; Li, Jian

2015-12-10

With the increasing emphasis on green chemistry, it is becoming more important to develop environmentally friendly matrix materials for the synthesis of nanocomposites. Cellulose aerogels with hierarchical micro/nano-scale three-dimensional network beneficial to control and guide the growth of nanoparticles, are suitable as a class of ideal green nanoparticles hosts to fabricate multifunctional nanocomposites. Herein, a facile oxidative co-precipitation method was carried out to disperse CoFe2O4 nanoparticles in the cellulose aerogels matrixes, and the cellulose aerogels were prepared from the native wheat straw based on a green NaOH/polyethylene glycol solution. The mean diameter of the well-dispersed CoFe2O4 nanoparticles in the hybrid aerogels is 98.5 nm. Besides, the hybrid aerogels exhibit strong magnetic responsiveness, which could be flexibly actuated by a small magnet. And this feature also makes this class of magnetic aerogels possibly useful as recyclable adsorbents and some magnetic devices. Meanwhile, the mild green preparation method could also be extended to fabricate other miscellaneous cellulose-based nanocomposites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wet-Spun Superelastic Graphene Aerogel Millispheres with Group Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiaoli; Yao, Weiquan; Gao, Weiwei; Chen, Hao; Gao, Chao

2017-09-01

Graphene aerogel has attracted great attention due to its unique properties, such as ultralow density, superelasticity, and high specific surface area. It shows huge potential in energy devices, high-performance pressure sensors, contaminates adsorbents, and electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. However, there still remain some challenges to further promote the development and real application of graphene aerogel including cost-effective scalable fabrication and miniaturization with group effect. This study shows millimeter-scale superelastic graphene aerogel spheres (GSs) with group effect and multifunctionality. The GSs are continuously fabricated on a large scale by wet spinning of graphene oxide liquid crystals followed by facile drying and thermal annealing. Such GS has an unusual core-shell structure with excellent elasticity and specific strength. Significantly, both horizontally and vertically grouped spheres exhibit superelasticity comparable to individual spheres, enabling it to fully recover at 95% strain, and even after 1000 compressive cycles at 70% strain, paving the way to wide applications such as pressure-elastic and adsorbing materials. The GS shows a press-fly behavior with an extremely high jump velocity up to 1.2 m s -1 . For the first time, both free and oil-adsorbed GSs are remotely manipulated on water by electrostatic charge due to their ultralow density and hydrophobic properties. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stabilized Sulfonated Aromatic Polymers by in situ Solvothermal Cross-Linking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Vona, Maria Luisa, E-mail: divona@uniroma2.it; Sgreccia, Emanuela [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome (Italy); Narducci, Riccardo; Pasquini, Luca [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome (Italy); MAtériaux Divisés, Interfaces, Réactivité, ELectrochimie (MADIREL – UMR 7246), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille (France); Hou, Hongying [Faculty of Material and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming (China); Knauth, Philippe [MAtériaux Divisés, Interfaces, Réactivité, ELectrochimie (MADIREL – UMR 7246), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille (France)

2014-10-10

The cross-link reaction via sulfone bridges of sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) by thermal treatment at 180°C in presence of dimethylsulfoxide is discussed. The modifications of properties subsequent to the cross-linking are presented. The mechanical strength as well as the hydrolytic stability increased with the thermal treatment time, i.e., with the degree of cross-linking. The proton conductivity was determined as function of temperature, IEC, degree of cross-linking, and hydration number. The memory effect, which is the membrane ability to “remember” the water uptake reached at high temperature also at lower temperature, is exploited in order to achieve high values of conductivity. Membranes swelled at 110°C can reach a conductivity of 0.14 S/cm at 80°C with a hydration number (λ) of 73.

Hydroxyl radical induced cross-linking of cytosine and tyrosine in nucleohistone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajewski, E.; Dizdaroglu, M.

1990-01-01

Hydroxyl radical induced formation of a DNA-protein cross-link involving cytosine and tyrosine in nucleohistone in buffered aqueous solution is reported. The technique of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for this investigation. A γ-irradiated aqueous mixture of cytosine and tyrosine was first investigated in order to obtain gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric properties of possible cytosine-tyrosine cross-links. One cross-link was observed, and its structure was identified as the product from the formation of a covalent bond between carbon 6 of cytosine and carbon 3 of tyrosine. With the use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring, this cytosine-tyrosine cross-link was identified in acidic hydrolysates of calf thymus nucleohistone γ-irradiated in N 2 O-saturated aqueous solution. The yield of this DNA-protein cross-link in nucleohistone was found to be a linear function of the radiation dose in the range of 100-500 Gy (J·kg -1 ). This yield amounted to 0.05 nmol·J -1 . Mechanisms underlying the formation of the cytosine-tyrosine cross-link in nucleohistone were proposed to involve radical-radical and/or radical addition reactions of hydroxyl adduct radicals of cytosine and tyrosine moieties, forming a covalent bond between carbon 6 of cytosine and carbon 3 of tyrosine. When oxygen was present in irradiated solutions, no cytosine-tyrosine cross-links were observed

Structural properties and adsorption capacity of holocellulose aerogels synthesized from an alkali hydroxide-urea solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Gu-Joong; Kim, Dae-Young; Hwang, Jae-Hyun; Kang, Joo-Hyon [Dongguk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

A tulip tree was used to synthesize a holocellulose aerogel from an aqueous alkali hydroxide-urea solution with the substitution of an organic solvent followed by freeze-drying. For comparison, the synthesized holocellulose aerogels were divided into two groups according to the source of the hydrogel, an upper suspended layer and a bottom concentrated layer of the centrifuged solution of cellulose and NaOH/urea solvents. We investigated the effects of the temperature of the pre-cooled NaOH/urea solution (i.e., dissolution temperature) on the pore structure and the adsorption capacity of the holocellulose aerogel. A nano-fibrillar network structure of the holocellulose aerogel was observed, with little morphological difference in pore structure for different dissolution temperatures. Both micropores and mesopores were observed in the holocellulose aerogel. The specific surface area of the holocellulose aerogel was generally greater at lower dissolution temperatures. In a series of adsorption tests using methylene blue, the holocellulose aerogel showed the greatest adsorption capacity at the lowest dissolution temperature tested ( -2 .deg. C). However, the dissolution temperature generally had little effect on the adsorption capacity. The holocellulose aerogel produced from the upper suspended layer of the centrifuged hydrogel solution showed a greater porosity and adsorption capacity than the one produced from the bottom concentrated layer. Overall, the aerogel made by utilizing a delignified tulip tree display a high surface area and a high adsorption property, indicating its possible application in eco-friendly adsorption materials.

Structural properties and adsorption capacity of holocellulose aerogels synthesized from an alkali hydroxide-urea solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Gu-Joong; Kim, Dae-Young; Hwang, Jae-Hyun; Kang, Joo-Hyon

2014-01-01

A tulip tree was used to synthesize a holocellulose aerogel from an aqueous alkali hydroxide-urea solution with the substitution of an organic solvent followed by freeze-drying. For comparison, the synthesized holocellulose aerogels were divided into two groups according to the source of the hydrogel, an upper suspended layer and a bottom concentrated layer of the centrifuged solution of cellulose and NaOH/urea solvents. We investigated the effects of the temperature of the pre-cooled NaOH/urea solution (i.e., dissolution temperature) on the pore structure and the adsorption capacity of the holocellulose aerogel. A nano-fibrillar network structure of the holocellulose aerogel was observed, with little morphological difference in pore structure for different dissolution temperatures. Both micropores and mesopores were observed in the holocellulose aerogel. The specific surface area of the holocellulose aerogel was generally greater at lower dissolution temperatures. In a series of adsorption tests using methylene blue, the holocellulose aerogel showed the greatest adsorption capacity at the lowest dissolution temperature tested ( -2 .deg. C). However, the dissolution temperature generally had little effect on the adsorption capacity. The holocellulose aerogel produced from the upper suspended layer of the centrifuged hydrogel solution showed a greater porosity and adsorption capacity than the one produced from the bottom concentrated layer. Overall, the aerogel made by utilizing a delignified tulip tree display a high surface area and a high adsorption property, indicating its possible application in eco-friendly adsorption materials.

Nanomechanics of layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte complexes: a manifestation of ionic cross-links and fixed charges.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Biao; Chery, Daphney R; Yin, Jie; Lu, X Lucas; Lee, Daeyeon; Han, Lin

2016-01-28

This study investigates the roles of two distinct features of ionically cross-linked polyelectrolyte networks - ionic cross-links and fixed charges - in determining their nanomechanical properties. The layer-by-layer assembled poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAH/PAA) network is used as the model material. The densities of ionic cross-links and fixed charges are modulated through solution pH and ionic strength (IS), and the swelling ratio, elastic and viscoelastic properties are quantified via an array of atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based nanomechanical tools. The roles of ionic cross-links are underscored by the distinctive elastic and viscoelastic nanomechanical characters observed here. First, as ionic cross-links are highly sensitive to solution conditions, the instantaneous modulus, E0, exhibits orders-of-magnitude changes upon pH- and IS-governed swelling, distinctive from the rubber elasticity prediction based on permanent covalent cross-links. Second, ionic cross-links can break and self-re-form, and this mechanism dominates force relaxation of PAH/PAA under a constant indentation depth. In most states, the degree of relaxation is >90%, independent of ionic cross-link density. The importance of fixed charges is highlighted by the unexpectedly more elastic nature of the network despite low ionic cross-link density at pH 2.0, IS 0.01 M. Here, the complex is a net charged, loosely cross-linked, where the degree of relaxation is attenuated to ≈50% due to increased elastic contribution arising from fixed charge-induced Donnan osmotic pressure. In addition, this study develops a new method for quantifying the thickness of highly swollen polymer hydrogel films. It also underscores important technical considerations when performing nanomechanical tests on highly rate-dependent polymer hydrogel networks. These results provide new insights into the nanomechanical characters of ionic polyelectrolyte complexes, and lay the ground for further

Thin Aerogel as a Spacer in Multilayer Insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Moroz, Nancy

2015-01-01

Cryogenic fluid management is a critical technical area that is needed for future space exploration. A key challenge is the storability of liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid methane (LCH4), and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants for long-duration missions. The storage tanks must be well-insulated to prevent over-pressurization and venting, which can lead to unacceptable propellant losses for long-duration missions to Mars and beyond. Aspen Aerogels had validated the key process step to enable the fabrication of thin, low-density aerogel materials. The multilayer aerogel insulation (MLAI) system prototypes were prepared using sheets of aerogel materials with superior thermal performance exceeding current state-of-the-art insulation for space applications. The exceptional properties of this system include a new breakthrough in high-vacuum cryogenic thermal insulation, providing a durable material with excellent thermal performance at a reduced cost when compared to longstanding state-of-the-art multilayer insulation systems. During the Phase II project, further refinement and qualification/system-level testing of the MLAI system will be performed for use in cryogenic storage applications. Aspen has been in discussions with United Launch Alliance, LLC; NASA's Kennedy Space Center; and Yetispace, Inc., to test the MLAI system on rea-lworld tanks such as Vibro-Acoustic Test Article (VATA) or the Cryogenic Orbital Testbed (CRYOTE).

Monolithic three-dimensional electrochemical energy storage system on aerogel or nanotube scaffold

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Joseph C; Stadermann, Michael

2013-11-12

A monolithic three-dimensional electrochemical energy storage system is provided on an aerogel or nanotube scaffold. An anode, separator, cathode, and cathodic current collector are deposited on the aerogel or nanotube scaffold.

Refractive index inhomogeneity within an aerogel block

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Calvi, M.; Da Silva Costa, C.F.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Perego, D.L.

2006-01-01

Evaluating local inhomogeneities of the refractive index inside aerogel blocks to be used as Cherenkov radiator is important for a high energy physics experiment where angular resolution is crucial. Two approaches are described and compared. The first one is based on the bending of a laser beam induced by refractive index gradients along directions normal to the unperturbed optical path. The second method exploits the Cherenkov effect itself by shooting an ultra-relativistic collimated electron beam through different points of the aerogel surface. Local refractive index variations result in sizable differences in the Cherenkov photons distribution

Stabilized sulfonated aromatic polymers by in situ solvothermal cross-linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Luisa eDi Vona

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The cross-link reaction via sulfone bridges of sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK by thermal treatment at 180 °C in presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO is discussed. The modifications of properties subsequent to the cross-linking are presented. The mechanical strength as well as the hydrolytic stability increased with the thermal treatment time, i.e., with the degree of cross-linking. The proton conductivity was determined as function of temperature, IEC, degree of cross-linking and hydration number. The memory effect, which is the membrane ability to remember the water uptake reached at high temperature also at lower temperature, is exploited in order to achieve high values of conductivity. Membranes swelled at 110 °C can reach a conductivity of 0.14 S/cm at 80°C with a hydration number ( of 73.

A synthesis method for cobalt doped carbon aerogels with high surface area and their hydrogen storage properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, H.Y.; Buckley, C.E. [Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U 1987, Perth 6845, WA (Australia); CSIRO National Hydrogen Materials Alliance, CSIRO Energy Centre, 10 Murray Dwyer Circuit, Steel River Estate, Mayfield West, NSW 2304 (Australia); Sheppard, D.A.; Paskevicius, M. [Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U 1987, Perth 6845, WA (Australia); Hanna, N. [CSIRO Process Science and Engineering, Waterford, WA (Australia)

2010-12-15

Carbon aerogels doped with nanoscaled Co particles were prepared by first coating activated carbon aerogels using a wet-thin layer coating process. The resulting metal-doped carbon aerogels had a higher surface area ({proportional_to}1667 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}) and larger micropore volume ({proportional_to}0.6 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1}) than metal-doped carbon aerogels synthesised using other methods suggesting their usefulness in catalytic applications. The hydrogen adsorption behaviour of cobalt doped carbon aerogel was evaluated, displaying a high {proportional_to}4.38 wt.% H{sub 2} uptake under 4.6 MPa at -196 C. The hydrogen uptake capacity with respect to unit surface area was greater than for pure carbon aerogel and resulted in {proportional_to}1.3 H{sub 2} (wt. %) per 500 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}. However, the total hydrogen uptake was slightly reduced as compared to pure carbon aerogel due to a small reduction in surface area associated with cobalt doping. The improved adsorption per unit surface area suggests that there is a stronger interaction between the hydrogen molecules and the cobalt doped carbon aerogel than for pure carbon aerogel. (author)

Electronic structure of titania aerogels: Soft x-ray absorption study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucheyev, S.O.; Van Buuren, T.V.; Baumann, T.F.; Satcher, J.H.; Willey, T.M.; Muelenberg, R.W.; Felter, T.E.; Poco, J.E.; Gammon, S.A.; Terminello, L.J.

2004-01-01

Full text: Titania aerogels - a somewhat extreme form of nanoporous TiO 2 - are open-cell solid foams derived from highly crosslinked gels by drying them under supercritical conditions. In this presentation, the unoccupied electronic states of TiO 2 aerogels are studied by soft x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. High-resolution O K-edge and Ti L 2,3 -edge XANES spectra of aerogels are compared with those of rutile, anatase, and unrelaxed amorphous phases of full- density TiO 2 . Results show that all the main spectroscopic features of aerogels, reflecting the element-specific partial density of empty electronic states and correlation effects, can be attributed to the absence of long-range order in stoichiometric amorphous TiO 2 . Based on these results, we discuss the effects of short- and long-range order on the electronic structure of TiO 2 . This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W-7405-Eng-48

An analog method of cross-talk compensation for a RGB wavelength division multiplexed optical link

Science.gov (United States)

Chisholm, George; Leveneur, Jérôme; Futter, John; Kennedy, John

2018-06-01

Pulse-width modulation (PWM) over optical fiber can be a very advantageous data transmission approach when an electrically isolated data link is required. The use of wavelength division multiplexing allows multiple data streams to be sent through a single fiber independently. The present investigation aims to demonstrate a novel approach to reduce cross-talk in a three-channel RGB optical link without the need for complex optical componentry. An op-amp circuit is developed to reduce the cross-talk so that the resolution of the PWM data is preserved. An iterative Monte-Carlo simulation approach is used to optimize the op-amp circuit. The approach is developed for a set of three PWM Hall effect magnetometers with 12-bit resolution and 128 Hz sampling rate. We show that, in these conditions, the loss of resolution due to cross-talk is prevented. We also show that the cross-talk compensation allows the RGB PWM link to outperform other transmission schemes.

Characterization of solid UV cross-linked PEGDA for biological applications

KAUST Repository

Castro, David

2013-10-20

This paper reports on solid UV cross-linked Poly(ethylene)-glycol-diacrylate (PEGDA) as a material for microfluidic devices for biological applications. We have evaluated biocompatibility of PEGDA through two separate means: 1) by examining cell viability and attachment on cross-linked PEGDA surfaces for cell culture applications, and 2) by determining if cross-linked PEGDA inhibits the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) processes for on-chip PCR. Through these studies a correlation has been found between degree of curing and cell viability, attachment, as well as on PCR outcome.

Multi-scale cellulose based new bio-aerogel composites with thermal super-insulating and tunable mechanical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Seantier, Bastien; Bendahou, Dounia; Bendahou, Abdelkader; Grohens, Yves; Kaddami, Hamid

2016-03-15

Bio-composite aerogels based on bleached cellulose fibers (BCF) and cellulose nanoparticles having various morphological and physico-chemical characteristics are prepared by a freeze-drying technique and characterized. The various composite aerogels obtained were compared to a BCF aerogel used as the reference. Severe changes in the material morphology were observed by SEM and AFM due to a variation of the cellulose nanoparticle properties such as the aspect ratio, the crystalline index and the surface charge density. BCF fibers form a 3D network and they are surrounded by the cellulose nanoparticle thin films inducing a significant reduction of the size of the pores in comparison with a neat BCF based aerogel. BET analyses confirm the appearance of a new organization structure with pores of nanometric sizes. As a consequence, a decrease of the thermal conductivities is observed from 28mWm(-1)K(-1) (BCF aerogel) to 23mWm(-1)K(-1) (bio-composite aerogel), which is below the air conductivity (25mWm(-1)K(-1)). This improvement of the insulation properties for composite materials is more pronounced for aerogels based on cellulose nanoparticles having a low crystalline index and high surface charge (NFC-2h). The significant improvement of their insulation properties allows the bio-composite aerogels to enter the super-insulating materials family. The characteristics of cellulose nanoparticles also influence the mechanical properties of the bio-composite aerogels. A significant improvement of the mechanical properties under compression is obtained by self-organization, yielding a multi-scale architecture of the cellulose nanoparticles in the bio-composite aerogels. In this case, the mechanical property is more dependent on the morphology of the composite aerogel rather than the intrinsic characteristics of the cellulose nanoparticles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary study of silica aerogel as a gas-equivalent material in ionization chambers

Science.gov (United States)

Caresana, M.; Zorloni, G.

2017-12-01

Since about two decades, a renewed interest on aerogels has risen. These peculiar materials show fairly unique properties. Thus, they are under investigation for both scientific and commercial purposes and new optimized production processes are studied. In this work, the possibility of using aerogel in the field of radiation detection is explored. The idea is to substitute the gas filling in a ionization chamber with the aerogel. The material possesses a density about 100 times greater than ambient pressure air. Where as the open-pore structure should allow the charge carriers to move freely. Small hydrophobic silica aerogel samples were studied. A custom ionization chamber, capable of working both with aerogel or in the classic gas set up, was built. The response of the chamber in current mode was investigated using an X-ray tube. The results obtained showed, under proper conditions, an enhancement of about 60 times of the current signal in the aerogel configuration with respect to the classic gas one. Moreover, some unusual behaviours were observed, i.e. time inertia of the signal and super-/sub-linear current response with respect to the dose rate. While testing high electric fields, aerogel configuration seemed to enhance the Townsend's effects. In order to represent the observed trends, a trapping-detrapping model is proposed, which is capable to predict semi-empirically the steady state currents measured. The time evolution of the signal is semi-quantitatively represented by the same model. The coefficients estimated by the fits are in agreement with similar trapping problems in the literature. In particular, a direct comparison between the benchmark of the FET silica gates and aerogel case endorses the idea that the same type of phenomenon occurs in the studied case.

Mechanical Strength Improvements of Carbon Nanotube Threads through Epoxy Cross-Linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingyue Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Individual Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs have a great mechanical strength that needs to be transferred into macroscopic fiber assemblies. One approach to improve the mechanical strength of the CNT assemblies is by creating covalent bonding among their individual CNT building blocks. Chemical cross-linking of multiwall CNTs (MWCNTs within the fiber has significantly improved the strength of MWCNT thread. Results reported in this work show that the cross-linked thread had a tensile strength six times greater than the strength of its control counterpart, a pristine MWCNT thread (1192 MPa and 194 MPa, respectively. Additionally, electrical conductivity changes were observed, revealing 2123.40 S·cm−1 for cross-linked thread, and 3984.26 S·cm−1 for pristine CNT thread. Characterization suggests that the obtained high tensile strength is due to the cross-linking reaction of amine groups from ethylenediamine plasma-functionalized CNT with the epoxy groups of the cross-linking agent, 4,4-methylenebis(N,N-diglycidylaniline.

Analytical characterisation of glutardialdehyde cross-linking products in gelatine-gum arabic complex coacervates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuguet, Elisabet [Advanced Measurement and Imaging, Unilever Food and Health Research Institute, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen (Netherlands)], E-mail: eli.fuguet@gmail.com; Platerink, Chris van [Advanced Measurement and Imaging, Unilever Food and Health Research Institute, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen (Netherlands); Department of Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Sorbonnelaan 16, 3584 CA Utrecht (Netherlands); Janssen, Hans-Gerd [Advanced Measurement and Imaging, Unilever Food and Health Research Institute, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen (Netherlands); van' t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2007-11-26

Encapsulates having shells of cross-linked mixtures of proteins and polysaccharides are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry for controlled release of actives and flavour compounds. In order to be able to predict the behaviour and the release characteristics of the microcapsules, a better understanding of the nature and extent of the cross-linking reaction is needed. Several analytical techniques were applied for the characterisation of glutardialdehyde (GDA) cross-linked encapsulates made of gelatine and gum arabic. To allow the use of sensitive, high-resolution methods such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, the sample first had to be hydrolysed. In this way, a mixture of amino acids, small peptides and the cross-link moieties was obtained. High-resolution liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was applied to detect possible cross-link markers through a comparison of HPLC-MS mass-chromatograms obtained for cross-linked and non-cross-linked coacervates. HPLC-MS/MS was used to identify the species responsible for the differences. Cross-linking occurred between GDA molecules and lysine and hydroxylysine {epsilon}-amino groups, and up to eight cross-link products of different nature could be identified. They included pyridinium ions and Schiff bases, and also unreacted GDA condensation products. Next, based on the insight gained in the possible chemical structures present in the cross-link markers, methods for selective labelling of these functionalities were employed to allow easier detection of related reaction products. Both liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) were used in these experiments. Unfortunately, these approaches failed to detect new cross-link markers, most likely as a result of the low levels at which these are present.

