WorldWideScience

Sample records for surface membrane chemistry

  1. PES Surface Modification Using Green Chemistry: New Generation of Antifouling Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norhan Nady

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A major limitation in using membrane-based separation processes is the loss of performance due to membrane fouling. This drawback can be addressed thanks to surface modification treatments. A new and promising surface modification using green chemistry has been recently investigated. This modification is carried out at room temperature and in aqueous medium using green catalyst (enzyme and nontoxic modifier, which can be safely labelled “green surface modification”. This modification can be considered as a nucleus of new generation of antifouling membranes and surfaces. In the current research, ferulic acid modifier and laccase bio-catalyst were used to make poly(ethersulfone (PES membrane less vulnerable to protein adsorption. The blank and modified PES membranes are evaluated based on e.g., their flux and protein repellence. Both the blank and the modified PES membranes (or laminated PES on silicon dioxide surface are characterized using many techniques e.g., SEM, EDX, XPS and SPM, etc. The pure water flux of the most modified membranes was reduced by 10% on average relative to the blank membrane, and around a 94% reduction in protein adsorption was determined. In the conclusions section, a comparison between three modifiers—ferulic acid, and two other previously used modifiers (4-hydroxybenzoic acid and gallic acid—is presented.

  2. PES Surface Modification Using Green Chemistry: New Generation of Antifouling Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nady, Norhan

    2016-04-18

    A major limitation in using membrane-based separation processes is the loss of performance due to membrane fouling. This drawback can be addressed thanks to surface modification treatments. A new and promising surface modification using green chemistry has been recently investigated. This modification is carried out at room temperature and in aqueous medium using green catalyst (enzyme) and nontoxic modifier, which can be safely labelled "green surface modification". This modification can be considered as a nucleus of new generation of antifouling membranes and surfaces. In the current research, ferulic acid modifier and laccase bio-catalyst were used to make poly(ethersulfone) (PES) membrane less vulnerable to protein adsorption. The blank and modified PES membranes are evaluated based on e.g., their flux and protein repellence. Both the blank and the modified PES membranes (or laminated PES on silicon dioxide surface) are characterized using many techniques e.g., SEM, EDX, XPS and SPM, etc. The pure water flux of the most modified membranes was reduced by 10% on average relative to the blank membrane, and around a 94% reduction in protein adsorption was determined. In the conclusions section, a comparison between three modifiers-ferulic acid, and two other previously used modifiers (4-hydroxybenzoic acid and gallic acid)-is presented.

  3. Evolution and accumulation of organic foulants on hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane surfaces in a submerged membrane bioreactor

    KAUST Repository

    Matar, Gerald

    2015-09-07

    Membrane surface modification is attracting more attention to mitigate biofouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Five membranes differing in chemistry and hydrophobic/hydrophilic potential were run in parallel in a lab-scale MBR under the same conditions. Membranes were sampled after 1, 10, 20 and 30 days of MBR operation with synthetic wastewater. Subsequently, accumulated organic foulants were characterised using several chemical analytical tools. Results showed similar development of organic foulants with time, illustrating that membrane surface chemistry did not affect the selection of specific organic foulants. Multivariate analysis showed that biofilm samples clustered according to the day of sampling. The composition of organic foulants shifted from protein-like substances towards humics and polysaccharides-like substances. We propose that to control biofouling in MBRs, one should focus less on the membrane surface chemistry.

  4. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Danielli, J F; Cadenhead, D A

    1973-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 6 covers the developments in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the progress in surface and membrane science; the solid state chemistry of the silver halide surface; and the experimental and theoretical aspects of the double layer at the mercury-solution interface. The text also describes contact-angle hysteresis; ion binding and ion transport produced by neutral lipid-soluble molecules; and the biophysical interactions of blood proteins with polymeric and artificial surfaces. Physical chemists, biophysicists, and phys

  5. Surface modification of nanoporous alumina membranes by plasma polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Losic, Dusan; Cole, Martin A; Dollmann, Bjoern; Vasilev, Krasimir; Griesser, Hans J [Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, SA 5095 (Australia)], E-mail: dusan.losic@unisa.edu.au

    2008-06-18

    The deposition of plasma polymer coatings onto porous alumina (PA) membranes was investigated with the aim of adjusting the surface chemistry and the pore size of the membranes. PA membranes from commercial sources with a range of pore diameters (20, 100 and 200 nm) were used and modified by plasma polymerization using n-heptylamine (HA) monomer, which resulted in a chemically reactive polymer surface with amino groups. Heptylamine plasma polymer (HAPP) layers with a thickness less than the pore diameter do not span the pores but reduce their diameter. Accordingly, by adjusting the deposition time and thus the thickness of the plasma polymer coating, it is feasible to produce any desired pore diameter. The structural and chemical properties of modified membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS). The resultant PA membranes with specific surface chemistry and controlled pore size are applicable for molecular separation, cell culture, bioreactors, biosensing, drug delivery, and engineering complex composite membranes.

  6. Surface modification of nanoporous alumina membranes by plasma polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Losic, Dusan; Cole, Martin A; Dollmann, Bjoern; Vasilev, Krasimir; Griesser, Hans J

    2008-01-01

    The deposition of plasma polymer coatings onto porous alumina (PA) membranes was investigated with the aim of adjusting the surface chemistry and the pore size of the membranes. PA membranes from commercial sources with a range of pore diameters (20, 100 and 200 nm) were used and modified by plasma polymerization using n-heptylamine (HA) monomer, which resulted in a chemically reactive polymer surface with amino groups. Heptylamine plasma polymer (HAPP) layers with a thickness less than the pore diameter do not span the pores but reduce their diameter. Accordingly, by adjusting the deposition time and thus the thickness of the plasma polymer coating, it is feasible to produce any desired pore diameter. The structural and chemical properties of modified membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS). The resultant PA membranes with specific surface chemistry and controlled pore size are applicable for molecular separation, cell culture, bioreactors, biosensing, drug delivery, and engineering complex composite membranes

  7. Printing-assisted surface modifications of patterned ultrafiltration membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wardrip, Nathaniel C.; Dsouza, Melissa; Urgun-Demirtas, Meltem; Snyder, Seth W.

    2016-01-01

    Understanding and restricting microbial surface attachment will enhance wastewater treatment with membranes. We report a maskless lithographic patterning technique for the generation of patterned polymer coatings on ultrafiltration membranes. Polyethylene glycol, zwitterionic, or negatively charged hydrophilic polymer compositions in parallel- or perpendicular-striped patterns with respect to feed flow were evaluated using wastewater. Membrane fouling was dependent on the orientation and chemical composition of the coatings. Modifications reduced alpha diversity in the attached microbial community (Shannon indices decreased from 2.63 to 1.89) which nevertheless increased with filtration time. Sphingomonas species, which condition membrane surfaces and facilitate cellular adhesion, were depleted in all modified membranes. Microbial community structure was significantly different between control, different patterns, and different chemistries. Lastly, this study broadens the tools for surface modification of membranes with polymer coatings and for understanding and optimization of antifouling surfaces.

  8. Surface chemistry essentials

    CERN Document Server

    Birdi, K S

    2013-01-01

    Surface chemistry plays an important role in everyday life, as the basis for many phenomena as well as technological applications. Common examples range from soap bubbles, foam, and raindrops to cosmetics, paint, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals. Additional areas that rely on surface chemistry include modern nanotechnology, medical diagnostics, and drug delivery. There is extensive literature on this subject, but most chemistry books only devote one or two chapters to it. Surface Chemistry Essentials fills a need for a reference that brings together the fundamental aspects of surface chemistry w

  9. RETENTION OF HUMIC ACID FROM WATER BY NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANE AND INFLUENCE OF SOLUTION CHEMISTRY ON MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Zazouli, S. Nasseri, A. H. Mahvi, M. Gholami, A. R. Mesdaghinia, M. Younesian

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research were to investigate the rejection efficiency of salt and hydrophobic fraction of natural organic matter, to study the flux decline behavior with a spiral wound nanofiltration membrane, and also to survey the influence of water chemistry on membrane performance. Experiments were conducted using a cross flow pilot-scale membrane unit with a full circulation mode. Humic acid was used as hydrophobic organic matter and NaCl as background electrolyte. Results showed that flux reduction increased with increasing ionic strength and humic acid concentration, and with lower pH. The rejection efficiency of organic and salt decreased with the decrease in pH and increase in ionic strength, because of osmotic pressure increase, leading to permeate flux decline and decrease in salt rejection. In addition, the improved salt rejection was likely due to Donnan exclusion by humic material close to membrane surfaces. The average rejection efficiency of humic acid and salt ranged between 91.2%-95.25% and 63.6%-80%, respectively. Dissolved organic carbon concentration was less than 0.57mg/L in permeate for all experiments. With increasing organic concentration, the charge of the membrane surface has become more negative due to the adsorption of organic foulants on the membrane surface, and thus increased the electrostatic repulsion. However, the increasing surface charge had the potential to result in a larger molecular weight cut-off of a fouled membrane due to membrane swelling which can lead to lower rejection solutes. Therefore, results of this study indicated that membrane fouling may significantly affect the rejection of organic and ion solute.

  10. Evolution and accumulation of organic foulants on hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane surfaces in a submerged membrane bioreactor

    KAUST Repository

    Matar, Gerald; Gonzalez-Gil, G.; Maab, H.; Nunes, Suzana Pereira; Vrouwenvelder, J.S.; Saikaly, Pascal

    2015-01-01

    foulants with time, illustrating that membrane surface chemistry did not affect the selection of specific organic foulants. Multivariate analysis showed that biofilm samples clustered according to the day of sampling. The composition of organic foulants

  11. Temporal Changes in Extracellular Polymeric Substances on Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Membrane Surfaces in a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor

    KAUST Repository

    Matar, Gerald; Gonzalez-Gil, Graciela; Maab, Husnul; Nunes, Suzana Pereira; Le-Clech, Pierre; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.; Saikaly, Pascal

    2016-01-01

    multidimensional scaling of LC-OCD data showed that biofilm samples clustered according to the sampling event (time) regardless of the membrane surface chemistry (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) or operating mode (with or without permeate flux). These results suggest

  12. Analysis of heterogeneous oxygen exchange and fuel oxidation on the catalytic surface of perovskite membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jongsup

    2013-10-01

    The catalytic kinetics of oxygen surface exchange and fuel oxidation for a perovskite membrane is investigated in terms of the thermodynamic state in the immediate vicinity of or on the membrane surface. Perovskite membranes have been shown to exhibit both oxygen perm-selectivity and catalytic activity for hydrocarbon conversion. A fundamental description of their catalytic surface reactions is needed. In this study, we infer the kinetic parameters for heterogeneous oxygen surface exchange and catalytic fuel conversion reactions, based on permeation rate measurements and a spatially resolved physical model that incorporates detailed chemical kinetics and transport in the gas-phase. The conservation equations for surface and bulk species are coupled with those of the gas-phase species through the species production rates from surface reactions. It is shown that oxygen surface exchange is limited by dissociative/associative adsorption/desorption of oxygen molecules onto/from the membrane surface. On the sweep side, while the catalytic conversion of methane to methyl radical governs the overall surface reactions at high temperature, carbon monoxide oxidation on the membrane surface is dominant at low temperature. Given the sweep side conditions considered in ITM reactor experiments, gas-phase reactions also play an important role, indicating the significance of investigating both homogeneous and heterogeneous chemistry and their coupling when examining the results. We show that the local thermodynamic state at the membrane surface should be considered when constructing and examining models of oxygen permeation and heterogeneous chemistry. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  13. Analysis of heterogeneous oxygen exchange and fuel oxidation on the catalytic surface of perovskite membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jongsup; Kirchen, Patrick; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.

    2013-01-01

    The catalytic kinetics of oxygen surface exchange and fuel oxidation for a perovskite membrane is investigated in terms of the thermodynamic state in the immediate vicinity of or on the membrane surface. Perovskite membranes have been shown to exhibit both oxygen perm-selectivity and catalytic activity for hydrocarbon conversion. A fundamental description of their catalytic surface reactions is needed. In this study, we infer the kinetic parameters for heterogeneous oxygen surface exchange and catalytic fuel conversion reactions, based on permeation rate measurements and a spatially resolved physical model that incorporates detailed chemical kinetics and transport in the gas-phase. The conservation equations for surface and bulk species are coupled with those of the gas-phase species through the species production rates from surface reactions. It is shown that oxygen surface exchange is limited by dissociative/associative adsorption/desorption of oxygen molecules onto/from the membrane surface. On the sweep side, while the catalytic conversion of methane to methyl radical governs the overall surface reactions at high temperature, carbon monoxide oxidation on the membrane surface is dominant at low temperature. Given the sweep side conditions considered in ITM reactor experiments, gas-phase reactions also play an important role, indicating the significance of investigating both homogeneous and heterogeneous chemistry and their coupling when examining the results. We show that the local thermodynamic state at the membrane surface should be considered when constructing and examining models of oxygen permeation and heterogeneous chemistry. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  14. Water at surfaces with tunable surface chemistries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Stephanie E.; Vanselous, Heather; Petersen, Poul B.

    2018-03-01

    Aqueous interfaces are ubiquitous in natural environments, spanning atmospheric, geological, oceanographic, and biological systems, as well as in technical applications, such as fuel cells and membrane filtration. Where liquid water terminates at a surface, an interfacial region is formed, which exhibits distinct properties from the bulk aqueous phase. The unique properties of water are governed by the hydrogen-bonded network. The chemical and physical properties of the surface dictate the boundary conditions of the bulk hydrogen-bonded network and thus the interfacial properties of the water and any molecules in that region. Understanding the properties of interfacial water requires systematically characterizing the structure and dynamics of interfacial water as a function of the surface chemistry. In this review, we focus on the use of experimental surface-specific spectroscopic methods to understand the properties of interfacial water as a function of surface chemistry. Investigations of the air-water interface, as well as efforts in tuning the properties of the air-water interface by adding solutes or surfactants, are briefly discussed. Buried aqueous interfaces can be accessed with careful selection of spectroscopic technique and sample configuration, further expanding the range of chemical environments that can be probed, including solid inorganic materials, polymers, and water immiscible liquids. Solid substrates can be finely tuned by functionalization with self-assembled monolayers, polymers, or biomolecules. These variables provide a platform for systematically tuning the chemical nature of the interface and examining the resulting water structure. Finally, time-resolved methods to probe the dynamics of interfacial water are briefly summarized before discussing the current status and future directions in studying the structure and dynamics of interfacial water.

  15. Highly Hydrophilic Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membranes Functionalized with Surface-Tailored Nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto

    2012-09-26

    Thin-film composite polyamide membranes are state-of-the-art materials for membrane-based water purification and desalination processes, which require both high rejection of contaminants and high water permeabilities. However, these membranes are prone to fouling when processing natural waters and wastewaters, because of the inherent surface physicochemical properties of polyamides. The present work demonstrates the fabrication of forward osmosis polyamide membranes with optimized surface properties via facile and scalable functionalization with fine-tuned nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles are coated with superhydrophilic ligands possessing functional groups that impart stability to the nanoparticles and bind irreversibly to the native carboxyl moieties on the membrane selective layer. The tightly tethered layer of nanoparticles tailors the surface chemistry of the novel composite membrane without altering the morphology or water/solute permeabilities of the membrane selective layer. Surface characterization and interfacial energy analysis confirm that highly hydrophilic and wettable membrane surfaces are successfully attained. Lower intermolecular adhesion forces are measured between the new membrane materials and model organic foulants, indicating the presence of a bound hydration layer at the polyamide membrane surface that creates a barrier for foulant adhesion. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  16. Molecular Grafting of Fluorinated and Nonfluorinated Alkylsiloxanes on Various Ceramic Membrane Surfaces for the Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds Applying Vacuum Membrane Distillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kujawa, Joanna; Al-Gharabli, Samer; Kujawski, Wojciech; Knozowska, Katarzyna

    2017-02-22

    Four main tasks were presented: (i) ceramic membrane functionalization (TiO 2 5 kDa and 300 kDa), (ii) extended material characterization (physicochemistry and tribology) of pristine and modified ceramic samples, (iii) evaluation of chemical and mechanical stability, and finally (iv) assessment of membrane efficiency in vacuum membrane distillation applied for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal from water. Highly efficient molecular grafting with four types of perfluoroalkylsilanes and one nonfluorinated agent was developed. Materials with controllable tribological and physicochemical properties were achieved. The most meaningful finding is associated with the applicability of fluorinated and nonfluorinated grafting agents. The results of contact angle, hysteresis of contact angle, sliding angle, and critical surface tension as well as Young's modulus, nanohardness, and adhesion force for grafting by these two modifiers are comparable. This provides insight into the potential applicability of environmental friendly hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces. The achieved hydrophobic membranes were very effective in the removal of VOCs (butanol, methyl-tert-butyl ether, and ethyl acetate) from binary aqueous solutions in vacuum membrane distillation. The correlation between membrane effectiveness and separated solvent polarity was compared in terms of material properties and resistance to the wetting (kinetics of wetting and in-depth liquid penetration). Material properties were interpreted considering Zisman theory and using Kao diagram. The significant influence of surface chemistry on the membrane performance was noticed (5 kDa, influence of hydrophobic nanolayer and separation controlled by solution-diffusion model; 300 kDa, no impact of surface chemistry and separation controlled by liquid-vapor equilibrium).

  17. Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene by surface chain transfer reaction based on mussel-inspired adhesion technology and thiol chemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niu, Zhijun; Zhao, Yang; Sun, Wei; Shi, Suqing, E-mail: shisq@nwu.edu.cn; Gong, Yongkuan

    2016-11-15

    Highlights: • Biomimetic surface modification of PP was successfully conducted by integrating mussel-inspired technology, thiol chemistry and cell outer membranes-like structures. • The resultant biomimetic surface exhibits good interface and surface stability. • The obvious suppression of protein adsorption and platelet adhesion is also achieved. • The residue thoil groups on the surface could be further functionalized. - Abstract: Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene (PP) is conducted by surface chain transfer reaction based on the mussel-inspired versatile adhesion technology and thiol chemistry, using 2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC) as a hydrophilic monomer mimicking the cell outer membrane structure and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator in ethanol. A layer of polydopamine (PDA) is firstly deposited onto PP surface, which not only offers good interfacial adhesion with PP, but also supplies secondary reaction sites (-NH{sub 2}) to covalently anchor thiol groups onto PP surface. Then the radical chain transfer to surface-bonded thiol groups and surface re-initiated polymerization of MPC lead to the formation of a thin layer of polymer brush (PMPC) with cell outer membrane mimetic structure on PP surface. X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle measurements are used to characterize the PP surfaces before and after modification. The protein adsorption and platelet adhesion experiments are also employed to evaluate the interactions of PP surface with biomolecules. The results show that PMPC is successfully grafted onto PP surface. In comparison with bare PP, the resultant PP-PMPC surface exhibits greatly improved protein and platelet resistance performance, which is the contribution of both increased surface hydrophilicity and zwitterionic structure. More importantly, the residue thiol groups on PP-PMPC surface create a new pathway to further functionalize such

  18. Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene by surface chain transfer reaction based on mussel-inspired adhesion technology and thiol chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu, Zhijun; Zhao, Yang; Sun, Wei; Shi, Suqing; Gong, Yongkuan

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Biomimetic surface modification of PP was successfully conducted by integrating mussel-inspired technology, thiol chemistry and cell outer membranes-like structures. • The resultant biomimetic surface exhibits good interface and surface stability. • The obvious suppression of protein adsorption and platelet adhesion is also achieved. • The residue thoil groups on the surface could be further functionalized. - Abstract: Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene (PP) is conducted by surface chain transfer reaction based on the mussel-inspired versatile adhesion technology and thiol chemistry, using 2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC) as a hydrophilic monomer mimicking the cell outer membrane structure and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator in ethanol. A layer of polydopamine (PDA) is firstly deposited onto PP surface, which not only offers good interfacial adhesion with PP, but also supplies secondary reaction sites (-NH 2 ) to covalently anchor thiol groups onto PP surface. Then the radical chain transfer to surface-bonded thiol groups and surface re-initiated polymerization of MPC lead to the formation of a thin layer of polymer brush (PMPC) with cell outer membrane mimetic structure on PP surface. X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle measurements are used to characterize the PP surfaces before and after modification. The protein adsorption and platelet adhesion experiments are also employed to evaluate the interactions of PP surface with biomolecules. The results show that PMPC is successfully grafted onto PP surface. In comparison with bare PP, the resultant PP-PMPC surface exhibits greatly improved protein and platelet resistance performance, which is the contribution of both increased surface hydrophilicity and zwitterionic structure. More importantly, the residue thiol groups on PP-PMPC surface create a new pathway to further functionalize such

  19. The coupling effect of gas-phase chemistry and surface reactions on oxygen permeation and fuel conversion in ITM reactors

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jongsup

    2015-08-01

    © 2015 Elsevier B.V. The effect of the coupling between heterogeneous catalytic reactions supported by an ion transport membrane (ITM) and gas-phase chemistry on fuel conversion and oxygen permeation in ITM reactors is examined. In ITM reactors, thermochemical reactions take place in the gas-phase and on the membrane surface, both of which interact with oxygen permeation. However, this coupling between gas-phase and surface chemistry has not been examined in detail. In this study, a parametric analysis using numerical simulations is conducted to investigate this coupling and its impact on fuel conversion and oxygen permeation rates. A thermochemical model that incorporates heterogeneous chemistry on the membrane surface and detailed chemical kinetics in the gas-phase is used. Results show that fuel conversion and oxygen permeation are strongly influenced by the simultaneous action of both chemistries. It is shown that the coupling somewhat suppresses the gas-phase kinetics and reduces fuel conversion, both attributed to extensive thermal energy transfer towards the membrane which conducts it to the air side and radiates to the reactor walls. The reaction pathway and products, in the form of syngas and C2 hydrocarbons, are also affected. In addition, the operating regimes of ITM reactors in which heterogeneous- or/and homogeneous-phase reactions predominantly contribute to fuel conversion and oxygen permeation are elucidated.

  20. Surface modification of reverse osmosis desalination membranes by thin-film coatings deposited by initiated chemical vapor deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozaydin-Ince, Gozde, E-mail: gozdeince@sabanciuniv.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Matin, Asif, E-mail: amatin@mit.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Khan, Zafarullah, E-mail: zukhan@mit.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Zaidi, S.M. Javaid, E-mail: zaidismj@kfupm.edu.sa [Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Gleason, Karen K., E-mail: kkgleasn@mit.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

    2013-07-31

    Thin-film polymeric reverse osmosis membranes, due to their high permeation rates and good salt rejection capabilities, are widely used for seawater desalination. However, these membranes are prone to biofouling, which affects their performance and efficiency. In this work, we report a method to modify the membrane surface without damaging the active layer or significantly affecting the performance of the membrane. Amphiphilic copolymer films of hydrophilic hydroxyethylmethacrylate and hydrophobic perfluorodecylacrylate (PFA) were synthesized and deposited on commercial RO membranes using an initiated chemical vapor deposition technique which is a polymer deposition technique that involves free-radical polymerization initiated by gas-phase radicals. Relevant surface characteristics such as hydrophilicity and roughness could be systematically controlled by varying the polymer chemistry. Increasing the hydrophobic PFA content in the films leads to an increase in the surface roughness and hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the surface morphology studies performed using the atomic force microscopy show that as the thickness of the coating increases average surface roughness increases. Using this knowledge, the coating thickness and chemistry were optimized to achieve high permeate flux and to reduce cell attachment. Results of the static bacterial adhesion tests show that the attachment of bacterial cells is significantly reduced on the coated membranes. - Highlights: • Thin films are deposited on reverse osmosis membranes. • Amphiphilic thin films are resistant to protein attachment. • The permeation performance of the membranes is not affected by the coating. • The thin film coatings delayed the biofouling.

  1. Temporal Changes in Extracellular Polymeric Substances on Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Membrane Surfaces in a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor

    KAUST Repository

    Matar, Gerald Kamil

    2016-03-02

    Membrane surface hydrophilic modification has always been considered to mitigating biofouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Four hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membranes (pore sizes ∼0.1 μm) differing only in hydrophobic or hydrophilic surface characteristics were operated at a permeate flux of 10 L/m2.h in the same lab-scale MBR fed with synthetic wastewater. In addition, identical membrane modules without permeate production (0 L/m2.h) were operated in the same lab-scale MBR. Membrane modules were autopsied after 1, 10, 20 and 30 days of MBR operation, and total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) accumulated on the membranes were extracted and characterized in detail using several analytical tools, including conventional colorimetric tests (Lowry and Dubois), liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD), fluorescence excitation - emission matrices (FEEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The transmembrane pressure (TMP) quickly stabilized with higher values for the hydrophobic membranes than hydrophilic ones. The sulfonated polysulfone (SPSU) membrane had the highest negatively charged membrane surface, accumulated the least amount of foulants and displayed the lowest TMP. The same type of organic foulants developed with time on the four membranes and the composition of biopolymers shifted from protein dominance at early stages of filtration (day 1) towards polysaccharides dominance during later stages of MBR filtration. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling of LC-OCD data showed that biofilm samples clustered according to the sampling event (time) regardless of the membrane surface chemistry (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) or operating mode (with or without permeate flux). These results suggest that EPS composition may not be the dominant parameter for evaluating membrane performance and possibly other parameters such as biofilm thickness, porosity, compactness and structure should be considered

  2. Low fouling polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane via click chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Xie, Yihui

    2014-10-13

    Hydrophilic surfaces are known to be less prone to fouling. Ultrafiltration membranes are frequently prepared from rather hydrophobic polymers like polysulfone (PSU). Strategies to keep the good pore forming characteristics of PSU, but with improved hydrophilicity are proposed here. PSU functionalized with 1,2,3-triazole ring substituents containing OH groups was successfully synthesized through click chemistry reaction. The structures of the polymers were confirmed using NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). High thermal stability (>280°C) was observed by thermal gravimetric analysis. Elemental analysis showed the presence of nitrogen containing triazole group with different degrees of functionalization (23%, 49%, 56%, and 94%). The glass transition temperature shifted with the introduction of triazole pendant groups from 190°C (unmodified) to 171°C. Ultrafiltration membranes were prepared via phase inversion by immersion in different coagulation baths (NMP/water mixtures with volume ratios from 0/100 to 40/60). The morphologies of these membranes were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The optimized PSU bearing triazole functions membranes exhibited water permeability up to 187 L m-2 h-1 bar-1, which is 23 times higher than those prepared under the same conditions but with unmodified polysulfone (PSU; 8 L m-2 h-1 bar-1). Results of bovine serum albumin protein rejection test indicated that susceptibility to fouling decreased with the modification, due to the increased hydrophilicity, while keeping high protein rejection ratio (>99%).

  3. Clathrin to Lipid Raft-Endocytosis via Controlled Surface Chemistry and Efficient Perinuclear Targeting of Nanoparticle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Atanu; Jana, Nikhil R

    2015-09-17

    Nanoparticle interacts with live cells depending on their surface chemistry, enters into cell via endocytosis, and is commonly trafficked to an endosome/lysozome that restricts subcellular targeting options. Here we show that nanoparticle surface chemistry can be tuned to alter their cell uptake mechanism and subcellular trafficking. Quantum dot based nanoprobes of 20-30 nm hydrodynamic diameters have been synthesized with tunable surface charge (between +15 mV to -25 mV) and lipophilicity to influence their cellular uptake processes and subcellular trafficking. It is observed that cationic nanoprobe electrostatically interacts with cell membrane and enters into cell via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. At lower surface charge (between +10 mV to -10 mV), the electrostatic interaction with cell membrane becomes weaker, and additional lipid raft endocytosis is initiated. If a lipophilic functional group is introduced on a weakly anionic nanoparticle surface, the uptake mechanism shifts to predominant lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. In particular, the zwitterionic-lipophilic nanoprobe has the unique advantage as it weakly interacts with anionic cell membrane, migrates toward lipid rafts for interaction through lipophilic functional group, and induces lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. While predominate or partial clathrin-mediated entry traffics most of the nanoprobes to lysozome, predominate lipid raft-mediated entry traffics them to perinuclear region, particularly to the Golgi apparatus. This finding would guide in designing appropriate nanoprobe for subcellular targeting and delivery.

  4. Very Low Surface Energy (Membrane Separations: An Integrated Polymer Chemistry/Engineering Approach and The Influence of Backpulsing on Fouling Properties of Novel Nanofiltration Membranes for Wastewater Remediation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Freeman, Benny

    1998-01-01

    ...: An Integrated Polymer Chemistry/Engineering Approach, is to explore several new classes of polymeric materials to identify promising routes for developing low-fouling nanofiltration membranes for wastewater remediation...

  5. The impact of surface chemistry on the performance of localized solar-driven evaporation system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Shengtao; Zhang, Yao; Duan, Haoze; Liu, Yanming; Quan, Xiaojun; Tao, Peng; Shang, Wen; Wu, Jianbo; Song, Chengyi; Deng, Tao

    2015-09-04

    This report investigates the influence of surface chemistry (or wettability) on the evaporation performance of free-standing double-layered thin film on the surface of water. Such newly developed evaporation system is composed of top plasmonic light-to-heat conversion layer and bottom porous supporting layer. Under solar light illumination, the induced plasmonic heat will be localized within the film. By modulating the wettability of such evaporation system through the control of surface chemistry, the evaporation rates are differentiated between hydrophilized and hydrophobized anodic aluminum oxide membrane-based double layered thin films. Additionally, this work demonstrated that the evaporation rate mainly depends on the wettability of bottom supporting layer rather than that of top light-to-heat conversion layer. The findings in this study not only elucidate the role of surface chemistry of each layer of such double-layered evaporation system, but also provide additional design guidelines for such localized evaporation system in applications including desalination, distillation and power generation.

  6. Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide on polypropylene macroporous membranes via click chemistry to improve antibacterial and antifouling performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Zhen-Bei, E-mail: 1021453457@qq.com [The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Molecular-Based Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, East Beijing Rd. 1, Wuhu, Anhui 241000 (China); Wu, Jing-Jing, E-mail: 957522275@qq.com [The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Molecular-Based Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, East Beijing Rd. 1, Wuhu, Anhui 241000 (China); Su, Yu, E-mail: 819388710@qq.com [The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Molecular-Based Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, East Beijing Rd. 1, Wuhu, Anhui 241000 (China); Zhou, Jin, E-mail: zhoujin_ah@163.com [Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Chizhou University, Muzhi Rd. 199, Chizhou, Anhui 247000 (China); Gao, Yong, E-mail: 154682180@qq.com [School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001 (China); Yu, Hai-Yin, E-mail: yhy456@mail.ahnu.edu.cn [The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Molecular-Based Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, East Beijing Rd. 1, Wuhu, Anhui 241000 (China); Gu, Jia-Shan, E-mail: jiashanG@mail.ahnu.edu.cn [The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Molecular-Based Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, East Beijing Rd. 1, Wuhu, Anhui 241000 (China)

    2015-03-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Clickable membrane prepared by photo bromination and S{sub N}2 nucleophilic substitution. • Azide graphene oxide prepared by ring-opening reaction. • Alkyne graphene oxide was prepared via esterification reaction. • Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide on membrane by click chemistry. • Antibacterial and antifouling characteristics were enhanced greatly. - Abstract: Polypropylene is an extensively used membrane material; yet, polypropylene membranes exhibit extremely poor resistance to protein fouling. To ameliorate this issue, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were used to modify macroporous polypropylene membrane (MPPM) via layer-by-layer assembly technique through click reaction. First, alkyne-terminated GO was prepared through esterification between carboxyl groups in GO and amide groups in propargylamine; azide-terminated GO was synthesized by the ring-opening reaction of epoxy groups in GO with sodium azide. Second, GO was introduced to the membrane by click chemistry. Characterizations of infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the modification. The sharply decreasing of static water contact angle indicated the improvement of the surface hydrophilicity for GO modified membrane. Introducing GO to the membrane results in a dramatic increase of water flux, improvements in the antifouling characteristics and antibacterial property for the membranes. The pure water flux through the 5-layered GO modified membrane is 1.82 times that through the unmodified one. The water flux restores to 43.0% for the unmodified membrane while to 79.8% for the modified membrane. The relative flux reduction decreases by 32.1% due to GO modification. The antibacterial property was also enhanced by two-thirds. These results demonstrate that the antifouling and antibacterial characteristics can be raised by tethering GO to the membrane surface.

  7. Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide on polypropylene macroporous membranes via click chemistry to improve antibacterial and antifouling performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Zhen-Bei; Wu, Jing-Jing; Su, Yu; Zhou, Jin; Gao, Yong; Yu, Hai-Yin; Gu, Jia-Shan

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Clickable membrane prepared by photo bromination and S N 2 nucleophilic substitution. • Azide graphene oxide prepared by ring-opening reaction. • Alkyne graphene oxide was prepared via esterification reaction. • Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide on membrane by click chemistry. • Antibacterial and antifouling characteristics were enhanced greatly. - Abstract: Polypropylene is an extensively used membrane material; yet, polypropylene membranes exhibit extremely poor resistance to protein fouling. To ameliorate this issue, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were used to modify macroporous polypropylene membrane (MPPM) via layer-by-layer assembly technique through click reaction. First, alkyne-terminated GO was prepared through esterification between carboxyl groups in GO and amide groups in propargylamine; azide-terminated GO was synthesized by the ring-opening reaction of epoxy groups in GO with sodium azide. Second, GO was introduced to the membrane by click chemistry. Characterizations of infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the modification. The sharply decreasing of static water contact angle indicated the improvement of the surface hydrophilicity for GO modified membrane. Introducing GO to the membrane results in a dramatic increase of water flux, improvements in the antifouling characteristics and antibacterial property for the membranes. The pure water flux through the 5-layered GO modified membrane is 1.82 times that through the unmodified one. The water flux restores to 43.0% for the unmodified membrane while to 79.8% for the modified membrane. The relative flux reduction decreases by 32.1% due to GO modification. The antibacterial property was also enhanced by two-thirds. These results demonstrate that the antifouling and antibacterial characteristics can be raised by tethering GO to the membrane surface

  8. Surface zwitterionicalization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes from the entrapped reactive core-shell silica nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Li-Jing; Zhu, Li-Ping; Zhang, Pei-Bin; Zhu, Bao-Ku; Xu, You-Yi

    2016-04-15

    We demonstrate the preparation and properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) filtration membranes modified via surface zwitterionicalization mediated by reactive core-shell silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs). The organic/inorganic hybrid SiO2 NPs grafted with poly(methyl meth acrylate)-block-poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) copolymer (PMMA-b-PDMAEMA) shell were prepared by surface-initiated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (SI-RAFT) polymerization and then used as a membrane-making additive of PVDF membranes. The PDMAEMA exposed on membrane surface and pore walls were quaternized into zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) using 1,3-propane sultone (1,3-PS) as the quaternization agent. The membrane surface chemistry and morphology were analyzed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The hydrophilicity, permeability and antifouling ability of the investigated membranes were evaluated in detail. It was found that the PSBMA chains brought highly-hydrophilic and strong fouling resistant characteristics to PVDF membranes due to the powerful hydration of zwitterionic surface. The SiO2 cores and PMMA chains in the hybrid NPs play a role of anchors for the linking of PSBMA chains to membrane surface. Compared to the traditional strategies for membrane hydrophilic modification, the developed method in this work combined the advantages of both blending and surface reaction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Versatile antifouling polyethersulfone filtration membranes modified via surface grafting of zwitterionic polymers from a reactive amphiphilic copolymer additive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yi-Fan; Zhang, Pei-Bin; Sun, Jian; Liu, Cui-Jing; Yi, Zhuan; Zhu, Li-Ping; Xu, You-Yi

    2015-06-15

    Here we describe the development of versatile antifouling polyethersulfone (PES) filtration membranes modified via surface grafting of zwitterionic polymers from a reactive amphiphilic copolymer additive. Amphiphilic polyethersulfone-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PES-b-PHEMA) was beforehand designed and used as the blending additive of PES membranes prepared by phase inversion technique. The surface enriched PHEMA blocks on membrane surface acted as an anchor to immobilize the initiating site. Poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) were subsequently grafted onto the PES blend membranes by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). The analysis of surface chemistry confirmed the successful grafting of zwitterionic PSBMA brushes on PES membrane surface. The resulted PES-g-PSBMA membranes were capable of separating proteins from protein solution and oil from oil/water emulsion efficiently. Furthermore, the modified membranes showed high hydrophilicity and strongly antifouling properties due to the incorporation of well-defined PSBMA layer. In addition, the PES-g-PSBMA membranes exhibited excellent blood compatibility and durability during the washing process. The developed antifouling PES membranes are versatile and can find their applications in protein filtration, blood purification and oil/water separation, etc. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Zwitterionic materials for antifouling membrane surface construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Mingrui; Gao, Kang; Zhou, Linjie; Jiao, Zhiwei; Wu, Mengyuan; Cao, Jialin; You, Xinda; Cai, Ziyi; Su, Yanlei; Jiang, Zhongyi

    2016-08-01

    Membrane separation processes are often perplexed by severe and ubiquitous membrane fouling. Zwitterionic materials, keeping electric neutrality with equivalent positive and negative charged groups, are well known for their superior antifouling properties and have been broadly utilized to construct antifouling surfaces for medical devices, biosensors and marine coatings applications. In recent years, zwitterionic materials have been more and more frequently utilized for constructing antifouling membrane surfaces. In this review, the antifouling mechanisms of zwitterionic materials as well as their biomimetic prototypes in cell membranes will be discussed, followed by the survey of common approaches to incorporate zwitterionic materials onto membrane surfaces including surface grafting, surface segregation, biomimetic adhesion, surface coating and so on. The potential applications of these antifouling membranes are also embedded. Finally, we will present a brief perspective on the future development of zwitterionic materials modified antifouling membranes. Membrane fouling is a severe problem hampering the application of membrane separation technology. The properties of membrane surfaces play a critical role in membrane fouling and antifouling behavior/performance. Antifouling membrane surface construction has evolved as a hot research issue for the development of membrane processes. Zwitterionic modification of membrane surfaces has been recognized as an effective strategy to resist membrane fouling. This review summarizes the antifouling mechanisms of zwitterionic materials inspired by cell membranes as well as the popular approaches to incorporate them onto membrane surfaces. It can help form a comprehensive knowledge about the principles and methods of modifying membrane surfaces with zwitterionic materials. Finally, we propose the possible future research directions of zwitterionic materials modified antifouling membranes. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc

  11. Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) induced surface chemistry on Ru

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liu, Feng; Sturm, Jacobus Marinus; Lee, Christopher James; Bijkerk, Frederik

    2013-01-01

    EUV photon induced surface chemistry can damage multilayer mirrors causing reflectivity loss and faster degradation. EUV photo chemistry involves complex processes including direct photon induced surface chemistry and secondary electron radiation chemistry. Current cleaning techniques include dry

  12. The role of "inert" surface chemistry in marine biofouling prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenhahn, Axel; Schilp, Sören; Kreuzer, Hans Jürgen; Grunze, Michael

    2010-05-07

    The settlement and colonization of marine organisms on submerged man-made surfaces is a major economic problem for many marine industries. The most apparent detrimental effects of biofouling are increased fuel consumption of ships, clogging of membranes and heat exchangers, disabled underwater sensors, and growth of biofoulers in aquaculture systems. The presently common-but environmentally very problematic-way to deal with marine biofouling is to incorporate biocides, which use biocidal products in the surface coatings to kill the colonizing organisms, into the surface coatings. Since the implementation of the International Maritime Organization Treaty on biocides in 2008, the use of tributyltin (TBT) is restricted and thus environmentally benign but effective surface coatings are required. In this short review, we summarize the different strategies which are pursued in academia and industry to better understand the mechanisms of biofouling and to develop strategies which can be used for industrial products. Our focus will be on chemically "inert" model surface coatings, in particular oligo- and poly(ethylene glycol) (OEG and PEG) functionalized surface films. The reasons for choosing this class of chemistry as an example are three-fold: Firstly, experiments on spore settlement on OEG and PEG coatings help to understand the mechanism of non-fouling of highly hydrated interfaces; secondly, these studies defy the common assumption that surface hydrophilicity-as measured by water contact angles-is an unambiguous and predictive tool to determine the fouling behavior on the surface; and thirdly, choosing this system is a good example for "interfacial systems chemistry": it connects the behavior of unicellular marine organisms with the antifouling properties of a hydrated surface coating with structural and electronic properties as derived from ab initio quantum mechanical calculations using the electronic wave functions of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. This short

  13. A Smart Superwetting Surface with Responsivity in Both Surface Chemistry and Microstructure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dongjie; Cheng, Zhongjun; Kang, Hongjun; Yu, Jianxin; Liu, Yuyan; Jiang, Lei

    2018-03-26

    Recently, smart surfaces with switchable wettability have aroused much attention. However, only single surface chemistry or the microstructure can be changed on these surfaces, which significantly limits their wetting performances, controllability, and applications. A new surface with both tunable surface microstructure and chemistry was prepared by grafting poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) onto the pillar-structured shape memory polymer on which multiple wetting states from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity can be reversibly and precisely controlled by synergistically regulating the surface microstructure and chemistry. Meanwhile, based on the excellent controllability, we also showed the application of the surface as a rewritable platform, and various gradient wettings can be obtained. This work presents for the first time a surface with controllability in both surface chemistry and microstructure, which starts some new ideas for the design of novel superwetting materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Danielli, J F; Cadenhead, D A

    1972-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 5 covers the developments in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the Mössbauer effect in surface science; the surface functional groups on carbon and silica; and the wetting phenomena pertaining to adhesion. The text also describes the physical state of phospholipids and cholesterol in monolayers, bilayers, and membranes; the characteristics of heterocoagulation; and the effects of calcium on excitable membranes and neurotransmitter action. Chemists, physiologists, biophysicists, and civil engineers will find the book i

  15. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Cadenhead, D A; Rosenberg, M D

    1974-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 8 covers the developments in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the applications of statistical mechanics to physical adsorption; the impact of electron spectroscopy and cognate techniques on the study of solid surfaces; and the ellipsometric studies of thin films. The text also describes the interfacial photochemistry of bilayer lipid membranes; cell junctions and their development; and the composition and function of the inner mitochondrial membrane. The role of the cell surface in contact inhibition of cell division

  16. Organometallic chemistry of metal surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muetterties, E.L.

    1981-06-01

    The organometallic chemistry of metal surfaces is defined as a function of surface crystallography and of surface composition for a set of cyclic hydrocarbons that include benzene, toluene, cyclohexadienes, cyclohexene, cyclohexane, cyclooctatetraene, cyclooctadienes, cyclooctadiene, cycloheptatriene and cyclobutane. 12 figures

  17. Covalent-Bond Formation via On-Surface Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Held, Philipp Alexander; Fuchs, Harald; Studer, Armido

    2017-05-02

    In this Review article pioneering work and recent achievements in the emerging research area of on-surface chemistry is discussed. On-surface chemistry, sometimes also called two-dimensional chemistry, shows great potential for bottom-up preparation of defined nanostructures. In contrast to traditional organic synthesis, where reactions are generally conducted in well-defined reaction flasks in solution, on-surface chemistry is performed in the cavity of a scanning probe microscope on a metal crystal under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The metal first acts as a platform for self-assembly of the organic building blocks and in many cases it also acts as a catalyst for the given chemical transformation. Products and hence success of the reaction are directly analyzed by scanning probe microscopy. This Review provides a general overview of this chemistry highlighting advantages and disadvantages as compared to traditional reaction setups. The second part of the Review then focuses on reactions that have been successfully conducted as on-surface processes. On-surface Ullmann and Glaser couplings are addressed. In addition, cyclodehydrogenation reactions and cycloadditions are discussed and reactions involving the carbonyl functionality are highlighted. Finally, the first examples of sequential on-surface chemistry are considered in which two different functionalities are chemoselectively addressed. The Review gives an overview for experts working in the area but also offers a starting point to non-experts to enter into this exciting new interdisciplinary research field. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Electrodiffusion of lipids on membrane surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Y C

    2012-05-28

    Lateral translocation of lipids and proteins is a universal process on membrane surfaces. Local aggregation or organization of lipids and proteins can be induced when the random lateral motion is mediated by the electrostatic interactions and membrane curvature. Although the lateral diffusion rates of lipids on membranes of various compositions are measured and the electrostatic free energies of predetermined protein-membrane-lipid systems can be computed, the process of the aggregation and the evolution to the electrostatically favorable states remain largely undetermined. Here we propose an electrodiffusion model, based on the variational principle of the free energy functional, for the self-consistent lateral drift-diffusion of multiple species of charged lipids on membrane surfaces. Finite sizes of lipids are modeled to enforce the geometrical constraint of the lipid concentration on membrane surfaces. A surface finite element method is developed to appropriate the Laplace-Beltrami operators in the partial differential equations of the model. Our model properly describes the saturation of lipids on membrane surfaces, and correctly predicts that the MARCKS peptide can consistently sequester three multivalent phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate lipids through its basic amino acid residues, regardless of a wide range of the percentage of monovalent phosphatidylserine in the membrane.

  19. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Cadenhead, D A

    1979-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 12 covers the advances in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the topographical differentiation of the cell surface; the NMR studies of model biological membrane system; and an irreversible thermodynamic approach to energy coupling in mitochondria and chloroplasts. The text also describes water at surfaces; the nature of microemulsions; and the energy principle in the stability of interfaces. Biochemists, physicists, chemical engineers, and people involved in surface and coatings research will find the book invaluable.

  20. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Danielli, J F; Cadenhead, D A

    1971-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 4 covers the developments in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses waves at interfaces; recent investigations on the thickness of surface layers; and surface analysis by low-energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The text also describes the anode electrolyte interface; the interactions of adsorbed proteins and polypeptides at interfaces; and peptide-induced ion transport in synthetic and biological membranes. The monolayer adsorption on crystalline surfaces is also considered. Chemists and metallurgi

  1. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Cadenhead, D A

    1976-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 10 covers the advances in surface and membrane science. The book discusses the selective changes of cellular particles influencing sedimentation properties; and the rotating disk and ring-disk electrodes in investigations of surface phenomena at the metal-electrolyte interface. The text also describes the membrane potential of phospholipid bilayer and biological membranes; the adsorption of surfactant monolayers at gas/liquid and liquid/liquid interfaces; and the enzymes immobilized on glass. Chemists and people involved in electrochemistry will

  2. Bio-Inspired Polymer Membrane Surface Cleaning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnes Schulze

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available To generate polyethersulfone membranes with a biocatalytically active surface, pancreatin was covalently immobilized. Pancreatin is a mixture of digestive enzymes such as protease, lipase, and amylase. The resulting membranes exhibit self-cleaning properties after “switching on” the respective enzyme by adjusting pH and temperature. Thus, the membrane surface can actively degrade a fouling layer on its surface and regain initial permeability. Fouling tests with solutions of protein, oil, and mixtures of both, were performed, and the membrane’s ability to self-clean the fouled surface was characterized. Membrane characterization was conducted by investigation of the immobilized enzyme concentration, enzyme activity, water permeation flux, fouling tests, porosimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.

  3. Low temperature surface chemistry and nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sergeev, G. B.; Shabatina, T. I.

    2002-03-01

    The new scientific field of low temperature surface chemistry, which combines the low temperature chemistry (cryochemistry) and surface chemistry approaches, is reviewed in this paper. One of the most exciting achievements in this field of science is the development of methods to create highly ordered hybrid nanosized structures on different organic and inorganic surfaces and to encapsulate nanosized metal particles in organic and polymer matrices. We consider physical and chemical behaviour for the systems obtained by co-condensation of the components vapours on the surfaces cooled down to 4-10 and 70-100 K. In particular the size effect of both types, the number of atoms in the reactive species structure and the thickness of growing co-condensate film, on the chemical activity of the system is analysed in detail. The effect of the internal mechanical stresses on the growing interfacial co-condensate film formation and on the generation of fast (explosive) spontaneous reactions at low temperatures is discussed. The examples of unusual chemical interactions of metal atoms, clusters and nanosized particles, obtained in co-condensate films on the cooled surfaces under different conditions, are presented. The examples of highly ordered surface and volume hybrid nanostructures formation are analysed.

  4. Impacts of operating conditions and solution chemistry on osmotic membrane structure and performance

    KAUST Repository

    Wong, Mavis C.Y.

    2012-02-01

    Herein, we report on changes in the performance of a commercial cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane, imparted by varied operating conditions and solution chemistries. Changes to feed and draw solution flow rate did not significantly alter the CTA membrane\\'s water permeability, salt permeability, or membrane structural parameter when operated with the membrane skin layer facing the draw solution (PRO-mode). However, water and salt permeability increased with increasing feed or draw solution temperature, while the membrane structural parameter decreased with increasing draw solution, possibly due to changes in polymer intermolecular interactions. High ionic strength draw solutions may de-swell the CTA membrane via charge neutralization, which resulted in lower water permeability, higher salt permeability, and lower structural parameter. This observed trend was further exacerbated by the presence of divalent cations which tends to swell the polymer to a greater extent. Finally, the calculated CTA membrane\\'s structural parameter was lower and less sensitive to external factors when operated in PRO-mode, but highly sensitive to the same factors when the skin layer faced the feed solution (FO-mode), presumably due to swelling/de-swelling of the saturated porous substructure by the draw solution. This is a first attempt aimed at systematically evaluating the changes in performance of the CTA membrane due to operating conditions and solution chemistry, shedding new insight into the possible advantages and disadvantages of this material in certain applications. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  5. CURVATURE-DRIVEN MOLECULAR FLOW ON MEMBRANE SURFACE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikucki, Michael; Zhou, Y C

    2017-01-01

    This work presents a mathematical model for the localization of multiple species of diffusion molecules on membrane surfaces. Morphological change of bilayer membrane in vivo is generally modulated by proteins. Most of these modulations are associated with the localization of related proteins in the crowded lipid environments. We start with the energetic description of the distributions of molecules on curved membrane surface, and define the spontaneous curvature of bilayer membrane as a function of the molecule concentrations on membrane surfaces. A drift-diffusion equation governs the gradient flow of the surface molecule concentrations. We recast the energetic formulation and the related governing equations by using an Eulerian phase field description to define membrane morphology. Computational simulations with the proposed mathematical model and related numerical techniques predict (i) the molecular localization on static membrane surfaces at locations with preferred mean curvatures, and (ii) the generation of preferred mean curvature which in turn drives the molecular localization.

  6. Response of MG63 osteoblast-like cells onto polycarbonate membrane surfaces with different micropore sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang Jin; Choi, Jin San; Park, Ki Suk; Khang, Gilson; Lee, Young Moo; Lee, Hai Bang

    2004-08-01

    Response of different types of cells on materials is important for the applications of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It is recognized that the behavior of the cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation on materials depends largely on surface characteristics such as wettability, chemistry, charge, rigidity, and roughness. In this study, we examined the behavior of MG63 osteoblast-like cells cultured on a polycarbonate (PC) membrane surfaces with different micropore sizes (0.2-8.0 microm in diameter). Cell adhesion and proliferation to the PC membrane surfaces were determined by cell counting and MTT assay. The effect of surface micropore on the MG63 cells was evaluated by cell morphology, protein content, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) specific activity. It seems that the cell adhesion and proliferation were progressively inhibited as the PC membranes had micropores with increasing size, probably due to surface discontinuities produced by track-etched pores. Increasing micropore size of the PC membrane results in improved protein synthesis and ALP specific activity in isolated cells. There was a statistically significant difference (Pmicropore sizes. The MG63 cells also maintained their phenotype under conditions that support a round cell shape. RT-PCR analysis further confirmed the osteogenic phenotype of the MG63 cells onto the PC membranes with different micropore sizes. In results, as micropore size is getting larger, cell number is reduced and cell differentiation and matrix production is increased. This study demonstrated that the surface topography plays an important role for phenotypic expression of the MG63 osteoblast-like cells.

  7. Surface chemistry theory and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Bikerman, J J

    2013-01-01

    Surface Chemistry Theory and Applications focuses on liquid-gas, liquid-liquid, solid-gas, solid-liquid, and solid-solid surfaces. The book first offers information on liquid-gas surfaces, including surface tension, measurement of surface tension, rate of capillarity rise, capillary attraction, bubble pressure and pore size, and surface tension and temperature. The text then ponders on liquid-liquid and solid-gas surfaces. Discussions focus on surface energy of solids, surface roughness and cleanness, adsorption of gases and vapors, adsorption hysteresis, interfacial tension, and interfacial t

  8. Surface physical chemistry properties in coated bacterial cellulose membranes with calcium phosphate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Olyveira, Gabriel Molina; Basmaji, Pierre; Costa, Ligia Maria Manzine; Dos Santos, Márcio Luiz; Dos Santos Riccardi, Carla; Guastaldi, Fernando Pozzi Semeghini; Scarel-Caminaga, Raquel Mantuaneli; de Oliveira Capote, Ticiana Sidorenko; Pizoni, Elisabeth; Guastaldi, Antônio Carlos

    2017-06-01

    Bacterial cellulose has become established as a new biomaterial, and it can be used for medical applications. In addition, it has called attention due to the increasing interest in tissue engineering materials for wound care. In this work, the bacterial cellulose fermentation process was modified by the addition of chondroitin sulfate to the culture medium before the inoculation of the bacteria. The biomimetic process with heterogeneous calcium phosphate precipitation of biological interest was studied for the guided regeneration purposes on bacterial cellulose. FTIR results showed the incorporation of the chondroitin sulfate in the bacterial cellulose, SEM images confirmed the deposition of the calcium phosphate on the bacterial cellulose surface, XPS analysis showed a selective chemical group influences which change calcium phosphate deposition, besides, the calcium phosphate phase with different Ca/P ratios on bacterial cellulose surface influences wettability. XTT results concluded that these materials did not affect significantly in the cell viability, being non-cytotoxic. Thus, it was produced one biomaterial with the surface charge changes for calcium phosphate deposition, besides different wettability which builds new membranes for Guided Tissue Regeneration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Impacts of operating conditions and solution chemistry on osmotic membrane structure and performance

    KAUST Repository

    Wong, Mavis C.Y.; Martinez, Kristina; Ramon, Guy Z.; Hoek, Eric M.V.

    2012-01-01

    Herein, we report on changes in the performance of a commercial cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane, imparted by varied operating conditions and solution chemistries. Changes to feed and draw solution flow rate did not significantly alter the CTA membrane's water permeability, salt permeability, or membrane structural parameter when operated with the membrane skin layer facing the draw solution (PRO-mode). However, water and salt permeability increased with increasing feed or draw solution temperature, while the membrane structural parameter decreased with increasing draw solution, possibly due to changes in polymer intermolecular interactions. High ionic strength draw solutions may de-swell the CTA membrane via charge neutralization, which resulted in lower water permeability, higher salt permeability, and lower structural parameter. This observed trend was further exacerbated by the presence of divalent cations which tends to swell the polymer to a greater extent. Finally, the calculated CTA membrane's structural parameter was lower and less sensitive to external factors when operated in PRO-mode, but highly sensitive to the same factors when the skin layer faced the feed solution (FO-mode), presumably due to swelling/de-swelling of the saturated porous substructure by the draw solution. This is a first attempt aimed at systematically evaluating the changes in performance of the CTA membrane due to operating conditions and solution chemistry, shedding new insight into the possible advantages and disadvantages of this material in certain applications. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  10. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Cadenhead, D A

    1981-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 14 covers the advances in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses statistical thermodynamics of monolayer adsorption from gas and liquid mixtures on homogeneous and heterogeneous solid surfaces; and the structure of the boundary layers of liquids and its influence on the mass transfer in fine pores. The text then describes the coupling of ionic and non-electrolyte fluxes in ion selective membranes; the electrocatalytic properties of matalloporphins at the interface; and the adsorption from binary gas and liquid phases. Phas

  11. Composite Membrane with Underwater-Oleophobic Surface for Anti-Oil-Fouling Membrane Distillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhangxin; Hou, Deyin; Lin, Shihong

    2016-04-05

    In this study, we fabricated a composite membrane for membrane distillation (MD) by modifying a commercial hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with a nanocomposite coating comprising silica nanoparticles, chitosan hydrogel and fluoro-polymer. The composite membrane exhibits asymmetric wettability, with the modified surface being in-air hydrophilic and underwater oleophobic, and the unmodified surface remaining hydrophobic. By comparing the performance of the composite membrane and the pristine PVDF membrane in direct contact MD experiments using a saline emulsion with 1000 ppm crude oil (in water), we showed that the fabricated composite membrane was significantly more resistant to oil fouling compared to the pristine hydrophobic PVDF membrane. Force spectroscopy was conducted for the interaction between an oil droplet and the membrane surface using a force tensiometer. The difference between the composite membrane and the pristine PVDF membrane in their interaction with an oil droplet served to explain the difference in the fouling propensities between these two membranes observed in MD experiments. The results from this study suggest that underwater oleophobic coating can effectively mitigate oil fouling in MD operations, and that the fabricated composite membrane with asymmetric wettability can enable MD to desalinate hypersaline wastewater with high concentrations of hydrophobic contaminants.

  12. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Cadenhead, D A

    1977-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 11 covers the advances in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the quantum theory of surface phenomena; some fundamental aspects of electrocrystallization; and exoelectric emission. The text also describes the surface of titanium dioxide; and the prospects for atomic resolution electron microscopy in membranology. Chemists, physicists, and people involved in the electrochemical power laboratory will find the book useful.

  13. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Cadenhead, D A; Rosenberg, M D

    1975-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 9 covers the developments in surface and membrane science. The book discusses the physical adsorption of gases and vapors in micropores; the chemisorption theory; and the role of radioisotopes in the studies of chemisorption and catalysis. The text also describes the interaction of ions with monolayers; and the isolation and characterization of mycoplasma membranes. Chemists, physical chemists, and microbiologists will find the book useful.

  14. Polymeric membranes: surface modification for minimizing (bio)colloidal fouling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kochkodan, Victor; Johnson, Daniel J; Hilal, Nidal

    2014-04-01

    This paper presents an overview on recent developments in surface modification of polymer membranes for reduction of their fouling with biocolloids and organic colloids in pressure driven membrane processes. First, colloidal interactions such as London-van der Waals, electrical, hydration, hydrophobic, steric forces and membrane surface properties such as hydrophilicity, charge and surface roughness, which affect membrane fouling, have been discussed and the main goals of the membrane surface modification for fouling reduction have been outlined. Thereafter the recent studies on reduction of (bio)colloidal of polymer membranes using ultraviolet/redox initiated surface grafting, physical coating/adsorption of a protective layer on the membrane surface, chemical reactions or surface modification of polymer membranes with nanoparticles as well as using of advanced atomic force microscopy to characterize (bio)colloidal fouling have been critically summarized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Characterization of a non-fouling ultrafiltration membrane

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, J.; Helm, G.S.; Corner-Walker, N.

    2006-01-01

    This report describes the properties of surface-modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes. These membranes were created by coating hydrophilic polymers on the support PVDF membrane to reduce the tendency to protein fouling. The modified membranes with different molecular weight cut......-off (MWCO) were characterized by filtration studies using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and an enzyme solution as test media, and the membranes exhibited the non-fouling property. The surface chemistry of the unmodified and modified PVDF membranes was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS......) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). These surface sensitive techniques were used to confirm the successful surface modification. ToF-SIMS imaging visualizes the distribution of the coating layer on the PVDF membrane. Furthermore, the amount of protein adsorption onto the membrane...

  16. Improved surface property of PVDF membrane with amphiphilic zwitterionic copolymer as membrane additive

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Jianhua, E-mail: jhli_2005@163.com [Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technology and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350001 (China); Li Mizi; Miao Jing; Wang Jiabin; Shao Xisheng [Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technology and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350001 (China); Zhang Qiqing, E-mail: zhangqiq@126.com [Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technology and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350001 (China) and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192 (China)

    2012-06-15

    An attempt to improve hydrophilicity and anti-fouling properties of PVDF membranes, a novel amphiphilic zwitterionic copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride)-graft-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PVDF-g-PSBMA) was firstly synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and used as amphiphilic copolymer additive in the preparation of PVDF membranes. The PVDF-g-PSBMA/PVDF blend membranes were prepared by immersion precipitation process. Fourier transform infrared attenuated reflection spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS) measurements confirmed that PSBMA brushes from amphiphilic additives were preferentially segregated to membrane-coagulant interface during membrane formation. The morphology of membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Water contact angle measurements showed that the surface hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes was improved significantly with the increasing of amphiphilic copolymer PVDF-g-PSBMA in cast solution. Protein static adsorption experiment and dynamic fouling resistance experiment revealed that the surface enrichment of PSBMA brush endowed PVDF blend membrane great improvement of surface anti-fouling ability.

  17. Improved surface property of PVDF membrane with amphiphilic zwitterionic copolymer as membrane additive

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jianhua; Li Mizi; Miao Jing; Wang Jiabin; Shao Xisheng; Zhang Qiqing

    2012-01-01

    An attempt to improve hydrophilicity and anti-fouling properties of PVDF membranes, a novel amphiphilic zwitterionic copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride)-graft-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PVDF-g-PSBMA) was firstly synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and used as amphiphilic copolymer additive in the preparation of PVDF membranes. The PVDF-g-PSBMA/PVDF blend membranes were prepared by immersion precipitation process. Fourier transform infrared attenuated reflection spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS) measurements confirmed that PSBMA brushes from amphiphilic additives were preferentially segregated to membrane-coagulant interface during membrane formation. The morphology of membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Water contact angle measurements showed that the surface hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes was improved significantly with the increasing of amphiphilic copolymer PVDF-g-PSBMA in cast solution. Protein static adsorption experiment and dynamic fouling resistance experiment revealed that the surface enrichment of PSBMA brush endowed PVDF blend membrane great improvement of surface anti-fouling ability.

  18. Robust Membranes for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment by Forward Osmosis in FOBs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-09

    ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Yale University Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering 17 Hillhouse Avenue New Haven...membrane processes (ODMPs) hold significant promise in augmenting water supplies using seawater and wastewater [5, 6]. The potential of engineered ...membrane surface with low functional group density, as membrane surface chemistry and morphology are known to be heterogeneous [46, 47]. FO membranes

  19. A simple UV-ozone surface treatment to enhance photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 loaded polymer nanofiber membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Dilpazir, S.

    2016-01-29

    Homogeneously dispersed titanium dioxide loaded polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membranes with increased active mass loading, Ti3+ surface defects and hydrophilicity were fabricated by combining electrospinning and UV-ozone surface treatment. The photocatalytic activity improved by a factor of ∼2 and the kinetics of photodegradation switched from pseudo-first order to pseudo-second order with increasing TiO2 content with a maximum rate constant of 20.7 h-1. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016.

  20. Biological Fate of Fe3O4 Core-Shell Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Depending on Particle Surface Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rascol, Estelle; Daurat, Morgane; Da Silva, Afitz; Maynadier, Marie; Dorandeu, Christophe; Charnay, Clarence; Garcia, Marcel; Lai-Kee-Him, Joséphine; Bron, Patrick; Auffan, Mélanie; Angeletti, Bernard; Devoisselle, Jean-Marie; Guari, Yannick; Gary-Bobo, Magali; Chopineau, Joël

    2017-01-01

    The biological fate of nanoparticles (NPs) for biomedical applications is highly dependent of their size and charge, their aggregation state and their surface chemistry. The chemical composition of the NPs surface influences their stability in biological fluids, their interaction with proteins, and their attraction to the cell membranes. In this work, core-shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Fe3O4@MSN), that are considered as potential theranostic candidates, are coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) lipid bilayer. Their biological fate is studied in comparison to the native NPs. The physicochemical properties of these three types of NPs and their suspension behavior in different media are investigated. The attraction to a membrane model is also evaluated using a supported lipid bilayer. The surface composition of NPs strongly influences their dispersion in biological fluids mimics, protein binding and their interaction with cell membrane. While none of these types of NPs is found to be toxic on mice four days after intravenous injection of a dose of 40 mg kg−1 of NPs, their surface coating nature influences the in vivo biodistribution. Importantly, NP coated with DMPC exhibit a strong accumulation in liver and a very low accumulation in lung in comparison with nude or PEG ones. PMID:28665317

  1. Neutron reflectivity study of substrate surface chemistry effects on supported phospholipid bilayer formation on (1120) sapphire.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oleson, Timothy A. [University of Wisconsin, Madison; Sahai, Nita [University of Akron; Wesolowski, David J [ORNL; Dura, Joseph A [ORNL; Majkrzak, Charles F [ORNL; Giuffre, Anthony J. [University of Wisconsin, Madison

    2012-01-01

    Oxide-supported phospholipid bilayers (SPBs) used as biomimetric membranes are significant for a broad range of applications including improvement of biomedical devices and biosensors, and in understanding biomineralization processes and the possible role of mineral surfaces in the evolution of pre-biotic membranes. Continuous-coverage and/or stacjed SPBs retain properties (e.,g. fluidity) more similar to native biological membranes, which is desirable for most applications. Using neutron reflectivity, we examined face coverage and potential stacking of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers on the (1120) face of sapphire (a-Al2O3). Nearly full bilayers were formed at low to neutral pH, when the sapphire surface is positively charged, and at low ionic strength (l=15 mM NaCl). Coverage decreased at higher pH, close to the isoelectric point of sapphire, and also at high I>210mM, or with addition of 2mM Ca2+. The latter two effects are additive, suggesting that Ca2+ mitigates the effect of higher I. These trends agree with previous results for phospholipid adsorption on a-Al2O3 particles determined by adsorption isotherms and on single-crystal (1010) sapphire by atomic force microscopy, suggesting consistency of oxide surface chemistry-dependent effects across experimental techniques.

  2. Pore channel surface modification for enhancing anti-fouling membrane distillation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Haoran; Peng, Yuelian; Ge, Lei; Villacorta Hernandez, Byron; Zhu, Zhonghua

    2018-06-01

    Membrane surface modification by forming a functional layer is an effective way to improve the anti-fouling properties of membranes; however, the additional layer and the potential blockage of bulk pores may increase the mass transfer resistance and reduce the permeability. In this study, we applied a novel method of preparing anti-fouling membranes for membrane distillation by dispersing graphene oxide (GO) on the channel surface of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. The surface morphology and properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Compared to the membrane surface modification by nanoparticles (e.g. SiO2), GO was mainly located on the pore surface of the membrane bulk, rather than being formed as an individual layer onto the membrane surface. The performance was evaluated via a direct-contact membrane distillation process with anionic and cationic surfactants as the foulants, separately. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the anti-fouling behavior and distillate flux of the GO-modified membranes were improved, especially when using the anionic surfactant as the foulant. The enhanced anti-fouling performance can be attributed to the oxygen containing functional groups in GO and the healing of the membrane pore defects. This method may provide an effective route to manipulate membrane pore surface properties for anti-fouling separation without increasing mass transfer resistance.

  3. Surface chemistry: Key to control and advance myriad technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yates, John T.; Campbell, Charles T.

    2011-01-01

    This special issue on surface chemistry is introduced with a brief history of the field, a summary of the importance of surface chemistry in technological applications, a brief overview of some of the most important recent developments in this field, and a look forward to some of its most exciting future directions. This collection of invited articles is intended to provide a snapshot of current developments in the field, exemplify the state of the art in fundamental research in surface chemistry, and highlight some possibilities in the future. Here, we show how those articles fit together in the bigger picture of this field. PMID:21245359

  4. From helical to planar chirality by on-surface chemistry

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Stetsovych, Oleksandr; Švec, Martin; Vacek, Jaroslav; Vacek Chocholoušová, Jana; Jančařík, Andrej; Rybáček, Jiří; Kośmider, K.; Stará, Irena G.; Jelínek, Pavel; Starý, Ivo

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 3 (2017), s. 213-218 ISSN 1755-4330 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GC14-16963J; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-29667S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61388963 Keywords : chirality * AFM * STM * helicene * on surface chemistry * DFT Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry; CC - Organic Chemistry (UOCHB-X) OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry; Organic chemistry (UOCHB-X) Impact factor: 25.870, year: 2016

  5. Functional dynamics of cell surface membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishida, Noritaka; Osawa, Masanori; Takeuchi, Koh; Imai, Shunsuke; Stampoulis, Pavlos; Kofuku, Yutaka; Ueda, Takumi; Shimada, Ichio

    2014-04-01

    Cell surface receptors are integral membrane proteins that receive external stimuli, and transmit signals across plasma membranes. In the conventional view of receptor activation, ligand binding to the extracellular side of the receptor induces conformational changes, which convert the structure of the receptor into an active conformation. However, recent NMR studies of cell surface membrane proteins have revealed that their structures are more dynamic than previously envisioned, and they fluctuate between multiple conformations in an equilibrium on various timescales. In addition, NMR analyses, along with biochemical and cell biological experiments indicated that such dynamical properties are critical for the proper functions of the receptors. In this review, we will describe several NMR studies that revealed direct linkage between the structural dynamics and the functions of the cell surface membrane proteins, such as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, membrane transporters, and cell adhesion molecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Progress in surface and membrane science

    CERN Document Server

    Danielli, J F; Cadenhead, D A

    1973-01-01

    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 7 covers the developments in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the theoretical and experimental aspects of the van der Waals forces; the electric double layer on the semiconductor-electrolyte interface; and the long-range and short-range order in adsorbed films. The text also describes the hydrodynamical theory of surface shear viscosity; the structure and properties of monolayers of synthetic polypeptides at the air-water interface; and the structure and molecular dynamics of water. The role of glycoproteins in cell

  7. Electrodiffusion of Lipids on Membrane Surfaces

    OpenAIRE

    Zhou, Y. C.

    2011-01-01

    Random lateral translocation of lipids and proteins is a universal process on membrane surfaces. Local aggregation or organization of lipids and proteins can be induced when this lateral random diffusion is mediated by the electrostatic interactions and membrane curvature. Though the lateral diffusion rates of lipids on membrane of various compositions are measured and the electrostatic free energies of predetermined protein-membrane-lipid systems can be computed, the process of the aggregati...