Analytical characterisation of glutardialdehyde cross-linking products in gelatine-gum arabic complex coacervates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuguet, Elisabet; Platerink, Chris van; Janssen, Hans-Gerd

2007-01-01

Encapsulates having shells of cross-linked mixtures of proteins and polysaccharides are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry for controlled release of actives and flavour compounds. In order to be able to predict the behaviour and the release characteristics of the microcapsules, a better understanding of the nature and extent of the cross-linking reaction is needed. Several analytical techniques were applied for the characterisation of glutardialdehyde (GDA) cross-linked encapsulates made of gelatine and gum arabic. To allow the use of sensitive, high-resolution methods such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, the sample first had to be hydrolysed. In this way, a mixture of amino acids, small peptides and the cross-link moieties was obtained. High-resolution liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was applied to detect possible cross-link markers through a comparison of HPLC-MS mass-chromatograms obtained for cross-linked and non-cross-linked coacervates. HPLC-MS/MS was used to identify the species responsible for the differences. Cross-linking occurred between GDA molecules and lysine and hydroxylysine ε-amino groups, and up to eight cross-link products of different nature could be identified. They included pyridinium ions and Schiff bases, and also unreacted GDA condensation products. Next, based on the insight gained in the possible chemical structures present in the cross-link markers, methods for selective labelling of these functionalities were employed to allow easier detection of related reaction products. Both liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) were used in these experiments. Unfortunately, these approaches failed to detect new cross-link markers, most likely as a result of the low levels at which these are present

Dimensional and Structural Control of Silica Aerogel Membranes for Miniaturized Motionless Gas Pumps.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Shanyu; Jiang, Bo; Maeder, Thomas; Muralt, Paul; Kim, Nayoung; Matam, Santhosh Kumar; Jeong, Eunho; Han, Yen-Lin; Koebel, Matthias M

2015-08-26

With growing public interest in portable electronics such as micro fuel cells, micro gas total analysis systems, and portable medical devices, the need for miniaturized air pumps with minimal electrical power consumption is on the rise. Thus, the development and downsizing of next-generation thermal transpiration gas pumps has been investigated intensively during the last decades. Such a system relies on a mesoporous membrane that generates a thermomolecular pressure gradient under the action of an applied temperature bias. However, the development of highly miniaturized active membrane materials with tailored porosity and optimized pumping performance remains a major challenge. Here we report a systematic study on the manufacturing of aerogel membranes using an optimized, minimal-shrinkage sol-gel process, leading to low thermal conductivity and high air conductance. This combination of properties results in superior performance for miniaturized thermomolecular air pump applications. The engineering of such aerogel membranes, which implies pore structure control and chemical surface modification, requires both chemical processing know-how and a detailed understanding of the influence of the material properties on the spatial flow rate density. Optimal pumping performance was found for devices with integrated membranes with a density of 0.062 g cm(-3) and an average pore size of 142.0 nm. Benchmarking of such low-density hydrophobic active aerogel membranes gave an air flow rate density of 3.85 sccm·cm(-2) at an operating temperature of 400 °C. Such a silica aerogel membrane based system has shown more than 50% higher pumping performance when compared to conventional transpiration pump membrane materials as well as the ability to withstand higher operating temperatures (up to 440 °C). This study highlights new perspectives for the development of miniaturized thermal transpiration air pumps while offering insights into the fundamentals of molecular pumping in

Three-dimensional multichannel aerogel of carbon quantum dots for high-performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Lingxiao; Fan, Yueqiong; Chen, Qing; Zhao, Yang; Hu, Yue; Zhang, Zhipan; Chen, Nan; Qu, Liangti

2014-06-01

A three-dimensional (3D) carbon quantum dot (CQD) aerogel has been prepared by in situ assembling CQDs in the sol-gel polymerization of resorcinol (R) and formaldehyde (F) and subsequently pyrolyzing the formed CQD gel. Compared to the supercapacitor based on the CQD-free aerogel, the supercapacitor fabricated with the CQD aerogel showed 20-fold higher specific capacitance (294.7 F g-1 at the current density of 0.5 A g-1) and an excellent stability over 1000 consecutive charge-discharge cycles.

Freeze-Casting Produces a Graphene Oxide Aerogel with a Radial and Centrosymmetric Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chunhui; Chen, Xiong; Wang, Bin; Huang, Ming; Wang, Bo; Jiang, Yi; Ruoff, Rodney S

2018-05-14

We report the assembly of graphene oxide (G-O) building blocks into a vertical and radially aligned structure by a bidirectional freeze-casting approach. The crystallization of water to ice assembles the G-O sheets into a structure, a G-O aerogel whose local structure mimics turbine blades. The centimeter-scale radiating structure in this aerogel has many channels whose width increases with distance from the center. This was achieved by controlling the formation of the ice crystals in the aqueous G-O dispersion that grew radially in the shape of lamellae during freezing. Because the shape and size of ice crystals is influenced by the G-O sheets, different additives (ethanol, cellulose nanofibers, and chitosan) that can form hydrogen bonds with H 2 O were tested and found to affect the interaction between the G-O and formation of ice crystals, producing ice crystals with different shapes. A G-O/chitosan aerogel with a spiral pattern was also obtained. After chemical reduction of G-O, our aerogel exhibited elasticity and absorption capacity superior to that of graphene aerogels with "traditional" pore structures made by conventional freeze-casting. This methodology can be expanded to many other configurations and should widen the use of G-O (and reduced G-O and "graphenic") aerogels.

Yield and Failure Behavior Investigated for Cross-Linked Phenolic Resins Using Molecular Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Monk, Joshua D.; Lawson, John W.

2016-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to fundamentally evaluate the yield and failure behavior of cross-linked phenolic resins at temperatures below the glass transition. Yield stress was investigated at various temperatures, strain rates, and degrees of cross-linking. The onset of non-linear behavior in the cross-linked phenolic structures was caused by localized irreversible molecular rearrangements through the rotation of methylene linkers followed by the formation or annihilation of neighboring hydrogen bonds. The yield stress results, with respect to temperature and strain rate, could be fit by existing models used to describe yield behavior of amorphous glasses. The degree of cross-linking only indirectly influences the maximum yield stress through its influence on glass transition temperature (Tg), however there is a strong relationship between the degree of cross-linking and the failure mechanism. Low cross-linked samples were able to separate through void formation, whereas the highly cross-linked structures exhibited bond scission.

ROMP-based thermosetting polymers from modified castor oil with various cross-linking agents

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Rui

Polymers derived from bio-renewable resources are finding an increase in global demand. In addition, polymers with distinctive functionalities are required in certain advanced fields, such as aerospace and civil engineering. In an attempt to meet both these needs, the goal of this work aims to develop a range of bio-based thermosetting matrix polymers for potential applications in multifunctional composites. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), which recently has been explored as a powerful method in polymer chemistry, was employed as a unique pathway to polymerize agricultural oil-based reactants. Specifically, a novel norbornyl-functionalized castor oil alcohol (NCA) was investigated to polymerize different cross-linking agents using ROMP. The effects of incorporating dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and a norbornene-based crosslinker (CL) were systematically evaluated with respect to curing behavior and thermal mechanical properties of the polymers. Isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the conversion during cure. Dynamic DSC scans at multiple heating rates revealed conversion-dependent activation energy by Ozawa-Flynn-Wall analysis. The glass transition temperature, storage modulus, and loss modulus for NCA/DCPD and NCA/CL copolymers with different cross-linking agent loading were compared using dynamic mechanical analysis. Cross-link density was examined to explain the very different dynamic mechanical behavior. Mechanical stress-strain curves were developed through tensile test, and thermal stability of the cross-linked polymers was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis to further investigate the structure-property relationships in these systems.

Combination of supramolecular cross-linking with covalent cross-linking through epoxide ring-opening including gel studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofmeier, H.; El-Ghayoury, A.; Schubert, U.S.

2003-01-01

Terpolymers based on poly(methyl methacrylate), containing terpyridinemoieties as well as epoxide groups, were synthesized via free-radical polymerization. The products were cross-linked non-covalently with iron(II) ions and covalently by treatment with AlCl3. Both steps could be combined in

Synthesis and Characterization of Fibre Reinforced Silica Aerogel Blankets for Thermal Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Chakraborty

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS as the source of silica, fibre reinforced silica aerogels were synthesized via fast ambient pressure drying using methanol (MeOH, trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS, ammonium fluoride (NH4F, and hexane. The molar ratio of TEOS/MeOH/(COOH2/NH4F was kept constant at 1 : 38 : 3.73 × 10−5 : 0.023 and the gel was allowed to form inside the highly porous meta-aramid fibrous batting. The wet gel surface was chemically modified (silylation process using various concentrations of TMCS in hexane in the range of 1 to 20% by volume. The fibre reinforced silica aerogel blanket was obtained subsequently through atmospheric pressure drying. The aerogel blanket samples were characterized by density, thermal conductivity, hydrophobicity (contact angle, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The radiant heat resistance of the aerogel blankets was examined and compared with nonaerogel blankets. It has been observed that, compared to the ordinary nonaerogel blankets, the aerogel blankets showed a 58% increase in the estimated burn injury time and thus ensure a much better protection from heat and fire hazards. The effect of varying the concentration of TMCS on the estimated protection time has been examined. The improved thermal stability and the superior thermal insulation of the flexible aerogel blankets lead to applications being used for occupations that involve exposure to hazards of thermal radiation.

Lithium-Catalyzed Carbon Aerogel and Its Possible Application in Energy Storage Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Ciszewski, Mateusz; Szatkowska, Elżbieta; Koszorek, Andrzej

2017-07-01

A lithium-based catalyst for carbon aerogel compounds and carbon nanotubes synthesis was used. Lithium hydroxide-catalyzed and CNT-modified carbon aerogel was compared to traditionally synthesized sodium carbonate-catalyzed carbon aerogel, as well as to the same material modified with CNT to evaluate the real effect of lithium hydroxide addition. Enhancement in the specific surface area from 498 m2/g to 786 m2/g and significant change in pore size distribution were observed. Low temperature, supercritical drying in carbon dioxide was used to prepare an organic aerogel with subsequent pyrolysis in an inert gas flow to convert it into carbon aerogel. The as-obtained material was examined with respect to energy storage applications, i.e. symmetric hybrid supercapacitors. It was shown that lithium hydroxide was responsible for shorter gelation time, increased specific surface area, and a greater number of micropores within the structure. For both reference materials prepared using sodium carbonate, quite different data were recorded. It was presented that the proper choice of carbon matrix should combine both high specific surface area and appropriate pore size distribution. High surface area and a relatively large number of micropores were responsible for specific capacity loss.

Formation and pore structure of boron nitride aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindquist, D.H.; Borek, T.T.; Kramer, S.J.; Kramer, S.J.; Naruta, C.K.; Johnson, G.; Schaeffer, R.; Smith, D.M.; Paine, R.T.

1990-01-01

This paper reports gels containing a poly(borazinyl amine) and tetrahydrofuran processed by CO 2 supercritical drying techniques followed by pyrolysis. The resulting BN ceramic aerogels are highly porous, and the microstructure, porosity, and surface area characteristics have been examined. The aerogels show excellent thermal stability exhibiting surface areas in excess of 350 m 2 /g and porosities greater than 0.8 even when heated in argon at 1500 degrees C for 8 h. By removing solvent via evaporation before supercritical drying, the mean pore radius can be varied between 3.6 and 10 nm

Cellulose nanofibril/reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotube hybrid aerogels for highly flexible and all-solid-state supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Qifeng; Cai, Zhiyong; Ma, Zhenqiang; Gong, Shaoqin

2015-02-11

A novel type of highly flexible and all-solid-state supercapacitor that uses cellulose nanofibril (CNF)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid aerogels as electrodes and H2SO4/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gel as the electrolyte was developed and is reported here. These flexible solid-state supercapacitors were fabricated without any binders, current collectors, or electroactive additives. Because of the porous structure of the CNF/RGO/CNT aerogel electrodes and the excellent electrolyte absorption properties of the CNFs present in the aerogel electrodes, the resulting flexible supercapacitors exhibited a high specific capacitance (i.e., 252 F g(-1) at a discharge current density of 0.5 A g(-1)) and a remarkable cycle stability (i.e., more than 99.5% of the capacitance was retained after 1000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1)). Furthermore, the supercapacitors also showed extremely high areal capacitance, areal power density, and energy density (i.e., 216 mF cm(-2), 9.5 mW cm(-2), and 28.4 μWh cm(-2), respectively). In light of its excellent electrical performance, low cost, ease of large-scale manufacturing, and environmental friendliness, the CNF/RGO/CNT aerogel electrodes may have a promising application in the development of flexible energy-storage devices.

UV-induced cross-linking of abscisic acid to binding proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornelussen, M.H.M.; Karssen, C.M.; Loon, L.C. van

1995-01-01

Conditions for UV-induced cross-linking of abscisic acid (ABA) through its enone chromophore to binding proteins were evaluated. The effects of a UV-light band between 260 and 530 nm on both unconjugated and protein-conjugated ABA, as well as on anti-ABA antibodies as models of ABA-binding proteins were determined. UV irradiation caused both isomerization and photolysis of ABA, but increasing the lower irradiation boundary to 345 nm strongly reduced photolysis and largely prevented isomerization. When conjugated to alkaline phosphatase (AP), ABA remained stable when using either a 320 or a 345 nm filter. At these wavelengths both binding of ABA to antibodies as well as AP enzymatic activity were maintained. UV-induced cross-linking of monoclonal anti-ABA antibodies to immobilized ABA was analysed by immunoassays. Optimal cross-linking was achieved after a 5 min irradiation period at 0°, using a long pass, cut-on filter to quench wavelengths below 290 nm. This cross-linking faithfully reflected cognate binding activity. (author)

Self-reinforcement and protein sustained delivery of hyaluronan hydrogel by tailoring a dually cross-linked network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Chunhong; Xu, Guoguang; Wang, Xinghui [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Tu, Mei; Zeng, Rong; Rong, Jianhua [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Engineering Research Center of Artificial Organs and Materials, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Zhao, Jianhao, E-mail: jhzhao@jnu.edu.cn [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Engineering Research Center of Artificial Organs and Materials, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510632 (China)

2015-01-01

A series of self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels were developed to improve mechanical properties and protein sustained delivery thanks to a dually cross-linked network. Hyaluronan gel particles (HGPs, 1–5 μm in diameter) with different cross-linking densities, i.e. HGPs-1.5, HGPs-3 and HGPs-15, were prepared in an inverse emulsion system and used as the reinforcing phase after glycidyl methacrylation, while glycidyl methacrylated hyaluronan with a substitution degree of 45.2% was synthesized as the matrix phase. These two phases were cross-linked under ultraviolet irradiation to form self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels (srHAs) that showed typical cross-linked structure of HGPs connecting the matrix phase by cross-section observation. In comparison to hyaluronan bulk gels and their blends with HGPs, srHAs distinctly enhanced the mechanical properties and BSA long-term sustained delivery, especially srHA-1.5 showed the highest compressive modulus of 220 ± 15 kPa and the slowest BSA delivery (67% release at 14 d). The 3T3 fibroblast cell culture showed that all the srHAs had no cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • New self-reinforcing HA hydrogels with a dually cross-linked network were developed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels greatly enhanced the mechanical properties. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels prolonged the sustained delivery of BSA. • The self-reinforcing mechanism and BSA diffusion mechanism were discussed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels had no cytotoxicity to 3T3 fibroblast cells.

Self-reinforcement and protein sustained delivery of hyaluronan hydrogel by tailoring a dually cross-linked network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Chunhong; Xu, Guoguang; Wang, Xinghui; Tu, Mei; Zeng, Rong; Rong, Jianhua; Zhao, Jianhao

2015-01-01

A series of self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels were developed to improve mechanical properties and protein sustained delivery thanks to a dually cross-linked network. Hyaluronan gel particles (HGPs, 1–5 μm in diameter) with different cross-linking densities, i.e. HGPs-1.5, HGPs-3 and HGPs-15, were prepared in an inverse emulsion system and used as the reinforcing phase after glycidyl methacrylation, while glycidyl methacrylated hyaluronan with a substitution degree of 45.2% was synthesized as the matrix phase. These two phases were cross-linked under ultraviolet irradiation to form self-reinforcing hyaluronan hydrogels (srHAs) that showed typical cross-linked structure of HGPs connecting the matrix phase by cross-section observation. In comparison to hyaluronan bulk gels and their blends with HGPs, srHAs distinctly enhanced the mechanical properties and BSA long-term sustained delivery, especially srHA-1.5 showed the highest compressive modulus of 220 ± 15 kPa and the slowest BSA delivery (67% release at 14 d). The 3T3 fibroblast cell culture showed that all the srHAs had no cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • New self-reinforcing HA hydrogels with a dually cross-linked network were developed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels greatly enhanced the mechanical properties. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels prolonged the sustained delivery of BSA. • The self-reinforcing mechanism and BSA diffusion mechanism were discussed. • Self-reinforcing HA hydrogels had no cytotoxicity to 3T3 fibroblast cells

Combination of supramolecular cross-linking with covalent cross-linking through epoxide ring-opening including gel studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofmeier, H.; El-Ghayoury, A.; Schubert, U.S.

2003-01-01

Terpolymers based on poly(methyl methacrylate), containing terpyridine-moieties as well as epoxide groups, were synthesized via free-radical polymeri-zation. The products were cross-linked non-covalently with iron(II) ions and cova-lently by treatment with AlCl3. Both steps could be combined in

Few-layer MoS2-anchored graphene aerogel paper for free-standing electrode materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wee Siang Vincent; Peng, Erwin; Loh, Tamie Ai Jia; Huang, Xiaolei; Xue, Jun Min

2016-04-21

To reduce the reliance on polymeric binders, conductive additives, and metallic current collectors during the electrode preparation process, as well as to assess the true performance of lithium ion battery (LIB) anodes, a free-standing electrode has to be meticulously designed. Graphene aerogel is a popular scaffolding material that has been widely used with embedded nanoparticles for application in LIB anodes. However, the current graphene aerogel/nanoparticle composite systems still involve decomposition into powder and the addition of additives during electrode preparation because of the thick aerogel structure. To further enhance the capacity of the system, MoS2 was anchored onto a graphene aerogel paper and the composite was used directly as an LIB anode. The resultant additive-free MoS2/graphene aerogel paper composite exhibited long cyclic performance with 101.1% retention after 700 cycles, which demonstrates the importance of free-standing electrodes in enhancing cyclic stability.

Core-Shell Structuring of Pure Metallic Aerogels towards Highly Efficient Platinum Utilization for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Bin; Hübner, René; Sasaki, Kotaro; Zhang, Yuanzhe; Su, Dong; Ziegler, Christoph; Vukmirovic, Miomir B; Rellinghaus, Bernd; Adzic, Radoslav R; Eychmüller, Alexander

2018-03-05

The development of core-shell structures remains a fundamental challenge for pure metallic aerogels. Here we report the synthesis of Pd x Au-Pt core-shell aerogels composed of an ultrathin Pt shell and a composition-tunable Pd x Au alloy core. The universality of this strategy ensures the extension of core compositions to Pd transition-metal alloys. The core-shell aerogels exhibited largely improved Pt utilization efficiencies for the oxygen reduction reaction and their activities show a volcano-type relationship as a function of the lattice parameter of the core substrate. The maximum mass and specific activities are 5.25 A mg Pt -1 and 2.53 mA cm -2 , which are 18.7 and 4.1 times higher than those of Pt/C, respectively, demonstrating the superiority of the core-shell metallic aerogels. The proposed core-based activity descriptor provides a new possible strategy for the design of future core-shell electrocatalysts. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In vitro cross-linking of bovine lens proteins photosensitized by promazines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merville, M.P.; Decuyper, J.; Piette, J.; Calberg-Bacq, C.M.; Van de Vorst, A.

1984-01-01

Promazine derivatives induce cross-linking of bovine lens crystallins in vitro by irradiation with near-ultraviolet (UV) light in the presence of O 2 , as revealed by electrophoresis after denaturation. With the five derivatives tested (promazine [PZ], chlorpromazine [CPZ], triflupromazine [TFPZ], methoxypromazine [MTPZ], and acepromazine [ACPZ]), single-hit kinetics are observed. Evidence implicating the cation radicals of the PZ derivatives as the causative agent of this in vitro effect is presented. Hydroxyl radicals do not appear to be involved in the photo-cross-linking reaction. Sodium ascorbate protects against damage induced either by PZ derivatives plus light or by PZ cation radicals in the dark. These findings are discussed with respect to development of cataracts induced by these drugs in vivo

General protein-protein cross-linking.

Science.gov (United States)

Alegria-Schaffer, Alice

2014-01-01

This protocol describes a general protein-to-protein cross-linking procedure using the water-soluble amine-reactive homobifunctional BS(3) (bis[sulfosuccinimidyl] suberate); however, the protocol can be easily adapted using other cross-linkers of similar properties. BS(3) is composed of two sulfo-NHS ester groups and an 11.4 Å linker. Sulfo-NHS ester groups react with primary amines in slightly alkaline conditions (pH 7.2-8.5) and yield stable amide bonds. The reaction releases N-hydroxysuccinimide (see an application of NHS esters on Labeling a protein with fluorophores using NHS ester derivitization). © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates for improving the resolution of (R, S)-2-octanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Guo, Chen; Liu, Chun-Zhao

2015-03-01

Novel magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates were fabricated by immobilizing the cross-linked lipase aggregates onto magnetic particles with a high number of -NH2 terminal groups using p-benzoquinone as the cross-linking agent. At the optimal fabrication conditions, 100% of immobilization efficiency and 139% of activity recovery of the magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates were achieved. The magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates were able to efficiently resolve (R, S)-2-octanol, and retained 100% activity and 100% enantioselectivity after 10 cycles of reuse, whereas the cross-linked lipase aggregates only retained about 50% activity and 70% enantioselectivity due to insufficient cross-linking. These results provide a great potential for industrial applications of the magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Relation between the Rheological Properties of Gels and the Mechanical Properties of Their Corresponding Aerogels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingze Sun

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A series of low density, highly porous clay/poly(vinyl alcohol composite aerogels, incorporating ammonium alginate, were fabricated via a convenient and eco-friendly freeze drying method. It is significant to understand rheological properties of precursor gels because they directly affect the form of aerogels and their processing behaviors. The introduction of ammonium alginate impacted the rheological properties of colloidal gels and improved the mechanical performance of the subject aerogels. The specific compositions and processing conditions applied to those colloidal gel systems brought about different aerogel morphologies, which in turn translated into the observed mechanical properties. The bridge between gel rheologies and aerogel structures are established in the present work.

Trapping and aerogelation of nanoparticles in negative gravity hydrocarbon flames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabarty, Rajan K.; Novosselov, Igor V.; Beres, Nicholas D.; Moosmüller, Hans; Sorensen, Christopher M.; Stipe, Christopher B.

2014-01-01

We report the experimental realization of continuous carbon aerogel production using a flame aerosol reactor by operating it in negative gravity (−g; up-side-down configuration). Buoyancy opposes the fuel and air flow forces in −g, which eliminates convectional outflow of nanoparticles from the flame and traps them in a distinctive non-tipping, flicker-free, cylindrical flame body, where they grow to millimeter-size aerogel particles and gravitationally fall out. Computational fluid dynamics simulations show that a closed-loop recirculation zone is set up in −g flames, which reduces the time to gel for nanoparticles by ≈10 6  s, compared to positive gravity (upward rising) flames. Our results open up new possibilities of one-step gas-phase synthesis of a wide variety of aerogels on an industrial scale.

Trapping and aerogelation of nanoparticles in negative gravity hydrocarbon flames

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chakrabarty, Rajan K., E-mail: rajan.chakrabarty@gmail.com [Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130 (United States); Laboratory for Aerosol Science, Spectroscopy, and Optics, Desert Research Institute, Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, Nevada 89512 (United States); Novosselov, Igor V. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Enertechnix Inc., Maple Valley, Washington 98068 (United States); Beres, Nicholas D.; Moosmüller, Hans [Laboratory for Aerosol Science, Spectroscopy, and Optics, Desert Research Institute, Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, Nevada 89512 (United States); Sorensen, Christopher M. [Condensed Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 (United States); Stipe, Christopher B. [TSI Incorporated, 500 Cardigan Rd, Shoreview, Minnesota 55126 (United States)

2014-06-16

We report the experimental realization of continuous carbon aerogel production using a flame aerosol reactor by operating it in negative gravity (−g; up-side-down configuration). Buoyancy opposes the fuel and air flow forces in −g, which eliminates convectional outflow of nanoparticles from the flame and traps them in a distinctive non-tipping, flicker-free, cylindrical flame body, where they grow to millimeter-size aerogel particles and gravitationally fall out. Computational fluid dynamics simulations show that a closed-loop recirculation zone is set up in −g flames, which reduces the time to gel for nanoparticles by ≈10{sup 6} s, compared to positive gravity (upward rising) flames. Our results open up new possibilities of one-step gas-phase synthesis of a wide variety of aerogels on an industrial scale.

A Comparative Study of the Characteristics of Cross-Linked, Oxidized and Dual-Modified Rice Starches

OpenAIRE

Xiao, Hua-Xi; Lin, Qin-Lu; Liu, Gao-Qiang; Yu, Feng-Xiang

2012-01-01

Rice starch was cross-linked with epichlorohydrin (0.3%, w/w, on a dry starch basis) and oxidized with sodium hypochlorite (2.5% w/w), respectively. Two dual-modified rice starch samples (oxidized cross-linked rice starch and cross-linked oxidized rice starch) were obtained by the oxidation of cross-linked rice starch and the cross-linking of oxidized rice starch at the same level of reagents. The physicochemical properties of native rice starch, cross-linked rice starch and oxidized rice sta...

Measurement of aerogel performance for ring image Cherenkov detector of HERMES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanesaka, Jiro; Zhang Linfeng; Sato, Fumiko; Suetsugu, Kentaro; Sakami, Yasuhiro; Shibata, Toshiaki

1999-01-01

The first experiment of ring image Cherenkov detector (RICH) used aerogel in the world was reported in this paper. We built RICH using aerogel as illuminant for HERMES. The refractive index and size of all aerogel tiles were measured in order to select them for construction of RICH. The select conditions of tile were 113.1 -4 , the dispersion of refractive index of aerogel tile, which condition was fitted to the accuracy of Cherenkov light emission angle of RICH. The mean thickness, transmission and reflection of tile, the thickness of corner of tile (thickness of surface), the refractive index dependence on position and temperature were measured. The effect of thickness of tile on the shift of Cherenkov emission angle was 6.1% the maximum value per one tile and 0.18% mean value of center. The effect of position dependence of refractive index on the Cherenkov light emission angle was agreed with the effect of dispersion of thickness of tile. The transmission and reflection of tile were almost same as the theoretical value. (S.Y.)

Effects of Supercritical CO 2 Conditioning on Cross-Linked Polyimide Membranes

KAUST Repository

Kratochvil, Adam M.; Koros, William J.

2010-01-01

The effects of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) conditioning on high-performance cross-linked polyimide membranes is examined through gas permeation and sorption experiments. Under supercritical conditions, the cross-linked polymers do not exhibit a

Reduced graphene oxide aerogel networks with soft interfacial template for applications in bone tissue regeneration

Science.gov (United States)

Asha, S.; Ananth, A. Nimrodh; Jose, Sujin P.; Rajan, M. A. Jothi

2018-05-01

Reduced Graphene Oxide aerogels (A-RGO), functionalized with chitosan, were found to induce and/or accelerate the mineralization of hydroxyapatite. The functionalized chitosan acts as a soft interfacial template on the surface of A-RGO assisting the growth of hydroxyapatite particles. The mineralization on these soft aerogel networks was performed by soaking the aerogels in simulated body fluid, relative to time. Polymer-induced mineralization exhibited an ordered arrangement of hydroxyapatite particles on reduced graphene oxide aerogel networks with a higher crystalline index (IC) of 1.7, which mimics the natural bone formation indicating the importance of the polymeric interfacial template. These mineralized aerogels which mimic the structure and composition of natural bone exhibit relatively higher rate of cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and osteoid matrix formation proving it to be a potential scaffold for bone tissue regeneration.

Green synthesis of amphipathic graphene aerogel constructed by using the framework of polymer-surfactant complex for water remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jingjing; Wang, Ziyuan; Yang, Xianhou; Tu, Jing; Wu, Ronglan; Wang, Wei

2018-06-01

Graphene aerogels have been extensively studied in water treatment and oil remediation. We report a mild and green method to prepare a 3D-columnar graphene aerogel. The aerogel was synthesized by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and stearic acid (SA) as crosslinking agents to construct a framework of reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The interaction between PVA, SA, and stacked RGO sheets created a mechanically very robust aerogel. The aerogel possesses ultra-light performance with the destiny ranging from 4.9 to 10 mg cm-3. The aerogel also demonstrated ultrafast oil absorption, good fire-resistance, and excellent mechanical properties. The adsorptive capacities are in the range of 105-250 times of its original weight for various organic liquids after the absorption. The aerogel also exhibited a strong durability and reusability, and after ten cycles of absorbing-squeezing, the adsorptive capacity is nearly unchanged, indicating potential application in practical oil remediation.

Computer simulation of randomly cross-linked polymer networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Timothy Philip

2002-01-01

In this work, Monte Carlo and Stochastic Dynamics computer simulations of mesoscale model randomly cross-linked networks were undertaken. Task parallel implementations of the lattice Monte Carlo Bond Fluctuation model and Kremer-Grest Stochastic Dynamics bead-spring continuum model were designed and used for this purpose. Lattice and continuum precursor melt systems were prepared and then cross-linked to varying degrees. The resultant networks were used to study structural changes during deformation and relaxation dynamics. The effects of a random network topology featuring a polydisperse distribution of strand lengths and an abundance of pendant chain ends, were qualitatively compared to recent published work. A preliminary investigation into the effects of temperature on the structural and dynamical properties was also undertaken. Structural changes during isotropic swelling and uniaxial deformation, revealed a pronounced non-affine deformation dependant on the degree of cross-linking. Fractal heterogeneities were observed in the swollen model networks and were analysed by considering constituent substructures of varying size. The network connectivity determined the length scales at which the majority of the substructure unfolding process occurred. Simulated stress-strain curves and diffraction patterns for uniaxially deformed swollen networks, were found to be consistent with experimental findings. Analysis of the relaxation dynamics of various network components revealed a dramatic slowdown due to the network connectivity. The cross-link junction spatial fluctuations for networks close to the sol-gel threshold, were observed to be at least comparable with the phantom network prediction. The dangling chain ends were found to display the largest characteristic relaxation time. (author)

A RICH with aerogel: a study of refractive index uniformity

CERN Document Server

Alemi, M; Calvi, M; Matteuzzi, C; Musy, M; Perego, D L; Easo, S

2004-01-01

The use of aerogel as a radiator in the RICH detectors of LHCb is a challenge due to the hot environment of the hadron collider LHC. Large size tiles of silica aerogel were recently produced with unprecedented optical quality for such dimensions. Results of laboratory measurements and beam tests are briefly reported. A description of a method to measure the uniformity of the index of refraction within the tile is given.

Physico-chemical/biological properties of tripolyphosphate cross-linked chitosan based nanofibers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Soumi Dey [School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302 (India); Farrugia, Brooke L.; Dargaville, Tim R. [Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Groove, Queensland-4059 (Australia); Dhara, Santanu, E-mail: sdhara@smst.iitkgp.ernet.in [School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302 (India)

2013-04-01

In this study, chitosan-PEO blend, prepared in a 15 M acetic acid, was electrospun into nanofibers (∼ 78 nm diameter) with bead free morphology. While investigating physico-chemical parameters of blend solutions, effect of yield stress on chitosan based nanofiber fabrication was clearly evidenced. Architectural stability of nanofiber mat in aqueous medium was achieved by ionotropic cross-linking of chitosan by tripolyphosphate (TPP) ions. The TPP cross-linked nanofiber mat showed swelling up to ∼ 300% in 1 h and ∼ 40% degradation during 30 day study period. 3T3 fibroblast cells showed good attachment, proliferation and viability on TPP treated chitosan based nanofiber mats. The results indicate non-toxic nature of TPP cross-linked chitosan based nanofibers and their potential to be explored as a tissue engineering matrix. - Highlights: ► Chitosan based nanofiber fabrication through electrospinning. ► Roles of solution viscosity and yield stress on spinnability of chitosan evidenced. ► Tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linking rendered structural stability to nanofibers. ► TPP cross-linking also improved cellular response on chitosan based nanofibers. ► Thus, chitosan based nanofibers are suitable for tissue engineering application.

Physico-chemical/biological properties of tripolyphosphate cross-linked chitosan based nanofibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, Soumi Dey; Farrugia, Brooke L.; Dargaville, Tim R.; Dhara, Santanu

2013-01-01

In this study, chitosan-PEO blend, prepared in a 15 M acetic acid, was electrospun into nanofibers (∼ 78 nm diameter) with bead free morphology. While investigating physico-chemical parameters of blend solutions, effect of yield stress on chitosan based nanofiber fabrication was clearly evidenced. Architectural stability of nanofiber mat in aqueous medium was achieved by ionotropic cross-linking of chitosan by tripolyphosphate (TPP) ions. The TPP cross-linked nanofiber mat showed swelling up to ∼ 300% in 1 h and ∼ 40% degradation during 30 day study period. 3T3 fibroblast cells showed good attachment, proliferation and viability on TPP treated chitosan based nanofiber mats. The results indicate non-toxic nature of TPP cross-linked chitosan based nanofibers and their potential to be explored as a tissue engineering matrix. - Highlights: ► Chitosan based nanofiber fabrication through electrospinning. ► Roles of solution viscosity and yield stress on spinnability of chitosan evidenced. ► Tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linking rendered structural stability to nanofibers. ► TPP cross-linking also improved cellular response on chitosan based nanofibers. ► Thus, chitosan based nanofibers are suitable for tissue engineering application

Permanent Set of Cross-Linking Networks: Comparison of Theory with Molecular Dynamics Simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rottach, Dana R.; Curro, John G.; Budzien, Joanne

2006-01-01

The permanent set of cross-linking networks is studied by molecular dynamics. The uniaxial stress for a bead-spring polymer network is investigated as a function of strain and cross-link density history, where cross-links are introduced in unstrained and strained networks. The permanent set...

Robust Vacuum-/Air-Dried Graphene Aerogels and Fast Recoverable Shape-Memory Hybrid Foams.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chenwei; Qiu, Ling; Zhang, Baoqing; Li, Dan; Liu, Chen-Yang

2016-02-17

New graphene aerogels can be fabricated by vacuum/air drying, and because of the mechanical robustness of the graphene aerogels, shape-memory polymer/graphene hybrid foams can be fabricated by a simple infiltration-air-drying-crosslinking method. Due to the superelasticity, high strength, and good electrical conductivity of the as-prepared graphene aerogels, the shape-memory hybrid foams exhibit excellent thermotropical and electrical shape-memory properties, outperforming previously reported shape-memory polymer foams. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE BASED BIO-POLYMER AEROGEL ISOLATED FROM WASTE OF BLUEBERRY TREE (VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet KAYA

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Cellulose aerogel (CA has highly porous structure, environmentally friendly, thermally stable and flame retardant properties. These properties in material worlds have attracted large interest as a potentially industrial material. In this paper, cellulose aerogel with flame retardant was produced from pruned branches and bushes of blueberries wastes (PBBW. Firstly, cellulose raw material these wastes was obtained and then, cellulose aerogel via freeze-drying, followed by cellulose hydrogel production. Our reports showed that three dimensionally network aerogel structure prepared from NaOH/Urea as scaffold solution. The present cellulose aerogel has excellent flame retardancy, which can extinguish within 140 s. By the way, it was inferred thermal stability performance of cellulose aerogel could be efficient potential thermal insulating material. Besides, this process are sustainable, easily available at low cost and suitable for industrial applications.

Synergetic Hybrid Aerogels of Vanadia and Graphene as Electrode Materials of Supercapacitors

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Xuewei Fu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The performance of synergetic hybrid aerogel materials of vanadia and graphene as electrode materials in supercapacitors was evaluated. The hybrid materials were synthesized by two methods. In Method I, premade graphene oxide (GO hydrogel was first chemically reduced by L-ascorbic acid and then soaked in vanadium triisopropoxide solution to obtain V2O5 gel in the pores of the reduced graphene oxide (rGO hydrogel. The gel was supercritically dried to obtain the hybrid aerogel. In Method II, vanadium triisopropoxide was hydrolyzed from a solution in water with GO particles uniformly dispersed to obtain the hybrid gel. The hybrid aerogel was obtained by supercritical drying of the gel followed by thermal reduction of GO. The electrode materials were prepared by mixing 80 wt % hybrid aerogel with 10 wt % carbon black and 10 wt % polyvinylidene fluoride. The hybrid materials in Method II showed higher capacitance due to better interactions between vanadia and graphene oxide particles and more uniform vanadia particle distribution.

Application of a fast sorting algorithm to the assignment of mass spectrometric cross-linking data.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrotchenko, Evgeniy V; Borchers, Christoph H

2014-09-01

Cross-linking combined with MS involves enzymatic digestion of cross-linked proteins and identifying cross-linked peptides. Assignment of cross-linked peptide masses requires a search of all possible binary combinations of peptides from the cross-linked proteins' sequences, which becomes impractical with increasing complexity of the protein system and/or if digestion enzyme specificity is relaxed. Here, we describe the application of a fast sorting algorithm to search large sequence databases for cross-linked peptide assignments based on mass. This same algorithm has been used previously for assigning disulfide-bridged peptides (Choi et al., ), but has not previously been applied to cross-linking studies. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Analysis of glycation induced protein cross-linking inhibitory effects of some antidiabetic plants and spices.

Science.gov (United States)

Perera, Handunge Kumudu Irani; Handuwalage, Charith Sandaruwan

2015-06-09

Protein cross-linking which occurs towards the latter part of protein glycation is implicated in the development of chronic diabetic complications. Glycation induced protein cross-linking inhibitory effects of nine antidiabetic plants and three spices were evaluated in this study using a novel, simple, electrophoresis based method. Methanol extracts of thirteen plants including nine antidiabetic plants and three spices were used. Lysozyme and fructose were incubated at 37 °C in the presence or absence of different concentrations of plant extracts up to 31 days. Standard glycation inhibitor aminoguanidine and other appropriate controls were included. A recently established sodium dodecyl polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) method was used to detect the products of protein cross-linking in the incubation mixtures. High molecular weight protein products representing the dimer, trimer and tetramer of lysozyme were detected in the presence of fructose. Among the nine antidiabetic plants, seven showed glycation induced protein cross-linking inhibitory effects namely Ficus racemosa (FR) stem bark, Gymnema sylvestre (GS) leaves, Musa paradisiaca (MP) yam, Phyllanthus debilis (PD) whole plant, Phyllanthus emblica (PE) fruit, Pterocarpus marsupium (PM) latex and Tinospora cordifolia (TC) leaves. Inhibition observed with Coccinia grandis (CG) leaves and Strychnos potatorum (SP) seeds were much low. Leaves of Gymnema lactiferum (GL), the plant without known antidiabetic effects showed the lowest inhibition. All three spices namely Coriandrum sativum (CS) seeds, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CZ) bark and Syzygium aromaticum (SA) flower buds showed cross-link inhibitory effects with higher effects in CS and SA. PD, PE, PM, CS and SA showed almost complete inhibition on the formation of cross-linking with 25 μg/ml extracts. Methanol extracts of PD, PE, PM, CS and SA have shown promising inhibitory effects on glycation induced protein cross-linking.

The conformational stability and flexibility of insulin with an additional intramolecular cross-link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brems, D.N.; Brown, P.L.; Nakagawa, S.H.; Tager, H.S.

1991-01-01

The conformational stability and flexibility of insulin containing a cross-link between the alpha-amino group of the A-chain to the epsilon-amino group of Lys29 of the B-chain was examined. The cross-link varied in length from 2 to 12 carbon atoms. The conformational stability was determined by guanidine hydrochloride-induced equilibrium denaturation and flexibility was assessed by H2O/D2O amide exchange. The cross-link has substantial effects on both conformational stability and flexibility which depend on its length. In general, the addition of a cross-link enhances conformational stability and decreases flexibility. The optimal length for enhanced stability and decreased flexibility was the 6-carbon link. For the 6-carbon link the Gibbs free energy of unfolding was 8.0 kcal/mol compared to 4.5 kcal/mol for insulin, and the amide exchange rate decreased by at least 3-fold. A very short cross-link (i.e. the 2-carbon link) caused conformational strain that was detectable by a lack of stabilization in the Gibbs free energy of unfolding and enhancement in the amide exchange rate compared to insulin. The effect of the cross-link length on insulin hydrodynamic properties is discussed relative to previously obtained receptor binding results

Hydrothermal growth of cross-linked hyperbranched copper dendrites using copper oxalate complex

Science.gov (United States)

Truong, Quang Duc; Kakihana, Masato

2012-06-01

A facile and surfactant-free approach has been developed for the synthesis of cross-linked hyperbranched copper dendrites using copper oxalate complex as a precursor and oxalic acid as a reducing and structure-directing agent. The synthesized particles are composed of highly branched nanostructures with unusual cross-linked hierarchical networks. The formation of copper dendrites can be explained in view of both diffusion control and aggregation-based growth model accompanied by the chelation-assisted assembly. Oxalic acid was found to play dual roles as reducing and structure-directing agent based on the investigation results. The understanding on the crystal growth and the roles of oxalic acid provides clear insight into the formation mechanism of hyperbranched metal dendrites.

WICH, a member of WASP-interacting protein family, cross-links actin filaments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Masayoshi; Takenawa, Tadaomi

2005-01-01

In yeast, Verprolin plays an important role in rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. There are three mammalian homologues of Verprolin, WIP, CR16, and WICH, and all of them bind actin and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) and/or neural-WASP. Here, we describe a novel function of WICH. In vitro co-sedimentation analysis revealed that WICH not only binds to actin filaments but also cross-links them. Fluorescence and electron microscopy detected that this cross-linking results in straight bundled actin filaments. Overexpression of WICH alone in cultured fibroblast caused the formation of thick actin fibers. This ability of WICH depended on its own actin cross-linking activity. Importantly, the actin cross-linking activity of WICH was modified through a direct association with N-WASP. Taken together, these data suggest that WICH induces a bundled form of actin filament with actin cross-linking activity and the association with N-WASP suppresses that activity. WICH thus appears to be a novel actin bundling protein

Highly sensitive room temperature organic vapor sensor based on polybenzoxazine-derived carbon aerogel thin film composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thubsuang, Uthen; Sukanan, Darunee; Sahasithiwat, Somboon; Wongkasemjit, Sujitra; Chaisuwan, Thanyalak

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Activated carbon aerogel with high surface area can be prepared from polybenzoxazine. • Activated carbon aerogel enhances the adsorption capacity of gas sensor. • Organic vapors with very low concentration can be detected by the as-prepared sensor. • The as-prepared sensor shows impressive short exposure and recovery time. • The response to different organic vapors can be tailored by changing polymer matrix. - Abstract: Gas sensing composites were fabricated using polybenzoxazine-based activated carbon aerogel as a conductive filler. The activated carbon aerogel is a nano-porous material, which has high pore volume of 0.57 cm 3 /g and surface area of 917 m 2 /g. The activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite displayed good response of 11.2 and 6.7 to toluene and n-hexane, respectively, compared to those of graphite/polybutadiene composite. The activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite also showed high sensitivity of 3.09 × 10 2 ppm −1 to toluene. However, the sensitivity of activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite drastically decreased to 1.99 ppm −1 and zero when exposed to acetone and water, respectively. Contrarily, when polyvinyl alcohol was used as a matrix, the sensitivity was about 4.19 ppm −1 to water. While the composite was found to be not sensitive to toluene. The activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite also showed good recovery as the electrical resistance came back to the original value within minutes when exposed to nitrogen gas

Transglutaminase catalyzed cross-linking of sodium caseinate improves oxidative stability of flaxseed oil emulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hairan; Forssell, Pirkko; Kylli, Petri; Lampi, Anna-Maija; Buchert, Johanna; Boer, Harry; Partanen, Riitta

2012-06-20

Sodium caseinate was modified by transglutaminase catalyzed cross-linking reaction prior to the emulsification process in order to study the effect of cross-linking on the oxidative stability of protein stabilized emulsions. The extent of the cross-linking catalyzed by different dosages of transglutaminase was investigated by following the ammonia production during the reaction and using SDS-PAGE gel. O/W emulsions prepared with the cross-linked and non-cross-linked sodium caseinates were stored for 30 days under the same conditions. Peroxide value measurement, oxygen consumption measurement, and headspace gas chromatography analysis were used to study the oxidative stability of the emulsions. The emulsion made of the cross-linked sodium caseinate showed an improved oxidative stability with reduced formation of fatty acid hydroperoxides and volatiles and a longer period of low rate oxygen consumption. The improving effect of transglutaminase catalyzed cross-linking could be most likely attributed to the enhanced physical stability of the interfacial protein layer against competitive adsorption by oil oxidation products.

A novel strategy for preparing mechanically robust ionically cross-linked alginate hydrogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jejurikar, Aparna; Lawrie, Gwen; Groendahl, Lisbeth; Martin, Darren

2011-01-01

The properties of alginate films modified using two cross-linker ions (Ca 2+ and Ba 2+ ), comparing two separate cross-linking techniques (the traditional immersion (IM) method and a new strategy in a pressure-assisted diffusion (PD) method), are evaluated. This was achieved through measuring metal ion content, water uptake and film stability in an ionic solution ([Ca 2+ ] = 2 mM). Characterization of the internal structure and mechanical properties of hydrated films were established by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing, respectively. It was found that gels formed by the PD technique possessed greater stability and did not exhibit any delamination after 21 day immersion as compared to gels formed by the IM technique. The Ba 2+ cross-linked gels possessed significantly higher cross-linking density as reflected in lower water content, a more dense internal structure and higher Young's modulus compared to Ca 2+ cross-linked gels. For the Ca 2+ cross-linked gels, a large improvement in the mechanical properties was observed in gels produced by the PD technique and this was attributed to thicker pore walls observed within the hydrogel structure. In contrast, for the Ba 2+ cross-linked gels, the PD technique resulted in gels that had lower tensile strength and strain energy density and this was attributed to phase separation and larger macropores in this gel.

Ignition capsules with aerogel-supported liquid DT fuel for the National Ignition Facility

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Ho D.D.-M.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available For high repetition-rate fusion power plant applications, capsules with aerogel-supported liquid DT fuel can have much reduced fill time compared to β-layering a solid DT fuel layer. The melting point of liquid DT can be lowered once liquid DT is embedded in an aerogel matrix, and the DT vapor density is consequently closer to the desired density for optimal capsule design requirement. We present design for NIF-scale aerogel-filled capsules based on 1-D and 2-D simulations. An optimal configuration is obtained when the outer radius is increased until the clean fuel fraction is within 65 – 75% at peak velocity. A scan (in ablator and fuel thickness parameter space is used to optimize the capsule configurations. The optimized aerogel-filled capsule has good low-mode robustness and acceptable high-mode mix.

Photo-cross-linked small-molecule microarrays as chemical genomic tools for dissecting protein-ligand interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanoh, Naoki; Asami, Aya; Kawatani, Makoto; Honda, Kaori; Kumashiro, Saori; Takayama, Hiroshi; Simizu, Siro; Amemiya, Tomoyuki; Kondoh, Yasumitsu; Hatakeyama, Satoru; Tsuganezawa, Keiko; Utata, Rei; Tanaka, Akiko; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki; Tashiro, Hideo; Osada, Hiroyuki

2006-12-18

We have developed a unique photo-cross-linking approach for immobilizing a variety of small molecules in a functional-group-independent manner. Our approach depends on the reactivity of the carbene species generated from trifluoromethylaryldiazirine upon UV irradiation. It was demonstrated in model experiments that the photogenerated carbenes were able to react with every small molecule tested, and they produced multiple conjugates in most cases. It was also found in on-array immobilization experiments that various small molecules were immobilized, and the immobilized small molecules retained their ability to interact with their binding proteins. With this approach, photo-cross-linked microarrays of about 2000 natural products and drugs were constructed. This photo-cross-linked microarray format was found to be useful not merely for ligand screening but also to study the structure-activity relationship, that is, the relationship between the structural motif (or pharmacophore) found in small molecules and its binding affinity toward a protein, by taking advantage of the nonselective nature of the photo-cross-linking process.

Versatile fabrication of a superhydrophobic and ultralight cellulose-based aerogel for oil spillage clean-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hui; Li, Yuqi; Xu, Yaoguang; Lu, Zexiang; Chen, Lihui; Huang, Liulian; Fan, Mizi

2016-10-12

To deal with marine oil spillage and chemical leakage issues, a highly efficient absorbent (cellulose based aerogel) with a low density (ρ 98.5%) and high mechanical strength was fabricated via a novel physical-chemical foaming method, plasma treatment and subsequent silane modification process. This aerogel has a perfect 3D skeleton and interconnected pores similar to honeycomb, which are favorable to oil adsorption and storage. More importantly, without introducing additional micro/nanoparticles, the rough micro/nano structure of the surface was directly constructed using plasma irradiation in this study. The low surface energy substrate was further introduced using a simple physical-soaking method and the resulting aerogel exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA > 156°) and superoleophilicity (OCA = 0°), which can selectively and efficiently absorb various oils or organic solvents from polluted water. In addition, this aerogel has a high storage capacity and absorption capacity (up to 4300% and 99% of its weight and volume, respectively). More interestingly, this aerogel exhibits excellent mechanical abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance even in strong acid, alkali solution and salt marine environment. The aerogel could be reused more than 30 times after removal of the absorbed oil by rinsing with ethanol.

Computational investigation of kinetics of cross-linking reactions in proteins: importance in structure prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandyopadhyay, Pradipta; Kuntz, Irwin D

2009-01-01

The determination of protein structure using distance constraints is a new and promising field of study. One implementation involves attaching residues of a protein using a cross-linking agent, followed by protease digestion, analysis of the resulting peptides by mass spectroscopy, and finally sequence threading to detect the protein folds. In the present work, we carry out computational modeling of the kinetics of cross-linking reactions in proteins using the master equation approach. The rate constants of the cross-linking reactions are estimated using the pKas and the solvent-accessible surface areas of the residues involved. This model is tested with fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and cytochrome C. It is consistent with the initial experimental rate data for individual lysine residues for cytochrome C. Our model captures all observed cross-links for FGF and almost 90% of the observed cross-links for cytochrome C, although it also predicts cross-links that were not observed experimentally (false positives). However, the analysis of the false positive results is complicated by the fact that experimental detection of cross-links can be difficult and may depend on specific experimental conditions such as pH, ionic strength. Receiver operator characteristic plots showed that our model does a good job in predicting the observed cross-links. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that for cytochrome C, in general, the two lysines come closer for the observed cross-links as compared to the false positive ones. For FGF, no such clear pattern exists. The kinetic model and MD simulation can be used to study proposed cross-linking protocols.