  8. Characterisation of the inorganic chemistry of surface waters in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The main purpose of this study was to determine a simple inorganic chemistry index that can be used for all surface waters in South Africa, in order to characterise the inorganic chemistry of surface waters. Water quality data collected up until 1999 from all sample monitoring stations (2 068 monitoring stations, 364 659 ...

  9. Quantification of air plasma chemistry for surface disinfection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlovich, Matthew J; Clark, Douglas S; Graves, David B

    2014-01-01

    Atmospheric-pressure air plasmas, created by a variety of discharges, are promising sources of reactive species for the emerging field of plasma biotechnology because of their convenience and ability to operate at ambient conditions. One biological application of ambient-air plasma is microbial disinfection, and the ability of air plasmas to decontaminate both solid surfaces and liquid volumes has been thoroughly established in the literature. However, the mechanism of disinfection and which reactive species most strongly correlate with antimicrobial effects are still not well understood. We describe quantitative gas-phase measurements of plasma chemistry via infrared spectroscopy in confined volumes, focusing on air plasma generated via surface micro-discharge (SMD). Previously, it has been shown that gaseous chemistry is highly sensitive to operating conditions, and the measurements we describe here extend those findings. We quantify the gaseous concentrations of ozone (O 3 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO 2 , or NO x ) throughout the established ‘regimes’ for SMD air plasma chemistry: the low-power, ozone-dominated mode; the high-power, nitrogen oxides-dominated mode; and the intermediate, unstable transition region. The results presented here are in good agreement with previously published experimental studies of aqueous chemistry and parameterized models of gaseous chemistry. The principal finding of the present study is the correlation of bacterial inactivation on dry surfaces with gaseous chemistry across these time and power regimes. Bacterial decontamination is most effective in ‘NO x mode’ and less effective in ‘ozone mode’, with the weakest antibacterial effects in the transition region. Our results underscore the dynamic nature of air plasma chemistry and the importance of careful chemical characterization of plasma devices intended for biological applications. (paper)

  10. Quantification of air plasma chemistry for surface disinfection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlovich, Matthew J.; Clark, Douglas S.; Graves, David B.

    2014-12-01

    Atmospheric-pressure air plasmas, created by a variety of discharges, are promising sources of reactive species for the emerging field of plasma biotechnology because of their convenience and ability to operate at ambient conditions. One biological application of ambient-air plasma is microbial disinfection, and the ability of air plasmas to decontaminate both solid surfaces and liquid volumes has been thoroughly established in the literature. However, the mechanism of disinfection and which reactive species most strongly correlate with antimicrobial effects are still not well understood. We describe quantitative gas-phase measurements of plasma chemistry via infrared spectroscopy in confined volumes, focusing on air plasma generated via surface micro-discharge (SMD). Previously, it has been shown that gaseous chemistry is highly sensitive to operating conditions, and the measurements we describe here extend those findings. We quantify the gaseous concentrations of ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, or NOx) throughout the established ‘regimes’ for SMD air plasma chemistry: the low-power, ozone-dominated mode; the high-power, nitrogen oxides-dominated mode; and the intermediate, unstable transition region. The results presented here are in good agreement with previously published experimental studies of aqueous chemistry and parameterized models of gaseous chemistry. The principal finding of the present study is the correlation of bacterial inactivation on dry surfaces with gaseous chemistry across these time and power regimes. Bacterial decontamination is most effective in ‘NOx mode’ and less effective in ‘ozone mode’, with the weakest antibacterial effects in the transition region. Our results underscore the dynamic nature of air plasma chemistry and the importance of careful chemical characterization of plasma devices intended for biological applications.

  11. Gas-grain chemistry in cold interstellar cloud cores with a microscopic Monte Carlo approach to surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Q.; Cuppen, H. M.; Herbst, E.

    2007-07-01

    Aims:We have recently developed a microscopic Monte Carlo approach to study surface chemistry on interstellar grains and the morphology of ice mantles. The method is designed to eliminate the problems inherent in the rate-equation formalism to surface chemistry. Here we report the first use of this method in a chemical model of cold interstellar cloud cores that includes both gas-phase and surface chemistry. The surface chemical network consists of a small number of diffusive reactions that can produce molecular oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, methanol and assorted radicals. Methods: The simulation is started by running a gas-phase model including accretion onto grains but no surface chemistry or evaporation. The starting surface consists of either flat or rough olivine. We introduce the surface chemistry of the three species H, O and CO in an iterative manner using our stochastic technique. Under the conditions of the simulation, only atomic hydrogen can evaporate to a significant extent. Although it has little effect on other gas-phase species, the evaporation of atomic hydrogen changes its gas-phase abundance, which in turn changes the flux of atomic hydrogen onto grains. The effect on the surface chemistry is treated until convergence occurs. We neglect all non-thermal desorptive processes. Results: We determine the mantle abundances of assorted molecules as a function of time through 2 × 105 yr. Our method also allows determination of the abundance of each molecule in specific monolayers. The mantle results can be compared with observations of water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methanol ices in the sources W33A and Elias 16. Other than a slight underproduction of mantle CO, our results are in very good agreement with observations.

  12. Liquid flow along a solid surface reversibly alters interfacial chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lis, Dan; Backus, Ellen H G; Hunger, Johannes; Parekh, Sapun H; Bonn, Mischa

    2014-06-06

    In nature, aqueous solutions often move collectively along solid surfaces (for example, raindrops falling on the ground and rivers flowing through riverbeds). However, the influence of such motion on water-surface interfacial chemistry is unclear. In this work, we combine surface-specific sum frequency generation spectroscopy and microfluidics to show that at immersed calcium fluoride and fused silica surfaces, flow leads to a reversible modification of the surface charge and subsequent realignment of the interfacial water molecules. Obtaining equivalent effects under static conditions requires a substantial change in bulk solution pH (up to 2 pH units), demonstrating the coupling between flow and chemistry. These marked flow-induced variations in interfacial chemistry should substantially affect our understanding and modeling of chemical processes at immersed surfaces. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  13. Smart Surface Chemistries of Conducting Polymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lind, Johan Ulrik

    In this thesis we investigate post-polymerization covalent modifications of poly(3,4-dioxythiophene (PEDOT)-type conducting polymers. The aim of the modifications is to gain specific control of the interaction between the material and living mammalian cells. The use of “click-chemistry” to modify...... a straightforward and in-expensive method for patterning conducting polymer thin films into microelectrodes, without losing control of the surface chemistry of the samples. On the contrary, the method provides direct control of the surface chemistry of both the fabricated micro-electrodes and the gaps between them....... The method is based on locally removing PEDOTtype polymers to expose underlying non-conducting functional polymer substrates. Thereby, multifunctional substrates are obtained. By applying this method, we are able to fabricate allpolymer micro-systems with multiple types of localized functional (bio...

  14. Antimicrobial membrane surfaces via efficient polyethyleneimine immobilization and cationization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Wen-Ze; Zhao, Zi-Shu; Du, Yong; Hu, Meng-Xin; Xu, Zhi-Kang

    2017-12-01

    Biofouling control is a major task in membrane separation processes for water treatment and biomedical applications. In this work, N-alkylated polyethylenimine (PEI) is facilely and efficiently introduced onto the membrane surfaces via the co-deposition of catechol (CCh) and PEI, followed by further grafting of PEIs (600 Da, 70 kDa and 750 kDa) and cationization with methyl iodide (CH3I). The physical and chemical properties of the constructed membrane surfaces are characterized with scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta potential and water contact angle measurements. Antibacterial assay reveals that the optimized membrane surfaces possess around 95% antibacterial efficiency against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) with weak adhesion of bacteria cells after 24 h of bacterial contact. Additionally, the membrane surfaces also exhibit much enhanced antifouling property during the filtration of opposite charged bovine serum albumin (BSA). These results demonstrate a useful strategy for the surface modification of separation membranes by a kind of antimicrobial and antifouling coating.

  15. Activation of interfacial enzymes at membrane surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mouritsen, Ole G.; Andresen, Thomas Lars; Halperin, Avi

    2006-01-01

    A host of water-soluble enzymes are active at membrane surfaces and in association with membranes. Some of these enzymes are involved in signalling and in modification and remodelling of the membranes. A special class of enzymes, the phospholipases, and in particular secretory phospholipase A2 (s...

  16. Heterogeneous catalytic materials solid state chemistry, surface chemistry and catalytic behaviour

    CERN Document Server

    Busca, Guido

    2014-01-01

    Heterogeneous Catalytic Materials discusses experimental methods and the latest developments in three areas of research: heterogeneous catalysis; surface chemistry; and the chemistry of catalysts. Catalytic materials are those solids that allow the chemical reaction to occur efficiently and cost-effectively. This book provides you with all necessary information to synthesize, characterize, and relate the properties of a catalyst to its behavior, enabling you to select the appropriate catalyst for the process and reactor system. Oxides (used both as catalysts and as supports for cata

  17. Surface Functionalization of Thin-Film Composite Membranes with Copper Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Surface Properties

    KAUST Repository

    Ben-Sasson, Moshe

    2014-01-07

    Biofouling is a major operational challenge in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, motivating a search for improved biofouling control strategies. Copper, long known for its antibacterial activity and relatively low cost, is an attractive potential biocidal agent. In this paper, we present a method for loading copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) on the surface of a thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide RO membrane. Cu-NPs were synthesized using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a capping agent, resulting in particles with an average radius of 34 nm and a copper content between 39 and 49 wt.%. The positive charge of the Cu-NPs imparted by the PEI allowed a simple electrostatic functionalization of the negatively charged RO membrane. We confirmed functionalization and irreversible binding of the Cu-NPs to the membrane surface with SEM and XPS after exposing the membrane to bath sonication. We also demonstrated that Cu-NP functionalization can be repeated after the Cu-NPs dissolve from the membrane surface. The Cu-NP functionalization had minimal impact on the intrinsic membrane transport parameters. Surface hydrophilicity and surface roughness were also maintained, and the membrane surface charge became positive after functionalization. The functionalized membrane exhibited significant antibacterial activity, leading to an 80-95% reduction in the number of attached live bacteria for three different model bacterial strains. Challenges associated with this functionalization method and its implementation in RO desalination are discussed. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  18. Surface Functionalization of Thin-Film Composite Membranes with Copper Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Surface Properties

    KAUST Repository

    Ben-Sasson, Moshe; Zodrow, Katherine R.; Genggeng, Qi; Kang, Yan; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Elimelech, Menachem

    2014-01-01

    Biofouling is a major operational challenge in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, motivating a search for improved biofouling control strategies. Copper, long known for its antibacterial activity and relatively low cost, is an attractive potential biocidal agent. In this paper, we present a method for loading copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) on the surface of a thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide RO membrane. Cu-NPs were synthesized using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a capping agent, resulting in particles with an average radius of 34 nm and a copper content between 39 and 49 wt.%. The positive charge of the Cu-NPs imparted by the PEI allowed a simple electrostatic functionalization of the negatively charged RO membrane. We confirmed functionalization and irreversible binding of the Cu-NPs to the membrane surface with SEM and XPS after exposing the membrane to bath sonication. We also demonstrated that Cu-NP functionalization can be repeated after the Cu-NPs dissolve from the membrane surface. The Cu-NP functionalization had minimal impact on the intrinsic membrane transport parameters. Surface hydrophilicity and surface roughness were also maintained, and the membrane surface charge became positive after functionalization. The functionalized membrane exhibited significant antibacterial activity, leading to an 80-95% reduction in the number of attached live bacteria for three different model bacterial strains. Challenges associated with this functionalization method and its implementation in RO desalination are discussed. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  19. Biofouling behavior and performance of forward osmosis membranes with bioinspired surface modification in osmotic membrane bioreactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fang; Cheng, Qianxun; Tian, Qing; Yang, Bo; Chen, Qianyuan

    2016-07-01

    Forward osmosis (FO) has received considerable interest for water and energy related applications in recent years. Biofouling behavior and performance of cellulose triacetate (CTA) forward osmosis membranes with bioinspired surface modification via polydopamine (PD) coating and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafting (PD-g-PEG) in a submerged osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) were investigated in this work. The modified membranes exhibited lower flux decline than the pristine one in OMBR, confirming that the bioinspired surface modification improved the antifouling ability of the CTA FO membrane. The result showed that the decline of membrane flux related to the increase of the salinity and MLSS concentration of the mixed liquid. It was concluded that the antifouling ability of modified membranes ascribed to the change of surface morphology in addition to the improvement of membrane hydrophilicity. The bioinspired surface modifications might improve the anti-adhesion for the biopolymers and biocake. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Models of gas-grain chemistry in interstellar cloud cores with a stochastic approach to surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stantcheva, T.; Herbst, E.

    2004-08-01

    We present a gas-grain model of homogeneous cold cloud cores with time-independent physical conditions. In the model, the gas-phase chemistry is treated via rate equations while the diffusive granular chemistry is treated stochastically. The two phases are coupled through accretion and evaporation. A small network of surface reactions accounts for the surface production of the stable molecules water, formaldehyde, methanol, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane. The calculations are run for a time of 107 years at three different temperatures: 10 K, 15 K, and 20 K. The results are compared with those produced in a totally deterministic gas-grain model that utilizes the rate equation method for both the gas-phase and surface chemistry. The results of the different models are in agreement for the abundances of the gaseous species except for later times when the surface chemistry begins to affect the gas. The agreement for the surface species, however, is somewhat mixed. The average abundances of highly reactive surface species can be orders of magnitude larger in the stochastic-deterministic model than in the purely deterministic one. For non-reactive species, the results of the models can disagree strongly at early times, but agree to well within an order of magnitude at later times for most molecules. Strong exceptions occur for CO and H2CO at 10 K, and for CO2 at 20 K. The agreement seems to be best at a temperature of 15 K. As opposed to the use of the normal rate equation method of surface chemistry, the modified rate method is in significantly better agreement with the stochastic-deterministic approach. Comparison with observations of molecular ices in dense clouds shows mixed agreement.

  1. Surface modification of polysulfone membranes applied for a membrane reactor with immobilized alcohol dehydrogenase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Christian; Silau, Harald; Pinelo, Manuel

    2018-01-01

    activated by lithiation followed by functionalization with acid chlorides at 0 °C, permitting modification of commercial PSf membranes without compromising the mechanical integrity of the membrane. Post-functionalization polymer grafting was illustrated through both, a “grafting from” approach by surface...... initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and by a “grafting to” approach exploiting Cu(I) catalyzed 1,3-cycloadditions of alkynes with azides (CuAAC) introducing hydrophilic polymers onto the membrane surface. Poly(1-vinyl imidazole) (pVim) grafted membranes were exploited as support...

  2. Morphology-properties relationship of gas plasma treated hydrophobic meso-porous membranes and their improved performance for desalination by membrane distillation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumée, Ludovic F.; Alglave, Hortense; Chaffraix, Thomas; Lin, Bao; Magniez, Kevin; Schütz, Jürg

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Systematic surface modifications by gas plasma treatment of hydrophobic polymers. • Correlation between plasma parameters and materials surface energy and morphology. • Spectral analysis of the formation of functional groups across the membranes surface. • Relationship between wettability, roughness and performance. - Abstract: The impact on performance of the surface energy and roughness of membrane materials used for direct contact membrane distillation are critical but yet poorly investigated parameters. The capacity to alter the wettability of highly hydrophobic materials such as poly(tetra-fluoro-ethylene) (PTFE) by gas plasma treatments is reported in this paper. An equally important contribution from this investigation arises from illustrating how vaporized material from the treated sample participates after a short while in the composition of the plasma and fundamentally changes the result of surface chemistry processes. The water contact angle across the hydrophobic membranes is generally controlled by varying the plasma gas conditions, such as the plasma power, chamber pressure and irradiation duration. Changes to surface porosity and roughness of the bulk material as well as the surface chemistry, through specific and partial de-fluorination of the surface were detected and systematically studied by Fourier transform infra-red analysis and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the rupture of fibrils, formed during membrane processing by thermal-stretching, led to the formation of a denser surface composed of nodules similar to these naturally acting as bridging points across the membrane material between fibrils. This structural change has a profound and impart a permanent effect on the permeation across the modified membranes, which was found to be enhanced by up to 10% for long plasma exposures while the selectivity of the membranes was found to remain unaffected by the treatment at a level higher

  3. Morphology-properties relationship of gas plasma treated hydrophobic meso-porous membranes and their improved performance for desalination by membrane distillation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dumée, Ludovic F., E-mail: ludovic.dumee@deakin.edu.au [Deakin University, Geelong Victoria–Australia - Institute for Frontier Materials (Australia); Alglave, Hortense; Chaffraix, Thomas; Lin, Bao; Magniez, Kevin [Deakin University, Geelong Victoria–Australia - Institute for Frontier Materials (Australia); Schütz, Jürg [CSIRO, Manufacturing Flagship, 75 Pigdons Road, 3216 Waurn Ponds, Victoria (Australia)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Systematic surface modifications by gas plasma treatment of hydrophobic polymers. • Correlation between plasma parameters and materials surface energy and morphology. • Spectral analysis of the formation of functional groups across the membranes surface. • Relationship between wettability, roughness and performance. - Abstract: The impact on performance of the surface energy and roughness of membrane materials used for direct contact membrane distillation are critical but yet poorly investigated parameters. The capacity to alter the wettability of highly hydrophobic materials such as poly(tetra-fluoro-ethylene) (PTFE) by gas plasma treatments is reported in this paper. An equally important contribution from this investigation arises from illustrating how vaporized material from the treated sample participates after a short while in the composition of the plasma and fundamentally changes the result of surface chemistry processes. The water contact angle across the hydrophobic membranes is generally controlled by varying the plasma gas conditions, such as the plasma power, chamber pressure and irradiation duration. Changes to surface porosity and roughness of the bulk material as well as the surface chemistry, through specific and partial de-fluorination of the surface were detected and systematically studied by Fourier transform infra-red analysis and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the rupture of fibrils, formed during membrane processing by thermal-stretching, led to the formation of a denser surface composed of nodules similar to these naturally acting as bridging points across the membrane material between fibrils. This structural change has a profound and impart a permanent effect on the permeation across the modified membranes, which was found to be enhanced by up to 10% for long plasma exposures while the selectivity of the membranes was found to remain unaffected by the treatment at a level higher

  4. Direct quantification of negatively charged functional groups on membrane surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto

    2012-02-01

    Surface charge plays an important role in membrane-based separations of particulates, macromolecules, and dissolved ionic species. In this study, we present two experimental methods to determine the concentration of negatively charged functional groups at the surface of dense polymeric membranes. Both techniques consist of associating the membrane surface moieties with chemical probes, followed by quantification of the bound probes. Uranyl acetate and toluidine blue O dye, which interact with the membrane functional groups via complexation and electrostatic interaction, respectively, were used as probes. The amount of associated probes was quantified using liquid scintillation counting for uranium atoms and visible light spectroscopy for the toluidine blue dye. The techniques were validated using self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols with known amounts of charged moieties. The surface density of negatively charged functional groups of hand-cast thin-film composite polyamide membranes, as well as commercial cellulose triacetate and polyamide membranes, was quantified under various conditions. Using both techniques, we measured a negatively charged functional group density of 20-30nm -2 for the hand-cast thin-film composite membranes. The ionization behavior of the membrane functional groups, determined from measurements with toluidine blue at varying pH, was consistent with published data for thin-film composite polyamide membranes. Similarly, the measured charge densities on commercial membranes were in general agreement with previous investigations. The relative simplicity of the two methods makes them a useful tool for quantifying the surface charge concentration of a variety of surfaces, including separation membranes. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  5. Introduction to Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kontogeorgis, Georgios; Kiil, Søren

    Colloid and Surface Chemistry is a subject of immense importance and implications both to our everyday life and numerous industrial sectors, ranging from coatings and materials to medicine and biotechnology. How do detergents really clean? (Why can’t we just use water ?) Why is milk “milky” Why do......, to the benefit of both the environment and our pocket. Cosmetics is also big business! Creams, lotions and other personal care products are really just complex emulsions. All of the above can be explained by the principles and methods of colloid and surface chemistry. A course on this topic is truly valuable...... to chemists, chemical engineers, biologists, material and food scientists and many more....

  6. Differential natural organic matter fouling of ceramic versus polymeric ultrafiltration membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Jin; Kim, Jae-Hong

    2014-01-01

    Ceramic ultrafiltration membranes has drawn increasing attention in drinking water treatment sectors as an alternative to traditional polymeric counterparts, yet only limited information has been made available about the characteristics of ceramic membrane fouling by natural organic matter. The effects of solution chemistry including ionic strength, divalent ion concentration and pH on the flux behavior were comparatively evaluated for ceramic and polymeric ultrafiltration of synthetic water containing model natural organic matter. Filtration characteristics were further probed via resistance-in-series model analysis, fouling visualization using quantum dots, batch adsorption test, contact angle measurement, solute-membrane surface adhesion force measurement, and quantitative comparison of fouling characteristics between ceramic and polymeric membranes. The results collectively suggested that the effects of solution chemistry on fouling behavior of ceramic membranes were generally similar to polymeric counterparts in terms of trends, while the extent varied significantly depending on water quality parameters. Lower fouling tendency and enhanced cleaning efficiency were observed with the ceramic membrane, further promoting the potential for ceramic membrane application to surface water treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Anisotropic surface chemistry properties and adsorption behavior of silicate mineral crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Longhua; Tian, Jia; Wu, Houqin; Fang, Shuai; Lu, Zhongyuan; Ma, Caifeng; Sun, Wei; Hu, Yuehua

    2018-03-07

    Anisotropic surface properties of minerals play an important role in a variety of fields. With a focus on the two most intensively investigated silicate minerals (i.e., phyllosilicate minerals and pegmatite aluminosilicate minerals), this review highlights the research on their anisotropic surface properties based on their crystal structures. Four surface features comprise the anisotropic surface chemistry of minerals: broken bonds, energy, wettability, and charge. Analysis of surface broken bond and energy anisotropy helps to explain the cleavage and growth properties of mineral crystals, and understanding surface wettability and charge anisotropy is critical to the analysis of minerals' solution behavior, such as their flotation performance and rheological properties. In a specific reaction, the anisotropic surface properties of minerals are reflected in the adsorption strengths of reagents on different mineral surfaces. Combined with the knowledge of mineral crushing and grinding, a thorough understanding of the anisotropic surface chemistry properties and the anisotropic adsorption behavior of minerals will lead to the development of effective relational models comprising their crystal structure, surface chemistry properties, and targeted reagent adsorption. Overall, such a comprehensive approach is expected to firmly establish the connection between selective cleavage of mineral crystals for desired surfaces and designing novel reagents selectively adsorbed on the mineral surfaces. As tools to characterize the anisotropic surface chemistry properties of minerals, DLVO theory, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are also reviewed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Bactericidal effects of plasma-modified surface chemistry of silicon nanograss

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ostrikov, Kola; Macgregor-Ramiasa, Melanie; Cavallaro, Alex; Ostrikov, Kostya; Vasilev, Krasimir

    2016-01-01

    The surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials regulate the adhesion and growth of microorganisms in ways that are still poorly understood. Silicon nanograss structures prepared via inductively coupled plasma etching were coated with plasma deposited nanometer-thin polymeric films to produce substrates with controlled topography and defined surface chemistry. The influence of surface properties on Staphylococcus aureus proliferation is demonstrated and explained in terms of nanograss substrate wetting behaviour. With the combination of the nanograss topography; hydrophilic plasma polymer coatings enhanced antimicrobial activity while hydrophobic coatings reduced it. This study advances the understanding of the effects of surface wettability on the bactericidal properties of reactive nano-engineered surfaces. (paper)

  9. Enhancing the formation and shear resistance of nitrifying biofilms on membranes by surface modification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lackner, Susanne; Holmberg, Maria; Terada, Akihiko

    2009-01-01

    Polypropylene (PP) membranes and polyethylene (PE) surfaces were modified to enhance formation and shear resistance of nitrifying biofilms for wastewater treatment applications. A combination of plasma polymerization and wet chemistry was employed to ultimately introduce poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG......) chains with two different functional groups (-PEG-NH2 and -PEG-CH3). Biofilm growth experiments using a mixed nitrifying bacterial culture revealed that the specific combination of PEG chains with amino groups resulted in most biofilm formation on both PP and PE samples. Detachment experiments showed...... structure might be possible explanations of the superiority of the -PEG-NH2 modification. The success of the-PEG-NH2 modification was independent of the original surface and might, therefore, be used in wastewater treatment bioreactors to improve reactor performance by making biofilm formation more stable...

  10. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy as a Probe of the Surface Chemistry of Nanostructured Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dick, Susan; Konrad, Magdalena P; Lee, Wendy W Y; McCabe, Hannah; McCracken, John N; Rahman, Taifur M D; Stewart, Alan; Xu, Yikai; Bell, Steven E J

    2016-07-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is now widely used as a rapid and inexpensive tool for chemical/biochemical analysis. The method can give enormous increases in the intensities of the Raman signals of low-concentration molecular targets if they are adsorbed on suitable enhancing substrates, which are typically composed of nanostructured Ag or Au. However, the features of SERS that allow it to be used as a chemical sensor also mean that it can be used as a powerful probe of the surface chemistry of any nanostructured material that can provide SERS enhancement. This is important because it is the surface chemistry that controls how these materials interact with their local environment and, in real applications, this interaction can be more important than more commonly measured properties such as morphology or plasmonic absorption. Here, the opportunity that this approach to SERS provides is illustrated with examples where the surface chemistry is both characterized and controlled in order to create functional nanomaterials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids by carbonaceous adsorbents: Effect of carbon surface chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhi, Yue; Liu, Jinxia

    2015-01-01

    Adsorption by carbonaceous sorbents is among the most feasible processes to remove perfluorooctane sulfonic (PFOS) and carboxylic acids (PFOA) from drinking and ground waters. However, carbon surface chemistry, which has long been recognized essential for dictating performance of such sorbents, has never been considered for PFOS and PFOA adsorption. Thus, the role of surface chemistry was systematically investigated using sorbents with a wide range in precursor material, pore structure, and surface chemistry. Sorbent surface chemistry overwhelmed physical properties in controlling the extent of uptake. The adsorption affinity was positively correlated carbon surface basicity, suggesting that high acid neutralizing or anion exchange capacity was critical for substantial uptake of PFOS and PFOA. Carbon polarity or hydrophobicity had insignificant impact on the extent of adsorption. Synthetic polymer-based Ambersorb and activated carbon fibers were more effective than activated carbon made of natural materials in removing PFOS and PFOA from aqueous solutions. - Highlights: • Adsorption of PFOS and PFOA by ten carbonaceous adsorbents were compared. • Surface chemistry of the adsorbents controlled adsorption affinity. • Carbon surface basicity was positively correlated with the extent of PFOS and PFOA uptake. • Carbon polarity or hydrophobicity was not correlated with adsorption affinity. • Synthetic polymer-based adsorbents were more effective in removing PFOS and PFOA. - Carbon surface basicity is the primary factor that influences adsorption affinity of the carbonaceous sorbents for perfluorooctane sulfonic and carboxylic acids

  12. Surface Chemistry and Spectroscopy of Chromium in Inorganic Oxides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weckhuysen, B.M.; Wachs, I.E.; Schoonheydt, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    Focuses on the surface chemistry and spectroscopy of chromium in inorganic oxides. Characterization of the molecular structures of chromium; Mechanics of hydrogenation-dehydrogenation reactions; Mobility and reactivity on oxidic surfaces.

  13. Spectral studies of Lanthanide interactions with membrane surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karukstis, K.K.; Kao, M.Y.; Savin, D.A.; Bittker, R.A.; Kaphengst, K.J.; Emetarom, C.M.; Naito, N.R.; Takamoto, D.Y. [Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA (United States)

    1995-03-23

    We have monitored the interactions of the series of trivalent lanthanide cations with the thylakoid membrane surface of spinach chloroplasts using two complementary spectral techniques. Measurements of the fluorescence emission of the extrinsic probe 2-p-toluidinonaphthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS) and the absorbance of the intrinsic chromophore chlorophyll provide two sensitive means of characterizing the dependence of the cation-membrane interaction on the nature of the cation. In these systems, added lanthanide cations adsorb onto the membrane surface to neutralize exposed segments of membrane-embedded protein complexes. The lanthanide-induced charge neutralization increases the proximity of added TNS anion to the membrane surface as evidenced by variations in the TNS fluorescence level and wavelength of maximum emission. Our results reveal a strong dependence of TNS fluorescence parameters on both lanthanide size and total orbital angular momentum L value. Lanthanides with greater charge density (small size and/or low L value) enhance the TNS fluorescence level to a greater extent. A possible origin for the lanthanide-dependent TNS fluorescence levels is suggested in terms of a heterogeneity in the number and type of TNS binding sites. The data are consistent with the proposal that larger lanthanides with smaller enthalpies of hydration induce more significant membrane appression. 59 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.

  14. Amino-functionalized surface modification of polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber-supported polydimethylsiloxane membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Leiqing; Cheng, Jun, E-mail: juncheng@zju.edu.cn; Li, Yannan; Liu, Jianzhong; Zhou, Junhu; Cen, Kefa

    2017-08-15

    Highlights: • Amino group was introduced to improve surface polarity of PDMS membrane. • The water contact angle of PDMS membrane decreased after the modification. • The concentration of N atom on surface of PDMS membrane reached up to ∼6%. • The density of PDMS membrane decreased while the swelling degree increased. • CO{sub 2} permeability increased while selectivity decreased after the modification. - Abstract: This study aimed to improve surface polarity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes and provide surface active sites which were easy to react with other chemicals. 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) containing an amino group was introduced into a PDMS membrane by crosslinking to prepare polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber-supported PDMS membranes with an amino-functionalized surface. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses proved the existence of APTES and its amino group in the PDMS membrane. The concentration of N atoms on the PDMS membrane surface reached ∼6% when the mass ratio of APTES/PDMS oligomer in the PDMS coating solution was increased to 4/3. The water contact angle decreased from ∼114° to ∼87.5°, indicating the improved surface polarization of the PDMS membrane. The density and swelling degree of the PDMS membrane decreased and increased, respectively, with increasing APTES content in PDMS. This phenomenon increased CO{sub 2} permeability and decreased CO{sub 2}/H{sub 2} selectivity, CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} selectivity, and CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} selectivity. When the mass ratio of APTES/PDMS oligomer was increased from 0 to 4/3, the CO{sub 2} permeation rate of the hollow fiber-supported PDMS membranes initially decreased from ∼2370 GPU to ∼860 GPU and then increased to ∼2000 GPU due to the change in coating solution viscosity.

  15. Immobilization of β-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis onto polymeric membrane surfaces: effect of surface characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Güleç, Hacı Ali

    2013-04-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of surface characteristics of plain and plasma modified cellulose acetate (CA) membranes on the immobilization yield of β-galactosidases from Kluyveromyces lactis (KLG) and its galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) yield, respectively. Low pressure plasma treatments involving oxygen plasma activation, plasma polymerization (PlsP) of ethylenediamine (EDA) and PlsP of 2-mercaptoethanol were used to modify plain CA membrane surfaces. KLG enzyme was immobilized onto plain and oxygen plasma treated membrane surfaces by simple adsorption. Oxygen plasma activation increased the hydrophylicity of CA membrane surfaces and it improved the immobilization yield of the enzyme by 42%. KLG enzyme was also immobilized onto CA membrane surfaces through amino groups created by PlsP of EDA via covalent binding. Plasma action at 60W plasma power and 15 min. exposure time improved the amount of membrane bounded enzyme by 3.5-fold. The enrichment of the amount of amino groups via polyethyleneimine (PEI) addition enhanced this increase from 3.5-fold to 4.5-fold. Although high enzyme loading was achived (65-83%), both of the methods dramatically decreased the enzyme activity (11-12%) and GOS yield due to probably negative effects of active amino groups. KLG enzyme was more effectively immobilized onto thiolated CA membrane surface created by PlsP of 2-mercaptoethanol with high immobilization yield (70%) and especially high enzyme activity (46%). Immobilized enzymes on the CA membranes treated by PlsP were successively reutilized for 5-8 cycles at 25°C and enzymatic derivatives retained approximately 75-80% of their initial activites at the end of the reactions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Magmatic and fragmentation controls on volcanic ash surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayris, Paul M.; Diplas, Spyros; Damby, David E.; Hornby, Adrian J.; Cimarelli, Corrado; Delmelle, Pierre; Scheu, Bettina; Dingwell, Donald B.

    2016-04-01

    The chemical effects of silicate ash ejected by explosive volcanic eruptions on environmental systems are fundamentally mediated by ash particle surfaces. Ash surfaces are a composite product of magmatic properties and fragmentation mechanisms, as well as in-plume and atmospheric alteration processes acting upon those surfaces during and after the eruption. Recent attention has focused on the capacity of alteration processes to shape ash surfaces; most notably, several studies have utilised X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a technique probing the elemental composition and coordination state of atoms within the top 10 nm of ash surfaces, to identify patterns of elemental depletions and enrichments relative to bulk ash chemical composition. Under the presumption of surface and bulk equivalence, any disparities have been previously attributed to surface alteration processes, but the ubiquity of some depletions (e.g., Ca, Fe) across multiple ash studies, irrespective of eruptive origin, could suggest these to be features of the surface produced at the instant of magma fragmentation. To investigate this possibility further, we conducted rapid decompression experiments at different pressure conditions and at ambient and magmatic temperature on porous andesitic rocks. These experiments produced fragmented ash material untouched by secondary alteration, which were compared to particles produced by crushing of large clasts from the same experiments. We investigated a restricted size fraction (63-90 μm) from both fragmented and crushed materials, determining bulk chemistry and mineralogy via XRF, SEM-BSE and EPMA, and investigated the chemical composition of the ash surface by XPS. Analyses suggest that fragmentation under experimental conditions partitioned a greater fraction of plagioclase-rich particles into the selected size fraction, relative to particles produced by crushing. Trends in surface chemical composition in fragmented and crushed particles mirror that

  17. Electrical conductivity of conductive carbon blacks: influence of surface chemistry and topology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pantea, Dana; Darmstadt, Hans; Kaliaguine, Serge; Roy, Christian

    2003-01-01

    Conductive carbon blacks from different manufacturers were studied in order to obtain some insight into the relation between their electrical conductivity and their surface properties. The surface chemistry was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and static secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), whereas the topology of the carbon black surface was investigated using low-pressure nitrogen adsorption. All these techniques yield information on the graphitic character of the surface. In general, the electrical conductivity of the conductive blacks increases with the graphitic character of the surface. For low surface area conductive blacks, the electrical conductivity correlates well with the surface chemistry. In the case of the XPS and SIMS data, this correlation is also valid when other types of carbon blacks such as thermal and furnace blacks are included, confirming the determining influence of the carbon black surface chemistry on the electrical conductivity

  18. Preparation of poly(2-chloroaniline) membrane and plasma surface modification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kir, E.; Oksuz, L.; Helhel, S.

    2006-01-01

    P2ClAn membranes were obtained from chemically synthesized poly(2-chloroaniline) (P2ClAn) by casting method. These membranes were cast from dimethyl formamide (DMF) and were in the undoped state. P2ClAn membranes were characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Measurements of water content capacity, membrane thickness and ion-exchange capacity of the cast membranes were carried out. P2ClAn membranes were treated by electron cylotron resonance (ECR) plasma for surface modification. Plasma treatment has been successfully utilized for improving the surface properties of P2ClAn membranes such as increasing pore diameters and number of pores for better anion or molecule transportation

  19. Surface charges promote nonspecific nanoparticle adhesion to stiffer membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Shayandev; Jing, Haoyuan; Sachar, Harnoor Singh; Das, Siddhartha

    2018-04-01

    This letter establishes the manner in which the electric double layer induced by the surface charges of the plasma membrane (PM) enhances the nonspecific adhesion (NSA) of a metal nanoparticle (NP) to stiffer PMs (i.e., PMs with larger bending moduli). The NSA is characterized by the physical attachment of the NP to the membrane and occurs when the decrease in the surface energy (or any other mechanism) associated with the attachment process provides the energy for bending the membrane. Such an attachment does not involve receptor-ligand interactions that characterize the specific membrane-NP adhesion. Here, we demonstrate that a significant decrease in the electrostatic energy caused by the NP-attachment-induced destruction of the charged-membrane-electrolyte interface is responsible for providing the additional energy needed for bending the membrane during the NP adhesion to stiffer membranes. A smaller salt concentration and a larger membrane charge density augment this effect, which can help to design drug delivery to cells with stiffer membranes due to pathological conditions, fabricate NPs with biomimetic cholesterol-rich lipid bilayer encapsulation, etc.

  20. Research on condensed matter and atomic physics, using major experimental facilities and devices: Physics, chemistry, biology. Reports on results. Vol. 1. 1. Atomic and molecular physics. 2. Physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    This report in three volumes substantiates the contents of the programme survey published in September 1989. The progress reports cover the following research areas: Vol. I, (1). Atomic and molecular physics - free atoms, molecules, macromolecules, clusters, matrix-isolated atoms and molecules. (2) Physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces - epitaxy, surface structure, adsorption, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties, thin films, synthetic layer structure. Vol. II, (3). Solid-state physics, and materials science -structural research, lattice dynamics, magnetic structure and dynamics, electronic states; load; spin and pulse density fluctuations; diffusion and internal motion, defects, unordered systems and liquids. Vol. III, (4). Chemistry - bonding and structure, kinetics and reaction mechanisms, polymer research, analysis and synthesis. (5). Biology, - structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules, membrane and cell biology. (6) Development of methods and instruments - neutron sources, synchrotron sources, special accelerators, research with interlinked systems and devices. (orig.) [de

  1. Membranes with Surface-Enhanced Antifouling Properties for Water Purification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahkaramipour, Nima; Tran, Thien N.; Ramanan, Sankara; Lin, Haiqing

    2017-01-01

    Membrane technology has emerged as an attractive approach for water purification, while mitigation of fouling is key to lower membrane operating costs. This article reviews various materials with antifouling properties that can be coated or grafted onto the membrane surface to improve the antifouling properties of the membranes and thus, retain high water permeance. These materials can be separated into three categories, hydrophilic materials, such as poly(ethylene glycol), polydopamine and zwitterions, hydrophobic materials, such as fluoropolymers, and amphiphilic materials. The states of water in these materials and the mechanisms for the antifouling properties are discussed. The corresponding approaches to coat or graft these materials on the membrane surface are reviewed, and the materials with promising performance are highlighted. PMID:28273869

  2. Surface modification of polypropylene membrane by polyethylene glycol graft polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abednejad, Atiye Sadat, E-mail: atiyeabednejad@gmail.com [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395-1561, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Amoabediny, Ghasem [Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395-1561, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Research Center for New Technologies in Life Science Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 63894-14179, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghaee, Azadeh [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395-1561, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-09-01

    Polypropylene hollow fiber microporous membranes have been used in a wide range of applications, including blood oxygenator. The hydrophobic feature of the polypropylene surface causes membrane fouling. To minimize fouling, a modification consisting of three steps: surface activation in H{sub 2} and O{sub 2} plasma, membrane immersion in polyethylene glycol (PEG) and plasma graft polymerization was performed. The membranes were characterized by contact angle measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Oxygen transfer of modified membranes was also tested. The stability of grafted PEG was measured in water and in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at 37 °C. Blood compatibility of modified surfaces was evaluated by the platelet adhesion method. Water contact angel reduction from 110° to 72° demonstrates the enhanced hydrophilicity, and XPS results verify the presence of oxygenated functional groups due to the peak existence in 286 eV as a result of PEG grafting. The results clearly indicate that plasma graft-polymerization of PEG is an effective way for antifouling improvement of polypropylene membranes. Also, the results show that oxygen transfer changes in PEG grafted membranes are not significant. - Highlights: • H{sub 2} and O{sub 2} plasma graft polymerization of PEG on polypropylene membrane was carried out. • Changes in surface properties were investigated by FTIR, XPS, SEM, and AFM. • Surface wettability enhanced as a result of poly ethylene glycol grafting. • PEG grafting degree increase causes reduction of fouling and adhesion.

  3. Direct quantification of negatively charged functional groups on membrane surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto; Elimelech, Menachem

    2012-01-01

    groups at the surface of dense polymeric membranes. Both techniques consist of associating the membrane surface moieties with chemical probes, followed by quantification of the bound probes. Uranyl acetate and toluidine blue O dye, which interact

  4. Theoretical chemistry periodicities in chemistry and biology

    CERN Document Server

    Eyring, Henry

    1978-01-01

    Theoretical Chemistry: Periodicities in Chemistry and Biology, Volume 4 covers the aspects of theoretical chemistry. The book discusses the stably rotating patterns of reaction and diffusion; the chemistry of inorganic systems exhibiting nonmonotonic behavior; and population cycles. The text also describes the mathematical modeling of excitable media in neurobiology and chemistry; oscillating enzyme reactions; and oscillatory properties and excitability of the heart cell membrane. Selected topics from the theory of physico-chemical instabilities are also encompassed. Chemists, mechanical engin

  5. Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes using pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pal, Dipankar; Neogi, Sudarsan; De, Sirshendu, E-mail: sde@che.iitkgp.ernet.in

    2015-12-31

    Low temperature plasma treatment using pulsed direct current discharge of nitrogen gas was employed to enhance hydrophilicity of the polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes. The membranes were characterized in terms of morphology, structure, hydrophilicity, and membrane performance. Properties and functional groups on the surface of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes were investigated by contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effects of plasma conditions, namely, pulsed voltage, duty cycle and treatment time on increase in membrane hydrophilicity were studied. Permeability of treated membrane was increased by 47% and it was retained up to 70 days. Surface etching due to plasma treatment was confirmed by weight loss of the treated membranes. Due to surface etching, average pore size increased and rejection of 200 kDa polyethylene glycol decreased to about 70% for the treated membrane. Oxygen and nitrogen functional groups were responsible for surface hydrophilicity. - Highlights: • Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes by pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma • Hydrophilic functional groups incorporated on the membrane surface • Significant enhancement of the permeability and wettability of the membranes • Water contact angle increased with storage time and finally stabilized.

  6. Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes using pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal, Dipankar; Neogi, Sudarsan; De, Sirshendu

    2015-01-01

    Low temperature plasma treatment using pulsed direct current discharge of nitrogen gas was employed to enhance hydrophilicity of the polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes. The membranes were characterized in terms of morphology, structure, hydrophilicity, and membrane performance. Properties and functional groups on the surface of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes were investigated by contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effects of plasma conditions, namely, pulsed voltage, duty cycle and treatment time on increase in membrane hydrophilicity were studied. Permeability of treated membrane was increased by 47% and it was retained up to 70 days. Surface etching due to plasma treatment was confirmed by weight loss of the treated membranes. Due to surface etching, average pore size increased and rejection of 200 kDa polyethylene glycol decreased to about 70% for the treated membrane. Oxygen and nitrogen functional groups were responsible for surface hydrophilicity. - Highlights: • Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes by pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma • Hydrophilic functional groups incorporated on the membrane surface • Significant enhancement of the permeability and wettability of the membranes • Water contact angle increased with storage time and finally stabilized.

  7. Atmospheric-pressure plasma activation and surface characterization on polyethylene membrane separator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, Yu-Chien; Li, Hsiao-Ling; Huang, Chun

    2017-01-01

    The surface hydrophilic activation of a polyethylene membrane separator was achieved using an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. The surface of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator was found to be highly hydrophilic realized by adjusting the plasma power input. The variations in membrane separator chemical structure were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chemical analysis showed newly formed carbonyl-containing groups and high surface concentrations of oxygen-containing species on the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated polymeric separator surface. It also showed that surface hydrophilicity primarily increased from the polar component after atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment. The surface and pore structures of the polyethylene membrane separator were examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing a slight alteration in the pore structure. As a result of the incorporation of polar functionalities by atmospheric-pressure plasma activation, the electrolyte uptake and electrochemical impedance of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator improved. The investigational results show that the separator surface can be controlled by atmospheric-pressure plasma surface treatment to tailor the hydrophilicity and enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries.

  8. Surface engineering: molecularly imprinted affinity membranes by photograft polymerization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matuschewski, Heike; Sergeyeva, Tatiana A.; Bendig, Juergen; Piletsky, Sergey A.; Ulbricht, Matthies; Schedler, Uwe

    2001-02-01

    Commercial polymer microfiltration membranes were surface-modified with a graft copolymer of a functional monomer and a crosslinker in the presence of a template (triazine-herbicide). As result, membranes covered with a thin layer of imprinted polymer (MIP) selective to the template were obtained. The influence of the polymerization conditions on membrane recognition properties was studied by membranes

  9. Surface modification of poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fibre membranes for biogas purification in a gas-liquid membrane contactor system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Pengrui; Huang, Chuan; Li, Jiaxiang; Shen, Yadong; Wang, Liao

    2017-11-01

    The wetting of hollow fibre membranes decreases the performance of the liquid-gas membrane contactor for CO 2 capture in biogas upgrading. To solve this problem, in this work, a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fibre membrane for a liquid-gas membrane contactor was coated with a superhydrophobic layer composed of a combination of hydrophobic SiO 2 nanoparticles and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by the method of spray deposition. A rough layer of SiO 2 deposited on the PVDF membrane resulted in an enhanced surface hydrophobicity. The surface structure of the pristine PVDF significantly affected the homogeneity of the generated SiO 2 layer. A uniform surface coating on the PVDF upper layer resulted from the presence of micrometre and nanometre-sized roughness on the surface of the PVDF membrane, which was achieved with a SiO 2 concentration of 4.44 mg ml -1 (0.2 g/45 ml) in the coating solution. As a result, the water contact angle of the modified surface was recorded as 155 ± 3°, which is higher than that of the pristine surface. The high contact angle is advantageous for reducing the wetting of the membrane. Additional mass transfer resistance was introduced by the superhydrophobic layer. In addition, continuous CO 2 absorption tests were carried out in original and modified PVDF hollow fibre membrane contactors, using monoethanolamine (MEA) solution as the absorbent. A long-term stability test revealed that the modified PVDF hollow fibre membrane contactor was able to outperform the original membrane contactor and demonstrated outstanding long-term stability, suggesting that spray deposition is a promising approach to obtain superhydrophobic PVDF membranes for liquid-gas membrane absorption.

  10. NOx Binding and Dissociation: Enhanced Ferroelectric Surface Chemistry by Catalytic Monolayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakekhani, Arvin; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

    2013-03-01

    NOx molecules are regulated air pollutants produced during automotive combustion. As part of an effort to design viable catalysts for NOx decomposition operating at higher temperatures that would allow for improved fuel efficiency, we examine NOx chemistry on ferroelectric perovskite surfaces. Changing the direction of ferroelectric polarization can modify surface electronic properties and may lead to switchable surface chemistry. Here, we describe our recent work on potentially enhanced surface chemistry using catalytic RuO2 monolayers on perovskite ferroelectric substrates. In addition to thermodynamic stabilization of the RuO2 layer, we present results on the polarization-dependent binding of NO, O2, N2, and atomic O and N. We present results showing that one key problem with current catalysts, involving the difficulty of releasing dissociation products (especially oxygen), can be ameliorated by this method. Primary support from Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc.

  11. Facile surface glycosylation of PVDF microporous membrane via direct surface-initiated AGET ATRP and improvement of antifouling property and biocompatibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Jing; Meng Jianqiang; Kang Yinlin; Du Qiyun; Zhang Yufeng

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes a facile and novel approach for the surface glycosylation of poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) microporous membrane. A glycopolymer poly(D-gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) (PGAMA) was tethered onto the membrane surface via activators generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) directly initiated from the PVDF surface. Chemical changes of membrane surface were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was revealed that PGAMA was successfully grafted onto the membrane surface and its grafting density can be modulated in a wide range up to 2.4 μmol/cm 2 . The effects of glycosylation on membrane morphology, flux and surface hydrophilicity were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) results indicated shrinkage of the surface pore diameters and the growth of the glycopolymer layer on the membrane surface. The static water contact angle (WCA) of the membrane surface decreased from 110° to 30.4° with the increase of grafting density, indicating that the PGAMA grafts dramatically improved the surface hydrophilicity. The protein adsorption and platelets adhesion experiments indicated that the grafted PGAMA could effectively improve the membrane antifouling property and biocompatibility.

  12. Design and simulation of the surface shape control system for membrane mirror

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Gengsheng; Tang, Minxue

    2009-11-01

    The surface shape control is one of the key technologies for the manufacture of membrane mirror. This paper presents a design of membrane mirror's surface shape control system on the basis of fuzzy logic control. The system contains such function modules as surface shape design, surface shape control, surface shape analysis, and etc. The system functions are realized by using hybrid programming technology of Visual C# and MATLAB. The finite element method is adopted to simulate the surface shape control of membrane mirror. The finite element analysis model is established through ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). ANSYS software kernel is called by the system in background running mode when doing the simulation. The controller is designed by means of controlling the sag of the mirror's central crosssection. The surface shape of the membrane mirror and its optical aberration are obtained by applying Zernike polynomial fitting. The analysis of surface shape control and the simulation of disturbance response are performed for a membrane mirror with 300mm aperture and F/2.7. The result of the simulation shows that by using the designed control system, the RMS wavefront error of the mirror can reach to 142λ (λ=632.8nm), which is consistent to the surface accuracy of the membrane mirror obtained by the large deformation theory of membrane under the same condition.

  13. Effect of non-equilibrium flow chemistry and surface catalysis on surface heating to AFE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, David A.; Henline, William D.; Chen, Yih-Kanq

    1991-01-01

    The effect of nonequilibrium flow chemistry on the surface temperature distribution over the forebody heat shield on the Aeroassisted Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle was investigated using a reacting boundary-layer code. Computations were performed by using boundary-layer-edge properties determined from global iterations between the boundary-layer code and flow field solutions from a viscous shock layer (VSL) and a full Navier-Stokes solution. Surface temperature distribution over the AFE heat shield was calculated for two flight conditions during a nominal AFE trajectory. This study indicates that the surface temperature distribution is sensitive to the nonequilibrium chemistry in the shock layer. Heating distributions over the AFE forebody calculated using nonequilibrium edge properties were similar to values calculated using the VSL program.

  14. Surface Modification of Ceramic Membranes with Thin-film Deposition Methods for Wastewater Treatment

    KAUST Repository

    Jahangir, Daniyal

    2017-12-01

    Membrane fouling, which is caused by deposition/adsorption of foulants on the surface or within membrane pores, still remains a bottleneck that hampers the widespread application of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for wastewater treatment. Recently membrane surface modification has proved to be a useful method in water/wastewater treatment to improve the surface hydrophilicity of membranes to obtain higher water fluxes and to reduce fouling. In this study, membrane modification was investigated by depositing a thin film of same thickness of TiO2 on the surface of an ultrafiltration alumina membrane. Various thin-film deposition (TFD) methods were employed, i.e. electron-beam evaporation, sputter and atomic layer deposition (ALD), and a comparative study of the methods was conducted to assess fouling inhibition performance in a lab-scale anaerobic MBR (AnMBR) fed with synthetic municipal wastewater. Thorough surface characterization of all modified membranes was carried out along with clean water permeability (CWP) tests and fouling behavior by bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption tests. The study showed better fouling inhibition performance of all modified membranes; however the effect varied due to different surface characteristics obtained by different deposition methods. As a result, ALD-modified membrane showed a superior status in terms of surface characteristics and fouling inhibition performance in AnMBR filtration tests. Hence ALD was determined to be the best TFD method for alumina membrane surface modification for this study. ALD-modified membranes were further characterized to determine an optimum thickness of TiO2-film by applying different ALD cycles. ALD treatment significantly improved the surface hydrophilicity of the unmodified membrane. Also ALD-TiO2 modification was observed to reduce the surface roughness of original alumina membrane, which in turn enhanced the anti-fouling properties of modified membranes. Finally, a same thickness of ALD

  15. Surface patterning of polymeric separation membranes and its influence on the filtration performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maruf, Sajjad

    Polymeric membrane based separation technologies are crucial for addressing the global issues such as water purification. However, continuous operations of these processes are often hindered by fouling which increases mass transport resistance of the membrane to permeation and thus the energy cost, and eventually replacement of the membrane in the system. In comparison to other anti-fouling strategies, the use of controlled surface topography to mitigate fouling has not been realized mainly due to the lack of methods to create targeted topography on the porous membrane surface. This thesis aims to develop a new methodology to create surface-patterned polymeric separation membrane to improve their anti-fouling characteristics during filtration. First, successful fabrication of sub-micron surface patterns directly on a commercial ultrafiltration (UF) membrane surface using nanoimprint lithographic (NIL) technique was demonstrated. Comprehensive filtration studies revealed that the presence of these sub-micron surface patterns mitigates not only the onset of colloidal particle deposition, but also lowers the rate of growth of cake layer after initial deposition, in comparison with un-patterned membranes. The anti-fouling effects were also observed for model protein solutions. Staged filtration experiments, with backwash cleaning, revealed that the permeate flux of the patterned membrane after protein fouling was considerably higher than that of the pristine or un-patterned membrane. In addition to the surface-patterning of UF membranes, successful fabrication of a surface-patterned thin film composite (TFC) membrane was shown for the first time. A two-step fabrication process was carried out by (1) nanoimprinting a polyethersulfone (PES) support using NIL, and (2) forming a thin dense film atop the PES support via interfacial polymerization (IP). Fouling experiments suggest that the surface patterns alter the hydrodynamics at the membrane-feed interface, which is

  16. The Role of Surface Chemistry in Adhesion and Wetting of Gecko Toe Pads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badge, Ila; Stark, Alyssa Y.; Paoloni, Eva L.; Niewiarowski, Peter H.; Dhinojwala, Ali

    2014-10-01

    An array of micron-sized setal hairs offers geckos a unique ability to walk on vertical surfaces using van der Waals interactions. Although many studies have focused on the role of surface morphology of the hairs, very little is known about the role of surface chemistry on wetting and adhesion. We expect that both surface chemistry and morphology are important, not only to achieve optimum dry adhesion but also for increased efficiency in self-cleaning of water and adhesion under wet conditions. Here, we used a plasma-based vapor deposition process to coat the hairy patterns on gecko toe pad sheds with polar and non-polar coatings without significantly perturbing the setal morphology. By a comparison of wetting across treatments, we show that the intrinsic surface of gecko setae has a water contact angle between 70-90°. As expected, under wet conditions, adhesion on a hydrophilic surface (glass) was lower than that on a hydrophobic surface (alkyl-silane monolayer on glass). Surprisingly under wet and dry conditions the adhesion was comparable on the hydrophobic surface, independent of the surface chemistry of the setal hairs. This work highlights the need to utilize morphology and surface chemistry in developing successful synthetic adhesives with desirable adhesion and self-cleaning properties.

  17. Unraveling the Reaction Chemistry of Icy Ocean World Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, R.; Loeffler, M. J.; Gerakines, P.

    2017-12-01

    The diverse endogenic chemistry of ocean worlds can be divided among interior, surface, and above-surface process, with contributions from exogenic agents such as solar, cosmic, and magnetospheric radiation. Bombardment from micrometeorites to comets also can influence chemistry by both delivering new materials and altering pre-existing ones, and providing energy to drive reactions. Geological processes further complicate the chemistry by transporting materials from one environment to another. In this presentation the focus will be on some of the thermally driven and radiation-induced changes expected from icy materials, primarily covalent and ionic compounds. Low-temperature conversions of a few relatively simple molecules into ions possessing distinct infrared (IR) features will be covered, with an emphasis on such features as might be identified through either orbiting spacecraft or landers. The low-temperature degradation of a few bioorganic molecules, such as DNA nucleobases and some common amino acids, will be used as examples of the more complex, and potentially misleading, chemistry expected for icy moons of the outer solar system. This work was supported by NASA's Emerging Worlds and Outer Planets Research programs, as well as the NASA Astrobiology Institute's Goddard Center for Astrobiology.

  18. Variability in chemistry of surface and soil waters of an ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Water chemistry is important for the maintenance of wetland structure and function. Interpreting ecological patterns in a wetland system therefore requires an in-depth understanding of the water chemistry of that system. We investigated the spatial distribution of chemical solutes both in soil pore water and surface water, ...

  19. Study on surface adhesion of Plasma modified Polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fiber membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiangrong; Zhang, Huifeng; Liu, Guochang; Guo, Chungang; Lv, Jinglie; Zhangb, Yushan

    2018-01-01

    Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is popular membrane material because of its excellent thermal stability, chemical stability and mechanical stability. However, the low surface energy and non-sticky property of PTFE present challenges for modification. In the present study, plasma treatment was performed to improve the surface adhesion of PTFE hollow fiber membrane. The effect of discharge voltage, treatment time on the adhesion of PTFE hollow fiber membrane was symmetrically evaluated. Results showed that the plasma treatment method contributed to improve the surface activity and roughness of PTFE hollow fiber membrane, and the adhesion strength depend significantly on discharge voltage, which was beneficial to seepage pressure of PTFE hollow fiber membrane module. The adhesion strength of PTFE membrane by plasma treated at 220V for 3min reached as high as 86.2 N, far surpassing the adhesion strength 12.7 N of pristine membrane. Furthermore, improvement of content of free radical and composition analysis changes of the plasma modified PTFE membrane were investigated. The seepage pressure of PTFE membrane by plasma treated at 220V for 3min was 0.375 MPa, which means that the plasma treatment is an effective technique to improve the adhesion strength of membrane.

  20. Flavonoid-membrane Interactions: A Protective Role of Flavonoids at the Membrane Surface?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia I. Oteiza

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Flavonoids can exert beneficial health effects through multiple mechanisms. In this paper, we address the important, although not fully understood, capacity of flavonoids to interact with cell membranes. The interactions of polyphenols with bilayers include: (a the partition of the more non-polar compounds in the hydrophobic interior of the membrane, and (b the formation of hydrogen bonds between the polar head groups of lipids and the more hydrophilic flavonoids at the membrane interface. The consequences of these interactions are discussed. The induction of changes in membrane physical properties can affect the rates of membrane lipid and protein oxidation. The partition of certain flavonoids in the hydrophobic core can result in a chain breaking antioxidant activity. We suggest that interactions of polyphenols at the surface of bilayers through hydrogen bonding, can act to reduce the access of deleterious molecules (i.e. oxidants, thus protecting the structure and function of membranes.

  1. Deconvoluting the effects of surface chemistry and nanoscale topography: Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm nucleation on Si-based substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Huang, Jinglin; Say, Carmen; Dorit, Robert L; Queeney, K T

    2018-06-01

    The nucleation of biofilms is known to be affected by both the chemistry and topography of the underlying substrate, particularly when topography includes nanoscale (topography vs. chemistry is complicated by concomitant variation in both as a result of typical surface modification techniques. Analyzing the behavior of biofilm-forming bacteria exposed to surfaces with systematic, independent variation of both topography and surface chemistry should allow differentiation of the two effects. Silicon surfaces with reproducible nanotopography were created by anisotropic etching in deoxygenated water. Surface chemistry was varied independently to create hydrophilic (OH-terminated) and hydrophobic (alkyl-terminated) surfaces. The attachment and proliferation of Psuedomonas aeruginosa to these surfaces was characterized over a period of 12 h using fluorescence and confocal microscopy. The number of attached bacteria as well as the structural characteristics of the nucleating biofilm were influenced by both surface nanotopography and surface chemistry. In general terms, the presence of both nanoscale features and hydrophobic surface chemistry enhance bacterial attachment and colonization. However, the structural details of the resulting biofilms suggest that surface chemistry and topography interact differently on each of the four surface types we studied. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Amphotericin B channels in phospholipid membrane-coated nanoporous silicon surfaces: implications for photovoltaic driving of ions across membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilma, Solomon; Liu, Nangou; Samoylov, Alexander; Lo, Ting; Brinker, C Jeffrey; Vodyanoy, Vitaly

    2007-03-15

    The antimycotic agent amphotericin B (AmB) functions by forming complexes with sterols to form ion channels that cause membrane leakage. When AmB and cholesterol mixed at 2:1 ratio were incorporated into phospholipid bilayer membranes formed on the tip of patch pipettes, ion channel current fluctuations with characteristic open and closed states were observed. These channels were also functional in phospholipid membranes formed on nanoporous silicon surfaces. Electrophysiological studies of AmB-cholesterol mixtures that were incorporated into phospholipid membranes formed on the surface of nanoporous (6.5 nm pore diameter) silicon plates revealed large conductance ion channels ( approximately 300 pS) with distinct open and closed states. Currents through the AmB-cholesterol channels on nanoporous silicon surfaces can be driven by voltage applied via conventional electrical circuits or by photovoltaic electrical potential entirely generated when the nanoporous silicon surface is illuminated with a narrow laser beam. Electrical recordings made during laser illumination of AmB-cholesterol containing membrane-coated nanoporous silicon surfaces revealed very large conductance ion channels with distinct open and closed states. Our findings indicate that nanoporous silicon surfaces can serve as mediums for ion-channel-based biosensors. The photovoltaic properties of nanoporous silicon surfaces show great promise for making such biosensors addressable via optical technologies.

  3. An AFM-based pit-measuring method for indirect measurements of cell-surface membrane vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiaojun; Chen, Yuan; Chen, Yong

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Air drying induced the transformation of cell-surface membrane vesicles into pits. • An AFM-based pit-measuring method was developed to measure cell-surface vesicles. • Our method detected at least two populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles. - Abstract: Circulating membrane vesicles, which are shed from many cell types, have multiple functions and have been correlated with many diseases. Although circulating membrane vesicles have been extensively characterized, the status of cell-surface membrane vesicles prior to their release is less understood due to the lack of effective measurement methods. Recently, as a powerful, micro- or nano-scale imaging tool, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied in measuring circulating membrane vesicles. However, it seems very difficult for AFM to directly image/identify and measure cell-bound membrane vesicles due to the similarity of surface morphology between membrane vesicles and cell surfaces. Therefore, until now no AFM studies on cell-surface membrane vesicles have been reported. In this study, we found that air drying can induce the transformation of most cell-surface membrane vesicles into pits that are more readily detectable by AFM. Based on this, we developed an AFM-based pit-measuring method and, for the first time, used AFM to indirectly measure cell-surface membrane vesicles on cultured endothelial cells. Using this approach, we observed and quantitatively measured at least two populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles, a nanoscale population (<500 nm in diameter peaking at ∼250 nm) and a microscale population (from 500 nm to ∼2 μm peaking at ∼0.8 μm), whereas confocal microscopy only detected the microscale population. The AFM-based pit-measuring method is potentially useful for studying cell-surface membrane vesicles and for investigating the mechanisms of membrane vesicle formation/release

  4. Grain surface chemistry in protoplanetary disks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reboussin, Laura

    2015-01-01

    Planetary formation occurs in the protoplanetary disks of gas and dust. Although dust represents only 1% of the total disk mass, it plays a fundamental role in disk chemical evolution since it acts as a catalyst for the formation of molecules. Understanding this chemistry is therefore essential to determine the initial conditions from which planets form. During my thesis, I studied grain-surface chemistry and its impact on the chemical evolution of molecular cloud, initial condition for disk formation, and protoplanetary disk. Thanks to numerical simulations, using the gas-grain code Nautilus, I showed the importance of diffusion reactions and gas-grain interactions for the abundances of gas-phase species. Model results combined with observations also showed the effects of the physical structure (in temperature, density, AV) on the molecular distribution in disks. (author)

  5. Role of plasma membrane surface charges in dictating the feasibility of membrane-nanoparticle interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Shayandev; Jing, Haoyuan; Sachar, Harnoor Singh; Das, Siddhartha

    2017-12-01

    Receptor-ligand (R-L) binding mediated interactions between the plasma membrane (PM) and a nanoparticle (NP) require the ligand-functionalized NPs to come to a distance of separation (DOS) of at least dRL (length of the R-L complex) from the receptor-bearing membranes. In this letter, we establish that the membrane surface charges and the surrounding ionic environment dictate whether or not the attainment of such a critical DOS is possible. The negatively charged membrane invariably induces a negative electrostatic potential at the NP surface, repelling the NP from the membrane. This is countered by the attractive influences of the thermal fluctuations and van der Waals (vdw) interactions that drive the NP close to the membrane. For a NP approaching the membrane from a distance, the ratio of the repulsive (electrostatic) and attractive (thermal and vdW) effects balances at a critical NP-membrane DOS of dg,c. For a given set of parameters, there can be two possible values of dg,c, namely, dg,c,1 and dg,c,2 with dg,c,1 ≫ dg,c,2. We establish that any R-L mediated NP-membrane interaction is possible only if dRL > dg,c,1. Therefore, our study proposes a design criterion for engineering ligands for a NP that will ensure the appropriate length of the R-L complex in order to ensure the successful membrane-NP interaction in the presence of a given electrostatic environment. Finally, we discuss the manner in which our theory can help designing ligand-grafted NPs for targeted drug delivery, design biomimetics NPs, and also explain various experimental results.

  6. Wetting Resistance of Commercial Membrane Distillation Membranes in Waste Streams Containing Surfactants and Oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lies Eykens

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Water management is becoming increasingly challenging and several technologies, including membrane distillation (MD are emerging. This technology is less affected by salinity compared to reverse osmosis and is able to treat brines up to saturation. The focus of MD research recently shifted from seawater desalination to industrial applications out of the scope of reverse osmosis. In many of these applications, surfactants or oil traces are present in the feed stream, lowering the surface tension and increasing the risk for membrane wetting. In this study, the technological boundaries of MD in the presence of surfactants are investigated using surface tension, contact angle and liquid entry pressure measurements together with lab-scale MD experiments to predict the wetting resistance of different membranes. Synthetic NaCl solutions mixed with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS were used as feed solution. The limiting surfactant concentration was found to be dependent on the surface chemistry of the membrane, and increased with increasing hydrophobicity and oleophobicity. Additionally, a hexadecane/SDS emulsion was prepared with a composition simulating produced water, a waste stream in the oil and gas sector. When hexadecane is present in the emulsion, oleophobic membranes are able to resist wetting, whereas polytetrafluoretheen (PTFE is gradually wetted by the feed liquid.

  7. Polydopamine/Cysteine surface modified isoporous membranes with self-cleaning properties

    KAUST Repository

    Shevate, Rahul; Kumar, Mahendra; Karunakaran, Madhavan; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

    2017-01-01

    The major challenge in membrane filtration is fouling which reduces the membrane performance. Fouling is mainly due to the adhesion of foulants on the membrane surfaces. In this work, we studied the fouling behaviour of polystyrene-b-poly(4

  8. Recent advances in study of uranium surface chemistry in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Lizhu; Lai, Xinchun; Wang, Xiaolin

    2014-01-01

    Uranium is very important in nuclear energy industry; however, uranium and its alloys corrode seriously in various atmospheres because of their chemical reactivities. In China, continuous investigations focused on surface chemistry have been carried out for a thorough understanding of uranium in order to provide technical support for its engineering applications. Oxidation kinetics of uranium and its alloys in oxidizing atmospheres are in good agreement with those in the literature. In addition to the traditional techniques, non-traditional methods have been applied for oxidation kinetics of uranium, and it has been verified that spectroscopic ellipsometry and X-ray diffraction are effective and nondestructive tools for in situ kinetic studies. The inhibition efficiency of oxidizing gas impurities on uranium hydrogenation is found to follow the order CO 2 > CO > O 2 , and the broadening of XPS shoulders with temperature in depth profile of hydrogenated uranium surface is discussed, which is not mentioned in the literature. Significant progress on surface chemistry of alloyed uranium (U-Nb and U-Ti) in hydrogen atmosphere is reported, and it is revealed that the hydrating nucleation and subsequent growth of alloyed uranium are closely connected with the surface states, underlying metal matrix, and it is microstructure-dependent. In this review, the recent advances in uranium surface chemistry in China, published so far mostly in Chinese language, are briefly summarized. Suggestions for further study are made. (orig.)

  9. Surface interactions and fouling properties of Micrococcus luteus with microfiltration membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Lei; Li, Xiufen; Song, Ping; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

    2011-11-01

    This study was conducted to investigate microbial adhesion of Micrococcus luteus to polypropylene (PP) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes in relation to the variation of the interfacial energies in the membrane-bacteria systems, for revealing effects of short-range surface interactions on filtration behavior. Both the membranes and M. luteus showed typical strong electron donors and hydrophilic properties. The AB component was dominant in the interfacial energies of the two membrane-bacteria systems. M. luteus presented larger negative U(mlb)(XDLVO) to the PP membrane than to the PVDF membrane. The adhesion experiments also proved that M. luteus had higher adhesion percentage to the PP membrane. This study demonstrated that the adhesion potentials of M. luteus to the PP and PVDF membranes might be explained in terms of bacterium, membrane, and intervening medium surface properties, which are mainly determined by the interfacial energies in the systems according to the XDLVO theory.