Three-dimensional barium-sulfate-impregnated reduced graphene oxide aerogel for removal of strontium from aqueous solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Jiseon; Lee, Dae Sung

2018-06-01

A three-dimensional barium-sulfate-impregnated reduced graphene oxide (BaSO4-rGO) aerogel was successfully synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal method and was used as an adsorbent to remove strontium from aqueous solutions. The characterized elemental composition, crystal structure, and morphology of the prepared aerogel confirmed that barium sulfate particles were firmly anchored on the surface of the rGO sheets and exhibited a porous 3D structure with a high surface area of 129.37 m2/g. The mass ratio of BaSO4 in the BaSO4-rGO aerogel substantially affected strontium adsorption, and the optimal BaSO4/rGO ratio was found to be 1:1. The synthesized BaSO4-rGO aerogel not only reached adsorption equilibrium within 1 h, but also showed much higher adsorption capacity than an rGO aerogel. The experimental data were well fitted to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the adsorption behavior followed the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption capacity of strontium on BaSO4-rGO aerogels remained relatively high even under ionic competition in simulated seawater. These results showed that the BaSO4-rGO aerogel is an efficient and promising adsorbent for the treatment of strontium in aqueous solutions.

Preparation and Characterization of Highly Spherical Silica-titania Aerogel Beads with High Surface Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YU Yu-xi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The silica-titania aerogel beads were synthesized through sol-gel reaction followed by supercritical drying, in which TEOS and TBT as co-precursors, EtOH as solvents, HAC and NH3·H2O as catalysts. The as-prepared aerogel beads were characterized by SEM,TEM,XRD,FT-IR,TG-DTA and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. The results indicate that the diameter distribution of beads are between 1-8mm, the average diameter of beads is 3.5mm. The aerogel beads have nanoporous network structure with high specific surface area of 914.5m2/g, and the TiO2 particles are distributed in the aerogel uniformly, which keep the anatase crystal under high temperature.

Cross-linking methods of electrospun fibrinogen scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sell, Scott A; Garg, Koyal; McClure, Michael J; Bowlin, Gary L; Francis, Michael P; Simpson, David G

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to enhance the mechanical properties and slow the degradation of an electrospun fibrinogen scaffold, while maintaining the scaffold's high level of bioactivity. Three different cross-linkers were used to achieve this goal: glutaraldehyde vapour, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) in ethanol and genipin in ethanol. Scaffolds with a fibrinogen concentration of 120 mg ml -1 were electrospun and cross-linked with one of the aforementioned cross-linkers. Mechanical properties were determined through uniaxial tensile testing performed on scaffolds incubated under standard culture conditions for 1 day, 7 days and 14 days. Cross-linked scaffolds were seeded with human foreskin fibroblasts (BJ-GFP-hTERT) and cultured for 7, 14 and 21 days, with histology and scanning electron microscopy performed upon completion of the time course. Mechanical testing revealed significantly increased peak stress and modulus values for the EDC and genipin cross-linked scaffolds, with significantly slowed degradation. However, cross-linking with EDC and genipin was shown to have some negative effect on the bioactivity of the scaffolds as cell migration throughout the thickness of the scaffold was slowed.

Effects of magnetic impurity scattering on superfluid 3He in aerogel

Science.gov (United States)

Aoyama, Kazushi; Ikeda, Ryusuke

2009-02-01

We investigate impurity effects on superfluid 3He in aerogel whose surface is not coated with 4He, different from most experimental situations. In systems with no 4He coating, spins of solid 3He absorbed on the aerogel surface are active and interact with spins of quasiparticles relevant to superfluidity and, for this reason, such an aerogel is treated as magnetic scatterers. It is found that, in the ABM pairing state affected by magnetic scatterings, not only the l-vector but also the d-vector has no long-ranged orientational order, and that the strong-coupling correction due to impurity scatterings is less suppressed than that in the nonmagnetic case, implying an expansion of the A-like phase region.

Toward Aerogel Electrodes of Superior Rate Performance in Supercapacitors through Engineered Hollow Nanoparticles of NiCo2O4.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianjiang; Chen, Shuai; Zhu, Xiaoyi; She, Xilin; Liu, Tongchao; Zhang, Huawei; Komarneni, Sridhar; Yang, Dongjiang; Yao, Xiangdong

2017-12-01

A biomass-templated pathway is developed for scalable synthesis of NiCo 2 O 4 @carbon aerogel electrodes for supercapacitors, where NiCo 2 O 4 hollow nanoparticles with an average outer diameter of 30-40 nm are conjoined by graphitic carbon forming a 3D aerogel structure. This kind of NiCo 2 O 4 aerogel structure shows large specific surface area (167.8 m 2 g -1 ), high specific capacitance (903.2 F g -1 at a current density of 1 A g -1 ), outstanding rate performance (96.2% capacity retention from 1 to 10 A g -1 ), and excellent cycling stability (nearly without capacitance loss after 3000 cycles at 10 A g -1 ). The unique structure of the 3D hollow aerogel synergistically contributes to the high performance. For instance, the 3D interconnected porous structure of the aerogel is beneficial for electrolyte ion diffusion and for shortening the electron transport pathways, and thus can improve the rate performance. The conductive carbon joint greatly enhances the specific capacity, and the hollow structure prohibits the volume changes during the charge-discharge process to significantly improve the cycling stability. This work represents a giant step toward the preparation of high-performance commercial supercapacitors.

Plasmonic enhancement of visible-light water splitting with Au-TiO2 composite aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Desario, Paul A.; Pietron, Jeremy J.; Devantier, Devyn E.; Brintlinger, Todd H.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Rolison, Debra R.

2013-08-01

We demonstrate plasmonic enhancement of visible-light-driven splitting of water at three-dimensionally (3D) networked gold-titania (Au-TiO2) aerogels. The sol-gel-derived ultraporous composite nanoarchitecture, which contains 1 to 8.5 wt% Au nanoparticles and titania in the anatase form, retains the high surface area and mesoporosity of unmodified TiO2 aerogels and maintains stable dispersion of the ~5 nm Au guests. A broad surface plasmon resonance (SPR) feature centered at ~550 nm is present for the Au-TiO2 aerogels, but not Au-free TiO2 aerogels, and spans a wide range of the visible spectrum. Gold-derived SPR in Au-TiO2 aerogels cast as films on transparent electrodes drives photoelectrochemical oxidation of aqueous hydroxide and extends the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 from the ultraviolet region to visible wavelengths exceeding 700 nm. Films of Au-TiO2 aerogels in which Au nanoparticles are deposited on pre-formed TiO2 aerogels by a deposition-precipitation method (DP Au/TiO2) also photoelectrochemically oxidize aqueous hydroxide, but less efficiently than 3D Au-TiO2, despite having an essentially identical Au nanoparticle weight fraction and size distribution. For example, 3D Au-TiO2 containing 1 wt% Au is as active as DP Au/TiO2 with 4 wt% Au. The higher photocatalytic activity of 3D Au-TiO2 derives only in part from its ability to retain the surface area and porosity of unmodified TiO2 aerogel. The magnitude of improvement indicates that in the 3D arrangement either a more accessible photoelectrochemical reaction interphase (three-phase boundary) exists or more efficient conversion of excited surface plasmons into charge carriers occurs, thereby amplifying reactivity over DP Au/TiO2. The difference in photocatalytic efficiency between the two forms of Au-TiO2 demonstrates the importance of defining the structure of Au||TiO2 interfaces within catalytic Au-TiO2 nanoarchitectures.We demonstrate plasmonic enhancement of visible-light-driven splitting of

Novel sound phenomena in superfluid helium in aerogel and other impure superfluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brusov, Peter; Brusov, Paul; Lawes, Gavin; Lee, Chong; Matsubara, Akira; Ishikawa, Osamu; Majumdar, Pinaki

2003-01-01

During the last decade new techniques for producing impure superfluids with unique properties have been developed. This new class of systems includes superfluid helium confined to aerogel, HeII with different impurities (D 2 , N 2 , Ne, Kr), superfluids in Vycor glasses, and watergel. These systems exhibit very unusual properties including unexpected acoustic features. We discuss the sound properties of these systems and show that sound phenomena in impure superfluids are modified from those in pure superfluids. We calculate the coupling between temperature and pressure oscillations for impure superfluids and for superfluid He in aerogel. We show that the coupling between these two sound modes is governed either by c∂ρ/∂c or σρ a ρ s (for aerogel) rather than thermal expansion coefficient ∂ρ/∂T, which is enormously small in pure superfluids. This replacement plays a fundamental role in all sound phenomena in impure superfluids. It enhances the coupling between the two sound modes that leads to the existence of such phenomena as the slow mode and heat pulse propagation with the velocity of first sound observed in superfluids in aerogel. This means that it is possible to observe in impure superfluids such unusual sound phenomena as slow pressure (density) waves and fast temperature (entropy) waves. The enhancement of the coupling between the two sound modes decreases the threshold values for nonlinear processes as compared to pure superfluids. Sound conversion, which has been observed in pure superfluids only by shock waves should be observed at moderate sound amplitude in impure superfluids. Cerenkov emission of second sound by first sound (which never been observed in pure superfluids) could be observed in impure superfluids

Dehydration of an azeotrope of ethanol/water by sodium carboxymethylcellulose membranes cross-linked with organic or inorganic cross-linker

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2010-11-01

Full Text Available To control the swelling of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa membranes, mixtures of CMCNa and glutaraldehyde (GA and mixtures of CMCNa as an organic component and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS as an inorganic component were prepared, and CMCNa/GA cross-linked membranes and CMCNa/TEOS hybrid membranes were formed. In the separation of an ethanol/water azeotrope by pervaporation (PV, the effects of the GA or TEOS content on the water/ethanol selectivity and permeability of these CMCNa/GA cross-linked and CMCNa/TEOS hybrid membranes were investigated. Cross-linked and hybrid membranes containing up to 10 wt% GA or 10 wt% TEOS exhibited higher water/ethanol selectivity than CMCNa membrane without any cross-linker. This resulted from both increased density and depressed swelling of the membranes by the formation of a cross-linked structure. The relationship between the structure of the CMCNa/GA cross-linked membranes and CMCNa/TEOS hybrid membranes and their permeation and separation characteristics for an ethanol/water azeotrope during PV is discussed in detail.

Rheological properties of dispersions of enzymatically cross-linked apo-α-lactalbumin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saricay, Yunus; Wierenga, Peter A.; Vries, de Renko

2016-01-01

The enzymatic cross-linking of apo-α-lactalbumin (α-LA) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) leads to the formation of hydrophilic protein aggregates with controlled size and architecture. We explore the rheological properties of dispersions of these HRP-cross-linked α-LA aggregates with a

Models for stiffening in cross-linked biopolymer networks : A comparative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dillen, T.; Onck, P. R.; Van der Giessen, E.

In a recent publication, we studied the mechanical stiffening behavior in two-dimensional (2D) cross-linked networks of semiflexible biopolymer filaments under simple shear [Onck, P.R., Koeman, T., Van Dillen, T., Van der Giessen, E., 2005. Alternative explanation of stiffening in cross-linked

Cross-Linked Amylose Bio-Plastic: A Transgenic-Based Compostable Plastic Alternative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domenico Sagnelli

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Bio-plastics and bio-materials are composed of natural or biomass derived polymers, offering solutions to solve immediate environmental issues. Polysaccharide-based bio-plastics represent important alternatives to conventional plastic because of their intrinsic biodegradable nature. Amylose-only (AO, an engineered barley starch with 99% amylose, was tested to produce cross-linked all-natural bioplastic using normal barley starch as a control. Glycerol was used as plasticizer and citrate cross-linking was used to improve the mechanical properties of cross-linked AO starch extrudates. Extrusion converted the control starch from A-type to Vh- and B-type crystals, showing a complete melting of the starch crystals in the raw starch granules. The cross-linked AO and control starch specimens displayed an additional wide-angle diffraction reflection. Phospholipids complexed with Vh-type single helices constituted an integrated part of the AO starch specimens. Gas permeability tests of selected starch-based prototypes demonstrated properties comparable to that of commercial Mater-Bi© plastic. The cross-linked AO prototypes had composting characteristics not different from the control, indicating that the modified starch behaves the same as normal starch. The data shows the feasibility of producing all-natural bioplastic using designer starch as raw material.

Cross-Linked Amylose Bio-Plastic: A Transgenic-Based Compostable Plastic Alternative

Science.gov (United States)

Sagnelli, Domenico; Kemmer, Gerdi Christine; Holse, Mette; Hebelstrup, Kim H.; Bao, Jinsong; Stelte, Wolfgang; Bjerre, Anne-Belinda; Blennow, Andreas

2017-01-01

Bio-plastics and bio-materials are composed of natural or biomass derived polymers, offering solutions to solve immediate environmental issues. Polysaccharide-based bio-plastics represent important alternatives to conventional plastic because of their intrinsic biodegradable nature. Amylose-only (AO), an engineered barley starch with 99% amylose, was tested to produce cross-linked all-natural bioplastic using normal barley starch as a control. Glycerol was used as plasticizer and citrate cross-linking was used to improve the mechanical properties of cross-linked AO starch extrudates. Extrusion converted the control starch from A-type to Vh- and B-type crystals, showing a complete melting of the starch crystals in the raw starch granules. The cross-linked AO and control starch specimens displayed an additional wide-angle diffraction reflection. Phospholipids complexed with Vh-type single helices constituted an integrated part of the AO starch specimens. Gas permeability tests of selected starch-based prototypes demonstrated properties comparable to that of commercial Mater-Bi© plastic. The cross-linked AO prototypes had composting characteristics not different from the control, indicating that the modified starch behaves the same as normal starch. The data shows the feasibility of producing all-natural bioplastic using designer starch as raw material. PMID:28973963

Cross-Linked Amylose Bio-Plastic: A Transgenic-Based Compostable Plastic Alternative.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagnelli, Domenico; Hooshmand, Kourosh; Kemmer, Gerdi Christine; Kirkensgaard, Jacob J K; Mortensen, Kell; Giosafatto, Concetta Valeria L; Holse, Mette; Hebelstrup, Kim H; Bao, Jinsong; Stelte, Wolfgang; Bjerre, Anne-Belinda; Blennow, Andreas

2017-09-30

Bio-plastics and bio-materials are composed of natural or biomass derived polymers, offering solutions to solve immediate environmental issues. Polysaccharide-based bio-plastics represent important alternatives to conventional plastic because of their intrinsic biodegradable nature. Amylose-only (AO), an engineered barley starch with 99% amylose, was tested to produce cross-linked all-natural bioplastic using normal barley starch as a control. Glycerol was used as plasticizer and citrate cross-linking was used to improve the mechanical properties of cross-linked AO starch extrudates. Extrusion converted the control starch from A-type to Vh- and B-type crystals, showing a complete melting of the starch crystals in the raw starch granules. The cross-linked AO and control starch specimens displayed an additional wide-angle diffraction reflection. Phospholipids complexed with Vh-type single helices constituted an integrated part of the AO starch specimens. Gas permeability tests of selected starch-based prototypes demonstrated properties comparable to that of commercial Mater-Bi © plastic. The cross-linked AO prototypes had composting characteristics not different from the control, indicating that the modified starch behaves the same as normal starch. The data shows the feasibility of producing all-natural bioplastic using designer starch as raw material.

Riboflavin/UVA Collagen Cross-Linking-Induced Changes in Normal and Keratoconus Corneal Stroma

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Sally; Boote, Craig; Kamma-Lorger, Christina S.; Rajan, Madhavan S.; Harris, Jonathan; Dooley, Erin; Hawksworth, Nicholas; Hiller, Jennifer; Terill, Nick J.; Hafezi, Farhad; Brahma, Arun K.; Quantock, Andrew J.; Meek, Keith M.

2011-01-01

Purpose To determine the effect of Ultraviolet-A collagen cross-linking with hypo-osmolar and iso-osmolar riboflavin solutions on stromal collagen ultrastructure in normal and keratoconus ex vivo human corneas. Methods Using small-angle X-ray scattering, measurements of collagen D-periodicity, fibril diameter and interfibrillar spacing were made at 1 mm intervals across six normal post-mortem corneas (two above physiological hydration (swollen) and four below (unswollen)) and two post-transplant keratoconus corneal buttons (one swollen; one unswollen), before and after hypo-osmolar cross-linking. The same parameters were measured in three other unswollen normal corneas before and after iso-osmolar cross-linking and in three pairs of swollen normal corneas, in which only the left was cross-linked (with iso-osmolar riboflavin). Results Hypo-osmolar cross-linking resulted in an increase in corneal hydration in all corneas. In the keratoconus corneas and unswollen normal corneas, this was accompanied by an increase in collagen interfibrillar spacing (priboflavin solutions are more likely a consequence of treatment-induced changes in tissue hydration rather than cross-linking. PMID:21850225

Cross-Linked ZnO Nanowalls Immobilized onto Bamboo Surface and Their Use as Recyclable Photocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunde Jin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A novel recyclable photocatalyst was fabricated by hydrothermal method to immobilize the cross-linked ZnO nanowalls on the bamboo surface. The resultant samples were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, and Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR techniques. FTIR spectra demonstrated that the cross-linked wurtzite ZnO nanowalls and bamboo surface were interconnected with each other by hydrogen bonds. Meanwhile, the cross-linked ZnO nanowalls modified bamboo (CZNB presented a superior photocatalytic ability and could be recycled at least 3 times with a photocatalytic efficiency up to 70%. The current research provides a new opportunity for the development of a portable and recycled biomass-based photocatalysts which can be an efficiently degraded pollutant solution and reused several times.

Propiedades mecánicas de aerogeles híbridos de sílice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piñero, M.

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Hybrids silica aerogels have been obtained by means the high power ultrasounds application in the precursor liquid and the drying of the wet gel under the supercritical condition of ethanol. The organic chains don’t degrade thermally and accelerate the network shrinkage process by thermal activation. The ultrasounds induce an organic chain crosslinking bonding to the porous silica clusters and avoid its cyclidation. The failure tests by uniaxial compression show an increase of the rupture modulus, passing from 8 MPa for a pure silica aerogel to 24 MPa for an aerogel with a 50 weight % of polymer content. It is also noted a continuous decrease of the Young’s modulus with the polymer content (from 100 to 56 MPa. These hybrid aerogels behave as elastomers with up to a 50% strain, showing a decrease in the relaxation viscoelastic modulus.

Se han obtenido aerogeles híbridos de sílice orgánico-inorgánico por aplicación de ultrasonidos de alta potencia en los precursores líquidos y posterior secado del gel húmedo en condiciones supercríticas en etanol. Las cadenas orgánicas no se degradan térmicamente y aceleran el proceso de contracción de la red por activación térmica. Los ultrasonidos inducen un entrecruzamiento de cadenas orgánicas que unen los cúmulos de sílice porosa y evitan su ciclidación. Los ensayos de ruptura en compresión uniaxial indicaron un aumento del módulo de ruptura, pasando de 8 MPa para el aerogel de sílice pura hasta 24 MPa para un aerogel de 50% en peso de contenido de polímero. Se observa asimismo una disminución continua en el módulo de Young con el contenido de polímero (de 100 a 56 MPa. Estos aerogeles híbridos se comportan como elastómeros con deformaciones de hasta el 50%, mostrando una disminución del módulo de relajación viscoelástica.

System and method for 3D printing of aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Worsley, Marcus A.; Duoss, Eric; Kuntz, Joshua; Spadaccini, Christopher; Zhu, Cheng

2016-03-08

A method of forming an aerogel. The method may involve providing a graphene oxide powder and mixing the graphene oxide powder with a solution to form an ink. A 3D printing technique may be used to write the ink into a catalytic solution that is contained in a fluid containment member to form a wet part. The wet part may then be cured in a sealed container for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature. The cured wet part may then be dried to form a finished aerogel part.

Highly sensitive room temperature organic vapor sensor based on polybenzoxazine-derived carbon aerogel thin film composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thubsuang, Uthen [Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Resources, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160 (Thailand); Sukanan, Darunee [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College and the Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Sahasithiwat, Somboon [National Metal and Materials Technology Center, Thailand Science Park (TSP), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120 (Thailand); Wongkasemjit, Sujitra [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College and the Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Chaisuwan, Thanyalak, E-mail: thanyalak.c@chula.ac.th [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College and the Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Activated carbon aerogel with high surface area can be prepared from polybenzoxazine. • Activated carbon aerogel enhances the adsorption capacity of gas sensor. • Organic vapors with very low concentration can be detected by the as-prepared sensor. • The as-prepared sensor shows impressive short exposure and recovery time. • The response to different organic vapors can be tailored by changing polymer matrix. - Abstract: Gas sensing composites were fabricated using polybenzoxazine-based activated carbon aerogel as a conductive filler. The activated carbon aerogel is a nano-porous material, which has high pore volume of 0.57 cm{sup 3}/g and surface area of 917 m{sup 2}/g. The activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite displayed good response of 11.2 and 6.7 to toluene and n-hexane, respectively, compared to those of graphite/polybutadiene composite. The activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite also showed high sensitivity of 3.09 × 10{sup 2} ppm{sup −1} to toluene. However, the sensitivity of activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite drastically decreased to 1.99 ppm{sup −1} and zero when exposed to acetone and water, respectively. Contrarily, when polyvinyl alcohol was used as a matrix, the sensitivity was about 4.19 ppm{sup −1} to water. While the composite was found to be not sensitive to toluene. The activated carbon aerogel/polybutadiene composite also showed good recovery as the electrical resistance came back to the original value within minutes when exposed to nitrogen gas.

Development of a 144-channel Hybrid Avalanche Photo-Detector for Belle II ring-imaging Cherenkov counter with an aerogel radiator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishida, S., E-mail: shohei.nishida@kek.jp [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Adachi, I. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Hamada, N. [Toho University, Funabashi (Japan); Hara, K. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan); Iijima, T. [Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Iwata, S.; Kakuno, H. [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Kawai, H. [Chiba University, Chiba (Japan); Korpar, S.; Krizan, P. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Ogawa, S. [Toho University, Funabashi (Japan); Pestotnik, R.; Ŝantelj, L.; Seljak, A. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Sumiyoshi, T. [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Tabata, M. [Chiba University, Chiba (Japan); Tahirovic, E. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Yoshida, K. [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji (Japan); Yusa, Y. [Niigata University, Niigata (Japan)

2015-07-01

The Belle II detector, a follow up of the very successful Belle experiment, is under construction at the SuperKEKB electron–positron collider at KEK in Japan. For the PID system in the forward region of the spectrometer, a proximity-focusing ring-imaging Cherenkov counter with an aerogel radiator is being developed. For the position sensitive photon sensor, a 144-channel Hybrid Avalanche Photo-Detector has been developed with Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. In this report, we describe the specification of the Hybrid Avalanche Photo-Detector and the status of the mass production.

Design and Preparation of Cross-Linked Polystyrene Nanoparticles for Elastomer Reinforcement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Lu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Cross-linked polystyrene (PS particles in a latex form were synthesized by free radical emulsion polymerization. The nano-PS-filled elastomer composites were prepared by the energy-saving latex compounding method. Results showed that the PS particles took a spherical shape in the size of 40–60 nm with a narrow size distribution, and the glass-transition temperature of the PS nanoparticles increased with the cross-linking density. The outcomes from the mechanical properties demonstrated that when filled into styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR, nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR, and natural rubber (NR, the cross-linked PS nano-particles exhibited excellent reinforcing capabilities in all the three matrices, and the best in the SBR matrix. In comparison with that of the carbon black filled composites, another distinguished advantage of the cross-linked PS particles filled elastomer composites was found to be light weight in density, which could help to save tremendous amount of energy when put into end products.

Aerogel Cherenkov Counters of the KEDR Detector

CERN Document Server

Ovtin, I V; Barnyakov, M Y; Bobrovnikov, V S; Buzykaev, A R; Danilyuk, A F; Katcin, A A; Kononov, S A; Kravchenko, E A; Kuyanov, I A; Onuchin, A P; Rodiakin, V A

2017-01-01

The particle identification system of the KEDR detector is based on aerogel threshold Cherenkov counters called ASHIPH counters. The system consists of 160 counters arranged in two layers. An event reconstruction program for the ASHIPH system was developed. The position of each counter relative to the tracking system was determined using cosmic muons and Bhabha events. The geometric efficiency of the ASHIPH system was verified with Bhabha events. The efficiency of relativistic particle detection was measured with cosmic muons. A π/K separation of 4δ in the momentum range 0.95 −1.45 GeV/c was confirmed. A simulation program for the ASHIPH counters has been developed.

From Green Aerogels to Porous Graphite by Emulsion Gelation of Acrylonitrile

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

interparticle covalent bridging in the mechanical properties of aerogels,30 we have opted for a bottom-up process, whereas PAN aerogels are...series that employs the hanging pendant drop method, and data were analyzed using the Young−Laplace equation through the instrument software. Elemental...that the layer of the surfactant prevents intimate contact and efficient covalent bridging between the skeletal nanoparticles. Overall, our ability to

Aerogel Hybrid Composite Materials: Designs and Testing for Multifunctional Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Martha K.; Fesmire, James E.

2016-01-01

This webinar will introduce the broad spectrum of aerogel composites and their diverse performance properties such as reduced heat transfer to energy storage, and expands specifically on the aerogel/fiber laminate systems and testing methodologies. The multi-functional laminate composite system, AeroFiber, and its construction is designed by varying the type of fiber (e.g. polyester, carbon, Kevlar®, Spectra® or Innegral(TradeMark) and combinations thereof), the aerogel panel type and thickness, and overall layup configuration. The combination and design of materials may be customized and tailored to achieve a range of desired properties in the resulting laminate system. Multi-functional properties include structural strength, impact resistance, reduction in heat transfer, increased fire resistance, mechanical energy absorption, and acoustic energy dampening. Applications include aerospace, aircraft, automotive, boating, building and construction, lightweight portable structures, liquefied natural gas, cryogenics, transportation and energy, sporting equipment, and military protective gear industries.

Method for producing metal oxide aerogels having densities less than 0. 02 g/cc

Science.gov (United States)

Tillotson, T.M.; Poco, J.F.; Hrubesh, L.W.; Thomas, I.M.

1994-01-04

A two-step method is described for making transparent aerogels which have a density of less than 0.003 g/cm[sup 3] to those with a density of more than 0.8 g/cm[sup 3], by a sol/gel process and supercritical extraction. Condensed metal oxide intermediate made with purified reagents can be diluted to produce stable aerogels with a density of less than 0.02 g/cm[sup 3]. High temperature, direct supercritical extraction of the liquid phase of the gel produces hydrophobic aerogels which are stable at atmospheric moisture conditions. Monolithic, homogeneous silica aerogels with a density of less than 0.02 to higher than 0.8 g/cm[sup 3], with high thermal insulation capacity, improved mechanical strength and good optical transparency, are described. 7 figures.

Cross-linking of rubber in the presence of multi-functional cross-linking aids via thermoreversible Diels-Alder chemistry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polgar, L. M.; Fortunato, G.; Araya-Hermosilla, R.; van Duin, M.; Pucci, A.; Picchioni, F.

Furan-functionalized polyketone (PK-FU) was added to a furan-functionalized ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM-FU). The mixture was subsequently cross-linked with a bismaleimide through Diels-Alder chemistry in order to improve the mechanical properties of the rubber. Infrared spectroscopy showed the

Solution processed organic light-emitting diodes using the plasma cross-linking technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Kongduo [Department of Light Sources and Illuminating Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Liu, Yang [Department of Light Sources and Illuminating Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Engineering Research Center of Advanced Lighting Technology, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433 (China); Gong, Junyi; Zeng, Pan; Kong, Xun; Yang, Xilu; Yang, Cheng; Yu, Yan [Department of Light Sources and Illuminating Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Liang, Rongqing [Department of Light Sources and Illuminating Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Engineering Research Center of Advanced Lighting Technology, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433 (China); Ou, Qiongrong, E-mail: qrou@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Light Sources and Illuminating Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Engineering Research Center of Advanced Lighting Technology, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2016-09-30

Highlights: • Mixed acetylene and Ar plasma treatment makes the organic film surface cross-linked. • The plasma treatment for 30 s does not affect the performance of OLEDs. • Cross-linking surface can resist rinsing and corrosion of organic solvent. • The surface morphology is nearly unchanged after plasma treatment. • The plasma cross-linking method can realize solution processed multilayer OLEDs. - Abstract: Solution processed multilayer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) present challenges, especially regarding dissolution of the first layer during deposition of a second layer. In this work, we first demonstrated a plasma cross-linking technology to produce a solution processed OLED. The surfaces of organic films can be cross-linked after mixed acetylene and Ar plasma treatment for several tens of seconds and resist corrosion of organic solvent. The film thickness and surface morphology of emissive layers (EMLs) with plasma treatment and subsequently spin-rinsed with chlorobenzene are nearly unchanged. The solution processed triple-layer OLED is successfully fabricated and the current efficiency increases 50% than that of the double-layer OLED. Fluorescent characteristics of EMLs are also observed to investigate factors influencing the efficiency of the triple-layer OLED. Plasma cross-linking technology may open up a new pathway towards fabrication of all-solution processed multilayer OLEDs and other soft electronic devices.

Formulation and Characterization of Glutaraldehyde Cross-Linked ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... drug/polymer ratio, volume of cross linking agent and volume of surfactant were ... The microspheres were characterized for entrapment efficiency, drug loading, ... size distribution (105 – 219 μm) and an entrapment efficiency of up to 73 %.

Nanocellulose-assisted low-temperature synthesis and supercapacitor performance of reduced graphene oxide aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Ran, Ran; Sunarso, Jaka; Yin, Chao; Zou, Honggang; Feng, Yi; Li, Xiaobao; Zheng, Xu; Yao, Jianfeng

2017-04-01

Here, we have synthesized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogels using a nanocellulose-assisted low temperature (less than 500 °C) thermal treatment route where nanocelluloses promote the gelation of graphene oxide (GO) solution that benefits the fabrication of GO aerogels from low concentration dispersion (2.85 mg mL-1), and after their thermal decomposition the residual nanofibers act as spacer both prevent the re-stacking of graphene sheets and integrate with rGO sheets to give a particular kind of carbon-based aerogel along with numerous defects (holes). Thermal decomposition of nanocellulose appears to be complete beyond 350 °C thus its presence in form of amorphous carbon nanofibers in rGO sheets. The rGO aerogels synthesized at 350 °C provide the best balance in terms of wide interlayer spacing, high content of CO-type functional groups, and high defects content. This translates into a high discharge capacitance of 270 F g-1 at a current rate of 1 A g-1 for compressed rGO aerogels without any binder or conductive additive. Detailed electrochemical tests using 6 M KOH electrolyte establish the fact that pseudocapacitance component has substantial contribution towards the overall capacitance; closely approaching the contribution of the double layer capacitance that is the most dominant capacitance component.

An Investigation on Rheology of Peroxide Cross-linking of Low Density Polyethylene

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghasemi, Ismaeil; Rasmussen, Henrik K.; Szabo, Peter

2005-01-01

One of the most important post-reactor modifications of polyethylene is cross-linking. It improves some properties of polyethylene such as environmental stress cracking resistance, chemical and abrasion resistance, and service temperature. In this study, the effect of peroxide cross-linking on th......One of the most important post-reactor modifications of polyethylene is cross-linking. It improves some properties of polyethylene such as environmental stress cracking resistance, chemical and abrasion resistance, and service temperature. In this study, the effect of peroxide cross......-linking on the rheological behaviour of low density polyethylene was investigated by using a combination of creep test and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) in isotherm condition. The used peroxide was di-cumyl peroxide and its concentration was 2 wt%. The experiments were carried out at 150,160, and 170 degrees C...

Studies in cross-linking PVC footwear soling compounds using gamma-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, L.I.

1983-01-01

Irradiation cross-linking of polymeric materials has been known for some time but it is only in recent years that it has been put to commercial advantage. Well known uses are the modification of PVC for high temperature applications such as under-bonnet wiring, stove wiring, post office telecommunication wire and shrink tubing. In South Africa interest in developing commercial applications for cross-linkable polymeric materials was initially stimulated through the work of the Atomic Energy Board at Pelindaba in late 1971 using a cobalt - 60 gamma radiation unit

Fluorescence spectroscopic study of the aggregation behavior of non-cross-linked and cross-linked poly(alkylmethyldiallylammonium bromides) having decyl, octyl, and hexyl side chains in aqueous solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, G.J; Engberts, J.B.F.N.

1996-01-01

The conformational state of a series of non-cross-linked and cross-linked poly(alkylmethyldiallylammonium bromides) bearing decyl, octyl, and hexyl side chains ((CL)-CopolC1-10, (CL)-CopolC1-8, and (CL)-CopolC1-6, respectively) in aqueous solutions were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy

Assessment of UVA-Riboflavin Corneal Cross-Linking Using Small Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslanides, Ioannis M; Dessi, Claudia; Georgoudis, Panagiotis; Charalambidis, Georgios; Vlassopoulos, Dimitris; Coutsolelos, Athanassios G; Kymionis, George; Mukherjee, Achyut; Kitsopoulos, Theofanis N

2016-04-01

The effect of ultraviolet (UV)-riboflavin cross-linking (CXL) has been measured primarily using the strip extensometry technique. We propose a simple and reliable methodology for the assessment of CXL treatment by using an established rheologic protocol based on small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) measurements. It provides information on the average cross-link density and the elastic modulus of treated cornea samples. Three fresh postmortem porcine corneas were used to study the feasibility of the technique, one serving as control and two receiving corneal collagen cross-linking treatment. Subsequently, five pairs of fresh postmortem porcine corneas received corneal collagen cross-linking treatment with riboflavin and UVA-irradiation (370 nm; irradiance of 3 mW/cm2) for 30 minutes (Dresden protocol); the contralateral porcine corneas were used as control samples. After the treatment, the linear viscoelastic moduli of the corneal samples were measured using SAOS measurements and the average cross-linking densities extracted. For all cases investigated, the dynamic moduli of the cross-linked corneas were higher compared to those of the corresponding control samples. The increase of the elastic modulus of the treated samples was between 122% and 1750%. The difference was statistically significant for all tested samples (P = 0.018, 2-tailed t-test). We report a simple and accurate methodology for quantifying the effects of cross-linking on porcine corneas treated with the Dresden protocol by means of SAOS measurements in the linear regime. The measured dynamic moduli, elastic and viscous modulus, represent the energy storage and energy dissipation, respectively. Hence, they provide a means to assess the changing physical properties of the cross-linked collagen networks after CXL treatment.

Carboxymethyl starch cross-linked by electron beam radiation in presence of acrylic acid sensitizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doan Binh; Nguyen Thanh Duoc; Pham Thi Thu Hong

2013-01-01

Carboxymethyl starch (CMS) can be cross-linked by electron beam radiation to form a biocompatible and environment-friendly hydrogel at a high absorbed dose and a condensed CMS concentration. Acrylic acid (AAc) can be used as a sensitizer in order to reduce the absorbed doses to an acceptable certain level. At an absorbed dose of 3-4 kGy, the gel content of crosslinked CMS can be obtained about 50% with 5% (w/w) AAc concentration used. The compressive strength of CMS samples increased with increasing their cross-linked densities due to raising absorbed doses. The swelling ratio of cross-linked CMS was also attainable at a maximum of 50 times in the distilled water. The enzymatic degradation of cross-linked CMS was carried out in acetate buffer pH 4.6 with 0.1% α-amylase enzymatic solution incubated at 40℃ for 6 h. The crosslinked CMS samples were degraded slower than uncrosslinked CMS ones. The results indicated that the highly cross-linked CMS was almost fully degradable when the enzymatic hydrolysis was performed during 6 h. The FT IR spectra of cross-linked CMS in the presence of AAc were examined to observe the carboxyl group of AAc in the structure of cross-linked CMS. The hydrophilic of cross-linked CMS surface was determined by a contact-angle analysis. (authors)

Optimization of an aerogel cerenkov detector having a mirror light collection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johansson, K.E.; Aakesson, T.; Norrby, J.

1979-01-01

Cerenkov detectors with silica aerogel of refractive indec 1.03 as the radiator have been tested in a particle beam at the CERN Proton Synchrotron. With a detector surface of 22 x 50 cm 2 and 9 cm thickness of aerogel, the number of photoelectrons was found to be 6.5 for β = 1 particles. (author)

Preparation, microstructure and hydrogen sorption properties of nanoporous carbon aerogels under ambient drying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, H Y; Buckley, C E; Mule, S; Paskevicius, M; Dhal, B B

2008-01-01

Organic aerogels are prepared by the sol-gel method from polymerization of resorcinol with furfural. These aerogels are further carbonized in nitrogen in order to obtain their corresponding carbon aerogels (CA); a sample which was carbonized at 900 deg. C was also activated in a carbon dioxide atmosphere at 900 deg. C. The chemical reaction mechanism and optimum synthesis conditions are investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermoanalyses (thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyses) with a focus on the sol-gel process. The carbon aerogels were investigated with respect to their microstructures, using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption measurements at 77 K. SAXS studies showed that micropores with a radius of gyration of 2 g -1 displayed a reasonably high hydrogen uptake at 77 K with a maximum hydrogen sorption of 3.6 wt% at 2.5 MPa. These results suggest that CA are promising candidate hydrogen storage materials.

Linking Data and Publications: Towards a Cross-Disciplinary Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maarten Hoogerwerf

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we tackle the challenge of linking scholarly information in multi-disciplinary research infrastructures. There is a trend towards linking publications with research data and other information, but, as it is still emerging, this is handled differently by various initiatives and disciplines. For OpenAIRE, a European cross-disciplinary publication infrastructure, this poses the challenge of supporting these heterogeneous practices. Hence, OpenAIRE wants to contribute to the development of a common approach for discipline-independent linking practices between publications, data, project information and researchers. To this end, we constructed two demonstrators to identify commonalities and differences. The results show the importance of stable and unique identifiers, and support a ‘by reference’ approach of interlinking research results. This approach allows discipline-specific research information to be managed independently in distributed systems and avoids redundant maintenance. Furthermore, it allows these disciplinary systems to manage the specialized structures of their contents themselves.

Bioinspired Synthesis of Monolithic and Layered Aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xiao; Hassan, Khalil T; Harvey, Alan; Kulijer, Dejan; Oila, Adrian; Hunt, Michael R C; Šiller, Lidija

2018-04-25

Aerogels are the least dense and most porous materials known to man, with potential applications from lightweight superinsulators to smart energy materials. To date their use has been seriously hampered by their synthesis methods, which are laborious and expensive. Taking inspiration from the life cycle of the damselfly, a novel ambient pressure-drying approach is demonstrated in which instead of employing low-surface-tension organic solvents to prevent pore collapse during drying, sodium bicarbonate solution is used to generate pore-supporting carbon dioxide in situ, significantly reducing energy, time, and cost in aerogel production. The generic applicability of this readily scalable new approach is demonstrated through the production of granules, monoliths, and layered solids with a number of precursor materials. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

On the correlation between the porous structure and the electrochemical response of powdered and monolithic carbon aerogels as electrodes for capacitive deionization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macías, C., E-mail: carlosmacias@nanoquimia.com [Nanoquimia S.L., PCT Rabanales 21, Ed. Aldebarán M.4.3., 14014 Córdoba (Spain); Lavela, P. [Laboratorio de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Marie Curie, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba (Spain); Rasines, G. [Nanoquimia S.L., PCT Rabanales 21, Ed. Aldebarán M.4.3., 14014 Córdoba (Spain); Zafra, M.C.; Tirado, J.L. [Laboratorio de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Marie Curie, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba (Spain); Ania, C.O. [ADPOR Group, Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR), CSIC, Apdo. 73, 33080 Oviedo (Spain)

2016-10-15

The combined effect of resorcinol/catalyst (100≤R/C≤800) and resorcinol/water (0.04≤R/W≤0.13) molar ratio on the textural and capacitive properties of carbon aerogels with potential application for capacitive deionization has been evaluated. Activated and pyrolyzed aerogels were synthesized by the sol-gel polymerization of resorcinol-formaldehyde mixtures and dried in supercritical conditions. Data show that high R/C and R/W molar ratios lead to materials with large pores in the mesopore range, whereas the surface area and micropore volumes remain somewhat the same. The activation of the aerogels increased the differences in the specific surface and micropore volumes due to the development of microporosity. This effect was more remarkable for the samples with low R/C whatever the R/W ratio, indicating that the carbon aerogel obtained using high amounts of catalyst are more prone to be activated. Regarding the electrochemical features of the aerogels, low capacitance values were measured in aerogels combining low R/W and high R/C and reciprocally low R/C and high R/W molar ratios, due to their higher resistance. Polarization resistances were found to be slightly higher for the pyrolyzed than for activated aerogels, and followed a decreasing trend with the mesoporosity, indicating the outstanding contribution of the mesoporous network to provide a good kinetic response. The desalting capacity of monolithic aerogels showed a simultaneous dependence with the surface area and the resistivity of the electrodes, pointing out the importance of performing electrochemical measurements in adequate cell configurations (i.e., desalting units) upon the intended application. - Graphical abstract: The textural properties of carbon aerogels are strongly influenced by the synthesis parameters precursor to catalyst (R/C) and water (R/C) ratios. The volumetric capacitance measured in a symmetric cell with monolithic electrodes of carbon aerogel strongly correlates with both

Multi-stimulus-responsive shape-memory polymer nanocomposite network cross-linked by cellulose nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ye; Li, Ying; Yang, Guang; Zheng, Xiaotong; Zhou, Shaobing

2015-02-25

In this study, we developed a thermoresponsive and water-responsive shape-memory polymer nanocomposite network by chemically cross-linking cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The nanocomposite network was fully characterized, including the microstructure, cross-link density, water contact angle, water uptake, crystallinity, thermal properties, and static and dynamic mechanical properties. We found that the PEG[60]-PCL[40]-CNC[10] nanocomposite exhibited excellent thermo-induced and water-induced shape-memory effects in water at 37 °C (close to body temperature), and the introduction of CNC clearly improved the mechanical properties of the mixture of both PEG and PCL polymers with low molecular weights. In addition, Alamar blue assays based on osteoblasts indicated that the nanocomposites possessed good cytocompatibility. Therefore, this thermoresponsive and water-responsive shape-memory nanocomposite could be potentially developed into a new smart biomaterial.

Role of special cross-links in structure formation of bacterial DNA polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Tejal; Manjunath, G. P.; Habib, Farhat; Lakshmi Vaddavalli, Pavana; Chatterji, Apratim

2018-01-01

Using data from contact maps of the DNA-polymer of Escherichia coli (E. Coli) (at kilobase pair resolution) as an input to our model, we introduce cross-links between monomers in a bead-spring model of a ring polymer at very specific points along the chain. Via suitable Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the presence of these cross-links leads to a particular organization of the chain at large (micron) length scales of the DNA. We also investigate the structure of a ring polymer with an equal number of cross-links at random positions along the chain. We find that though the polymer does get organized at the large length scales, the nature of the organization is quite different from the organization observed with cross-links at specific biologically determined positions. We used the contact map of E. Coli bacteria which has around 4.6 million base pairs in a single circular chromosome. In our coarse-grained flexible ring polymer model, we used 4642 monomer beads and observed that around 80 cross-links are enough to induce the large-scale organization of the molecule accounting for statistical fluctuations caused by thermal energy. The length of a DNA chain even of a simple bacterial cell such as E. Coli is much longer than typical proteins, hence we avoided methods used to tackle protein folding problems. We define new suitable quantities to identify the large scale structure of a polymer chain with a few cross-links.

In-Culture Cross-Linking of Bacterial Cells Reveals Large-Scale Dynamic Protein-Protein Interactions at the Peptide Level.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Luitzen; de Koning, Edward A; Roseboom, Winfried; Buncherd, Hansuk; Wanner, Martin J; Dapic, Irena; Jansen, Petra J; van Maarseveen, Jan H; Corthals, Garry L; Lewis, Peter J; Hamoen, Leendert W; de Koster, Chris G

2017-07-07

Identification of dynamic protein-protein interactions at the peptide level on a proteomic scale is a challenging approach that is still in its infancy. We have developed a system to cross-link cells directly in culture with the special lysine cross-linker bis(succinimidyl)-3-azidomethyl-glutarate (BAMG). We used the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis as an exemplar system. Within 5 min extensive intracellular cross-linking was detected, while intracellular cross-linking in a Gram-negative species, Escherichia coli, was still undetectable after 30 min, in agreement with the low permeability in this organism for lipophilic compounds like BAMG. We were able to identify 82 unique interprotein cross-linked peptides with cross-links occur in assemblies involved in transcription and translation. Several of these interactions are new, and we identified a binding site between the δ and β' subunit of RNA polymerase close to the downstream DNA channel, providing a clue into how δ might regulate promoter selectivity and promote RNA polymerase recycling. Our methodology opens new avenues to investigate the functional dynamic organization of complex protein assemblies involved in bacterial growth. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006287.

Comparative study of PBI Cross Linked Utilizing Agents of Varying Steric Configurations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkebcek, Andreas; Aili, David; Li, Qingfeng

2016-01-01

ionic or covalent cross linking. When considering such, little attention is devoted to explore the effect of the sterical configuration of the cross linking agent. In this contribution three different cross linking agents are utilized to evaluate how these affects final membrane properties.......The high thermal and chemical stability of poly[2,2'-(m-phenylene)-5,5' bibenzimidazole] (PBI) accounts for its wise spread use in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT- PEMFC). By doping the membrane with phosphoric acid (PA) ionic conductivity is obtained. Thus conductivity...... is dependent on the amount of PA present within the membrane. However mechanical properties are reduced are significantly reduced due to the plasticizing effect shown by PA [1]. This effect is due to PBI chain displacement. This effect can be lessened by use of cross linking [2-4]. This can be obtained using...

Thermoreversible cross-linking of maleated ethylene/propylene copolymers with diamines and amino-alcohols

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mee, van der M.A.J.; Goossens, J.G.P.; Duin, van M.

2008-01-01

Maleated ethylene/propylene copolymers (MAn-g-EPM) were thermoreversibly cross-linked using diamines and amino-alcohols. Covalent cross-links are formed via the equilibrium reaction of the grafted anhydride groups with di-functional cross-linkers containing combinations of primary (1°) and secondary

Design and fabrication of a chitosan hydrogel with gradient structures via a step-by-step cross-linking process.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yongxiang; Yuan, Shenpo; Han, Jianmin; Lin, Hong; Zhang, Xuehui

2017-11-15

The development of scaffolds to mimic the gradient structure of natural tissue is an important consideration for effective tissue engineering. In the present study, a physical cross-linking chitosan hydrogel with gradient structures was fabricated via a step-by-step cross-linking process using sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hydroxide as sequential cross-linkers. Chitosan hydrogels with different structures (single, double, and triple layers) were prepared by modifying the gelling process. The properties of the hydrogels were further adjusted by varying the gelling conditions, such as gelling time, pH, and composition of the crosslinking solution. Slight cytotoxicity was showed in MTT assay for hydrogels with uncross-linking chitosan solution and non-cytotoxicity was showed for other hydrogels. The results suggest that step-by-step cross-linking represents a practicable method to fabricate scaffolds with gradient structures. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Sol-gel derived flexible silica aerogel as selective adsorbent for water decontamination from crude oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Abolghasemi Mahani, A; Motahari, S; Mohebbi, A

2018-04-01

Oil spills are the most important threat to the sea ecosystem. The present study is an attempt to investigate the effects of sol-gel parameters on seawater decontamination from crude oil by use of flexible silica aerogel. To this goal, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) based silica aerogels were prepared by two-step acid-base catalyzed sol-gel process, involving ambient pressure drying (APD) method. To investigate the effects of sol-gel parameters, the aerogels were prepared under two different acidic and basic pH values (i.e. 4 and 8) and varied ethanol/MTMS molar ratios from 5 to 15. The adsorption capacity of the prepared aerogels was evaluated for two heavy and light commercial crude oils under multiple adsorption-desorption cycles. To reduce process time, desorption cycles were carried out by using roll milling for the first time. At optimum condition, silica aerogels are able to uptake heavy and light crude oils with the order of 16.7 and 13.7, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluations of Silica Aerogel-Based Flexible Blanket as Passive Thermal Control Element for Spacecraft Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Mohammed Adnan; Rashmi, S.; Esther, A. Carmel Mary; Bhavanisankar, Prudhivi Yashwantkumar; Sherikar, Baburao N.; Sridhara, N.; Dey, Arjun

2018-03-01

The feasibility of utilizing commercially available silica aerogel-based flexible composite blankets as passive thermal control element in applications such as extraterrestrial environments is investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that aerogel blanket was thermally stable over - 150 to 126 °C. The outgassing behavior, e.g., total mass loss, collected volatile condensable materials, water vapor regained and recovered mass loss, was within acceptable range recommended for the space applications. ASTM tension and tear tests confirmed the material's mechanical integrity. The thermo-optical properties remained nearly unaltered in simulated space environmental tests such as relative humidity, thermal cycling and thermo-vacuum tests and confirmed the space worthiness of the aerogel. Aluminized Kapton stitched or anchored to the blanket could be used to control the optical transparency of the aerogel. These outcomes highlight the potential of commercial aerogel composite blankets as passive thermal control element in spacecraft. Structural and chemical characterization of the material was also done using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

SYNTHESIS AND CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF CROSS-LINKED HYDROPHOBICALLY ASSOCIATING POLY(ALKYLMETHYLDIALLYLAMMONIUM BROMIDES)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WANG, GJ; ENGBERTS, JBFN

1994-01-01

Cross-linked, hydrophobically associating homo- and copolymers were synthesized by free-radical cyclo(co)polymerization of alkylmethyldiallylammonium bromide monomers with a small amount of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide in aqueous solution using ammonium persulfate as the initiator. The cross-linked

Competition between dewetting and cross-linking in poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)/polystyrene bilayer films.