  10. Polyamide desalination membrane characterization and surface modification to enhance fouling resistance.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, Mukul M. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Freeman, Benny D. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Van Wagner, Elizabeth M. (Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX); Hickner, Michael A. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA); Altman, Susan Jeanne

    2010-08-01

    The market for polyamide desalination membranes is expected to continue to grow during the coming decades. Purification of alternative water sources will also be necessary to meet growing water demands. Purification of produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas production, is of interest due to its dual potential to provide water for beneficial use as well as to reduce wastewater disposal costs. However, current polyamide membranes are prone to fouling, which decreases water flux and shortens membrane lifetime. This research explored surface modification using poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) to improve the fouling resistance of commercial polyamide membranes. Characterization of commercial polyamide membrane performance was a necessary first step before undertaking surface modification studies. Membrane performance was found to be sensitive to crossflow testing conditions. Concentration polarization and feed pH strongly influenced NaCl rejection, and the use of continuous feed filtration led to higher water flux and lower NaCl rejection than was observed for similar tests performed using unfiltered feed. Two commercial polyamide membranes, including one reverse osmosis and one nanofiltration membrane, were modified by grafting PEGDE to their surfaces. Two different PEG molecular weights (200 and 1000) and treatment concentrations (1% (w/w) and 15% (w/w)) were studied. Water flux decreased and NaCl rejection increased with PEGDE graft density ({micro}g/cm{sup 2}), although the largest changes were observed for low PEGDE graft densities. Surface properties including hydrophilicity, roughness and charge were minimally affected by surface modification. The fouling resistance of modified and unmodified membranes was compared in crossflow filtration studies using model foulant solutions consisting of either a charged surfactant or an oil in water emulsion containing n-decane and a charged surfactant. Several PEGDE-modified membranes demonstrated improved

  11. Surface modification of seawater desalination reverse osmosis membranes: Characterization studies & performance evaluation

    KAUST Repository

    Matin, Asif

    2014-06-01

    In this work we report surface modification of commercial reverse osmosis membranes by depositing ultrathin copolymer coatings, which could potentially enhance the biofouling resistance of RO membranes. Hydrophilic monomer hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and a hydrophobic monomer, perfluorodecyl acrylate (PFDA) were copolymerized directly on the active layer of commercial aromatic polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes using an initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) technique. Attenuated total reflective Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR) verified the successful modification of the membrane surfaces as a new FTIR adsorption band around 1730cm-1 corresponding to carbonyl groups in the copolymer film appeared after the deposition. X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis also confirmed the presence of the copolymer film on the membrane surface by showing strong fluorine peaks emanating from the fluorinated alkyl side chains of the PFA molecules. Contact angle measurements with deionized water showed the modified membrane surfaces to be initially very hydrophobic but quickly assumed a hydrophilic character within few minutes. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) revealed that the deposited films were smooth and conformal as the surface topology of the underlying membrane surface remained virtually unchanged after the deposition. FESEM images of the top surface also showed that the typical ridge-and-valley structure associated with polyamide remained intact after the deposition. Short-term permeation tests using DI water and 2000ppm NaCl water showed that the deposited copolymer coatings had negligible effect on permeate water flux and salt rejection. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  12. Plasma membrane of a marine T cell lymphoma: surface labelling, membrane isolation, separation of membrane proteins and distribution of surface label amongst these proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crumpton, M.J.; Marchalonis, J.J.; Haustein, D.; Atwell, J.L.; Harris, A.W.

    1976-01-01

    Two established techniques for analysis of plasma membranes, namely, lactoperoxidase catalyzed surface radioiodination of intact cells and bulk membrane isolation following disruption of cells by shear forces, were applied in studies of membrane proteins of continuously cultured cells of the monoclonal T lymphoma line WEHI-22. It was found that macromolecular 125 I-iodide incorporated into plasma membrane proteins of intact cells was at least as good a marker for the plasma as was the commonly used enzyme 5'-nucleotidase, T lymphoma plasma membrane proteins were complex when analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulphate-containing buffers and more than thirty distinct components were resolved. More than fifteen of the components observed on a mass basis were also labelled with 125 I-iodide. Certain bands, however, exhibited a degree of label disproportionate to their staining properties with Coomassie Blue. This was interpreted in terms of their accessibility to the solvent in the intact cells. (author)

  13. Plasma surface modification of polypropylene track-etched membrane to improve its performance properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kravets, L. I.; Elinson, V. M.; Ibragimov, R. G.; Mitu, B.; Dinescu, G.

    2018-02-01

    The surface and electrochemical properties of polypropylene track-etched membrane treated by plasma of nitrogen, air and oxygen are studied. The effect of the plasma-forming gas composition on the surface morphology is considered. It has been found that the micro-relief of the membrane surface formed under the gas-discharge etching, changes. Moreover, the effect of the non-polymerizing gas plasma leads to formation of oxygen-containing functional groups, mostly carbonyl and carboxyl. It is shown that due to the formation of polar groups on the surface and its higher roughness, the wettability of the plasma-modified membranes improves. In addition, the presence of polar groups on the membrane surface layer modifies its electrochemical properties so that conductivity of plasma-treated membranes increase.

  14. Towards Enhanced Performance Thin-film Composite Membranes via Surface Plasma Modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Rackel; Dumée, Ludovic F.; Tardy, Blaise L.; Dagastine, Raymond; Orbell, John D.; Schutz, Jürg A.; Duke, Mikel C.

    2016-01-01

    Advancing the design of thin-film composite membrane surfaces is one of the most promising pathways to deal with treating varying water qualities and increase their long-term stability and permeability. Although plasma technologies have been explored for surface modification of bulk micro and ultrafiltration membrane materials, the modification of thin film composite membranes is yet to be systematically investigated. Here, the performance of commercial thin-film composite desalination membranes has been significantly enhanced by rapid and facile, low pressure, argon plasma activation. Pressure driven water desalination tests showed that at low power density, flux was improved by 22% without compromising salt rejection. Various plasma durations and excitation powers have been systematically evaluated to assess the impact of plasma glow reactions on the physico-chemical properties of these materials associated with permeability. With increasing power density, plasma treatment enhanced the hydrophilicity of the surfaces, where water contact angles decreasing by 70% were strongly correlated with increased negative charge and smooth uniform surface morphology. These results highlight a versatile chemical modification technique for post-treatment of commercial membrane products that provides uniform morphology and chemically altered surface properties. PMID:27363670

  15. Enhanced biofouling resistance of polyethersulfone membrane surface modified with capsaicin derivative and itaconic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jian [Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); Gao, Xueli, E-mail: gxl_ouc@126.com [Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); Wang, Qun; Sun, Haijing; Wang, Xiaojuan [Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); Gao, Congjie, E-mail: gaocjie@ouc.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China)

    2015-11-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PES membrane was modified with a capsaicin derivative. • UV-assisted graft polymerization was carried out on membrane surface. • The capsaicin derivative modified membrane shows better antibiofouling property. - Abstract: The culprit of biofouling is the reproduction of viable microorganisms on the membrane surface. Recently, functionalization of membrane surface with natural antibacterial agents has drawn great attention. This work presents the fabrication of antibiofouling polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes by UV-assisted photo grafting of capsaicin derivative (N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzyl)-acrylamide, HMBA) and itaconic acid (IA) on the surface of PES membrane. Results of FTIR-ATR, water static contact angle (WSCA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis confirmed the successful grafting of HMBA and IA on the membrane surface. We investigated the antifouling and antibacterial properties of these membranes using BSA and Escherichia coli as the test model, respectively. During a 150-min test, the modified membranes show much lower flux decline (42.7% for PES-g-1H0I, 22.2% for PES-g-1H1I and 7.7% for PES-g-1H5I) when compared with the pristine membrane (flux declined by 77%). The modified membranes exhibit excellent antibacterial activity (nearly 100%) when UV irradiation time was 6 min. The morphological study suggested that the E. coli on the pristine membrane showed a regular and smooth surface while that on the modified membrane was disrupted, which validated the antibacterial activity of the modified membranes.

  16. Enhanced biofouling resistance of polyethersulfone membrane surface modified with capsaicin derivative and itaconic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jian; Gao, Xueli; Wang, Qun; Sun, Haijing; Wang, Xiaojuan; Gao, Congjie

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PES membrane was modified with a capsaicin derivative. • UV-assisted graft polymerization was carried out on membrane surface. • The capsaicin derivative modified membrane shows better antibiofouling property. - Abstract: The culprit of biofouling is the reproduction of viable microorganisms on the membrane surface. Recently, functionalization of membrane surface with natural antibacterial agents has drawn great attention. This work presents the fabrication of antibiofouling polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes by UV-assisted photo grafting of capsaicin derivative (N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzyl)-acrylamide, HMBA) and itaconic acid (IA) on the surface of PES membrane. Results of FTIR-ATR, water static contact angle (WSCA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis confirmed the successful grafting of HMBA and IA on the membrane surface. We investigated the antifouling and antibacterial properties of these membranes using BSA and Escherichia coli as the test model, respectively. During a 150-min test, the modified membranes show much lower flux decline (42.7% for PES-g-1H0I, 22.2% for PES-g-1H1I and 7.7% for PES-g-1H5I) when compared with the pristine membrane (flux declined by 77%). The modified membranes exhibit excellent antibacterial activity (nearly 100%) when UV irradiation time was 6 min. The morphological study suggested that the E. coli on the pristine membrane showed a regular and smooth surface while that on the modified membrane was disrupted, which validated the antibacterial activity of the modified membranes.

  17. Aryl Diazonium Chemistry for the Surface Functionalization of Glassy Biosensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wei; van den Hurk, Remko; Cao, Yong; Du, Rongbing; Sun, Xuejun; Wang, Yiyu; McDermott, Mark T; Evoy, Stephane

    2016-03-14

    Nanostring resonator and fiber-optics-based biosensors are of interest as they offer high sensitivity, real-time measurements and the ability to integrate with electronics. However, these devices are somewhat impaired by issues related to surface modification. Both nanostring resonators and photonic sensors employ glassy materials, which are incompatible with electrochemistry. A surface chemistry approach providing strong and stable adhesion to glassy surfaces is thus required. In this work, a diazonium salt induced aryl film grafting process is employed to modify a novel SiCN glassy material. Sandwich rabbit IgG binding assays are performed on the diazonium treated SiCN surfaces. Fluorescently labelled anti-rabbit IgG and anti-rabbit IgG conjugated gold nanoparticles were used as markers to demonstrate the absorption of anti-rabbit IgG and therefore verify the successful grafting of the aryl film. The results of the experiments support the effectiveness of diazonium chemistry for the surface functionalization of SiCN surfaces. This method is applicable to other types of glassy materials and potentially can be expanded to various nanomechanical and optical biosensors.

  18. Aryl Diazonium Chemistry for the Surface Functionalization of Glassy Biosensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Zheng

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Nanostring resonator and fiber-optics-based biosensors are of interest as they offer high sensitivity, real-time measurements and the ability to integrate with electronics. However, these devices are somewhat impaired by issues related to surface modification. Both nanostring resonators and photonic sensors employ glassy materials, which are incompatible with electrochemistry. A surface chemistry approach providing strong and stable adhesion to glassy surfaces is thus required. In this work, a diazonium salt induced aryl film grafting process is employed to modify a novel SiCN glassy material. Sandwich rabbit IgG binding assays are performed on the diazonium treated SiCN surfaces. Fluorescently labelled anti-rabbit IgG and anti-rabbit IgG conjugated gold nanoparticles were used as markers to demonstrate the absorption of anti-rabbit IgG and therefore verify the successful grafting of the aryl film. The results of the experiments support the effectiveness of diazonium chemistry for the surface functionalization of SiCN surfaces. This method is applicable to other types of glassy materials and potentially can be expanded to various nanomechanical and optical biosensors.

  19. Hierarchical Composite Membranes with Robust Omniphobic Surface Using Layer-By-Layer Assembly Technique

    KAUST Repository

    Woo, Yun Chul

    2018-01-17

    In this study, composite membranes were fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of negatively-charged silica aerogel (SiA) and 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H – Perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (FTCS) on a polyvinylidene fluoride phase inversion membrane, and interconnecting them with positively-charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) via electrostatic interaction. The results showed that the PDDA-SiA-FTCS coated membrane had significantly enhanced the membrane structure and properties. New trifluoromethyl and tetrafluoroethylene bonds appeared at the surface of the coated membrane, which led to lower surface free energy of the composite membrane. Additionally, the LBL membrane showed increased surface roughness. The improved structure and property gave the LBL membrane an omniphobic property, as indicated by its good wetting resistance. The membrane performed a stable air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) flux of 11.22 L/m2h with very high salt rejection using reverse osmosis brine from coal seam gas produced water as feed with the addition of up to 0.5 mM SDS solution. This performance was much better compared to those of the neat membrane. The present study suggests that the enhanced membrane properties with good omniphobicity via LBL assembly make the porous membranes suitable for long-term AGMD operation with stable permeation flux when treating challenging saline wastewater containing low surface tension organic contaminants.

  20. Surface and permeability properties of membranes from polyelectrolyte complexes and polyelectrolyte surfactant complexes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Schwarz, H. H.; Lukáš, Jaromír; Richau, K.

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 218, 1-2 (2003), s. 1-9 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KSK4050111 Keywords : polyelectrolyte complex membranes * pervaporation * dehydration of organics Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.081, year: 2003

  1. Corona-induced graft polymerization for surface modification of porous polyethersulfone membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Liping; Zhu Baoku; Xu Li; Feng Yongxiang; Liu Fu; Xu Youyi

    2007-01-01

    Graft polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto porous polyethersulfone (PES) membrane surfaces was developed using corona discharge in atmospheric ambience as an activation process followed by polymerization of AA in aqueous solution. The effects of the corona parameters and graft polymerization conditions on grafting yield (GY) of AA were investigated. The grafting of AA on the PES membranes was confirmed by ATR-FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Porosimetry measurements indicate the average pore diameters and porosities of the modified membranes decrease with the increase of the GY. The hydrophilicity and surface wetting properties of the original and modified membranes were evaluated by observing the dynamic changes of water contact angles. It is found that the grafting of AA occurs not only on the membrane surfaces, but also on the pore walls of the cells inside the membrane. The permeability experiments of protein solution reveal that the grafting of PAA endows the modified membranes with enhanced fluxes and anti-fouling properties. The optimized GY of AA is in the range of 150-200 μg/cm 2 . In addition, the tensile experiments show the corona discharge treatment with the power lower than 150 W yields little damage to the mechanical strength of the membranes

  2. Polydopamine/Cysteine surface modified isoporous membranes with self-cleaning properties

    KAUST Repository

    Shevate, Rahul

    2017-02-03

    The major challenge in membrane filtration is fouling which reduces the membrane performance. Fouling is mainly due to the adhesion of foulants on the membrane surfaces. In this work, we studied the fouling behaviour of polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) isoporous membrane and the mussel inspired polydopamine/L-cysteine isoporous zwitterionic membrane. Polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) isoporous membranes were fabricated via self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation method. Subsequently, the isoporous membrane was modified by a mild mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coating; the isoporous surface structure and the water flux was retained. Zwitterionic L-cysteine was further anchored on the PDA coated membranes via Michael addition reaction at pH 7 and 50 °C to alleviate their antifouling ability with foulants solution. The membranes were thoroughly characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and zeta potential measurements. Contact angle and dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were carried out to examine the hydrophilicity. The pH-responsive behaviour of the modified membrane remains unchanged and antifouling ability after PDA/L-cysteine functionalization was improved. The modified and unmodified isoporous membranes were tested using humic acid and natural organic matter model solutions at 0.5 bar feed pressure.

  3. Association of lipids with integral membrane surface proteins of Mycoplasma hyorhinis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bricker, T.M.; Boyer, M.J.; Keith, J.; Watson-McKown, R.; Wise, K.S.

    1988-01-01

    Triton X-114 (TX-114)-phase fractionation was used to identify and characterize integral membrane surface proteins of the wall-less procaryote Mycoplasma hyorhinis GDL. Phase fractionation of mycoplasmas followed by analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed selective partitioning of approximately 30 [ 35 S]methionine-labeled intrinsic membrane proteins into the TX-114 phase. Similar analysis of [ 3 H]palmitate-labeled cells showed that approximately 20 proteins of this organism were associated with lipid, all of which also efficiently partitioned as integral membrane components into the detergent phase. Immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation of TX-114-phase proteins from 125 I-surface-labeled cells with four monoclonal antibodies to distinct surface epitopes of M. hyorhinis identified surface proteins p120, p70, p42, and p23 as intrinsic membrane components. Immunoprecipitation of [ 3 H]palmitate-labeled TX-114-phase proteins further established that surface proteins p120, p70, and p23 (a molecule that mediates complement-dependent mycoplasmacidal monoclonal antibody activity) were among the lipid-associated proteins of this organism. Two of these proteins, p120 and p123, were acidic (pI less than or equal to 4.5), as shown by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing. This study established that M. hyorhinis contains an abundance of integral membrane proteins tightly associated with lipids and that many of these proteins are exposed at the external surface of the single limiting plasma membrane. Monoclonal antibodies are reported that will allow detailed analysis of the structure and processing of lipid-associated mycoplasma proteins

  4. Recent advances in study of uranium surface chemistry in China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Lizhu; Lai, Xinchun [Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, Sichuan (China); Wang, Xiaolin [China Academy of Engineering Physics, Sichuan (China)

    2014-04-01

    Uranium is very important in nuclear energy industry; however, uranium and its alloys corrode seriously in various atmospheres because of their chemical reactivities. In China, continuous investigations focused on surface chemistry have been carried out for a thorough understanding of uranium in order to provide technical support for its engineering applications. Oxidation kinetics of uranium and its alloys in oxidizing atmospheres are in good agreement with those in the literature. In addition to the traditional techniques, non-traditional methods have been applied for oxidation kinetics of uranium, and it has been verified that spectroscopic ellipsometry and X-ray diffraction are effective and nondestructive tools for in situ kinetic studies. The inhibition efficiency of oxidizing gas impurities on uranium hydrogenation is found to follow the order CO{sub 2} > CO > O{sub 2}, and the broadening of XPS shoulders with temperature in depth profile of hydrogenated uranium surface is discussed, which is not mentioned in the literature. Significant progress on surface chemistry of alloyed uranium (U-Nb and U-Ti) in hydrogen atmosphere is reported, and it is revealed that the hydrating nucleation and subsequent growth of alloyed uranium are closely connected with the surface states, underlying metal matrix, and it is microstructure-dependent. In this review, the recent advances in uranium surface chemistry in China, published so far mostly in Chinese language, are briefly summarized. Suggestions for further study are made. (orig.)

  5. Design of UV-absorbing PVDF membrane via surface-initiated AGET ATRP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Li; Liu, Xiangdong; Xiong, Zhengrong; Sheng, Dekun; Zhou, Yan; Lin, Changhong; Yang, Yuming

    2018-03-01

    Herein, PVDF membranes with excellent UV-absorbing property were first synthesized through grafting the polymerizable low-molecular-weight organic UV-absorber 2-hydroxy-4-(3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxylpropoxy) benzophenone (BPMA) onto α-bromoester-functionalized PVDF membranes via the surface-initiated activator generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-AGET ATRP). The surface initiators were immobilized by the reaction between 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BIBB) and the hydroxylated PVDF membranes. PVDF-g-PBPMA membranes with different grafting densities were obtained by tuning the polymerization time and the modified membranes were characterized by 1H-NMR, FT-IR, XPS, SEM, UV-vis Spectrophotometer, TGA and DSC. The experimental results indicated that PBPMA chains were successfully introduced onto PVDF membranes. Most importantly, the PVDF-g-PBPMA membranes exhibited outstanding UV-shielding property. UV-vis transmittance spectra showed that most UV light below 360 nm could be absorbed by PVDF-g-PBPMA membranes and the whole UV light region (200-400 nm) can be blocked with the reaction time increased.

  6. Controlling the porosity of a polyethersulfone membrane surface with an XeCl laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pazokian, Hedieh; Mehrabadi, Adeleh H P; Mollabashi, Mahmoud; Barzin, Jalal

    2016-01-01

    Pure and polyvinyl pyrrolidone blend polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were irradiated by an XeCl laser with various numbers of pulses at different fluences to investigate the changes in the surface morphology and the porosity. The results show that the membrane pore size and distribution on the surface can be modified following irradiation dependent on the laser fluence, the number of pulses and the membrane composition. These changes are very attractive for improving the membrane surface in filtration processes and biological applications. (paper)

  7. Challenges in the Development of Functional Assays of Membrane Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie Demarche

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Lipid bilayers are natural barriers of biological cells and cellular compartments. Membrane proteins integrated in biological membranes enable vital cell functions such as signal transduction and the transport of ions or small molecules. In order to determine the activity of a protein of interest at defined conditions, the membrane protein has to be integrated into artificial lipid bilayers immobilized on a surface. For the fabrication of such biosensors expertise is required in material science, surface and analytical chemistry, molecular biology and biotechnology. Specifically, techniques are needed for structuring surfaces in the micro- and nanometer scale, chemical modification and analysis, lipid bilayer formation, protein expression, purification and solubilization, and most importantly, protein integration into engineered lipid bilayers. Electrochemical and optical methods are suitable to detect membrane activity-related signals. The importance of structural knowledge to understand membrane protein function is obvious. Presently only a few structures of membrane proteins are solved at atomic resolution. Functional assays together with known structures of individual membrane proteins will contribute to a better understanding of vital biological processes occurring at biological membranes. Such assays will be utilized in the discovery of drugs, since membrane proteins are major drug targets.

  8. Analysis of temporal evolution of quantum dot surface chemistry by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doğan, İlker; Gresback, Ryan; Nozaki, Tomohiro; van de Sanden, Mauritius C M

    2016-07-08

    Temporal evolution of surface chemistry during oxidation of silicon quantum dot (Si-QD) surfaces were probed using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A monolayer of hydrogen and chlorine terminated plasma-synthesized Si-QDs were spin-coated on silver oxide thin films. A clearly enhanced signal of surface modes, including Si-Clx and Si-Hx modes were observed from as-synthesized Si-QDs as a result of the plasmonic enhancement of the Raman signal at Si-QD/silver oxide interface. Upon oxidation, a gradual decrease of Si-Clx and Si-Hx modes, and an emergence of Si-Ox and Si-O-Hx modes have been observed. In addition, first, second and third transverse optical modes of Si-QDs were also observed in the SERS spectra, revealing information on the crystalline morphology of Si-QDs. An absence of any of the abovementioned spectral features, but only the first transverse optical mode of Si-QDs from thick Si-QD films validated that the spectral features observed from Si-QDs on silver oxide thin films are originated from the SERS effect. These results indicate that real-time SERS is a powerful diagnostic tool and a novel approach to probe the dynamic surface/interface chemistry of quantum dots, especially when they involve in oxidative, catalytic, and electrochemical surface/interface reactions.

  9. Density functional theory in surface chemistry and catalysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørskov, Jens Kehlet; Abild-Pedersen, Frank; Studt, Felix

    2011-01-01

    Recent advances in the understanding of reactivity trends for chemistry at transition-metal surfaces have enabled in silico design of heterogeneous catalysts in a few cases. The current status of the field is discussed with an emphasis on the role of coupling theory and experiment and future...

  10. Surface pH controls purple-to-blue transition of bacteriorhodopsin. A theoretical model of purple membrane surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szundi, I; Stoeckenius, W

    1989-08-01

    We have developed a surface model of purple membrane and applied it in an analysis of the purple-to-blue color change of bacteriorhodopsin which is induced by acidification or deionization. The model is based on dissociation and double layer theory and the known membrane structure. We calculated surface pH, ion concentrations, charge density, and potential as a function of bulk pH and concentration of mono- and divalent cations. At low salt concentrations, the surface pH is significantly lower than the bulk pH and it becomes independent of bulk pH in the deionized membrane suspension. Using an experimental acid titration curve for neutral, lipid-depleted membrane, we converted surface pH into absorption values. The calculated bacteriohodopsin color changes for acidification of purple, and titrations of deionized blue membrane with cations or base agree well with experimental results. No chemical binding is required to reproduce the experimental curves. Surface charge and potential changes in acid, base and cation titrations are calculated and their relation to the color change is discussed. Consistent with structural data, 10 primary phosphate and two basic surface groups per bacteriorhodopsin are sufficient to obtain good agreement between all calculated and experimental curves. The results provide a theoretical basis for our earlier conclusion that the purple-to-blue transition must be attributed to surface phenomena and not to cation binding at specific sites in the protein.

  11. Enhanced Electro-Static Modulation of Ionic Diffusion through Carbon Nanotube Membranes by Diazonium Grafting Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majumder, Mainak; Keis, Karin; Zhan, Xin; Meadows, Corey; Cole, Jeggan

    2013-01-01

    A membrane structure consisting of an aligned array of open ended carbon nanotubes (~ 7 nm i.d.) spanning across an inert polymer matrix allows the diffusive transport of aqueous ionic species through CNT cores. The plasma oxidation process that opens CNTs tips inherently introduces carboxylic acid groups at the CNT tips, which allows for a limited amount of chemical functional at the CNT pore entrance. However for numerous applications, it is important to increase the density of carboxylic acid groups at the pore entrance for effective separation processes. Aqueous diazonium based electro-chemistry significantly increases the functional density of carboxylic acid groups. pH dependent dye adsorption-desorption and interfacial capacitance measurements indicate ~ 5–6 times increase in functional density. To further control the spatial location of the functional chemistry, a fast flowing inert liquid column inside the CNT core is found to restrict the diazonium grafting to the CNT tips only. This is confirmed by the increased flux of positively charged Ru(bi-py)3+2 with anionic functionality. The electrostatic enhancement of ion diffusion is readily screened in 0.1(M) electrolyte solution consistent with the membrane pore geometry and increased functional density. PMID:25132719

  12. Nanoporous Membrane Technologies for Pathogen Collection, Separation, and Detection

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lee, Sang W; Shang, Hao; Lee, Gil U; Griffin, Matthew T; Fulton, Jack

    2003-01-01

    Partial contents: Nanoporous Membranes, Membrane Chemistries, Characterization of Membrane Chemistries,Protein Fouling, Collector,Gas and Liquid Permeabilities, Membrane Permeabilities in the Presence of Water...

  13. Surface characterization of the chitosan membrane after oxygen plasma treatment and its aging effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yingjun; Yin Shiheng; Ren Li; Zhao Lianna

    2009-01-01

    Chitosan has received considerable attention for biomedical applications in recent years because of its biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this paper, angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) was carried out to investigate the chemical groups' spatial orientation on the chitosan membrane surface. Oxygen plasma treatment was also employed to improve the surface hydrophilicity of the chitosan membrane. The results of ARXPS revealed the distribution of surface polar groups, such as-OH and O=CNH 2 toward the membrane bulk, which was the origin of the chitosan membrane surface hydrophobicity. The contact angle measurements and XPS results indicated that oxygen plasma treatment can markedly improve the surface hydrophilicity and surface energy of the chitosan membrane by incorporating oxygen-containing polar groups. With the existence of the aging process, the influence of plasma treatment was not permanent, it faded with storage time. The ARXPS result discovered that the reorientation of polar functional groups generated by plasma treatment toward the membrane bulk was primarily responsible for the aging effect.

  14. Biomimetic membranes and methods of making biomimetic membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempe, Susan; Brinker, Jeffrey C.; Rogers, David Michael; Jiang, Ying-Bing; Yang, Shaorong

    2016-11-08

    The present disclosure is directed to biomimetic membranes and methods of manufacturing such membranes that include structural features that mimic the structures of cellular membrane channels and produce membrane designs capable of high selectivity and high permeability or adsorptivity. The membrane structure, material and chemistry can be selected to perform liquid separations, gas separation and capture, ion transport and adsorption for a variety of applications.

  15. [Effects of surface roughness of bone cements on histological characteristics of induced membranes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hai-Xiao; Xu, Hua-Zi; Zhang, Yu; Hu, Gang; Shen, Yue; Cheng, Xiao-Jie; Peng, Lei

    2012-08-01

    To explore surface roughness of bone cement and surround tissue on histological characteristic of induced membranes. Bone cements with smooth and rough surface were implanted in radius bone defect, intramuscular and subcutaneous sites of rabbits, and formed induced membranes. Membranes were obtained and stained (HE) 6 weeks later. Images of membrane tissue were obtained and analyzed with an automated image analysis system. Five histological parameters of membranes were measured with thickness,area,cell density,ECM density and microvessel density. Double factor variance analysis was used to evaluate the effect of the two factors on histological characteristics of induced membranes. Membranes can be induced by each kind of bone cement and at all the three tissue sites. In histological parameters of thickness,area and micro vessel,there were significant differences among the membranes induced at different tissue sites (P = 0.000, P = 0.000, P = 0.000); whereas, there were no significant differences in histological parameters of cell density and ECM density (P = 0.734, P = 0.638). In all five histological parameters of membranes, there were no significant differences between the membranes induced by bone cements with different surface roughness (P = 0.506, P = 0.185, P = 0.883, P = 0.093, P = 0.918). Surround tissue rather than surface roughness of bone cements can affect the histological characteristics of induced membranes. The fibrocystic number, vascularity, mechanical tension and micro motion of the surround tissue may be closely correlated with the histological characteristics of induced membranes.

  16. Electrolyte chemistry control in electrodialysis processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Thomas D.; Severin, Blaine F.

    2017-12-26

    Methods for controlling electrolyte chemistry in electrodialysis units having an anode and a cathode each in an electrolyte of a selected concentration and a membrane stack disposed therebetween. The membrane stack includes pairs of cationic selective and anionic membranes to segregate increasingly dilute salts streams from concentrated salts stream. Electrolyte chemistry control is via use of at least one of following techniques: a single calcium exclusionary cationic selective membrane at a cathode cell boundary, an exclusionary membrane configured as a hydraulically isolated scavenger cell, a multivalent scavenger co-electrolyte and combinations thereof.

  17. Preparation of Two-Layer Anion-Exchange Poly(ethersulfone Based Membrane: Effect of Surface Modification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucie Zarybnicka

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The present work deals with the surface modification of a commercial microfiltration poly(ethersulfone membrane by graft polymerization technique. Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene-co-4-vinylbenzylchloride surface layer was covalently attached onto the poly(ethersulfone support layer to improve the membrane electrochemical properties. Followed by amination, a two-layer anion-exchange membrane was prepared. The effect of surface layer treatment using the extraction in various solvents on membrane morphological and electrochemical characteristics was studied. The membranes were tested from the point of view of water content, ion-exchange capacity, specific resistance, permselectivity, FT-IR spectroscopy, and SEM analysis. It was found that the two-layer anion-exchange membranes after the extraction using tetrahydrofuran or toluene exhibited smooth and porous surface layer, which resulted in improved ion-exchange capacity, electrical resistance, and permselectivity of the membranes.

  18. Grafted membranes and substrates having surfaces with switchable superoleophilicity and superoleophobicity and applications thereof

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Lianbin

    2013-10-10

    Disclosed herein are surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates exhibiting switchable oleophobicity and oleophilicity in aqueous media. These membranes and substrates may be used for variety of applications, including controllable oil/water separation processes, oil spill cleanup, and oil/water purification. Also provided are the making and processing of such surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates.

  19. Grafted membranes and substrates having surfaces with switchable superoleophilicity and superoleophobicity and applications thereof

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Lianbin; Wang, Peng

    2013-01-01

    Disclosed herein are surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates exhibiting switchable oleophobicity and oleophilicity in aqueous media. These membranes and substrates may be used for variety of applications, including controllable oil/water separation processes, oil spill cleanup, and oil/water purification. Also provided are the making and processing of such surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates.

  20. Using advanced surface complexation models for modelling soil chemistry under forests: Solling forest, Germany

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonten, Luc T.C., E-mail: luc.bonten@wur.nl [Alterra-Wageningen UR, Soil Science Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen (Netherlands); Groenenberg, Jan E. [Alterra-Wageningen UR, Soil Science Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen (Netherlands); Meesenburg, Henning [Northwest German Forest Research Station, Abt. Umweltkontrolle, Sachgebiet Intensives Umweltmonitoring, Goettingen (Germany); Vries, Wim de [Alterra-Wageningen UR, Soil Science Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen (Netherlands)

    2011-10-15

    Various dynamic soil chemistry models have been developed to gain insight into impacts of atmospheric deposition of sulphur, nitrogen and other elements on soil and soil solution chemistry. Sorption parameters for anions and cations are generally calibrated for each site, which hampers extrapolation in space and time. On the other hand, recently developed surface complexation models (SCMs) have been successful in predicting ion sorption for static systems using generic parameter sets. This study reports the inclusion of an assemblage of these SCMs in the dynamic soil chemistry model SMARTml and applies this model to a spruce forest site in Solling Germany. Parameters for SCMs were taken from generic datasets and not calibrated. Nevertheless, modelling results for major elements matched observations well. Further, trace metals were included in the model, also using the existing framework of SCMs. The model predicted sorption for most trace elements well. - Highlights: > Surface complexation models can be well applied in field studies. > Soil chemistry under a forest site is adequately modelled using generic parameters. > The model is easily extended with extra elements within the existing framework. > Surface complexation models can show the linkages between major soil chemistry and trace element behaviour. - Surface complexation models with generic parameters make calibration of sorption superfluous in dynamic modelling of deposition impacts on soil chemistry under nature areas.

  1. Using advanced surface complexation models for modelling soil chemistry under forests: Solling forest, Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonten, Luc T.C.; Groenenberg, Jan E.; Meesenburg, Henning; Vries, Wim de

    2011-01-01

    Various dynamic soil chemistry models have been developed to gain insight into impacts of atmospheric deposition of sulphur, nitrogen and other elements on soil and soil solution chemistry. Sorption parameters for anions and cations are generally calibrated for each site, which hampers extrapolation in space and time. On the other hand, recently developed surface complexation models (SCMs) have been successful in predicting ion sorption for static systems using generic parameter sets. This study reports the inclusion of an assemblage of these SCMs in the dynamic soil chemistry model SMARTml and applies this model to a spruce forest site in Solling Germany. Parameters for SCMs were taken from generic datasets and not calibrated. Nevertheless, modelling results for major elements matched observations well. Further, trace metals were included in the model, also using the existing framework of SCMs. The model predicted sorption for most trace elements well. - Highlights: → Surface complexation models can be well applied in field studies. → Soil chemistry under a forest site is adequately modelled using generic parameters. → The model is easily extended with extra elements within the existing framework. → Surface complexation models can show the linkages between major soil chemistry and trace element behaviour. - Surface complexation models with generic parameters make calibration of sorption superfluous in dynamic modelling of deposition impacts on soil chemistry under nature areas.

  2. Efficient adhesion-based plasma membrane isolation for cell surface N-glycan analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mun, Ji-Young; Lee, Kyung Jin; Seo, Hoon; Sung, Min-Sun; Cho, Yee Sook; Lee, Seung-Goo; Kwon, Ohsuk; Oh, Doo-Byoung

    2013-08-06

    Glycans, which decorate cell surfaces, play crucial roles in various physiological events involving cell surface recognition. Despite the importance of surface glycans, most analyses have been performed using total cells or whole membranes rather than plasma membranes due to difficulties related to isolation. In the present study, we employed an adhesion-based method for plasma membrane isolation to analyze N-glycans on cell surfaces. Cells were attached to polylysine-coated glass plates and then ruptured by hypotonic pressure. After washing to remove intracellular organelles, only a plasma membrane fraction remained attached to the plates, as confirmed by fluorescence imaging using organelle-specific probes. The plate was directly treated with trypsin to digest and detach the glycoproteins from the plasma membrane. From the resulting glycopeptides, N-glycans were released and analyzed using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and HPLC. When N-glycan profiles obtained by this method were compared to those by other methods, the amount of high-mannose type glycans mainly contaminated from the endoplasmic reticulum was dramatically reduced, which enabled the efficient detection of complex type glycans present on the cell surface. Moreover, this method was successfully used to analyze the increase of high-mannose glycans on the surface as induced by a mannosidase inhibitor treatment.

  3. Preparation of PES ultrafiltration membranes with natural amino acids based zwitterionic antifouling surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Chen; Liu, Xiaojiu; Xie, Binbin; Yao, Chen; Hu, Wenhan; Li, Yi; Li, Xinsong

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Amino acids have been successfully grafted onto the surface of PES membranes via amino groups induced epoxy ring opening. • Zwitterionic PES ultrafiltration membranes exhibit excellent antifouling performance and improved permeation properties. • A facile strategy to combat fouling of PES ultrafiltration membranes is developed by grafting natural amino acids. - Abstract: In this report, a simple and facile approach to enhance the antifouling property of poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane was developed by grafting natural amino acids onto surface. First of all, poly(ether sulfone) composite membranes blended with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) were fabricated by phase inversion method followed by grafting of different types of natural amino acids onto the membrane surface through epoxy ring opening reaction. The analysis of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the substantial enrichment of amino acids onto the surface of PES membranes. The hydrophilicity of the PES membranes was improved after grafting amino acids. The mechanical property and morphologies of the PES membranes proved that their basic performances were not obviously affected by grafting reaction, and these parameters were all still in the typical range for ultrafiltration membranes. The antifouling property of the grafted PES membranes against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lyz) was investigated in detail. It was found that PES membranes incorporated with neutral amino acids exhibited higher fouling resistance to both BSA and Lyz than the parent PES membrane. It can be ascribed to the formation of zwitterionic structure on the surface consisting of protonated secondary amino cations and carboxyl anions. Meanwhile, PES membranes grafted with charged amino acids had better antifouling properties against protein with same electric charges and improved adsorption

  4. Preparation of PES ultrafiltration membranes with natural amino acids based zwitterionic antifouling surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Chen; Liu, Xiaojiu; Xie, Binbin; Yao, Chen [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China); Hu, Wenhan; Li, Yi [Suzhou Faith & Hope Membrane Technology Co., Ltd., Suzhou, 215000 (China); Li, Xinsong, E-mail: lixs@seu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • Amino acids have been successfully grafted onto the surface of PES membranes via amino groups induced epoxy ring opening. • Zwitterionic PES ultrafiltration membranes exhibit excellent antifouling performance and improved permeation properties. • A facile strategy to combat fouling of PES ultrafiltration membranes is developed by grafting natural amino acids. - Abstract: In this report, a simple and facile approach to enhance the antifouling property of poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane was developed by grafting natural amino acids onto surface. First of all, poly(ether sulfone) composite membranes blended with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) were fabricated by phase inversion method followed by grafting of different types of natural amino acids onto the membrane surface through epoxy ring opening reaction. The analysis of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the substantial enrichment of amino acids onto the surface of PES membranes. The hydrophilicity of the PES membranes was improved after grafting amino acids. The mechanical property and morphologies of the PES membranes proved that their basic performances were not obviously affected by grafting reaction, and these parameters were all still in the typical range for ultrafiltration membranes. The antifouling property of the grafted PES membranes against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lyz) was investigated in detail. It was found that PES membranes incorporated with neutral amino acids exhibited higher fouling resistance to both BSA and Lyz than the parent PES membrane. It can be ascribed to the formation of zwitterionic structure on the surface consisting of protonated secondary amino cations and carboxyl anions. Meanwhile, PES membranes grafted with charged amino acids had better antifouling properties against protein with same electric charges and improved adsorption

  5. Membrane mimetic surface functionalization of nanoparticles: Methods and applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weingart, Jacob; Vabbilisetty, Pratima; Sun, Xue-Long

    2013-01-01

    Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their size-dependent physical and chemical properties, have shown remarkable potential for a wide range of applications over the past decades. Particularly, the biological compatibilities and functions of NPs have been extensively studied for expanding their potential in areas of biomedical application such as bioimaging, biosensing, and drug delivery. In doing so, surface functionalization of NPs by introducing synthetic ligands and/or natural biomolecules has become a critical component in regards to the overall performance of the NP system for its intended use. Among known examples of surface functionalization, the construction of an artificial cell membrane structure, based on phospholipids, has proven effective in enhancing biocompatibility and has become a viable alternative to more traditional modifications, such as direct polymer conjugation. Furthermore, certain bioactive molecules can be immobilized onto the surface of phospholipid platforms to generate displays more reminiscent of cellular surface components. Thus, NPs with membrane-mimetic displays have found use in a range of bioimaging, biosensing, and drug delivery applications. This review herein describes recent advances in the preparations and characterization of integrated functional NPs covered by artificial cell membrane structures and their use in various biomedical applications. PMID:23688632

  6. Surface expression, single-channel analysis and membrane topology of recombinant Chlamydia trachomatis Major Outer Membrane Protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McClafferty Heather

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chlamydial bacteria are obligate intracellular pathogens containing a cysteine-rich porin (Major Outer Membrane Protein, MOMP with important structural and, in many species, immunity-related roles. MOMP forms extensive disulphide bonds with other chlamydial proteins, and is difficult to purify. Leaderless, recombinant MOMPs expressed in E. coli have yet to be refolded from inclusion bodies, and although leadered MOMP can be expressed in E. coli cells, it often misfolds and aggregates. We aimed to improve the surface expression of correctly folded MOMP to investigate the membrane topology of the protein, and provide a system to display native and modified MOMP epitopes. Results C. trachomatis MOMP was expressed on the surface of E. coli cells (including "porin knockout" cells after optimizing leader sequence, temperature and medium composition, and the protein was functionally reconstituted at the single-channel level to confirm it was folded correctly. Recombinant MOMP formed oligomers even in the absence of its 9 cysteine residues, and the unmodified protein also formed inter- and intra-subunit disulphide bonds. Its topology was modeled as a (16-stranded β-barrel, and specific structural predictions were tested by removing each of the four putative surface-exposed loops corresponding to highly immunogenic variable sequence (VS domains, and one or two of the putative transmembrane strands. The deletion of predicted external loops did not prevent folding and incorporation of MOMP into the E. coli outer membrane, in contrast to the removal of predicted transmembrane strands. Conclusions C. trachomatis MOMP was functionally expressed on the surface of E. coli cells under newly optimized conditions. Tests of its predicted membrane topology were consistent with β-barrel oligomers in which major immunogenic regions are displayed on surface-exposed loops. Functional surface expression, coupled with improved understanding of MOMP

  7. Uranium(VI) sorption onto magnetite. Increasing confidence in surface complexation models using chemically evident surface chemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bok, Frank [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Surface Processes

    2017-06-01

    Surface complexation models have made great efforts in describing the sorption of various radionuclides on naturally occurring mineral phases. Unfortunately, many of the published sorption parameter sets are built upon unrealistic or even wrong surface chemistry. This work describes the benefit of combining spectroscopic and batch sorption experimental data to create a reliable and consistent surface complexation parameter set.

  8. Gas Phase Transport, Adsorption and Surface Diffusion in Porous Glass Membrane

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yang, J.; Čermáková, Jiřina; Uchytil, Petr; Hamel, Ch.; Seidel-Morgenstern, A.

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 104, 2-4 (2005), s. 344-351 ISSN 0920-5861. [International Conference on Catalysis in Membrane Reactors /6./. Lahnstein, 06.07.2004-09.07.2004] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA4072402 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : gas phase transport * vycor glass * adsorption Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.365, year: 2005

  9. Hydrophilic modification of polyethersulfone porous membranes via a thermal-induced surface crosslinking approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mu Lijun, E-mail: l.j.mu@hotmail.com [School of Material Science and Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Zhao Wenzhen [School of Material Science and Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

    2009-05-30

    A thermal-induced surface crosslinking process was employed to perform a hydrophilic surface modification of PES porous membranes. Difunctional poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was used as the main crosslinking modifier. The addition of trifunctional trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate (TMPTMA) into the reaction solutions accelerated the crosslinking progress of PEGDA on PES membranes. The membrane surface morphology and chemical composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The mass gains (MG) of the modified membranes could be conveniently modulated by varying the PEGDA concentration and crosslinking time. The measurements of water contact angle showed that the hydrophilicity of PES membranes was remarkably enhanced by the coating of crosslinked PEGDA layer. When a moderate mass gain of about 150 {mu}g/cm{sup 2} was reached, both the permeability and anti-fouling ability of PES membranes could be significantly improved. Excessive mass gain not only contributed little to the anti-fouling ability, but also brought a deteriorated permeability to PES membranes.

  10. Hydrophilic modification of polyethersulfone porous membranes via a thermal-induced surface crosslinking approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mu Lijun; Zhao Wenzhen

    2009-01-01

    A thermal-induced surface crosslinking process was employed to perform a hydrophilic surface modification of PES porous membranes. Difunctional poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was used as the main crosslinking modifier. The addition of trifunctional trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate (TMPTMA) into the reaction solutions accelerated the crosslinking progress of PEGDA on PES membranes. The membrane surface morphology and chemical composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The mass gains (MG) of the modified membranes could be conveniently modulated by varying the PEGDA concentration and crosslinking time. The measurements of water contact angle showed that the hydrophilicity of PES membranes was remarkably enhanced by the coating of crosslinked PEGDA layer. When a moderate mass gain of about 150 μg/cm 2 was reached, both the permeability and anti-fouling ability of PES membranes could be significantly improved. Excessive mass gain not only contributed little to the anti-fouling ability, but also brought a deteriorated permeability to PES membranes.

  11. Microporous Organic Materials for Membrane-Based Gas Separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Xiaoqin; Zhu, Guangshan

    2018-01-01

    Membrane materials with excellent selectivity and high permeability are crucial to efficient membrane gas separation. Microporous organic materials have evolved as an alternative candidate for fabricating membranes due to their inherent attributes, such as permanent porosity, high surface area, and good processability. Herein, a unique pore-chemistry concept for the designed synthesis of microporous organic membranes, with an emphasis on the relationship between pore structures and membrane performances, is introduced. The latest advances in microporous organic materials for potential membrane application in gas separation of H 2 , CO 2 , O 2 , and other industrially relevant gases are summarized. Representative examples of the recent progress in highly selective and permeable membranes are highlighted with some fundamental analyses from pore characteristics, followed by a brief perspective on future research directions. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Ferroelectrics: A pathway to switchable surface chemistry and catalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakekhani, Arvin; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab; Altman, Eric I.

    2016-08-01

    It has been known for more than six decades that ferroelectricity can affect a material's surface physics and chemistry thereby potentially enhancing its catalytic properties. Ferroelectrics are a class of materials with a switchable electrical polarization that can affect surface stoichiometry and electronic structure and thus adsorption energies and modes; e.g., molecular versus dissociative. Therefore, ferroelectrics may be utilized to achieve switchable surface chemistry whereby surface properties are not fixed but can be dynamically controlled by, for example, applying an external electric field or modulating the temperature. Several important examples of applications of ferroelectric and polar materials in photocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis are discussed. In photocatalysis, the polarization direction can control band bending at water/ferroelectric and ferroelectric/semiconductor interfaces, thereby facilitating charge separation and transfer to the electrolyte and enhancing photocatalytic activity. For gas-surface interactions, available results suggest that using ferroelectrics to support catalytically active transition metals and oxides is another way to enhance catalytic activity. Finally, the possibility of incorporating ferroelectric switching into the catalytic cycle itself is described. In this scenario, a dynamic collaboration of two polarization states can be used to drive reactions that have been historically challenging to achieve on surfaces with fixed chemical properties (e.g., direct NOx decomposition and the selective partial oxidation of methane). These predictions show that dynamic modulation of the polarization can help overcome some of the fundamental limitations on catalytic activity imposed by the Sabatier principle.

  13. Surface chemistry and bonding configuration of ultrananocrystalline diamond surfaces and their effects on nanotribological properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sumant, A. V.; Grierson, D. S.; Carpick, R. W.; Gerbi, J. E.; Carlisle, J. A.; Auciello, O.

    2007-01-01

    We present a comprehensive study of surface composition and nanotribology for ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) surfaces, including the influence of film nucleation on these properties. We describe a methodology to characterize the underside of the films as revealed by sacrificial etching of the underlying substrate. This enables the study of the morphology and composition resulting from the nucleation and initial growth of the films, as well as the characterization of nanotribological properties which are relevant for applications including micro-/nanoelectromechanical systems. We study the surface chemistry, bonding configuration, and nanotribological properties of both the topside and the underside of the film with synchrotron-based x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy to identify the bonding state of the carbon atoms, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the surface chemical composition, Auger electron spectroscopy to further verify the composition and bonding configuration, and quantitative atomic force microscopy to study the nanoscale topography and nanotribological properties. The films were grown on SiO 2 after mechanically polishing the surface with detonation synthesized nanodiamond powder, followed by ultrasonication in a methanol solution containing additional nanodiamond powder. The sp 2 fraction, morphology, and chemistry of the as-etched underside are distinct from the topside, exhibiting a higher sp 2 fraction, some oxidized carbon, and a smoother morphology. The nanoscale single-asperity work of adhesion between a diamond nanotip and the as-etched UNCD underside is far lower than for a silicon-silicon interface (59.2±2 vs 826±186 mJ/m 2 , respectively). Exposure to atomic hydrogen dramatically reduces nanoscale adhesion to 10.2±0.4 mJ/m 2 , at the level of van der Waals' interactions and consistent with recent ab initio calculations. Friction is substantially reduced as well, demonstrating a direct link between the

  14. Constructing Functional Ionic Membrane Surface by Electrochemically Mediated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fen Ran

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The sodium polyacrylate (PAANa contained polyethersulfone membrane that was fabricated by preparation of PES-NH2 via nonsolvent phase separation method, the introduction of bromine groups as active sites by grafting α-Bromoisobutyryl bromide, and surface-initiated electrochemically atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-eATRP of sodium acrylate (AANa on the surface of PES membrane. The polymerization could be controlled by reaction condition, such as monomer concentration, electric potential, polymerization time, and modifier concentration. The membrane surface was uniform when the monomer concentration was 0.9 mol/L, the electric potential was −0.12 V, the polymerization time was 8 h, and the modifier concentration was 2 wt.%. The membrane showed excellent hydrophilicity and blood compatibility. The water contact angle decreased from 84° to 68° and activated partial thromboplastin increased from 51 s to 84 s after modification of the membranes.

  15. Gyroid Nanoporous Membranes with Tunable Permeability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Li; Schulte, Lars; Clausen, Lydia D.

    2011-01-01

    -linked 1,2-polybutadiene (1,2-PB) membranes with uniform pores that, if needed, can be rendered hydrophilic. The gyroid porosity has the advantage of isotropic percolation with no need for structure prealignment. Closed (skin) or opened (nonskin) outer surface can be simply realized by altering...... the effective diffusion coefficients of a series of antibiotics, proteins, and other biomolecules; solute permeation is discussed in terms of hindered diffusion. The combination of uniform bulk morphology, isotropically percolating porosity, controlled surface chemistry, and tunable permeability is distinctive...

  16. Zwitterionic sulfobetaine-grafted poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane surface with stably anti-protein-fouling performance via a two-step surface polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Qian; Bi Qiuyan; Zhou Bo [Membrane Technology and Engineering Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wang Xiaolin, E-mail: xl-wang@tsinghua.edu.cn [Membrane Technology and Engineering Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2012-03-01

    A zwitterionic polymer, poly(3-(methacryloylamino) propyl-dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide) (poly(MPDSAH)) was successfully grafted in high density from the surface of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane via a two-step polymerization. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)) chains were firstly grafted from outside surface of PVDF membrane through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to provide the initiation sites for subsequent cerium (Ce (IV))-induced graft copolymerization of polyMPDSAH in the presence of N,N Prime -ethylene bisacrylamide (EBAA) as a cross-linking agent. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the EBAA could stimulate zwitterionic polymers grafting onto the membrane surface. The dense poly(MPDSAH) layers on the PVDF membrane surface were revealed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical property of PVDF membrane was improved by the zwitterionic surface layers. The gravimetry results indicated the grafting amount increased to 520 {mu}g/cm{sup 2} for a copolymerization time of more than 3 h. Static and dynamic water contact angle measurements showed that the surface hydrophilicity of the PVDF membranes was significantly enhanced. As the grafting amount reached 513 {mu}g cm{sup -2}, the value of contact angle dropped to 22.1 Degree-Sign and the amount of protein adsorption decreased to zero. The cyclic experiments for BSA solution filtration demonstrated that the extent of protein fouling was significantly reduced and most of the fouling was reversible. The grafted polymer layer on the PVDF membrane showed a good stability during the membrane cleaning process. The experimental results concluded a good prospect in obtaining the sulfobetaine-modified PVDF membranes with high mechanical strength, good anti-protein-fouling performance, and long-term stability via the two-step polymerization.

  17. Zwitterionic sulfobetaine-grafted poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane surface with stably anti-protein-fouling performance via a two-step surface polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Qian; Bi Qiuyan; Zhou Bo; Wang Xiaolin

    2012-01-01

    A zwitterionic polymer, poly(3-(methacryloylamino) propyl-dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide) (poly(MPDSAH)) was successfully grafted in high density from the surface of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane via a two-step polymerization. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)) chains were firstly grafted from outside surface of PVDF membrane through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to provide the initiation sites for subsequent cerium (Ce (IV))-induced graft copolymerization of polyMPDSAH in the presence of N,N′-ethylene bisacrylamide (EBAA) as a cross-linking agent. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the EBAA could stimulate zwitterionic polymers grafting onto the membrane surface. The dense poly(MPDSAH) layers on the PVDF membrane surface were revealed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical property of PVDF membrane was improved by the zwitterionic surface layers. The gravimetry results indicated the grafting amount increased to 520 μg/cm 2 for a copolymerization time of more than 3 h. Static and dynamic water contact angle measurements showed that the surface hydrophilicity of the PVDF membranes was significantly enhanced. As the grafting amount reached 513 μg cm -2 , the value of contact angle dropped to 22.1° and the amount of protein adsorption decreased to zero. The cyclic experiments for BSA solution filtration demonstrated that the extent of protein fouling was significantly reduced and most of the fouling was reversible. The grafted polymer layer on the PVDF membrane showed a good stability during the membrane cleaning process. The experimental results concluded a good prospect in obtaining the sulfobetaine-modified PVDF membranes with high mechanical strength, good anti-protein-fouling performance, and long-term stability via the two-step polymerization.

  18. Surface pH controls purple-to-blue transition of bacteriorhodopsin. A theoretical model of purple membrane surface

    OpenAIRE

    Szundi, I.; Stoeckenius, W.

    1989-01-01

    We have developed a surface model of purple membrane and applied it in an analysis of the purple-to-blue color change of bacteriorhodopsin which is induced by acidification or deionization. The model is based on dissociation and double layer theory and the known membrane structure. We calculated surface pH, ion concentrations, charge density, and potential as a function of bulk pH and concentration of mono- and divalent cations. At low salt concentrations, the surface pH is significantly lowe...

  19. Seventh BES [Basic Energy Sciences] catalysis and surface chemistry research conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-03-01

    Research programs on catalysis and surface chemistry are presented. A total of fifty-seven topics are included. Areas of research include heterogeneous catalysis; catalysis in hydrogenation, desulfurization, gasification, and redox reactions; studies of surface properties and surface active sites; catalyst supports; chemical activation, deactivation; selectivity, chemical preparation; molecular structure studies; sorption and dissociation. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases

  20. Seventh BES (Basic Energy Sciences) catalysis and surface chemistry research conference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-03-01

    Research programs on catalysis and surface chemistry are presented. A total of fifty-seven topics are included. Areas of research include heterogeneous catalysis; catalysis in hydrogenation, desulfurization, gasification, and redox reactions; studies of surface properties and surface active sites; catalyst supports; chemical activation, deactivation; selectivity, chemical preparation; molecular structure studies; sorption and dissociation. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases. (CBS)

  1. Natural organic matter interactions with polyamide and polysulfone membranes: Formation of conditioning film

    KAUST Repository

    Gutierrez, Leonardo

    2015-03-31

    A conditioning film changes the physicochemical properties of the membrane surface and strongly affects subsequent fouling behavior. Results from this Atomic Force Microscopy study indicate that Natural Organic Matter (NOM) characteristics, membrane surface properties, and solution chemistry are fundamental during conditioning film formation. Repulsive forces were observed between HUM (humic-NOM) and Polyamide (PA) or Polysulfone (PS) membranes during approach in Na+ and Ca2+ solutions. However, repulsive and attractive forces were randomly recorded during BIOP (biopolymer-NOM) approach to both membranes, possibly caused by low electrostatic repulsion, hydrogen bonding, and presence of chemically/physically heterogeneous regions on membrane surfaces. During retracting, Ca2+ ions increased HUM adhesion to PA and PS membrane, indicating cation bridging/complexation as dominant interacting mechanism for this isolate. BIOP adsorption on PS and PA membrane was stronger than HUM under similar solution conditions, where hydrogen bonding would play an important role. Additionally, irrespective of solution conditions, higher adhesion energy was recorded on PS than on PA membrane for both NOM isolates, indicating membrane hydrophobicity as an important interacting factor. Results from this research will advance our understanding of conditioning film formation for NOM isolates and membranes of different physicochemical characteristics.

  2. Highly Hydrophilic Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Ultrafiltration Membranes via Postfabrication Grafting of Surface-Tailored Silica Nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Liang, Shuai

    2013-07-24

    Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has drawn much attention as a predominant ultrafiltration (UF) membrane material due to its outstanding mechanical and physicochemical properties. However, current applications suffer from the low fouling resistance of the PVDF membrane due to the intrinsic hydrophobic property of the membrane. The present study demonstrates a novel approach for the fabrication of a highly hydrophilic PVDF UF membrane via postfabrication tethering of superhydrophilic silica nanoparticles (NPs) to the membrane surface. The pristine PVDF membrane was grafted with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) by plasma induced graft copolymerization, providing sufficient carboxyl groups as anchor sites for the binding of silica NPs, which were surface-tailored with amine-terminated cationic ligands. The NP binding was achieved through a remarkably simple and effective dip-coating technique in the presence or absence of the N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) cross-linking process. The properties of the membrane prepared from the modification without EDC/NHS cross-linking were comparable to those for the membrane prepared with the EDC/NHS cross-linking. Both modifications almost doubled the surface energy of the functionalized membranes, which significantly improved the wettability of the membrane and converted the membrane surface from hydrophobic to highly hydrophilic. The irreversibly bound layer of superhydrophilic silica NPs endowed the membranes with strong antifouling performance as demonstrated by three sequential fouling filtration runs using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model organic foulant. The results suggest promising applications of the postfabrication surface modification technique in various membrane separation areas. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  3. Surface modification of cation exchange membranes by graft polymerization of PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemati, Mahsa; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Bagheripour, Ehsan; Madaeni, Sayed Siavash

    2016-01-01

    Surface modification of polyvinylchloride based heterogeneous cation exchange membrane was performed by graft polymerization of PAA and PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles. The ion exchange membranes were prepared by solution casting technique. Spectra analysis confirmed graft polymerization clearly. SEM images illustrated that graft polymerization covers the membranes by simple gel network entanglement. The membrane water content was decreased by graft polymerization of PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles on membrane surface. Membrane transport number and selectivity declined initially by PAA graft polymerization and then began to increase by utilizing of composite nanoparticles in modifier solution. The sodium and barium flux was improved sharply by PAA and PAAco- 0.01%wt PANI/MWCNTs graft polymerization on membrane surface and then decreased again by more increase of PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles content ratio in modifier solution. The electrodialysis experiment results in laboratory scale showed higher dialytic rate in heavy metals removal for grafted-PAA and grafted-PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs modified membrane compared to pristine one. Membrane areal electrical resistance was also decreased by introducing graft polymerization of PAA and PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs NPs on membrane surface.

  4. Efficient protein immobilization on polyethersolfone electrospun nanofibrous membrane via covalent binding for biosensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahmoudifard, Matin [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Soudi, Sara [Stem Cell Biology Department, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Soleimani, Masoud [Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hosseinzadeh, Simzar [Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Department, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Esmaeili, Elaheh [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vossoughi, Manouchehr, E-mail: vosoughi@sharif.edu [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we introduce novel strategy for antibody immobilization using high surface area electrospun nanofibrous membrane based on ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) coupling chemistry. To present the high performance of proposed biosensors, anti-staphylococcus enterotoxin B (anti-SEB) was used as a model to demonstrate the utility of our proposed system. Polymer solution of polyethersolfone was used to fabricate fine nanofibrous membrane. Moreover, industrial polyvinylidene fluoride membrane and conventional microtiter plate were also used to compare the efficiency of antibody immobilization. Scanning electron microscopy images were taken to study the morphology of the membranes. The surface activation of nanofibrous membrane was done with the help of O{sub 2} plasma. PES nanofibrous membrane with carboxyl functional groups for covalent attachment of antibodies were treated by EDC/NHS coupling agent. The quantity of antibody immobilization was measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) method. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was performed to confirm the covalent immobilization of antibody on membrane. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and invert fluorescence microscopy were used to analyze the antibody distribution pattern on solid surfaces. Results show that oxygen plasma treatment effectively increased the amount of antibody immobilization through EDC/NHS coupling chemistry. It was found that the use of nanofibrous membrane causes the improved detection signal of ELISA based biosensors in comparison to the standard assay carried out in the 96-well microtiter plate. This method has the potential to improve the ELISA-based biosensor and we believe that this technique can be used in various biosensing methods. - Highlights: • Introduction of novel strategy for antibody immobilization using high surface area electrospun

  5. Adsorption of Dyes in Studying the Surface Chemistry of Ultradispersed Diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khokhlova, T. D.; Yunusova, G. R.; Lanin, S. N.

    2018-05-01

    The effect the surface chemistry of ultradispersed diamond (UDD) has on the adsorption of watersoluble dyes is considered. A comparison is made to adsorption on graphitized thermal carbon black (GTCB), which has a homogeneous and nonporous surface. The adsorption isotherms of dyes and the dependence of the adsorption on the pH of solutions are measured. It is found that UDD adsorbs acid (anionic) dyes—acid orange (AO) and acid anthraquinone blue (AAB)—but barely adsorbs a basic (cationic) dye, methylene blue (MB), because of the predominance of positively charged basic groups on the surface of UDD. The maximum adsorption of AO is much lower on UDD than on GTCB, while the maximum adsorption of AAB is similar for both surfaces. The adsorption of AO on UDD depends strongly on the pH of the solution, while the adsorption of AAB is independent of this parameter. It is suggested that the adsorption of AAB is determined not only by ionic and hydrophobic interactions but also by coordination interactions with impurity metal ions on a UDD surface. It is concluded that the adsorption of dyes characterizes the chemistry of a UDD surface with high sensitivity.

  6. Effect of fullerenol surface chemistry on nanoparticle binding-induced protein misfolding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radic, Slaven; Nedumpully-Govindan, Praveen; Chen, Ran; Salonen, Emppu; Brown, Jared M.; Ke, Pu Chun; Ding, Feng

    2014-06-01

    Fullerene and its derivatives with different surface chemistry have great potential in biomedical applications. Accordingly, it is important to delineate the impact of these carbon-based nanoparticles on protein structure, dynamics, and subsequently function. Here, we focused on the effect of hydroxylation -- a common strategy for solubilizing and functionalizing fullerene -- on protein-nanoparticle interactions using a model protein, ubiquitin. We applied a set of complementary computational modeling methods, including docking and molecular dynamics simulations with both explicit and implicit solvent, to illustrate the impact of hydroxylated fullerenes on the structure and dynamics of ubiquitin. We found that all derivatives bound to the model protein. Specifically, the more hydrophilic nanoparticles with a higher number of hydroxyl groups bound to the surface of the protein via hydrogen bonds, which stabilized the protein without inducing large conformational changes in the protein structure. In contrast, fullerene derivatives with a smaller number of hydroxyl groups buried their hydrophobic surface inside the protein, thereby causing protein denaturation. Overall, our results revealed a distinct role of surface chemistry on nanoparticle-protein binding and binding-induced protein misfolding.Fullerene and its derivatives with different surface chemistry have great potential in biomedical applications. Accordingly, it is important to delineate the impact of these carbon-based nanoparticles on protein structure, dynamics, and subsequently function. Here, we focused on the effect of hydroxylation -- a common strategy for solubilizing and functionalizing fullerene -- on protein-nanoparticle interactions using a model protein, ubiquitin. We applied a set of complementary computational modeling methods, including docking and molecular dynamics simulations with both explicit and implicit solvent, to illustrate the impact of hydroxylated fullerenes on the structure and

  7. Covalent attachment of phospholipid analogous polymers to modify a polymeric membrane surface: a novel approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zhi-Kang; Dai, Qing-Wen; Wu, Jian; Huang, Xiao-Jun; Yang, Qian

    2004-02-17

    A novel method for the surface modification of a microporous polypropylene membrane by tethering phospholipid analogous polymers (PAPs) is given, which includes the photoinduced graft polymerization of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and the ring-opening reaction of grafted poly-(DMAEMA) with 2-alkyloxy-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholanes. Five 2-alkyloxy-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholanes, containing octyloxy, dodecyloxy, tetradecyloxy, hexadecyloxy, and octadecyloxy groups in the molecular structure, were used to fabricate the PAP-modified polypropylene membranes. The attenuated total reflectance FT-IR spectra of the original, poly(DMAEMA)-grafted, and PAP-modified membranes confirmed the chemical changes on the membrane surface. Scanning electron microscope pictures showed that, compared with the original membrane, the surface porosities ofpoly(DMAEMA)-grafted and PAP-modified membranes were somewhat reduced. Water contact angles measured by the sessile drop method on PAP-modified membranes were slightly lower than that on the original polypropylene membrane, but higher than those on poly(DMAEMA)-grafted membranes with the exception of octyloxy-containing PAP-modified membranes. However, BSA adsorption experiments indicated that the five PAP-modified membranes had a much better protein-resistant property than the original polypropylene membrane and the poly(DMAEMA)-grafted membranes. For hexadecyloxy- and octadecyloxy-containing PAP-modified membranes, almost no protein adsorption was observed when the grafting degree was above 6 wt %. It was also found that the platelet adhesion was remarkably suppressed on the PAP-modified membranes. All these results demonstrate that the described approach is an effective way to improve the surface biocompatibility for polymeric membranes.

  8. Influence of surface chemistry on inkjet printed carbon nanotube films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopkins, Alan R.; Straw, David C.; Spurrell, Kathryn C.

    2011-01-01

    Carbon nanotube ink chemistry and the proper formulation are crucial for direct-write printing of nanotubes. Moreover, the correct surface chemistry of the self-assembled monolayers that assist the direct deposition of carbon nanotubes onto the substrate is equally important to preserve orientation of the printed carbon nanotubes. We report that the successful formulation of two single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) inks yields a consistent, homogenous printing pattern possessing the requisite viscosities needed for flow through the microcapillary nozzles of the inkjet printer with fairly modest drying times. The addition of an aqueous sodium silicate allows for a reliable method for forming a uniform carbon nanotube network deposited directly onto unfunctionalized surfaces such as glass or quartz via inkjet deposition. Furthermore, this sodium silicate ingredient helps preserve applied orientation to the printed SWNT solution. Sheet resistivity of this carbon nanotube ink formula printed on quartz decreases as a function of passes and is independent of the substrate. SWNTs were successfully patterned on Au. This amine-based surface chemistry dramatically helps improve the isolation stabilization of the printed SWNTs as seen in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) image. Lastly, using our optimized SWNT ink formula and waveform parameters in the Fuji materials printer, we are able to directly write/print SWNTs into 2D patterns. Dried ink pattern expose and help orient roped carbon nanotubes that are suspended in ordered arrays across the cracks.

  9. Surface chemistry of Ti6Al4V components fabricated using selective laser melting for biomedical applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vaithilingam, Jayasheelan, E-mail: Jayasheelan.Vaithilingam@nottingham.ac.uk [Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Research Group, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing, School of Engineering, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Prina, Elisabetta [School of Pharmacy, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Goodridge, Ruth D.; Hague, Richard J.M. [Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Research Group, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing, School of Engineering, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Edmondson, Steve [School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Rose, Felicity R.A.J. [School of Pharmacy, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Christie, Steven D.R. [Department of Chemistry, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)

    2016-10-01

    Selective laser melting (SLM) has previously been shown to be a viable method for fabricating biomedical implants; however, the surface chemistry of SLM fabricated parts is poorly understood. In this study, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the surface chemistries of (a) SLM as-fabricated (SLM-AF) Ti6Al4V and (b) SLM fabricated and mechanically polished (SLM-MP) Ti6Al4V samples and compared with (c) traditionally manufactured (forged) and mechanically polished Ti6Al4V samples. The SLM–AF surface was observed to be porous with an average surface roughness (Ra) of 17.6 ± 3.7 μm. The surface chemistry of the SLM-AF was significantly different to the FGD-MP surface with respect to elemental distribution and their existence on the outermost surface. Sintered particles on the SLM-AF surface were observed to affect depth profiling of the sample due to a shadowing effect during argon ion sputtering. Surface heterogeneity was observed for all three surfaces; however, vanadium was witnessed only on the mechanically polished (SLM-MP and FGD-MP) surfaces. The direct and indirect 3T3 cell cytotoxicity studies revealed that the cells were viable on the SLM fabricated Ti6Al4V parts. The varied surface chemistry of the SLM-AF and SLM-MP did not influence the cell behaviour. - Highlights: • Surface chemistry of selective laser melted (SLM) Ti6Al4V parts was compared with conventionally forged Ti6Al4V parts. • The surface elemental compositions of the SLM as-fabricated surfaces were significantly different to the forged surface. • Surface oxide-layer of the SLM as-fabricated was thicker than the polished SLM surfaces and the forged Ti6Al4V surfaces.

  10. Surface Modifications of Support Partitions for Stabilizing Biomimetic Membrane Arrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perry, Mark; Hansen, Jesper Schmidt; Jensen, Karin Bagger Stibius

    2011-01-01

    with a high signal-to-noise (s/n) ratio. We demonstratesd this by reconstituting gA and α-hemolysin (α-HL) into BLM arrays. The improvement in membrane array lifetime and s/n ratio demonstrates that surface plasma polymerization of the supporting partition can be used to increase the stability of biomimetic......Black lipid membrane (BLM) formation across apertures in an ethylene tetra-fluoroethylene (ETFE) partition separating two aqueous compartments is an established technique for the creation of biomimetic membranes. Recently multi-aperture BLM arrays have attracted interest and in order to increase...... BLM array stability we studied the effect of covalently modifying the partition substrate using surface plasma polymerization with hydrophobic n-hexene, 1-decene and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) as modification groups. Average lifetimes across singlesided HMDSO modified partitions or using 1-decene...

  11. Water Reclamation Using a Ceramic Nanofiltration Membrane and Surface Flushing with Ozonated Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoang, Anh T.; Okuda, Tetsuji; Takeuchi, Haruka; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Nghiem, Long D.