Science.gov (United States)

Telford, Andrew M; Thickett, Stuart C; James, Michael; Neto, Chiara

2011-12-06

We investigated the dewetting of metastable poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PNVP) thin films (45 nm) on top of polystyrene (PS) thin films (58 nm) as a function of annealing temperature and molecular weight of PS (96 and 6850 kg/mol). We focused on the competition between dewetting, occurring as a result of unfavorable intermolecular interactions at the PNVP/PS interface, and spontaneous cross-linking of PNVP, occurring during thermal annealing, as we recently reported (Telford, A. M.; James, M.; Meagher, L.; Neto, C. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2010, 2, 2399-2408). Using optical microscopy, we studied how the dewetting morphology and dynamics at different temperatures depended on the relative viscosity of the top PNVP film, which increased with cross-linking time, and of the bottom PS film. In the PNVP/PS96K system, cross-linking dominated over dewetting at temperatures below 180 °C, reducing drastically nucleated hole density and their maximum size, while above 180 °C the two processes reversed, with complete dewetting occurring at 200 °C. On the other hand, the PNVP/PS6850K system never achieved advanced dewetting stages as the dewetting was slower than cross-linking in the investigated temperature range. In both systems, dewetting of the PNVP films could be avoided altogether by thermally annealing the bilayers at temperatures where cross-linking dominated. The cross-linking was characterized quantitatively using neutron reflectometry, which indicated shrinkage and densification of the PNVP film, and qualitatively through selective removal of the bottom PS film. A simple model accounting for progressive cross-linking during the dewetting process predicted well the observed hole growth profiles and produced estimates of the PNVP cross-linking rate coefficients and of the activation energy of the process, in good agreement with literature values for similar systems. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Monolithic lithium-based aerogels via dispersed inorganic sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Shufang; Zhou Bin; Du Ai; Xu Xiang; Yang Xiaoyun; Shen Jun; Wu Guangming; Zhang Zhihua; Wan Huijun

2008-01-01

Monolithic lithium-based aerogels were prepared by poly acrylic acid (PAA) and propylene oxide (PO) via the dispersed inorganic sol-gel method and drying with CO 2 supercritical fluid dry process. The density of the prepared sample is about 150 g/m 3 . The microstructure of the lithium-based aerogels was characterized by TEM, IR, XPS and BET. The results show that the material mainly contains Li, C and O element s. BET surface area is up to 18.9 m 2 /g. (authors)

Combining aerogels with honeycombs – a new stiff and flexible superinsulation

OpenAIRE

Schwan, Marina; Ratke, Lorenz; Milow, Barbara

2014-01-01

Saving energy is the most important issue in the 21st century. New high qualitative thermal insulation materials are of critical importance to energy-efficient building design, transportation and aircraft industry. We propose to combine aramid honeycombs with aerogels to manufacture such new types of advanced insulation materials. Aramid honeycombs produced from aramid fibers by the expansion method possess extremely high stiffness-to-weight ratio and are heat-resisting up to 550°C. Aerogels ...

Epoxides cross-linked hexafluoropropylidene polybenzimidazole membranes for application as high temperature proton exchange membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jingshuai; Xu, Yixin; Liu, Peipei; Gao, Liping; Che, Quantong; He, Ronghuan

2015-01-01

Covalently cross-linked hexafluoropropylidene polybenzimidazole (F 6 PBI) was prepared and used to fabricate high temperature proton exchange membranes with enhanced mechanical strength against thermoplastic distortion. Three different epoxides, i.e. bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (R 1 ), bisphenol A propoxylate diglycidyl ether (R 2 ) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (R 3 ), were chosen as the cross-linkers to investigate the influence of their structures on the properties of the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes. All the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes displayed excellent stability towards the radical oxidation. Comparing with the pure F 6 PBI membrane, the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes showed high acid doping level but less swelling after doping phosphoric acid at elevated temperatures. The mechanical strength at 130 °C was improved from 0.4 MPa for F 6 PBI membrane to a range of 0.8–2.0 MPa for the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes with an acid doping level as high as around 14, especially for that crosslinking with the epoxide (R 3 ), which has a long linear structure of alkyl ether. The proton conductivity of the cross-linked membranes was increased accordingly due to the high acid doping levels. Fuel cell tests demonstrated the technical feasibility of the acid doped cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The Colibactin Genotoxin Generates DNA Interstrand Cross-Links in Infected Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadège Bossuet-Greif

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Colibactins are hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptides produced by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and other Enterobacteriaceae harboring the pks genomic island. These genotoxic metabolites are produced by pks-encoded peptide-polyketide synthases as inactive prodrugs called precolibactins, which are then converted to colibactins by deacylation for DNA-damaging effects. Colibactins are bona fide virulence factors and are suspected of promoting colorectal carcinogenesis when produced by intestinal E. coli. Natural active colibactins have not been isolated, and how they induce DNA damage in the eukaryotic host cell is poorly characterized. Here, we show that DNA strands are cross-linked covalently when exposed to enterobacteria producing colibactins. DNA cross-linking is abrogated in a clbP mutant unable to deacetylate precolibactins or by adding the colibactin self-resistance protein ClbS, confirming the involvement of the mature forms of colibactins. A similar DNA-damaging mechanism is observed in cellulo, where interstrand cross-links are detected in the genomic DNA of cultured human cells exposed to colibactin-producing bacteria. The intoxicated cells exhibit replication stress, activation of ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase (ATR, and recruitment of the DNA cross-link repair Fanconi anemia protein D2 (FANCD2 protein. In contrast, inhibition of ATR or knockdown of FANCD2 reduces the survival of cells exposed to colibactin-producing bacteria. These findings demonstrate that DNA interstrand cross-linking is the critical mechanism of colibactin-induced DNA damage in infected cells.

Gamma-radiation induced cross-links in ethylene-propylene rubber studied by CP-MAS NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohma, J.; Shiotani, M.; Murakami, S.

1983-01-01

A new technique of 13 C-NMR, the CP-MAS method, was applied to study a chemistry of cross-links induced by #betta#-irradiation of ethylene-propylene rubber. The chemical species of cross-linking points were specified with their relative concentrations by the analysis of the CP-MAS spectra obtained before and after the irradiation. It was found that the short branches were also formed by the irradiation. A comparison was made between the cross-links detected by the CP-MAS method and those obtained by the Charlesby-Pinner analysis of the gelation caused by the #betta#-irradiation. The conventional 13 C-NMR of the cross-linked and swollen EPR provided us an information on the sol parts of the sample but little information on the cross-links in the gel parts. (author)

21 CFR 177.1211 - Cross-linked polyacrylate copolymers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Basic Components of Single and Repeated Use Food Contact Surfaces § 177.1211 Cross-linked polyacrylate... shall be determined using size exclusion chromatography or an equivalent method. When conducting the...

Radiation cross-linked PVC and its applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lan Junming; Chen Ruyan; Jia Chaoxing; Li Min; Li Chengxin

1990-04-01

The radiation cross-linking technique is adopted for improving the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) heat-resistance and reducing its thermocontractibility. For examining its properties a small insulation sheath made from modified PVC material has been tested at 260 0 5 seconds. The results obtained were satisfactory

Chitosan Cross-linked Reconstituted Amniotic Collagen Membrane ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Chitosan Cross-linked Reconstituted Amniotic Collagen Membrane – An Excellent Cell Substratum. The KERATINOCYTE proliferation and Differentiation into multiple layers is due to the presence of type - IV collagen in the amnion. Cultured FIBROBLASTS had good ...

Photocatalytic performance of highly amorphous titania–silica aerogels with mesopores: The adverse effect of the in situ adsorption of some organic substrates during photodegradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lázár, István [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1 H-4032 (Hungary); Kalmár, József, E-mail: kalmar.jozsef@science.unideb.hu [MTA-DE Homogeneous Catalysis and Reaction Mechanisms Research Group, Egyetem tér 1 H-4032 (Hungary); Peter, Anca [Department of Chemistry and Biology, Technical University of Cluj Napoca, North University Center of Baia Mare, Baia Mare, Victoriei 76, 430122 (Romania); Szilágyi, Anett; Győri, Enikő; Ditrói, Tamás; Fábián, István [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1 H-4032 (Hungary)

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Details on the preparation of titania–silica aerogels with no crystalline anatase phase. • Investigation of the structure and the photocatalytic activity of highly amorphous titania–silica aerogels with mesopores. • The fast adsorption of methylene blue and salicylic acid reduces the rates of their photocatalytic degradations. • An elaborate kinetic model which incorporates both adsorption and photocatalysis. - Abstract: Titania–silica composite aerogels with 16–29% Ti-content by the mass were synthesized by the sol–gel method from different Ti-precursors, and calcined at 500 °C. These aerogels are highly amorphous as no crystalline TiO{sub 2} phase can be detected in them by X-ray diffraction methods, and show the dominating presence of either mesopores or macropores. The incorporation of Ti into the silica structure is shown by the appearance of characteristic IR transitions of Si−O−Ti vibrations. The characteristic band-gap energies of the different aerogels are estimated to be between 3.6 and 3.9 eV from UV reflection spectra. Band-gap energy decreases with decreasing pore-size. When suspended in solution, even these highly amorphous aerogels accelerate the photodegradation of salicylic acid and methylene blue compared to simple photolysis. Kinetic experiments were conducted under illumination, and also in the dark to study the adsorption of the substrates onto the suspended aerogels. We assume that the fast in situ adsorption of the organic substrates mask the suspended aerogel particles from UV photons, which reduces the rate of photocatalysis. We managed to mathematically separate the parallel processes of photocatalysis and adsorption, and develop a simple kinetic model to describe the reaction system.

A colourimetric method for the determination of the degree of chemical cross-linking in aspartic acid-based polymer gels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Gyarmati

2015-02-01

Full Text Available A 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS-based assay is developed to determine the degree of chemical cross-linking in aspartic acid-based polymer gels. The conventional colourimetric method for the quantitative determination of amine groups is difficult to use in polymer networks; thus, an improved method is developed to analyse polymer gels swollen in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO. Reaction products of the derivatizing reaction are examined by NMR. The chemical stability of the reagent is increased in DMSO, and the method shows satisfactory linearity and accuracy. The degree of chemical cross-linking in the investigated gels is close to its theoretical maximum, but the conversion of the pendant amine groups to cross-linking points is strongly dependent on the feed composition of the gels.

Optimization of Formaldehyde Cross-Linking for Protein Interaction Analysis of Non-Tagged Integrin β1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cordula Klockenbusch

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Formaldehyde cross-linking of protein complexes combined with immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis is a promising technique for analysing protein-protein interactions, including those of transient nature. Here we used integrin β1 as a model to describe the application of formaldehyde cross-linking in detail, particularly focusing on the optimal parameters for cross-linking, the detection of formaldehyde cross-linked complexes, the utility of antibodies, and the identification of binding partners. Integrin β1 was found in a high molecular weight complex after formaldehyde cross-linking. Eight different anti-integrin β1 antibodies were used for pull-down experiments and no loss in precipitation efficiency after cross-linking was observed. However, two of the antibodies could not precipitate the complex, probably due to hidden epitopes. Formaldehyde cross-linked complexes, precipitated from Jurkat cells or human platelets and analyzed by mass spectrometry, were found to be composed of integrin β1, α4 and α6 or β1, α6, α2, and α5, respectively.

Optimization of Formaldehyde Cross-Linking for Protein Interaction Analysis of Non-Tagged Integrin β1

Science.gov (United States)

Klockenbusch, Cordula; Kast, Juergen

2010-01-01

Formaldehyde cross-linking of protein complexes combined with immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis is a promising technique for analysing protein-protein interactions, including those of transient nature. Here we used integrin β1 as a model to describe the application of formaldehyde cross-linking in detail, particularly focusing on the optimal parameters for cross-linking, the detection of formaldehyde cross-linked complexes, the utility of antibodies, and the identification of binding partners. Integrin β1 was found in a high molecular weight complex after formaldehyde cross-linking. Eight different anti-integrin β1 antibodies were used for pull-down experiments and no loss in precipitation efficiency after cross-linking was observed. However, two of the antibodies could not precipitate the complex, probably due to hidden epitopes. Formaldehyde cross-linked complexes, precipitated from Jurkat cells or human platelets and analyzed by mass spectrometry, were found to be composed of integrin β1, α4 and α6 or β1, α6, α2, and α5, respectively. PMID:20634879

Ultrasound propagation in dense aerogels filled with liquid 4He

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, K; Ohmori, K; Abe, S; Kanamori, K; Nakanishi, K

2012-01-01

Longitudinal ultrasound propagation was studied in dense aerogels filled with liquid 4 He. Sound velocity and attenuation were measured at the frequency of 6 MHz in both normal and superfluid phases. Pressure dependence of velocity and attenuation were also studied. Studied aerogels had porosities about 85%. They had two different types of structure, tangled strand structure and aggregated particles structure. The pore size distributions were narrow. Reduction of superfluid transition temperature mainly depended on not porosity but mean pore size. The structure of gel played an important role in sound velocity and attenuation.

Novel thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs based on silicone rubber and polyamide exploring peroxide cross-linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Naskar

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Novel thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs based on silicone rubber (PDMS and polyamide (PA12 have been prepared by dynamic vulcanization process. The effect of dynamic vulcanization and influence of various types of peroxides as cross-linking agents were studied in detail. All the TPVs were prepared at a ratio of 50/50 wt% of silicone rubber and polyamide. Three structurally different peroxides, namely dicumyl peroxide (DCP, 3,3,5,7,7-pentamethyl 1,2,4-trioxepane (PMTO and cumyl hydroperoxide (CHP were taken for investigation. Though DCP was the best option for curing the silicone rubber, at high temperature it suffers from scorch safety. An inhibitor 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (TEMPO was added with DCP to stabilize the radicals in order to increase the scorch time. Though CHP (hydroperoxide had higher half life time than DCP at higher temperature, it has no significant effect on cross-linking of silicone rubber. PMTO showed prolonged scorch safety and better cross-linking efficiency rather than the other two. TPVs of DCP and PMTO were made up to 11 minutes of mixing. Increased values of tensile strength and elongation at break of PMTO cross-linked TPV indicate the superiority of PMTO. Scanning electron micrographs correlate with mechanical properties of the TPVs. High storage modulus (E' and lower loss tangent value of the PMTO cross-linked TPV indicate the higher degree of cross-linking which is also well supported by the overall cross-link density value. Thus PMTO was found to be the superior peroxide for cross-linking of silicone rubber at high temperature.

Preparation, Characterization and Activity of a Peptide-Cellulosic Aerogel Protease Sensor from Cotton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Vincent Edwards

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nanocellulosic aerogels (NA provide a lightweight biocompatible material with structural properties, like interconnected high porosity and specific surface area, suitable for biosensor design. We report here the preparation, characterization and activity of peptide-nanocellulose aerogels (PepNA made from unprocessed cotton and designed with protease detection activity. Low-density cellulosic aerogels were prepared from greige cotton by employing calcium thiocyanate octahydrate/lithium chloride as a direct cellulose dissolving medium. Subsequent casting, coagulation, solvent exchange and supercritical carbon dioxide drying afforded homogeneous cellulose II aerogels of fibrous morphology. The cotton-based aerogel had a porosity of 99% largely dominated by mesopores (2–50 nm and an internal surface of 163 m2·g−1. A fluorescent tripeptide-substrate (succinyl-alanine-proline-alanine-4-amino-7-methyl-coumarin was tethered to NA by (1 esterification of cellulose C6 surface hydroxyl groups with glycidyl-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (FMOC, (2 deprotection and (3 coupling of the immobilized glycine with the tripeptide. Characterization of the NA and PepNA included techniques, such as elemental analysis, mass spectral analysis, attenuated total reflectance infrared imaging, nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy and bioactivity studies. The degree of substitution of the peptide analog attached to the anhydroglucose units of PepNA was 0.015. The findings from mass spectral analysis and attenuated total reflectance infrared imaging indicated that the peptide substrate was immobilized on to the surface of the NA. Nitrogen adsorption revealed a high specific surface area and a highly porous system, which supports the open porous structure observed from scanning electron microscopy images. Bioactivity studies of PepNA revealed a detection sensitivity of 0.13 units/milliliter for human neutrophil elastase, a diagnostic biomarker for inflammatory

Flexible, highly graphitized carbon aerogels based on bacterial cellulose/lignin: Catalyst-free synthesis and its application in energy storage devices

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xuezhu; Zhou, Jian; Nagaraju, Doddahalli H.; Jiang, Long; Marinov, Val R.; Lubineau, Gilles; Alshareef, Husam N.; Oh, Myungkeun

2015-01-01

Currently, most carbon aerogels are based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene, which are produced through a catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Biomass based organic aerogels and carbon aerogels, featuring low cost, high

Surface characteristics determining the cell compatibility of ionically cross-linked alginate gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machida-Sano, Ikuko; Hirakawa, Makoto; Matsumoto, Hiroki; Kamada, Mitsuki; Ogawa, Sakito; Satoh, Nao; Namiki, Hideo

2014-01-01

In this study we investigated differences in the characteristics determining the suitability of five types of ion (Fe 3+ , Al 3+ , Ca 2+ , Ba 2+ and Sr 2+ )-cross-linked alginate films as culture substrates for cells. Human dermal fibroblasts were cultured on each alginate film to examine the cell affinity of the alginates. Since cell behavior on the surface of a material is dependent on the proteins adsorbed to it, we investigated the protein adsorption ability and surface features (wettability, morphology and charge) related to the protein adsorption abilities of alginate films. We observed that ferric, aluminum and barium ion-cross-linked alginate films supported better cell growth and adsorbed higher amounts of serum proteins than other types. Surface wettability analysis demonstrated that ferric and aluminum ion-cross-linked alginates had moderate hydrophilic surfaces, while other types showed highly hydrophilic surfaces. The roughness was exhibited only on barium ion-cross-linked alginate surface. Surface charge measurements revealed that alginate films had negatively charged surfaces, and showed little difference among the five types of gel. These results indicate that the critical factors of ionically cross-linked alginate films determining the protein adsorption ability required for their cell compatibility may be surface wettability and morphology. (paper)

Fractal Structures on Silica Aerogels Containing Titanium: A Small Angle Neutron Scattering Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widya Sari; Dian Fitriyani; Abdul Aziz Mohamed; Noordin Ibrahim

2009-01-01

Full text: The fractal structure of silica aerogels containing titanium has been investigated by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique. The SANS experiments were conducted using a 36 meter SANS BATAN spectrometer (SMARTer) in Serpong, Indonesia in the range of momentum transfer Q, 0.006 -1 ) < 0.3. The power-law for a fractal object scattering Q-D observed from all measured samples. The Fourier transform of pattern I(Q) a pair correlation model function was implemented in analyzing the structure factor from the power-law scattering profiles. The results are showing that the silica aerogels containing titanium has a mass fractal where its dimension DM is larger than the pure silica aerogels. The mass fractal dimension of silica aerogels containing titanium is relatively constant between 2.23 to 2.40 with the decrease of acid concentrations during a sol-gel process and formed a nanometer size of aggregate. Those fractal structures were simulated using a Delphi language and the results are presented in this paper. (author)

Non-Parametric Kinetic (NPK Analysis of Thermal Oxidation of Carbon Aerogels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azadeh Seifi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In recent years, much attention has been paid to aerogel materials (especially carbon aerogels due to their potential uses in energy-related applications, such as thermal energy storage and thermal protection systems. These open cell carbon-based porous materials (carbon aerogels can strongly react with oxygen at relatively low temperatures (~ 400°C. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the thermal performance of carbon aerogels in view of their energy-related applications at high temperatures and under thermal oxidation conditions. The objective of this paper is to study theoretically and experimentally the oxidation reaction kinetics of carbon aerogel using the non-parametric kinetic (NPK as a powerful method. For this purpose, a non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis, at three different heating rates, was performed on three samples each with its specific pore structure, density and specific surface area. The most significant feature of this method, in comparison with the model-free isoconversional methods, is its ability to separate the functionality of the reaction rate with the degree of conversion and temperature by the direct use of thermogravimetric data. Using this method, it was observed that the Nomen-Sempere model could provide the best fit to the data, while the temperature dependence of the rate constant was best explained by a Vogel-Fulcher relationship, where the reference temperature was the onset temperature of oxidation. Moreover, it was found from the results of this work that the assumption of the Arrhenius relation for the temperature dependence of the rate constant led to over-estimation of the apparent activation energy (up to 160 kJ/mol that was considerably different from the values (up to 3.5 kJ/mol predicted by the Vogel-Fulcher relationship in isoconversional methods

Physical Characterization Of High Amylose/Pectin Mixtures Cross-Linked With Sodium Trimetaphosphate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carbinatto, F.M.; Cury, B.S.F.; Evangelista, R.C.

2010-01-01

Some researches have reported that pectin and high amylose mixtures presented superior mechanical properties in relation to those of the isolated polymers. In this work, mixtures at different ratios (1:4; 1:1) of pectin and high amylose were crosslinked with sodium trimetaphosphate at different degrees by varying reaction conditions. All samples were characterized by rheological and X-ray diffraction analyses. Samples without cross-linker were prepared as control. The oscillatory dynamic tests showed that all samples exhibited predominant elastic behavior, although cross-linked samples presented higher G' values, suggesting that crosslinking by phosphorylation resulted in more strength structures. The diffractograms showed that cross-linked samples underwent structural modifications that resulted in increase of crystallinity due to cross-linking process. (author)

Extremely porous, ultralight, highly heat insulating: Aerogel - light weight aggregate of the future?; Extrem poroes, ultraleicht, hoch waermedaemmend. Aerogel - Leichtzuschlag der Zukunft?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaenssmantel, Juergen [Ingenieurbuero Gaenssmantel, Ingenieurdienstleistung zum Nachhaltigen Bauen, Dormettingen (Germany)

2013-07-01

The word element 'gel' in the term 'aerogel' is associated with a sticky paste in which air ('aero') is included. In reality, it is a dry modern 'designer material' with improved properties (thermal insulation, sound insulation, transparency, water-repellent). In the Guinness Book of Records, it is listed as the 'best insulator' and the 'lightest solid'. It is a material of which the dreams of developers of insulating materials are made.

Radiation cross-linked plastics: a versatile material solution for packaging, automotive, Electrotechnic and Electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouif, Sophie

2004-01-01

Used since the beginning of the 1970s for the production of halogen-free and heat-resistant cables and wires, for conditioning polyethylene hot-water pipes or for the manufacture of heat shrinkable tubes and of tyres, radiation cross-linking is developing fastly today on the scale of plastic-moulded parts, and not only by the mean of EB, but also under gamma rays. Indeed, it improves considerably the performances of a great number of plastics among thermoplastics, elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). Radiation cross-linking reinforces the dimensional stability of polymers in chemically aggressive and high-temperature conditions. Radiation cross-linked-based engineering plastics offers OEM and end users in many branches of industry both technical and economical advantages in comparison with high-performances plastics. They constitute a technical and economical compromise between engineering plastics that failed and high-performances plastic, often over-tailored and expensive. This modern industrial technology gives way to new applications and perspectives in various sectors (packaging, automotive, electrotechnic and electronics, including connectors, surface-mounted devices, integrated circuits, 3D-MID, etc.) that are described in the paper

Coupling between Solid 3He on Aerogel and Superfluid 3He in the Low Temperature Limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradley, D. I.; Fisher, S. N.; Guenault, A. M.; Haley, R. P.; Pickett, G. R.; Tsepelin, V.; Whitehead, R. C. V.; Skyba, P.

2006-01-01

We have cooled liquid 3He contained in a 98% open aerogel sample surrounded by bulk superfluid 3He-B at zero pressure to below 120 μK. The aerogel sample is placed in a quasiparticle blackbody radiator cooled by a Lancaster-style nuclear cooling stage to ∼200 μK. We monitor the temperature of the 3He inside the blackbody radiator using a vibrating wire resonator. We find that reducing the magnetic field on the aerogel sample causes substantial cooling of all the superfluid inside the blackbody radiator. We believe this is due to the demagnetization of the solid 3He layers on the aerogel strands. This system has potential for achieving extremely low temperatures in the confined fluid

Cobalt sulfide aerogel prepared by anion exchange method with enhanced pseudocapacitive and water oxidation performances

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Qiuyue; Shi, Zhenyu; Xue, Kaiming; Ye, Ziran; Hong, Zhanglian; Yu, Xinyao; Zhi, Mingjia

2018-05-01

This work introduces the anion exchange method into the sol-gel process for the first time to prepare a metal sulfide aerogel. A porous Co9S8 aerogel with a high surface area (274.2 m2 g‑1) and large pore volume (0.87 cm3 g‑1) has been successfully prepared by exchanging cobalt citrate wet gel in thioacetamide and subsequently drying in supercritical ethanol. Such a Co9S8 aerogel shows enhanced supercapacitive performance and catalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) compared to its oxide aerogel counterpart. High specific capacitance (950 F g‑1 at 1 A g‑1), good rate capability (74.3% capacitance retention from 1 to 20 A g‑1) and low onset overpotential for OER (220 mV) were observed. The results demonstrated here have implications in preparing various sulfide chalcogels.

Concentration-dependent oligomerization of cross-linked complexes between ferredoxin and ferredoxin–NADP+ reductase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimata-Ariga, Yoko; Kubota-Kawai, Hisako; Lee, Young-Ho; Muraki, Norifumi; Ikegami, Takahisa; Kurisu, Genji; Hase, Toshiharu

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Cross-linked complexes of ferredoxin (Fd) and Fd–NADP + reductase form oligomers. •In the crystal structures, Fd- and FNR moieties swap across the molecules. •The complexes exhibit concentration-dependent oligomerization at sub-milimolar order. -- Abstract: Ferredoxin–NADP + reductase (FNR) forms a 1:1 complex with ferredoxin (Fd), and catalyzes the electron transfer between Fd and NADP + . In our previous study, we prepared a series of site-specifically cross-linked complexes of Fd and FNR, which showed diverse electron transfer properties. Here, we show that X-ray crystal structures of the two different Fd–FNR cross-linked complexes form oligomers by swapping Fd and FNR moieties across the molecules; one complex is a dimer from, and the other is a successive multimeric form. In order to verify whether these oligomeric structures are formed only in crystal, we investigated the possibility of the oligomerization of these complexes in solution. The mean values of the particle size of these cross-linked complexes were shown to increase with the rise of protein concentration at sub-milimolar order, whereas the size of dissociable wild-type Fd:FNR complex was unchanged as analyzed by dynamic light scattering measurement. The oligomerization products were detected by SDS–PAGE after chemical cross-linking of these complexes at the sub-milimolar concentrations. The extent and concentration-dependent profile of the oligomerizaion were differentiated between the two cross-linked complexes. These results show that these Fd–FNR cross-linked complexes exhibit concentration-dependent oligomerization, possibly through swapping of Fd and FNR moieties also in solution. These findings lead to the possibility that some native multi-domain proteins may present similar phenomenon in vivo

Flexible pressure sensor based on graphene aerogel microstructures functionalized with CdS nanocrystalline thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Plesco, Irina; Dragoman, Mircea; Strobel, Julian; Ghimpu, Lidia; Schütt, Fabian; Dinescu, Adrian; Ursaki, Veaceslav; Kienle, Lorenz; Adelung, Rainer; Tiginyanu, Ion

2018-05-01

In this paper, we report on functionalization of graphene aerogel with a CdS thin film deposited by magnetron sputtering and on the development of flexible pressure sensors based on ultra-lightweight CdS-aerogel nanocomposite. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis disclose the uniform deposition of nanocrystalline CdS films with quasi-stoichiometric composition. The piezoresistive response of the aforementioned nanocomposite in the pressure range from 1 to 5 atm is found to be more than one order of magnitude higher than that inherent to suspended graphene membranes, leading to an average sensitivity as high as 3.2 × 10-4 kPa-1.

Aerogel to simulate delamination and porosity defects in carbon-fiber reinforced polymer composites

Science.gov (United States)

Juarez, Peter; Leckey, Cara A. C.

2018-04-01

Representative defect standards are essential for the validation and calibration of new and existing inspection techniques. However, commonly used methods of simulating delaminations in carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites do not accurately represent the behavior of the real-world defects for several widely-used NDE techniques. For instance, it is common practice to create a delamination standard by inserting Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in between ply layers. However, PTFE can transmit more ultrasonic energy than actual delaminations, leading to an unrealistic representation of the defect inspection. PTFE can also deform/wrinkle during the curing process and has a thermal effusivity two orders of magnitude higher than air (almost equal to that of a CFRP). It is therefore not effective in simulating a delamination for thermography. Currently there is also no standard practice for producing or representing a known porosity in composites. This paper presents a novel method of creating delamination and porosity standards using aerogel. Insertion of thin sheets of solid aerogel between ply layers during layup is shown to produce air-gap-like delaminations creating realistic ultrasonic and thermographic inspection responses. Furthermore, it is shown that depositing controlled amounts of aerogel powder can represent porosity. Micrograph data verifies the structural integrity of the aerogel through the composite curing process. This paper presents data from multiple NDE methods, including X-ray computed tomography, immersion ultrasound, and flash thermography to the effectiveness of aerogel as a delamination and porosity simulant.

Particle detection and identification through Cerenkov effect in silica aerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelmann, J.J.; Cantin, M.

1978-01-01

Cerenkov counters are largely used in high energy physics and in nuclear astrophysics to identify the charge of high energy particles and to measure their velocity. Good velocity resolution is obtained only near the Cerenkov threshold, which is directly dependent on the refractive index of the radiator. It is therefore very important to dispose of materials of various refractive indices. The silica aerogel allows to cover a range of indices between 1.015 and 1.2 which is intermediate between the indices given by gas and liquids. The samples most often built until now are hexagonal blocks of 1.06 refractive index and 0.24 g/cm 3 density. Blocks of one liter in volume have been assembled to form a mosaic of large dimension. For lower refractive indices, 1.015 for instance, the material becomes too brittle. So we have been led to use an aerogel sand made of aerogel grains of controlled granulometry. Radiators of both types blocks and sand are used in the franco-danish experiment to be launched aboard the NASA satellite HEAO-C in July 1979 [fr

Assembly of phosphide nanocrystals into porous networks: formation of InP gels and aerogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitihami-Mudiyanselage, Asha; Senevirathne, Keerthi; Brock, Stephanie L

2013-02-26

The applicability of sol-gel nanoparticle assembly routes, previously employed for metal chalcogenides, to phosphides is reported for the case of InP. Two different sizes (3.5 and 6.0 nm) of InP nanoparticles were synthesized by solution-phase arrested precipitation, capped with thiolate ligands, and oxidized with H₂O₂ or O₂/light to induce gel formation. The gels were aged, solvent-exchanged, and then supercritically dried to obtain aerogels with both meso- (2-50 nm) and macropores (>50 nm) and accessible surface areas of ∼200 m²/g. Aerogels showed higher band gap values relative to precursor nanoparticles, suggesting that during the process of assembling nanoparticles into 3D architectures, particle size reduction may have taken place. In contrast to metal chalcogenide gelation, InP gels did not form using tetranitromethane, a non-oxygen-transferring oxidant. The requirement of an oxygen-transferring oxidant, combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data showing oxidized phosphorus, suggests gelation is occurring due to condensation of phosphorus oxoanionic moieties generated at the interfaces. The ability to link discrete InP nanoparticles into a 3D porous network while maintaining quantum confinement is expected to facilitate exploitation of nanostructured InP in solid-state devices.

A general method for targeted quantitative cross-linking mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NM...

Reprocessing and Recycling of Highly Cross-Linked Ion-Conducting Networks through Transalkylation Exchanges of C-N Bonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Obadia, Mona M; Mudraboyina, Bhanu P; Serghei, Anatoli; Montarnal, Damien; Drockenmuller, Eric

2015-05-13

Exploiting exchangeable covalent bonds as dynamic cross-links recently afforded a new class of polymer materials coined as vitrimers. These permanent networks are insoluble and infusible, but the network topology can be reshuffled at high temperatures, thus enabling glasslike plastic deformation and reprocessing without depolymerization. We disclose herein the development of functional and high-value ion-conducting vitrimers that take inspiration from poly(ionic liquid)s. Tunable networks with high ionic content are obtained by the solvent- and catalyst-free polyaddition of an α-azide-ω-alkyne monomer and simultaneous alkylation of the resulting poly(1,2,3-triazole)s with a series of difunctional cross-linking agents. Temperature-induced transalkylation exchanges of C-N bonds between 1,2,3-triazolium cross-links and halide-functionalized dangling chains enable recycling and reprocessing of these highly cross-linked permanent networks. They can also be recycled by depolymerization with specific solvents able to displace the transalkylation equilibrium, and they display a great potential for applications that require solid electrolytes with excellent mechanical performances and facile processing such as supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells, and separation membranes.

CrossLink: a novel method for cross-condition classification of cancer subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chifeng; Sastry, Konduru S; Flore, Mario; Gehani, Salah; Al-Bozom, Issam; Feng, Yusheng; Serpedin, Erchin; Chouchane, Lotfi; Chen, Yidong; Huang, Yufei

2016-08-22

We considered the prediction of cancer classes (e.g. subtypes) using patient gene expression profiles that contain both systematic and condition-specific biases when compared with the training reference dataset. The conventional normalization-based approaches cannot guarantee that the gene signatures in the reference and prediction datasets always have the same distribution for all different conditions as the class-specific gene signatures change with the condition. Therefore, the trained classifier would work well under one condition but not under another. To address the problem of current normalization approaches, we propose a novel algorithm called CrossLink (CL). CL recognizes that there is no universal, condition-independent normalization mapping of signatures. In contrast, it exploits the fact that the signature is unique to its associated class under any condition and thus employs an unsupervised clustering algorithm to discover this unique signature. We assessed the performance of CL for cross-condition predictions of PAM50 subtypes of breast cancer by using a simulated dataset modeled after TCGA BRCA tumor samples with a cross-validation scheme, and datasets with known and unknown PAM50 classification. CL achieved prediction accuracy >73 %, highest among other methods we evaluated. We also applied the algorithm to a set of breast cancer tumors derived from Arabic population to assign a PAM50 classification to each tumor based on their gene expression profiles. A novel algorithm CrossLink for cross-condition prediction of cancer classes was proposed. In all test datasets, CL showed robust and consistent improvement in prediction performance over other state-of-the-art normalization and classification algorithms.

Physical and mechanical properties of gamma radiation cross-linked polyethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Maria E.; Romero, G.; Smolko, Eduardo E.

1999-01-01

Granulated LDPE 2003 polyethylene was extruded and irradiated under nitrogen with 150, 200 and 300 kGy gamma rays doses to produce cross-linking. The study of the physical and mechanical properties shows that the product has a high degree of molecular cross-linking, can be heated up to 200 C for 2 hours without deformation and that the mechanical properties improve. Preliminary aging tests indicate that after heating at 60 C for 4 weeks no physical or mechanical deterioration can be observed. (author)

Preparation of silica aerogel for Cerenkov counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poelz, G.; Riethmueller, R.

1981-09-01

Aerogel of silica was produced with an index of refraction of n = 1.024 to equip the TASSO Cerenkov detector with 1700 litres of this radiator medium. In the production process, which is described in detail, different parameters were varied to determine their influence on the shape and the optical quality of the aerogel samples. With the present equipment samples with a size of 17 x 17 x 2.3 cm 3 were manufactured at a rate of 144 pieces per week. A production efficiency of about 90% was obtained. The index of refraction for all samples around n = 1.024 is distributed with sigmasub(n) = 1.3 x 10 -3 . They have an optical transmission length of Λ = 2.64 cm at a wavelength lambda = 438 nm with sigmasub(Λ) = 0.22 cm. For samples with n = 1.017, Λ is found to be about 30% higher. (orig.) [de

Covalent-ionically cross-linked polyetheretherketone proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cell

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2010-08-01

Full Text Available cross-linked PEEK-WC membrane, this covalent-ionically cross-linked PEEK-WC membrane exhibits extremely reduced water uptake and methanol permeability, but just slightly sacrificed proton conductivity. The proton conductivity of the covalent...

The Influence of Chitosan Cross-linking on the Properties of Alginate Microparticles with Metformin Hydrochloride—In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Szekalska

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sodium alginate is a polymer with unique ability to gel with different cross-linking agents in result of ionic and electrostatic interactions. Chitosan cross-linked alginate provides improvement of swelling and mucoadhesive properties and might be used to design sustained release dosage forms. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop and evaluate possibility of preparing chitosan cross-linked alginate microparticles containing metformin hydrochloride by the spray-drying method. In addition, influence of cross-linking agent on the properties of microparticles was evaluated. Formulation of microparticles prepared by the spray drying of 2% alginate solution cross-linked by 0.1% chitosan was characterized by good mucoadhesive properties, high drug loading and prolonged metformin hydrochloride release. It was shown that designed microparticles reduced rat glucose blood level, delayed absorption of metformin hydrochloride and provided stable plasma drug concentration. Additionally, histopathological studies of pancreas, liver and kidneys indicated that all prepared microparticles improved degenerative changes in organs of diabetic rats. Moreover, no toxicity effect and no changes in rats behavior after oral administration of chitosan cross-linked alginate microparticles were noted.

Sensitizing capacity and allergenicity of enzymatically cross-linked sodium caseinate in comparison to sodium caseinate in a mouse model for cow's milk allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

van Esch, Betty C A M; Gros-van Hest, Marjan; Westerbeek, Hans; Garssen, Johan

2013-03-27

A transglutaminase cross-linked caseinate was designed for use in dairy products to increase the viscosity of food matrices. The difference in structure of cross-linked caseinate might have implications for the risk of developing cow's milk allergy. The sensitizing capacity and the allergenicity (the potency to induce an allergic effector response) of cross-linked sodium caseinate was investigated using a mouse model for cow's milk allergy. Mice were orally sensitized with cross-linked caseinate or caseinate using cholera toxin as adjuvant. Anaphylactic shock reactions, change in body temperature, acute allergic skin response, caseinate-, cross-linked caseinate-IgE and mMCP-1 concentrations were determined after challenge with cross-linked caseinate or caseinate. Sensitization with cross-linked caseinate did not result in anaphylactic shock symptoms, drop in body temperature or release of serum mMCP-1. A tendency toward decreased casein-specific IgE levels was observed. The allergenicity did not differ between both products. These results indicate that in already caseinate-sensitized mice, cross-linked caseinate did not provoke more pronounced allergenic reactions compared to sodium caseinate. On top of that, reduced sensitization to cross-linked caseinate was observed. Cross-linked caseinate might therefore be an interesting new dietary concept for humans at risk for food allergy although more mechanistic studies and clinical trials are needed for validation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic properties of silica aerogels as deduced from specific-heat and thermal-conductivity measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernasconi, A.; Sleator, T.; Posselt, D.

1992-01-01

The specific heat C(p) and the thermal conductivity lambda of a series of base-catalyzed silica aerogels have been measured at temperatures between 0.05 and 20 K. The results confirm that the different length-scale regions observed in the aerogel structure are reflected in the dynamic behavior of...... SiO2 are most likely not due to fractal behavior....... the possibility of two spectral dimensions characterizing the fracton modes. Our data imply important differences between the physical mechanisms dominating the low-temperature behavior of aerogels and dense glasses, respectively. From our analysis we also conclude that the low-temperature properties of amorphous...

Stardust: An overview of the tracks in the aerogel (calibration, classification and particle size distribution)

Science.gov (United States)

Burchell, M. J.; Fairey, S. J.; Hörz, F.; Wozniakiewicz, P. J.; Kearsley, A. T.; Brownlee, D. E.; See, T. H.; Westphal, A.; Green, S. F.; Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M.

2007-08-01

The NASA Stardust mission (1) to comet P/Wild-2 returned to Earth in January 2006 carrying a cargo of dust captured in aerogel and residue rich craters in aluminium foils (2). Aerogel is a low density, highly porous material (3, 4). The aerogel that was carried by Stardust in the cometary dust collector trays was a SiO2 aerogel, arranged in blocks 4 cm x 2 cm (front face) and 3 cm deep, with density which varied smoothly from 5 mg/cc at the front surface to 50 mg/cc at the rear surface (5). A first look at the whole cometary dust tray at NASA showed that there were many impact features in the aerogel. During the Preliminary Examination period about 15% of the aerogel blocks were removed and studied in detail. The tracks observed in these blocks were classified into three groups: Type A were long relatively narrow tracks of "carrot shape", Type B tracks were again fairly long but had a large bulbous region at the top and appear like the bowl and stem of a flute champagne glass, Type C were purely bulbous tracks with no stem emerging beneath them. Data on the sizes and relative populations of these tracks will be given (also see (6)) along with a discussion of their implications for impactor composition. Laboratory calibrations of the impacts in aerogel have been carried out using glass beads and these permit an estimate of the size of the impactor based on the measured track properties (6). When applied to the tracks measured in the Stardust aerogel, a cumulative particle size distribution was obtained (7) which will be discussed. References (1) Brownlee D.E. et al., J. Geophys. Res. 108, E10, 8111, 2003. (2) Brownlee D.E. et al., Science 314, 1711 - 1716. 2006. (3) Kistler S.S., Nature 127, 741, 1931. (4) Burchell M.J. et al., Ann. Rev. Earth. Planet. Sci. 34, 385 - 418, 2006. (5) Tsou P. et al., J. Geophys. Res. 108(E10), 8113, 2003. (6) Burchell et al., submitted to MAPS, 2006. (7) Hörz F. et al., Science 314, 1716 - 1719, 2006.

Laccase-Based CLEAs: Chitosan as a Novel Cross-Linking Agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Arsenault

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Laccase from Coriolopsis Polyzona was insolubilized as cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs for the first time with chitosan as the cross-linking agent. Concentrations between 0.01 and 1.867 g/L of chitosan were used and between 0.05 and 600 mM of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropylcarbodiimide hydrochloride. The laccase was precipitated using ammonium sulphate and cross-linked simultaneously. Specific activity and thermal stability of these biocatalysts were measured. Activities of up to 737 U/g were obtained when 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS was used as a substrate. Moreover, the stability of these biocatalysts was improved with regards to thermal degradation compared to free laccase when exposed to denaturing conditions of high temperature and low pH. The CLEAs stability against chemical denaturants was also tested but no significant improvement was detected. The total amount of ABTS to be oxidized during thermal degradation by CLEAs and free laccase was calculated and the insolubilized enzymes were reported to oxidize more substrate than free laccase. The formation conditions were analyzed by response surface methodology in order to determine an optimal environment for the production of efficient laccase-based CLEAs using chitosan as the cross-linking agent. After 24 hours of formation at pH 3 and at 4°C without agitation, the CLEAs exhibit the best specific activity.

Carbon aerogels as electrode material for electrical double layer supercapacitors-Synthesis and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halama, Agnieszka [Electrotechnical Institute, Division of Electrotechnology and Materials Science, Wroclaw (Poland); Szubzda, Bronislaw, E-mail: szubzda@iel.wroc.p [Electrotechnical Institute, Division of Electrotechnology and Materials Science, Wroclaw (Poland); Pasciak, Grzegorz [Electrotechnical Institute, Division of Electrotechnology and Materials Science, Wroclaw (Poland)

2010-10-30

This paper constitutes a description of technological research the aim of which was to design a symmetric supercapacitor dedicated for the system of quality of electrical energy improvement (supply interruption, voltage dip). The main task was to use the carbon aerogel technology as the efficient method for production of electrode material with desirable properties. Carbon aerogels were prepared by carbonization of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) polymer gels. RF-gels were synthesized by curing polycondensation and by the inverse emulsion polymerization of resorcinol with formaldehyde, followed by microwave drying. The morphostructural characteristics of the carbon aerogels were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the N{sub 2} adsorption (BET method). The electrochemical properties were characterized by means of cycle voltammetry, galvanostatic charging/discharging, and self-discharge.

Dually cross-linked single network poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels with superior mechanical properties and water absorbency.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Ming; Liu, Yi-Tao; Liu, Xiao-Ying; Shi, Fu-Kuan; Zhang, Li-Qin; Zhu, Mei-Fang; Xie, Xu-Ming

2016-06-28

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogels with superior mechanical properties, based on a single network structure with dual cross-linking, are prepared by one-pot free radical polymerization. The network structure of the PAA hydrogels is composed of dual cross-linking: a dynamic and reversible ionic cross-linking among the PAA chains enabled by Fe(3+) ions, and a sparse covalent cross-linking enabled by a covalent cross-linker (Bis). Under deformation, the covalently cross-linked PAA chains remain intact to maintain their original configuration, while the Fe(3+)-enabled ionic cross-linking among the PAA chains is broken to dissipate energy and then recombined. It is found that the mechanical properties of the PAA hydrogels are significantly influenced by the contents of covalent cross-linkers, Fe(3+) ions and water, which can be adjusted within a substantial range and thus broaden the applications of the hydrogels. Meanwhile, the PAA hydrogels have excellent recoverability based on the dynamic and reversible ionic cross-linking enabled by Fe(3+) ions. Moreover, the swelling capacity of the PAA hydrogels is as high as 1800 times in deionized water due to the synergistic effects of ionic and covalent cross-linkings. The combination of balanced mechanical properties, efficient recoverability, high swelling capacity and facile preparation provides a new method to obtain high-performance hydrogels.

Cross-linked compared with historical polyethylene in THA: an 8-year clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Geerdink, Carel H; Grimm, Bernd; Vencken, Wendy; Heyligers, Ide C; Tonino, Alphons J

2009-04-01

Wear particle-induced osteolysis is a major cause of aseptic loosening in THA. Increasing wear resistance of polyethylene (PE) occurs by increasing the cross-link density and early reports document low wear rates with such implants. To confirm longer-term reductions in wear we compared cross-linked polyethylene (irradiation in nitrogen, annealing) with historical polyethylene (irradiation in air) in a prospective, randomized clinical study involving 48 patients who underwent THAs with a minimum followup of 7 years (mean, 8 years; range, 7-9 years). The insert material was the only variable. The Harris hip score, radiographic signs of osteolysis, and polyethylene wear were recorded annually. Twenty-three historical and 17 moderately cross-linked polyethylene inserts were analyzed (five patients died, three were lost to followup). At 8 years, the wear rate was lower for cross-linked polyethylene (0.088 +/- 0.03 mm/year) than for the historical polyethylene (0.142 +/- 0.07 mm/year). This reduction (38%) did not diminish with time (33% at 5 years). Acetabular cyst formation was less frequent (39% versus 12%), affected fewer DeLee and Charnley zones (17% versus 4%), and was less severe for the cross-linked polyethylene. The only revision was for an aseptically loose cup in the historical polyethylene group. Moderately cross-linked polyethylene maintained its wear advantage with time and produced less osteolysis, showing no signs of aging at mid-term followup. Level I, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Multiple repair pathways mediate tolerance to chemotherapeutic cross-linking agents in vertebrate cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Nojima, Kuniharu; Hochegger, Helfrid; Saberi, Alihossein; Fukushima, Toru; Kikuchi, Koji; Yoshimura, Michio; Orelli, Brian J; Bishop, Douglas K; Hirano, Seiki; Ohzeki, Mioko; Ishiai, Masamichi; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Takata, Minoru; Arakawa, Hiroshi; Buerstedde, Jean-Marie; Yamazoe, Mitsuyoshi; Kawamoto, Takuo; Araki, Kasumi; Takahashi, Jun A; Hashimoto, Nobuo; Takeda, Shunichi; Sonoda, Eiichiro

2005-12-15

Cross-linking agents that induce DNA interstrand cross-links (ICL) are widely used in anticancer chemotherapy. Yeast genetic studies show that nucleotide excision repair (NER), Rad6/Rad18-dependent postreplication repair, homologous recombination, and cell cycle checkpoint pathway are involved in ICL repair. To study the contribution of DNA damage response pathways in tolerance to cross-linking agents in vertebrates, we made a panel of gene-disrupted clones from chicken DT40 cells, each defective in a particular DNA repair or checkpoint pathway, and measured the sensitivities to cross-linking agents, including cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin), mitomycin C, and melphalan. We found that cells harboring defects in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), Fanconi anemia complementation groups (FANC), or homologous recombination displayed marked hypersensitivity to all the cross-linking agents, whereas NER seemed to play only a minor role. This effect of replication-dependent repair pathways is distinctively different from the situation in yeast, where NER seems to play a major role in dealing with ICL. Cells deficient in Rev3, the catalytic subunit of TLS polymerase Polzeta, showed the highest sensitivity to cisplatin followed by fanc-c. Furthermore, epistasis analysis revealed that these two mutants work in the same pathway. Our genetic comprehensive study reveals a critical role for DNA repair pathways that release DNA replication block at ICLs in cellular tolerance to cross-linking agents and could be directly exploited in designing an effective chemotherapy.