    2018-01-01

    A new membrane fouling control technique using ozonated water flushing was evaluated for direct nanofiltration (NF) of secondary wastewater effluent using a ceramic NF membrane. Experiments were conducted at a permeate flux of 44 L/m2h to evaluate the ozonated water flushing technique for fouling mitigation. Surface flushing with clean water did not effectively remove foulants from the NF membrane. In contrast, surface flushing with ozonated water (4 mg/L dissolved ozone) could effectively remove most foulants to restore the membrane permeability. This surface flushing technique using ozonated water was able to limit the progression of fouling to 35% in transmembrane pressure increase over five filtration cycles. Results from this study also heighten the need for further development of ceramic NF membrane to ensure adequate removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) for water recycling applications. The ceramic NF membrane used in this study showed approximately 40% TOC rejection, and the rejection of PPCPs was generally low and highly variable. It is expected that the fouling mitigation technique developed here is even more important for ceramic NF membranes with smaller pore size and thus better PPCP rejection. PMID:29671797

  12. Water Reclamation Using a Ceramic Nanofiltration Membrane and Surface Flushing with Ozonated Water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takahiro Fujioka

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A new membrane fouling control technique using ozonated water flushing was evaluated for direct nanofiltration (NF of secondary wastewater effluent using a ceramic NF membrane. Experiments were conducted at a permeate flux of 44 L/m2h to evaluate the ozonated water flushing technique for fouling mitigation. Surface flushing with clean water did not effectively remove foulants from the NF membrane. In contrast, surface flushing with ozonated water (4 mg/L dissolved ozone could effectively remove most foulants to restore the membrane permeability. This surface flushing technique using ozonated water was able to limit the progression of fouling to 35% in transmembrane pressure increase over five filtration cycles. Results from this study also heighten the need for further development of ceramic NF membrane to ensure adequate removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs for water recycling applications. The ceramic NF membrane used in this study showed approximately 40% TOC rejection, and the rejection of PPCPs was generally low and highly variable. It is expected that the fouling mitigation technique developed here is even more important for ceramic NF membranes with smaller pore size and thus better PPCP rejection.

  13. Recyclable surfaces for amine conjugation chemistry via redox reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Inseong; Yeo, Woon Seok [Dept. of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Se Won [Green Materials and Process Group, Research Institute of Sustainable Manufacturing System, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-02-15

    In this study, we extended this strategy to present a switchable surface that allows surface functionalization and removal of functional groups repeatedly. The substrate presenting a benzoquinone acid group is first used to immobilize with an amine-containing (bio)molecule using well-known conjugation chemistry. The benzoquinone group is then converted to the corresponding hydroquinone by treating with a reducing agent. We have described a strategy for the dynamic control of surface properties with recyclability via a simple reduction/ oxidation reaction. A stimuli-responsive quinone derivative was harnessed for the repeated immobilization and release of (bio)molecules, and thus, for the repeated dynamic change of the surface properties according to the characteristics of the immobilized (bio)molecules.

  14. Effect of Space Radiation Processing on Lunar Soil Surface Chemistry: X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dukes, C.; Loeffler, M.J.; Baragiola, R.; Christoffersen, R.; Keller, J.

    2009-01-01

    Current understanding of the chemistry and microstructure of the surfaces of lunar soil grains is dominated by a reference frame derived mainly from electron microscopy observations [e.g. 1,2]. These studies have shown that the outermost 10-100 nm of grain surfaces in mature lunar soil finest fractions have been modified by the combined effects of solar wind exposure, surface deposition of vapors and accretion of impact melt products [1,2]. These processes produce surface-correlated nanophase Feo, host grain amorphization, formation of surface patinas and other complex changes [1,2]. What is less well understood is how these changes are reflected directly at the surface, defined as the outermost 1-5 atomic monolayers, a region not easily chemically characterized by TEM. We are currently employing X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to study the surface chemistry of lunar soil samples that have been previously studied by TEM. This work includes modification of the grain surfaces by in situ irradiation with ions at solar wind energies to better understand how irradiated surfaces in lunar grains change their chemistry once exposed to ambient conditions on earth.

  15. Surface characterization of dialyzer polymer membranes by imaging ToF-SIMS and quantitative XPS line scans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzweber, Markus; Lippitz, Andreas; Krueger, Katharina; Jankowski, Joachim; Unger, Wolfgang E S

    2015-03-24

    The surfaces of polymeric dialyzer membranes consisting of polysulfone and polyvinylpyrrolidone were investigated regarding the lateral distribution and quantitative surface composition using time-of-flight secondary-ion-mass-spectrometry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Knowledge of the distribution and composition on the outer surface region is of utmost importance for understanding the biocompatibility of such dialyzer membranes. Both flat membranes and hollow fiber membranes were studied.

  16. Effects of wood fiber surface chemistry on strength of wood–plastic composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Migneault, Sébastien, E-mail: sebastien.migneault@uqat.ca [University of Quebec in Abitibi-Temiscamingue (UQAT), 445 boulevard de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec J9X 5E4 (Canada); Koubaa, Ahmed, E-mail: ahmed.koubaa@uqat.ca [UQAT (Canada); Perré, Patrick, E-mail: patrick.perre@ecp.fr [École centrale de Paris, Grande Voie des Vignes, F-92 295 Chatenay-Malabry Cedex (France); Riedl, Bernard, E-mail: Bernard.Riedl@sbf.ulaval.ca [Université Laval, 2425 rue de la Terrasse, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 (Canada)

    2015-07-15

    Highlights: • Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed variations of surface chemical characteristics according to fiber origin. • Surface chemical characteristics of fibers could partly explain the differences in mechanical properties of the wood–plastic composites. • Fibers with carbohydrate rich surface led to stronger wood–plastic composites because the coupling between the matrix and fibers using coupling agent is achieved with polar sites mostly available on carbohydrates. • Conversely, lignin or extractives rich surface do not have oxidized functions for the esterification reaction with coupling agent and thus led to wood–plastic composites with lower mechanical properties. • Other factors such as mechanical interlocking and fiber morphology interfere with the effects of fiber surface chemistry. - Abstract: Because wood–plastic composites (WPC) strength relies on fiber-matrix interaction at fiber surface, it is likely that fiber surface chemistry plays an important role in WPC strength development. The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationships between fiber surface chemical characteristics and WPC mechanical properties. Different fibers were selected and characterized for surface chemical characteristics using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). WPC samples were manufactured at 40% fiber content and with six different fibers. High density polyethylene was used as matrix and maleated polyethylene (MAPE) was used as compatibility agent. WPC samples were tested for mechanical properties and fiber-matrix interface was observed with scanning electron microscope. It was found WPC strength decreases as the amount of unoxidized carbon (assigned to lignin and extractives) measured with XPS on fiber surface increases. In the opposite case, WPC strength increases with increasing level of oxidized carbon (assigned to carbohydrates) on fiber surface. The same

  17. Effects of wood fiber surface chemistry on strength of wood–plastic composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Migneault, Sébastien; Koubaa, Ahmed; Perré, Patrick; Riedl, Bernard

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed variations of surface chemical characteristics according to fiber origin. • Surface chemical characteristics of fibers could partly explain the differences in mechanical properties of the wood–plastic composites. • Fibers with carbohydrate rich surface led to stronger wood–plastic composites because the coupling between the matrix and fibers using coupling agent is achieved with polar sites mostly available on carbohydrates. • Conversely, lignin or extractives rich surface do not have oxidized functions for the esterification reaction with coupling agent and thus led to wood–plastic composites with lower mechanical properties. • Other factors such as mechanical interlocking and fiber morphology interfere with the effects of fiber surface chemistry. - Abstract: Because wood–plastic composites (WPC) strength relies on fiber-matrix interaction at fiber surface, it is likely that fiber surface chemistry plays an important role in WPC strength development. The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationships between fiber surface chemical characteristics and WPC mechanical properties. Different fibers were selected and characterized for surface chemical characteristics using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). WPC samples were manufactured at 40% fiber content and with six different fibers. High density polyethylene was used as matrix and maleated polyethylene (MAPE) was used as compatibility agent. WPC samples were tested for mechanical properties and fiber-matrix interface was observed with scanning electron microscope. It was found WPC strength decreases as the amount of unoxidized carbon (assigned to lignin and extractives) measured with XPS on fiber surface increases. In the opposite case, WPC strength increases with increasing level of oxidized carbon (assigned to carbohydrates) on fiber surface. The same

  18. Surface monofunctionalized polymethyl pentene hollow fiber membranes by plasma treatment and hemocompatibility modification for membrane oxygenators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xin; Wang, Weiping; Zheng, Zhi; Fan, Wenling; Mao, Chun; Shi, Jialiang; Li, Lei

    2016-01-01

    The hemocompatibility of polymethyl pentene (PMP) hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) was improved through surface modification for membrane oxygenator applications. The modification was performed stepwise with the following: (1) oxygen plasma treatment, (2) functionalization of monosort hydroxyl groups through NaBH4 reduction, and (3) grafting 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) or heparin. SEM, ATR-FTIR, and XPS analyses were conducted to confirm successful grafting during the modification. The hemocompatibility of PMP HFMs was analyzed and compared through protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, and coagulation tests. Pure CO2 and O2 permeation rates, as well as in vitro gas exchange rates, were determined to evaluate the mass transfer properties of PMP HFMs. SEM results showed that different nanofibril topographies were introduced on the HFM surface. ATR-FTIR and XPS spectra indicated the presence of functionalization of monosort hydroxyl group and the grafting of MPC and heparin. Hemocompatibility evaluation results showed that the modified PMP HFMs presented optimal hemocompatibility compared with pristine HFMs. Gas permeation results revealed that gas permeation flux increased in the modified HFMs because of dense surface etching during the plasma treatment. The results of in vitro gas exchange rates showed that all modified PMP HFMs presented decreased gas exchange rates because of potential surface fluid wetting. The proposed strategy exhibits a potential for fabricating membrane oxygenators for biomedical applications to prevent coagulation formation and alter plasma-induced surface topology and composition.

  19. Organic fouling behavior of superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles: Implications for organic fouling in membrane bioreactors

    KAUST Repository

    Liang, Shuai

    2014-08-01

    This study systematically investigates the organic fouling behavior of a superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane functionalized via post-fabrication tethering of surface-tailored silica nanoparticles to poly(methacrylic acid)-grafted PVDF membrane surface. Sodium alginate (SA), Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as model organic foulants to investigate the antifouling behavior of the superhydrophilic membrane with combined-fouling (mixture of foulants) and individual-fouling (single foulant) tests. A membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant supernatant was also used to verify the organic antifouling property of the superhydrophilic membrane under realistic conditions. Foulant size distributions and foulant-membrane interfacial forces were measured to interpret the observed membrane fouling behavior. Molecular weight cutoff measurements confirmed that membrane functionalization did not adversely affect the intrinsic membrane selectivity. Both filtration tests with the synthetic foulant-mixture solution (containing SA, SRNOM, and BSA) and MBR plant supernatant demonstrated the reliability and durability of the antifouling property of the superhydrophilic membrane. The conspicuous reduction in foulant-membrane interfacial forces for the functionalized membrane further verified the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membrane, suggesting great potential for applications in wastewater treatment. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

  20. Airfoil-shaped micro-mixers for reducing fouling on membrane surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Clifford K; Altman, Susan J; Clem, Paul G; Hibbs, Michael; Cook, Adam W

    2012-10-23

    An array of airfoil-shaped micro-mixers that enhances fluid mixing within permeable membrane channels, such as used in reverse-osmosis filtration units, while minimizing additional pressure drop. The enhanced mixing reduces fouling of the membrane surfaces. The airfoil-shaped micro-mixer can also be coated with or comprised of biofouling-resistant (biocidal/germicidal) ingredients.

  1. A surface-chemistry study of barium ferrite nanoplates with DBSa-modified surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lisjak, Darja, E-mail: darja.lisjak@ijs.si [Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Ovtar, Simona; Kovač, Janez [Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Gregoratti, Luca; Aleman, Belen; Amati, Matteo [Elettra – Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. di interesse nazionale, Trieste (Italy); Fanetti, Mattia [University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica (Slovenia); Istituto Officina dei Materiali CNR, Area Science Park, Trieste (Italy); Makovec, Darko [Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2014-06-01

    Barium ferrite (BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19}) is a ferrimagnetic oxide with a high magnetocrystalline anisotropy that can be exploited in magnetically aligned ceramics or films for self-biased magnetic applications. Magnetic alignment of the films can be achieved by the directed assembly of barium ferrite nanoplates. In this investigation the nanoplates were synthesized hydrothermally and suspended in 1-butanol using dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid (DBSa) as a surfactant. They were then deposited in an electric or magnetic field on flat substrates and exhibited a significant preferential alignment in the plane of the substrate, allowing a differentiation between the analysis of their basal and side planes using scanning photoelectron microscopy with a lateral resolution down to 100 nm. The surface chemistry of the nanoplates was additionally studied with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. For a comparison, bare barium ferrite nanoplates were also analyzed after decomposing the DBSa at 460 °C. The deviation of the surface chemistry from the stoichiometric composition was observed and the adsorption of the DBSa molecules on the nanoplates was confirmed with all three methods. Different types of bonding (physi- or chemisorption) were possible and considered with respect to the assembly of the barium ferrite nanoplates into anisotropic magnetic films.

  2. Fabrication of a platform to isolate the influences of surface nanotopography from chemistry on bacterial attachment and growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pegalajar-Jurado, Adoracion; Easton, Christopher D; Crawford, Russell J; McArthur, Sally L

    2015-03-26

    Billions of dollars are spent annually worldwide to combat the adverse effects of bacterial attachment and biofilm formation in industries as varied as maritime, food, and health. While advances in the fabrication of antifouling surfaces have been reported recently, a number of the essential aspects responsible for the formation of biofilms remain unresolved, including the important initial stages of bacterial attachment to a substrate surface. The reduction of bacterial attachment to surfaces is a key concept in the prevention or minimization of biofilm formation. The chemical and physical characteristics of both the substrate and bacteria are important in understanding the attachment process, but substrate modification is likely the most practical route to enable the extent of bacterial attachment taking place to be effectively controlled. The microtopography and chemistry of the surface are known to influence bacterial attachment. The role of surface chemistry versus nanotopography and their interplay, however, remain unclear. Most methods used for imparting nanotopographical patterns onto a surface also induce changes in the surface chemistry and vice versa. In this study, the authors combine colloidal lithography and plasma polymerization to fabricate homogeneous, reproducible, and periodic nanotopographies with a controllable surface chemistry. The attachment of Escherichia coli bacteria onto carboxyl (plasma polymerized acrylic acid, ppAAc) and hydrocarbon (plasma polymerized octadiene, ppOct) rich plasma polymer films on either flat or colloidal array surfaces revealed that the surface chemistry plays a critical role in bacterial attachment, whereas the effect of surface nanotopography on the bacterial attachment appears to be more difficult to define. This platform represents a promising approach to allow a greater understanding of the role that surface chemistry and nanotopography play on bacterial attachment and the subsequent biofouling of the surface.

  3. A Mechanistic Study of Chemically Modified Inorganic Membranes for Gas and Liquid Separations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Way, J. Douglas [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2011-01-21

    This final report will summarize the progress made during the period August 1, 1993 - October 31, 2010 with support from DOE grant number DE-FG03-93ER14363. The objectives of the research have been to investigate the transport mechanisms in micro- and mesoporous, metal oxide membranes and to examine the relationship between the microstructure of the membrane, the membrane surface chemistry, and the separation performance of the membrane. Examples of the membrane materials under investigation are the microporous silica hollow fiber membrane manufactured by PPG Industries, chemically modified mesoporous oxide membranes, and polymer membranes containing microporous oxides (mixed matrix membranes). Analytical techniques such as NMR, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and gas adsorption were used to investigate membrane microstructure and to probe the chemical interactions occurring at the gas-membrane interface.

  4. Ion-enhanced gas-surface chemistry: The influence of the mass of the incident ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerlach-Meyer, U.; Coburn, J.W.; Kay, E.

    1981-01-01

    There are many examples of situations in which a gas-surface reaction rate is increased when the surface is simultaneously subjected to energetic particle bombardment. There are several possible mechanisms which could be involved in this radiation-enhanced gas-surface chemistry. In this study, the reaction rate of silicon, as determined from the etch yield, is measured during irradiation of the Si surface with 1 keV He + , Ne + , and Ar + ions while the surface is simultaneously subjected to fluxes of XeF 2 or Cl 2 molecules. Etch yields as high as 25 Si atoms/ion are observed for XeF 2 and Ar + on Si. A discussion is presented of the extent to which the results clarify the mechanisms responsible for ion-enhanced gas-surface chemistry. (orig.)

  5. Surface modification of cellulose acetate membrane using thermal annealing to enhance produced water treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kusworo, T. D., E-mail: tdkusworo@che.undip.ac.id; Aryanti, N., E-mail: nita.aryanti@gmail.com; Firdaus, M. M. H.; Sukmawati, H. [Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University Prof. Soedarto Street, Tembalang, Semarang, 50239, Phone/Fax : (024)7460058 (Indonesia)

    2015-12-29

    This study is performed primarily to investigate the effect of surface modification of cellulose acetate using thermal annealing on the enhancement of membrane performance for produced water treatment. In this study, Cellulose Acetate membranes were casted using dry/wet phase inversion technique. The effect of additive and post-treatment using thermal annealing on the membrane surface were examined for produced water treatment. Therma annealing was subjected to membrane surface at 60 and 70 °C for 5, 10 and 15 second, respectively. Membrane characterizations were done using membrane flux and rejection with produced water as a feed, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) analysis. Experimental results showed that asymmetric cellulose acetate membrane can be made by dry/wet phase inversion technique. The results from the Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis was also confirmed that polyethylene glycol as additivie in dope solution and thermal annealing was affected the morphology and membrane performance for produced water treatment, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that the selective layer and the substructure of membrane became denser and more compact after the thermal annealing processes. Therefore, membrane rejection was significantly increased while the flux was slighty decreased, respectively. The best membrane performance is obtained on the composition of 18 wt % cellulose acetate, poly ethylene glycol 5 wt% with thermal annealing at 70° C for 15 second.

  6. Surface modification of cellulose acetate membrane using thermal annealing to enhance produced water treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusworo, T. D.; Aryanti, N.; Firdaus, M. M. H.; Sukmawati, H.

    2015-01-01

    This study is performed primarily to investigate the effect of surface modification of cellulose acetate using thermal annealing on the enhancement of membrane performance for produced water treatment. In this study, Cellulose Acetate membranes were casted using dry/wet phase inversion technique. The effect of additive and post-treatment using thermal annealing on the membrane surface were examined for produced water treatment. Therma annealing was subjected to membrane surface at 60 and 70 °C for 5, 10 and 15 second, respectively. Membrane characterizations were done using membrane flux and rejection with produced water as a feed, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) analysis. Experimental results showed that asymmetric cellulose acetate membrane can be made by dry/wet phase inversion technique. The results from the Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis was also confirmed that polyethylene glycol as additivie in dope solution and thermal annealing was affected the morphology and membrane performance for produced water treatment, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that the selective layer and the substructure of membrane became denser and more compact after the thermal annealing processes. Therefore, membrane rejection was significantly increased while the flux was slighty decreased, respectively. The best membrane performance is obtained on the composition of 18 wt % cellulose acetate, poly ethylene glycol 5 wt% with thermal annealing at 70° C for 15 second

  7. Proton migration along the membrane surface in the absence of charged or titratable groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Springer, A.

    2011-01-01

    Proton diffusion along membrane surfaces is thought to be essential for many cellular processes such as energy transduction. For example, proton diffusion along membrane surfaces is considered to be the dominant mechanism of proton exchange between membrane sites of high and low proton concentrations. For the investigation of this mechanism, kinetic experiments on proton diffusion are evaluated to determine the ability of lipid membranes to retain protons on their surfaces. Experiments on different lipid bilayer membranes (DPhPC, DPhPE and GMO) are performed under the influence of two types of mobile buffer molecules (Capso, NH4CL). During these experiments the surface diffusion of photolytically released protons is visualized in terms of fluorescence changes of a lipid bound pH-sensitive dye (DHPE +fluorescein). The protons under investigation are released by flash photolysis of a hydrophobic caged compound (DMCM, caged diethyl phosphate). The experimental data confirm the existence of an energy barrier, which prevents the protons from escaping into the bulk. So far this effect was attributed to the proton binding to titrateable groups (e.g. ethanolamine) or electrostatic forces created by charged moieties (e.g. phosphate groups) on the membrane/water interface. However, upon removal of the titrateable groups and charged moieties from the membrane surface, a significant energy barrier remained as indicated by the experiments with glycerol monooleate (GMO) bilayers. To estimate the size of the barrier a semi-analytical model is presented that describes the two and three dimensional proton diffusion and the related physical and chemical processes. Common models describe surface proton diffusion as a series of subsequent hopping processes between membrane-anchored buffer molecules. Our experiments provide evidence for an alternative model. We released membrane-bound caged protons by UV flashes and monitored their arrival at distant sites s by fluorescence

  8. Pore surface fractal analysis of palladium-alumina ceramic membrane using Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, A L; Mustafa, N N N

    2006-09-15

    The alumina ceramic membrane has been modified by the addition of palladium in order to improve the H(2) permeability and selectivity. Palladium-alumina ceramic membrane was prepared via a sol-gel method and subjected to thermal treatment in the temperature range 500-1100 degrees C. Fractal analysis from nitrogen adsorption isotherm is used to study the pore surface roughness of palladium-alumina ceramic membrane with different chemical composition (nitric acid, PVA and palladium) and calcinations process in terms of surface fractal dimension, D. Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model was used to determine the D value of palladium-alumina membrane. Following FHH model, the D value of palladium-alumina membrane increased as the calcinations temperature increased from 500 to 700 degrees C but decreased after calcined at 900 and 1100 degrees C. With increasing palladium concentration from 0.5 g Pd/100 ml H(2)O to 2 g Pd/100 ml H(2)O, D value of membrane decreased, indicating to the smoother surface. Addition of higher amount of PVA and palladium reduced the surface fractal of the membrane due to the heterogeneous distribution of pores. However, the D value increased when nitric acid concentration was increased from 1 to 15 M. The effect of calcinations temperature, PVA ratio, palladium and acid concentration on membrane surface area, pore size and pore distribution also studied.

  9. Surface modification of PTMSP membranes by plasma treatment: Asymmetry of transport in organic solvent nanofiltration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volkov, A V; Tsarkov, S E; Gilman, A B; Khotimsky, V S; Roldughin, V I; Volkov, V V

    2015-08-01

    For the first time, the effect of asymmetry of the membrane transport was studied for organic solvents and solutes upon their nanofiltration through the plasma-modified membranes based on poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP). Plasma treatment is shown to provide a marked hydrophilization of the hydrophobic PTMSP surface (the contact angle of water decreases from 88 down to 20°) and leads to the development of a negative charge of -5.2 nC/cm(2). The XPS measurements prove the formation of the oxygen-containing groups (Si-O and C-O) due to the surface modification. The AFM images show that the small-scale surface roughness of the plasma-treated PTMSP sample is reduced but the large-scale surface heterogeneities become more pronounced. The modified membranes retain their hydrophilic surface properties even after the nanofiltration tests and 30-day storage under ambient conditions. The results of the filtration tests show that when the membrane is oriented so that its modified layer contacts the feed solution, the membrane permeability for linear alcohols (methanol-propanol) and acetone decreases nearly two times. When the modified membrane surface faces the permeate, the membrane is seen to regain its transport characteristics: the flux becomes equal to that of the unmodified PTMSP. The well-pronounced effect of the transport asymmetry is observed for the solution of the neutral dye Solvent Blue 35 in methanol, ethanol, and acetone. For example, the initial membrane shows the negative retention for the Solvent Blue 35 dye (-16%) upon its filtration from the ethanol solution whereas, for the modified PTMSP membrane, the retention increases up to 17%. Various effects contributing to the asymmetry of the membrane transport characteristics are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Probing chemistry within the membrane structure of wood with soft X-ray spectral microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cody, George D.

    2000-01-01

    Scanning Transmission Soft X-ray spectral microscopy on Carbon's 1s absorption edge reveals the distribution of structural biopolymers within cell membrane regions of modern cedar and oak. Cellulose is extremely susceptible to beam damage. Spectroscopic studies of beam damage reveals that the chemical changes resulting from secondary electron impact may be highly selective and is consistent with hydroxyl eliminations and structural rearrangement of pyranose rings in alpha-cellulose to hydroxyl substituted γ pyrones. A study of acetylated cellulose demonstrates significantly different chemistry; principally massive decarboxylation. Defocusing the beam to a 2 μm spot size allows for the acquisition of 'pristine' cellulose spectra. Spectral deconvolution is used to assess the distribution of lignin and cellulose in the different regions of the cell membrane. Using the intensity of the hydroxylated aromatic carbons 1s-π * transition, the ratio of coniferyl and syringyl based lignin within the middle lamellae and secondary cell wall of oak, an angiosperm can be determined

  11. Ferroelectric based catalysis: Switchable surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakekhani, Arvin; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

    2015-03-01

    We describe a new class of catalysts that uses an epitaxial monolayer of a transition metal oxide on a ferroelectric substrate. The ferroelectric polarization switches the surface chemistry between strongly adsorptive and strongly desorptive regimes, circumventing difficulties encountered on non-switchable catalytic surfaces where the Sabatier principle dictates a moderate surface-molecule interaction strength. This method is general and can, in principle, be applied to many reactions, and for each case the choice of the transition oxide monolayer can be optimized. Here, as a specific example, we show how simultaneous NOx direct decomposition (into N2 and O2) and CO oxidation can be achieved efficiently on CrO2 terminated PbTiO3, while circumventing oxygen (and sulfur) poisoning issues. One should note that NOx direct decomposition has been an open challenge in automotive emission control industry. Our method can expand the range of catalytically active elements to those which are not conventionally considered for catalysis and which are more economical, e.g., Cr (for NOx direct decomposition and CO oxidation) instead of canonical precious metal catalysts. Primary support from Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc.

  12. Surface-modified Y zeolite-filled chitosan membrane for direct methanol fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Hong; Zheng, Bin; Zheng, Xiaohong; Wang, Jingtao; Yuan, Weikang; Jiang, Zhongyi [Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2007-11-15

    Hybrid membranes composed of chitosan (CS) as organic matrix and surface-modified Y zeolite as inorganic filler are prepared and their applicability for DMFC is demonstrated by methanol permeability, proton conductivity and swelling property. Y zeolite is modified using silane coupling agents, 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS), to improve the organic-inorganic interfacial morphology. The mercapto group on MPTMS-modified Y zeolite is further oxidized into sulfonic group. Then, the resultant surface-modified Y zeolites with either aminopropyl groups or sulfonicpropyl groups are mixed with chitosan in acetic acid solution and cast into membranes. The transitional phase generated between chitosan matrix and zeolite filler reduces or even eliminates the nonselective voids commonly exist at the interface. The hybrid membranes exhibit a significant reduction in methanol permeability compared with pure chitosan and Nafion117 membranes, and this reduction extent becomes more pronounced with the increase of methanol concentration. By introducing -SO{sub 3}H groups onto zeolite surface, the conductivity of hybrid membranes is increased up to 2.58 x 10{sup -2} S cm{sup -1}. In terms of the overall selectivity index ({beta} = {sigma}/P), the hybrid membrane is comparable with Nafion117 at low methanol concentration (2 mol L{sup -1}) and much better (three times) at high methanol concentration (12 mol L{sup -1}). (author)

  13. Desorption of 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene from Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Impact of Solution Chemistry and Surface Chemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheikh Uddin

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The strong affinity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs to environmental contaminants has raised serious concern that CNTs may function as a carrier of environmental pollutants and lead to contamination in places where the environmental pollutants are not expected. However, this concern will not be realized until the contaminants are desorbed from CNTs. It is well recognized that the desorption of environmental pollutants from pre-laden CNTs varies with the environmental conditions, such as the solution pH and ionic strength. However, comprehensive investigation on the influence of solution chemistry on the desorption process has not been carried out, even though numerous investigations have been conducted to investigate the impact of solution chemistry on the adsorption of environmental pollutants on CNTs. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of solution chemistry (e.g., pH, ionic strength and surface functionalization on the desorption of preloaded 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (1,3,5-TCB from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs. The results suggested that higher pH, ionic strength and natural organic matter in solution generally led to higher desorption of 1,3,5-TCB from MWNTs. However, the extent of change varied at different values of the tested parameters (e.g., pH 7. In addition, the impact of these parameters varied with MWNTs possessing different surface functional groups, suggesting that surface functionalization could considerably alter the environmental behaviors and impact of MWNTs.

  14. Morphology control of anatase TiO2 for well-defined surface chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Jeantelot, Gabriel; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Sofack-Kreutzer, Julien; Abou-Hamad, Edy; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Lopatin, Sergei; Harb, Moussab; Cavallo, Luigi; Basset, Jean-Marie

    2018-01-01

    A specific allotrope of titanium dioxide (anatase) was synthesized both with a standard thermodynamic morphology ({101}-anatase) and with a highly anisotropic morphology ({001}-anatase) dominated by the {001} facet (81%). The surface chemistry of both samples after dehydroxylation was studied by 1H NMR and FT-IR. The influence of surface fluorides on the surface chemistry was also studied by 1H NMR, FT-IR and DFT. Full attribution of the IR spectra of anatase with dominant {001} facets could be provided based on experimental data and further confirmed by DFT. Our results showed that chemisorbed H2O molecules are still present on anatase after dehydroxylation at 350 °C, and that the type of surface hydroxyls present on the {001} facet is dependent on the presence of fluorides. They also provided general insight into the nature of the surface species on both fluorinated and fluorine-free anatase. The use of vanadium oxychloride (VOCl3) allowed the determination of the accessibility of the various OH groups spectroscopically observed.

  15. Morphology control of anatase TiO2 for well-defined surface chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Jeantelot, Gabriel

    2018-05-16

    A specific allotrope of titanium dioxide (anatase) was synthesized both with a standard thermodynamic morphology ({101}-anatase) and with a highly anisotropic morphology ({001}-anatase) dominated by the {001} facet (81%). The surface chemistry of both samples after dehydroxylation was studied by 1H NMR and FT-IR. The influence of surface fluorides on the surface chemistry was also studied by 1H NMR, FT-IR and DFT. Full attribution of the IR spectra of anatase with dominant {001} facets could be provided based on experimental data and further confirmed by DFT. Our results showed that chemisorbed H2O molecules are still present on anatase after dehydroxylation at 350 °C, and that the type of surface hydroxyls present on the {001} facet is dependent on the presence of fluorides. They also provided general insight into the nature of the surface species on both fluorinated and fluorine-free anatase. The use of vanadium oxychloride (VOCl3) allowed the determination of the accessibility of the various OH groups spectroscopically observed.

  16. Morphological, Chemical Surface, and Diffusive Transport Characterizations of a Nanoporous Alumina Membrane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María I. Vázquez

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Synthesis of a nanoporous alumina membrane (NPAM by the two-step anodization method and its morphological and chemical surface characterization by analyzing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM micrographs and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS spectra is reported. Influence of electrical and diffusive effects on the NaCl transport across the membrane nanopores is determined from salt diffusion measurements performed with a wide range of NaCl concentrations, which allows the estimation of characteristic electrochemical membrane parameters such as the NaCl diffusion coefficient and the concentration of fixed charges in the membrane, by using an appropriated model and the membrane geometrical parameters (porosity and pore length. These results indicate a reduction of ~70% in the value of the NaCl diffusion coefficient through the membrane pores with respect to solution. The transport number of ions in the membrane pores (Na+ and Cl−, respectively were determined from concentration potential measurements, and the effect of concentration-polarization at the membrane surfaces was also considered by comparing concentration potential values obtained with stirred solutions (550 rpm and without stirring. From both kinds of results, a value higher than 0.05 M NaCl for the feed solution seems to be necessary to neglect the contribution of electrical interactions in the diffusive transport.

  17. Study of the Effect of Nanoparticles and Surface Morphology on Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Membrane Productivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven J. Duranceau

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available To evaluate the significance of reverse osmosis (RO and nanofiltration (NF surface morphology on membrane performance, productivity experiments were conducted using flat-sheet membranes and three different nanoparticles, which included SiO2, TiO2 and CeO2. In this study, the productivity rate was markedly influenced by membrane surface morphology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM analysis of membrane surfaces revealed that the higher productivity decline rates associated with polyamide RO membranes as compared to that of a cellulose acetate NF membrane was due to the inherent ridge-and-valley morphology of the active layer. The unique polyamide active layer morphology was directly related to the surface roughness, and was found to contribute to particle accumulation in the valleys causing a higher flux decline than in smoother membranes. Extended RO productivity experiments using laboratory grade water and diluted pretreated seawater were conducted to compare the effect that different nanoparticles had on membrane active layers. Membrane flux decline was not affected by particle type when the feed water was laboratory grade water. On the other hand, membrane productivity was affected by particle type when pretreated diluted seawater served as feed water. It was found that CeO2 addition resulted in the least observable flux decline, followed by SiO2 and TiO2. A productivity simulation was conducted by fitting the monitored flux data into a cake growth rate model, where the model was modified using a finite difference method to incorporate surface thickness variation into the analysis. The ratio of cake growth term (k1 and particle back diffusion term (k2 was compared in between different RO and NF membranes. Results indicated that k2 was less significant for surfaces that exhibited a higher roughness. It was concluded that the valley areas of thin-film membrane surfaces have the ability to capture particles, limiting particle back diffusion.

  18. Surface modification of a proton exchange membrane and hydrogen storage in a metal hydride for fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Lisa

    Interest in fuel cell technology is rising as a result of the need for more affordable and available fuel sources. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells involve the catalysis of a fuel to release protons and electrons. It requires the use of a polymer electrolyte membrane to transfer protons through the cell, while the electrons pass through an external circuit, producing electricity. The surface modification of the polymer, NafionRTM, commonly researched as a proton exchange membrane, may improve efficiency of a fuel cell. Surface modification can change the chemistry of the surface of a polymer while maintaining bulk properties. Plasma modification techniques such as microwave discharge of an argon and oxygen gas mixture as well as vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis may cause favorable chemical and physical changes on the surface of Nafion for improved fuel cell function. A possible increase in hydrophilicity as a result of microwave discharge experiments may increase proton conductivity. Grafting of acrylic acid from the surface of modified Nafion may decrease the permeation of methanol in a direct methanol fuel cell, a process which can decrease efficiency. Modification of the surface of Nafion samples were carried out using: 1) An indirect Ar/O2 gas mixture plasma investigating the reaction of oxygen radicals with the surface, 2) A direct Ar/O2 gas mixture plasma investigating the reaction of oxygen radicals and VUV radiation with the surface and, 3) VUV photolysis investigating exclusively the interaction of VUV radiation with the surface and any possible oxidation upon exposure to air. Acrylic acid was grafted from the VUV photolysed Nafion samples. All treated surfaces were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the grafted Nafion samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact angle measurements were used to analyze experiments 2 and 3. Using hydrogen as fuel is a

  19. Surface topography and chemistry shape cellular behavior on wide band-gap semiconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bain, Lauren E; Collazo, Ramon; Hsu, Shu-Han; Latham, Nicole Pfiester; Manfra, Michael J; Ivanisevic, Albena

    2014-06-01

    The chemical stability and electrical properties of gallium nitride make it a promising material for the development of biocompatible electronics, a range of devices including biosensors as well as interfaces for probing and controlling cellular growth and signaling. To improve the interface formed between the probe material and the cell or biosystem, surface topography and chemistry can be applied to modify the ways in which the device interacts with its environment. PC12 cells are cultured on as-grown planar, unidirectionally polished, etched nanoporous and nanowire GaN surfaces with and without a physisorbed peptide sequence that promotes cell adhesion. While cells demonstrate preferential adhesion to roughened surfaces over as-grown flat surfaces, the topography of that roughness also influences the morphology of cellular adhesion and differentiation in neurotypic cells. Addition of the peptide sequence generally contributes further to cellular adhesion and promotes development of stereotypic long, thin neurite outgrowths over alternate morphologies. The dependence of cell behavior on both the topographic morphology and surface chemistry is thus demonstrated, providing further evidence for the importance of surface modification for modulating bio-inorganic interfaces. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Pretreatment-dependent surface chemistry of wood nanocellulose for pH-sensitive hydrogels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinga-Carrasco, Gary; Syverud, Kristin

    2014-09-01

    Nanocellulose from wood is a promising material with potential in various technological areas. Within biomedical applications, nanocellulose has been proposed as a suitable nano-material for wound dressings. This is based on the capability of the material to self-assemble into 3D micro-porous structures, which among others have an excellent capacity of maintaining a moist environment. In addition, the surface chemistry of nanocellulose is suitable for various applications. First, OH-groups are abundant in nanocellulose materials, making the material strongly hydrophilic. Second, the surface chemistry can be modified, introducing aldehyde and carboxyl groups, which have major potential for surface functionalization. In this study, we demonstrate the production of nanocellulose with tailor-made surface chemistry, by pre-treating the raw cellulose fibres with carboxymethylation and periodate oxidation. The pre-treatments yielded a highly nanofibrillated material, with significant amounts of aldehyde and carboxyl groups. Importantly, the poly-anionic surface of the oxidized nanocellulose opens up for novel applications, i.e. micro-porous materials with pH-responsive characteristics. This is due to the swelling capacity of the 3D micro-porous structures, which have ionisable functional groups. In this study, we demonstrated that nanocellulose gels have a significantly higher swelling degree in neutral and alkaline conditions, compared to an acid environment (pH 3). Such a capability can potentially be applied in chronic wounds for controlled and intelligent release of antibacterial components into biofilms. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  1. Engineering of Surface Chemistry for Enhanced Sensitivity in Nanoporous Interferometric Sensing Platforms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Cheryl Suwen; Sylvia, Georgina M; Nemati, Madieh; Yu, Jingxian; Losic, Dusan; Abell, Andrew D; Santos, Abel

    2017-03-15

    We explore new approaches to engineering the surface chemistry of interferometric sensing platforms based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) and reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). Two surface engineering strategies are presented, namely (i) selective chemical functionalization of the inner surface of NAA pores with amine-terminated thiol molecules and (ii) selective chemical functionalization of the top surface of NAA with dithiol molecules. The strong molecular interaction of Au 3+ ions with thiol-containing functional molecules of alkane chain or peptide character provides a model sensing system with which to assess the sensitivity of these NAA platforms by both molecular feature and surface engineering. Changes in the effective optical thickness of the functionalized NAA photonic films (i.e., sensing principle), in response to gold ions, are monitored in real-time by RIfS. 6-Amino-1-hexanethiol (inner surface) and 1,6-hexanedithiol (top surface), the most sensitive functional molecules from approaches i and ii, respectively, were combined into a third sensing strategy whereby the NAA platforms are functionalized on both the top and inner surfaces concurrently. Engineering of the surface according to this approach resulted in an additive enhancement in sensitivity of up to 5-fold compared to previously reported systems. This study advances the rational engineering of surface chemistry for interferometric sensing on nanoporous platforms with potential applications for real-time monitoring of multiple analytes in dynamic environments.

  2. ULTRAFILTRATION AS PRETREATMENT OF REVERSE OSMOSIS: LOW FOULING ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANE PREPARED FROM POLYETHERSULFONE–AMPHIPHILIC BLOCK COPOLYMER BLEND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heru Susanto

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper demonstrates the preparation of polyethersulfone (PES ultrafiltration (UF membranes via wet phase inversion method using either poly(ethylene oxide-b-poly(propylene oxide-b- poly(ethylene oxide (Pluronic®, Plu or polyethylene glycol (PEG as hydrophilic modifier. Their effects on membrane structure as well as the resulting membrane performance and their stability in membrane polymer matrix were systematically investigated. The investigated membrane characteristics include surface hydrophilicity (by contact angle, surface chemistry (by FTIR spectroscopy and water flux measurement. Visualization of membrane surface and cross section morphology was also done by scanning electron microscopy. The membrane performance was examined by investigation of adsorptive fouling and ultrafiltration using solution of bovine serum albumin as the model system. The stability of additive was examined by incubating the membrane in water (40oC for up to 10 days. The results show that modification effects on membrane characteristic and low fouling behavior were clearly observed. Further, amphiphilic Pluronic generally showed better performance than PEG.   

  3. In Situ Studies of the Temperature-Dependent Surface Structure and Chemistry of Single-Crystalline (001)-Oriented La 0.8 Sr 0.2 CoO 3−δ Perovskite Thin Films

    KAUST Repository

    Feng, Zhenxing; Crumlin, Ethan J.; Hong, Wesley T.; Lee, Dongkyu; Mutoro, Eva; Biegalski, Michael D.; Zhou, Hua; Bluhm, Hendrik; Christen, Hans M.; Shao-Horn, Yang

    2013-01-01

    Perovskites are used to promote the kinetics of oxygen electrocatalysis in solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen permeation membranes. Little is known about the surface structure and chemistry of perovskites at high temperatures and partial oxygen pressures. Combining in situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), we report, for the first time, the evolution of the surface structure and chemistry of (001)-oriented perovskite La0.8Sr0.2CoO 3-δ (LSC113) and (La0.5Sr 0.5)2CoO4+δ (LSC214)-decorated LSC113 (LSC113/214) thin films as a function of temperature. Heating the (001)-oriented LSC113 surface leads to the formation of surface LSC214-like particles, which is further confirmed by ex situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). In contrast, the LSC113/214 surface, with activities much higher than that of LSC 113, is stable upon heating. Combined in situ XRR and APXPS measurements support that Sr enrichment may occur at the LSC113 and LSC214 interface, which can be responsible for its markedly enhanced activities. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  4. In Situ Studies of the Temperature-Dependent Surface Structure and Chemistry of Single-Crystalline (001)-Oriented La 0.8 Sr 0.2 CoO 3−δ Perovskite Thin Films

    KAUST Repository

    Feng, Zhenxing

    2013-05-02

    Perovskites are used to promote the kinetics of oxygen electrocatalysis in solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen permeation membranes. Little is known about the surface structure and chemistry of perovskites at high temperatures and partial oxygen pressures. Combining in situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), we report, for the first time, the evolution of the surface structure and chemistry of (001)-oriented perovskite La0.8Sr0.2CoO 3-δ (LSC113) and (La0.5Sr 0.5)2CoO4+δ (LSC214)-decorated LSC113 (LSC113/214) thin films as a function of temperature. Heating the (001)-oriented LSC113 surface leads to the formation of surface LSC214-like particles, which is further confirmed by ex situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). In contrast, the LSC113/214 surface, with activities much higher than that of LSC 113, is stable upon heating. Combined in situ XRR and APXPS measurements support that Sr enrichment may occur at the LSC113 and LSC214 interface, which can be responsible for its markedly enhanced activities. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  5. Surface chemistry of Ti6Al4V components fabricated using selective laser melting for biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaithilingam, Jayasheelan; Prina, Elisabetta; Goodridge, Ruth D; Hague, Richard J M; Edmondson, Steve; Rose, Felicity R A J; Christie, Steven D R

    2016-10-01

    Selective laser melting (SLM) has previously been shown to be a viable method for fabricating biomedical implants; however, the surface chemistry of SLM fabricated parts is poorly understood. In this study, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the surface chemistries of (a) SLM as-fabricated (SLM-AF) Ti6Al4V and (b) SLM fabricated and mechanically polished (SLM-MP) Ti6Al4V samples and compared with (c) traditionally manufactured (forged) and mechanically polished Ti6Al4V samples. The SLM-AF surface was observed to be porous with an average surface roughness (Ra) of 17.6±3.7μm. The surface chemistry of the SLM-AF was significantly different to the FGD-MP surface with respect to elemental distribution and their existence on the outermost surface. Sintered particles on the SLM-AF surface were observed to affect depth profiling of the sample due to a shadowing effect during argon ion sputtering. Surface heterogeneity was observed for all three surfaces; however, vanadium was witnessed only on the mechanically polished (SLM-MP and FGD-MP) surfaces. The direct and indirect 3T3 cell cytotoxicity studies revealed that the cells were viable on the SLM fabricated Ti6Al4V parts. The varied surface chemistry of the SLM-AF and SLM-MP did not influence the cell behaviour. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Enzymatic Treatments to Improve Mechanical Properties and Surface Hydrophobicity of Jute Fiber Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aixue Dong

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Fiber membranes prepared from jute fragments can be valuable, low cost, and renewable. They have broad application prospects in packing bags, geotextiles, filters, and composite reinforcements. Traditionally, chemical adhesives have been used to improve the properties of jute fiber membranes. A series of new laccase, laccase/mediator systems, and multi-enzyme synergisms were attempted. After the laccase treatment of jute fragments, the mechanical properties and surface hydrophobicity of the produced fiber membranes increased because of the cross-coupling of lignins with ether bonds mediated by laccase. The optimum conditions were a buffer pH of 4.5 and an incubation temperature of 60 °C with 0.92 U/mL laccase for 3 h. Laccase/guaiacol and laccase/alkali lignin treatments resulted in remarkable increases in the mechanical properties; in contrast, the laccase/2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylthiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS and laccase/2,6-dimethoxyphenol treatments led to a decrease. The laccase/ guaiacol system was favorable to the surface hydrophobicity of jute fiber membranes. However, the laccase/alkali lignin system had the opposite effect. Xylanase/laccase and cellulase/laccase combined treatments were able to enhance both the mechanical properties and the surface hydrophobicity of jute fiber membranes. Among these, cellulase/laccase treatment performed better; compared to mechanical properties, the surface hydrophobicity of the jute fiber membranes showed only a slight increase after the enzymatic multi-step processes.

  7. Roles of surface chemistry on safety and electrochemistry in lithium ion batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyu Tae; Jeong, Sookyung; Cho, Jaephil

    2013-05-21

    Motivated by new applications including electric vehicles and the smart grid, interest in advanced lithium ion batteries has increased significantly over the past decade. Therefore, research in this field has intensified to produce safer devices with better electrochemical performance. Most research has focused on the development of new electrode materials through the optimization of bulk properties such as crystal structure, ionic diffusivity, and electric conductivity. More recently, researchers have also considered the surface properties of electrodes as critical factors for optimizing performance. In particular, the electrolyte decomposition at the electrode surface relates to both a lithium ion battery's electrochemical performance and safety. In this Account, we give an overview of the major developments in the area of surface chemistry for lithium ion batteries. These ideas will provide the basis for the design of advanced electrode materials. Initially, we present a brief background to lithium ion batteries such as major chemical components and reactions that occur in lithium ion batteries. Then, we highlight the role of surface chemistry in the safety of lithium ion batteries. We examine the thermal stability of cathode materials: For example, we discuss the oxygen generation from cathode materials and describe how cells can swell and heat up in response to specific conditions. We also demonstrate how coating the surfaces of electrodes can improve safety. The surface chemistry can also affect the electrochemistry of lithium ion batteries. The surface coating strategy improved the energy density and cycle performance for layered LiCoO2, xLi2MnO3·(1 - x)LiMO2 (M = Mn, Ni, Co, and their combinations), and LiMn2O4 spinel materials, and we describe a working mechanism for these enhancements. Although coating the surfaces of cathodes with inorganic materials such as metal oxides and phosphates improves the electrochemical performance and safety properties of

  8. The Chemistry of Inorganic Precursors during the Chemical Deposition of Films on Solid Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Seán T; Teplyakov, Andrew V; Zaera, Francisco

    2018-03-20

    The deposition of thin solid films is central to many industrial applications, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods are particularly useful for this task. For one, the isotropic nature of the adsorption of chemical species affords even coverages on surfaces with rough topographies, an increasingly common requirement in microelectronics. Furthermore, by splitting the overall film-depositing reactions into two or more complementary and self-limiting steps, as it is done in atomic layer depositions (ALD), film thicknesses can be controlled down to the sub-monolayer level. Thanks to the availability of a vast array of inorganic and metalorganic precursors, CVD and ALD are quite versatile and can be engineered to deposit virtually any type of solid material. On the negative side, the surface chemistry that takes place in these processes is often complex, and can include undesirable side reactions leading to the incorporation of impurities in the growing films. Appropriate precursors and deposition conditions need to be chosen to minimize these problems, and that requires a proper understanding of the underlying surface chemistry. The precursors for CVD and ALD are often designed and chosen based on their known thermal chemistry from inorganic chemistry studies, taking advantage of the vast knowledge developed in that field over the years. Although a good first approximation, however, this approach can lead to wrong choices, because the reactions of these precursors at gas-solid interfaces can be quite different from what is seen in solution. For one, solvents often aid in the displacement of ligands in metalorganic compounds, providing the right dielectric environment, temporarily coordinating to the metal, or facilitating multiple ligand-complex interactions to increase reaction probabilities; these options are not available in the gas-solid reactions associated with CVD and ALD. Moreover, solid surfaces act as unique "ligands", if these reactions are to be

  9. Laboratory Activity Worksheet to Train High Order Thinking Skill of Student on Surface Chemistry Lecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yonata, B.; Nasrudin, H.

    2018-01-01

    A worksheet has to be a set with activity which is help students to arrange their own experiments. For this reason, this research is focused on how to train students’ higher order thinking skills in laboratory activity by developing laboratory activity worksheet on surface chemistry lecture. To ensure that the laboratory activity worksheet already contains aspects of the higher order thinking skill, it requires theoretical and empirical validation. From the data analysis results, it shows that the developed worksheet worth to use. The worksheet is worthy of theoretical and empirical feasibility. This conclusion is based on the findings: 1) Assessment from the validators about the theoretical feasibility aspects in the category is very feasible with an assessment range of 95.24% to 97.92%. 2) students’ higher thinking skill from N Gain values ranges from 0.50 (enough) to 1.00 (high) so it can be concluded that the laboratory activity worksheet on surface chemistry lecture is empirical in terms of worth. The empirical feasibility is supported by the responses of the students in very reasonable categories. It is expected that the laboratory activity worksheet on surface chemistry lecture can train students’ high order thinking skills for students who program surface chemistry lecture.

  10. SEM observations of particle track membrane surfaces modificated using plasma treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sartowska, B.; Buczkowski, M.; Starosta, W.

    2003-01-01

    This work presents results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of 0.4 μm membranes after plasma treatment with different parameters. The morphology changes at the surfaces and at the pore walls were observed. The character of changes in the membrane parameters according to the process conditions was determined

  11. Surface modification of polyamide thin film composite membrane by coating of titanium dioxide nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thu Hong Anh Ngo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the coating of TiO2 nanoparticles onto the surface of a polyamide thin film composite nanofiltration membrane has been studied. Changes in the properties and separation performance of the modified membranes were systematically characterized. The experimental results indicated that the membrane surface hydrophilicity was significantly improved by the presence of the coated TiO2 nanoparticles with subsequent UV irradiation. The separation performance of the UV-irradiated TiO2-coated membranes was improved with a great enhancement of flux and a very high retention for removal of residual dye in an aqueous feed solution. The antifouling property of the UV-irradiated TiO2-coated membranes was enhanced with higher maintained flux ratios and lower irreversible fouling factors compared with an uncoated membrane.

  12. Apparatus for plasma surface treating and preparation of membrane layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1990-01-01

    An apparatus suitable for plasma surface treating (e.g., forming a membrane layer on a substrate surface) comprises a plasma generation section which is operable at least at substantially atmospheric pressure and is in communication via at least one plasma inlet (e.g., a nozzle) with an enclosed

  13. Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Engtrakul, Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L.; Jang, Gyoung G.

    2016-10-20

    The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach used high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over one-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed as a result of a surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations, suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.

  14. Selective Removal of Butanol from Aqueous Solution by Pervaporation with a PIM-1 Membrane and Membrane Aging

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Žák, Michal; Klepić, M.; Červenková Šťastná, Lucie; Sedláková, Zuzana; Vychodilová, Hana; Hovorka, Š.; Friess, K.; Randová, A.; Brožová, Libuše; Jansen, J. C.; Khdhayyer, M.R.; Budd, P.M.; Izák, Pavel

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 151, SEP 4 (2015), s. 108-114 ISSN 1383-5866 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP106/12/0569 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 ; RVO:61389013 Keywords : PIM membrane * aging of polymer membrane * pervaporation Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering; CD - Macromolecular Chemistry (UMCH-V) Impact factor: 3.299, year: 2015

  15. Nanoporous, Metal Carbide, Surface Diffusion Membranes for High Temperature Hydrogen Separations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Way, J. Douglas [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Wolden, Colin A. [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

    2013-09-30

    Colorado School of Mines (CSM) developed high temperature, hydrogen permeable membranes that contain no platinum group metals with the goal of separating hydrogen from gas mixtures representative of gasification of carbon feedstocks such as coal or biomass in order to meet DOE NETL 2015 hydrogen membrane performance targets. We employed a dual synthesis strategy centered on transition metal carbides. In the first approach, novel, high temperature, surface diffusion membranes based on nanoporous Mo2C were fabricated on ceramic supports. These were produced in a two step process that consisted of molybdenum oxide deposition followed by thermal carburization. Our best Mo2C surface diffusion membrane achieved a pure hydrogen flux of 367 SCFH/ft2 at a feed pressure of only 20 psig. The highest H2/N2 selectivity obtained with this approach was 4.9. A transport model using “dusty gas” theory was derived to describe the hydrogen transport in the Mo2C coated, surface diffusion membranes. The second class of membranes developed were dense metal foils of BCC metals such as vanadium coated with thin (< 60 nm) Mo2C catalyst layers. We have fabricated a Mo2C/V composite membrane that in pure gas testing delivered a H2 flux of 238 SCFH/ft2 at 600 °C and 100 psig, with no detectable He permeance. This exceeds the 2010 DOE Target flux. This flux is 2.8 times that of pure Pd at the same membrane thickness and test conditions and over 79% of the 2015 flux target. In mixed gas testing we achieved a permeate purity of ≥99.99%, satisfying the permeate purity milestone, but the hydrogen permeance was low, ~0.2 SCFH/ft2.psi. However, during testing of a Mo2C coated Pd alloy membrane with DOE 1 feed gas mixture a hydrogen permeance of >2 SCFH/ft2.psi was obtained which was stable during the entire test, meeting the permeance associated with

  16. Improved antifouling properties of polymer membranes using a ‘layer-by-layer’ mediated method

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Lin

    2013-01-01

    Polymeric reverse osmosis membranes were modified with antifouling polymer brushes through a \\'layer by layer\\' (LBL) mediated method. Based on pure physical electrostatic interaction, the attachment of LBL films did not alter separation performance of the membranes. In addition, the incorporation of an LBL film also helped to amplify the number of potential reaction sites on the membrane surfaces for attachment of antifouling polymer brushes, which were then attached to the surface. Attachment of the brushes included two different approaches, grafting to and grafting from. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements showed successful growth of the LBL films and subsequently the polymer brushes. Using this method to modify reverse osmosis membranes, preliminary performance testing showed the antifouling properties of the as-modified membranes were much better than the virgin membrane with no significant loss in water flux and salt rejection. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  17. Diffusion of Integral Membrane Proteins in Protein-Rich Membranes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Javanainen, M.; Martinez-Seara, Hector; Metzler, R.; Vattulainen, I.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 8, č. 17 (2017), s. 4308-4313 ISSN 1948-7185 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : giant unilamellar vesicles * single-molecule tracking * lipid bilayer membranes Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 9.353, year: 2016

  18. Membranes from nanoporous 1D and 2D materials: A review of opportunities, developments, and challenges

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Wun-gwi

    2013-12-01

    Membranes utilizing nanoporous one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) materials are emerging as attractive candidates for applications in molecular separations and related areas. Such nanotubular and nanolayered materials include carbon nanotubes, metal oxide nanotubes, layered zeolites, porous layered oxides, layered aluminophosphates, and porous graphenes. By virtue of their unique shape, size, and structure, they possess transport properties that are advantageous for membrane and thin film applications. These materials also have very different chemistry from more conventional porous 3D materials, due to the existence of a large, chemically active, external surface area. This feature also necessitates the development of innovative strategies to process these materials into membranes and thin films with high performance. This work provides the first comprehensive review of this emerging area. We first discuss approaches for the synthesis and structural characterization of nanoporous 1D and 2D materials. Thereafter, we elucidate different approaches for fabrication of membranes and thin films from these materials, either as multiphase (composite/hybrid) or single-phase membranes. The influence of surface chemistry and processing techniques on the membrane morphology is highlighted. We then discuss the applications of such membranes in areas relating to molecular transport and separation, e.g. gas and liquid-phase separations, water purification, and ion-conducting membranes. The review concludes with a discussion of the present outlook and some of the key scientific challenges to be addressed on the path to industrially applicable membranes containing nanoporous 1D and 2D materials. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Synthesis and Modification of Nanoparticles for Surface Nanostructuration of Polymeric Membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Prada, Iran David Charry

    2012-05-01

    The objectives of this work are (i) to prepare silver and TiO2 nanoparticles functionalized with polymers or alkoxysilanes as capping agents with specific control of morphology, size, and chemical reactivity and (ii) their attachment to the surface and pore wall of ultrafiltration membranes. These particles are interesting due to their known antibacterial, anti-biofouling efficiency, besides the photocatytic activity exhibited by TiO2. The first chapter focuses on the synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles. Their performance depends on the shape, size and other colloidal characteristics. A complete analysis of the effect of the stabilizer and pH conditions on particle size and shape was conducted by using polyethyleneimine and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Opposite trends and different morphologies were observed for both stabilizers. The second chapter describes the surface attachment of TiO2 nanoparticles onto polyetherimide ultrafiltration membrane with pore size around 134nm by using organoalkylsilanes. Excellent hydrophilicity (contact angle 39  2) and high and thermal stability (260oC) was achieved. Particles and membranes samples were characterized by microscopy, chemical and surface analysis.

  20. Investigations of nitrogen oxide plasmas: Fundamental chemistry and surface reactivity and monitoring student perceptions in a general chemistry recitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blechle, Joshua M.

    Part I of this dissertation focuses on investigations of nitrogen oxide plasma systems. With increasing concerns over the environmental presence of NxOy species, there is growing interest in utilizing plasma-assisted conversion techniques. Advances, however, have been limited because of the lack of knowledge regarding the fundamental chemistry of these plasma systems. Understanding the kinetics and thermodynamics of processes in these systems is vital to realizing their potential in a range of applications. Unraveling the complex chemical nature of these systems, however, presents numerous challenges. As such, this work serves as a foundational step in the diagnostics and assessment of these NxOy plasmas. The partitioning of energy within the plasma system is essential to unraveling these complications as it provides insight into both gas and surface reactivity. To obtain this information, techniques such as optical emission spectroscopy (OES), broadband absorption spectroscopy (BAS), and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) were utilized to determine species energetics (vibrational, rotational, translational temperatures). These temperature data provide mechanistic insight and establish the relationships between system parameters and energetic outcomes. Additionally, these data are also correlated to surface reactivity data collected with the Imaging of Radicals Interacting with Surfaces (IRIS) technique. IRIS data demonstrate the relationship between internal temperatures of radicals and their observed surface scatter coefficients (S), the latter of which is directly related to surface reactivity (R) [R = 1-S]. Furthermore, time-resolved (TR) spectroscopic techniques, specifically TR-OES, revealed kinetic trends in NO and N2 formation from a range of precursors (NO, N2O, N2/O2). By examining the rate constants associated with the generation and destruction of various plasma species we can investigate possible mechanistic implications. All told, such data provides

  1. Industrial applications of membrane processes in chemistry and energy generation; Applications industrielles des procedes membranaires en chimie et production d'energie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The French membranes club (CFM), with the sustain of the French institute of petroleum (IFP) has organized this meeting which aims to present the most recent industrial realizations in the domain of membrane processes in the chemistry and energy generation sectors. This document gathers the abstracts of the presentations: 1 - hydrogen purification and CO{sub 2} extraction: development of polymer matrix and metal nano-particulate hybrid membranes for selective membrane applications; study of silicone-based mixed matrix membranes for hydrogen purification via inverse selectivity principle; CO{sub 2} capture from gaseous effluents for its sequestration: role and limitations of membrane processes; membranes and processes for the abatement of the acid gas content of smokes; new structural model for Nafion{sup R} membranes, the benchmark polymer for low temperature fuel cells; 2 - molecular screen-based membranes: MFI-alumina nano-composite ceramic membranes: preparation and characterization, gaseous transport and separation; characterization and permeation properties of supported MFI membranes; in-situ measurement of butane isomers diffusion in MFI zeolite membranes through transient permeation tests; 3 - vapors separation: stability of silver particulates in PA12-PTMO/AgBF{sub 4} composite membranes and its effect on the easier ethylene transport inside these membranes; 4 - separation of liquid organic mixtures: isomers separation using cyclo-dextrins bearing membranes: application to the extraction and separation of xylene isomers; electrodialysis in organic environment: application to the electro-synthesis; study of polymer materials permeability; 5 - treatment of industrial waters: use of NanoFlux software in the modeling of nano-filtration membrane processes in the chemical industry: elimination of sulfate impurities from 'Chloralkali' brines; ultra-filtration of a wastewater containing partially emulsified oil; efficiency of a hybrid membrane separation

  2. Surface and protein analyses of normal human cell attachment on PIII-modified chitosan membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saranwong, N.; Inthanon, K.; Wongkham, W.; Wanichapichart, P.; Suwannakachorn, D.; Yu, L.D.

    2012-01-01

    Surface of chitosan membrane was modified with argon (Ar) and nitrogen (N) plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) for human skin fibroblasts F1544 cell attachment. The modified surfaces were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cell attachment patterns were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). The results showed that Ar PIII had an enhancement effect on the cell attachment while N-PIII had an inhibition effect. Filopodial analysis revealed more microfilament cytoplasmic spreading on the edge of cells attached on the Ar-treated membranes than N-treated membranes. Higher level FAK was found in Ar-treated membranes than that in N-treated membranes.

  3. Surface oxygen vacancy and oxygen permeation flux limits of perovskite ion transport membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Hunt, Anton

    2015-09-01

    © 2015 Elsevier B.V. The mechanisms and quantitative models for how oxygen is separated from air using ion transport membranes (ITMs) are not well understood, largely due to the experimental complexity for determining surface exchange reactions at extreme temperatures (>800°C). This is especially true when fuels are present at the permeate surface. For both inert and reactive (fuels) operations, solid-state oxygen surface vacancies (δ) are ultimately responsible for driving the oxygen flux, JO2. In the inert case, the value of δ at either surface is a function of the local PO2 and temperature, whilst the magnitude of δ dictates both the JO2 and the inherent stability of the material. In this study values of δ are presented based on experimental measurements under inert (CO2) sweep: using a permeation flux model and local PO2 measurements, collected by means of a local gas-sampling probe in our large-scale reactor, we can determine δ directly. The ITM assessed was La0.9Ca0.1FeO3-δ (LCF); the relative resistances to JO2 were quantified using the pre-defined permeation flux model and local PO2 values. Across a temperature range from 825°C to 1056°C, δ was found to vary from 0.007 to 0.029 (<1%), safely within material stability limits, whilst the permeate surface exchange resistance dominates. An inert JO2 limit was identified owing to a maximum sweep surface δ, δmaxinert. The physical presence of δmaxinert is attributed to a rate limiting step shift from desorption to associative electron transfer steps on the sweep surface as PO2 is reduced. Permeate surface exchange limitations under non-reactive conditions suggest that reactive (fuel) operation is necessary to accelerate surface chemistry for future work, to reduce flux resistance and push δpast δmaxinert in a stable manner.

  4. Enhancing performance and surface antifouling properties of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes with salicylate-alumoxane nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtari, Samaneh; Rahimpour, Ahmad; Shamsabadi, Ahmad Arabi; Habibzadeh, Setareh; Soroush, Masoud

    2017-01-01

    To improve the hydrophilicity and antifouling properties of polysulfone (PS) ultrafiltration membranes, we studied the use of salicylate-alumoxane (SA) nanoparticles as a novel hydrophilic additive. The effects of SA nanoparticles on the membrane characteristics and performance were investigated in terms of membrane structure, permeation flux, solute rejection, hydrophilicity, and antifouling ability. The new mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) possess asymmetric structures. They have smaller finger-like pores and smoother surfaces than the neat PS membranes. The embedment of SA nanoparticles in the polymer matrix and the improvement of surface hydrophilicity were investigated. Ultrafiltration experiments indicated that the pure-water flux of the new MMMs initially increases with SA nanoparticles loading followed by a decrease at high loadings. Higher BSA solution flux was achieved for the MMMs compared to the neat PS membranes. Membranes with 1 wt.% SA nanoparticles exhibit the highest flux recovery ratio of 87% and the lowest irreversible fouling of 13%.

  5. Relating surface chemistry and oxygen surface exchange in LnBaCo2O(5+δ) air electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Téllez, Helena; Druce, John; Kilner, John A; Ishihara, Tatsumi

    2015-01-01

    The surface and near-surface chemical composition of electroceramic materials often shows significant deviations from that of the bulk. In particular, layered materials, such as cation-ordered LnBaCo2O(5+δ) perovskites (Ln = lanthanide), undergo surface and sub-surface restructuring due to the segregation of the divalent alkaline-earth cation. These processes can take place during synthesis and processing steps (e.g. deposition, sintering or annealing), as well as at temperatures relevant for the operation of these materials as air electrodes in solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers. Furthermore, the surface segregation in these double perovskites shows fast kinetics, starting at temperatures as low as 400 °C over short periods of time and leading to a decrease in the transition metal surface coverage exposed to the gas phase. In this work, we use a combination of stable isotope tracer labeling and surface-sensitive ion beam techniques to study the oxygen transport properties and their relationship with the surface chemistry in ordered LnBaCo2O(5+δ) perovskites. Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) combined with (18)O isotope exchange was used to determine the oxygen tracer diffusion (D*) and surface exchange (k*) coefficients. Furthermore, Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS) was used for the analysis of the surface and near surface chemistry as it provides information from the first mono-atomic layer of the materials. In this way, we could relate the compositional modifications (e.g. cation segregation) taking place at the electrochemically-active surface during the exchange at high temperatures and the oxygen transport properties in double perovskite electrode materials to further our understanding of the mechanism of the surface exchange process.

  6. The coupling effect of gas-phase chemistry and surface reactions on oxygen permeation and fuel conversion in ITM reactors

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jongsup; Kirchen, Patrick; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.

    2015-01-01

    © 2015 Elsevier B.V. The effect of the coupling between heterogeneous catalytic reactions supported by an ion transport membrane (ITM) and gas-phase chemistry on fuel conversion and oxygen permeation in ITM reactors is examined. In ITM reactors

  7. Dust evolution, a global view: III. Core/mantle grains, organic nano-globules, comets and surface chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Within the framework of The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model for Interstellar Solids (THEMIS), this work explores the surface processes and chemistry relating to core/mantle interstellar and cometary grain structures and their influence on the nature of these fascinating particles. It appears that a realistic consideration of the nature and chemical reactivity of interstellar grain surfaces could self-consistently and within a coherent framework explain: the anomalous oxygen depletion, the nature of the CO dark gas, the formation of ‘polar ice’ mantles, the red wing on the 3 μm water ice band, the basis for the O-rich chemistry observed in hot cores, the origin of organic nano-globules and the 3.2 μm ‘carbonyl’ absorption band observed in comet reflectance spectra. It is proposed that the reaction of gas phase species with carbonaceous a-C(:H) grain surfaces in the interstellar medium, in particular the incorporation of atomic oxygen into grain surfaces in epoxide functional groups, is the key to explaining these observations. Thus, the chemistry of cosmic dust is much more intimately related with that of the interstellar gas than has previously been considered. The current models for interstellar gas and dust chemistry will therefore most likely need to be fundamentally modified to include these new grain surface processes. PMID:28083090

  8. Effect of Surface Chemistry on the Fluorescence of Detonation Nanodiamonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reineck, Philipp; Lau, Desmond W M; Wilson, Emma R; Fox, Kate; Field, Matthew R; Deeleepojananan, Cholaphan; Mochalin, Vadym N; Gibson, Brant C

    2017-11-28

    Detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) have unique physical and chemical properties that make them invaluable in many applications. However, DNDs are generally assumed to show weak fluorescence, if any, unless chemically modified with organic molecules. We demonstrate that detonation nanodiamonds exhibit significant and excitation-wavelength-dependent fluorescence from the visible to the near-infrared spectral region above 800 nm, even without the engraftment of organic molecules to their surfaces. We show that this fluorescence depends on the surface functionality of the DND particles. The investigated functionalized DNDs, produced from the same purified DND as well as the as-received polyfunctional starting material, are hydrogen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, ethylenediamine, and octadecylamine-terminated. All DNDs are investigated in solution and on a silicon wafer substrate and compared to fluorescent high-pressure high-temperature nanodiamonds. The brightest fluorescence is observed from octadecylamine-functionalized particles and is more than 100 times brighter than the least fluorescent particles, carboxylated DNDs. The majority of photons emitted by all particle types likely originates from non-diamond carbon. However, we locally find bright and photostable fluorescence from nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond in hydrogenated, hydroxylated, and carboxylated detonation nanodiamonds. Our results contribute to understanding the effects of surface chemistry on the fluorescence of DNDs and enable the exploration of the fluorescent properties of DNDs for applications in theranostics as nontoxic fluorescent labels, sensors, nanoscale tracers, and many others where chemically stable and brightly fluorescent nanoparticles with tailorable surface chemistry are needed.

  9. Ethers on Si(001): A prime example for the common ground between surface science and molecular organic chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Pecher, Lisa

    2017-09-15

    Using computational chemistry, we show that the adsorption of ether molecules on Si(001) under ultra-high vacuum conditions can be understood with textbook organic chemistry. The two-step reaction mechanism of (1) dative bond formation between the ether oxygen and a Lewis acidic surface atom and (2) a nucleophilic attack of a nearby Lewis basic surface atom is analysed in detail and found to mirror the acid-catalysed ether cleavage in solution. The O-Si dative bond is found to be the strongest of its kind and reactivity from this state defies the Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle. Electron rearrangement during the C-O bond cleavage is visualized using a newly developed bonding analysis method, which shows that the mechanism of nucleophilic substitutions on semiconductor surfaces is identical to molecular chemistry SN2 reactions. Our findings thus illustrate how the fields of surface science and molecular chemistry can mutually benefit and unexpected insight can be gained.

  10. Ethers on Si(001): A prime example for the common ground between surface science and molecular organic chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Pecher, Lisa; Laref, Slimane; Raupach, Marc; Tonner, Ralf Ewald

    2017-01-01

    Using computational chemistry, we show that the adsorption of ether molecules on Si(001) under ultra-high vacuum conditions can be understood with textbook organic chemistry. The two-step reaction mechanism of (1) dative bond formation between the ether oxygen and a Lewis acidic surface atom and (2) a nucleophilic attack of a nearby Lewis basic surface atom is analysed in detail and found to mirror the acid-catalysed ether cleavage in solution. The O-Si dative bond is found to be the strongest of its kind and reactivity from this state defies the Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle. Electron rearrangement during the C-O bond cleavage is visualized using a newly developed bonding analysis method, which shows that the mechanism of nucleophilic substitutions on semiconductor surfaces is identical to molecular chemistry SN2 reactions. Our findings thus illustrate how the fields of surface science and molecular chemistry can mutually benefit and unexpected insight can be gained.

  11. Fundamental and Applied Studies of Polymer Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imbrogno, Joseph

    Four major areas have been studied in this research: 1) synthesizing novel monomers, e.g. chiral monomers, to produce new types of functionalized membranes for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, 2) hydrophobic brush membranes for desalinating brackish water, sea water, and separating organics, 3) fundamental studies of water interactions at surfaces using sum frequency generation (SFG), and 4) discovering new surface chemistries that will control the growth and differentiation of stem cells. We have developed a novel synthesis method in order to increase the breadth of our high throughput screening library. This library was generated using maleimide chemistry to react a common methacrylate linker with a variety of different functions groups (R groups) in order to form new monomers that were grafted from the surface of PES ultrafiltration membranes. From this work, we discovered that the chirality of a membrane can affect performance when separating chiral feed streams. This effect was observed when filtering bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovalbumin in a high salt phosphate buffered saline (PBS, 150 mM salt). The Phe grafted membranes showed a large difference in performance when filtering BSA with selectivity of 1.13 and 1.00 for (S) and (R) Phe, respectively. However, when filtering ovalbumin, the (S) and (R) modified surfaces showed selectivity of 2.06 and 2.31, respectively. The higher selectivity enantiomer switched for the two different proteins. Permeability when filtering BSA was 3.06 LMH kPa-1 and 4.31 LMH kPa -1 for (S)- and (R)- Phe, respectively, and 2.65 LMH kPa -1 and 2.10 LMH kPa-1 when filtering ovalbumin for (S)- and (R)- Phe, respectively. Additionally, these effects were no longer present when using a low salt phosphate buffer (PB, 10 mM salt). Since, to our knowledge, membrane chirality is not considered in current industrial systems, this discovery could have a large impact on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. We

  12. Control of biofouling on reverse osmosis polyamide membranes modified with biocidal nanoparticles and antifouling polymer brushes

    KAUST Repository

    Rahaman, Md. Saifur

    2014-01-01

    Thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are prone to biofouling due to their inherent physicochemical surface properties. In order to address the biofouling problem, we have developed novel surface coatings functionalized with biocidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and antifouling polymer brushes via polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly. The novel surface coating was prepared with polyelectrolyte LBL films containing poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(ethylene imine) (PEI), with the latter being either pure PEI or silver nanoparticles coated with PEI (Ag-PEI). The coatings were further functionalized by grafting of polymer brushes, using either hydrophilic poly(sulfobetaine) or low surface energy poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). The presence of both LBL films and sulfobetaine polymer brushes at the interface significantly increased the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface, while PDMS brushes lowered the membrane surface energy. Overall, all surface modifications resulted in significant reduction of irreversible bacterial cell adhesion. In microbial adhesion tests with E. coli bacteria, a normalized cell adhesion in the range of only 4 to 16% on the modified membrane surfaces was observed. Modified surfaces containing silver nanoparticles also exhibited strong antimicrobial activity. Membranes coated with LBL films of PAA/Ag-PEI achieved over 95% inactivation of bacteria attached to the surface within 1 hour of contact time. Both the antifouling and antimicrobial results suggest the potential of using these novel surface coatings in controlling the fouling of RO membranes. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2014.

  13. Surface characterization of hemodialysis membranes based on streaming potential measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, C; Jacobasch, H J; Reichelt, G

    1995-01-01

    Hemodialysis membranes made from cellulose (CUPROPHAN, HEMOPHAN) and sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) were characterized using the streaming potential technique to determine the zeta potential at their interfaces against well-defined aqueous solutions of varied pH and potassium chloride concentrations. Streaming potential measurements enable distinction between different membrane materials. In addition to parameters of the electrochemical double layer at membrane interfaces, thermodynamic characteristics of adsorption of different solved species were evaluated. For that aim a description of double layer formation as suggested by Börner and Jacobasch (in: Electrokinetic Phenomena, p. 231. Institut für Technologie der Polymere, Dresden (1989)) was applied which is based on the generally accepted model of the electrochemical double layer according to Stern (Z. Elektrochemie 30, 508 (1924)) and Grahame (Chem. Rev. 41, 441 (1947)). The membranes investigated show different surface acidic/basic and polar/nonpolar behavior. Furthermore, alterations of membrane interfaces through adsorption processes of components of biologically relevant solutions were shown to be detectable by streaming potential measurements.

  14. Superhydrophilic Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membranes for Organic Fouling Control: Fouling Behavior and Antifouling Mechanisms

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto

    2012-10-16

    This study investigates the fouling behavior and fouling resistance of superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles. Fouling experiments in both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis modes are performed with three model organic foulants: alginate, bovine serum albumin, and Suwannee river natural organic matter. A solution comprising monovalent and divalent salts is employed to simulate the solution chemistry of typical wastewater effluents. Reduced fouling is consistently observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to control thin-film composite polyamide membranes, in both reverse and forward osmosis modes. The fouling resistance and cleaning efficiency of the functionalized membranes is particularly outstanding in forward osmosis mode where the driving force for water flux is an osmotic pressure difference. To understand the mechanism of fouling, the intermolecular interactions between the foulants and the membrane surface are analyzed by direct force measurement using atomic force microscopy. Lower adhesion forces are observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to the control thin-film composite polyamide membranes. The magnitude and distribution of adhesion forces for the different membrane surfaces suggest that the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membranes originate from the barrier provided by the tightly bound hydration layer at their surface, as well as from the neutralization of the native carboxyl groups of thin-film composite polyamide membranes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  15. Superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes for organic fouling control: fouling behavior and antifouling mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiraferri, Alberto; Kang, Yan; Giannelis, Emmanuel P; Elimelech, Menachem

    2012-10-16

    This study investigates the fouling behavior and fouling resistance of superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles. Fouling experiments in both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis modes are performed with three model organic foulants: alginate, bovine serum albumin, and Suwannee river natural organic matter. A solution comprising monovalent and divalent salts is employed to simulate the solution chemistry of typical wastewater effluents. Reduced fouling is consistently observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to control thin-film composite polyamide membranes, in both reverse and forward osmosis modes. The fouling resistance and cleaning efficiency of the functionalized membranes is particularly outstanding in forward osmosis mode where the driving force for water flux is an osmotic pressure difference. To understand the mechanism of fouling, the intermolecular interactions between the foulants and the membrane surface are analyzed by direct force measurement using atomic force microscopy. Lower adhesion forces are observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to the control thin-film composite polyamide membranes. The magnitude and distribution of adhesion forces for the different membrane surfaces suggest that the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membranes originate from the barrier provided by the tightly bound hydration layer at their surface, as well as from the neutralization of the native carboxyl groups of thin-film composite polyamide membranes.

  16. Zwitterionic sulfobetaine-grafted poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane with highly effective blood compatibility via atmospheric plasma-induced surface copolymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yung; Chang, Wan-Ju; Shih, Yu-Ju; Wei, Ta-Chin; Hsiue, Ging-Ho

    2011-04-01

    Development of nonfouling membranes to prevent nonspecific protein adsorption and platelet adhesion is critical for many biomedical applications. It is always a challenge to control the surface graft copolymerization of a highly polar monomer from the highly hydrophobic surface of a fluoropolymer membrane. In this work, the blood compatibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes with surface-grafted electrically neutral zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA), from atmospheric plasma-induced surface copolymerization, was studied. The effect of surface composition and graft morphology, electrical neutrality, hydrophilicity and hydration capability on blood compatibility of the membranes were determined. Blood compatibility of the zwitterionic PVDF membranes was systematically evaluated by plasma protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, plasma-clotting time, and blood cell hemolysis. It was found that the nonfouling nature and hydration capability of grafted PSBMA polymers can be effectively controlled by regulating the grafting coverage and charge balance of the PSBMA layer on the PVDF membrane surface. Even a slight charge bias in the grafted zwitterionic PSBMA layer can induce electrostatic interactions between proteins and the membrane surfaces, leading to surface protein adsorption, platelet activation, plasma clotting and blood cell hemolysis. Thus, the optimized PSBMA surface graft layer in overall charge neutrality has a high hydration capability and the best antifouling, anticoagulant, and antihemolytic activities when comes into contact with human blood. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  17. Membrane Biophysics

    CERN Document Server

    Ashrafuzzaman, Mohammad

    2013-01-01

    Physics, mathematics and chemistry all play a vital role in understanding the true nature and functioning of biological membranes, key elements of living processes. Besides simple spectroscopic observations and electrical measurements of membranes we address in this book the phenomena of coexistence and independent existence of different membrane components using various theoretical approaches. This treatment will be helpful for readers who want to understand biological processes by applying both simple observations and fundamental scientific analysis. It provides a deep understanding of the causes and effects of processes inside membranes, and will thus eventually open new doors for high-level pharmaceutical approaches towards fighting membrane- and cell-related diseases.

  18. Experimental studies of lithium-based surface chemistry for fusion plasma-facing materials applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allain, J.P.; Rokusek, D.L.; Harilal, S.S.; Nieto-Perez, M.; Skinner, C.H.; Kugel, H.W.; Heim, B.; Kaita, R.; Majeski, R.

    2009-01-01

    Lithium has enhanced the operational performance of fusion devices such as: TFTR, CDX-U, FTU, T-11 M, and NSTX. Lithium in the solid and liquid state has been studied extensively in laboratory experiments including its erosion and hydrogen-retaining properties. Reductions in physical sputtering up to 40-60% have been measured for deuterated solid and liquid lithium surfaces. Computational modeling indicates that up to a 1:1 deuterium volumetric retention in lithium is possible. This paper presents the results of systematic in situ laboratory experimental studies on the surface chemistry evolution of ATJ graphite under lithium deposition. Results are compared to post-mortem analysis of similar lithium surface coatings on graphite exposed to deuterium discharge plasmas in NSTX. Lithium coatings on plasma-facing components in NSTX have shown substantial reduction of hydrogenic recycling. Questions remain on the role lithium surface chemistry on a graphite substrate has on particle sputtering (physical and chemical) as well as hydrogen isotope recycling. This is particularly due to the lack of in situ measurements of plasma-surface interactions in tokamaks such as NSTX. Results suggest that the lithium bonding state on ATJ graphite is lithium peroxide and with sufficient exposure to ambient air conditions, lithium carbonate is generated. Correlation between both results is used to assess the role of lithium chemistry on the state of lithium bonding and implications on hydrogen pumping and lithium sputtering. In addition, reduction of factors between 10 and 30 reduction in physical sputtering from lithiated graphite compared to pure lithium or carbon is also measured.

  19. Surface chemistry and size influence the release of model therapeutic nanoparticles from poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hume, Stephanie L.; Jeerage, Kavita M.

    2013-01-01

    Nanoparticles have emerged as promising therapeutic and diagnostic tools, due to their unique physicochemical properties. The specific core and surface chemistries, as well as nanoparticle size, play critical roles in particle transport and interaction with biological tissue. Localized delivery of therapeutics from hydrogels is well established, but these systems generally release molecules with hydrodynamic radii less than ∼5 nm. Here, model nanoparticles with biologically relevant surface chemistries and diameters between 10 and 35 nm are analyzed for their release from well-characterized hydrogels. Functionalized gold nanoparticles or quantum dots were encapsulated in three-dimensional poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels with varying mesh size. Nanoparticle size, surface chemistry, and hydrogel mesh size all influenced the release of particles from the hydrogel matrix. Size influenced nanoparticle release as expected, with larger particles releasing at a slower rate. However, citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles were not released from hydrogels. Negatively charged carboxyl or positively charged amine-functionalized quantum dots were released from hydrogels at slower rates than neutrally charged PEGylated nanoparticles of similar size. Transmission electron microscopy images of gold nanoparticles embedded within hydrogel sections demonstrated uniform particle distribution and negligible aggregation, independent of surface chemistry. The nanoparticle-hydrogel interactions observed in this work will aid in the development of localized nanoparticle delivery systems.

  20. Venting temperature determines surface chemistry of magnetron sputtered TiN films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greczynski, G. [Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden); Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen (Germany); Mráz, S.; Schneider, J. M. [Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen (Germany); Hultman, L. [Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden)

    2016-01-25

    Surface properties of refractory ceramic transition metal nitride thin films grown by magnetron sputtering are essential for resistance towards oxidation necessary in all modern applications. Here, typically neglected factors, including exposure to residual process gases following the growth and the venting temperature T{sub v}, each affecting the surface chemistry, are addressed. It is demonstrated for the TiN model materials system that T{sub v} has a substantial effect on the composition and thickness-evolution of the reacted surface layer and should therefore be reported. The phenomena are also shown to have impact on the reliable surface characterization by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

  1. Micropatterning of Functional Conductive Polymers with Multiple Surface Chemistries in Register

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lind, Johan Ulrik; Acikgöz, Canet; Daugaard, Anders Egede

    2012-01-01

    A versatile procedure is presented for fast and efficient micropatterning of multiple types of covalently bound surface chemistry in perfect register on and between conductive polymer microcircuits. The micropatterning principle is applied to several types of native and functionalized PEDOT (poly(3...... functionalized conjugated polymer systems....

  2. Modification of the Selectivity Properties of Tubular Ceramic Membranes after Alkaline Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Dutournié

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This work focuses on the selectivity modification of ceramic membranes after a mild alkaline treatment. Filtration of pure salt-water solutions was carried out with commercial titania membranes before and after the treatment. After treatment, the rejection of NaF significantly decreased, while the rejection of NaCl and NaBr increased. Additionally, NaI and Na2SO4 remained close to zero. Pore size and electrical charge being almost unchanged, only significant modifications in the dielectric effects can explain this modification of selectivity. Therefore, the surface chemistry and the interaction (nature and magnitude with the solvent and with the species present in the solution appear to be modified by the alkaline treatment. This trend is also illustrated by discussing the electric and the dielectric properties that were numerically identified before and after treatment. The alkaline treatment significantly decreased the apparent dielectric constant of NaCl-water solution in the pore, highlighting the rejection of sodium chloride. Contrariwise, the modification of the surface chemistry increased the apparent dielectric constant of NaF-water solution by promoting fluoride transmission.

  3. Influence of the surface structure on the filtration performance of UV-modified PES membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kæselev, Bozena Alicja; Kingshott, P.; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

    2002-01-01

    chemically characterised using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of flight-static secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-static SIMS). The filtration performance of irradiated/non-modified and irradiated/modified membranes was examined in a crossflow cell, using a dextran solution. The filtration...... in relation to dextran when compared to membranes modified by AAG and AAP. This work suggests that the structure of the presence of grafted chains seems to be responsible for the observed changes to filtration performance of the modified membrane. Surface analysis supports the claim that the specific surface...

  4. Investigating Membranes: Using Artificial Membranes to Convey Chemistry and Biology Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zrelak, Yoshi; McCallister, Gary

    2009-01-01

    While not organic in nature, quick-"growing" artificial membranes can be a profound visual aid when teaching students about cellular processes and the chemical nature of membranes. Students are often intrigued when they see biological and chemical concepts come to life before their eyes. In this article, the authors share their approach to growing…

  5. On-Surface Synthesis by Click Chemistry Investigated by STM and XPS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vadapoo, Sundar Raja

    2014-01-01

    Molecular synthesis is essential in the bottom-up approach of achieving highly stable nanostructures. On-surface synthesis is highly interesting from the basic science of view to improve the understanding of molecular behavior adsorbed on metal surfaces, and has potential applications such as mol......Molecular synthesis is essential in the bottom-up approach of achieving highly stable nanostructures. On-surface synthesis is highly interesting from the basic science of view to improve the understanding of molecular behavior adsorbed on metal surfaces, and has potential applications...... such as molecular electronics and surface functionalization. In this thesis, a well-defined click chemistry approach is followed, with the study of azide-alkyne cycloaddition on Cu(111) surface in UHV environment. A successful achievement of the click reaction product via on-surface synthesis has been shown, which...

  6. Bioadhesion of mussels and geckos: Molecular mechanics, surface chemistry, and nanoadhesives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Haeshin

    The adhesive strategies of living creatures are diverse, ranging from temporary to permanent adhesions with various functions such as locomotion, self-defense, communication, colony formation, and so on. The classic example of temporary adhesion is the gecko, which is known for its ability to walk along vertical and even inverted surfaces; this remarkable adhesion arises from the interfacial weak interactions of van der Waals and capillary forces. In contrast, a celerbrated example of permanent adhesion is found in marine mussels which secrete protein adhesives that function in aqueous environments without mechanical failure against turbulent conditions on the seashore. In addition, mussel adhesives stick to virtually all inorganic and organic surfaces. However, most commonly used man-made adhesives lack such unique adhesion properties compared to their natural counterparts. For example, many commercial adhesives quickly lose their adhesive strength when exposed to solvents, particularly water. The first part of this thesis focused on adhesion mechanics of mussels at a single-molecule level, in which the adhesive molecule showed surprisingly strong yet reversible adhesion on inorganic surfaces but exhibited irreversible covalent bond formation on organic surfaces. Strong and reversible adhesion on mucin surfaces was found, indicating potential application for drug delivery via mucus layers. Next, inspired by the mussel's versatile adhesion on a wide variety of material surfaces, a material-independent surface modification chemistry called 'polydopamine coating' is described. This concept was subsequently adapted to develop a surface-independent polymeric primer for layer-by-layer assembly of multifunctional coatings. Finally, a new bio-hybrid adhesive 'geckel' was developed by the functional combination of adhesion strategies of geckos and mussels. The new bio-inspired adhesive and material-independent surface chemistry can revolutionize the research areas such as

  7. Mixed-matrix membranes with enhanced antifouling activity: probing the surface-tailoring potential of Tiron and chromotropic acid for nano-TiO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pal, Avishek; Dey, T. K.; Debnath, A. K.; Bhushan, Bharat; Sahu, A. K.; Bindal, R. C.; Kar, Soumitra

    2017-09-01

    Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) were developed by impregnating organofunctionalized nanoadditives within fouling-susceptible polysulfone matrix following the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The facile functionalization of nanoparticles of anatase TiO2 (nano-TiO2) by using two different organoligands, viz. Tiron and chromotropic acid, was carried out to obtain organofunctionalized nanoadditives, FT-nano-TiO2 and FC-nano-TiO2, respectively. The structural features of nanoadditives were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which established that Tiron leads to the blending of chelating and bridging bidentate geometries for FT-nano-TiO2, whereas chromotropic acid produces bridging bidentate as well as monodentate geometries for FC-nano-TiO2. The surface chemistry of the studied membranes, polysulfone (Psf): FT-nano-TiO2 UF and Psf: FC-nano-TiO2 UF, was profoundly influenced by the benign distributions of the nanoadditives enriched with distinctly charged sites (-SO3 -H+ ), as evidenced by superior morphology, improved topography, enhanced surface hydrophilicity and altered electrokinetic features. The membranes exhibited enhanced solvent throughputs, viz. 3500-4000 and 3400-4300 LMD at 1 bar of transmembrane pressure, without significant compromise in their rejection attributes. The flux recovery ratios and fouling resistive behaviours of MMMs towards bovine serum albumin indicated that the nanoadditives could impart stable and appreciable antifouling activity, potentially aiding in a sustainable ultrafiltration performance.

  8. Mixed-matrix membranes with enhanced antifouling activity: probing the surface-tailoring potential of Tiron and chromotropic acid for nano-TiO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pal, Avishek; Dey, T K; Debnath, A K; Bhushan, Bharat; Sahu, A K; Bindal, R C; Kar, Soumitra

    2017-09-01

    Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) were developed by impregnating organofunctionalized nanoadditives within fouling-susceptible polysulfone matrix following the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The facile functionalization of nanoparticles of anatase TiO 2 (nano-TiO 2 ) by using two different organoligands, viz . Tiron and chromotropic acid, was carried out to obtain organofunctionalized nanoadditives, F T -nano-TiO 2 and F C -nano-TiO 2 , respectively. The structural features of nanoadditives were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which established that Tiron leads to the blending of chelating and bridging bidentate geometries for F T -nano-TiO 2 , whereas chromotropic acid produces bridging bidentate as well as monodentate geometries for F C -nano-TiO 2 . The surface chemistry of the studied membranes, polysulfone (Psf): F T -nano-TiO 2 UF and Psf: F C -nano-TiO 2 UF, was profoundly influenced by the benign distributions of the nanoadditives enriched with distinctly charged sites ([Formula: see text]), as evidenced by superior morphology, improved topography, enhanced surface hydrophilicity and altered electrokinetic features. The membranes exhibited enhanced solvent throughputs, viz . 3500-4000 and 3400-4300 LMD at 1 bar of transmembrane pressure, without significant compromise in their rejection attributes. The flux recovery ratios and fouling resistive behaviours of MMMs towards bovine serum albumin indicated that the nanoadditives could impart stable and appreciable antifouling activity, potentially aiding in a sustainable ultrafiltration performance.

  9. Fabrication of TiO2-modified polytetrafluoroethylene ultrafiltration membranes via plasma-enhanced surface graft pretreatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Yingjia; Chi, Lina; Zhou, Weili; Yu, Zhenjiang; Zhang, Zhongzhi; Zhang, Zhenjia; Jiang, Zheng

    2016-01-01

    Surface hydrophilic modification of polymer ultrafiltration membrane using metal oxide represents an effective yet highly challenging solution to improve water flux and antifouling performance. Via plasma-enhanced graft of poly acryl acid (PAA) prior to coating TiO2, we successfully fixed TiO2 functional thin layer on super hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The characterization results evidenced TiO2 attached on the PTFE-based UF membranes through the chelating bidentate coordination between surface-grafted carboxyl group and Ti4+. The TiO2 surface modification may greatly reduce the water contact angle from 115.8° of the PTFE membrane to 35.0° without degradation in 30-day continuous filtration operations. The novel TiO2/PAA/PTFE membranes also exhibited excellent antifouling and self-cleaning performance due to the intrinsic hydrophilicity and photocatalysis properties of TiO2, which was further confirmed by the photo-degradation of MB under Xe lamp irradiation.

  10. Tethering of hyperbranched polyols using PEI as a building block to synthesize antifouling PVDF membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xushan; Wang, Zihong; Wang, Zhe; Cao, Yu; Meng, Jianqiang

    2017-10-01

    Antifouling PVDF membranes were prepared by grafting hyperbranched polyols on the membrane surface via a three-step modification method. The membrane was first prepared by alkaline treatment to introduce alkenyl groups, then chemically immobilizing hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) (HPEI) on membrane surface through Michael reaction followed by ring opening reaction of the glycidol with amine groups. Chemical compositions, surface morphology and physicochemical properties of the original and modified membranes were characterized via attenuated total refection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA) and zeta potential measurements. The antifouling property of the modified membrane was assessed by the static bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LZM) adsorption as well as cross-flow filtration of BSA aqueous solution. The results explicate that surface modification using hyperbranched polymers can alter membrane chemistry and morphology significantly. In contrast to the original PVDF membrane, the modified membrane shows superhydrophilic property and relatively high capability to resist nonspecific protein adsorption. Three HPEIs were used for modification and the obtained PVDFA-g-PG60,000 membrane has a static BSA protein adsorption of 45 μg/cm2 and shows the highest protein resistance. However, the PVDF-g-PG membrane is positively charged due to the unreacted amine groups. As a result, the PVDF-g-PG membranes also show high flux decline during the filtration of BSA aqueous solution due to the electrostatic interaction. In spite of that, the PVDF-g-PG membranes still maintain high flux recovery ratio and good washing properties.

  11. Microstructure and surface chemistry of amorphous alloys important to their friction and wear behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

    1986-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to examine the microstructure and surface chemistry of amorphous alloys, and their effects on tribological behavior. The results indicate that the surface oxide layers present on amorphous alloys are effective in providing low friction and a protective film against wear in air. Clustering and crystallization in amorphous alloys can be enhanced as a result of plastic flow during the sliding process at a low sliding velocity, at room temperature. Clusters or crystallines with sizes to 150 nm and a diffused honeycomb-shaped structure are produced on sizes to 150 nm and a diffused honeycomb-shaped structure are produced on the wear surface. Temperature effects lead to drastic changes in surface chemistry and friction behavior of the alloys at temperatures to 750 C. Contaminants can come from the bulk of the alloys to the surface upon heating and impart to the surface oxides at 350 C and boron nitride above 500 C. The oxides increase friction while the boron nitride reduces friction drastically in vacuum.

  12. Surface modification of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane with hydrophilic and anti-fouling performance via a two-step polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Gui-E; Sun, Li; Huang, Hui-Hong; Liu, Yan-Jun [Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai (China); Xu, Zhen-Liang; Yang, Hu [East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China)

    2015-12-15

    The surface modification of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane was performed via a two-step polymerization reactions. Poly (acrylic acid) (PAAc) was first grafted onto the membrane surface for the preparation of PVDF-g-PAAc membrane, and then poly (ethylene glycol) 200 (PEG 200) was immobilized on the membrane surface by the esterification reaction for the fabrication of PVDF-g-PEGA membrane. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and protein adsorption, water flux, water content and dynamic contact angle were conducted to characterize the structures and performance of the resultant PVDF membranes. The experimental results showed that the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the PVDF-g-PEGA membrane decreased about 80% when the grafting ratio reached to 15 wt%, compared with the pristine PVDF membrane. Moreover, the water contact angle of the membrane dropped to 60.5o, while the membrane pore sizes remained little changed.

  13. Chemical Surface, Thermal and Electrical Characterization of Nafion Membranes Doped with IL-Cations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María del Valle Martínez de Yuso

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Surface and bulk changes in a Nafion membrane as a result of IL-cation doping (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate or BMIM+BF4 and phenyltrimethylammonium chloride or TMPA+Cl− were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, contact angle, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC and impedance spectroscopy (IS measurements performed with dry samples after 24 h in contact with the IL-cations BMIM+ and TMPA+. IL-cations were selected due to their similar molecular weight and molar volume but different shape, which could facilitate/obstruct the cation incorporation in the Nafion membrane structure by proton/cation exchange mechanism. The surface coverage of the Nafion membrane by the IL-cations was confirmed by XPS analysis and contact angle, while the results obtained by the other two techniques (DSC and IS seem to indicate differences in thermal and electrical behaviour depending on the doping-cation, being less resistive the Nafion/BMIM+ membrane. For that reason, determination of the ion transport number was obtained for this membrane by measuring the membrane or concentration potential with the samples in contact with HCl solutions at different concentrations. The comparison of these results with those obtained for the original Nafion membrane provides information on the effect of IL-cation BMIM+ on the transport of H+ across wet Nafion/BMIM+ doped membranes.

  14. Surface ligand controls silver ion release of nanosilver and its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Long Y

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Yan-Min Long,1,2 Li-Gang Hu,1,3 Xue-Ting Yan,1,3 Xing-Chen Zhao,1,3 Qun-Fang Zhou,1,3 Yong Cai,2,4 Gui-Bin Jiang1,3 1State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China; 2Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China; 3College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; 4Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA Abstract: Understanding the mechanism of nanosilver-dependent antibacterial activity against microorganisms helps optimize the design and usage of the related nanomaterials. In this study, we prepared four kinds of 10 nm-sized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs with dictated surface chemistry by capping different ligands, including citrate, mercaptopropionic acid, mercaptohexanoic acid, and mercaptopropionic sulfonic acid. Their surface-dependent chemistry and antibacterial activities were investigated. Owing to the weak bond to surface Ag, short carbon chain, and low silver ion attraction, citrate-coated AgNPs caused the highest silver ion release and the strongest antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, when compared to the other tested AgNPs. The study on the underlying antibacterial mechanisms indicated that cellular membrane uptake of Ag, NAD+/NADH ratio increase, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS generation were significantly induced in both AgNP and silver ion exposure groups. The released silver ions from AgNPs inside cells through a Trojan-horse-type mechanism were suggested to interact with respiratory chain proteins on the membrane, interrupt intracellular O2 reduction, and induce ROS production. The further oxidative damages of lipid peroxidation and membrane breakdown caused the lethal effect on E. coli. Altogether, this study demonstrated that AgNPs exerted

  15. Improving the performance of water desalination through ultra-permeable functionalized nanoporous graphene oxide membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini, Mostafa; Azamat, Jafar; Erfan-Niya, Hamid

    2018-01-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the water desalination performance of nanoporous graphene oxide (NPGO) membranes. The simulated systems consist of a NPGO as a membrane with a functionalized pore in its center immersed in an aqueous ionic solution and a graphene sheet as a barrier. The considered NPGO membranes are involved four types of pore with different size and chemistry. The results indicated that the NPGO membrane has effective efficiency in salt rejection as well as high performance in water flux. For all types of pore with the radius size of 2.9-4.5 Å, the NPGO shows salt rejection of >89%. Functional groups on the surface and edge of pores have a great effect on water flux. To precisely understand the effect of functional groups on the surface of nanostructured membranes, nanoporous graphene was simulated under the same condition for comparison. Hydrophilic groups on the surface make the NPGO as an ultra-permeable membrane. As a result, the obtained water flux for NPGO was about 77% greater than graphene. Also, it was found that the water flux of NPGO is 2-5 orders of magnitude greater than other existing reverse osmosis membranes. Therefore, the investigated systems can be recommended as a model for the water desalination.

  16. Genotoxicity of copper oxide nanoparticles with different surface chemistry on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Wenjing; Jiang, Pengfei; Chen, Wei

    2016-01-01

    The surface chemistry of nanoparticles (NPs) is one of the critical factors determining their cellular responses. In this study, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of copper oxide (CuO) NPs with a similar size but different surface chemistry to rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were......V and showed a similar tendency to form agglomerates with a size of ∼200 nm in cell culture environment. The cytotoxicity of CuO NPs to MSCs at various concentrations and incubation periods were firstly evaluated. The CuO NPs showed dose-dependent and time-dependent toxicity to MSCs, and their surface...

  17. Surface modification of polyamide reverse osmosis membrane with organic-inorganic hybrid material for antifouling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yang; Wan, Ying; Pan, Guoyuan; Yan, Hao; Yao, Xuerong; Shi, Hongwei; Tang, Yujing; Wei, Xiangrong; Liu, Yiqun

    2018-03-01

    A series of thin-film composite reverse osmosis membranes based on polyamide have been modified by coating the polyvinyl alcohol and 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane aqueous solution prepared by a sol-gel process on the membrane surface, followed by thermal crosslinking treatment. In order to improve the hydrophilicity of the modified TFC membranes, the membranes were then immersed into H2O2 aqueous solution to convert -SH into -SO3H. The resulting TFC membranes were characterized by SEM, AFM, ATR-FTIR, streaming potential, XPS as well as static contact angle. After surface modification with the organic-inorganic hybrid material, the TFC membranes show increased NaCl rejection and decreased water flux with increasing 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane content in coating solution. The optimal modification membrane (PA-SMPTES-0.8) exhibits a NaCl rejection of 99.29%, higher than that (97.20%) of the virgin PA membrane, and a comparable water flux to virgin PA membrane (41.7 L/m2 h vs 47.9 L/m2 h). More importantly, PA-SMPTES-0.8 membrane shows much more improved fouling resistance to BSA than virgin PA and PVA modified PA (PA-PVA-1.0) membranes. PA-SMPTES-0.8 membrane loses about 13% of the initial flux after BSA fouling for 12 h, which is lower than that of virgin PA and PA-PVA-1.0 membranes (42% and 18%). Furthermore, the flux recovery of PA-SMPTES-0.8 membrane reaches 94% after cleaning. Thus the TFC membranes modified by this organic-inorganic hybrid technology show potential applications as antifouling RO membrane for desalination and purification.

  18. Efficient Preparation of Super Antifouling PVDF Ultrafiltration Membrane with One Step Fabricated Zwitterionic Surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xinzhen; He, Chunju

    2015-08-19

    On the basis of the excellent fouling resistance of zwitterionic materials, the super antifouling polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane was efficiently prepared though one-step sulfonation of PVDF and polyaniline blend membrane in situ. The self-doped sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI) was generated as a novel zwitterionic polymer to improve the antifouling property of PVDF ultrafiltration membrane used in sewage treatment. Surface attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface zeta potential, and water contact angle demonstrated the successful fabrication of zwitterionic interface by convenient sulfonation modification. The static adsorption fouling test showed the quantified adsorption mass of bovine serum albumin (BSA) pollutant on the PVDF/SPANI membrane surface decreases to 3(±2) μg/cm(2), and the water flux recovery ratio (FRR) values were no less than 95% for the three model pollutants of BSA, sodium alginate (SA), and humic acid (HA), which were corresponding hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and natural pollutants in sewage, respectively. This Research Article demonstrated the antifouling advantages of zwitterionic SPANI and aimed to provide a simple method for the large scale preparation of zwitterionic antifouling ultrafiltration membranes.

  19. Oxide/water interfaces: how the surface chemistry modifies interfacial water properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaigeot, Marie-Pierre; Sprik, Michiel; Sulpizi, Marialore

    2012-01-01

    The organization of water at the interface with silica and alumina oxides is analysed using density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulation (DFT-MD). The interfacial hydrogen bonding is investigated in detail and related to the chemistry of the oxide surfaces by computing the surface charge density and acidity. We find that water molecules hydrogen-bonded to the surface have different orientations depending on the strength of the hydrogen bonds and use this observation to explain the features in the surface vibrational spectra measured by sum frequency generation spectroscopy. In particular, ‘ice-like’ and ‘liquid-like’ features in these spectra are interpreted as the result of hydrogen bonds of different strengths between surface silanols/aluminols and water. (paper)

  20. Atomic Scale Structure-Chemistry Relationships at Oxide Catalyst Surfaces and Interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    McBriarty, Martin E.

    Oxide catalysts are integral to chemical production, fuel refining, and the removal of environmental pollutants. However, the atomic-scale phenomena which lead to the useful reactive properties of catalyst materials are not sufficiently understood. In this work, the tools of surface and interface science and electronic structure theory are applied to investigate the structure and chemical properties of catalytically active particles and ultrathin films supported on oxide single crystals. These studies focus on structure-property relationships in vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, and mixed V-W oxides on the surfaces of alpha-Al2O3 and alpha-Fe2O 3 (0001)-oriented single crystal substrates, two materials with nearly identical crystal structures but drastically different chemical properties. In situ synchrotron X-ray standing wave (XSW) measurements are sensitive to changes in the atomic-scale geometry of single crystal model catalyst surfaces through chemical reaction cycles, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals corresponding chemical changes. Experimental results agree with theoretical calculations of surface structures, allowing for detailed electronic structure investigations and predictions of surface chemical phenomena. The surface configurations and oxidation states of V and W are found to depend on the coverage of each, and reversible structural shifts accompany chemical state changes through reduction-oxidation cycles. Substrate-dependent effects suggest how the choice of oxide support material may affect catalytic behavior. Additionally, the structure and chemistry of W deposited on alpha-Fe 2O3 nanopowders is studied using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements in an attempt to bridge single crystal surface studies with real catalysts. These investigations of catalytically active material surfaces can inform the rational design of new catalysts for more efficient and sustainable chemistry.

  1. The hydrochemistry of glacial Ebba River (Petunia Bay, Central Spitsbergen): Groundwater influence on surface water chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dragon, Krzysztof; Marciniak, Marek; Szpikowski, Józef; Szpikowska, Grażyna; Wawrzyniak, Tomasz

    2015-10-01

    The article presents the investigation of surface water chemistry changes of the glacial Ebba River (Central Spitsbergen) during three melting seasons of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The twice daily water chemistry analyses allow recognition of the surface water chemistry differentiation. The surface water chemistry changes are related to the river discharge and changes in the influence of different water balance components during each melting season. One of the most important process that influence river water component concentration increase is groundwater inflow from active layer occurring on the valley area. The significance of this process is the most important at the end of the melting season when temperatures below 0 °C occur on glaciers (resulting in a slowdown of melting of ice and snow and a smaller recharge of the river by the water from the glaciers) while the flow of groundwater is still active, causing a relatively higher contribution of groundwater to the total river discharge. The findings presented in this paper show that groundwater contribution to the total polar river water balance is more important than previously thought and its recognition allow a better understanding of the hydrological processes occurring in a polar environment.

  2. Smart membranes for monitoring membrane based desalination processes

    KAUST Repository

    Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

    2017-10-12

    Various examples are related to smart membranes for monitoring membrane based process such as, e.g., membrane distillation processes. In one example, a membrane, includes a porous surface and a plurality of sensors (e.g., temperature, flow and/or impedance sensors) mounted on the porous surface. In another example, a membrane distillation (MD) process includes the membrane. Processing circuitry can be configured to monitor outputs of the plurality of sensors. The monitored outputs can be used to determine membrane degradation, membrane fouling, or to provide an indication of membrane replacement or cleaning. The sensors can also provide temperatures or temperature differentials across the porous surface, which can be used to improve modeling or control the MD process.

  3. Microporous nano-MgO/diatomite ceramic membrane with high positive surface charge for tetracycline removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Xian; Liu, Zhimeng; Deng, Cheng; Zhu, Mengfu; Wang, Deyin; Li, Kui; Deng, Yu; Jiang, Mingming

    2016-12-15

    A novel microporous nano-MgO/diatomite ceramic membrane with high positive surface charge was prepared, including synthesis of precursor colloid, dip-coating and thermal decomposition. Combined SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS studies show the nano-MgO is irregularly distributed on the membrane surface or pore walls and forms a positively charged nano coating. And the nano-MgO coating is firmly attached to the diatomite membrane via SiO chemical bond. Thus the nano-MgO/diatomite membrane behaves strong electropositivity with the isoelectric point of 10.8. Preliminary filtration tests indicate that the as-prepared nano-MgO/diatomite membrane could remove approximately 99.7% of tetracycline in water through electrostatic adsorption effect. The desirable electrostatic property enables the nano-MgO/diatomite membrane to be a candidate for removal of organic pollutants from water. And it is convinced that there will be a great application prospect of charged ceramic membrane in water treatment field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Development of high performance nano-porous polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes with hydrophilic surface and superior antifouling properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahimpour, Ahmad; Madaeni, Sayed Siavash; Jahanshahi, Mohsen; Mansourpanah, Yaghoub; Mortazavian, Narmin

    2009-01-01

    Hydrophilic nano-porous polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes were developed for milk concentration. The membranes were prepared from new dope solution containing polyethersulfone (PES)/polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP)/polyethyleneglycole (PEG)/cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP)/acrylic acid/Triton X-100 using phase inversion induced by immersion precipitation technique. This casting solution leads to formation of new hydrophilic membranes. The morphological studies were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, the hydrophilicity and performance of membranes were examined by contact angel measurements and cross-flow filtration (pure water flux, milk water permeation, protein rejection and antifouling measurements). The contact angle measurements indicate that a surface with superior hydrophilicity was obtained for PES membranes. Two concentrations of PES (16 and 14.4 wt.%) and two different non-solvents (pure water and mixtures of water and IPA) were used for preparation of membranes. The morphological studies showed that the higher concentration of PES and the presence of IPA in the gelation media results in formation of a membrane with a dense top and sub-layer with small pores on the surface. The pure water flux of membranes was decreased when higher polymer concentration and mixtures of water and IPA were employed for membrane formation. On the other hand, the milk water permeation and protein rejection were increased using mixtures of water and IPA as non-solvent. Furthermore, the fouling analysis of the membranes demonstrated that the membrane surface with fewer tendencies for fouling was obtained.

  5. Surface modification of commercial seawater reverse osmosis membranes by grafting of hydrophilic monomer blended with carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vatanpour, Vahid, E-mail: vahidvatanpour@khu.ac.ir; Zoqi, Naser

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • A commercial PA RO membrane was modified by grafting of hydrophilic acrylic acid. • COOH-MWCNTs were mixed in grafting layer to increase permeability and antifouling. • However, more increase of CNTs caused in reduction of flux of the membranes. • Effect of acrylic acid amount, contact time and curing time was optimized. - Abstract: In this study, modification of commercial seawater reverse osmosis membranes was carried out with simultaneous use of surface grafting and nanoparticle incorporation. Membrane grafting with a hydrophilic acrylic acid monomer and thermal initiator was used to increase membrane surface hydrophilicity. The used nanomaterial was carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which were dispersed in the grafting solution and deposited on membrane surface to reduce fouling by creating polymer brushes and hydrodynamic resistance. Effectiveness of the grafting process (formation of graft layer on membrane surface) was proved by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Increase of membrane surface hydrophilicity was approved with contact angle test. First, the grafting was performed on the membrane surfaces with different monomer concentrations, various contact times and several membrane curing times (three variables for optimization). The modified membranes were tested by a cross-flow setup using saline solution for permeability and rejection tests, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution for fouling test. The results showed that the modified membranes with 0.75 M of monomer, 3 min contact time and 80 min curing time in an oven at 50 °C presented the highest flux and lowest rejection decline related to the commercial reverse osmosis membrane. In the next step, the optimum grafting condition was selected and the nanotubes with different weight percentages were dispersed in the acrylic acid monomer solution. The membrane containing 0.25 wt% COOH-MWCNTs showed the

  6. Surface modification of commercial seawater reverse osmosis membranes by grafting of hydrophilic monomer blended with carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vatanpour, Vahid; Zoqi, Naser

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A commercial PA RO membrane was modified by grafting of hydrophilic acrylic acid. • COOH-MWCNTs were mixed in grafting layer to increase permeability and antifouling. • However, more increase of CNTs caused in reduction of flux of the membranes. • Effect of acrylic acid amount, contact time and curing time was optimized. - Abstract: In this study, modification of commercial seawater reverse osmosis membranes was carried out with simultaneous use of surface grafting and nanoparticle incorporation. Membrane grafting with a hydrophilic acrylic acid monomer and thermal initiator was used to increase membrane surface hydrophilicity. The used nanomaterial was carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which were dispersed in the grafting solution and deposited on membrane surface to reduce fouling by creating polymer brushes and hydrodynamic resistance. Effectiveness of the grafting process (formation of graft layer on membrane surface) was proved by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Increase of membrane surface hydrophilicity was approved with contact angle test. First, the grafting was performed on the membrane surfaces with different monomer concentrations, various contact times and several membrane curing times (three variables for optimization). The modified membranes were tested by a cross-flow setup using saline solution for permeability and rejection tests, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution for fouling test. The results showed that the modified membranes with 0.75 M of monomer, 3 min contact time and 80 min curing time in an oven at 50 °C presented the highest flux and lowest rejection decline related to the commercial reverse osmosis membrane. In the next step, the optimum grafting condition was selected and the nanotubes with different weight percentages were dispersed in the acrylic acid monomer solution. The membrane containing 0.25 wt% COOH-MWCNTs showed the

  7. Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poinern, Gerrard Eddy Jai; Ali, Nurshahidah; Fawcett, Derek

    2011-01-01

    The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering. PMID:28880002

  8. Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poinern, Gerrard Eddy Jai; Ali, Nurshahidah; Fawcett, Derek

    2011-02-25

    The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering.

  9. Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerrard Eddy Jai Poinern

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering.

  10. Clinical analysis of amniotic membrane patches and grafts for acute ocular surface burn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Li

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the effect and value of amniotic membrane patches and grafts for acute ocular surface burn at different degrees.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 28 cases(28 eyesaffected by ocular chemical or thermal burn with different degree were included in our hospital from March 2007 to March 2012. Amniotic membrane patched was undergone in 13 eyes with fresh amnion that the patients corneal burns degree Ⅱ or Ⅲ with partial limbal buns at degree Ⅳ. Amniotic membrane grafts was performed in 15 eyes with fresh amnion that the patients all corneal burns at degree Ⅲ with the whole limbal necrosis without severe eyelid defect. The follow-up time ranged 6~24mo. The postoperative visual acuity, the condition of amniotic membrane transplant, renovation of cornea and complications were observed. RESULTS: Postoperative corrected visual acuity was improved in 20 eyes(71%, it was not changed in 5 eyes(18%, the visual acuity declined in 3 eyes(11%. The amniotic membrane survived in 23 eyes and the survival rate was up to 82%. The cornea of 4 eyes recovered to transparent, nebula emceed in 8 eyes eventually, corneal macula emerged in 10 eyes, 4 eyes ended up with leukoma, 2 eyes developed corneal melting after therapy, then received lamellar keratoplasty. Corneal surface become epithelization after amnion patches or grafts, but any of them have recurrent epithelial erosion, and become stable epithalization after repeat operation.CONCLUSION: Amniotic membrane patches and grafts is an effective method to deal with acute ocular surface burn.

  11. Effect of membrane hydrophilization on ultrafiltration performance for biomolecules separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Susanto, H.; Roihatin, A.; Aryanti, N.; Anggoro, D.D.; Ulbricht, M.

    2012-01-01

    This paper compares the performance of different hydrophilization methods to prepare low fouling ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The methods include post-modification with hydrophilic polymer and blending of hydrophilic agent during either conventional or reactive phase separation (PS). The post-modification was done by photograft copolymerization of water-soluble monomer, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), onto a commercial polyethersulfone (PES) UF membrane. Hydrophilization via blend polymer membrane with hydrophilic additive was performed using non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). In reactive PS method, the cast membrane was UV-irradiated before coagulation. The resulting membrane characteristic, the performance and hydrophilization stability were systematically compared. The investigated membrane characteristics include surface hydrophilicity (by contact angle /CA/), surface chemistry (by FTIR spectroscopy), and surface morphology (by scanning electron microscopy). The membrane performance was examined by investigation of adsorptive fouling and ultrafiltration using solution of protein or polysaccharide or humic acid. The results suggest that all methods could increase the hydrophilicity of the membrane yielding less fouling. Post-modification decreased CA from 44.8 ± 4.2 o to 37.8 ± 4.2 o to 42.5 ± 4.3 o depending on the degree of grafting (DG). The hydrophilization via polymer blend decreased CA from from 65 deg. to 54 deg. for PEG concentration of 5%. Nevertheless, decreasing hydraulic permeability was observed after post-modification as well as during polymer blend modification. Stability examination showed that there was leaching out of modifier agent from the membrane matrix prepared via conventional PS after 10 days soaking in both water and NaOH. Reactive PS could increase the stability of the modifier agent in membrane matrix. Highlights: ► We compared different methods to prepare low fouling ultrafiltration (UF) membranes.

  12. Influence of chemistry on wetting dynamics of nanotextured hydrophobic surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Mundo, Rosa; Palumbo, Fabio; d'Agostino, Riccardo

    2010-04-06

    In this work, the role of a chemical parameter, such as the degree of fluorination, on the wetting behavior of nanotextured hydrophobic surfaces is investigated. Texture and chemistry tuning of the surfaces has been accomplished with single batch radiofrequency low-pressure plasma processes. Polystyrene substrates have been textured by CF(4) plasma etching and subsequently covered by thin films with a tunable F-to-C ratio, obtained in discharges fed with C(4)F(8)-C(2)H(4). Measurements of wetting dynamics reveal a regime transition from adhesive-hydrophobic to slippery-superhydrophobic, i.e., from wet to non wet states, as the F-to-C rises at constant topography. Such achievements are strengthened by calculation of the solid fraction of surface water contact area applying Cassie-Baxter advancing and receding equations to water contact angle data of textured and flat reference surfaces.

  13. Cell-Adhesive Bioinspired and Catechol-Based Multilayer Freestanding Membranes for Bone Tissue Engineering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria P. Sousa

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Mussels are marine organisms that have been mimicked due to their exceptional adhesive properties to all kind of surfaces, including rocks, under wet conditions. The proteins present on the mussel’s foot contain 3,4-dihydroxy-l-alanine (DOPA, an amino acid from the catechol family that has been reported by their adhesive character. Therefore, we synthesized a mussel-inspired conjugated polymer, modifying the backbone of hyaluronic acid with dopamine by carbodiimide chemistry. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR techniques confirmed the success of this modification. Different techniques have been reported to produce two-dimensional (2D or three-dimensional (3D systems capable to support cells and tissue regeneration; among others, multilayer systems allow the construction of hierarchical structures from nano- to macroscales. In this study, the layer-by-layer (LbL technique was used to produce freestanding multilayer membranes made uniquely of chitosan and dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-DN. The electrostatic interactions were found to be the main forces involved in the film construction. The surface morphology, chemistry, and mechanical properties of the freestanding membranes were characterized, confirming the enhancement of the adhesive properties in the presence of HA-DN. The MC3T3-E1 cell line was cultured on the surface of the membranes, demonstrating the potential of these freestanding multilayer systems to be used for bone tissue engineering.

  14. Application of Nano PAC on Mitigating Membrane Fouling by Surface Properties Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mi Hairong

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Membrane material has been widely accepted owing to the ability in water treatment, but the membrane fouling problem in using process is seriously restricted the promotion of membrane technology. So in this research nano PAC flocculant is added into the raw water to reach the goals of strengthening treatment efficiency and mitigating membrane fouling. According to the TMP change, it results that the PAC dosage of 45mg/L can realize the purpose to mitigate membrane fouling best. Compared with MBR, the MCBR is 16 days tardiness at the change of TMP, 1/3 gel layer filtration resistance less and 3.5% C element content fewer. The sum of C, O and N elements content, in addition, in the gel layer pollutants is more than 95%. That means membrane pollution is mainly caused by organic matter and nano PAC has the effect on surface properties optimization and membrane fouling mitigating.

  15. Assessing the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in Cells and In Vivo using Targeted Click Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, Angela; Pell, Victoria R; Shaffer, Karl J; Evans, Cameron; Stanley, Nathan J; Robb, Ellen L; Prime, Tracy A; Chouchani, Edward T; Cochemé, Helena M; Fearnley, Ian M; Vidoni, Sara; James, Andrew M; Porteous, Carolyn M; Partridge, Linda; Krieg, Thomas; Smith, Robin A J; Murphy, Michael P

    2016-02-09

    The mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) is a major determinant and indicator of cell fate, but it is not possible to assess small changes in Δψm within cells or in vivo. To overcome this, we developed an approach that utilizes two mitochondria-targeted probes each containing a triphenylphosphonium (TPP) lipophilic cation that drives their accumulation in response to Δψm and the plasma membrane potential (Δψp). One probe contains an azido moiety and the other a cyclooctyne, which react together in a concentration-dependent manner by "click" chemistry to form MitoClick. As the mitochondrial accumulation of both probes depends exponentially on Δψm and Δψp, the rate of MitoClick formation is exquisitely sensitive to small changes in these potentials. MitoClick accumulation can then be quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This approach enables assessment of subtle changes in membrane potentials within cells and in the mouse heart in vivo. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Recent advances in membrane materials: introductory remarks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayral, A.

    2007-01-01

    A lot of separation operations are currently performed using membranes both for production processes and for environmental applications. The main part of the used membranes are organic membranes but for specific conditions of utilization inorganic or organic-inorganic membranes have been also developed. Among the applications for gas separation, some examples are the removal of hydrogen from ammonia synthesis gas, the removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas and air separation. Environmental considerations like massive scale air and water pollution and also the gradual rarefaction of fossil energy resources gave rise to the concept of sustainable growth and to related strategies like process intensification, the reuse of water and solvents at their point of use, hydrogen as energy vector (requiring H 2 production...)..Membranes will have a key part to play in the new technologies associated with these strategies. Intensive efforts of research and development are now engaged everywhere in the world to develop high performance membranes for those emerging applications. Membrane science is a multidisciplinary scientific and technological domain covering mainly materials science, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, modeling. This issue (Annales de chimie - Science des materiaux, 2007 Vol.32 N.2) provides a wide review of recent advances in membrane materials. It is based on the contributions of experts in different fields of membrane materials (organic, organic-inorganic hybrid, composite, carbon, metallic, ceramic; dense, porous, surface modified materials). (O.M.)

  17. Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development

    OpenAIRE

    Gerrard Eddy Jai Poinern; Derek Fawcett; Nurshahidah Ali

    2011-01-01

    The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical ...

  18. Fast and facile fabrication of antifouling and hemocompatible PVDF membrane tethered with amino-acid modified PEG film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shuyou; Cao, Jingjing; Ma, Na; You, Meng; Wang, Xushan; Meng, Jianqiang

    2018-01-01

    A fast and facile protocol is reported aiming at improving the antifouling property and hemocompatibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes by tethering PEG hydrogel and zwitterion immobilization. The coated PEG hydrogel was first prepared by interfacial polymerization and tethered on an alkali treated PVDF membrane (PVDFA) surface via a simultaneous thio-ene and thiol-epoxy reaction. Then, the thiol groups of cysteine reacted with the epoxy groups in PEG hydrogel to fabricate the PVDFA-g-Cys membrane. The membrane fabrication was complete within less than 20 min and was conducted in mild conditions. The successful preparation of PVDFA-g-Cys membrane was confirmed by ATR-FTIR and XPS. Raman spectroscopy showed that the hydrogels covalently bonded to the PVDF membrane surface. The membrane retained its mechanical strength after modification. The SEM measurements suggested that the membrane became denser after hydrogel coating, meanwhile, the EDX test verified that the functional species uniformly distributed in the membrane matrix. Water contact angle (WCA), protein adsorption and protein filtration tests showed significant improvements in hydrophilicity and antifouling properties for the modified membrane. The negativity of the membrane surface measured by the streaming potential method provides a basis for protein resistance and hemocompatibility. Moreover, the suppressed platelet adhesion and prolonged plasma coagulant time show that the PVDFA-g-Cys membrane has ultralow thrombotic potential and better hemocompatibility. The reported surface modification method combing thio-ene and thio-epoxy chemistry not only facilitates fabrication of hemocompatible PVDF membrane but also provide an universal chemical platform for multifunctionalization of porous membranes.

  19. Relationships between precipitation and surface water chemistry in three Carolina bays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monegue, R.L.; Jagoe, C.H.

    1995-01-01

    Carolina Bays are shallow freshwater wetlands, the only naturally occurring lentic systems on the southeastern coastal plain. Bays are breeding sites for many amphibian species, but data on precipitation/surface water relationships and long-term chemical trends are lacking. Such data are essential to interpret major fluctuations in amphibian populations. Surface water and bulk precipitation were sampled bi-weekly for over two years at three bays along a 25 km transect on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Precipitation chemistry was similar at all sites; average pH was 4.56, and the major ions were H + (30.8 % of total), and SO 4 (50.3% of total). H + was positively correlated with SO 4 , suggesting the importance of anthropogenic acids to precipitation chemistry. All three bays, Rainbow Bay (RB), Thunder Bay (TB), and Ellenton Bay (EB), contained soft (specific conductivity 5--90 microS/cm), acidic water (pH 4.0--5.9) with DOM from 4--40 mg/L. The major cation for RB, TB, and EB, respectively, was: Mg (30.8 % of total); Na (27% of total); and Ca (34.2% of total). DOM was the major anion for all bays, and SO 4 represented 13 to 28 % of total anions. H + was not correlated to DOM or SO, in RB; H + was positively correlated to DOM and SO 4 in TB, and negatively correlated to DOM and SO 4 in EB. Different biogeochemical processes probably control pH and other chemical variables in each bay. While surface water H + was not directly correlated with precipitation H + , NO 3 , or SO 4 , precipitation and shallow groundwater are dominant water sources for these bays. Atmospheric inputs of anthropogenic acids and other chemicals are important factors influencing bay chemistry

  20. Efficient Isolation and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Cancer Cell Plasma Membrane Proteins for Identification of Metastasis-Associated Cell Surface Markers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Rikke; Leth-Larsen, Rikke; Jensen, Ole N

    2009-01-01

    Cell surface membrane proteins are involved in central processes such as cell signaling, cell-cell interactions, ion and solute transport, and they seem to play a pivotal role in several steps of the metastatic process of cancer cells. The low abundance and hydrophobic nature of cell surface...... membrane proteins complicate their purification and identification by MS. We used two isogenic cell lines with opposite metastatic capabilities in nude mice to optimize cell surface membrane protein purification and to identify potential novel markers of metastatic cancer. The cell surface membrane...... proteins were isolated by centrifugation/ultracentrifugation steps, followed by membrane separation using a Percoll/sucrose density gradient. The gradient fractions containing the cell surface membrane proteins were identified by enzymatic assays. Stable isotope labeling of the proteome of the metastatic...

  1. Roles of Bulk and Surface Chemistry in the Oxygen Exchange Kinetics and Related Properties of Mixed Conducting Perovskite Oxide Electrodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicola H. Perry

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Mixed conducting perovskite oxides and related structures serving as electrodes for electrochemical oxygen incorporation and evolution in solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells, respectively, play a significant role in determining the cell efficiency and lifetime. Desired improvements in catalytic activity for rapid surface oxygen exchange, fast bulk transport (electronic and ionic, and thermo-chemo-mechanical stability of oxygen electrodes will require increased understanding of the impact of both bulk and surface chemistry on these properties. This review highlights selected work at the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER, Kyushu University, set in the context of work in the broader community, aiming to characterize and understand relationships between bulk and surface composition and oxygen electrode performance. Insights into aspects of bulk point defect chemistry, electronic structure, crystal structure, and cation choice that impact carrier concentrations and mobilities, surface exchange kinetics, and chemical expansion coefficients are emerging. At the same time, an understanding of the relationship between bulk and surface chemistry is being developed that may assist design of electrodes with more robust surface chemistries, e.g., impurity tolerance or limited surface segregation. Ion scattering techniques (e.g., secondary ion mass spectrometry, SIMS, or low energy ion scattering spectroscopy, LEIS with high surface sensitivity and increasing lateral resolution are proving useful for measuring surface exchange kinetics, diffusivity, and corresponding outer monolayer chemistry of electrodes exposed to typical operating conditions. Beyond consideration of chemical composition, the use of strain and/or a high density of active interfaces also show promise for enhancing performance.

  2. Amphipaths Differentially Modulate Membrane Surface Deformation in Rat Peritoneal Mast Cells During Exocytosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itsuro Kazama

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Salicylate and chlorpromazine exert differential effects on the chemokine release from mast cells. Since these drugs are amphiphilic and preferentially partitioned into the lipid bilayers of the plasma membranes, they would induce some morphological changes in mast cells and thus affect the process of exocytosis. Methods: Employing the standard patch-clamp whole-cell recording technique, we examined the effects of salicylate and chlorpromazine on the membrane capacitance (Cm during exocytosis in rat peritoneal mast cells. Using confocal imaging of a water-soluble fluorescent dye, lucifer yellow, we also examined their effects on plasma membrane deformation of the cells. Results: Salicylate dramatically accelerated the GTP-γ-S-induced increase in the Cm immediately after its application, whereas chlorpromazine significantly suppressed the increase. Treatment with salicylate increased the trapping of the dye on the cell surface, while treatment with chlorpromazine completely washed it out, indicating that both drugs induced membrane surface deformation in mast cells. Conclusion: This study demonstrated for the first time that membrane amphipaths, such as salicylate and chlorpromazine, may oppositely modulate the process of exocytosis in mast cells, as detected by the changes in the Cm. The plasma membrane deformation induced by the drugs was thought to be responsible for their differential effects.

  3. Application of positron annihilation induced auger electron spectroscopy to the study of surface chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, A.H.; Yang, G.; Nangia, A.; Kim, J.H.; Fazleev, N.G.

    1996-01-01

    Positron annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES), makes use a beam of low energy positrons to excite Auger transitions by annihilating core electrons. This novel mechanism provides PAES with a number of unique features which distinguishes it from other methods of surface analysis. In PAES the very large collisionally induced secondary electron background which is present under the low energy Auger peaks using conventional techniques can be eliminated by using a positron beam whose energy is below the range of Auger electron energies. In addition, PAES is more surface selective than conventional Auger Spectroscopy because the PAES signal originates almost exclusively from the topmost atomic layer due to the fact that the positrons annihilating with the core electrons are trapped in an image correlation well just outside the surface. In this paper, recent applications of Positron Annihilation Induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES) to the study of surface structure and surface chemistry will be discussed including studies of the growth, alloying and inter-diffusion of ultrathin layers of metals, metals on semiconductors, and semiconductors on semiconductors. In addition, the possibilities for future application of PAES to the study of catalysis and surface chemistry will be outlined. (author)

  4. Surface modification of titanium membrane by chemical vapor deposition and its electrochemical self-cleaning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, X.W., E-mail: lynnww@sohu.com [School of Electronic and Information Engieering, Tianjin university, Tianjin, 300072 (China); School of Electronics Information Engieering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384 (China); Li, J.X. [Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300160 (China); Gao, C.Y. [Chinese Peoples Armed Police Forces Academy, Langfang 065000 (China); Chang, M. [School of Electronic and Information Engieering, Tianjin university, Tianjin, 300072 (China); School of Electronics Information Engieering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384 (China)

    2011-10-15

    Membrane separation is applied widely in many fields, while concentration polarization and membrane fouling, limiting its promotion and application greatly, are the bottlenecks in membrane application. Among which, membrane fouling is irreversible, membrane must be periodically cleaned or even replaced to restore permeability. Membrane cleaning has become one of Key issues in membrane separation areas. Considering incomparable electrochemical advantages of boron-doped diamond (BDD) film electrode over conventional electrode, a new composite membrane Ti/BDD, made by depositing CVD (chemical vapor deposition) boron-doped diamond film on titanium(Ti) membrane to modify porous titanium surface, that can be cleaned electrochemically is proposed. Feasibility of its preparation and application is discussed in this paper. Results shows that based on the unique electrochemical properties of diamond, cleaning level of this composite Ti/BDD membrane is significantly increased, making membrane life and efficiency improved prominently.

  5. Surface modification of titanium membrane by chemical vapor deposition and its electrochemical self-cleaning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, X.W.; Li, J.X.; Gao, C.Y.; Chang, M.

    2011-01-01

    Membrane separation is applied widely in many fields, while concentration polarization and membrane fouling, limiting its promotion and application greatly, are the bottlenecks in membrane application. Among which, membrane fouling is irreversible, membrane must be periodically cleaned or even replaced to restore permeability. Membrane cleaning has become one of Key issues in membrane separation areas. Considering incomparable electrochemical advantages of boron-doped diamond (BDD) film electrode over conventional electrode, a new composite membrane Ti/BDD, made by depositing CVD (chemical vapor deposition) boron-doped diamond film on titanium(Ti) membrane to modify porous titanium surface, that can be cleaned electrochemically is proposed. Feasibility of its preparation and application is discussed in this paper. Results shows that based on the unique electrochemical properties of diamond, cleaning level of this composite Ti/BDD membrane is significantly increased, making membrane life and efficiency improved prominently.

  6. New Concept of C–H and C–C Bond Activation via Surface Organometallic Chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Samantaray, Manoja

    2015-08-18

    In this chapter we describe the recent applications of well-defined oxidesupported metal alkyls/alkylidenes/alkylidynes and hydrides of group IV, V, and VI transition metals in the field of C–H and C–C bond activation. The activation of ubiquitous C–H and C–C bonds of paraffin is a long-standing challenge because of intrinsic low reactivity. There are many concepts derived from surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC): surface organometallic fragments are always intermediates in heterogeneous catalysis. The study of their synthesis and reactivity is a way to rationalize mechanism of heterogeneous catalysis and to achieve structure activity relationship. By surface organometallic chemistry one can enter any catalytic center by a reaction intermediate leading in fine to single site catalysts. With surface organometallic chemistry one can coordinate to the metal which can play a role in different elementary steps leading for example to C–H activation and Olefin metathesis. Because of the development of SOMC there is a lot of space for the improvement of homogeneous catalysis. After the 1997 discovery of alkane metathesis using silica-supported tantalum hydride by Basset et al. at low temperature (150ºC) the focus in this area was shifted to the discovery of more and more challenging surface complexes active in the application of C–H and C–C bond activation. Here we describe the evolution of well-defined metathesis catalyst with time as well as the effect of support on catalysis. We also describe here which metal–ligand combinations are responsible for a variety of C–H and C–C bond activation.

  7. Field and laboratory emission cell automation and control system for investigating surface chemistry reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flemmer, Michael M.; Ham, Jason E.; Wells, J. R.

    2007-01-01

    A novel system [field and laboratory emission cell (FLEC) automation and control system] has been developed to deliver ozone to a surface utilizing the FLEC to simulate indoor surface chemistry. Ozone, humidity, and air flow rate to the surface were continuously monitored using an ultraviolet ozone monitor, humidity, and flow sensors. Data from these sensors were used as feedback for system control to maintain predetermined experimental parameters. The system was used to investigate the chemistry of ozone with α-terpineol on a vinyl surface over 72h. Keeping all other experimental parameters the same, volatile organic compound emissions from the vinyl tile with α-terpineol were collected from both zero and 100ppb(partsper109) ozone exposures. System stability profiles collected from sensor data indicated experimental parameters were maintained to within a few percent of initial settings. Ozone data from eight experiments at 100ppb (over 339h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 1.65ppb and a 95% tolerance of 3.3ppb. Humidity data from 17 experiments at 50% relative humidity (over 664h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 1.38% and a 95% tolerance of 2.77%. Data of the flow rate of air flowing through the FLEC from 14 experiments at 300ml/min (over 548h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 3.02ml/min and a 95% tolerance range of 6.03ml/min. Initial experimental results yielded long term emissions of ozone/α-terpineol reaction products, suggesting that surface chemistry could play an important role in indoor environments.

  8. Surface Modification of Polypropylene Microporous Membrane by Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Immobilization of N,N-dimethylamino Ethyl Methacrylate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong Shaofeng

    2010-01-01

    Surface modification of polypropylene microporous membrane (PPMM) was performed by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma immobilization of N,N-dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Structural and morphological changes on the membrane surface were characterized by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR/ATR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Water contact angles of the membrane surfaces were also measured by the sessile drop method. Results reveal that both the plasma-treating conditions and the adsorbed DMAEMA amount have remarkable effects on the immobilization degree of DMAEMA. Peroxide determination by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrvlhydrazyl (DPPH) method verifies the exsistence of radicals induced by plasma, which activize the immobilization reaction. Pure water contact angle on the membrane surface decreased with the increase of DMAEMA immobilization degree, which indicates an enhanced hydrophilicity for the modified membranes. The effects of immobilization degrees on pure water fluxes were also measured. It is shown that pure water fluxes first increased with immobilization degree and then decreased. Finally, permeation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme solution were measured to evaluate the antifouling property of the DMAEMA-modified membranes, from which it is shown that both hydrophilicity and electrostatic repulsion are beneficial for membrane antifouling.

  9. Interactions between oxygen permeation and homogeneous-phase fuel conversion on the sweep side of an ion transport membrane

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jongsup

    2013-02-01

    The interactions between oxygen permeation and homogeneous fuel oxidation reactions on the sweep side of an ion transport membrane (ITM) are examined using a comprehensive model, which couples the dependency of the oxygen permeation rate on the membrane surface conditions and detailed chemistry and transport in the vicinity of the membrane. We assume that the membrane surface is not catalytic to hydrocarbon or syngas oxidation. Results show that increasing the sweep gas inlet temperature and fuel concentration enhances oxygen permeation substantially. This is accomplished through promoting oxidation reactions (oxygen consumption) and the transport of the products and reaction heat towards the membrane, which lowers the oxygen concentration and increases the gas temperature near the membrane. Faster reactions at higher fuel concentration and higher inlet gas temperature support substantial fuel conversion and lead to a higher oxygen permeation flux without the contribution of surface catalytic activity. Beyond a certain maximum in the fuel concentration, extensive heat loss to the membrane (and feed side) reduces the oxidation kinetic rates and limits oxygen permeation as the reaction front reaches the membrane. The sweep gas flow rate and channel height have moderate impacts on oxygen permeation and fuel conversion due to the residence time requirements for the chemical reactions and the location of the reaction zone relative to the membrane surface. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

  10. Influence of surface microstructure and chemistry on osteoinduction and osteoclastogenesis by biphasic calcium phosphate discs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NL Davison

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available It has been reported that surface microstructural dimensions can influence the osteoinductivity of calcium phosphates (CaPs, and osteoclasts may play a role in this process. We hypothesised that surface structural dimensions of ≤ 1 μm trigger osteoinduction and osteoclast formation irrespective of macrostructure (e.g., concavities, interconnected macropores, interparticle space or surface chemistry. To test this, planar discs made of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP: 80 % hydroxyapatite, 20 % tricalcium phosphate were prepared with different surface structural dimensions – either ~ 1 μm (BCP1150 or ~ 2-4 μm (BCP1300 – and no macropores or concavities. A third material was made by sputter coating BCP1150 with titanium (BCP1150Ti, thereby changing its surface chemistry but preserving its surface structure and chemical reactivity. After intramuscular implantation in 5 dogs for 12 weeks, BCP1150 formed ectopic bone in 4 out of 5 samples, BCP1150Ti formed ectopic bone in 3 out of 5 samples, and BCP1300 formed no ectopic bone in any of the 5 samples. In vivo, large multinucleated osteoclast-like cells densely colonised BCP1150, smaller osteoclast-like cells formed on BCP1150Ti, and osteoclast-like cells scarcely formed on BCP1300. In vitro, RAW264.7 cells cultured on the surface of BCP1150 and BCP1150Ti in the presence of osteoclast differentiation factor RANKL (receptor activator for NF-κB ligand proliferated then differentiated into multinucleated osteoclast-like cells with positive tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP activity. However, cell proliferation, fusion, and TRAP activity were all significantly inhibited on BCP1300. These results indicate that of the material parameters tested – namely, surface microstructure, macrostructure, and surface chemistry – microstructural dimensions are critical in promoting osteoclastogenesis and triggering ectopic bone formation.

  11. Solvent accessible surface area (ASA) of simulated phospholipid membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tuchsen, E.; Jensen, Morten Østergaard; Westh, P.

    2003-01-01

    The membrane-solvent interface has been investigated through calculations of the solvent accessible surface area (ASA) for simulated membranes of DPPC and POPE. For DPPC at 52 degreesC we found an ASA of 126 +/- 8 Angstrom(2) per lipid molecule, equivalent to twice the projected lateral area......, even the most exposed parts of the PC head-group show average ASAs of less than half of its maximal or 'fully hydrated' value. The average ASA of a simulated POPE membrane was 96 +/- 7 Angstrom(2) per lipid. The smaller value than for DPPC reflects much lower ASA of the ammonium ion, which is partially...... compensated by increased exposure of the ethylene and phosphate moieties. The ASA of the polar moieties Of (PO4, NH3 and COO) constitutes 65% of the total accessible area for POPE, making this interface more polar than that of DPPC. It is suggested that ASA information can be valuable in attempts...

  12. Molecular-level chemistry of model single-crystal oxide surfaces with model halogenated compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adib, Kaveh

    Synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) have been used to investigate, at a molecular level, the chemistry of different terminations of single crystal iron-oxide surfaces with probe molecules (CCl4 and D2O). Comparisons of the reactivity of these surfaces towards CCl4, indicate that the presence of an uncapped surface Fe cation (strong Lewis acid site) and an adjacent oxygen site capped by that cation can effect the C-Cl bond cleavage in CCl4, resulting in dissociatively adsorbed Cl-adatoms and carbon-containing fragments. If in addition to these sites, an uncapped surface oxygen (Lewis base) site is also available, the carbon-containing moiety can then move that site, coordinate itself with that uncapped oxygen, and stabilize itself. At a later step, the carbon-containing fragment may form a strong covalent bond with the uncapped oxygen and may even abstract that surface oxygen. On the other hand, if an uncapped oxygen is not available to stabilize the carbon-containing fragment, the surface coordination will not occur and upon the subsequent thermal annealing of the surface the Cl-adatoms and the carbon-containing fragments will recombine and desorb as CCl4. Finally, the presence of surface deuteroxyls blocking the strong Lewis acid and base sites of the reactive surface, passivates this surface. Such a deuteroxylated surface will be unreactive towards CCl 4. Such a molecular level understanding of the surface chemistry of metal-oxides will have applications in the areas of selective catalysis, including environmental catalysis, and chemical sensor technology.

  13. Unravelling the surface chemistry of metal oxide nanocrystals, the role of acids and bases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Roo, Jonathan; Van den Broeck, Freya; De Keukeleere, Katrien; Martins, José C; Van Driessche, Isabel; Hens, Zeger

    2014-07-09

    We synthesized HfO2 nanocrystals from HfCl4 using a surfactant-free solvothermal process in benzyl alcohol and found that the resulting nanocrystals could be transferred to nonpolar media using a mixture of carboxylic acids and amines. Using solution (1)H NMR, FTIR, and elemental analysis, we studied the details of the transfer reaction and the surface chemistry of the resulting sterically stabilized nanocrystals. As-synthesized nanocrystals are charge-stabilized by protons, with chloride acting as the counterion. Treatment with only carboxylic acids does not lead to any binding of ligands to the HfO2 surface. On the other hand, we find that the addition of amines provides the basic environment in which carboxylic acids can dissociate and replace chloride. This results in stable, aggregate-free dispersions of HfO2 nanocrystals, sterically stabilized by carboxylate ligands. Moreover, titrations with deuterated carboxylic acid show that the charge on the carboxylate ligands is balanced by coadsorbed protons. Hence, opposite from the X-type/nonstoichiometric nanocrystals picture prevailing in literature, one should look at HfO2/carboxylate nanocrystals as systems where carboxylic acids are dissociatively adsorbed to bind to the nanocrystals. Similar results were obtained with ZrO2 NCs. Since proton accommodation on the surface is most likely due to the high Brønsted basicity of oxygen, our model could be a more general picture for the surface chemistry of metal oxide nanocrystals with important consequences on the chemistry of ligand exchange reactions.

  14. Single-molecule resolution of protein dynamics on polymeric membrane surfaces: the roles of spatial and population heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langdon, Blake B; Mirhossaini, Roya B; Mabry, Joshua N; Sriram, Indira; Lajmi, Ajay; Zhang, Yanxia; Rojas, Orlando J; Schwartz, Daniel K

    2015-02-18

    Although polymeric membranes are widely used in the purification of protein pharmaceuticals, interactions between biomolecules and membrane surfaces can lead to reduced membrane performance and damage to the product. In this study, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy provided direct observation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human monoclonal antibody (IgG) dynamics at the interface between aqueous buffer and polymeric membrane materials including regenerated cellulose and unmodified poly(ether sulfone) (PES) blended with either polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl acetate-co-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVAc-PVP), or polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGM) before casting. These polymer surfaces were compared with model surfaces composed of hydrophilic bare fused silica and hydrophobic trimethylsilane-coated fused silica. At extremely dilute protein concentrations (10(-3)-10(-7) mg/mL), protein surface exchange was highly dynamic with protein monomers desorbing from the surface within ∼1 s after adsorption. Protein oligomers (e.g., nonspecific dimers, trimers, or larger aggregates), although less common, remained on the surface for 5 times longer than monomers. Using newly developed super-resolution methods, we could localize adsorption sites with ∼50 nm resolution and quantify the spatial heterogeneity of the various surfaces. On a small anomalous subset of the adsorption sites, proteins adsorbed preferentially and tended to reside for significantly longer times (i.e., on "strong" sites). Proteins resided for shorter times overall on surfaces that were more homogeneous and exhibited fewer strong sites (e.g., PVAc-PVP/PES). We propose that strong surface sites may nucleate protein aggregation, initiated preferentially by protein oligomers, and accelerate ultrafiltration membrane fouling. At high protein concentrations (0.3-1.0 mg/mL), fewer strong adsorption sites were observed, and surface residence times were reduced. This suggests that at high concentrations

  15. Adsorption of dyes by ACs prepared from waste tyre reinforcing fibre. Effect of texture, surface chemistry and pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acevedo, Beatriz; Rocha, Raquel P; Pereira, Manuel F R; Figueiredo, José L; Barriocanal, Carmen

    2015-12-01

    This paper compares the importance of the texture and surface chemistry of waste tyre activated carbons in the adsorption of commercial dyes. The adsorption of two commercial dyes, Basic Astrazon Yellow 7GLL and Reactive Rifafix Red 3BN on activated carbons made up of reinforcing fibres from tyre waste and low-rank bituminous coal was studied. The surface chemistry of activated carbons was modified by means of HCl-HNO3 treatment in order to increase the number of functional groups. Moreover, the influence of the pH on the process was also studied, this factor being of great importance due to the amphoteric characteristics of activated carbons. The activated carbons made with reinforcing fibre and coal had the highest SBET, but the reinforcing fibre activated carbon samples had the highest mesopore volume. The texture of the activated carbons was not modified upon acid oxidation treatment, unlike their surface chemistry which underwent considerable modification. The activated carbons made with a mixture of reinforcing fibre and coal experienced the largest degree of oxidation, and so had more acid surface groups. The adsorption of reactive dye was governed by the mesoporous volume, whilst surface chemistry played only a secondary role. However, the surface chemistry of the activated carbons and dispersive interactions played a key role in the adsorption of the basic dye. The adsorption of the reactive dye was more favored in a solution of pH 2, whereas the basic dye was adsorbed more easily in a solution of pH 12. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Adhesion strength and spreading characteristics of EPS on membrane surfaces during lateral and central growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tansel, Berrin; Tansel, Derya Z

    2013-11-01

    Deposition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on membrane surfaces is a precursor step for bacterial attachment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the morphological changes on a clean polysulfone ultrafilration membrane after exposure to effluent from a membrane bioreactor. The effluent was filtered to remove bacteria before exposing the membrane. The morphological characterization was performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The lateral (2D) and central growth characteristics (3D) of the EPS deposits were evaluated by section and topographical analyses of the height images. The contact angle of single EPS units was 9.07 ± 0.50° which increased to 24.41 ± 1.00° for large clusters (over 10 units) and decreased to 18.68 ± 1.00° for the multilayered clusters. The surface tension of the single EPS units was 49.34 ± 1.70 mNm(-1). The surface tension of single layered small and large EPS clusters were 51.26 ± 2.05 and 53.48 ± 2.01 mNm(-1), respectively. For the multilayered clusters, the surface tension was 51.43 ± 2.05 mNm(-1). The spreading values were negative for all deposits on the polysulfone membrane indicating that the EPS clusters did not have tendency to spread but preferred to retain their shapes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Hybrid membrane-microfluidic components using a novel ceramic MEMS technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutz, Brent J.; Polyakov, Oleg; Rinaldo, Chris

    2012-03-01

    A novel hybrid nano/microfabrication technology has been employed to produce unique MEMS and microfluidic components that integrate nanoporous membranes. The components are made by micromachining a self-organized nanostructured ceramic material that is biocompatible and amenable to surface chemistry modification. Microfluidic structures, such as channels and wells, can be made with a precision of membranes can be integrated into the bottom of these structures, featuring a wide range of possible thicknesses, from 100 micron to membranes may be non-porous or porous (with controllable pore sizes from 200 nm to technology is highly scaleable, and thus can yield low-cost, reliable, disposable microcomponents and devices. Specific applications that can benefit from this technology includes cell culturing and assays, imaging by cryo-electron tomography, environmental sample processing, as well as many others.

  18. Impact of water chemistry on surface charge and aggregation of polystyrene microspheres suspensions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Songhua; Zhu, Kairuo; Song, Wencheng; Song, Gang; Chen, Diyun; Hayat, Tasawar; Alharbi, Njud S; Chen, Changlun; Sun, Yubing

    2018-07-15

    The discharge of microplastics into aquatic environment poses the potential threat to the hydrocoles and human health. The fate and transport of microplastics in aqueous solutions are significantly influenced by water chemistry. In this study, the effect of water chemistry (i.e., pH, foreign salts and humic acid) on the surface charge and aggregation of polystyrene microsphere in aqueous solutions was conducted by batch, zeta potentials, hydrodynamic diameters, FT-IR and XPS analysis. Compared to Na + and K + , the lower negative zeta potentials and larger hydrodynamic diameters of polystyrene microspheres after introduction of Mg 2+ were observed within a wide range of pH (2.0-11.0) and ionic strength (IS, 0.01-500mmol/L). No effect of Cl - , HCO 3 - and SO 4 2- on the zeta potentials and hydrodynamic diameters of polystyrene microspheres was observed at low IS concentrations (10mmol/L). The zeta potentials of polystyrene microspheres after HA addition were decreased at pH2.0-11.0, whereas the lower hydrodynamic diameters were observed at pH<4.0. According to FT-IR and XPS analysis, the change in surface properties of polystyrene microspheres after addition of hydrated Mg 2+ and HA was attributed to surface electrostatic and/or steric repulsions. These investigations are crucial for understanding the effect of water chemistry on colloidal stability of microplastics in aquatic environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Chitosan/polyanion surface modification of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer membrane for wound dressing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jen Ming; Yang, Jhe-Hao; Huang, Huei Tsz

    2014-01-01

    The surface of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS) membrane is modified with tri-steps in this study. At first, two step modified SBS membrane (MSBS) was prepared with epoxidation and ring opening reaction with maleated ionomer. Then chitosan was used as the polycation electrolyte and sodium alginate, poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA) and poly(aspartic acid) (PAsp) were selected as polyanion electrolytes to deposit on the surfaces of MSBS membrane by the layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) deposition technique to get three [chitosan/polyanion] LbL modified SBS membranes, ([CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp]). From the quantitative XPS analysis and water contact angle measurement, it is found that the order of wettability and the content of functional group percentages of COO(-) and OCN on the three [CS/polyanion] systems are [CS/Alg]>[CS/PGA]>[CS/PAsp]. Performances of water vapor transmission rates, fibronectin adsorption, antibacterial assessment and 3T3 fibroblast cell growth on [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp] membranes were also evaluated. With the evaluation of water vapor transmission rate, these [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp] membranes are sterile semipermeable with water evaporation at about 82±8g/day·m(2). It is found that the amount of fibronectin adsorption on the three [CS/polyanion] systems is significantly determined by the sum of the functional group of COO(-) and OCN on the surfaces of [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp] systems. The results are inverse with the sum of the functional group of COO(-) and OCN on the three [CS/polyanion]. From the cytotoxicity test and cell adhesion and proliferation assay of 3T3 fibroblasts on the three [CS/polyanion] systems, it revealed that the cells not only remained viable but they also proliferated on the surfaces of [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp]. The bactericidal activity was found on [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp]. The transport of bacterial through these [CS/polyanion] membranes was also conducted

  20. Bacterial resistance of self-assembled surfaces using PPOm-b-PSBMAn zwitterionic copolymer - concomitant effects of surface topography and surface chemistry on attachment of live bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Sheng-Wen; Venault, Antoine; Yang, Hui-Shan; Chang, Yung

    2014-06-01

    Three well-defined diblock copolymers made of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (poly(SBMA)) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) groups were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. They were physically adsorbed onto three types of surfaces having different topography, including smooth flat surface, convex surface, and indented surface. Chemical state of surfaces was characterized by XPS while the various topographies were examined by SEM and AFM. Hydrophilicity of surfaces was dependent on both the surface chemistry and the surface topography, suggesting that orientation of copolymer brushes can be tuned in the design of surfaces aimed at resisting bacterial attachment. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli with green fluorescent protein (E. coli GFP) were used in bacterial tests to assess the resistance to bacterial attachment of poly(SBMA)-covered surfaces. Results highlighted a drastic improvement of resistance to bacterial adhesion with the increasing of poly(SBMA) to PPO ratio, as well as an important effect of surface topography. The chemical effect was directly related to the length of the hydrophilic moieties. When longer, more water could be entrapped, leading to improved anti-bacterial properties. The physical effect impacted on the orientation of the copolymer brushes, as well as on the surface contact area available. Convex surfaces as well as indented surfaces wafer presented the best resistance to bacterial adhesion. Indeed, bacterial attachment was more importantly reduced on these surfaces compared with smooth surfaces. It was explained by the non-orthogonal orientation of copolymer brushes, resulting in a more efficient surface coverage of zwitterionic molecules. This work suggests that not only the control of surface chemistry is essential in the preparation of surfaces resisting bacterial attachment, but also the control of surface topography and orientation of antifouling

  1. Fabrication of cell outer membrane mimetic polymer brush on polysulfone surface via RAFT technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Qian; Zhang Hui; Zhao Jiang; Gong Yongkuan

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Cell membrane mimetic antifouling polymer brush was grown on polysulfone surface. ► Graft density and polymerization degree were calculated from XPS results. ► Water contact angle measurements showed an extremely hydrophilic surface. ► Platelet adhesion and protein adsorption results suggested excellent antifouling ability. - Abstract: Cell membrane mimetic antifouling polymer brush was grown on polysulfone (PSF) membrane by surface-induced reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC). The RAFT agent immobilized PSF substrate was prepared by successive chloromethylation, amination with ethylenediamine (EDA) and amidation of the amine group of grafted EDA with the carboxylic group of 4-cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate (CPAD). The surface RAFT polymerization of MPC was initiated in aqueous solution by 4,4′-azobis-4-cyanopentanoic acid (ACPA). The formation of PMPC brush coating is evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. The degree of polymerization of PMPC and the polymer grafting density were calculated from the high resolution XPS spectra. The platelet adhesion and protein adsorption results showed that the PMPC-grafted PSF surface has excellent antifouling ability to resist platelet adhesion completely and suppress protein adsorption significantly. This biomimetic and bio-friendly surface RAFT polymerization strategy could be promising for a variety of biomedical applications.

  2. Surface nanostructuring of thin film composite membranes via grafting polymerization and incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isawi, Heba; El-Sayed, Magdi H.; Feng, Xianshe; Shawky, Hosam; Abdel Mottaleb, Mohamed S.

    2016-11-01

    A new approach for modification of polyamid thin film composite membrane PA(TFC) using synthesized ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) was shown to enhance the membrane performances for reverse osmosis water desalination. First, active layer of synthesis PA(TFC) membrane was activated with an aqueous solution of free radical graft polymerization of hydrophilic methacrylic acid (MAA) monomer onto the surface of the PA(TFC) membrane resulting PMAA-g-PA(TFC). Second, the PA(TFC) membrane has been developed by incorporation of ZnO NPs into the MAA grafting solution resulting the ZnO NPs modified PMAA-g-PA(TFC) membrane. The surface properties of the synthesized nanoparticles and prepared membranes were investigated using the FTIR, XRD and SEM. Morphology studies demonstrated that ZnO NPs have been successfully incorporated into the active grafting layer over PA(TFC) composite membranes. The zinc leaching from the ZnO NPs modified PMAA-g-PA(TFC) was minimal, as shown by batch tests that indicated stabilization of the ZnO NPs on the membrane surfaces. Compared with the a pure PA(TFC) and PMAA-g-PA(TFC) membranes, the ZnO NPs modified PMAA-g-PA(TFC) was more hydrophilic, with an improved water contact angle (∼50 ± 3°) over the PMAA-g-PA(TFC) (63 ± 2.5°). The ZnO NPs modified PMAA-g-PA(TFC) membrane showed salt rejection of 97% (of the total groundwater salinity), 99% of dissolved bivalent ions (Ca2+, SO42-and Mg2+), and 98% of mono valent ions constituents (Cl- and Na+). In addition, antifouling performance of the membranes was determined using E. coli as a potential foulant. This demonstrates that the ZnO NPs modified PMAA-g-PA(TFC) membrane can significantly improve the membrane performances and was favorable to enhance the selectivity, permeability, water flux, mechanical properties and the bio-antifouling properties of the membranes for water desalination.

  3. Surface chemistry manipulation of gold nanorods preserves optical properties for bio-imaging applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polito, Anthony B.; Maurer-Gardner, Elizabeth I.; Hussain, Saber M., E-mail: saber.hussain@us.af.mil [Air Force Research Laboratory, Molecular Bioeffects Branch, Bioeffects Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate (United States)

    2015-12-15

    Due to their anisotropic shape, gold nanorods (GNRs) possess a number of advantages for biosystem use including, enhanced surface area and tunable optical properties within the near-infrared (NIR) region. However, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide-related cytotoxicity, overall poor cellular uptake following surface chemistry modifications, and loss of NIR optical properties due to material intracellular aggregation in combination remain as obstacles for nanobased biomedical GNR applications. In this article, we report that tannic acid-coated 11-mercaptoundecyl trimethylammonium bromide (MTAB) GNRs (MTAB-TA) show no significant decrease in either in vitro cell viability or stress activation after exposures to A549 human alveolar epithelial cells. In addition, MTAB-TA GNRs demonstrate a substantial level of cellular uptake while displaying a unique intracellular clustering pattern. This clustering pattern significantly reduces intracellular aggregation, preserving the GNRs NIR optical properties, vital for biomedical imaging applications. These results demonstrate how surface chemistry modifications enhance biocompatibility, allow for higher rate of internalization with low intracellular aggregation of MTAB-TA GNRs, and identify them as prime candidates for use in nanobased bio-imaging applications.Graphical Abstract.

  4. Fabrication of TiO_2-modified polytetrafluoroethylene ultrafiltration membranes via plasma-enhanced surface graft pretreatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, Yingjia; Chi, Lina; Zhou, Weili; Yu, Zhenjiang; Zhang, Zhongzhi; Zhang, Zhenjia; Jiang, Zheng

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Multifunctional TiO_2/PAA/PTFE ultrafiltration membrane was fabricated via tight coating of TiO_2 functional layer onto the plasma-assisted graft of PAA on PTFE. • The high water flux rate, remarkable enhanced ultrafiltration performance and excellent self-cleaning ability were demonstrated. • The formation of COO−Ti bidentate coordination between TiO_2 and PAA was responsible for the successful coating. - Abstract: Surface hydrophilic modification of polymer ultrafiltration membrane using metal oxide represents an effective yet highly challenging solution to improve water flux and antifouling performance. Via plasma-enhanced graft of poly acryl acid (PAA) prior to coating TiO_2, we successfully fixed TiO_2 functional thin layer on super hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The characterization results evidenced TiO_2 attached on the PTFE-based UF membranes through the chelating bidentate coordination between surface-grafted carboxyl group and Ti"4"+. The TiO_2 surface modification may greatly reduce the water contact angle from 115.8° of the PTFE membrane to 35.0° without degradation in 30-day continuous filtration operations. The novel TiO_2/PAA/PTFE membranes also exhibited excellent antifouling and self-cleaning performance due to the intrinsic hydrophilicity and photocatalysis properties of TiO_2, which was further confirmed by the photo-degradation of MB under Xe lamp irradiation.

  5. Dynamic potential and surface morphology study of sertraline membrane sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khater, M.M.; Issa, Y.M.; Hassib, H.B.; Mohammed, S.H.

    2014-01-01

    New rapid, sensitive and simple electrometric method was developed to determine sertraline hydrochloride (Ser-Cl) in its pure raw material and pharmaceutical formulations. Membrane sensors based on heteropolyacids as ion associating material were prepared. Silicomolybdic acid (SMA), silicotungstic acid (STA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) were used. The slope and limit of detection are 50.00, 60.00 and 53.24 mV/decade and 2.51, 5.62 and 4.85 μmol L−1 for Ser-ST, Ser-PM and Ser-SM membrane sensors, respectively. Linear range is 0.01–10.00 for the three sensors. These new sensors were used for the potentiometric titration of Ser-Cl using sodium tetraphenylborate as titrant. The surface morphologies of the prepared membranes with and without the modifier (ion-associate) were studied using scanning and atomic force microscopes. PMID:26257944

  6. Polypropylene non-woven fabric membrane via surface modification with biomimetic phosphorylcholine in Ce(IV)/HNO{sub 3} redox system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao Jie; Shi Qiang; Luan Shifang; Song Lingjie; Yang Huawei [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Stagnaro, Paola [Istituto per Io Studio delle Macromolecole, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via de Marini 6, 16149 Genova (Italy); Yin Jinghua, E-mail: yinjh@ciac.jl.cn [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

    2012-10-01

    Surface modification of polypropylene non-woven fabric membrane (NWF) for improving its hemocompatibility was developed by grafting a biomimic monomer, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorycholine (MPC). The NWF membrane surface was first activated by potassium peroxydisulfate to form hydroxyl groups, and then grafted with MPC using ceric (IV) ammonium nitrate as the redox initiator. The surface chemical changes before and after modification were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with an ATR unit (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); the water contact angle results showed the gradual changes in wettability from hydrophobic to hydrophilic surface. Meanwhile, the hemocompatibility of these samples was also evaluated by protein adsorption and platelet adhesion. These experimental results exhibited that the introduction of poly(MPC) onto the NWF membrane surfaces substantially improved their hemocompatibility. The feasibility and simplicity of this procedure may lead to potential applications of NWF membranes in biomedical separation and blood purification. - Graphical abstract: 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorycholine (MPC), was grafted onto non-woven fabric (NWF) membrane surface by Ce(IV)/HNO{sub 3} redox system. The protein adsorption and platelet adhesion were substantially suppressed by the introduction of poly(MPC). Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MPC was successfully grafted onto NWF PP membrane surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Obviously enhanced hemocompatibility was acquired by the modified samples. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A facile redox grafting was adopted in the whole process.

  7. Effect of membrane hydrophilization on ultrafiltration performance for biomolecules separation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Susanto, H., E-mail: heru.susanto@undip.ac.id [Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Jl. Prof. Sudarto-Tembalang, Semarang (Indonesia); Roihatin, A.; Aryanti, N.; Anggoro, D.D. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Jl. Prof. Sudarto-Tembalang, Semarang (Indonesia); Ulbricht, M. [Lehrstuhl fuer Technische Chemie, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Germany, Universitaetstr. 5, Essen (Germany)

    2012-10-01

    This paper compares the performance of different hydrophilization methods to prepare low fouling ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The methods include post-modification with hydrophilic polymer and blending of hydrophilic agent during either conventional or reactive phase separation (PS). The post-modification was done by photograft copolymerization of water-soluble monomer, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), onto a commercial polyethersulfone (PES) UF membrane. Hydrophilization via blend polymer membrane with hydrophilic additive was performed using non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). In reactive PS method, the cast membrane was UV-irradiated before coagulation. The resulting membrane characteristic, the performance and hydrophilization stability were systematically compared. The investigated membrane characteristics include surface hydrophilicity (by contact angle /CA/), surface chemistry (by FTIR spectroscopy), and surface morphology (by scanning electron microscopy). The membrane performance was examined by investigation of adsorptive fouling and ultrafiltration using solution of protein or polysaccharide or humic acid. The results suggest that all methods could increase the hydrophilicity of the membrane yielding less fouling. Post-modification decreased CA from 44.8 {+-} 4.2{sup o} to 37.8 {+-} 4.2{sup o} to 42.5 {+-} 4.3{sup o} depending on the degree of grafting (DG). The hydrophilization via polymer blend decreased CA from from 65 deg. to 54 deg. for PEG concentration of 5%. Nevertheless, decreasing hydraulic permeability was observed after post-modification as well as during polymer blend modification. Stability examination showed that there was leaching out of modifier agent from the membrane matrix prepared via conventional PS after 10 days soaking in both water and NaOH. Reactive PS could increase the stability of the modifier agent in membrane matrix. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We compared different methods to prepare low

  8. The effects of surface-charged submicron polystyrene particles on the structure and performance of PSF forward osmosis membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Hao-Ran; Fu, Jia-Bei; Cao, Gui-Ping; Hu, Nian; Lu, Hui; Liu, Hui-Qing; Chen, Peng-Peng; Yu, Jie

    2018-04-01

    Monodisperse surface-charged submicron polystyrene particles were designed, synthesized, and blended into polysulfone (PSF) support layer to prepare forward osmosis (FO) membrane with high performance. The membrane incorporated with particles were characterized with respect to morphology, porosity, and internal osmotic pressure (IOP). Results showed that the polymer particles not only increased the hydrophilicity and porosity of support layer, but also generated considerable IOP, which helped markedly decreasing the structure parameter from 1550 to 670 μm. The measured mass transfer parameters further confirmed the beneficial effects of the surface-charged submicron polymer particles on the performance of FO membrane. For instance, the water permeability coefficient (5.37 L m-2 h-1 bar-1) and water flux (49.7 L m-2 h-1) of the FO membrane incorporated with 5 wt% particles were almost twice as much as that of FO membrane without incorporation. This study suggests that monodisperse surface-charged submicron polymer particles are potential modifiers for improving the performance of FO membranes.

  9. Measuring restoration progress using pore- and surface-water chemistry across a chronosequence of formerly afforested blanket bogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaffney, Paul P J; Hancock, Mark H; Taggart, Mark A; Andersen, Roxane

    2018-08-01

    During the restoration of degraded bogs and other peatlands, both habitat and functional recovery can be closely linked with nutrient cycling, which is reflected in pore- and surface-water chemistry. Several peatland restoration studies have shown that the time required for recovery of target conditions is slow (>10 years); for heavily-impacted, drained and afforested peatlands of northern Scotland, recovery time is unknown. We monitored pore- and surface-water chemistry across a chronosequence of formerly drained, afforested bog restoration sites spanning 0-17 years, using a space-for-time substitution, and compared them with open blanket bog control sites. Our aims were to measure rate of recovery towards bog conditions and to identify the best suite of water chemistry variables to indicate recovery. Our results show progress in recovery towards bog conditions over a 0-17 year period post-restoration. Elements scavenged by trees (Mg, Na, S) completely recovered within that period. Many water chemistry variables were affected by the restoration process itself, but recovered within 11 years, except ammonium (NH 4 + ), Zn and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which remained elevated (when compared to control bogs) 17 years post restoration. Other variables did not completely recover (water table depth (WTD), pH), exhibiting what we term "legacy" effects of drainage and afforestation. Excess N and a lowered WTD are likely to slow the recovery of bog vegetation including key bog plants such as Sphagnum mosses. Over 17 years, we measured near-complete recovery in the chemistry of surface-water and deep pore-water but limited progress in shallow pore-water. Our results suggest that at least >17 years are required for complete recovery of water chemistry to bog conditions. However, we expect that newer restoration methods including conifer harvesting (stem plus brash) and the blocking of plough furrows (to increase the WTD) are likely to accelerate the restoration process

  10. Olopatadine Inhibits Exocytosis in Rat Peritoneal Mast Cells by Counteracting Membrane Surface Deformation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asuka Baba

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Backgroud/Aims: Besides its anti-allergic properties as a histamine receptor antagonist, olopatadine stabilizes mast cells by inhibiting the release of chemokines. Since olopatadine bears amphiphilic features and is preferentially partitioned into the lipid bilayers of the plasma membrane, it would induce some morphological changes in mast cells and thus affect the process of exocytosis. Methods: Employing the standard patch-clamp whole-cell recording technique, we examined the effects of olopatadine and other anti-allergic drugs on the membrane capacitance (Cm in rat peritoneal mast cells during exocytosis. Using confocal imaging of a water-soluble fluorescent dye, lucifer yellow, we also examined their effects on the deformation of the plasma membrane. Results: Low concentrations of olopatadine (1 or 10 µM did not significantly affect the GTP-γ-S-induced increase in the Cm. However, 100 µM and 1 mM olopatadine almost totally suppressed the increase in the Cm. Additionally, these doses completely washed out the trapping of the dye on the cell surface, indicating that olopatadine counteracted the membrane surface deformation induced by exocytosis. As shown by electron microscopy, olopatadine generated inward membrane bending in mast cells. Conclusion: This study provides electrophysiological evidence for the first time that olopatadine dose-dependently inhibits the process of exocytosis in rat peritoneal mast cells. Such mast cell stabilizing properties of olopatadine may be attributed to its counteracting effects on the plasma membrane deformation in degranulating mast cells.

  11. Adsorption and enzymatic cleavage of osteopontin at interfaces with different surface chemistries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malmström, Jenny; Shipovskov, Stepan; Christensen, Brian

    2009-01-01

    (methyl-, carboxylic-, and amine-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers and bare gold) have been studied utilizing a combination of the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and surface plasmon resonance. Full length bovine milk osteopontin was used which is well characterized...... at the polar surfaces with the highest level of hydration being observed at the gold surface. The energy dissipation of these thin films (as measured by the DeltaD/DeltaF value) was altered at the different surface chemistries and interestingly a higher dissipation correlated with a higher density. Thrombin...... with respect to post-translational modifications. Osteopontin adsorbed at all the surfaces formed thin (approximately 2-5 nm) hydrated layers with the highest amount of protein and the highest density layers observed at the hydrophobic surface. Less protein and a higher level of hydration was observed...

  12. Quantum confinement and surface chemistry of 0.8–1.6 nm hydrosilylated silicon nanocrystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pi Xiao-Dong; Wang Rong; Yang De-Ren

    2014-01-01

    In the framework of density functional theory (DFT), we have studied the electronic properties of alkene/alkyne-hydrosilylated silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) in the size range from 0.8 nm to 1.6 nm. Among the alkenes with all kinds of functional groups considered in this work, only those containing —NH 2 and —C 4 H 3 S lead to significant hydrosilylation-induced changes in the gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of an Si NC at the ground state. The quantum confinement effect is dominant for all of the alkene-hydrosilylated Si NCs at the ground state. At the excited state, the prevailing effect of surface chemistry only occurs at the smallest (0.8 nm) Si NCs hydrosilylated with alkenes containing —NH 2 and —C 4 H 3 S. Although the alkyne hydrosilylation gives rise to a more significant surface chemistry effect than alkene hydrosilylation, the quantum confinement effect remains dominant for alkyne-hydrosilylated Si NCs at the ground state. However, at the excited state, the effect of surface chemistry induced by the hydrosilylation with conjugated alkynes is strong enough to prevail over that of quantum confinement. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

  13. Method for plasma surface treating and preparation of membrane layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1992-01-01

    The invention relates to an apparatus suitable for plasma surface treating (e.g. forming a membrane layer on a substrate) which comprises a plasma generation section (2) which is in communication via at least one plasma inlet means (4) (e.g. a nozzle) with an enclosed plasma treating section (3)

  14. Ion track membranes providing heat pipe surfaces with capillary structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akapiev, G.N.; Dmitriev, S.N.; Erler, B.; Shirkova, V.V.; Schulz, A.; Pietsch, H.

    2003-01-01

    The microgalvanic method for metal filling of etched ion tracks in organic foils is of particular interest for the fabrication of microsized structures. Microstructures like copper whiskers with a high aspect ratio produced in ion track membranes are suitable for the generation of high-performance heat transfer surfaces. A surface with good heat transfer characteristics is defined as a surface on which a small temperature difference causes a large heat transfer from the surface material to the liquid. It is well-known that a porous surface layer transfers to an evaporating liquid a given quantity of heat at a smaller temperature difference than does a usual smooth surface. Copper whiskers with high aspect ratio and a density 10 5 per cm 2 form such a porous structure, which produces strong capillary forces and therefore a maximum of heat transfer coefficients

  15. Ethers on Si(001): A Prime Example for the Common Ground between Surface Science and Molecular Organic Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pecher, Lisa; Laref, Slimane; Raupach, Marc; Tonner, Ralf

    2017-11-20

    By using computational chemistry it has been shown that the adsorption of ether molecules on Si(001) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions can be understood with classical concepts of organic chemistry. Detailed analysis of the two-step reaction mechanism-1) formation of a dative bond between the ether oxygen atom and a Lewis acidic surface atom and 2) nucleophilic attack of a nearby Lewis basic surface atom-shows that it mirrors acid-catalyzed ether cleavage in solution. The O-Si dative bond is the strongest of its kind, and the reactivity in step 2 defies the Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle. Electron rearrangement during C-O bond cleavage has been visualized with a newly developed method for analyzing bonding, which shows that the mechanism of nucleophilic substitutions on semiconductor surfaces is identical to molecular S N 2 reactions. Our findings illustrate how surface science and molecular chemistry can mutually benefit from each other and unexpected insight can be gained. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. 3D Printed Potential and Free Energy Surfaces for Teaching Fundamental Concepts in Physical Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaliakin, Danil S.; Zaari, Ryan R.; Varganov, Sergey A.

    2015-01-01

    Teaching fundamental physical chemistry concepts such as the potential energy surface, transition state, and reaction path is a challenging task. The traditionally used oversimplified 2D representation of potential and free energy surfaces makes this task even more difficult and often confuses students. We show how this 2D representation can be…

  17. Review: Impacts of permafrost degradation on inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colombo, Nicola; Salerno, Franco; Gruber, Stephan; Freppaz, Michele; Williams, Mark; Fratianni, Simona; Giardino, Marco

    2018-03-01

    Recent studies have shown that climate change is impacting the inorganic chemical characteristics of surface fresh water in permafrost areas and affecting aquatic ecosystems. Concentrations of major ions (e.g., Ca2 +, Mg2 +, SO42 -, NO3-) can increase following permafrost degradation with associated deepening of flow pathways and increased contributions of deep groundwater. In addition, thickening of the active layer and melting of near-surface ground ice can influence inorganic chemical fluxes from permafrost into surface water. Permafrost degradation has also the capability to modify trace element (e.g., Ni, Mn, Al, Hg, Pb) contents in surface water. Although several local and regional modifications of inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water have been attributed to permafrost degradation, a comprehensive review of the observed changes is lacking. The goal of this paper is to distil insight gained across differing permafrost settings through the identification of common patterns in previous studies, at global scale. In this review we focus on three typical permafrost configurations (pervasive permafrost degradation, thermokarst, and thawing rock glaciers) as examples and distinguish impacts on (i) major ions and (ii) trace elements. Consequences of warming climate have caused spatially-distributed progressive increases of major ion and trace element delivery to surface fresh water in both polar and mountain areas following pervasive permafrost degradation. Moreover, localised releases of major ions and trace elements to surface water due to the liberation of soluble materials sequestered in permafrost and ground ice have been found in ice-rich terrains both at high latitude (thermokarst features) and high elevation (rock glaciers). Further release of solutes and related transport to surface fresh water can be expected under warming climatic conditions. However, complex interactions among several factors able to influence the timing and magnitude of the impacts

  18. Hemocompatible control of sulfobetaine-grafted polypropylene fibrous membranes in human whole blood via plasma-induced surface zwitterionization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sheng-Han; Chang, Yung; Lee, Kueir-Rarn; Wei, Ta-Chin; Higuchi, Akon; Ho, Feng-Ming; Tsou, Chia-Chun; Ho, Hsin-Tsung; Lai, Juin-Yih

    2012-12-21

    In this work, the hemocompatibility of zwitterionic polypropylene (PP) fibrous membranes with varying grafting coverage of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) via plasma-induced surface polymerization was studied. Charge neutrality of PSBMA-grafted layers on PP membrane surfaces was controlled by the low-pressure and atmospheric plasma treatment in this study. The effects of grafting composition, surface hydrophilicity, and hydration capability on blood compatibility of the membranes were determined. Protein adsorption onto the different PSBMA-grafted PP membranes from human fibrinogen solutions was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with monoclonal antibodies. Blood platelet adhesion and plasma clotting time measurements from a recalcified platelet-rich plasma solution were used to determine if platelet activation depends on the charge bias of the grafted PSBMA layer. The charge bias of PSBMA layer deviated from the electrical balance of positively and negatively charged moieties can be well-controlled via atmospheric plasma-induced interfacial zwitterionization and was further tested with human whole blood. The optimized PSBMA surface graft layer in overall charge neutrality has a high hydration capability and keeps its original blood-inert property of antifouling, anticoagulant, and antithrmbogenic activities when it comes into contact with human blood. This work suggests that the hemocompatible nature of grafted PSBMA polymers by controlling grafting quality via atmospheric plasma treatment gives a great potential in the surface zwitterionization of hydrophobic membranes for use in human whole blood.

  19. Enhanced the performance of graphene oxide/polyimide hybrid membrane for CO2 separation by surface modification of graphene oxide using polyethylene glycol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Li-guang; Yang, Cai-hong; Wang, Ting; Zhang, Xue-yang

    2018-05-01

    Polyethylene glycol (PEG) with different molecular weights was first used to modify graphene oxide (GO) samples. Subsequently, polyimide (PI) hybrid membranes containing modified-GO were fabricated via in situ polymerization. The separation performance of these hybrid membranes was evaluated using permeation experiments for CO2 and N2 gases. The morphology characterization showed that PEG with suitable molecular weight could be successfully grafted on the GO surface. PEG modification altered the surface properties of GO and introduced defective structures onto GO surface. This caused strong surface polarity and high free volume of membranes containing PEG-modified GO, thereby improving the separation performance of membranes. The addition of PEG-GO with low molecular weight effectively increased gas diffusion through hybrid membranes. The hybrid membranes containing PEG-GO with large molecular weight had high solubility performance for CO2 gas due to the introduction of numerous polar groups into polymeric membranes. With the loading content of modified GO, the CO2 gas permeability of hybrid membranes initially increased but eventually decreased. The optimal content of modified GO in membranes reached 3.0 wt%. When too much PEG added (exceeding 30 g), some impurities formed on GO surface and some aggregates appeared in the resulting hybrid membrane, which depressed the membrane performance.

  20. Impact of membrane lung surface area and blood flow on extracorporeal CO2 removal during severe respiratory acidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karagiannidis, Christian; Strassmann, Stephan; Brodie, Daniel; Ritter, Philine; Larsson, Anders; Borchardt, Ralf; Windisch, Wolfram

    2017-12-01

    Veno-venous extracorporeal CO 2 removal (vv-ECCO 2 R) is increasingly being used in the setting of acute respiratory failure. Blood flow rates through the device range from 200 ml/min to more than 1500 ml/min, and the membrane surface areas range from 0.35 to 1.3 m 2 . The present study in an animal model with similar CO 2 production as an adult patient was aimed at determining the optimal membrane lung surface area and technical requirements for successful vv-ECCO 2 R. Four different membrane lungs, with varying lung surface areas of 0.4, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.3m 2 were used to perform vv-ECCO 2 R in seven anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, pigs with experimentally induced severe respiratory acidosis (pH 7.0-7.1) using a 20Fr double-lumen catheter with a sweep gas flow rate of 8 L/min. During each experiment, the blood flow was increased stepwise from 250 to 1000 ml/min. Amelioration of severe respiratory acidosis was only feasible when blood flow rates from 750 to 1000 ml/min were used with a membrane lung surface area of at least 0.8 m 2 . Maximal CO 2 elimination was 150.8 ml/min, with pH increasing from 7.01 to 7.30 (blood flow 1000 ml/min; membrane lung 1.3 m 2 ). The membrane lung with a surface of 0.4 m 2 allowed a maximum CO 2 elimination rate of 71.7 mL/min, which did not result in the normalization of pH, even with a blood flow rate of 1000 ml/min. Also of note, an increase of the surface area above 1.0 m 2 did not result in substantially higher CO 2 elimination rates. The pressure drop across the oxygenator was considerably lower (respiratory acidosis, irrespective of the surface area of the membrane lung being used. The converse was also true, low surface membrane lungs (0.4 m 2 ) were not capable of completely correcting severe respiratory acidosis across the range of blood flows used in this study.

  1. Minimizing stress in large-area surface micromachined perforated membranes with slits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghaderi, M; Ayerden, N P; De Graaf, G; Wolffenbuttel, R F

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the effectiveness of both design and fabrication techniques for avoiding the rupturing or excessive bending of perforated membranes after release in surface micromachining. Special lateral designs of arrays of slits in the membrane were investigated for a maximum yield at a given level of residual stress. Process parameters were investigated and optimized for minimum residual stress in multilayer thin-film membranes. A 2 µm thick sacrificial TEOS layer and a structural membrane that is composed of silicon nitride and polysilicon layers in the stack is the basis of this study. The effect of sharp corners on the local stress in membranes was investigated, and structures are proposed that reduce these effects, maximizing the yield at a given level of residual stress. The effects of perforation and slits were studied both theoretically and using finite element analysis. While the overall effect of perforation is negligible in typical MEMS structures, an optimum design for the slits reduces the von Mises stress considerably as compared to sharp corners. The fabrication process was also investigated and optimized for the minimum residual stress of both the layers within the stack and the complete layer stack. The main emphasis of this work is on placing a stress-compensating layer on the wafer backside and simultaneously removing it during the surface micromachining, as this has been found to be the most effective method to reduce the overall stress in a stack of layers after sacrificial etching. Implementation of a stress compensating layer reduced the total residual stress from 200 MPa compressive into almost 60 MPa, tensile. Even though a particular structure was studied here, the employed methods are expected to be applicable to similar MEMS design problems. (paper)

  2. Emphasizing the role of surface chemistry on hydrophobicity and cell adhesion behavior of polydimethylsiloxane/TiO2 nanocomposite films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefi, Seyedeh Zahra; Tabatabaei-Panah, Pardis-Sadat; Seyfi, Javad

    2018-07-01

    Improving the bioinertness of materials is of great importance for developing biomedical devices that contact human tissues. The main goal of this study was to establish correlations among surface morphology, roughness and chemistry with hydrophobicity and cell adhesion in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites loaded with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles. Firstly, wettability results showed that the nanocomposite loaded with 30 wt.% of TiO 2 exhibited a superhydrophobic behavior; however, the morphology and roughness analysis proved that there was no discernible difference between the surface structures of samples loaded with 20 and 30 wt.% of nanoparticles. Both cell culture and MTT assay experiments showed that, despite the similarity between the surface structures, the sample loaded with 30 wt.% nanoparticles exhibits the greatest reduction in the cell viability (80%) as compared with the pure PDMS film. According to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results, the remarkable reduction in cell viability of the superhydrophobic sample could be majorly attributed to the role of surface chemistry. The obtained results emphasize the importance of adjusting the surface properties especially surface chemistry to gain the optimum cell adhesion behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Finsler Geometry Modeling of an Orientation-Asymmetric Surface Model for Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proutorov, Evgenii; Koibuchi, Hiroshi

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, a triangulated surface model is studied in the context of Finsler geometry (FG) modeling. This FG model is an extended version of a recently reported model for two-component membranes, and it is asymmetric under surface inversion. We show that the definition of the model is independent of how the Finsler length of a bond is defined. This leads us to understand that the canonical (or Euclidean) surface model is obtained from the FG model such that it is uniquely determined as a trivial model from the viewpoint of well definedness.

  4. Hemocompatibility and oxygenation performance of polysulfone membranes grafted with polyethylene glycol and heparin by plasma-induced surface modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Weiping; Zheng, Zhi; Huang, Xin; Fan, Wenling; Yu, Wenkui; Zhang, Zhibing; Li, Lei; Mao, Chun

    2017-10-01

    Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and heparin (Hep) were grafted onto polysulfone (PSF) membrane by plasma-induced surface modification to prepare PSF-PEG-Hep membranes used for artificial lung. The effects of plasma treatment parameters, including power, gas type, gas flow rate, and treatment time, were investigated, and different PEG chains were bonded covalently onto the surface in the postplasma grafting process. Membrane surfaces were characterized by water contact angle, PEG grafting degree, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, critical water permeability pressure, and scanning electron microscopy. Protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, and coagulation tests showed significant improvement in the hemocompatibility of PSF-PEG-Hep membranes compared to pristine PSF membrane. Gas exchange tests through PSF-PEG6000-Hep membrane showed that when the flow rate of porcine blood reached 5.0 L/min, the permeation fluxes of O 2 and CO 2 reached 192.6 and 166.9 mL/min, respectively, which were close to the gas exchange capacity of a commercial membrane oxygenator. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1737-1746, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Research on condensed matter and atomic physics using major experimental facilities and devices: Physics, chemistry, biology. Reports on results. Vol. 3. 4. Chemistry. 5. Biology. 6. Development of methods and instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    This report in three volumes substantiates the contents of the programme survey published in September 1989. The progress reports cover the following research areas: Vol. I, (1). Atomic and molecular physics - free atoms, molecules, macromolecules, clusters, matrix-isolated atoms and molecules. (2) Physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces - epitaxy, surface structure, adsorption, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties, thin films, synthetic layer structure. Vol. II, (3). Solid-state physics, and materials science -structural research, lattice dynamics, magnetic structure and dynamics, electronic states; load; spin and pulse density fluctuations; diffusion and internal motion, defects, unordered systems and liquids. Vol. III, (4). Chemistry - bonding and structure, kinetics and reaction mechanisms, polymer research, analysis and synthesis. (5). Biology, - structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules, membrane and cell biology. (6) Development of methods and instruments - neutron sources, synchrotron sources, special accelerators, research with interlinked systems and devices. (orig.) [de

  6. Surface chemistry of first wall materials - From fundamental data to modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linsmeier, Ch.; Reinelt, M.; Schmid, K.

    2011-01-01

    The application of different materials at the first wall of fusion devices, like beryllium, carbon, and tungsten in the case of ITER, unavoidably leads to the formation of compounds. These compounds are created dynamically during operation and depend on the local parameters like surface temperature, incoming particle energies and species. In dedicated, well-defined laboratory experiments, using mainly X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering analysis for qualitative and quantitative chemical surface analysis, the parameter space in relevant element combinations are investigated. These studies lead to a deep understanding of the reaction mechanisms under the applied conditions and to a quantitative description of reaction and diffusion processes. These data can be parameterized and integrated into a modeling approach which combines dynamic surface chemistry with the modeling of the transport in the plasma. Two different approaches for surface reaction modeling are compared and benchmarked with experimental data.

  7. Influence of Surface Properties of Filtration-Layer Metal Oxide on Ceramic Membrane Fouling during Ultrafiltration of Oil/Water Emulsion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Dongwei; Zhang, Tao; Gutierrez, Leo; Ma, Jun; Croué, Jean-Philippe

    2016-05-03

    In this work, ceramic ultrafiltration membranes deposited with different metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO2, CuO, and CeO2) of around 10 nm in thickness and similar roughness were tested for O/W emulsion treatment. A distinct membrane fouling tendency was observed, which closely correlated to the properties of the filtration-layer metal oxides (i.e., surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and adhesion energy for oil droplets). Consistent with the distinct bond strength of the surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity of these common metal oxides is quite different. The differences in hydrophilicity consequently lead to different adhesion of these metal oxides toward oil droplets, consistent with the irreversible membrane fouling tendency. In addition, the surface charge of the metal oxide opposite to that of emulsion can help to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling in ultrafiltration. Highly hydrophilic Fe2O3 with the lowest fouling tendency could be a potential filtration-layer material for the fabrication/modification of ceramic membranes for O/W emulsion treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study clearly showing the correlations between surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxides and ceramic membrane fouling tendency by O/W emulsion.

  8. Influence of surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxide on ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsion

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Dongwei; Zhang, Tao; Gutierrez, Leo; Ma, Jun; Croue, Jean-Philippe

    2016-01-01

    In this work, ceramic ultrafiltration membranes deposited with different metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO2, CuO, and CeO2) of around 10 nm in thickness and similar roughness were tested for O/W emulsion treatment. Distinct membrane fouling tendency was observed, which closely correlated to the properties of the filtration-layer metal oxides (i.e. surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and adhesion energy for oil droplets). In consistent with the distinct bond strength of the surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity of these common metal oxides are quite different. The differences in hydrophilicity consequently lead to different adhesion of these metal oxides towards oil droplets which consists very well with irreversible membrane fouling tendency. In addition, the surface charge of the metal oxide opposite to that of emulsion can help to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling in ultrafiltration. Highly hydrophilic Fe2O3 with lowest fouling tendency could be a potential filtration-layer material for the fabrication/modification of ceramic membranes for O/W emulsion treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study clearly showing the correlations between surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxides and ceramic membrane fouling tendency by O/W emulsion.

  9. Influence of surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxide on ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsion

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Dongwei

    2016-04-01

    In this work, ceramic ultrafiltration membranes deposited with different metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, Fe2O3, MnO2, CuO, and CeO2) of around 10 nm in thickness and similar roughness were tested for O/W emulsion treatment. Distinct membrane fouling tendency was observed, which closely correlated to the properties of the filtration-layer metal oxides (i.e. surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and adhesion energy for oil droplets). In consistent with the distinct bond strength of the surface hydroxyl groups, hydrophilicity of these common metal oxides are quite different. The differences in hydrophilicity consequently lead to different adhesion of these metal oxides towards oil droplets which consists very well with irreversible membrane fouling tendency. In addition, the surface charge of the metal oxide opposite to that of emulsion can help to alleviate irreversible membrane fouling in ultrafiltration. Highly hydrophilic Fe2O3 with lowest fouling tendency could be a potential filtration-layer material for the fabrication/modification of ceramic membranes for O/W emulsion treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study clearly showing the correlations between surface properties of filtration-layer metal oxides and ceramic membrane fouling tendency by O/W emulsion.

  10. Endothelial cell behaviour on gas-plasma-treated PLA surfaces: the roles of surface chemistry and roughness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Amita; Shah, Sarita; Mani, Gopinath; Wenke, Joseph; Agrawal, Mauli

    2011-04-01

    Glow-discharge gas-plasma (GP) treatment has been shown to induce surface modifications such that cell adhesion and growth are enhanced. However, it is not known which gas used in GP treatment is optimal for endothelial cell function. Polylactic acid (PLA) films treated oxygen, argon, or nitrogen GP were characterized using contact angles, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, optical profilometry, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All three GP treatments decreased the carbon atomic concentration and surface roughness and increased the oxygen atomic concentration. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured on the PLA films for up to 7 days. Based on proliferation and live/dead assays, surface chemistry was shown to have the greatest effect on the attachment, proliferation, and viability of these cells, while roughness did not have a significant influence. Of the different gases, endothelial cell viability, attachment and proliferation were most significantly increased on PLA surfaces treated with oxygen and argon gas plasma. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Metal–Organic Framework-Functionalized Alumina Membranes for Vacuum Membrane Distillation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Zuo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Nature-mimetic hydrophobic membranes with high wetting resistance have been designed for seawater desalination via vacuum membrane distillation (VMD in this study. This is achieved through molecular engineering of metal–organic framework (MOF-functionalized alumina surfaces. A two-step synthetic strategy was invented to design the hydrophobic membranes: (1 to intergrow MOF crystals on the alumina tube substrate and (2 to introduce perfluoro molecules onto the MOF functionalized membrane surface. With the first step, the surface morphology, especially the hierarchical roughness, can be controlled by tuning the MOF crystal structure. After the second step, the perfluoro molecules function as an ultrathin layer of hydrophobic floss, which lowers the surface energy. Therefore, the resultant membranes do not only possess the intrinsic advantages of alumina supports such as high stability and high water permeability, but also have a hydrophobic surface formed by MOF functionalization. The membrane prepared under an optimum condition achieved a good VMD flux of 32.3 L/m2-h at 60 °C. This study may open up a totally new approach for design of next-generation high performance membrane distillation membranes for seawater desalination.

  12. The Materials Chemistry of Atomic Oxygen with Applications to Anisotropic Etching of Submicron Structures in Microelectronics and the Surface Chemistry Engineering of Porous Solids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koontz, Steve L.; Leger, Lubert J.; Wu, Corina; Cross, Jon B.; Jurgensen, Charles W.

    1994-01-01

    Neutral atomic oxygen is the most abundant component of the ionospheric plasma in the low Earth orbit environment (LEO; 200 to 700 kilometers altitude) and can produce significant degradation of some spacecraft materials. In order to produce a more complete understanding of the materials chemistry of atomic oxygen, the chemistry and physics of O-atom interactions with materials were determined in three radically different environments: (1) The Space Shuttle cargo bay in low Earth orbit (the EOIM-3 space flight experiment), (2) a high-velocity neutral atom beam system (HVAB) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and (3) a microwave-plasma flowing-discharge system at JSC. The Space Shuttle and the high velocity atom beam systems produce atom-surface collision energies ranging from 0.1 to 7 eV (hyperthermal atoms) under high-vacuum conditions, while the flowing discharge system produces a 0.065 eV surface collision energy at a total pressure of 2 Torr. Data obtained in the three different O-atom environments referred to above show that the rate of O-atom reaction with polymeric materials is strongly dependent on atom kinetic energy, obeying a reactive scattering law which suggests that atom kinetic energy is directly available for overcoming activation barriers in the reaction. General relationships between polymer reactivity with O atoms and polymer composition and molecular structure have been determined. In addition, vacuum ultraviolet photochemical effects have been shown to dominate the reaction of O atoms with fluorocarbon polymers. Finally, studies of the materials chemistry of O atoms have produced results which may be of interest to technologists outside the aerospace industry. Atomic oxygen 'spin-off' or 'dual use' technologies in the areas of anisotropic etching in microelectronic materials and device processing, as well as surface chemistry engineering of porous solid materials are described.

  13. Interaction between carbon fibers and polymer sizing: Influence of fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moosburger-Will, Judith; Bauer, Matthias; Laukmanis, Eva; Horny, Robert; Wetjen, Denise; Manske, Tamara; Schmidt-Stein, Felix; Töpker, Jochen; Horn, Siegfried

    2018-05-01

    Different aspects of the interaction of carbon fibers and epoxy-based polymer sizings are investigated, e.g. the wetting behavior, the strength of adhesion between fiber and sizing, and the thermal stability of the sizing layer. The influence of carbon fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity is investigated using fibers of different degree of anodic oxidation and sizings with different number of reactive epoxy groups per molecule. Wetting of the carbon fibers by the sizing dispersion is found to be specified by both, the degree of fiber activation and the sizing reactivity. In contrast, adhesion strength between fibers and sizing is dominated by the surface chemistry of the carbon fibers. Here, the number of surface oxygen groups seems to be the limiting factor. We also find that the sizing and the additional functionalities induced by anodic oxidation are removed by thermal treatment at 600 °C, leaving the carbon fiber in its original state after carbonization.

  14. The influence of the surface chemistry of silver nanoparticles on cell death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sur, Ilknur; Altunbek, Mine; Kahraman, Mehmet; Culha, Mustafa

    2012-01-01

    The influence of the surface chemistry of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on p53 mediated cell death was evaluated using human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and lung cancer (A549) cells. The citrate reduced AgNPs (C-AgNPs) were modified with either lactose (L-AgNPs) or a 12-base long oligonucleotide (O-AgNPs). Both unmodified and modified AgNPs showed increased concentration and time dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity causing an increased p53 up-regulation within 6 h and led to apoptotic or necrotic cell deaths. The C-AgNPs induced more cytotoxicity and cellular DNA damage than the surface modified AgNPs. Modifying the C-AgNPs with lactose or the oligonucleotide reduced both necrotic and apoptotic cell deaths in the HDF cells. The C-AgNPs caused an insignificant necrosis in A549 cells whereas the modified AgNPs caused necrosis and apoptosis in both cell types. Compared to the O-AgNPs, the L-AgNPs triggered more cellular DNA damage, which led to up-regulation of p53 gene inducing apoptosis in A549 cells compared to HDF cells. This suggests that the different surface chemistries of the AgNPs cause different cellular responses that may be important not only for their use in medicine but also for reducing their toxicity. (paper)

  15. Efficient preparation and analysis of membrane and membrane protein systems

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Javanainen, M.; Martinez-Seara, Hector

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 1858, č. 10 (2016), s. 2468-2482 ISSN 0005-2736 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : tools and software * membrane building * protein insertion * molecular dynamics * lipid bilayer Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.498, year: 2016

  16. Understanding surface structure and chemistry of single crystal lanthanum aluminate

    KAUST Repository

    Pramana, Stevin S.

    2017-03-02

    The surface crystallography and chemistry of a LaAlO3 single crystal, a material mainly used as a substrate to deposit technologically important thin films (e.g. for superconducting and magnetic devices), was analysed using surface X-ray diffraction and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy. The surface was determined to be terminated by Al-O species, and was significantly different from the idealised bulk structure. Termination reversal was not observed at higher temperature (600 °C) and chamber pressure of 10−10 Torr, but rather an increased Al-O occupancy occurred, which was accompanied by a larger outwards relaxation of Al from the bulk positions. Changing the oxygen pressure to 10−6 Torr enriched the Al site occupancy fraction at the outermost surface from 0.245(10) to 0.325(9). In contrast the LaO, which is located at the next sub-surface atomic layer, showed no chemical enrichment and the structural relaxation was lower than for the top AlO2 layer. Knowledge of the surface structure will aid the understanding of how and which type of interface will be formed when LaAlO3 is used as a substrate as a function of temperature and pressure, and so lead to improved design of device structures.

  17. Monitoring glycolipid transfer protein activity and membrane interaction with the surface plasmon resonance technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohvo-Rekilä, Henna; Mattjus, Peter

    2011-01-01

    The glycolipid transfer protein (GLTP) is a protein capable of binding and transferring glycolipids. GLTP is cytosolic and it can interact through its FFAT-like (two phenylalanines in an acidic tract) motif with proteins localized on the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum. Previous in vitro work with GLTP has focused mainly on the complete transfer reaction of the protein, that is, binding and subsequent removal of the glycolipid from the donor membrane, transfer through the aqueous environment, and the final release of the glycolipid to an acceptor membrane. Using bilayer vesicles and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, we have now, for the first time, analyzed the binding and lipid removal capacity of GLTP with a completely label-free technique. This technique is focused on the initial steps in GLTP-mediated transfer and the parameters affecting these steps can be more precisely determined. We used the new approach for detailed structure-function studies of GLTP by examining the glycolipid transfer capacity of specific GLTP tryptophan mutants. Tryptophan 96 is crucial for the transfer activity of the protein and tryptophan 142 is an important part of the proteins membrane interacting domain. Further, we varied the composition of the used lipid vesicles and gained information on the effect of membrane properties on GLTP activity. GLTP prefers to interact with more tightly packed membranes, although GLTP-mediated transfer is faster from more fluid membranes. This technique is very useful for the study of membrane-protein interactions and lipid-transfer rates and it can easily be adapted to other membrane-interacting proteins. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Surface and anti-fouling properties of a polyampholyte hydrogel grafted onto a polyethersulfone membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wei; Yang, Zhe; Kaufman, Yair; Bernstein, Roy

    2018-05-01

    Zwitterion polymers have anti-fouling properties; therefore, grafting new zwitterions to surfaces, particularly as hydrogels, is one of the leading research directions for preventing fouling. Specifically, polyampholytes, polymers of random mixed charged subunits with a net-electric charge, offer a synthetically easy alternative for studying new zwitterions with a broad spectrum of charged moieties. Here, a novel polyampholyte hydrogel was grafted onto the surface of polyethersulfone membrane by copolymerizing a mixture of vinylsulfonic acid (VSA) and [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (METMAC) as the negatively and positively charged monomers, respectively, using various monomer ratios in the polymerization solution, and with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as the crosslinker. The physicochemical, morphological and anti-fouling properties of the modified membranes were systematically investigated. Hydrophilic hydrogels were successfully grafted using monomers at different molar ratios. A thin-film zwitterion hydrogel (∼90 nm) was achieved at a 3:1 [VSA:METMAC] molar ratio in the polymerization solution. Among all examined membranes, the zwitterion polyampholyte-modified membrane demonstrated the lowest adsorption of proteins, humic acid, and sodium alginate. It also had low fouling and high flux recovery following filtration with a protein or with an extracellular polymeric substance solution. These findings suggest that this polyampholyte hydrogel is applicable as a low fouling surface coating. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. A Solvent-Free Surface Suspension Melt Technique for Making Biodegradable PCL Membrane Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ratima Suntornnond

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In tissue engineering, there is limited availability of a simple, fast and solvent-free process for fabricating micro-porous thin membrane scaffolds. This paper presents the first report of a novel surface suspension melt technique to fabricate a micro-porous thin membrane scaffolds without using any organic solvent. Briefly, a layer of polycaprolactone (PCL particles is directly spread on top of water in the form of a suspension. After that, with the use of heat, the powder layer is transformed into a melted layer, and following cooling, a thin membrane is obtained. Two different sizes of PCL powder particles (100 µm and 500 µm are used. Results show that membranes made from 100 µm powders have lower thickness, smaller pore size, smoother surface, higher value of stiffness but lower ultimate tensile load compared to membranes made from 500 µm powder. C2C12 cell culture results indicate that the membrane supports cell growth and differentiation. Thus, this novel membrane generation method holds great promise for tissue engineering.

  20. Heterogeneous anion-selective membranes: Influence of a water-soluble component in the membrane on the morphology and ionic conductivity

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Schauer, Jan; Hnát, J.; Brožová, Libuše; Žitka, Jan; Bouzek, K.

    401/402, 15 May (2012), s. 83-88 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E08005 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 212903 - WELTEMP Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : heterogeneous membrane * anion-exchange membrane * membrane morphology Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.093, year: 2012

  1. Constructing dual-defense mechanisms on membrane surfaces by synergy of PFSA and SiO2 nanoparticles for persistent antifouling performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Linjie; Gao, Kang; Jiao, Zhiwei; Wu, Mengyuan; He, Mingrui; Su, Yanlei; Jiang, Zhongyi

    2018-05-01

    Synthetic antifouling membrane surfaces with dual-defense mechanisms (fouling-resistant and fouling-release mechanism) were constructed through the synergy of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) and SiO2 nanoparticles. During the nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process, the amphiphilic PFSA polymers spontaneously segregated to membrane surfaces and catalyzed the hydrolysis-polycondensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to generate hydrophilic SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). The resulting PVDF/PFSA/SiO2 hybrid membranes were characterized by contact angle measurements, FTIR, XPS, SEM, AFM, TGA, and TEM. The hydrophilic microdomains and low surface energy microdomains of amphiphilic PFSA polymers respectively endowed membrane surfaces with fouling-resistant mechanism and fouling-release mechanism, while the hydrophilic SiO2 NPs intensified the fouling-resistant mechanism. When the addition of TEOS reached 3 wt%, the hybrid membrane with optimal synergy of PFSA and SiO2 NPs displayed low flux decline (17.4% DRt) and high flux recovery (99.8% FRR) during the filtration of oil-in-water emulsion. Meanwhile, the long-time stability test verified that the hybrid membrane possessed persistent antifouling performance.

  2. Characterisation of the surface topography, tomography and chemistry of fretting corrosion product found on retrieved polished femoral stems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, M; Ward, M; Farrar, R; Freeman, R; Brummitt, K; Nolan, J; Neville, A

    2014-04-01

    This study presents the characterisation of the surface topography, tomography and chemistry of fretting corrosion product found on retrieved polished femoral stems. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FI-IR) were utilised in order to assess the surface morphology of retrieved Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Replacements and surface chemistry of the films found on the surface. Gross slip, plastic deformation and directionality of the surface were extensively seen on the proximal surfaces of the retrievals. A more corrosive phenomenon was observed in the distal regions of the stem, demonstrating a seemingly intergranular attack. Tribochemical reactions were seen to occur within the stem-cement interfaces with tribofilms being observed on the femoral stem and counterpart PMMA bone cement. XPS, TEM-EDX and FT-IR analyses demonstrated that the films present in the stem surfaces were a complex mixture of chromium oxide and amorphous organic material. A comparison between current experimental and clinical literature has been conducted and findings from this study demonstrate that the formation and chemistry of films are drastically influenced by the type of wear or degradation mechanism. Films formed in the stem-cement interface are thought to further influence the biological environment outside the stem-cement interface due to the formation of Cr and O rich films within the interface whilst Co is free to migrate away. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Immobilization of glucoamylase on ceramic membrane surfaces modified with a new method of treatment utilizing SPCP-CVD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ida; Matsuyama; Yamamoto

    2000-07-01

    Glucoamylase, as a model enzyme, was immobilized on a ceramic membrane modified by surface corona discharge induced plasma chemical process-chemical vapor deposition (SPCP-CVD). Characterizations of the immobilized enzyme were then discussed. Three kinds of ceramic membranes with different amounts of amino groups on the surface were prepared utilizing the SPCP-CVD method. Each with 1-time, 3-times and 5-times surface modification treatments and used for supports in glucoamylase immobilization. The amount of immobilized glucoamylase increased with the increase in the number of surface modification treatments and saturated to a certain maximum value estimated by a two-dimensional random packing. The operational stability of the immobilized glucoamylase also increased with the increase in the number of the surface treatment. It was almost the same as the conventional method, while the activity of immobilized enzyme was higher. The results indicated the possibility of designing the performance of the immobilized enzyme by controlling the amount of amino groups. The above results showed that the completely new surface modification method using SPCP was effective in modifying ceramic membranes for enzyme immobilization.

  4. WATER CHEMISTRY ASSESSMENT METHODS

    Science.gov (United States)

    This section summarizes and evaluates the surfce water column chemistry assessment methods for USEPA/EMAP-SW, USGS-NAQA, USEPA-RBP, Oho EPA, and MDNR-MBSS. The basic objective of surface water column chemistry assessment is to characterize surface water quality by measuring a sui...

  5. Fabrication of TiO{sub 2}-modified polytetrafluoroethylene ultrafiltration membranes via plasma-enhanced surface graft pretreatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qian, Yingjia [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Chi, Lina, E-mail: lnchi@sjtu.edu.cn [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Zhou, Weili; Yu, Zhenjiang [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhang, Zhongzhi [College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249 (China); Zhang, Zhenjia [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Jiang, Zheng, E-mail: z.jiang@soton.ac.uk [Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom)

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Multifunctional TiO{sub 2}/PAA/PTFE ultrafiltration membrane was fabricated via tight coating of TiO{sub 2} functional layer onto the plasma-assisted graft of PAA on PTFE. • The high water flux rate, remarkable enhanced ultrafiltration performance and excellent self-cleaning ability were demonstrated. • The formation of COO−Ti bidentate coordination between TiO{sub 2} and PAA was responsible for the successful coating. - Abstract: Surface hydrophilic modification of polymer ultrafiltration membrane using metal oxide represents an effective yet highly challenging solution to improve water flux and antifouling performance. Via plasma-enhanced graft of poly acryl acid (PAA) prior to coating TiO{sub 2}, we successfully fixed TiO{sub 2} functional thin layer on super hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The characterization results evidenced TiO{sub 2} attached on the PTFE-based UF membranes through the chelating bidentate coordination between surface-grafted carboxyl group and Ti{sup 4+}. The TiO{sub 2} surface modification may greatly reduce the water contact angle from 115.8° of the PTFE membrane to 35.0° without degradation in 30-day continuous filtration operations. The novel TiO{sub 2}/PAA/PTFE membranes also exhibited excellent antifouling and self-cleaning performance due to the intrinsic hydrophilicity and photocatalysis properties of TiO{sub 2}, which was further confirmed by the photo-degradation of MB under Xe lamp irradiation.

  6. Effects of feed solution chemistry on low pressure reverse osmosis filtration of cesium and strontium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, Shiyuan, E-mail: dingshiyuan@bnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875 (China); Yang, Yu, E-mail: yangyu@bnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875 (China); Huang, Haiou, E-mail: huanghaiou@bnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875 (China); Liu, Hengchen, E-mail: 799599501@qq.com [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875 (China); Hou, Li-an, E-mail: houlian678@hotmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875 (China); Xi’an High-Tech Institute, No. 2, Tongxin Street, Baqiao District, Xi’an 710025 (China)

    2015-08-30

    Highlights: • A low pressure spiral wound RO membrane can reject Cs and Sr efficiently. • The rejection of Cs and Sr is dependent on feed pH and co-existing ions. • Donnan exclusion and electrostatic interaction govern the rejection of Cs and Sr. • The differences of filtration mechanism were influenced by the size of ions. • Sr could strengthen the irreversible membrane fouling resistance with HA. - Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify the removal mechanisms of radionuclides by reverse osmosis (RO) membranes under conditions relevant to full-scale water treatment. For this purpose, the effects of feed solution chemistry on the removal of Cs and Sr by a low pressure RO system was investigated by systematically varying membrane surface charge, ionic composition, and organic matter concentrations. The results showed that the effects of solution chemistry on the filtration of Cs and Sr were related to their hydrated ionic radius, resulting in the predominance of the Donnan’s effect and electrostatic interactions, respectively. Consequently, the rejection of Cs increased more pronouncedly than Sr with the increases of feed concentration. Due to the Donnan’s effect, different anions decreased the rejection of Cs to different extents in accordance to the order of anions’ radii as SO{sub 4}{sup 2−} > Cl{sup −} > NO{sub 3}{sup −} > F{sup −}. The variations in Sr rejection were influenced by the electrostatic interactions between Sr{sup 2+} and the membrane. In addition, humic acid (HA) lowered the rejection of Cs and caused significant membrane flux decline, but did not change the rejection of Sr. Sr also aggravated HA fouling of the membrane.

  7. The hidden radiation chemistry in plasma modification and XPS analysis of polymer surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    George, G.A.; Le, T.T.; Elms, F.M.; Wood, B.J.

    1996-01-01

    Full text: The surface modification of polymers using plasma treatments is being widely researched to achieve changes in the surface energetics and consequent wetting and reactivity for a range of applications. These include i) adhesion for polymer bonding and composite material fabrication and ii) biocompatibility of polymers when used as orthopedic implants, catheters and prosthetics. A low pressure rf plasma produces a variety of species from the introduced gas which may react with the surface of a hydrocarbon polymer, such as polyethylene. In the case of 0 2 and H 2 0, these species include oxygen atoms, singlet molecular oxygen and hydroxyl radicals, all of which may oxidise and, depending on their energy, ablate the polymer surface. In order to better understand the reactive species formed both in and downstream from a plasma and the relative contributions of oxidation and ablation, self-assembled monolayers of n-alkane thiols on gold are being used as well characterised substrates for quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The identification and quantification of oxidised carbon species on plasma treated polymers from broad, asymmetric XPS signals is difficult, so derivatisation is often used to enhance sensitivity and specificity. For example, trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) selectively labels hydroxyl functionality. The surface analysis of a modified polymer surface may be confounded by high energy radiation chemistry which may occur during XPS analysis. Examples include scission of carbon-halogen bonds (as in TFM adducts), decarboxylation and main-chain polyene formation. The extent of free-radical chemistry occurring in polyethylene while undergoing XPS analysis may be seen by both ESR and FT-IR analysis

  8. Surface and interfacial chemistry of high-k dielectric and interconnect materials on silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsch, Paul Daniel

    Surfaces and interfaces play a critical role in the manufacture and function of silicon based integrated circuits. It is therefore reasonable to study the chemistries at these surfaces and interfaces to improve existing processes and to develop new ones. Model barium strontium titanate high-k dielectric systems have been deposited on ultrathin silicon oxynitride in ultrahigh vacuum. The resulting nanostructures are characterized with secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An interfacial reaction between Ba and Sr atoms and SiOxNy was found to create silicates, BaSixOy or SrSi xOy. Inclusion of N in the interfacial oxide decreased silicate formation in both Ba and Sr systems. Furthermore, inclusion of N in the interfacial oxide decreased the penetration of Ba and Sr containing species, such as silicides and silicates. Sputter deposited HfO2 was studied on nitrided and unnitrided Si(100) surfaces. XPS and SIMS were used to verify the presence of interfacial HfSixOy and estimate its relative amount on both nitrided and unnitrided samples. More HfSixOy formed without the SiNx interfacial layer. These interfacial chemistry results are then used to explain the electrical measurements obtained from metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. MOS capacitors with interfacial SiNx exhibit reduced leakage current and increased capacitance. Lastly, surface science techniques were used to develop a processing technique for reducing thin films of copper (II) and copper (I) oxide to copper. Deuterium atoms (D*) and methyl radicals (CH3*) were shown to reduce Cu 2+ and/or Cu1+ to Cu0 within 30 min at a surface temperature of 400 K under a flux of 1 x 1015 atoms/cm2s. Temperature programmed desorption experiments suggest that oxygen leaves the surface as D2O and CO2 for the D* and CH3* treated surfaces, respectively.

  9. NATO Advanced Study Institute on Synthetic Membranes : Science, Engineering and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Lonsdale, H; Pinho, M

    1986-01-01

    The chapters in this book are based upon lectures given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Synthetic Membranes (June 26-July 8, 1983, Alcabideche, Portugal), which provided an integrated presentation of syn­ thetic membrane science and technology in three broad areas. Currently available membrane formation mechanisms are reviewed, as well as the manner in which synthesis conditions can be controlled to achieve desired membrane structures. Membrane performance in a specific separa­ tionprocess involves complex phenomena, the understanding of which re­ quires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing polymer chemistry, phys­ ical chemistry, and chemical engineering. Progress toward a global understanding of membrane phenomena is described in chapters on the principles of membrane transport. The chapters on membrane processes and applications highlight both established and emerging membrane processes, and elucidate their myriad applications. It is our hope that this book will be an enduring, comprehensi...

  10. Plasma membrane surface potential: dual effects upon ion uptake and toxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Electrical properties of plasma membranes (PMs), partially controlled by the ionic composition of the bathing medium, play significant roles in the distribution of ions at the exterior surface of PMs and in the transport of ions across PMs. The effects of coexistent cations (commonly Al3+, Ca2+, Mg...

  11. Smart membranes for monitoring membrane based desalination processes

    KAUST Repository

    Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem; Karam, Ayman M.

    2017-01-01

    Various examples are related to smart membranes for monitoring membrane based process such as, e.g., membrane distillation processes. In one example, a membrane, includes a porous surface and a plurality of sensors (e.g., temperature, flow and

  12. THE INTEGRATED USE OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY, AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO PREDICT THE CHEMICAL REACTIVITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SURFACES

    Science.gov (United States)

    In the last decade three new techniques scanning probe microscopy (SPM), virtual reality (YR) and computational chemistry ave emerged with the combined capability of a priori predicting the chemically reactivity of environmental surfaces. Computational chemistry provides the cap...

  13. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESPONSE SURFACE MODELING OF PI/PES-ZEOLITE 4A MIXED MATRIX MEMBRANE FOR CO2 SEPARATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. D. KUSWORO

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the effect of preparation of polyimide/polyethersulfone (PI/PES blending-zeolite mixed matrix membrane through the manipulation of membrane production variables such as polymer concentration, blending composition and zeolite loading. Combination of central composite design and response surface methodology were applied to determine the main effect and interaction effects of these variables on membrane separation performance. The quadratic models between each response and the independent parameters were developed and the response surface models were tested with analysis of variance (ANOVA. In this study, PI/ (PES–zeolite 4A mixed matrix membranes were casted using dry/wet phase inversion technique. The separation performance of mixed matrix membrane had been tested using pure gases such as CO2 and CH4. The results showed that zeolite loading was the most significant variable that influenced the CO2/CH4 selectivity among three variables and the experimental results were in good agreement with those predicted by the proposed regression models. The gas separation performance of the membrane was relatively higher as compare to polymeric membrane. Therefore, combination of central composite design and response surface methodology can be used to prepare optimal condition for mixed matrix membrane fabrication. The incorporation of 20 wt% zeolite 4A into 25 wt% of PI/PES matrix had resulted in a high separation performance of membrane material.

  14. Inversion of membrane surface charge by trivalent cations probed with a cation-selective channel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurnev, Philip A; Bezrukov, Sergey M

    2012-11-13

    We demonstrate that the cation-selective channel formed by gramicidin A can be used as a reliable sensor for studying the multivalent ion accumulation at the surfaces of charged lipid membranes and the "charge inversion" phenomenon. In asymmetrically charged membranes with the individual leaflets formed from pure negative and positive lipids bathed by 0.1 M CsCl solutions the channel exhibits current rectification, which is comparable to that of a typical n/p semiconductor diode. We show that even at these highly asymmetrical conditions the channel conductance can be satisfactorily described by the electrodiffusion equation in the constant field approximation but, due to predictable limitations, only when the applied voltages do not exceed 50 mV. Analysis of the changes in the voltage-dependent channel conductance upon addition of trivalent cations allows us to gauge their interactions with the membrane surface. The inversion of the sign of the effective surface charge takes place at the concentrations, which correlate with the cation size. Specifically, these concentrations are close to 0.05 mM for lanthanum, 0.25 mM for hexaamminecobalt, and 4 mM for spermidine.

  15. An Investigation of Low Biofouling Copper-charged Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asapu, Sunitha

    Water is essential for the survival of life on Earth, but pollutants in water can cause dangerous diseases and fatalities. The need for purified water has been increasing with increasing world population; however, natural sources of water such as rivers, lakes and streams, are progressively falling shorter and shorter of meeting water needs. The provision of clean, drinkable water to people is a key factor for the development of novel and alternative water purification technologies, such as membrane separations. Nanofiltration (NF) is a membrane separations technology that purifies water from lower quality sources, such as brackish water, seawater and wastewater. During the filtration of such sources, materials that are rejected by the membrane may accumulate on the surface of the membrane to foul it. Such materials include organic and inorganic matter, colloids, salts and microorganisms. The former four can often be controlled via pretreatment; however, the accumulation of microorganisms is more problematic to membranes. Biofouling is the accumulation and growth of microorganisms on the surface of membranes and on feed spacers. After attachment, microorganisms excrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which form a matrix around the organism's outer surface as biofilm. These biofilms are detrimental and result in irreversible membrane fouling. Copper and silver ions inactivate the bacterial cells and prevent the DNA replication in microbial cells. Previous studies using copper-charged feed spacers have shown the ability of copper to control biofouling without a significant amount of copper leaching from copper-charged polypropylene (PP) feed spacers during crossflow filtration. Also, filtration using unmodified speed facers experienced almost 70% flux decline, while filtration using copper-charged feed spacers displayed only 25% flux decline. These intriguing results led to the hypothesis that the polymer chemistry could be extrapolated to produce membranes

  16. Degradation of Polypropylene Membranes Applied in Membrane Distillation Crystallizer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marek Gryta

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The studies on the resistance to degradation of capillary polypropylene membranes assembled in a membrane crystallizer were performed. The supersaturation state of salt was achieved by evaporation of water from the NaCl saturated solutions using membrane distillation process. A high feed temperature (363 K was used in order to enhance the degradation effects and to shorten the test times. Salt crystallization was carried out by the application of batch or fluidized bed crystallizer. A significant membrane scaling was observed regardless of the method of realized crystallization. The SEM-EDS, DSC, and FTIR methods were used for investigations of polypropylene degradation. The salt crystallization onto the membrane surface accelerated polypropylene degradation. Due to a polymer degradation, the presence of carbonyl groups on the membranes’ surface was identified. Besides the changes in the chemical structure a significant mechanical damage of the membranes, mainly caused by the internal scaling, was also found. As a result, the membranes were severely damaged after 150 h of process operation. A high level of salt rejection was maintained despite damage to the external membrane surface.

  17. Simple preparation of thiol-ene particles in glycerol and surface functionalization by thiol-ene chemistry (TEC) and surface chain transfer free radical polymerization (SCT-FRP)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Christian; Chiaula, Valeria; Yu, Liyun

    2018-01-01

    functionalization of excess thiol groups via photochemical thiol-ene chemistry (TEC) resulting in a functional monolayer. In addition, surface chain transfer free radical polymerization (SCT-FRP) was used for the first time to introduce a thicker polymer layer on the particle surface. The application potential...

  18. Non-thermally activated chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiller, W.

    1987-01-01

    The subject is covered under the following headings: state-of-the art of non-thermally activated chemical processes; basic phenomena in non-thermal chemistry including mechanochemistry, photochemistry, laser chemistry, electrochemistry, photo-electro chemistry, high-field chemistry, magneto chemistry, plasma chemistry, radiation chemistry, hot-atom chemistry, and positronium and muonium chemistry; elementary processes in non-thermal chemistry including nuclear chemistry, interactions of electromagnetic radiations, electrons and heavy particles with matter, ionic elementary processes, elementary processes with excited species, radicalic elementary processes, and energy-induced elementary processes on surfaces and interfaces; and comparative considerations. An appendix with historical data and a subject index is given. 44 figs., 41 tabs., and 544 refs

  19. Surface Functionalization of Polyethersulfone Membrane with Quaternary Ammonium Salts for Contact-Active Antibacterial and Anti-Biofouling Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Hu

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Biofilm is a significant cause for membrane fouling. Antibacterial-coated surfaces can inhibit biofilm formation by killing bacteria. In this study, polyethersulfone (PES microfiltration membrane was photografted by four antibiotic quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs separately, which were synthesized from dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA by quaternization with butyl bromide (BB, octyl bromide (OB, dodecyl bromide (DB, or hexadecyl bromide (HB. XPS, ATR-FTIR, and SEM were used to confirm the surfaces’ composition and morphology. After modification, the pores on PES-g-DMAEMA-BB and PES-g-DMAEMA-OB were blocked, while PES-g-DMAEMA-DB and PES-g-DMAEMA-HB were retained. We supposed that DMAEMA-BB and DMAEMA-OB aggregated on the membrane surface due to the activities of intermolecular or intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Bacteria testing found the antibacterial activities of the membranes increased with the length of the substituted alkyl chain. Correspondingly, little bacteria were observed on PES-g-DMAEMA-DB and PES-g-DMAEMA-HB by SEM. The antifouling properties were investigated by filtration of a solution of Escherichia coli. Compared with the initial membrane, PES-g-DMAEMA-DB and PES-g-DMAEMA-HB showed excellent anti-biofouling performance with higher relative flux recovery (RFR of 88.3% and 92.7%, respectively. Thus, surface functionalization of the PES membrane with QACs can prevent bacteria adhesion and improve the anti-biofouling activity by the contact-active antibacterial property.

  20. Acidic deposition: State of science and technology. Report 14. Methods for projecting future changes in surface water acid-base chemistry. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thornton, K.W.; Marmorek, D.; Ryan, P.F.; Heltcher, K.; Robinson, D.

    1990-09-01

    The objectives of the report are to: critically evaluate methods for projecting future effects of acidic deposition on surface water acid-base chemistry; review and evaluate techniques and procedures for analyzing projection uncertainty; review procedures for estimating regional lake and stream population attributes; review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Direct/Delayed Response Project (DDRP) methodology for projecting the effects of acidic deposition on future changes in surface water acid-base chemistry; and present the models, uncertainty estimators, population estimators, and proposed approach selected to project the effects of acidic deposition on future changes in surface water acid-base chemistry in the NAPAP 1990 Integrated Assessment and discuss the selection rationale

  1. Dynamics of epiretinal membrane removal off the retinal surface: a computer simulation project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogramaci, Mahmut; Williamson, Tom H

    2013-09-01

    To use a computer simulation to discern the safest angle at which to peel epiretinal membranes. We used ANSYS V.14.1 software to analyse the dynamics involved in membrane removal off the retinal surface. The geometrical values were taken from optical coherence tomography of 30 eyes with epiretinal membranes. A range of Young's modulus values of 0.03, 0.01 and 0.09 MPa were assigned to the epiretinal membrane and to the retina separately. The ratio of maximum shear stress (MSS) recorded at the attachment pegs over that recorded at the membrane (P/E ratio) was determined at nine displacement angles (DA). Mean MSS values recorded at the attachment pegs, epiretinal membrane and retina were significantly different at 0.8668, 0.6091 and 0.0017 Pa consecutively (p<0.05). There was a significant negative linear correlation between DA and MSS recorded at the epiretinal membrane when the Young's modulus for the epiretinal membrane was higher than or equal to that for the attachment pegs and the retina. Nevertheless, there was a significant positive linear correlation between DA and P/E ratio when the Young's modulus for the epiretinal membrane was equal to or lower than that for the attachment pegs and the retina. Attachment pegs appear to be the most likely part to fail (tear) during removal procedures. Changing the direction at which the edge of the membrane is pulled can relocate the MSS within in the tissue complex. Safer and effective removal could be achieved by pulling epiretinal membranes onto themselves at 165° DA.

  2. Organic fouling behavior of superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles: Implications for organic fouling in membrane bioreactors

    KAUST Repository

    Liang, Shuai; Qi, Genggeng; Xiao, Kang; Sun, Jianyu; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Huang, Xia; Elimelech, Menachem

    2014-01-01

    This study systematically investigates the organic fouling behavior of a superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane functionalized via post-fabrication tethering of surface-tailored silica nanoparticles to poly

  3. Surface functionalization of a polymeric lipid bilayer for coupling a model biological membrane with molecules, cells, and microstructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morigaki, Kenichi; Mizutani, Kazuyuki; Saito, Makoto; Okazaki, Takashi; Nakajima, Yoshihiro; Tatsu, Yoshiro; Imaishi, Hiromasa

    2013-02-26

    We describe a stable and functional model biological membrane based on a polymerized lipid bilayer with a chemically modified surface. A polymerized lipid bilayer was formed from a mixture of two diacetylene-containing phospholipids, 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DiynePC) and 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DiynePE). DiynePC formed a stable bilayer structure, whereas the ethanolamine headgroup of DiynePE enabled functional molecules to be grafted onto the membrane surface. Copolymerization of DiynePC and DiynePE resulted in a robust bilayer. Functionalization of the polymeric bilayer provided a route to a robust and biomimetic surface that can be linked with biomolecules, cells, and three-dimensional (3D) microstructures. Biotin and peptides were grafted onto the polymeric bilayer for attaching streptavidin and cultured mammalian cells by molecular recognition, respectively. Nonspecific adsorption of proteins and cells on polymeric bilayers was minimum. DiynePE was also used to attach a microstructure made of an elastomer (polydimethylsiloxan: PDMS) onto the membrane, forming a confined aqueous solution between the two surfaces. The microcompartment enabled us to assay the activity of a membrane-bound enzyme (cyochrome P450). Natural (fluid) lipid bilayers were incorporated together with membrane-bound proteins by lithographically polymerizing DiynePC/DiynePE bilayers. The hybrid membrane of functionalized polymeric bilayers and fluid bilayers offers a novel platform for a wide range of biomedical applications including biosensor, bioassay, cell culture, and cell-based assay.

  4. Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Membranes for Cellular Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ventura, Anthony P.

    Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) membranes can be fabricated with a highly tunable pore structure making them a suitable candidate for cellular hybrid devices with single-molecule selectivity. The objective of this study was to characterize the cellular response of AAO membranes with varying pore sizes to serve as a proof-of-concept for an artificial material/cell synapse system. AAO membranes with pore diameters ranging from 34-117 nm were achieved via anodization at a temperature of -1°C in a 2.7% oxalic acid electrolyte. An operating window was established for this setup to create membranes with through-pore and disordered pore morphologies. C17.2 neural stem cells were seeded onto the membranes and differentiated via serum withdrawal. The data suggests a highly tunable correlation between AAO pore diameter and differentiated cell populations. Analysis of membranes before and after cell culture indicated no breakdown of the through-pore structure. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) showed that AAO membranes had increased neurite outgrowth when compared to tissue culture treated (TCT) glass, and neurite outgrowth varied with pore diameter. Additionally, lower neuronal percentages were found on AAO as compared to TCT glass; however, neuronal population was also found to vary with pore diameter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ICC images suggested the presence of a tissue-like layer with a mixed-phenotype population. AAO membranes appear to be an excellent candidate for cellular devices, but more work must be completed to understand the surface chemistry of the AAO membranes as it relates to cellular response.

  5. Electron tunneling in chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zamaraev, K.I.; Khajrutdinov, R.F.; Zhdanov, V.P.; Molin, Yu.N.

    1985-01-01

    Results of experimental and theoretical investigations are outlined systematically on electron tunnelling in chemical reactions. Mechanism of electron transport to great distances is shown to be characteristic to chemical compounds of a wide range. The function of tunnel reactions is discussed for various fields of chemistry, including radiation chemistry, electrochemistry, chemistry of solids, chemistry of surface and catalysis

  6. Effect of atomic layer deposition coatings on the surface structure of anodic aluminum oxide membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Guang; Elam, Jeffrey W; Feng, Hao; Han, Catherine Y; Wang, Hsien-Hau; Iton, Lennox E; Curtiss, Larry A; Pellin, Michael J; Kung, Mayfair; Kung, Harold; Stair, Peter C

    2005-07-28

    Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes were characterized by UV Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies before and after coating the entire surface (including the interior pore walls) of the AAO membranes by atomic layer deposition (ALD). UV Raman reveals the presence of aluminum oxalate in bulk AAO, both before and after ALD coating with Al2O3, because of acid anion incorporation during the anodization process used to produce AAO membranes. The aluminum oxalate in AAO exhibits remarkable thermal stability, not totally decomposing in air until exposed to a temperature >900 degrees C. ALD was used to cover the surface of AAO with either Al2O3 or TiO2. Uncoated AAO have FT-IR spectra with two separate types of OH stretches that can be assigned to isolated OH groups and hydrogen-bonded surface OH groups, respectively. In contrast, AAO surfaces coated by ALD with Al2O3 display a single, broad band of hydrogen-bonded OH groups. AAO substrates coated with TiO2 show a more complicated behavior. UV Raman results show that very thin TiO2 coatings (1 nm) are not stable upon annealing to 500 degrees C. In contrast, thicker coatings can totally cover the contaminated alumina surface and are stable at temperatures in excess of 500 degrees C.

  7. On membrane interactions and a three-dimensional analog of Riemann surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kovacs, Stefano [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 10 Burlington Road, Dublin 4 (Ireland); ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research, IFT-UNESP,São Paulo, SP 01440-070 (Brazil); Sato, Yuki [National Institute for Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Mandelstam Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of the Witwartersrand,Wits 2050 (South Africa); Shimada, Hidehiko [Okayama Institute for Quantum Physics,Okayama (Japan)

    2016-02-08

    Membranes in M-theory are expected to interact via splitting and joining processes. We study these effects in the pp-wave matrix model, in which they are associated with transitions between states in sectors built on vacua with different numbers of membranes. Transition amplitudes between such states receive contributions from BPS instanton configurations interpolating between the different vacua. Various properties of the moduli space of BPS instantons are known, but there are very few known examples of explicit solutions. We present a new approach to the construction of instanton solutions interpolating between states containing arbitrary numbers of membranes, based on a continuum approximation valid for matrices of large size. The proposed scheme uses functions on a two-dimensional space to approximate matrices and it relies on the same ideas behind the matrix regularisation of membrane degrees of freedom in M-theory. We show that the BPS instanton equations have a continuum counterpart which can be mapped to the three-dimensional Laplace equation through a sequence of changes of variables. A description of configurations corresponding to membrane splitting/joining processes can be given in terms of solutions to the Laplace equation in a three-dimensional analog of a Riemann surface, consisting of multiple copies of ℝ{sup 3} connected via a generalisation of branch cuts. We discuss various general features of our proposal and we also present explicit analytic solutions.

  8. On membrane interactions and a three-dimensional analog of Riemann surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovacs, Stefano; Sato, Yuki; Shimada, Hidehiko

    2016-01-01

    Membranes in M-theory are expected to interact via splitting and joining processes. We study these effects in the pp-wave matrix model, in which they are associated with transitions between states in sectors built on vacua with different numbers of membranes. Transition amplitudes between such states receive contributions from BPS instanton configurations interpolating between the different vacua. Various properties of the moduli space of BPS instantons are known, but there are very few known examples of explicit solutions. We present a new approach to the construction of instanton solutions interpolating between states containing arbitrary numbers of membranes, based on a continuum approximation valid for matrices of large size. The proposed scheme uses functions on a two-dimensional space to approximate matrices and it relies on the same ideas behind the matrix regularisation of membrane degrees of freedom in M-theory. We show that the BPS instanton equations have a continuum counterpart which can be mapped to the three-dimensional Laplace equation through a sequence of changes of variables. A description of configurations corresponding to membrane splitting/joining processes can be given in terms of solutions to the Laplace equation in a three-dimensional analog of a Riemann surface, consisting of multiple copies of ℝ"3 connected via a generalisation of branch cuts. We discuss various general features of our proposal and we also present explicit analytic solutions.

  9. Probing lipid membrane electrostatics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yi

    The electrostatic properties of lipid bilayer membranes play a significant role in many biological processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is highly sensitive to membrane surface potential in electrolyte solutions. With fully characterized probe tips, AFM can perform quantitative electrostatic analysis of lipid membranes. Electrostatic interactions between Silicon nitride probes and supported zwitterionic dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayer with a variable fraction of anionic dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) were measured by AFM. Classical Gouy-Chapman theory was used to model the membrane electrostatics. The nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation was numerically solved with finite element method to provide the potential distribution around the AFM tips. Theoretical tip-sample electrostatic interactions were calculated with the surface integral of both Maxwell and osmotic stress tensors on tip surface. The measured forces were interpreted with theoretical forces and the resulting surface charge densities of the membrane surfaces were in quantitative agreement with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model of membrane charge regulation. It was demonstrated that the AFM can quantitatively detect membrane surface potential at a separation of several screening lengths, and that the AFM probe only perturbs the membrane surface potential by external field created by the internai membrane dipole moment. The analysis yields a dipole moment of 1.5 Debye per lipid with a dipole potential of +275 mV for supported DOPC membranes. This new ability to quantitatively measure the membrane dipole density in a noninvasive manner will be useful in identifying the biological effects of the dipole potential. Finally, heterogeneous model membranes were studied with fluid electric force microscopy (FEFM). Electrostatic mapping was demonstrated with 50 nm resolution. The capabilities of quantitative electrostatic measurement and lateral charge density mapping make AFM a unique and powerful

  10. Estimating the Analytical and Surface Enhancement Factors in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS): A Novel Physical Chemistry and Nanotechnology Laboratory Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavel, Ioana E.; Alnajjar, Khadijeh S.; Monahan, Jennifer L.; Stahler, Adam; Hunter, Nora E.; Weaver, Kent M.; Baker, Joshua D.; Meyerhoefer, Allie J.; Dolson, David A.

    2012-01-01

    A novel laboratory experiment was successfully implemented for undergraduate and graduate students in physical chemistry and nanotechnology. The main goal of the experiment was to rigorously determine the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing capabilities of colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These were quantified by…

  11. Influence of surface chemistry of carbon materials on their interactions with inorganic nitrogen contaminants in soil and water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumaraj; Padhye, Lokesh P

    2017-10-01

    Inorganic nitrogen contaminants (INC) (NH 4 + , NO 3 - , NO 2 - , NH 3 , NO, NO 2 , and N 2 O) pose a growing risk to the environment, and their remediation methods are highly sought after. Application of carbon materials (CM), such as biochar and activated carbon, to remediate INC from agricultural fields and wastewater treatment plants has gained a significant interest since past few years. Understanding the role of surface chemistry of CM in adsorption of various INC is highly critical to increase adsorption efficiency as well as to assess the long term impact of using these highly recalcitrant CM for remediation of INC. Critical reviews of adsorption studies related to INC have revealed that carbon surface chemistry (surface functional groups, pH, Eh, elemental composition, and mineral content) has significant influence on adsorption of INC. Compared to basic functional groups, oxygen containing surface functional groups have been found to be more influential for adsorption of INC. However, basic sites on carbon materials still play an important role in chemisorption of anionic INC. Apart from surface functional groups, pH, Eh and pH zpc of CM and elemental and mineral composition of its surface are important properties capable of altering INC interactions with CM. This review summarizes our current understanding of INC interactions with CM's surface through the known chemisorption mechanisms: electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, electron donor-acceptor mechanism, hydrophobic and hydrophilic interaction, chemisorption aided by minerals, and interactions influenced by pH and elemental composition. Change in surface chemistry of CM in soil during aging is also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Separation of Gas Mixtures by New Type of Membranes – Dynamic Liquid Membranes.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Setničková, Kateřina; Šíma, Vladimír; Petričkovič, Roman; Řezníčková Čermáková, Jiřina; Uchytil, Petr

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 160, FEB 29 (2016), s. 132-135 ISSN 1383-5866 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : gas separation * liquid membrane * methane Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 3.359, year: 2016

  13. Controlled surface chemistry of diamond/β-SiC composite films for preferential protein adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tao; Handschuh-Wang, Stephan; Yang, Yang; Zhuang, Hao; Schlemper, Christoph; Wesner, Daniel; Schönherr, Holger; Zhang, Wenjun; Jiang, Xin

    2014-02-04

    Diamond and SiC both process extraordinary biocompatible, electronic, and chemical properties. A combination of diamond and SiC may lead to highly stable materials, e.g., for implants or biosensors with excellent sensing properties. Here we report on the controllable surface chemistry of diamond/β-SiC composite films and its effect on protein adsorption. For systematic and high-throughput investigations, novel diamond/β-SiC composite films with gradient composition have been synthesized using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique. As revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the diamond/β-SiC ratio of the composite films shows a continuous change from pure diamond to β-SiC over a length of ∼ 10 mm on the surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was employed to unveil the surface termination of chemically oxidized and hydrogen treated surfaces. The surface chemistry of the composite films was found to depend on diamond/β-SiC ratio and the surface treatment. As observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy, albumin and fibrinogen were preferentially adsorbed from buffer: after surface oxidation, the proteins preferred to adsorb on diamond rather than on β-SiC, resulting in an increasing amount of proteins adsorbed to the gradient surfaces with increasing diamond/β-SiC ratio. By contrast, for hydrogen-treated surfaces, the proteins preferentially adsorbed on β-SiC, leading to a decreasing amount of albumin adsorbed on the gradient surfaces with increasing diamond/β-SiC ratio. The mechanism of preferential protein adsorption is discussed by considering the hydrogen bonding of the water self-association network to OH-terminated surfaces and the change of the polar surface energy component, which was determined according to the van Oss method. These results suggest that the diamond/β-SiC gradient film can be a promising material for biomedical applications which

  14. Chitosan/polyanion surface modification of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer membrane for wound dressing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Jen Ming, E-mail: jmyang@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan (China); Yang, Jhe-Hao [Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan (China); Huang, Huei Tsz [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan (China)

    2014-01-01

    The surface of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer (SBS) membrane is modified with tri-steps in this study. At first, two step modified SBS membrane (MSBS) was prepared with epoxidation and ring opening reaction with maleated ionomer. Then chitosan was used as the polycation electrolyte and sodium alginate, poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA) and poly(aspartic acid) (PAsp) were selected as polyanion electrolytes to deposit on the surfaces of MSBS membrane by the layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) deposition technique to get three [chitosan/polyanion] LbL modified SBS membranes, ([CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp]). From the quantitative XPS analysis and water contact angle measurement, it is found that the order of wettability and the content of functional group percentages of COO{sup −} and -O=C-N- on the three [CS/polyanion] systems are [CS/Alg] > [CS/PGA] > [CS/PAsp]. Performances of water vapor transmission rates, fibronectin adsorption, antibacterial assessment and 3T3 fibroblast cell growth on [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp] membranes were also evaluated. With the evaluation of water vapor transmission rate, these [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp] membranes are sterile semipermeable with water evaporation at about 82 ± 8 g/day · m{sup 2}. It is found that the amount of fibronectin adsorption on the three [CS/polyanion] systems is significantly determined by the sum of the functional group of COO{sup −} and -O=C-N- on the surfaces of [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp] systems. The results are inverse with the sum of the functional group of COO{sup −} and -O=C-N- on the three [CS/polyanion]. From the cytotoxicity test and cell adhesion and proliferation assay of 3T3 fibroblasts on the three [CS/polyanion] systems, it revealed that the cells not only remained viable but they also proliferated on the surfaces of [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp]. The bactericidal activity was found on [CS/Alg], [CS/PGA] and [CS/PAsp]. The transport of bacterial through

  15. Functionalization of a Hydrophilic Commercial Membrane Using Inorganic-Organic Polymers Coatings for Membrane Distillation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lies Eykens

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Membrane distillation is a thermal separation technique using a microporous hydrophobic membrane. One of the concerns with respect to the industrialization of the technique is the development of novel membranes. In this paper, a commercially available hydrophilic polyethersulfone membrane with a suitable structure for membrane distillation was modified using available hydrophobic coatings using ORMOCER® technology to obtain a hydrophobic membrane that can be applied in membrane distillation. The surface modification was performed using a selection of different components, concentrations, and application methods. The resulting membranes can have two hydrophobic surfaces or a hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface depending on the application method. An extensive characterization procedure confirmed the suitability of the coating technique and the obtained membranes for membrane distillation. The surface contact angle of water could be increased from 27° up to 110°, and fluxes comparable to membranes commonly used for membrane distillation were achieved under similar process conditions. A 100 h test demonstrated the stability of the coating and the importance of using sufficiently stable base membranes.

  16. Surface Modification of Ceramic Membranes with Thin-film Deposition Methods for Wastewater Treatment

    KAUST Repository

    Jahangir, Daniyal

    2017-01-01

    water permeability (CWP) tests and fouling behavior by bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption tests. The study showed better fouling inhibition performance of all modified membranes; however the effect varied due to different surface characteristics

  17. Rapid changes in surface water carbonate chemistry during Antarctic sea ice melt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Elizabeth M.; Bakker, Dorothee C. E.; Venables, Hugh J.; Whitehouse, Michael J.; Korb, Rebecca E.; Watson, Andrew J.

    2010-11-01

    ABSTRACT The effect of sea ice melt on the carbonate chemistry of surface waters in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence, Southern Ocean, was investigated during January 2008. Contrasting concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (TA) and the fugacity of carbon dioxide (fCO2) were observed in and around the receding sea ice edge. The precipitation of carbonate minerals such as ikaite (CaCO3.6H2O) in sea ice brine has the net effect of decreasing DIC and TA and increasing the fCO2 in the brine. Deficits in DIC up to 12 +/- 3 μmol kg-1 in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) were consistent with the release of DIC-poor brines to surface waters during sea ice melt. Biological utilization of carbon was the dominant processes and accounted for 41 +/- 1 μmol kg-1 of the summer DIC deficit. The data suggest that the combined effects of biological carbon uptake and the precipitation of carbonates created substantial undersaturation in fCO2 of 95 μatm in the MIZ during summer sea ice melt. Further work is required to improve the understanding of ikaite chemistry in Antarctic sea ice and its importance for the sea ice carbon pump.

  18. Lipopolysaccharide Membranes and Membrane Proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Studied by Computer Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Straatsma, TP

    2006-12-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental Gram-negative bacterium with high metabolic versatility and an exceptional ability to adapt to a wide range of ecological environments, including soil, marches, coastal habitats, plant and animal tissues. Gram-negative microbes are characterized by the asymmetric lipopolysaccharide outer membrane, the study of which is important for a number of applications. The adhesion to mineral surfaces plays a central role in characterizing their contribution to the fate of contaminants in complex environmental systems by effecting microbial transport through soils, respiration redox chemistry, and ion mobility. Another important application stems from the fact that it is also a major opportunistic human pathogen that can result in life-threatening infections in many immunocompromised patients, such as lung infections in children with cystic fibrosis, bacteraemia in burn victims, urinary-tract infections in catheterized patients, hospital-acquired pneumonia in patients on respirators, infections in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and keratitis and corneal ulcers in users of extended-wear soft contact lenses. The inherent resistance against antibiotics which has been linked with the specific interactions in the outer membrane of P. aeruginosa makes these infections difficult to treat. Developments in simulation methodologies as well as computer hardware have enabled the molecular simulation of biological systems of increasing size and with increasing accuracy, providing detail that is difficult or impossible to obtain experimentally. Computer simulation studies contribute to our understanding of the behavior of proteins, protein-protein and protein-DNA complexes. In recent years, a number of research groups have made significant progress in applying these methods to the study of biological membranes. However, these applications have been focused exclusively on lipid bilayer membranes and on membrane proteins in lipid

  19. Materials of the yearly scientific assembly of the Polish Chemical Society - Torun'93: chemistry of new materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Scientific conference accompanied the assembly of Polish Chemical Society has been held in 1993 in Torun. The conference has been divided into 12 sections and 4 symposia covering the most important research fields in chemistry. The general view on scientific progress has been presented during the plenary session. Then proceedings have performed in specialist sessions on: contemporary methods in organic chemistry chemistry, chemistry and physico-chemistry of polymers, coordination chemistry state-of-the-art prospects, absorption and absorbents, new chemical technologies of organic compounds, new chemical technologies of inorganic compounds, environment protection, new methods in analytical chemistry, photochemistry and chemical kinetics, crystallochemistry, history of chemistry and didactics, new substances in health protection, membranes and membrane techniques, electroactive organic compounds, zeolites - material properties

  20. Light Responsive Polymer Membranes: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiore Pasquale Nicoletta

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, stimuli responsive materials have gained significant attention in membrane separation processes due to their ability to change specific properties in response to small external stimuli, such as light, pH, temperature, ionic strength, pressure, magnetic field, antigen, chemical composition, and so on. In this review, we briefly report recent progresses in light-driven materials and membranes. Photo-switching mechanisms, valved-membrane fabrication and light-driven properties are examined. Advances and perspectives of light responsive polymer membranes in biotechnology, chemistry and biology areas are discussed.

  1. Effect of electrochemical treatments on the surface chemistry of activated carbon

    OpenAIRE

    Berenguer Betrián, Raúl; Marco Lozar, Juan Pablo; Quijada Tomás, César; Cazorla Amorós, Diego; Morallón Núñez, Emilia

    2008-01-01

    The effect of the electrochemical treatment (galvanostatic electrolysis in a filter-press electrochemical cell) on the surface chemistry and porous structure of a granular activated carbon (GAC) has been analyzed by means of temperature-programmed desorption and N2 (at 77 K) and CO2 (at 273 K) adsorption isotherms. The anodic and cathodic treatments, the applied current (between 0.2 and 2.0 A) and the type of electrolyte (NaOH, H2SO4 and NaCl)have been studied as electrochemical variables. Bo...

  2. On Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Using Diazonium Chemistry To Introduce the Initiator Layer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iruthayaraj, Joseph; Chernyy, Sergey; Lillethorup, Mie

    2011-01-01

    This work features the controllability of surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of methyl methacrylate, initiated by a multilayered 2-bromoisobutyryl moiety formed via diazonium chemistry. The thickness as a function of polymerization time has been studied by varying di...

  3. Assessment of the surface chemistry of carbon blacks by TGA-MS, XPS and inverse gas chromatography using statistical chemometric analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strzemiecka, Beata; Voelkel, Adam; Donate-Robles, Jessica; Martín-Martínez, José Miguel

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Carbon blacks with lower specific surface area had basic character (electron donor) due to C=O and C-O groups. • Carbon blacks with higher specific surface area had acidic character (acceptor electron) due to OH groups. • Total surface energy and its dispersive component of carbon blacks increased by increasing their specific surface area. (table) - Abstract: Four carbon blacks with different specific surface areas and surface chemistries (C32, C71, C159 and C178) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K. Their surface chemistries were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TGA-MS) and inverse gas chromatography (IGC). The carbon blacks contained 2.7–5.8 wt% volatiles corresponding to -OH, C-O, C=O and COO groups. The surface chemistry parameters obtained with the different experimental techniques were inter-related by using chemometric statistical analysis tools. The application of this methodology showed that the carbon blacks with lower specific surface area (C32 and C71) had basic character (electron donor) mainly due to C=O and C-O groups, whereas the carbon black with the highest specific surface area (C178) showed acidic character (acceptor electron) due to its high content of OH groups. Moreover, the total surface energy and the dispersive component of the surface energy of the carbon blacks increased with the increase of their specific surface area. In general the specific interactions of the carbon blacks also increased with the increase of their specific surface area although C71 is exceptional due to higher oxygen content corresponding to C-O groups

  4. Quantum Nanobiology and Biophysical Chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    An introduction was provided in the first issue by way of an Editorial to this special two issue volume of Current Physical Chemistry – “Quantum Nanobiology and Biophysical Chemistry” [1]. The Guest Editors would like to thank all the authors and referees who have contributed to this second issue....... Wu et al. use density functional theory to explore the use of Ni/Fe bimetallic nanotechnology in the bioremediation of decabromo-diphenyl esters. Araújo-Chaves et al. explore the binding and reactivity of Mn(III) porphyrins in the membrane mimetic setting of model liposomal systems. Claussen et al....... demonstrate extremely low detection performance of acyl-homoserine lactone in a biologically relevant system using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Sugihara and Bondar evaluate the influence of methyl-groups and the protein environment on retinal geometries in rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsin, two...

  5. Fabrication of free standing anodic titanium oxide membranes with clean surface using recycling process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Xianhui; Lee, Tae-Young; Chen, Huiyu; Shin, Dong-Wook; Kwon, Kee-Won; Kwon, Sang Jik; Yoo, Ji-Beom

    2010-07-01

    Large area of self-organized, free standing anodic titanium oxide (ATO) nanotube membranes with clean surfaces were facilely prepared to desired lengths via electrochemical anodization of highly pure Ti sheets in an ethylene glycol electrolyte, with a small amount of NH4F and H2O at 50 V, followed by self-detachment of the ATO membrane from the Ti substrate using recycling processes. In the first anodization step, the nanowire oxide layer existed over the well-arranged ATO nanotube. After sufficiently rinsing with water, the whole ATO layer was removed from the Ti sheet by high pressure N2 gas, and a well-patterned dimple layer with a thickness of about 30 nm existed on the Ti substrate. By using these naturally formed nano-scale pits as templates, in the second and third anodization process, highly ordered, vertically aligned, and free standing ATO membranes with the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO)-like clean surface were obtained. The inter-pore distance and diameter was 154 +/- 2 nm and 91+/- 2 nm, the tube arrays lengths for 25 and 46 hours were 44 and 70 microm, respectively. The present study demonstrates a simple approach to producing high quality, length controllable, large area TiO2 membrane.

  6. Long-Time Plasma Membrane Imaging Based on a Two-Step Synergistic Cell Surface Modification Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Hao-Ran; Wang, Hong-Yin; Yu, Zhi-Wu; Chen, Zhan; Wu, Fu-Gen

    2016-03-16

    Long-time stable plasma membrane imaging is difficult due to the fast cellular internalization of fluorescent dyes and the quick detachment of the dyes from the membrane. In this study, we developed a two-step synergistic cell surface modification and labeling strategy to realize long-time plasma membrane imaging. Initially, a multisite plasma membrane anchoring reagent, glycol chitosan-10% PEG2000 cholesterol-10% biotin (abbreviated as "GC-Chol-Biotin"), was incubated with cells to modify the plasma membranes with biotin groups with the assistance of the membrane anchoring ability of cholesterol moieties. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated avidin was then introduced to achieve the fluorescence-labeled plasma membranes based on the supramolecular recognition between biotin and avidin. This strategy achieved stable plasma membrane imaging for up to 8 h without substantial internalization of the dyes, and avoided the quick fluorescence loss caused by the detachment of dyes from plasma membranes. We have also demonstrated that the imaging performance of our staining strategy far surpassed that of current commercial plasma membrane imaging reagents such as DiD and CellMask. Furthermore, the photodynamic damage of plasma membranes caused by a photosensitizer, Chlorin e6 (Ce6), was tracked in real time for 5 h during continuous laser irradiation. Plasma membrane behaviors including cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and plasma membrane vesiculation could be dynamically recorded. Therefore, the imaging strategy developed in this work may provide a novel platform to investigate plasma membrane behaviors over a relatively long time period.

  7. Surface oxygen vacancy and oxygen permeation flux limits of perovskite ion transport membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Hunt, Anton; Dimitrakopoulos, Georgios; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.

    2015-01-01

    © 2015 Elsevier B.V. The mechanisms and quantitative models for how oxygen is separated from air using ion transport membranes (ITMs) are not well understood, largely due to the experimental complexity for determining surface exchange reactions

  8. Factors Influencing NO2 Adsorption/Reduction on Microporous Activated Carbon: Porosity vs. Surface Chemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imen Ghouma

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The textural properties and surface chemistry of different activated carbons, prepared by the chemical activation of olive stones, have been investigated in order to gain insight on the NO2 adsorption mechanism. The parent chemical activated carbon was prepared by the impregnation of olive stones in phosphoric acid followed by thermal carbonization. Then, the textural properties and surface chemistry were modified by chemical treatments including nitric acid, sodium hydroxide and/or a thermal treatment at 900 °C. The main properties of the parent and modified activated carbons were analyzed by N2-adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR techniques, in order to enlighten the modifications issued from the chemical and thermal treatments. The NO2 adsorption capacities of the different activated carbons were measured in fixed bed experiments under 500 ppmv NO2 concentrations at room temperature. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD was applied after adsorption tests in order to quantify the amount of the physisorbed and chemisorbed NO2. The obtained results showed that the development of microporosity, the presence of oxygen-free sites, and the presence of basic surface groups are key factors for the efficient adsorption of NO2.

  9. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering reveals adsorption of mitoxantrone on plasma membrane of living cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breuzard, G.; Angiboust, J.-F.; Jeannesson, P.; Manfait, M.; Millot, J.-M.

    2004-01-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy was applied to analyze mitoxantrone (MTX) adsorption on the plasma membrane microenvironment of sensitive (HCT-116 S) or BCRP/MXR-type resistant (HCT-116 R) cells. The addition of silver colloid to MTX-treated cells revealed an enhanced Raman scattering of MTX. Addition of extracellular DNA induced a total extinction of MTX Raman intensity for both cell lines, which revealed an adsorption of MTX on plasma membrane. A threefold higher MTX Raman intensity was observed for HCT-116 R, suggesting a tight MTX adsorption in the plasma membrane microenvironment. Fluorescence confocal microscopy confirmed a relative MTX emission around plasma membrane for HCT-116 R. After 30 min at 4 deg. C, a threefold decrease of the MTX Raman scattering was observed for HCT-116 R, contrary to HCT-116 S. Permeation with benzyl alcohol revealed a threefold decrease of membrane MTX adsorption on HCT-116 R, exclusively. This additional MTX adsorption should correspond to the drug bound to an unstable site on the HCT-116 R membrane. This study showed that SERS spectroscopy could be a direct method to reveal drug adsorption to the membrane environment of living cells

  10. Control and Characterization of Titanium Dioxide Morphology: Applications in Surface Organometallic Chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Jeantelot, Gabriel

    2014-05-01

    Surface Organometallic Chemistry leads to the combination of the high activity and specificity of homogeneous catalysts with the recoverability and practicality of heterogeneous catalysts. Most metal complexes used in this chemistry are grafted on metal oxide supports such as amorphous silica (SiO2) and γ-alumina (Al2O3). In this thesis, we sought to enable the use of titania (TiO2) as a new support for single-site well-defined grafting of metal complexes. This was achieved by synthesizing a special type of anatase-TiO2, bearing a high density of identical hydroxyl groups, through hydrothermal synthesis then post-treatment under high vacuum followed by oxygen flow, and characterized by several analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. Finally, as a proof of concept, the grafting of vanadium oxychloride (VOCl3) was successfully attempted.

  11. Enhancing co-production of H2 and syngas via water splitting and POM on surface-modified oxygen permeable membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Xiao-Yu

    2016-09-26

    In this article, we report a detailed study on co-production of H2 and syngas on La0.9Ca0.1FeO3−δ (LCF-91) membranes via water splitting and partial oxidation of methane, respectively. A permeation model shows that the surface reaction on the sweep side is the rate limiting step for this process on a 0.9 mm-thick dense membrane at 990°C. Hence, sweep side surface modifications such as adding a porous layer and nickel catalysts were applied; the hydrogen production rate from water thermolysis is enhanced by two orders of magnitude to 0.37 μmol/cm2•s compared with the results on the unmodified membrane. At the sweep side exit, syngas (H2/CO = 2) is produced and negligible solid carbon is found. Yet near the membrane surface on the sweep side, methane can decompose into solid carbon and hydrogen at the surface, or it may be oxidized into CO and CO2, depending on the oxygen permeation flux.

  12. Fluorination of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes: from CF4 plasma chemistry to surface functionalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struzzi, Claudia; Scardamaglia, Mattia; Colomer, Jean-François; Verdini, Alberto; Floreano, Luca; Snyders, Rony; Bittencourt, Carla

    2017-01-01

    The surface chemistry of plasma fluorinated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (vCNT) is correlated to the CF 4 plasma chemical composition. The results obtained via FTIR and mass spectrometry are combined with the XPS and Raman analysis of the sample surface showing the dependence on different plasma parameters (power, time and distance from the plasma region) on the resulting fluorination. Photoemission and absorption spectroscopies are used to investigate the evolution of the electronic properties as a function of the fluorine content at the vCNT surface. The samples suffer a limited ageing effect, with a small loss of fluorine functionalities after two weeks in ambient conditions.

  13. Fluorination of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes: from CF4 plasma chemistry to surface functionalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Struzzi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The surface chemistry of plasma fluorinated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (vCNT is correlated to the CF4 plasma chemical composition. The results obtained via FTIR and mass spectrometry are combined with the XPS and Raman analysis of the sample surface showing the dependence on different plasma parameters (power, time and distance from the plasma region on the resulting fluorination. Photoemission and absorption spectroscopies are used to investigate the evolution of the electronic properties as a function of the fluorine content at the vCNT surface. The samples suffer a limited ageing effect, with a small loss of fluorine functionalities after two weeks in ambient conditions.

  14. Osteoinductive activity of insulin-functionalized cell culture surfaces obtained using diazonium chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikulska, Anna; Filipowska, Joanna; Osyczka, Anna; Nowakowska, Maria; Szczubiałka, Krzysztof

    2014-12-01

    Polymeric surfaces suitable for cell culture (DR/Pec) were constructed from diazoresin (DR) and pectin (Pec) in a form of ultrathin films using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The surfaces were functionalized with insulin using diazonium chemistry. Such functionalized surfaces were used to culture human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to assess their suitability for bone tissue engineering and regeneration. The activity of insulin immobilized on the surfaces (DR/Pec/Ins) was compared to that of insulin dissolved in the culture medium. Human MSC grown on insulin-immobilized DR/Pec surfaces displayed increased proliferation and higher osteogenic activity. The latter was determined by means of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, which increases at early stages of osteoblasts differentiation. Insulin dissolved in the culture medium did not stimulate cell proliferation and its osteogenic activity was significantly lower. Addition of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) to the culture medium further increased ALP activity in hMSCs indicating additive osteogenic action of immobilized insulin and rhBMP-2

  15. Osteoinductive activity of insulin-functionalized cell culture surfaces obtained using diazonium chemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna eMikulska

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Polymeric surfaces suitable for cell culture (DR/Pec were constructed from diazoresin (DR and pectin (Pec in a form of ultrathin films using the layer-by-layer (LbL technique. The surfaces were functionalized with insulin using diazonium chemistry. Such functionalized surfaces were used to culture human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs to assess their suitability for bone tissue engineering and regeneration. The activity of insulin immobilized on the surfaces (DR/Pec/Ins was compared to that of insulin dissolved in the culture medium. Human MSC grown on insulin-immobilized DR/Pec surfaces displayed increased proliferation and higher osteogenic activity. The latter was determined by means of alkaline phosphatase (ALP activity, which increases at early stages of osteoblasts differentiation. Insulin dissolved in the culture medium did not stimulate cell proliferation and its osteogenic activity was significantly lower. Addition of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2 to the culture medium further increased ALP activity in hMSCs indicating additive osteogenic action of immobilized insulin and rhBMP-2

  16. Electrospun composite nanofiber membrane of poly(l-lactide) and surface grafted chitin whiskers: Fabrication, mechanical properties and cytocompatibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hua; Liu, Wenjun; Luo, Binghong; Wen, Wei; Liu, Mingxian; Wang, Xiaoying; Zhou, Changren

    2016-08-20

    To improve both the mechanical properties and cytocompatibility of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), rod-like chitin whiskers (CHWs) were prepared, and subsequently surface modified with l-lactide to obtain grafted CHWs (g-CHWs). Then, CHWs and g-CHWs were further introduced into PLLA matrix to fabricate CHWs/PLLA and g-CHWs/PLLA nanofiber membranes by electrospinning technique. Morphologies and properties of the CHWs and g-CHWs were characterized. The surface-grafted PLLA chains played an important role in improving interfacial interaction between the whiskers and PLLA matrix. The g-CHWs dispersed more uniformly in matrix than CHWs, and the as-prepared g-CHWs/PLLA nanofiber membrane showed relative smooth and uniform fiber. As a result, the tensile strength and modulus of the g-CHWs/PLLA nanofiber membrane were obviously superior to those of the pure PLLA and CHWs/PLLA nanofiber membranes. Cells culture results indicated that g-CHWs/PLLA nanofiber membrane is more effectively in promoting MC3T3-E1 cells adhesion, spreading and proliferation than pure PLLA and CHWs/PLLA nanofiber membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Bioinspired Multifunctional Membrane for Aquatic Micropollutants Removal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cao, Xiaotong; Luo, Jianquan; Woodley, John

    2016-01-01

    Micropollutants present in water have many detrimental effects on the ecosystem. Membrane technology plays an important role in the removal of micropollutants, but there remain significant challenges such as concentration polarization, membrane fouling, and variable permeate quality. The work...... reported here uses a multifunctional membrane with rejection, adsorption, and catalysis functions to solve these problems. On the basis of mussel-inspired chemistry and biological membrane properties, a multifunctional membrane was prepared by applying "reverse filtration" of a laccase solution...... and subsequent "dopamine coating" on a nanofiltration (NF) membrane support, which was tested on bisphenol A (BPA) removal. Three NF membranes were chosen for the preparation of the multifunctional membranes on the basis of the membrane properties and enzyme immobilization efficiency. Compared with the pristine...

  18. Surface chemistry and morphology of the solid electrolyte interphase on silicon nanowire lithium-ion battery anodes

    KAUST Repository

    Chan, Candace K.; Ruffo, Riccardo; Hong, Seung Sae; Cui, Yi

    2009-01-01

    Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have the potential to perform as anodes for lithium-ion batteries with a much higher energy density than graphite. However, there has been little work in understanding the surface chemistry of the solid electrolyte

  19. Dynamic Desorption of Adsorbing Species under Cross Membrane Pressure Difference: a New Defect Characterisation Approach in Zeolite Membranes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Prokopová, Olga; Kumakiri, I.; Kočiřík, Milan; Miachon, S.; Dalmon, J. A.

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 226, - (2003), s. 101-110 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1040101; GA ČR GA104/01/0945 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : zeolite membrane * membrane defect * desorption * water * n- butane Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.081, year: 2003

  20. An inline surface measurement method for membrane mirror fabrication using two-stage trained Zernike polynomials and elitist teaching–learning-based optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Yang; Chen, Zhenyu; Yang, Zhile; Li, Kang; Tan, Jiubin

    2016-01-01

    The accuracy of surface measurement determines the manufacturing quality of membrane mirrors. Thus, an efficient and accurate measuring method is critical in membrane mirror fabrication. This paper formulates this measurement issue as a surface reconstruction problem and employs two-stage trained Zernike polynomials as an inline measuring tool to solve the optical surface measurement problem in the membrane mirror manufacturing process. First, all terms of the Zernike polynomial are generated and projected to a non-circular region as the candidate model pool. The training data are calculated according to the measured values of distance sensors and the geometrical relationship between the ideal surface and the installed sensors. Then the terms are selected by minimizing the cost function each time successively. To avoid the problem of ill-conditioned matrix inversion by the least squares method, the coefficient of each model term is achieved by modified elitist teaching–learning-based optimization. Subsequently, the measurement precision is further improved by a second stage of model refinement. Finally, every point on the membrane surface can be measured according to this model, providing more the subtle feedback information needed for the precise control of membrane mirror fabrication. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method is effective in a membrane mirror manufacturing system driven by negative pressure, and the measurement accuracy can achieve 15 µ m. (paper)

  1. Atomic scale study of the chemistry of oxygen, hydrogen and water at SiC surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amy, Fabrice

    2007-01-01

    Understanding the achievable degree of homogeneity and the effect of surface structure on semiconductor surface chemistry is both academically challenging and of great practical interest to enable fabrication of future generations of devices. In that respect, silicon terminated SiC surfaces such as the cubic 3C-SiC(1 0 0) 3 x 2 and the hexagonal 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) 3 x 3 are of special interest since they give a unique opportunity to investigate the role of surface morphology on oxygen or hydrogen incorporation into the surface. In contrast to silicon, the subsurface structure plays a major role in the reactivity, leading to unexpected consequences such as the initial oxidation starting several atomic planes below the top surface or the surface metallization by atomic hydrogen. (review article)

  2. Preparation of robust braid-reinforced poly(vinyl chloride) ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane with antifouling surface and application to filtration of activated sludge solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhuang; Rajabzadeh, Saeid; Fang, Lifeng; Miyoshi, Taro; Kakihana, Yuriko; Matsuyama, Hideto

    2017-08-01

    Braid-reinforced hollow fiber membranes with high mechanical properties and considerable antifouling surface were prepared by blending poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with poly(vinyl chloride-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (poly(VC-co-PEGMA)) copolymer via non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). The tensile strength of the braid-reinforced PVC hollow fiber membranes were significantly larger than those of previously reported various types of PVC hollow fiber membranes. The high interfacial bonding strength indicated the good compatibility between the coating materials and the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-braid. Owing to the surface segregation phenomena, the membrane surface PEGMA coverage increased upon increasing the poly(VC-co-PEGMA)/PVC blending ratio, resulting in higher hydrophilicities and bovine serum albumin (BSA) repulsion. To compare the fouling properties, membranes with similar PWPs were prepared by adjusting the dope solution composition to eliminate the effect of hydrodynamic conditions on the membrane fouling performance. The blend membranes surface exhibited considerable fouling resistance to the molecular adsorption from both BSA solution and activated sludge solution. In both cases, the flux recovered to almost 80% of the initial flux using only water backflush. Considering their great mechanical properties and antifouling resistance to activated sludge solution, these novel membranes show good potential for application in wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Increasing the Detection Limit of the Parkinson Disorder through a Specific Surface Chemistry Applied onto Inner Surface of the Titration Well

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabienne Poncin-Epaillard

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this paper was to illustrate the enhancement of the sensitivity of ELISA titration for neurodegenerative proteins by reducing nonspecific adsorptions that could lead to false positives. This goal was obtained thanks to the association of plasma and wet chemistries applied to the inner surface of the titration well. The polypropylene surface was plasma-activated and then, dip-coated with different amphiphilic molecules. These molecules have more or less long hydrocarbon chains and may be charged. The modified surfaces were characterized in terms of hydrophilic—phobic character, surface chemical groups and topography. Finally, the coated wells were tested during the ELISA titration of the specific antibody capture of the α-synuclein protein. The highest sensitivity is obtained with polar (Θ = 35°, negatively charged and smooth inner surface.

  4. Ultra-thin Oxide Membranes: Synthesis and Carrier Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sim, Jai Sung

    Self-supported freestanding membranes are films that are devoid of any underlying supporting layers. The key advantage of such structures is that, due to the lack of substrate effects - both mechanical and chemical, the true native properties of the material can be probed. This is crucial since many of the studies done on materials that are used as freestanding membranes are done as films clamped to substrates or in the bulk form. This thesis focuses on the synthesis and fabrication as well as electrical studies of free standing ultrathin controllable thin film deposition process. Taking things a step further, to electrically probe these membranes required design of complex device architecture and extensive optimization of nano-fabrication processes. The challenges and optimized fabrication method of such membranes are demonstrated. Three materials are probed in this study, VO2, TiO2, and CeO2. VO2 for understanding structural considerations for electronic phase change and nature of ionic liquid gating, TiO2 and CeO2 for understanding surface conduction properties and surface chemistry. The VO2 study shows shift in metal-insulator transition (MIT) temperature arising from stress relaxation and opening of the hysteresis. The ionic liquid gating studies showed reversible modulation of channel resistance and allowed distinguishing bulk process from the surface effects. Comparing the ionic liquid gating experiments to hydrogen doping experiments illustrated that ionic liquid gating can be a surface limited electrostatic effect, if the critical voltage threshold is not exceeded. TiO2 study shows creation of non-stoichiometric forms under ion milling. Utilizing focused ion beam milling, thin membranes of Ti xOy of 100-300 nm thickness have been created. TEM studies indicated polycrystallinity and presence of twins in the FIB-milled nanowalls. Compositional analysis in the transmission electron microscope also showed reduced content of oxygen, confirming non

  5. Photoresponsive nanostructured membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Madhavan, Poornima

    2016-07-26

    The perspective of adding stimuli-response to isoporous membranes stimulates the development of separation devices with pores, which would open or close under control of environment chemical composition, temperature or exposure to light. Changes in pH and temperature have been previously investigated. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the preparation of photoresponsive isoporous membranes, applying self-assembly non-solvent induced phase separation to a new light responsive block copolymer. First, we optimized the membrane formation by using poly(styrene-b-anthracene methyl methacrylate-b-methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA) copolymer, identifying the most suitable solvent, copolymer block length, and other parameters. The obtained final triblock copolymer membrane morphologies were characterized using atomic force and electron microscopy. The microscopic analysis reveals that the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer can form both lamellar and ordered hexagonal nanoporous structures on the membrane top layer in appropriate solvent compositions. The nanostructured membrane emits fluorescence due to the presence of the anthracene mid-block. On irradiation of light the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer membranes has an additional stimuli response. The anthracene group undergoes conformational changes by forming [4 + 4] cycloadducts and this alters the membrane\\'s water flux and solute retention. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  6. Apparatus suitable for plasma surface treating and process for preparing membrane layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1988-01-01

    The invention relates to an apparatus suitable for plasma surface treating (e.g. forming a membrane layer on a substrate) which comprises a plasma generation section (2) which is in communication via at least one plasma inlet means (4) (e.g. a nozzle) with an enclosed plasma treating section (3)

  7. Majority of cellular fatty acid acylated proteins are localized to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilcox, C.A.; Olson, E.N.

    1987-01-01

    The BC 2 Hl muscle cell line was previously reported to contain a broad array of fatty acid acylated proteins. Palmitate was shown to be attached to membrane proteins posttranslationally through thiol ester linkages, whereas myristate was attached cotranslationally, or within seconds thereafter, to soluble and membrane-bound proteins through amide linkages. The temporal and subcellular differences between palmitate and myristate acylation suggested that these two classes of acyl proteins might follow different intracellular pathways to distinct subcellular membrane systems or organelles. In this study, the authors examined the subcellular localization of the major fatty acylated proteins in BC 4 Hl cells. Palmitate-containing proteins were localized to the plasma membrane, but only a subset of myristate-containing proteins was localized to this membrane fraction. The majority of acyl proteins were nonglycosylated and resistant to digestion with extracellular proteases, suggesting that they were not exposed to the external surface of the plasma membrane. Many proteins were, however, digested during incubation of isolated membranes with proteases, which indicates that these proteins were, however, digested during incubation of isolated membranes with proteases, which indicates that these proteins face the cytoplasm. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of proteins labeled with [ 3 H]palmitate and [ 3 H]myristate revealed that individual proteins were modified by only one of the two fatty acids and did not undergo both N-linked myristylation and ester-linked palmitylation. Together, these results suggest that the majority of cellular acyl proteins are routed to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane, and they raise the possibility that fatty acid acylation may play a role in intracellular sorting of nontransmembranous, nonglycosylated membrane proteins

  8. Bobbing of Oxysterols: Molecular Mechanism for Translocation of Tail-Oxidized Sterols through Biological Membranes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kulig, W.; Mikkolainen, H.; Olžyńska, Agnieszka; Jurkiewicz, Piotr; Cwiklik, Lukasz; Hof, Martin; Vattulainen, I.; Jungwirth, Pavel; Rog, T.

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 5 (2018), s. 1118-1123 ISSN 1948-7185 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 ; RVO:61388963 Keywords : biological membranes * alcohols * cell membranes Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 9.353, year: 2016

  9. Modification of the poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membrane structure and surface in the plasma of non-polymerized gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kravets, L.I.; Dmitriev, S.N.; Apel, P.Y.

    1999-01-01

    An investigation of the properties of poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membranes (PETTMs) treated with a plasma RF-discharge in non-polymerized gases has been performed. The influence of the plasma treatment conditions on the basic properties of the membranes has been studied. It was arranged that the effect of non-polymerized gases plasma on the PETTMs results to etching a membrane's surface layer. The membranes' pore size and the form in this case change. It is shown that it is possible to change the structure of track membranes directly by gas discharge etching

  10. Amniotic membrane transplantation for reconstruction of corneal epithelial surface in cases of partial limbal stem cell deficiency.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sangwan Virender

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To assess the efficacy of amniotic membrane for treatment of partial limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD. Methods: Medical records of four patients with partial LSCD who underwent pannus resection and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT were reviewed for ocular surface stability and improvement in visual acuity. Clinico-histopathological correlation was done with the resected pannus tissue. Results: All the eyes exhibited stable corneal epithelial surface by an average of 7 weeks postoperatively with improvement in subjective symptoms. Best corrected visual acuity improved from preoperative (range: 6/9p-6/120 to postoperative (range: 6/6p-6/15 by an average of 4.5 lines on Snellen visual acuity charts. Histopathological examination of excised tissue showed features of conjunctivalisation. Conclusion: Amniotic membrane transplantation appears to be an effective means of reconstructing the corneal epithelial surface and for visual rehabilitation of patients with partial limbal stem cell deficiency. It may be considered as an alternative primary procedure to limbal transplantation in these cases.

  11. Surface chemistry and microstructure of metallic biomaterials for hip and knee endoprostheses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenko, Monika; Gorenšek, Matevž; Godec, Matjaž; Hodnik, Maxinne; Batič, Barbara Šetina; Donik, Črtomir; Grant, John T.; Dolinar, Drago

    2018-01-01

    The surface chemistry and microstructures of titanium alloys (both new and used) and CoCrMo alloys used for hip and knee endoprostheses were determined using SEM (morphology), EBSD (phase analysis), AES and XPS (surface chemistry). Two new and two used endoprostheses were studied. The SEM SE and BE images showed their microstructures, while the EBSD provided the phases of the materials. During the production of the hip and knee endoprostheses, these materials are subject to severe thermomechanical treatments and physicochemical processes that are decisive for CoCrMo alloys. The AES and XPS results showed that thin oxide films on (a) Ti6Al4V are primarily a mixture of TiO2 with a small amount of Al2O3, while the V is depleted, (b) Ti6Al7Nb is primarily a mixture of TiO2 with a small amount of Al2O3 and Nb2O5, and (c) the CoCrMo alloy is primarily a mixture of Cr2O3 with small amounts of Co and Mo oxides. The thin oxide film on the CoCrMo alloy should prevent intergranular corrosion and improve the biocompatibility. The thin oxide films on the Ti alloys prevent further corrosion, improve the biocompatibility, and affect the osseointegration.

  12. Effect of incorporating graphene oxide and surface imprinting on polysulfone membranes on flux, hydrophilicity and rejection of salt and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kibechu, Rose Waithiegeni; Ndinteh, Derek Tantoh; Msagati, Titus Alfred Makudali; Mamba, Bhekie Briliance; Sampath, S.

    2017-08-01

    We report a significant enhancement of hydrophillity of polysulfone (Psf) membranes after modification with graphene oxide (GO) as a filler followed by surface imprinting on the surface of GO/Psf composite imprinted membranes (CIMs). The surface imprinting on the GO-Psf membrane was employed in order to enhance its selectivity towards polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water. The CIMs were prepared through a process of phase inversion of a mixture of graphene oxide and polysulfone (Psf) in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Fourier-transform spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the imprinted showed new peaks at 935 cm-1 and 1638 cm-1 indicating success in surface imprinting on the GO-Psf membrane. The CIM also showed improvement in flux from 8.56 LM-2 h-1 of unmodified polysulfone membrane to 15.3 LM-2 h-1 in the CIM, salt rejection increased from 57.2 ± 4.2% of polysulfone membrane to 76 ± 4.5%. The results obtained from the contact angle measurements showed a decrease with increase in GO content from 72 ± 2.7% of neat polysulfone membrane to 62.3 ± 2.1% of CIM indicating an improvement in surface hydrophilicity. The results from this study shows that, it is possible to improve the hydrophilicity of the membranes without affecting the performance of the membranes.

  13. Rapid Screening of Carboxylic Acids from Waste and Surface Waters by ESI-MS/MS Using Barium Ion Chemistry and On-Line Membrane Sampling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Kyle D.; Volmer, Dietrich A.; Gill, Chris G.; Krogh, Erik T.

    2016-03-01

    Negative ion tandem mass spectrometric analysis of aliphatic carboxylic acids often yields only non-diagnostic ([M - H]-) ions with limited selective fragmentation. However, carboxylates cationized with Ba2+ have demonstrated efficient dissociation in positive ion mode, providing structurally diagnostic product ions. We report the application of barium adducts followed by collision induced dissociation (CID), to improve selectivity for rapid screening of carboxylic acids in complex aqueous samples. The quantitative MS/MS method presented utilizes common product ions of [M - H + Ba]+ precursor ions. The mechanism of product ion formation is investigated using isotopically labeled standards and a series of structurally related carboxylic acids. The results suggest that hydrogen atoms in the β and γ positions yield common product ions ([BaH]+ and [BaOH]+). Furthermore, the diagnostic product ion at m/z 196 serves as a qualifying ion for carboxylate species. This methodology has been successfully used in conjunction with condensed phase membrane introduction mass spectrometry (CP-MIMS), with barium acetate added directly to the methanol acceptor phase. The combination enables rapid screening of carboxylic acids directly from acidified water samples (wastewater effluent, spiked natural waters) using a capillary hollow fiber PDMS membrane immersion probe. We have applied this technique for the direct analysis of complex naphthenic acid mixtures spiked into natural surface waters using CP-MIMS. Selectivity at the ionization and tandem mass spectrometry level eliminate isobaric interferences from hydroxylated species present within the samples, which have been observed in negative electrospray ionization.

  14. Rapid Screening of Carboxylic Acids from Waste and Surface Waters by ESI-MS/MS Using Barium Ion Chemistry and On-Line Membrane Sampling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Kyle D; Volmer, Dietrich A; Gill, Chris G; Krogh, Erik T

    2016-03-01

    Negative ion tandem mass spectrometric analysis of aliphatic carboxylic acids often yields only non-diagnostic ([M - H](-)) ions with limited selective fragmentation. However, carboxylates cationized with Ba(2+) have demonstrated efficient dissociation in positive ion mode, providing structurally diagnostic product ions. We report the application of barium adducts followed by collision induced dissociation (CID), to improve selectivity for rapid screening of carboxylic acids in complex aqueous samples. The quantitative MS/MS method presented utilizes common product ions of [M - H + Ba](+) precursor ions. The mechanism of product ion formation is investigated using isotopically labeled standards and a series of structurally related carboxylic acids. The results suggest that hydrogen atoms in the β and γ positions yield common product ions ([BaH](+) and [BaOH](+)). Furthermore, the diagnostic product ion at m/z 196 serves as a qualifying ion for carboxylate species. This methodology has been successfully used in conjunction with condensed phase membrane introduction mass spectrometry (CP-MIMS), with barium acetate added directly to the methanol acceptor phase. The combination enables rapid screening of carboxylic acids directly from acidified water samples (wastewater effluent, spiked natural waters) using a capillary hollow fiber PDMS membrane immersion probe. We have applied this technique for the direct analysis of complex naphthenic acid mixtures spiked into natural surface waters using CP-MIMS. Selectivity at the ionization and tandem mass spectrometry level eliminate isobaric interferences from hydroxylated species present within the samples, which have been observed in negative electrospray ionization.

  15. Microporous membranes from polyolefin-polyamide blend materials

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Meier-Haack, J.; Valko, M.; Lunkwitz, K.; Bleha, Miroslav

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 163, 1-3 (2004), s. 215-221 ISSN 0011-9164. [Membrane Science and Technology Conference PERMEA 2003. Tatranské Matliare, 07.09.2003-11.09.2003] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4050913 Keywords : microporous membranes * polypropylene polyamide blends * reactive extrusion Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.057, year: 2004

  16. Surface chemistry and growth mechanisms studies of homo epitaxial (1 0 0) GaAs by laser molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Dawei; Wu Weidong; Zhang Hong; Wang Xuemin; Zhang Hongliang; Zhang Weibin; Xiong Zhengwei; Wang Yuying; Shen Changle; Peng Liping; Han Shangjun; Zhou Minjie

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, GaAs thin film has been deposited on thermally desorbed (1 0 0) GaAs substrate using laser molecular beam epitaxy. Scanning electron microscopy, in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are applied for evaluation of the surface morphology and chemistry during growth process. The results show that a high density of pits is formed on the surface of GaAs substrate after thermal treatment and the epitaxial thin film heals itself by a step flow growth, resulting in a smoother surface morphology. Moreover, it is found that the incorporation of As species into GaAs epilayer is more efficient in laser molecular beam epitaxy than conventional molecular beam epitaxy. We suggest the growth process is impacted by surface chemistry and morphology of GaAs substrate after thermal treatment and the growth mechanisms are discussed in details.

  17. FAS grafted superhydrophobic ceramic membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jun; Yu, Yun; Zhou, Jianer; Song, Lixin; Hu, Xingfang; Larbot, Andre

    2009-08-01

    The hydrophobic properties of γ-Al 2O 3 membrane have been obtained by grafting fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) on the surface of the membrane. The following grafting parameters were studied: the eroding time of the original membrane, the grafting time, the concentration of FAS solution and the multiplicity of grafting. Hydrophobicity of the membranes was characterized by contact angle (CA) measurement. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the weight loss process (25-800 °C) of the fluoroalkylsilane grafted on Al 2O 3 powders under different grafting conditions. The morphologies of the membranes modified under different parameters were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and the surface roughness (Ra) was measured using white light interferometers. A needle-like structure was observed on the membrane surface after modification, which causes the change of Ra. On the results above, we speculated a model to describe the reaction between FAS and γ-Al 2O 3 membrane surface as well as the formed surface morphology.

  18. Alternative energy efficient membrane bioreactor using reciprocating submerged membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, J; Smith, S; Roh, H K

    2014-01-01

    A novel membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot system, using membrane reciprocation instead of air scouring, was operated at constant high flux and daily fluctuating flux to demonstrate its application under peak and diurnal flow conditions. Low and stable transmembrane pressure was achieved at 40 l/m(2)/h (LMH) by use of repetitive membrane reciprocation. The results reveal that the inertial forces acting on the membrane fibers effectively propel foulants from the membrane surface. Reciprocation of the hollow fiber membrane is beneficial for the constant removal of solids that may build up on the membrane surface and inside the membrane bundle. The membrane reciprocation in the reciprocating MBR pilot consumed less energy than coarse air scouring used in conventional MBR systems. Specific energy consumption for the membrane reciprocation was 0.072 kWh/m(3) permeate produced at 40 LMH flux, which is 75% less than for a conventional air scouring system as reported in literature without consideration of energy consumption for biological aeration (0.29 kWh/m(3)). The daily fluctuating flux test confirmed that the membrane reciprocation is effective to handle fluctuating flux up to 50 LMH. The pilot-scale reciprocating MBR system successfully demonstrated that fouling can be controlled via 0.43 Hz membrane reciprocation with 44 mm or higher amplitude.

  19. Theory and simulations of adhesion receptor dimerization on membrane surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yinghao; Honig, Barry; Ben-Shaul, Avinoam

    2013-03-19

    The equilibrium constants of trans and cis dimerization of membrane bound (2D) and freely moving (3D) adhesion receptors are expressed and compared using elementary statistical-thermodynamics. Both processes are mediated by the binding of extracellular subdomains whose range of motion in the 2D environment is reduced upon dimerization, defining a thin reaction shell where dimer formation and dissociation take place. We show that the ratio between the 2D and 3D equilibrium constants can be expressed as a product of individual factors describing, respectively, the spatial ranges of motions of the adhesive domains, and their rotational freedom within the reaction shell. The results predicted by the theory are compared to those obtained from a novel, to our knowledge, dynamical simulations methodology, whereby pairs of receptors perform realistic translational, internal, and rotational motions in 2D and 3D. We use cadherins as our model system. The theory and simulations explain how the strength of cis and trans interactions of adhesive receptors are affected both by their presence in the constrained intermembrane space and by the 2D environment of membrane surfaces. Our work provides fundamental insights as to the mechanism of lateral clustering of adhesion receptors after cell-cell contact and, more generally, to the formation of lateral microclusters of proteins on cell surfaces. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Photoresponsive nanostructured membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Madhavan, Poornima; Sutisna, Burhannudin; Sougrat, Rachid; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2016-01-01

    The perspective of adding stimuli-response to isoporous membranes stimulates the development of separation devices with pores, which would open or close under control of environment chemical composition, temperature or exposure to light. Changes in pH and temperature have been previously investigated. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the preparation of photoresponsive isoporous membranes, applying self-assembly non-solvent induced phase separation to a new light responsive block copolymer. First, we optimized the membrane formation by using poly(styrene-b-anthracene methyl methacrylate-b-methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA) copolymer, identifying the most suitable solvent, copolymer block length, and other parameters. The obtained final triblock copolymer membrane morphologies were characterized using atomic force and electron microscopy. The microscopic analysis reveals that the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer can form both lamellar and ordered hexagonal nanoporous structures on the membrane top layer in appropriate solvent compositions. The nanostructured membrane emits fluorescence due to the presence of the anthracene mid-block. On irradiation of light the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer membranes has an additional stimuli response. The anthracene group undergoes conformational changes by forming [4 + 4] cycloadducts and this alters the membrane's water flux and solute retention. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  1. Distributions of therapeutically promising neurosteroids in cellular membranes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Riedlová, Kamila; Nekardová, Michaela; Kačer, P.; Syslová, K.; Vazdar, M.; Jungwirth, Pavel; Kudová, Eva; Cwiklik, Lukasz

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 203, Mar (2017), s. 78-86 ISSN 0009-3084 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TE01020028; GA ČR(CZ) GAP303/12/1464; GA ČR GA15-14292S; GA ČR(CZ) GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 ; RVO:61388955 Keywords : steroids * N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors * membranes * molecular dynamics * chromatography Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry; CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry (UFCH-W) OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry; Physical chemistry (UFCH-W) Impact factor: 3.361, year: 2016

  2. SnSe Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Structure, Optical Properties, and Surface Chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Baumgardner, William J.; Choi, Joshua J.; Lim, Yee-Fun; Hanrath, Tobias

    2010-01-01

    The colloidal synthesis of SnSe nanoparticles is accomplished through the injection of bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amino]tin(II) into hot trioctylphosphine: selenium in the presence of oleylamine. Through the manipulation of reaction temperature particles are grown with the average diameter reliably tuned to 4-10 nm. Quantum confinement is examined by establishing a relationship between particle size and band gap while the in depth growth dynamics are illuminated through UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Surface chemistry effects are explored, including the demonstration of useful ligand exchanges and the development of routes toward anisotropic particle growth. Finally, transient current-voltage properties of SnSe nanocrystal films in the dark and light are examined. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  3. SnSe Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Structure, Optical Properties, and Surface Chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Baumgardner, William J.

    2010-07-21

    The colloidal synthesis of SnSe nanoparticles is accomplished through the injection of bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amino]tin(II) into hot trioctylphosphine: selenium in the presence of oleylamine. Through the manipulation of reaction temperature particles are grown with the average diameter reliably tuned to 4-10 nm. Quantum confinement is examined by establishing a relationship between particle size and band gap while the in depth growth dynamics are illuminated through UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Surface chemistry effects are explored, including the demonstration of useful ligand exchanges and the development of routes toward anisotropic particle growth. Finally, transient current-voltage properties of SnSe nanocrystal films in the dark and light are examined. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  4. Orthogonal functionalization of nanoporous substrates: control of 3D surface functionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazzara, Thomas D; Kliesch, Torben-Tobias; Janshoff, Andreas; Steinem, Claudia

    2011-04-01

    Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with aligned, cylindrical, nonintersecting pores were selectively functionalized in order to create dual-functionality substrates with different pore-rim and pore-interior surface functionalities, using silane chemistry. We used a two-step process involving an evaporated thin gold film to protect the underlying surface functionality of the pore rims. Subsequent treatment with oxygen plasma of the modified AAO membrane removed the unprotected organic functional groups, i.e., the pore-interior surface. After gold removal, the substrate became optically transparent, and displayed two distinct surface functionalities, one at the pore-rim surface and another at the pore-interior surface. We achieved a selective hydrophobic functionalization with dodecyl-trichlorosilane of either the pore rims or the pore interiors. The deposition of planar lipid membranes on the functionalized areas by addition of small unilamellar vesicles occurred in a predetermined fashion. Small unilamellar vesicles only ruptured upon contact with the hydrophobic substrate regions forming solid supported hybrid bilayers. In addition, pore-rim functionalization with dodecyl-trichlorosilane allowed the formation of pore-spanning hybrid lipid membranes as a result of giant unilamellar vesicle rupture. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was employed to identify the selective spatial localization of the adsorbed fluorescently labeled lipids. The corresponding increase in the AAO refractive index due to lipid adsorption on the hydrophobic regions was monitored by optical waveguide spectroscopy. This simple orthogonal functionalization route is a promising method to control the three-dimensional surface functionality of nanoporous films. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  5. Engineered Transport in Microporous Materials and Membranes for Clean Energy Technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Changyi; Meckler, Stephen M; Smith, Zachary P; Bachman, Jonathan E; Maserati, Lorenzo; Long, Jeffrey R; Helms, Brett A

    2018-02-01

    Many forward-looking clean-energy technologies hinge on the development of scalable and efficient membrane-based separations. Ongoing investment in the basic research of microporous materials is beginning to pay dividends in membrane technology maturation. Specifically, improvements in membrane selectivity, permeability, and durability are being leveraged for more efficient carbon capture, desalination, and energy storage, and the market adoption of membranes in those areas appears to be on the horizon. Herein, an overview of the microporous materials chemistry driving advanced membrane development, the clean-energy separations employing them, and the theoretical underpinnings tying membrane performance to membrane structure across multiple length scales is provided. The interplay of pore architecture and chemistry for a given set of analytes emerges as a critical design consideration dictating mass transport outcomes. Opportunities and outstanding challenges in the field are also discussed, including high-flux 2D molecular-sieving membranes, phase-change adsorbents as performance-enhancing components in composite membranes, and the need for quantitative metrologies for understanding mass transport in heterophasic materials and in micropores with unusual chemical interactions with analytes of interest. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Study on the Impact of Coagulation Bath Temperature on the Surface Morphology and Performance of Polyethylene Membrane Prepared by TIPS Method in Purification of Collagen Protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Akbari

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Fabrication of an efficient microfiltration polymeric membrane with low fouling characteristic and high permeation flux is an essential task for developing membrane-related researches and membrane industries. Surface skin layer which decreases the membrane permeation and accelerates the membrane fouling in purification and separation of protein solution is usually observed for all membranes fabricated via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS method. In this work, the impact of coagulation bath temperature on the skin layer thickness and performance of fabricated membranes was investigated. Collagen protein purification tests were carried out to investigate the impact of skin layer on the performance and determine the fouling mechanisms of the membranes. Obtained results showed that when coagulation bath temperature increases, the thickness of skin layer decreases. In membranes with lower surface porosity, decline in protein permeation is mainly due to the standard blocking fouling mechanism which is a kind of the irreversible fouling phenomenon. In membranes with higher surface porosity, however, decline in protein permeation is mainly due to the intermediate blocking fouling mechanism which is a kind of reversible fouling phenomenon. Obtained results from permeation flux and spectrophotometric analyses of inlet feed and retentate streams within 800 min showed that the collagen recovery ratio for modified and unmodified membranes were 5.6 and less than 1%, respectively. It is worth to mention that for membrane with lower surface porosity the collagen filtration process was stopped within 400 min due to the membrane fouling. For membrane with higher surface porosity, however there was no halting in filtration process within 800 min.

  7. Major Successes of Theory-and-Experiment-Combined Studies in Surface Chemistry and Heterogeneous Catalysis.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Somorjai, Gabor A.; Li, Yimin

    2009-11-21

    Experimental discoveries followed by theoretical interpretations that pave the way of further advances by experimentalists is a developing pattern in modern surface chemistry and catalysis. The revolution of modern surface science started with the development of surface-sensitive techniques such as LEED, XPS, AES, ISS and SIMS, in which the close collaboration between experimentalists and theorists led to the quantitative determination of surface structure and composition. The experimental discovery of the chemical activity of surface defects and the trends in the reactivity of transitional metals followed by the explanations from the theoretical studies led to the molecular level understanding of active sites in catalysis. The molecular level knowledge, in turn, provided a guide for experiments to search for new generation of catalysts. These and many other examples of successes in experiment-and-theory-combined studies demonstrate the importance of the collaboration between experimentalists and theorists in the development of modern surface science.

  8. Membrane introduction proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, M.; Boscaini, E.; Maerk, T.; Lindinger, W.

    2002-01-01

    Proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a rapidly expanding field with multiple applications in ion physics, atmospheric chemistry, food chemistry, volatile organic compounds monitoring and biology. Initial studies that combine PTR-MS and membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) were researched and outlined. First using PTR-MS, certain fundamental physical properties of a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane including solubilities and diffusion coefficients were measured. Second, it was shown how the chemical selectivity of the (PDMS) can be used to extend the capabilities of the PTR-MS instrument by eliminating certain isobaric interferences and excluding water from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Experiments with mixtures of several VOCs (toluene, benzene, acetone, propanal, methanol) are presented. (nevyjel)

  9. Molecular Characterization of a Novel Family of Trypanosoma cruzi Surface Membrane Proteins (TcSMP) Involved in Mammalian Host Cell Invasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, Nadini Oliveira; Souza, Renata Torres de; Cordero, Esteban Mauricio; Maldonado, Danielle Cortez; Cortez, Cristian; Marini, Marjorie Mendes; Ferreira, Eden Ramalho; Bayer-Santos, Ethel; Almeida, Igor Correia de; Yoshida, Nobuko; Silveira, José Franco da

    2015-11-01

    The surface coat of Trypanosoma cruzi is predominantly composed of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, which have been extensively characterized. However, very little is known about less abundant surface proteins and their role in host-parasite interactions. Here, we described a novel family of T. cruzi surface membrane proteins (TcSMP), which are conserved among different T. cruzi lineages and have orthologs in other Trypanosoma species. TcSMP genes are densely clustered within the genome, suggesting that they could have originated by tandem gene duplication. Several lines of evidence indicate that TcSMP is a membrane-spanning protein located at the cellular surface and is released into the extracellular milieu. TcSMP exhibited the key elements typical of surface proteins (N-terminal signal peptide or signal anchor) and a C-terminal hydrophobic sequence predicted to be a trans-membrane domain. Immunofluorescence of live parasites showed that anti-TcSMP antibodies clearly labeled the surface of all T. cruzi developmental forms. TcSMP peptides previously found in a membrane-enriched fraction were identified by proteomic analysis in membrane vesicles as well as in soluble forms in the T. cruzi secretome. TcSMP proteins were also located intracellularly likely associated with membrane-bound structures. We demonstrated that TcSMP proteins were capable of inhibiting metacyclic trypomastigote entry into host cells. TcSMP bound to mammalian cells and triggered Ca2+ signaling and lysosome exocytosis, events that are required for parasitophorous vacuole biogenesis. The effects of TcSMP were of lower magnitude compared to gp82, the major adhesion protein of metacyclic trypomastigotes, suggesting that TcSMP may play an auxiliary role in host cell invasion. We hypothesized that the productive interaction of T. cruzi with host cells that effectively results in internalization may depend on diverse adhesion molecules. In the metacyclic forms, the signaling induced by

  10. Porous structure and surface chemistry of phosphoric acid activated carbon from corncob

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sych, N. V.; Trofymenko, S. I.; Poddubnaya, O. I.; Tsyba, M. M.; Sapsay, V. I.; Klymchuk, D. O.; Puziy, A. M.

    2012-11-01

    Active carbons have been prepared from corncob using chemical activation with phosphoric acid at 400 °C using varied ratio of impregnation (RI). Porous structure of carbons was characterized by nitrogen adsorption and scanning electron microscopy. Surface chemistry was studied by IR and potentiometric titration method. It has been shown that porosity development was peaked at RI = 1.0 (SBET = 2081 m2/g, Vtot = 1.1 cm3/g), while maximum amount of acid surface groups was observed at RI = 1.25. Acid surface groups of phosphoric acid activated carbons from corncob includes phosphate and strongly acidic carboxylic (pK = 2.0-2.6), weakly acidic carboxylic (pK = 4.7-5.0), enol/lactone (pK = 6.7-7.4; 8.8-9.4) and phenol (pK = 10.1-10.7). Corncob derived carbons showed high adsorption capacity to copper, especially at low pH. Maximum adsorption of methylene blue and iodine was observed for carbon with most developed porosity (RI = 1.0).

  11. Nitrate pollution and surface water chemistry in Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakagawa, K.; Amano, H.

    2017-12-01

    Shimabara city has been experiencing serious nitrate pollution in groundwater. To evaluate nitrate pollution and water chemistry in surface water, water samples were collected at 42 sampling points in 15 rivers in Shimabara including a part of Unzen city from January to February 2017. Firstly, spatial distribution of water chemistry was assessed by describing stiff and piper-trilinear diagrams using major ions concentrations. Most of the samples showed Ca-HCO3 or Ca-(NO3+SO4) water types. It corresponds to groundwater chemistry. Some samples were classified into characteristic water types such as Na-Cl, (Na+K)-HCO3, and Ca-Cl. These results indicate sea water mixing and anthropogenic pollution. At the upstream of Nishi-river, although water chemistry showed Ca-HCO3, ions concentrations were higher than that of the other rivers. It indicates that this site was affected by the peripheral anthropogenic activities. Secondly, nitrate-pollution assessment was performed by using NO3-, NO2-, coprostanol (5β(H)-Cholestan-3β-ol), and cholestanol (5α(H)-Cholestan-3β-ol). NO2-N was detected at the 2 sampling points and exceeded drinking standard 0.9 mg L-1 for bottle-fed infants (WHO, 2011). NO3-N + NO2-N concentrations exceeded Japanese drinking standard 10 mg L-1 at 18 sampling points. The highest concentration was 27.5 mg L-1. Higher NO3-N levels were observed in the rivers in the northern parts of the study area. Coprostanol has been used as a fecal contamination indicator, since it can be found in only feces of higher animals. Coprostanol concentrations at 8 sampling points exceeded 700 ng L-1 (Australian drinking water standard). Coprostanol has a potential to distinguish the nitrate pollution sources between chemical fertilizer or livestock wastes, since water samples with similar NO3-N + NO2-N concentration showed distinct coprostanol concentration. The sterols ratio (5β/ (5β+5α)) exceeded 0.5 at 18 sampling points. This reveals that fecal pollution has occurred.

  12. There Is No Simple Model of the Plasma Membrane Organization

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    de la serna, J. B.; Schütz, G.; Eggeling, Ch.; Cebecauer, Marek

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 4, SEP 2016 (2016), 106 ISSN 2296-634X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-06989S Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : plasma membrane * membrane organization models * heterogeneous distribution Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry

  13. FAS grafted superhydrophobic ceramic membrane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu Jun [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, 333001 Jingdezhen (China); Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, CAS, 1295 DingXi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Yu Yun, E-mail: yunyush@mail.sic.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, CAS, 1295 DingXi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Zhou Jianer [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, 333001 Jingdezhen (China); Song Lixin; Hu Xingfang [Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, CAS, 1295 DingXi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Larbot, Andre [Institut Europeen des Membranes, UMR 5635-CNRS, ENSCM, UMII, 1919 Route de Mende 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5 (France)

    2009-08-30

    The hydrophobic properties of {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} membrane have been obtained by grafting fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) on the surface of the membrane. The following grafting parameters were studied: the eroding time of the original membrane, the grafting time, the concentration of FAS solution and the multiplicity of grafting. Hydrophobicity of the membranes was characterized by contact angle (CA) measurement. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the weight loss process (25-800 deg. C) of the fluoroalkylsilane grafted on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} powders under different grafting conditions. The morphologies of the membranes modified under different parameters were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and the surface roughness (Ra) was measured using white light interferometers. A needle-like structure was observed on the membrane surface after modification, which causes the change of Ra. On the results above, we speculated a model to describe the reaction between FAS and {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} membrane surface as well as the formed surface morphology.

  14. Photografting of perfluoroalkanes onto polyethylene surfaces via azide/nitrene chemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siegmann, Konstantin, E-mail: konstantin.siegmann@zhaw.ch [Institute of Materials and Process Engineering (IMPE), School of Engineering (SoE), Zurich University of Applied Sciences - ZHAW, Technikumstrasse 9, CH-8401 Winterthur (Switzerland); Inauen, Jan, E-mail: jan.inauen@zhaw.ch [Institute of Materials and Process Engineering (IMPE), School of Engineering (SoE), Zurich University of Applied Sciences - ZHAW, Technikumstrasse 9, CH-8401 Winterthur (Switzerland); Villamaina, Diego, E-mail: diego.villamaina@gmail.com [Visiting scientist at IMPE, Permanent address: Rapidplatz 3, CH-8953 Dietikon (Switzerland); Winkler, Martin, E-mail: martin.winkler@zhaw.ch [Institute of Materials and Process Engineering (IMPE), School of Engineering (SoE), Zurich University of Applied Sciences - ZHAW, Technikumstrasse 9, CH-8401 Winterthur (Switzerland)

    2017-02-28

    The purpose of this study is to render polyethylene surfaces strongly and permanently hydrophobic. Polyethylene is a common plastic and, because of its inertness, difficult to graft. We chose polyethylene as example because of its ubiquity and model character. As graft chains linear perfluoroalkyl residues (−C{sub 4}F{sub 9}, −C{sub 6}F{sub 13}, −C{sub 8}F{sub 17} and −C{sub 10}F{sub 21}) were chosen, and photografting was selected as grafting method. Photolytically generated nitrenes can insert into carbon–hydrogen bonds and are therefore suited for binding to polyethylene. Hydrophobic photo reactive surface modifiers based on azide/nitrene chemistry are designed, synthesized in high yield and characterized. Four new molecules are described. Water contact angles exceeding 110° were achieved on grafted polyethylene. One problem is to demonstrate that the photografted surface modifiers are bound covalently to the polyethylene. Abrasion tests show that all new molecules, when photografted to polyethylene, have a higher abrasion resistance than a polyethylene surface coated with a long-chain perfluoroalkane. Relative abrasion resitances of 1.4, 2.0, 2.1 and 2.5 compared to the fluoroalkane coating were obtained for the four compounds. An abrasion model using ice is developed. Although all four compounds have the same λ{sub max} of 266 nm in acetonitrile solution, their molar extincition coefficients increase from 1.6·10{sup 4} to 2.2·10{sup 4} with increasing length of the fluorotelomer chain. Exitonic coupling of the chromophores of the surface modifiers is observed for specific molecules in the neat state. A linear correlation of water contact angle with fluorine surface content, as measured by photoelectron spectroscopy, in grafted polyethylene surfaces is established.

  15. Tuning Surface Chemistry of Polyetheretherketone by Gold Coating and Plasma Treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novotná, Zdeňka; Rimpelová, Silvie; Juřík, Petr; Veselý, Martin; Kolská, Zdeňka; Hubáček, Tomáš; Borovec, Jakub; Švorčík, Václav

    2017-06-01

    Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has good chemical and biomechanical properties that are excellent for biomedical applications. However, PEEK exhibits hydrophobic and other surface characteristics which cause limited cell adhesion. We have investigated the potential of Ar plasma treatment for the formation of a nanostructured PEEK surface in order to enhance cell adhesion. The specific aim of this study was to reveal the effect of the interface of plasma-treated and gold-coated PEEK matrices on adhesion and spreading of mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The surface characteristics (polarity, surface chemistry, and structure) before and after treatment were evaluated by various experimental techniques (gravimetry, goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrokinetic analysis). Further, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to examine PEEK surface morphology and roughness. The biological response of cells towards nanostructured PEEK was evaluated in terms of cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. Detailed cell morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared to plasma treatment, gold coating improved PEEK wettability. The XPS method showed a decrease in the carbon concentration with increasing time of plasma treatment. Cell adhesion determined on the interface between plasma-treated and gold-coated PEEK matrices was directly proportional to the thickness of a gold layer on a sample. Our results suggest that plasma treatment in a combination with gold coating could be used in biomedical applications requiring enhanced cell adhesion.

  16. Detection and quantification through a lipid membrane using the molecularly controlled semiconductor resistor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bavli, Danny; Tkachev, Maria; Piwonski, Hubert; Capua, Eyal; de Albuquerque, Ian; Bensimon, David; Haran, Gilad; Naaman, Ron

    2012-01-10

    The detection of covalent and noncovalent binding events between molecules and biomembranes is a fundamental goal of contemporary biochemistry and analytical chemistry. Currently, such studies are performed routinely using fluorescence methods, surface-plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods. However, there is still a need for novel sensitive miniaturizable detection methods where the sample does not have to be transferred to the sensor, but the sensor can be brought into contact with the sample studied. We present a novel approach for detection and quantification of processes occurring on the surface of a lipid bilayer membrane, by monitoring the current change through the n-type GaAs-based molecularly controlled semiconductor resistor (MOCSER), on which the membrane is adsorbed. Since GaAs is susceptible to etching in an aqueous environment, a protective thin film of methoxysilane was deposited on the device. The system was found to be sensitive enough to allow monitoring changes in pH and in the concentration of amino acids in aqueous solution on top of the membrane. When biotinylated lipids were incorporated into the membrane, it was possible to monitor the binding of streptavidin or avidin. The device modified with biotin-streptavidin complex was capable of detecting the binding of streptavidin antibodies to immobilized streptavidin with high sensitivity and selectivity. The response depends on the charge on the analyte. These results open the way to facile electrical detection of protein-membrane interactions.

  17. Uranium preconcentration from seawater using adsorptive membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Sadananda; Pandey, A.K.; Manchanda, V.K.; Athawale, A.A.

    2009-01-01

    Uranium recovery from bio-aggressive but lean feed like seawater is a challenging problem as it requires in situ preconcentration of uranium in presence of huge excess of competing ions with fast sorption kinetics. In our laboratory, widely used amidoxime membrane (AO-membrane) was evaluated for uranium sorption under seawater conditions. This study indicated that AO-membrane was inherently slow because of the complexation chemistry involved in transfer of U(VI) from (UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 ) 4 - to AO sites in membrane. In order to search better options, several chemical compositions of membrane were scanned for their efficacy for uranium preconcentration from seawater, and concluded that EGMP-membrane offers several advantages over AO-membrane. In this paper, the comparison of EGMP-membrane with AO-membrane for uranium sorption under seawater conditions has been reviewed. (author)

  18. Effects of Streptococcus sanguinis Bacteriocin on Cell Surface Hydrophobicity, Membrane Permeability, and Ultrastructure of Candida Thallus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shengli Ma

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Candida albicans (C.a and Candida tropicalis (C.t were treated with Streptococcus sanguinis bacteriocin (S.s bacteriocin, respectively; the bacteriostatic dynamics of S.s bacteriocin, their effects on cell surface hydrophobicity, leakage of inorganic phosphorus and macromolecular substance, cytosolic calcium concentration, and ultrastructure changes of Candida thallus were detected and analyzed. The results showed that inhibitory effect of S.s bacteriocin on C.a and C.t reached peak level at 24 h, the cell-surface hydrophobicity decreased significantly (P < 0.05 after S.s bacteriocin treatment, and there was leakage of cytoplasmic inorganic phosphorus and macromolecular substance from C.a and C.t; cytosolic calcium concentration decreased greatly. After 24 h treatment by S.s bacteriocin, depressive deformity and defect could be found in the cell surface of C.a and C.t; the thallus displayed irregular forms: C.a was shrunken, there was unclear margins abutting upon cell wall and cell membrane, nucleus disappeared, and cytoplasm was inhomogeneous; likewise, C.t was first plasmolysis, and then the cytoplasm was shrunk, the ultrastructure of cell wall and cell membrane was continuously damaged, and the nucleus was karyolysis. It was illustrated that S.s bacteriocin had similar antifungal effect on C.a and C.t; their cell surface hydrophobicity, membrane permeability, and ultrastructure were changed significantly on exposure to S.s bacteriocin.

  19. Design of supported bi-metallic nanoparticles based on Platinum and Palladium using Surface Organometallic Chemistry (SOMC)

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Shareef, Reem A.

    2017-01-01

    Well-defined silica supported bimetallic catalysts Pt100-x Pdx (where x is the molar ratio of Pd) are prepared by Surface Organometallic Chemistry (SOMC) via controlled decomposition of Pd2(allyl)2Cl2 on Pt/SiO2. For comparison purposes, Pt100-x Pdx

  20. Membrane fusion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bendix, Pól Martin

    2015-01-01

    At Stanford University, Boxer lab, I worked on membrane fusion of small unilamellar lipid vesicles to flat membranes tethered to glass surfaces. This geometry closely resembles biological systems in which liposomes fuse to plasma membranes. The fusion mechanism was studied using DNA zippering...... between complementary strands linked to the two apposing membranes closely mimicking the zippering mechanism of SNARE fusion complexes....

  1. Model for capping of membrane receptors based on boundary surface effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gershon, N. D.

    1978-01-01

    Crosslinking of membrane surface receptors may lead to their segregation into patches and then into a single large aggregate at one pole of the cell. This process is called capping. Here, a novel explanation of such a process is presented in which the membrane is viewed as a supersaturated solution of receptors in the lipid bilayer and the adjacent two aqueous layers. Without a crosslinking agent, a patch of receptors that is less than a certain size cannot stay in equilibrium with the solution and thus should dissolve. Patches greater than a certain size are stable and can, in principle, grow by the precipitation of the remaining dissolved receptors from the supersaturated solution. The task of the crosslinking molecules is to form such stable patches. These considerations are based on a qualitative thermodynamic calculation that takes into account the existence of a boundary tension in a patch (in analogy to the surface tension of a droplet). Thermodynamically, these systems should cap spontaneously after the patches have reached a certain size. But, in practice, such a process can be very slow. A suspension of patches may stay practically stable. The ways in which a cell may abolish this metastable equilibrium and thus achieve capping are considered and possible effects of capping inhibitors are discussed. PMID:274724

  2. A combinatorial variation in surface chemistry and pore size of three-dimensional porous poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds modulates the behaviors of mesenchymal stem cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Yingdi; Tan, Ke; Zhou, Yan; Ye, Zhaoyang, E-mail: zhaoyangye@ecust.edu.cn; Tan, Wen-Song

    2016-02-01

    Biomaterial properties play significant roles in controlling cellular behaviors. The objective of the present study was to investigate how pore size and surface chemistry of three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds regulate the fate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro in combination. First, on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) films, the hydrolytic treatment was found to stimulate the adhesion, spreading and proliferation of human MSCs (hMSCs) in comparison with pristine films, while the aminolysis showed mixed effects. Then, 3D porous PCL scaffolds with varying pore sizes (100–200 μm, 200–300 μm and 300–450 μm) were fabricated and subjected to either hydrolysis or aminolysis. It was found that a pore size of 200–300 μm with hydrolysis in 3D scaffolds was the most favorable condition for growth of hMSCs. Importantly, while a pore size of 200–300 μm with hydrolysis for 1 h supported the best osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs, the chondrogenic differentiation was greatest in scaffolds with a pore size of 300–450 μm and treated with aminolysis for 1 h. Taken together, these results suggest that surface chemistry and pore size of 3D porous scaffolds may potentially have a synergistic impact on the behaviors of MSCs. - Highlights: • Surface chemistry of poly(ε-caprolactone) films actively modulates MSC behaviors. • Varying surface chemistry and pore size in combination is enabled in 3D scaffolds. • Surface chemistry and pore size potentially dictate MSC fates in synergy.

  3. A combinatorial variation in surface chemistry and pore size of three-dimensional porous poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds modulates the behaviors of mesenchymal stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Yingdi; Tan, Ke; Zhou, Yan; Ye, Zhaoyang; Tan, Wen-Song

    2016-01-01

    Biomaterial properties play significant roles in controlling cellular behaviors. The objective of the present study was to investigate how pore size and surface chemistry of three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds regulate the fate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro in combination. First, on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) films, the hydrolytic treatment was found to stimulate the adhesion, spreading and proliferation of human MSCs (hMSCs) in comparison with pristine films, while the aminolysis showed mixed effects. Then, 3D porous PCL scaffolds with varying pore sizes (100–200 μm, 200–300 μm and 300–450 μm) were fabricated and subjected to either hydrolysis or aminolysis. It was found that a pore size of 200–300 μm with hydrolysis in 3D scaffolds was the most favorable condition for growth of hMSCs. Importantly, while a pore size of 200–300 μm with hydrolysis for 1 h supported the best osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs, the chondrogenic differentiation was greatest in scaffolds with a pore size of 300–450 μm and treated with aminolysis for 1 h. Taken together, these results suggest that surface chemistry and pore size of 3D porous scaffolds may potentially have a synergistic impact on the behaviors of MSCs. - Highlights: • Surface chemistry of poly(ε-caprolactone) films actively modulates MSC behaviors. • Varying surface chemistry and pore size in combination is enabled in 3D scaffolds. • Surface chemistry and pore size potentially dictate MSC fates in synergy.

  4. COST Action CM1201 "Biomimetic Radical Chemistry": free radical chemistry successfully meets many disciplines

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ferreri, C.; Golding, B. T.; Jahn, Ullrich; Ravanat, J. L.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 50, Suppl 1 (2016), S112-S128 ISSN 1071-5762 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : radical enzyme * membrane stress * phospholipid remodeling * DNA damage and repair * biomimetic models * bio-inspired synthetic methodologies Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 3.188, year: 2016 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10715762.2016.1248961

  5. Nanoscale Membrane Domain Formation Driven by Cholesterol

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Javanainen, M.; Martinez-Seara, Hector; Vattulainen, I.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 7, Apr 25 (2017), č. článku 1143. ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : molecular dynamics simulations * differential scanning calorimetry * pulmonary surfactant membranes Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016 https://www.nature.com/ articles /s41598-017-01247-9

  6. Color and surface chemistry changes of extracted wood flour after heating at 120 °C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao Chen; Mandla A. Tshabalala; Jianmin Gao; Nicole M. Stark

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the effect of heat on color and surface chemistry of wood flour (WF), unextracted, extracted and delignified samples of commercial WF were heated at 120 °C for 24 h and analyzed by colorimetry, diffuse reflectance visible (DRV), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopies....

  7. Bilayer porous scaffold based on poly-({epsilon}-caprolactone) nanofibrous membrane and gelatin sponge for favoring cell proliferation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou Zhihua; Zhou Yang [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Chen Yiwang, E-mail: ywchen@ncu.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Institute of Polymers, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Nie Huarong, E-mail: niehr@iccas.ac.cn [Institute of Polymers, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Wang Yang [First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwaizheng Road, Nanchang 330006 (China); Li Fan; Zheng Yan [Institute of Polymers, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China)

    2011-12-15

    Electrospun poly-({epsilon}-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers has been widely used in the medical prosthesis. However, poor hydrophilicity and the lack of natural recognition sites for covalent cell-recognition signal molecules to promote cell attachment have limited its utility as tissue scaffolds. In this study, Bilayer porous scaffolds based on PCL electrospun membranes and gelatin (GE) sponges were fabricated through soft hydrolysis of PCL electrospun followed by grafting gelatin onto the fiber surface, through crosslinking and freeze drying treatment of additional gelatin coat and grafted gelatin surface. GE sponges were stably anchored on PCL membrane surface with the aid of grafted GE molecules. The morphologies of bilayer porous scaffolds were observed through SEM. The contact angle of the scaffolds was 0 Degree-Sign , the mechanical properties of scaffolds were measured by tensile test, Young's moduli of PCL scaffolds before and after hydrolysis are 66-77.3 MPa and 62.3-75.4 MPa, respectively. Thus, the bilayer porous scaffolds showed excellent hydrophilic surface and desirable mechanical strength due to the soft hydrolysis and GE coat. The cell culture results showed that the adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells did more favor to adhere and grow on the bilayer porous scaffolds than on PCL electrospun membranes. The better cell affinity of the final bilayer scaffolds not only attributed to the surface chemistry but also the introduction of bilayer porous structure.

  8. Bilayer porous scaffold based on poly-(ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous membrane and gelatin sponge for favoring cell proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Zhihua; Zhou Yang; Chen Yiwang; Nie Huarong; Wang Yang; Li Fan; Zheng Yan

    2011-01-01

    Electrospun poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers has been widely used in the medical prosthesis. However, poor hydrophilicity and the lack of natural recognition sites for covalent cell-recognition signal molecules to promote cell attachment have limited its utility as tissue scaffolds. In this study, Bilayer porous scaffolds based on PCL electrospun membranes and gelatin (GE) sponges were fabricated through soft hydrolysis of PCL electrospun followed by grafting gelatin onto the fiber surface, through crosslinking and freeze drying treatment of additional gelatin coat and grafted gelatin surface. GE sponges were stably anchored on PCL membrane surface with the aid of grafted GE molecules. The morphologies of bilayer porous scaffolds were observed through SEM. The contact angle of the scaffolds was 0°, the mechanical properties of scaffolds were measured by tensile test, Young's moduli of PCL scaffolds before and after hydrolysis are 66-77.3 MPa and 62.3-75.4 MPa, respectively. Thus, the bilayer porous scaffolds showed excellent hydrophilic surface and desirable mechanical strength due to the soft hydrolysis and GE coat. The cell culture results showed that the adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells did more favor to adhere and grow on the bilayer porous scaffolds than on PCL electrospun membranes. The better cell affinity of the final bilayer scaffolds not only attributed to the surface chemistry but also the introduction of bilayer porous structure.

  9. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 1998 Greener Reaction Conditions Award

    Science.gov (United States)

    Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 1998 award winner, Argonne National Laboratory, developed an efficient, membrane-based process to synthesize lactate esters from sugars. These esters can replace toxic solvents.

  10. Annual report 1985 Chemistry Department

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    This annual report describes the activities carried out in 1985 by the Chemistry Department in the following fields: Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physicochemistry (Interphases, Surfaces), General Chemical Analysis, Active Materials Analysis, X Ray Fluorescence Analysis, Mass Spectroscopy (Isotopic Analysis, Instrumentation) and Optical Spectroscopy. A list of publications is enclosed. (M.E.L.) [es

  11. Preparation of high-capacity, weak anion-exchange membranes by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) and subsequent derivatization with diethylamine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, Xiaolei; Fan, Hua; Wang, Chaozhan; Wei, Yinmao

    2013-01-01

    Ion-exchange membrane is of importance for the development of membrane chromatography. In this work, a high-capacity anion-exchange membrane was prepared by grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto the surface of regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and subsequent derivatization with diethylamine. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize changes in the chemical functionality, surface topography and pore morphology of the modified membranes. The static capacity of the prepared anion-exchange membrane was evaluated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. The results indicated that the anion-exchange membrane which could reach a maximum capacity of 96 mg/mL for static adsorption possesses a higher adsorption capacity, and the adsorption capacity increases with the polymerization time. The effect of pH and salt concentration confirmed that the adsorption of BSA followed ion-exchange mechanism. The established method would have potential application in the preparation of anion-exchange membrane.

  12. Radiation-induced damage of membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonei, Shuji

    1977-01-01

    An outline of membranous structure was stated, and radiation-induced damage of membranes were surveyed. By irradiation, permeability of membranes, especially passive transportation mechanism, was damaged, and glycoprotein in the surface layers of cells and the surface layer structures were changed. The intramembranous damage was induced by decrease of electrophoresis of nuclear mambranes and a quantitative change of cytochrome P450 of microsomal membranes of the liver, and peroxidation of membranous lipid and SH substitute damage of membranous protein were mentioned as the mechanism of membranous damage. Recovery of membranous damage depends on radiation dose and temperature, and membranous damage participates largely in proliferation death. (tsunoda, M.)

  13. Influence of porous texture and surface chemistry on the CO₂ adsorption capacity of porous carbons: acidic and basic site interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Sánchez, Angela; Suárez-García, Fabián; Martínez-Alonso, Amelia; Tascón, Juan M D

    2014-12-10

    Doped porous carbons exhibiting highly developed porosity and rich surface chemistry have been prepared and subsequently applied to clarify the influence of both factors on carbon dioxide capture. Nanocasting was selected as synthetic route, in which a polyaramide precursor (3-aminobenzoic acid) was thermally polymerized inside the porosity of an SBA-15 template in the presence of different H3PO4 concentrations. The surface chemistry and the porous texture of the carbons could be easily modulated by varying the H3PO4 concentration and carbonization temperature. Porous texture was found to be the determinant factor on carbon dioxide adsorption at 0 °C, while surface chemistry played an important role at higher adsorption temperatures. We proved that nitrogen functionalities acted as basic sites and oxygen and phosphorus groups as acidic ones toward adsorption of CO2 molecules. Among the nitrogen functional groups, pyrrolic groups exhibited the highest influence, while the positive effect of pyridinic and quaternary functionalities was smaller. Finally, some of these N-doped carbons exhibit CO2 heats of adsorption higher than 42 kJ/mol, which make them excellent candidates for CO2 capture.

  14. Hemocompatibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane grafted with network-like and brush-like antifouling layer controlled via plasma-induced surface PEGylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yung; Shih, Yu-Ju; Ko, Chao-Yin; Jhong, Jheng-Fong; Liu, Ying-Ling; Wei, Ta-Chin

    2011-05-03

    In this work, the hemocompatibility of PEGylated poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) microporous membranes with varying grafting coverage and structures via plasma-induced surface PEGylation was studied. Network-like and brush-like PEGylated layers on PVDF membrane surfaces were achieved by low-pressure and atmospheric plasma treatment. The chemical composition, physical morphology, grafting structure, surface hydrophilicity, and hydration capability of prepared membranes were determined to illustrate the correlations between grafting qualities and hemocompatibility of PEGylated PVDF membranes in contact with human blood. Plasma protein adsorption onto different PEGylated PVDF membranes from single-protein solutions and the complex medium of 100% human plasma were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with monoclonal antibodies. Hemocompatibility of the PEGylated membranes was evaluated by the antifouling property of platelet adhesion observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the anticoagulant activity of the blood coagulant determined by testing plasma-clotting time. The control of grafting structures of PEGylated layers highly regulates the PVDF membrane to resist the adsorption of plasma proteins, the adhesion of platelets, and the coagulation of human plasma. It was found that PVDF membranes grafted with brush-like PEGylated layers presented higher hydration capability with binding water molecules than with network-like PEGylated layers to improve the hemocompatible character of plasma protein and blood platelet resistance in human blood. This work suggests that the hemocompatible nature of grafted PEGylated polymers by controlling grafting structures gives them great potential in the molecular design of antithrombogenic membranes for use in human blood.

  15. Comparison and analysis of membrane fouling between flocculent sludge membrane bioreactor and granular sludge membrane bioreactor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Jing-Feng

    Full Text Available The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inoculating granules on reducing membrane fouling. In order to evaluate the differences in performance between flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge in membrane reactors (MBRs, two reactors were run in parallel and various parameters related to membrane fouling were measured. The results indicated that specific resistance to the fouling layer was five times greater than that of mixed liquor sludge in the granular MBR. The floc sludge more easily formed a compact layer on the membrane surface, and increased membrane resistance. Specifically, the floc sludge had a higher moisture content, extracellular polymeric substances concentration, and negative surface charge. In contrast, aerobic granules could improve structural integrity and strength, which contributed to the preferable permeate performance. Therefore, inoculating aerobic granules in a MBR presents an effective method of reducing the membrane fouling associated with floc sludge the perspective of from the morphological characteristics of microbial aggregates.

  16. Biocatalytic Self-Cleaning Polymer Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnes Schulze

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Polymer membrane surfaces have been equipped with the digestive enzyme trypsin. Enzyme immobilization was performed by electron beam irradiation in aqueous media within a one-step method. Using this method, trypsin was covalently and side-unspecific attached to the membrane surface. Thus, the use of preceding polymer functionalization and the use of toxic solvents or reagents can be avoided. The resulting membranes showed significantly improved antifouling properties as demonstrated by repeated filtration of protein solutions. Furthermore, the biocatalytic membrane can be simply “switched on” to actively degrade a fouling layer on the membrane surface and regain the initial permeability. The membrane pore structure (pore size and porosity was neither damaged by the electron beam treatment nor blocked by the enzyme loading, ensuring a stable membrane performance.

  17. Effect of surface chemistries and characteristics of Ti6Al4V on the Ca and P adsorption and ion dissolution in Hank's ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, E; Lee, T M

    2002-07-01

    This study examined the influence of chemistries and surface characteristics of Ti6Al4V on the adsorption of Ca and P species and ion dissolution behavior of the material exposed in Hank's solution with 8.0 mM ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid at 37 degrees C. The variation of chemistries of the alloy and nano-surface characteristics (chemistries of nano-surface oxides, amphoteric OH group adsorbed on oxides, and oxide thickness) was effected by surface modification and three passivation methods (34% nitric acid passivation. 400 degrees C heated in air, and aged in 100 degrees C water). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy were used for surface analyses. The chemistries of nano-surface oxides in a range studied should not change the capability of Ca and P adsorption. Nor is the capability affected significantly by amphoteric OH group and oxide thickness. However, passivations influence the surface oxide thickness and the early stage ion dissolution rate of the alloy. The rate-limiting step of the rate can be best explained by metal-ion transport through the oxide film, rather than hydrolysis of the film. Variation of the chemistries of titanium alloy alters the electromotive force potential of the metal, thereby affecting the corrosion and ion dissolution rate.

  18. Analysis of the surface membrane of iodinated leukemic cells by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishitani, Kunihiko; Ikeda, Akira; Tamura, Minoru; Takeuchi, Hidekazu; Ihara, Koji

    1980-01-01

    Surface proteins of human leukemic cells were labeled selectively by lactoperoxydase catalysed-iodination and examined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The electrophoretic pattern of the surface membranes of cells from a patients with chronic mylogeneous leukemia in blast crisis was of B cell type and showed Ia like antigen. Leukemic cells from a patient with hairly cell leukemia also expressed the pattern of B cell type when tested by this method the technique of iodinating cell surface with lactoperoxidase is useful in characterization of leukemia cells for diagnosis and monitoring of clinical course. (author)

  19. Low fouling polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane via click chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Xie, Yihui; Tayouo Djinsu, Russell; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2014-01-01

    %, and 94%). The glass transition temperature shifted with the introduction of triazole pendant groups from 190°C (unmodified) to 171°C. Ultrafiltration membranes were prepared via phase inversion by immersion in different coagulation baths (NMP

  20. The synergy of ultrasonic treatment and organic modifiers for tuning the surface chemistry and conductivity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Omastová, M.; Mičušík, M.; Fedorko, P.; Pionteck, J.; Kovářová, Jana; Chehimi, M. M.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 46, 10-11 (2014), s. 940-944 ISSN 0142-2421. [European Conference on Applications of Surface and Interface Analysis /15./ - ECASIA 2013. Cagliari, 13.10.2013-18.10.2013] Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : carbon nanotubes * surface modification * surfactant Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.245, year: 2014

  1. Understanding of catalysis on early transition metal oxide-based catalysts through exploration of surface structure and chemistry during catalysis using in-situ approaches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tao, Franklin [Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. Dept. of Chemistry

    2015-09-14

    Two main categories of heterogeneous catalysts are metal and metal oxide which catalyze 80% chemical reactions at solid-gas and solid-liquid interfaces. Metal oxide catalysts are much more complicated than metal catalysts. The reason is that the cations of the metal atoms could exhibit a few different oxidation states on surface of the same catalyst particle such as Co3O4 or change of their oxidation states under different reactive environments. For a metal catalyst, there is only one oxidation state typically. In addition, surface of a metal oxide can be terminated with multiple surface functionalities including O atoms with different binding configurations and OH group. For metal, only metal atoms are exposed typically. Obviously, the complication of surface chemistry and structure of a metal oxide makes studies of surface of an oxide catalyst very challenging. Due to the complication of surface of a meal oxide, the electronic and geometric structures of surface of a metal oxide and the exposed species have received enormous attention since oxide catalysts catalyze at least 1/3 chemical reactions in chemical and energy industries. Understanding of catalytic reactions on early transition metal oxide-based catalysts is fundamentally intriguing and of great practical interest in energy- and environment-related catalysis. Exploration of surface chemistry of oxide-based catalysts at molecular level during catalysis has remained challenging though it is critical in deeply understanding catalysis on oxide-based catalysts and developing oxide-based catalysts with high activity and selectivity. Thus, the overall objective of this project is to explore surface chemistry and structure of early transition metal oxide-based catalysts through in-situ characterization of surface of catalysts, measurements of catalytic performances, and then build an intrinsic correlation of surface chemistry and structure with their catalytic performances in a few

  2. New insights into the effects of biomaterial chemistry and topography on the morphology of kidney epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulshof, Frits; Schophuizen, Carolien; Mihajlovic, Milos; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; Masereeuw, Rosalinde; de Boer, Jan; Stamatialis, Dimitrios

    2018-02-01

    Increasing incidence of renal pathology in the western world calls for innovative research for the development of cell-based therapies such as a bioartificial kidney (BAK) device. To fulfil the multitude of kidney functions, the core component of the BAK is a living membrane consisting of a tight kidney cell monolayer with preserved functional organic ion transporters cultured on a polymeric membrane surface. This membrane, on one side, is in contact with blood and therefore should have excellent blood compatibility, whereas the other side should facilitate functional monolayer formation. This work investigated the effect of membrane chemistry and surface topography on kidney epithelial cells to improve the formation of a functional monolayer. To achieve this, microtopographies were fabricated with high resolution and reproducibility on polystyrene films and on polyethersulfone-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PES-PVP) porous membranes. A conditionally immortalized proximal tubule epithelial cell line (ciPTEC) was cultured on both, and subsequently, the cell morphology and monolayer formation were assessed. Our results showed that L-dopamine coating of the PES-PVP was sufficient to support ciPTEC monolayer formation. The polystyrene topographies with large features were able to align the cells in various patterns without significantly disruption of monolayer formation; however, the PES-PVP topographies with large features disrupted the monolayer. In contrast, the PES-PVP membranes with small features and with large spacing supported well the ciPTEC monolayer formation. In addition, the topographical PES-PVP membranes were compatible as a substrate membrane to measure organic cation transporter activity in Transwell® systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Mimicking the surface and prebiotic chemistry of early Earth using flow chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritson, Dougal J; Battilocchio, Claudio; Ley, Steven V; Sutherland, John D

    2018-05-08

    When considering life's aetiology, the first questions that must be addressed are "how?" and "where?" were ostensibly complex molecules, considered necessary for life's beginning, constructed from simpler, more abundant feedstock molecules on primitive Earth. Previously, we have used multiple clues from the prebiotic synthetic requirements of (proto)biomolecules to pinpoint a set of closely related geochemical scenarios that are suggestive of flow and semi-batch chemistries. We now wish to report a multistep, uninterrupted synthesis of a key heterocycle (2-aminooxazole) en route to activated nucleotides starting from highly plausible, prebiotic feedstock molecules under conditions which mimic this scenario. Further consideration of the scenario has uncovered additional pertinent and novel aspects of prebiotic chemistry, which greatly enhance the efficiency and plausibility of the synthesis.

  4. Development and characterization of membrane surface display system using molecular chaperon, prsA, of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, June-Hyung; Park, In-Suk; Kim, Byung-Gee

    2005-01-01

    We report a new membrane surface display system based on molecular chaperon, prsA, of Bacillus subtilis. Clostridium thermocellum cellulase, celA, was fused to C-terminal end of PrsA. Cellulase activity of B. subtilis protoplast, which expressed PrsA-CelA was 15 times higher compared to control strain. More than 85% of total cellulase activity was observed in surface displayed format and less than 15% of total cellulase activity was found in supernatant. Flow cytometric analysis of protoplast of PrsA-CelA fusion expressing bacteria provided another proof of uniform expression of fusion protein onto cytoplasmic membrane of B. subtilis. Without lysozyme treatment, only part of cellulase activity (10%) was observed in whole cell fraction

  5. Modeling the improvement of ultrafiltration membrane mass transfer when using biofiltration pretreatment in surface water applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Netcher, Andrea C; Duranceau, Steven J

    2016-03-01

    In surface water treatment, ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are widely used because of their ability to supply safe drinking water. Although UF membranes produce high-quality water, their efficiency is limited by fouling. Improving UF filtrate productivity is economically desirable and has been attempted by incorporating sustainable biofiltration processes as pretreatment to UF with varying success. The availability of models that can be applied to describe the effectiveness of biofiltration on membrane mass transfer are lacking. In this work, UF water productivity was empirically modeled as a function of biofilter feed water quality using either a quadratic or Gaussian relationship. UF membrane mass transfer variability was found to be governed by the dimensionless mass ratio between the alkalinity (ALK) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). UF membrane productivity was optimized when the biofilter feed water ALK to DOC ratio fell between 10 and 14. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Substantial difference in target surface chemistry between reactive dc and high power impulse magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greczynski, G.; Mráz, S.; Schneider, J. M.; Hultman, L.

    2018-02-01

    The nitride layer formed in the target race track during the deposition of stoichiometric TiN thin films is a factor 2.5 thicker for high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), compared to conventional dc processing (DCMS). The phenomenon is explained using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the as-operated Ti target surface chemistry supported by sputter depth profiles, dynamic Monte Carlo simulations employing the TRIDYN code, and plasma chemical investigations by ion mass spectrometry. The target chemistry and the thickness of the nitride layer are found to be determined by the implantation of nitrogen ions, predominantly N+ and N2+ for HIPIMS and DCMS, respectively. Knowledge of this method-inherent difference enables robust processing of high quality functional coatings.

  7. Cell surface area and membrane folding in glioblastoma cell lines differing in PTEN and p53 status.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Memmel

    Full Text Available Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is characterized by rapid growth, invasion and resistance to chemo-/radiotherapy. The complex cell surface morphology with abundant membrane folds, microvilli, filopodia and other membrane extensions is believed to contribute to the highly invasive behavior and therapy resistance of GBM cells. The present study addresses the mechanisms leading to the excessive cell membrane area in five GBM lines differing in mutational status for PTEN and p53. In addition to scanning electron microscopy (SEM, the membrane area and folding were quantified by dielectric measurements of membrane capacitance using the single-cell electrorotation (ROT technique. The osmotic stability and volume regulation of GBM cells were analyzed by video microscopy. The expression of PTEN, p53, mTOR and several other marker proteins involved in cell growth and membrane synthesis were examined by Western blotting. The combined SEM, ROT and osmotic data provided independent lines of evidence for a large variability in membrane area and folding among tested GBM lines. Thus, DK-MG cells (wild type p53 and wild type PTEN exhibited the lowest degree of membrane folding, probed by the area-specific capacitance C m = 1.9 µF/cm(2. In contrast, cell lines carrying mutations in both p53 and PTEN (U373-MG and SNB19 showed the highest C m values of 3.7-4.0 µF/cm(2, which corroborate well with their heavily villated cell surface revealed by SEM. Since PTEN and p53 are well-known inhibitors of mTOR, the increased membrane area/folding in mutant GBM lines may be related to the enhanced protein and lipid synthesis due to a deregulation of the mTOR-dependent downstream signaling pathway. Given that membrane folds and extensions are implicated in tumor cell motility and metastasis, the dielectric approach presented here provides a rapid and simple tool for screening the biophysical cell properties in studies on targeting chemo- or radiotherapeutically the

  8. Influence of membrane properties on fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Marel, P.; Zwijnenburg, A.; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Wessling, Matthias; Temmink, Hardy; van der Meer, Walterus Gijsbertus Joseph

    2010-01-01

    Polymeric flat-sheet membranes with different properties were used in filtration experiments with activated sludge from a pilot-scale MBR to investigate the influence of membrane pore size, surface porosity, pore morphology, and hydrophobicity on membrane fouling. An improved flux-step method was

  9. Atmospheric Constraints on the Surface UV Environment of Mars at 3.9 Ga Relevant to Prebiotic Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranjan, Sukrit; Wordsworth, Robin; Sasselov, Dimitar D.

    2017-08-01

    Recent findings suggest that Mars may have been a clement environment for the emergence of life and may even have compared favorably to Earth in this regard. These findings have revived interest in the hypothesis that prebiotically important molecules or even nascent life may have formed on Mars and been transferred to Earth. UV light plays a key role in prebiotic chemistry. Characterizing the early martian surface UV environment is key to understanding how Mars compares to Earth as a venue for prebiotic chemistry. Here, we present two-stream, multilayer calculations of the UV surface radiance on Mars at 3.9 Ga to constrain the surface UV environment as a function of atmospheric state. We explore a wide range of atmospheric pressures, temperatures, and compositions that correspond to the diversity of martian atmospheric states consistent with available constraints. We include the effects of clouds and dust. We calculate dose rates to quantify the effect of different atmospheric states on UV-sensitive prebiotic chemistry. We find that, for normative clear-sky CO2-H2O atmospheres, the UV environment on young Mars is comparable to young Earth. This similarity is robust to moderate cloud cover; thick clouds (τcloud ≥ 100) are required to significantly affect the martian UV environment, because cloud absorption is degenerate with atmospheric CO2. On the other hand, absorption from SO2, H2S, and dust is nondegenerate with CO2, meaning that, if these constituents build up to significant levels, surface UV fluence can be suppressed. These absorbers have spectrally variable absorption, meaning that their presence affects prebiotic pathways in different ways. In particular, high SO2 environments may admit UV fluence that favors pathways conducive to abiogenesis over pathways unfavorable to it. However, better measurements of the spectral quantum yields of these pathways are required to evaluate this hypothesis definitively.

  10. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 2011 Greener Reaction Conditions Award

    Science.gov (United States)

    Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 2011 award winner, Kraton Performance Polymers, developed halogen-free, high-flow NEXAR polymer membranes using less solvent that save energy during reverse osmosis to desalinate water.

  11. Effect of solution chemistry on the adsorption of perfluorooctane sulfonate onto mineral surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Chuyang Y; Shiang Fu, Q; Gao, Dawen; Criddle, Craig S; Leckie, James O

    2010-04-01

    Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an emergent contaminant of substantial environmental concerns, yet very limited information has been available on PFOS adsorption onto mineral surfaces. PFOS adsorption onto goethite and silica was investigated by batch adsorption experiments under various solution compositions. Adsorption onto silica was only marginally affected by pH, ionic strength, and calcium concentration, likely due to the dominance of non-electrostatic interactions. In contrast, PFOS uptake by goethite increased significantly at high [H+] and [Ca2+], which was likely due to enhanced electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged PFOS molecules and positively charged goethite surface. The effect of pH was less significant at high ionic strength, likely due to electrical double layer compression. PFOS uptake was reduced at higher ionic strength for a strongly positively charged goethite surface (pH 3), while it increased for a weakly charged surface (pH 7 and 9), which could be attributed to the competition between PFOS-surface electrostatic attraction and PFOS-PFOS electrostatic repulsion. A conceptual model that captures PFOS-surface and PFOS-PFOS electrostatic interactions as well as non-electrostatic interaction was also formulated to understand the effect of solution chemistry on PFOS adsorption onto goethite and silica surfaces. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Surface modification of carbon nanotubes via combination of mussel inspired chemistry and chain transfer free radical polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wan, Qing; Tian, Jianwen; Liu, Meiying; Zeng, Guangjian; Huang, Qiang [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang, 330031 (China); Wang, Ke; Zhang, Qingsong [Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China); Deng, Fengjie, E-mail: fengjiedeng@aliyun.com [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang, 330031 (China); Zhang, Xiaoyong, E-mail: xiaoyongzhang1980@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang, 330031 (China); Wei, Yen, E-mail: weiyen@tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China)

    2015-08-15

    Graphical abstract: A novel strategy combination of mussel inspired chemistry and chain transfer free radical polymerization has been developed for surface modification of carbon nanotubes with polymers for the first time. - Highlights: • Surface modification of CNTs via mussel inspired chemistry. • Preparation of aminated polymers through free radical polymerization. • Functionalized CNTs with aminated polymers via Michael addition reaction. • Highly dispersed CNTs in organic and aqueous solution. - Abstract: In this work, a novel strategy for surface modification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was developed via combination of mussel inspired chemistry and chain transfer free radical polymerization. First, pristine CNTs were functionalized with polydopamine (PDA), which is formed via self-polymerization of dopamine in alkaline conditions. These PDA functionalized CNTs can be further reacted with amino-terminated polymers (named as PDMC), which was synthesized through chain transfer free radical polymerization using cysteamine hydrochloride as chain transfer agent and methacryloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride as the monomer. PDMC perfectly conjugated with CNT-PDA was ascertained by a series of characterization techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The dispersibility of obtained CNT nanocomposites (named as CNT-PDA-PDMC) was further examined. Results showed that the dispersibility of CNT-PDA-PDMC in aqueous and organic solutions was obviously enhanced. Apart from PDMC, many other amino-terminated polymers can also be used to functionalization of CNTs via similar strategy. Therefore, the method described in this work should be a general strategy for fabrication various polymer nanocomposites.

  13. Surface Chemistry Involved in Epitaxy of Graphene on 3C-SiC(111/Si(111

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abe Shunsuke

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Surface chemistry involved in the epitaxy of graphene by sublimating Si atoms from the surface of epitaxial 3C-SiC(111 thin films on Si(111 has been studied. The change in the surface composition during graphene epitaxy is monitored by in situ temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy using deuterium as a probe (D2-TPD and complementarily by ex situ Raman and C1s core-level spectroscopies. The surface of the 3C-SiC(111/Si(111 is Si-terminated before the graphitization, and it becomes C-terminated via the formation of C-rich (6√3 × 6√3R30° reconstruction as the graphitization proceeds, in a similar manner as the epitaxy of graphene on Si-terminated 6H-SiC(0001 proceeds.

  14. Methylation and in vivo expression of the surface-exposed Leptospira interrogans outer-membrane protein OmpL32.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eshghi, Azad; Pinne, Marija; Haake, David A; Zuerner, Richard L; Frank, Ami; Cameron, Caroline E

    2012-03-01

    Recent studies have revealed that bacterial protein methylation is a widespread post-translational modification that is required for virulence in selected pathogenic bacteria. In particular, altered methylation of outer-membrane proteins has been shown to modulate the effectiveness of the host immune response. In this study, 2D gel electrophoresis combined with MALDI-TOF MS identified a Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130 protein, corresponding to ORF LIC11848, which undergoes extensive and differential methylation of glutamic acid residues. Immunofluorescence microscopy implicated LIC11848 as a surface-exposed outer-membrane protein, prompting the designation OmpL32. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy of golden Syrian hamster liver and kidney sections revealed expression of OmpL32 during colonization of these organs. Identification of methylated surface-exposed outer-membrane proteins, such as OmpL32, provides a foundation for delineating the role of this post-translational modification in leptospiral virulence.

  15. Surface chemistry and fundamental limitations on the plasma cleaning of metals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Bin, E-mail: bindong@my.unt.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle 305070, Denton, TX, 76203 (United States); Driver, M. Sky, E-mail: Marcus.Driver@unt.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle 305070, Denton, TX, 76203 (United States); Emesh, Ismail, E-mail: Ismail_Emesh@amat.com [Applied Materials Inc., 3050 Bowers Ave, Santa Clara, CA, 95054 (United States); Shaviv, Roey, E-mail: Roey_Shaviv@amat.com [Applied Materials Inc., 3050 Bowers Ave, Santa Clara, CA, 95054 (United States); Kelber, Jeffry A., E-mail: Jeffry.Kelber@unt.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle 305070, Denton, TX, 76203 (United States)

    2016-10-30

    Highlights: • O{sub 2}-free plasma treatment of air-exposed Co or Cu surfaces yields remnant C layers inert to further plasma cleaning. • The formation of the remnant C layer is graphitic (Cu) or carbidic (Co). • The formation of a remnant C layer is linked to plasma cleaning of a metal surface. - Abstract: In-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies reveal that plasma cleaning of air-exposed Co or Cu transition metal surfaces results in the formation of a remnant C film 1–3 monolayers thick, which is not reduced upon extensive further plasma exposure. This effect is observed for H{sub 2} or NH{sub 3} plasma cleaning of Co, and He or NH{sub 3} plasma cleaning of Cu, and is observed with both inductively coupled (ICP) and capacitively-coupled plasma (CCP). Changes in C 1 s XPS spectra indicate that this remnant film formation is accompanied by the formation of carbidic C on Co and of graphitic C on Cu. This is in contrast to published work showing no such remnant carbidic/carbon layer after similar treatments of Si oxynitride surfaces. The observation of the remnant carbidic C film on Co and graphitic film on Cu, but not on silicon oxynitride (SiO{sub x}N{sub y}), regardless of plasma chemistry or type, indicates that this effect is due to plasma induced secondary electron emission from the metal surface, resulting in transformation of sp{sup 3} adventitious C to either a metal carbide or graphite. These results suggest fundamental limitations to plasma-based surface cleaning procedures on metal surfaces.

  16. Chemistry of Frozen NaCl and MgSO4 Brines - Implications for Surface Expression of Europa's Ocean Composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, P. V.; Hodyss, R. P.; Choukroun, M.; Vu, T. H.

    2015-12-01

    The composition of Europa's subsurface ocean is a critical determinant of its habitability, but current analysis of the ocean composition is limited to its expression on the Europan surface. While there is observational evidence indicating that ocean materials make their way to the surface, our understanding of the chemical processes that can alter this material under Europan surface conditions is limited. We present experimental data on the chemistry of mixed solutions of NaCl and MgSO4 as they are frozen to 100 K, replicating the conditions that may occur when subsurface ocean fluids are emplaced onto Europa's surface. Confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy is used to study the formation of salts during the freezing process, and the interaction of ions in the frozen brines. Our data indicate that mixed aqueous solutions of NaCl and MgSO4 form Na2SO4 and MgCl2 preferentially when frozen, rather than making NaCl and MgSO4 precipitates. The detection of epsomite (MgSO4Ÿ•7H2O) on Europa's surface may therefore imply an ocean composition relatively low in sodium, unless radiolytic chemistry converts MgCl2 to MgSO4 as suggested by Hand and Brown 2013 (ApJ 145 110). These results have important implications for the interpretation of remote sensing data of Europa's surface.

  17. Trends in Surface Water Chemistry in Acidified Areas in Europe and North America from 1990 to 2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acidification of lakes and rivers is still an environmental concern despite reduced emissions of acidifying compounds. We analyzed trends in surface water chemistry of 173 acid-sensitive sites from 12 regions in Europe and North America. In 11 of 12 regions, non-marine sulphate (...

  18. Application of Amniotic Membrane in Ocular Surface Diseases: Clinical Features and Treatment Outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derya Cindarik

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Pur po se: To investigate the effectiveness of amniotic membrane transplantation in cases with corneal thinning, desmatocele and refractive corneal ulcer. Ma te ri al and Met hod: Fifty-four eyes of 54 patients who were applied amniotic membrane transplantation for various ocular surface disease between January 2004 and February 2009 in Çukurova University Ophthalmology Department were included in the study. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed. Corneal culture and corneal cytology samples were collected from the patients with the diagnosis of corneal ulcers. The patients were informed about the surgical procedure and the possible complications and informed consent was obtained. The amniotic membranes that were prepared under optimal conditions and protected in frozen forms were used in the operations. Follow-up examinations were done at postoperative 1st day, 1st week, 1st month, 3rd month, 6th month and then once in a year. Re sults: Of 54 patients, 26 (48.1% were men and 28 (51.8% were women. The mean age of patients was 52.53±19.75 (2-87 years. The cases were separated into 2 groups according to the etiology: group 1 - eyes with corneal ulcer (n:26 and group 2 - eyes with corneal stromal thinning, persistent epithelial defects and desmatocel (n:28. The transplantations were performed using cover technique in 17 eyes (31.4%, graft technique in 37 eyes (68.5% and graft technique with corneal patch in 2 eyes (3.7%. Partial penetrating keratoplasty was required in 38 of 54 eyes (70.3%. One eye was enucleated. Dis cus si on: The amniotic membrane transplantation has advantages like: it can be prepared easily and is cost-effective. It is a safe and effective procedure in ocular surface disease. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2012; 42: 177-82

  19. Electrokinetic migration across artificial liquid membranes Tuning the membrane chemistry to different types of drug substances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gjelstad, Astrid; Rasmussen, Knut Einar; Pedersen-Bjergaard, Stig

    2006-08-18

    Twenty different basic drugs were electrokinetically extracted across a thin artificial organic liquid membrane with a 300 V d.c. electrical potential difference as the driving force. From a 300 microl aqueous sample (acidified corresponding to 10mM HCl), the drugs were extracted for 5 min through a 200 microm artificial liquid membrane of a water immiscible organic solvent immobilized in the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber, and into a 30 microl aqueous acceptor solution of 10mM HCl inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. Hydrophobic basic drugs (logP>1.7) were effectively isolated utilizing 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) as the artificial liquid membrane, with recoveries up to 83%. For more hydrophilic basic drugs (logPpermeation of the interface.

  20. Cation-exchange membranes: comparison of homopolymer, block copolymer, and heterogeneous membranes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Schauer, Jan; Llanos, J.; Žitka, Jan; Hnát, J.; Bouzek, K.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 124, SI 1 (2012), E66-E72 ISSN 0021-8995 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E08005 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 212903 - WELTEMP Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : cation-exchange membranes * poly(phenylene oxide) * poly(ether ketones ) Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.395, year: 2012