Impact of styrenic polymer one-step hyper-cross-linking on volatile organic compound adsorption and desorption performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghafari, Mohsen; Atkinson, John D

2018-06-05

A novel one-step hyper-cross-linking method, using 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and 1,6-dichlorohexane (DCH) cross-linkers, expands the micropore volume of commercial styrenic polymers. Performance of virgin and modified polymers was evaluated by measuring hexane, toluene, and methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK) adsorption capacity, adsorption/desorption kinetics, and desorption efficiency. Hyper-cross-linked polymers have up to 128% higher adsorption capacity than virgin polymers at P/P 0  = 0.05 due to micropore volume increases up to 330%. Improvements are most pronounced with the DCE cross-linker. Hyper-cross-linking has minimal impact on hexane adsorption kinetics, but adsorption rates for toluene and MEK decrease by 6-41%. Desorption rates decreased (3-36%) for all materials after hyper-cross-linking, with larger decreases for DCE hyper-cross-linked polymers due to smaller average pore widths. For room temperature desorption, 20-220% more adsorbate remains in hyper-cross-linked polymers after regeneration compared to virgin materials. DCE hyper-cross-linked polymers have 13-92% more residual adsorbate than DCH counterparts. Higher temperatures were required for DCE hyper-cross-linked polymers to completely desorb VOCs compared to the DCH hyper-cross-linked and virgin counterparts. Results show that the one-step hyper-cross-linking method for modifying styrenic polymers improves adsorption capacity because of added micropores, but decreases adsorption/desorption kinetics and desorption efficiency for large VOCs due to a decrease in average pore width. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insights into the Controllable Chemical Composition of Metal Oxide Nanowires and Graphene Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Anna Patrice

briefly, then isolated pockets of MTiO3 are formed on the nanowire surface. This structure retains the conductive channel in the center of the nanowire, which can be useful for charge separation. Longer annealing times result in segmented nanowires; the segments formed from a Ni-coated nanowire are bounded by TiO2(01-1) twin planes and NiTiO 3{100}/TiO2{03-1} interfaces. An alternative strategy for storing solar energy takes advantage of the capacitance between a semiconductor surface and adsorbed ions in solution. This type of energy storage device is called an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC). Graphene-based aerogels, which are porous materials composed of few-layer graphitic sheets, have the potential for higher surface area and higher conductivity than standard carbon aerogels. These properties make graphene-based aerogels a good material candidate for EDLC electrodes. Graphene oxide (GO) is the precursor material for the synthesis of a graphene-based aerogel, and it has been widely studied. Yet its hydrothermal gelation is still not fully understood, due to the high pressure reaction conditions and the non-uniform nature of GO. We demonstrate a number of changes that occur to the GO sheets during gelation: wrinkling, formation of a densified monolith, deoxygenation, increasing thermal stability, and color change. Plotting the time evolution of all these properties shows that they are simultaneous and likely of common origin. Possible mechanisms for gelation are explored. Graphene aerogels are synthesized by vapor phase thermal reduction of GO aerogels at temperatures up to 1600 °C. Further deoxygenation is observed in the aerogel during thermal reduction, along with enhanced crystallinity and an associated change in the electronic structure. When graphene aerogels are exposed to high-temperature boron oxide vapor, they are converted to boron nitride (BN) aerogels. The structure of the BN aerogel is investigated and shown to be similar in nanoscale morphology

Role of solvent-mediated carbodiimide cross-linking in fabrication of electrospun gelatin nanofibrous membranes as ophthalmic biomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Shih-Feng; Luo, Li-Jyuan; Lai, Jui-Yang; Ma, David Hui-Kang

2017-01-01

Due to their ability to mimic the structure of extracellular matrix, electrospun gelatin nanofibers are promising cell scaffolding materials for tissue engineering applications. However, the hydrophilic gelatin molecules usually need stabilization before use in aqueous physiological environment. Considering that biomaterials cross-linked via film immersion technique may have a more homogeneous cross-linked structure than vapor phase cross-linking, this work aims to investigate the chemical modification of electrospun gelatin nanofibrous membranes by liquid phase carbodiimide in the presence of ethanol/water co-solvents with varying ethanol concentrations ranging from 80 to 99.5 vol%. The results of characterization showed that increasing water content in the binary reaction solvent system increases the extent of cross-linking of gelatin nanofibers, but simultaneously promotes the effect of biopolymer swelling and distortion in fiber mat structure. As compared to non-cross-linked counterparts, carbodiimide treated gelatin nanofibrous mats exhibited better thermal and biological stability where the shrinkage temperature and resistance to enzymatic degradation varied in response to ethanol/water solvent composition-mediated generation of cross-links. Irrespective of their cross-linking density, all studied membrane samples did not induce any responses in ocular epithelial cell cultures derived from cornea, lens, and retina. Unlike many other cross-linking agents and/or methods (e.g., excessive vapor phase cross-linking) that may pose a risk of toxicity, our study demonstrated that these nanofibrous materials are well tolerated by anterior segment tissues. These findings also indicate the safety of using ethanol/water co-solvents for chemical cross-linking of gelatin to engineer nanofibrous materials with negligible biological effects. In summary, the present results suggest the importance of solvent-mediated carbodiimide cross-linking in modulating structure�

Role of solvent-mediated carbodiimide cross-linking in fabrication of electrospun gelatin nanofibrous membranes as ophthalmic biomaterials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chou, Shih-Feng [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75799 (United States); Luo, Li-Jyuan [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lai, Jui-Yang, E-mail: jylai@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Institute of Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China); Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China); Center for Tissue Engineering, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan, ROC (China); Ma, David Hui-Kang [Center for Tissue Engineering, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China)

2017-02-01

Due to their ability to mimic the structure of extracellular matrix, electrospun gelatin nanofibers are promising cell scaffolding materials for tissue engineering applications. However, the hydrophilic gelatin molecules usually need stabilization before use in aqueous physiological environment. Considering that biomaterials cross-linked via film immersion technique may have a more homogeneous cross-linked structure than vapor phase cross-linking, this work aims to investigate the chemical modification of electrospun gelatin nanofibrous membranes by liquid phase carbodiimide in the presence of ethanol/water co-solvents with varying ethanol concentrations ranging from 80 to 99.5 vol%. The results of characterization showed that increasing water content in the binary reaction solvent system increases the extent of cross-linking of gelatin nanofibers, but simultaneously promotes the effect of biopolymer swelling and distortion in fiber mat structure. As compared to non-cross-linked counterparts, carbodiimide treated gelatin nanofibrous mats exhibited better thermal and biological stability where the shrinkage temperature and resistance to enzymatic degradation varied in response to ethanol/water solvent composition-mediated generation of cross-links. Irrespective of their cross-linking density, all studied membrane samples did not induce any responses in ocular epithelial cell cultures derived from cornea, lens, and retina. Unlike many other cross-linking agents and/or methods (e.g., excessive vapor phase cross-linking) that may pose a risk of toxicity, our study demonstrated that these nanofibrous materials are well tolerated by anterior segment tissues. These findings also indicate the safety of using ethanol/water co-solvents for chemical cross-linking of gelatin to engineer nanofibrous materials with negligible biological effects. In summary, the present results suggest the importance of solvent-mediated carbodiimide cross-linking in modulating structure�

Ionic liquids in a poly ethylene oxide cross-linked gel polymer as an electrolyte for electrical double layer capacitor

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudoy, V.; Tran Van, F.; Deschamps, M.; Ghamouss, F.

2017-02-01

In the present work, we developed a gel polymer electrolyte via the incorporation of a room temperature ionic liquid into a cross-linked polymer matrix. The cross-linked gel electrolyte was prepared using a free radical polymerization of methacrylate and dimethacrylate oligomers dissolved in 1-propyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide. Combining the advantages of the ionic liquids and of conventional polymers, the cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte was used both as a separator and as an electrolyte for a leakage-free and non-flammable EDLC supercapacitor. The quasi-all solid-state supercapacitors showed rather good capacitance, power and energy densities by comparison to a liquid electrolyte-based EDLC.

The mechanism of collagen cross-linking in diabetes: a puzzle nearing resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Monnier, V M; Glomb, M; Elgawish, A; Sell, D R

1996-07-01

Considerable interest has been focused in recent years on the mechanism of collagen cross-linking by high glucose in vitro and in vivo. Experiments in both diabetic humans and in animals have shown that over time collagen becomes less soluble, less digestible by collagenase, more stable to heat-induced denaturation, and more glycated. In addition, collagen becomes more modified by advanced products of the Maillard reaction, i.e., immunoreactive advanced glycation end products and the glycoxidation markers carboxymethyllysine and pentosidine. Mechanistic studies have shown that collagen cross-linking in vitro can be uncoupled from glycation by the use of antioxidants and chelating agents. Experiments in the authors' laboratory revealed that approximately 50% of carboxymethyllysine formed in vitro originates from pathways other than oxidation of Amadori products, i.e., most likely the oxidation of Schiff base-linked glucose. In addition, the increase in thermal stability of rat tail tendons exposed to high glucose in vitro or in vivo was found to strongly depend on H2O2 formation. The final missing piece of the puzzle is that of the structure of the major cross-link. We speculate that it is a nonfluorescent nonultraviolet active cross-link between two lysine residues, which includes a fragmentation product of glucose linked in a nonreducible bond labile to both strong acids and bases.

Preparation, microstructure and hydrogen sorption properties of nanoporous carbon aerogels under ambient drying

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, H. Y.; Buckley, C. E.; Mulè, S.; Paskevicius, M.; Dhal, B. B.

2008-11-01

Organic aerogels are prepared by the sol-gel method from polymerization of resorcinol with furfural. These aerogels are further carbonized in nitrogen in order to obtain their corresponding carbon aerogels (CA); a sample which was carbonized at 900 °C was also activated in a carbon dioxide atmosphere at 900 °C. The chemical reaction mechanism and optimum synthesis conditions are investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermoanalyses (thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyses) with a focus on the sol-gel process. The carbon aerogels were investigated with respect to their microstructures, using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption measurements at 77 K. SAXS studies showed that micropores with a radius of gyration of adsorption showed that larger mesopores were also present. Hydrogen storage properties of the CA were also investigated. An activated sample with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 1539 ± 20 m2 g-1 displayed a reasonably high hydrogen uptake at 77 K with a maximum hydrogen sorption of 3.6 wt% at 2.5 MPa. These results suggest that CA are promising candidate hydrogen storage materials.

Hydrophobic and low density silica aerogels dried at ambient pressure using TEOS precursor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurav, Jyoti L.; Rao, A. Venkateswara; Bangi, Uzma K.H.

2009-01-01

In the conventional ambient pressure drying of silica aerogels, tedious repetitive gel washing and solvent exchange steps (∼6 days) are involved. Therefore, in the present studies, we intended to reduce the processing time of TEOS based ambient pressure dried silica aerogels. Solvents such as methanol, hexane and Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDZ) as surface chemical modification agents have been used. To get good quality aerogels in terms of low density, high porosity, high contact angle and low volume shrinkage in less processing time, we varied MeOH/TEOS, HMDZ/TEOS molar ratios, oxalic acid (A) and NH 4 OH (B) concentrations and stirring time from 1 to 27.7, 0.34 to 2.1, 0 to 0.1 M, 0 to 2 M and 15 to 90 min respectively. The transparent and low-density aerogels were obtained for TEOS:MeOH:acidic H 2 O:basic H 2 O:HMDZ molar ratio of 1:16.5:0.81:0.50:0.681 respectively. The thermal stability and hydrophobicity have been confirmed with Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal (TG-DT) analyses and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Microstructural study was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Da-KGM based GO-reinforced FMBO-loaded aerogels for efficient arsenic removal in aqueous solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shuxin; Jin, Weiping; Huang, Qing; Hu, Ying; Li, Yan; Li, Jing; Li, Bin

2017-01-01

Composites based on deacetylated konjac glucomannan (Da-KGM) and graphene oxide (GO) aerogels with iron and manganese oxides (FMBO) for effective removal of arsenic from contaminated water. Da-KGM, which was used as supporting composite matrix here, were firstly treated with GO and loaded FMBO. The obtained Da-KGM/GO/FMBO composite aerogels were characterized by compression test, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The characteristic results showed that addition of GO exhibited enhanced mechanical properties towards Da-KGM aerogels. What's more, results of FTIR indicated the strong intermolecular hydrogen bond interaction between KGM and GO. Batch adsorption tests were used to evaluate arsenic removal capacity. Da-KGM/GO loaded FMBO composite aerogels exhibited high adsorption ability for arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)]. The adsorption results showed that the arsenic for both arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] removal process followed a pseudo-second-order rate equation and Langmuir monolayer adsorption. The maximum As(III) and As(V) uptake capacity of Da-KGM/GO(10%)/FMBO composite aerogels reached 30.21mgg -1 and 12.08mgg -1 respectively according to Langmuir isotherm at pH 7 and 323K. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystal spectroscopy of silicon aero-gel end-caps driven by a dynamic hohlraum on Z

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nash, T.J.; Sanford, T.W.L.; Mock, R.C.; Leeper, R.J.; Chandler, G.A.; Bailey, J.E.; McKenney, J.L.; Mehlhorn, T.A.; Seaman, J.F.; McGurn, J.; Schroen, D.; Russell, C.; Lake, P.E.; Jobe, D.O.; Gilliland, T.; Nielsen, D.S.; Lucas, J.; Moore, T.; Torres, J.A.; MacFarlane, J.J.; Apruzese, J.P.; Chrien, R.; Idzorek, G.; Peterson, D.L.; Watt, R.

2005-01-01

We present results from crystal spectroscopic analysis of silicon aero-gel foams heated by dynamic hohlraums on Z. The dynamic hohlraum on Z creates a radiation source with a 230-eV average temperature over a 2.4-mm diameter. In these experiments silicon aero-gel foams with 10-mg/cm3 densities and 1.7-mm lengths were placed on both ends of the dynamic hohlraum. Several crystal spectrometers were placed both above and below the z-pinch to diagnose the temperature of the silicon aero-gel foam using the K-shell lines of silicon. The crystal spectrometers were (1) temporally integrated and spatially resolved, (2) temporally resolved and spatially integrated, and (3) both temporally and spatially resolved. The results indicate that the dynamic hohlraum heats the silicon aero-gel to approximately 150-eV at peak power. As the dynamic hohlraum source cools after peak power the silicon aero-gel continues to heat and jets axially at an average velocity of approximately 50-cm/μs. The spectroscopy has also shown that the reason for the up/down asymmetry in radiated power on Z is that tungsten enters the line-of-sight on the bottom of the machine much more than on the top

Controlled swollen and drug release from urea-cross-linked polyether/siloxane hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santilli, Celso V.; Lopes, Leandro; Pulcinelli, Sandra H.; Chiavacci, Leila A.; Oliveira, Anselmo G.

2009-01-01

From a simple synthesis method we produced transparent ureasil cross-linked polyether (poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, or poly (propylene oxide), PPO) networks, whose designed inter cross-linking distance and tunable swell ability was assessed by small angle X-ray scattering on the D11A-SAXS1 beamline of the LNLS, we demonstrated that the controlled drug release from swell able hydrophilic ureasil-PEO materials can be sustained during some days, while from the unswell able ureasil-PPO ones, during some weeks. This outstanding feature conjugated with the bio medically safe formulation of the ureasil cross-linked polyether/siloxane hybrid widen their scope of application to include the domain of soft and implantable drug delivery devices. (author)

CD24 cross-linking induces apoptosis in, and inhibits migration of, MCF-7 breast cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Bin; Bae, Ji-Yeon; Jee, Hyeon-Gun; Noh, Dong-Young; Ko, Eunyoung; Han, Wonshik; Lee, Jeong Eon; Lee, Kyung-Min; Shin, Incheol; Kim, Sangmin; Lee, Jong Won; Cho, Jihyoung

2008-01-01

The biological effects of CD24 (FL-80) cross-linking on breast cancer cells have not yet been established. We examined the impact of CD24 cross-linking on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with anti-rabbit polyclonal IgG or anti-human CD24 rabbit polyclonal antibodies to induce cross-linking, and then growth was studied. Changes in cell characteristics such as cell cycle modulation, cell death, survival in three-dimensional cultures, adhesion, and migration ability were assayed after CD24 cross-linking in MCF-7. Expression of CD24 was analyzed by flow cytometry in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells where 2% and 66% expression frequencies were observed, respectively. CD24 cross-linking resulted in time-dependent proliferation reduction in MCF-7 cells, but no reduction in MDA-MB-231 cells. MCF-7 cell survival was reduced by 15% in three-dimensional culture after CD24 cross-linking. Increased MCF-7 cell apoptosis was observed after CD24 cross-linking, but no cell cycle arrest was observed in that condition. The migration capacity of MCF-7 cells was diminished by 30% after CD24 cross-linking. Our results showed that CD24 cross-linking induced apoptosis and inhibited migration in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We conclude that CD24 may be considered as a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer

A structural and kinetic study on myofibrils prevented from shortening by chemical cross-linking.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrmann, C; Sleep, J; Chaussepied, P; Travers, F; Barman, T

1993-07-20

In previous work, we studied the early steps of the Mg(2+)-ATPase activity of Ca(2+)-activated myofibrils [Houadjeto, M., Travers, F., & Barman, T. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 1564-1569]. The myofibrils were free to contract, and the results obtained refer to the ATPase cycle of myofibrils contracting with no external load. Here we studied the ATPase of myofibrils contracting isometrically. To prevent shortening, we cross-linked them with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC). SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses showed that the myosin rods were extensively cross-linked and that 8% of the myosin heads were cross-linked to the thin filament. The transient kinetics of the cross-linked myofibrils were studied in 0.1 M potassium acetate, pH 7.4 and 4 degrees C, by the rapid-flow quench method. The ATP binding steps were studied by the cold ATP chase and the cleavage and release of products steps by the Pi burst method. In Pi burst experiments, the sizes of the bursts were equal within experimental error to the ATPase site concentrations (as determined by the cold ATP chase methods) for both cross-linked (isometric) and un-cross-linked (isotonic) myofibrils. This shows that in both cases the rate-limiting step is after the cleavage of ATP. When cross-linked, the kcat of Ca(2+)-activated myofibrils was reduced from 1.7 to 0.8 s-1. This is consistent with the observation that fibers shortening at moderate velocity have a higher ATPase activity than isometric fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

New Ti3C2 aerogel as promising negative electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lu; Zhang, Mingyi; Zhang, Xitian; Zhang, Zhiguo

2017-10-01

Novel 3D Ti3C2 aerogel has been first synthesized by a simple EDA-assisted self-assembly process. Its inside are channels and pores structure. The interconnected aerogel structure could efficiently restrain restacking of Ti3C2 flakes. Thus, it exhibits a large specific surface area as high as 176.3 m2 g-1. The electrochemical performances have been measured. The Ti3C2 aerogel achieves a quite high areal capacitance of 1012.5 mF cm-2 for the mass loading of 15 mg at a scan rate of 2 mV s-1 in 1 M KOH electrolyte. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) has been assembled by using the Ti3C2 aerogel electrode as the negative electrode and electrospinning carbon nanofiber film as the positive electrode. The device can deliver a high energy density of 120.0 μWh cm-2 and a maximum power density of 26123 μW cm-2. A lamp panel with nineteen red light-emitting diodes has been powered by two ASCs in series.

Aerogel as Cherenkov radiator for RICH detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellunato, T.; Braem, A.; Buzykaev, A.R.; Calvi, M.; Chesi, E.; Danilyuk, A.F.; Easo, S.; Hansen, C.; Jolly, S.; Joram, C.; Kravchenko, E.A.; Liko, D.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musy, M.; Negri, P.; Neufeld, N.; Onuchin, A.P.; Seguinot, J.; Weilhammer, P.; Wotton, S.

2003-01-01

We present here the results obtained using silica aerogel as Cherenkov radiator for the separation and identification of particles in the momentum range from 6 to 10 GeV/c. Photoelectron yield and Cherenkov ring resolution were studied under different experimental conditions and compared to the simulation

Study of transport properties and conduction mechanism of pure and composite resorcinol formaldehyde aerogel doped with Co-ferrite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Attia, S.M.; Sharshar, T.; Abd-Elwahed, A.R.; Tawfik, A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A novel composite RF aerogels with Co-ferrite were prepared by sol–gel process. • RF aerogels exhibit a semiconducting behavior. • The dielectric constant of RF aerogel is very low (4 times as that of air) and can be controlled by adding Co-ferrite. • Large overlapping polaron (OLP) was found to be the preferred conduction mechanism in these materials. -- Abstract: A series of resorcinol formaldehyde aerogels (RF aerogels) composite with nanoparticles of CoFe 2 O 4 have been prepared by sol–gel method. Four samples of pure RF aerogels were prepared at different concentrations of Na 2 CO 3 as catalyst (0.02, 0.025, 0.03, and 0.04 wt.%) and four samples of composite RF aerogels were prepared at different concentration of doped CoFe 2 O 4 (0.075, 0.1, 0.125, and 0.15 wt.%; Na 2 CO 3 concentration = 0.03 wt.%). DC electrical conductivity as a function of temperature was studied in the temperature range 25 °C–200 °C for all samples. AC electrical conductivity and dielectric properties were determined using RLC Bridge in the frequency range 100 Hz–1 MHz at different temperature (25–200 °C). The pore size of the samples was determined using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). RF aerogels are found to exhibit a semiconducting behavior and characterized by two transition temperatures T 1 and T 2 . Also σ DC increases with increase of Co-ferrite contents. Pure RF aerogels posses a very low dielectric constant, where the lowest value of ε′ is ∼4 times as that of air. ε′ decreases with increase of frequency, and increases with increase of temperature. Large overlapping polaron (OLP) is found to be the preferred conduction mechanism in these materials. The results of PALS show that there are two types of pore size in these samples; the first ranges from 1.9 to 2.5 nm, while the second ranges from 3.2 to 5.3 nm

Swelling of cross-linked polymers: interpretations and misinterpretations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dušek, Karel; Dušková-Smrčková, Miroslava

2017-01-01

Roč. 254, 20 August (2017), s. 102 ISSN 0065-7727. [ACS National Meeting & Exposition /254./. 20.08.2017-24.08.2017, Washington] Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : swelling * cross-linked polymer Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry OBOR OECD: Polymer science

Hyper-cross-linked, hybrid membranes via interfacial polymerization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raaijmakers, Michiel

2015-01-01

Hyper-cross-linked, hybrid membranes consist of covalent networks of alternating organic and inorganic, or biological groups. This thesis reports on the preparation of such hybrid networks via interfacial polymerization. The structure-property relationships of the hybrid networks depend strongly on

Bypass of a psoralen DNA interstrand cross-link by DNA polymerases beta, iota, and kappa in vitro

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Leigh A.; Makarova, Alena V.; Samson, Laura; Thiesen, Katherine E.; Dhar, Alok; Bessho, Tadayoshi

2012-01-01

Repair of DNA inter-strand cross-links in mammalian cells involves several biochemically distinctive processes, including the release of one of the cross-linked strands and translesion DNA synthesis (TLS). In this report, we investigated in vitro TLS activity of psoralen DNA inter-strand cross-link by three DNA repair polymerases, DNA polymerase beta, kappa and iota. DNA polymerase beta is capable of bypassing a psoralen cross-link with a low efficiency. Cell extracts prepared from DNA polymerase beta knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast showed a reduced bypass activity of the psoralen cross-link and purified DNA polymerase beta restored the bypass activity. In addition, DNA polymerase iota mis-incorporated thymine across the psoralen cross-link and DNA polymerase kappa extended these mis-paired primer ends, suggesting that DNA polymerase iota may serve as an inserter and DNA polymerase kappa may play a role as an extender in the repair of psoralen DNA inter-strand cross-links. The results demonstrated here indicate that multiple DNA polymerases could participate in TLS steps in mammalian DNA inter-strand cross-link repair. PMID:23106263

Observation of a second-sound-like mode in superfluid-filled aerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenna, M.J.; Slawecki, T.; Maynard, J.D.

1991-01-01

Superfluid 4 He is interesting acoustically because it can support more than one mode of sound propagation, and these can be used to study critical properties. Recently, there has been interest in superfluid-filled aerogels, but for such compressible materials one does not observe the ordinary (fourth) sound; instead there is a mode intermediate between first and fourth sound and a second-sound-like mode. We present a theory for the modes and the first observation of the aerogel second-sound-like mode, which is important because it propagates near the critical temperature

Analysis of protein-nucleic acid interactions by photochemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steen, Hanno; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard