scholarly journals Aliphatic Polyurethane Elastomers Quaternized with Silane-Functionalized TiO2 Nanoparticles with UV-Shielding Features

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1318
Author(s):  
Lenuta Stroea ◽  
Andreea-Laura Chibac-Scutaru ◽  
Violeta Melinte
Keyword(s):  
Tio2 Nanoparticles ◽  
Polymer Nanocomposites ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Covalent Binding ◽  
Inorganic Filler ◽  
Tio2 Thin Films ◽  
Polyurethane Elastomers ◽  
Molar Ratios ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Poly Ethylene

The design of high-performance nanocomposites with improved mechanical, thermal or optical properties compared to starting polymers has generated special interest due to their use in a wide range of targeted applications. In the present work, polymer nanocomposites composed of polyurethane elastomers based on polycaprolactone or polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene glycol) soft segments and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles as an inorganic filler were prepared and characterized. Initially, the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles was modified with (3-iodopropyl) trimethoxysilane as a coupling agent, and thereafter, the tertiary amine groups from polyurethane hard segments were quaternized with the silane-modified TiO2 nanoparticles in order to ensure covalent binding of the nanoparticles on the polymeric chains. In the preparation of polymer nanocomposites, two quaternization degrees were taken into account (1/1 and 1/0.5 molar ratios), and the resulting nanocomposite coatings were characterized by various methods (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis). The mechanical parameters of the samples evaluated by tensile testing confirm the elastomeric character of the polyurethanes and of the corresponding composites, indicating the obtaining of highly flexible materials. The absorbance/transmittance measurements of PU/TiO2 thin films in the wavelength range of 200–700 nm show that these partially block UV-A radiation and all UV-B radiation from sunlight and could possibly be used as UV-protective elastomeric coatings.

IN SITU POLYMERIZATION OF FE3O4/POLYURETHANE NANOCOMPOSITES WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE

2016 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junru Yao ◽  
Chunling Hou ◽  
Hailin Yu ◽  
Youyi Sun ◽  
Li Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
In Situ Polymerization ◽  
Magnetorheological Fluids ◽  
Synthesis Process ◽  
Polyurethane Elastomers ◽  
Microwave Absorbing Properties ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Microwave Absorbing ◽  
Polyurethane Nanocomposites

ABSTRACT The stable Fe3O4 magnetorheological fluids were first prepared by coprecipitation method without using any surfactants and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The polyurethane elastomers were further polymerized in the presence of stable Fe3O4 magnetorheological fluids. Furthermore, the effect of Fe3O4 loading on mechanical, magnetic, thermal, electrical, and microwave-absorbing properties of the polyurethane elastomers were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the synthesis process and Fe3O4 loading had great effects on the properties of polyurethane elastomers. A synthesis-based in situ polymerization method using Fe3O4 magnetorheological fluids instead of dry powder could improve the dispersion of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the polyurethane matrix. The Fe3O4/polyurethane nanocomposites showed high mechanical, magnetic, thermal, electrical, and microwave-absorbing properties at a low loading of 2 wt%, and could potentially be used for a wide range of applications.

Small Molecule Permeation Across Membrane Channels: Chemical Modification to Quantify Transport Across OmpF

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajun Wang ◽  
Jayesh Arun Bafna ◽  
Satya Prathyusha Bhamidimarri ◽  
Mathias Winterhalter
Keyword(s):  
Dwell Time ◽  
Covalent Binding ◽  
Channel Structure ◽  
Ion Current ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Current Fluctuation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Outer Membrane Channel ◽  
Biological Channels ◽  
Constriction Region

Biological channels facilitate the exchange of small molecules across membranes, but surprisingly there is a lack of general tools for the identification and quantification of transport (i.e., translocation and binding). Analyzing the ion current fluctuation of a typical channel with its constriction region in the middle does not allow a direct conclusion on successful transport. For this, we created an additional barrier acting as a molecular counter at the exit of the channel. To identify permeation, we mainly read the molecule residence time in the channel lumen as the indicator whether the molecule reached the exit of the channel. As an example, here we use the well-studied porin, OmpF, an outer membrane channel from <i>E. coli</i>. Inspection of the channel structure suggests that aspartic acid at position 181 is located below the constriction region (CR) and we subsequently mutated this residue to cysteine, where else cysteine free and functionalized it by covalent binding with 2-sulfonatoethyl methanethiosulfonate (MTSES) or the larger glutathione (GLT) blockers. Using the dwell time as the signal for transport, we found that both mono-arginine and tri-arginine permeation process is prolonged by 20% and 50% respectively through OmpF<sub>E181C</sub>MTSES, while the larger sized blocker modification OmpF<sub>E181C</sub>GLT drastically decreased the permeation of mono-arginine by 9-fold and even blocked the pathway of the tri-arginine. In case of the hepta-arginine as substrate, both chemical modifications led to an identical ‘blocked’ pattern observed by the dwell time of ion current fluctuation of the OmpF<sub>wt</sub>. As an instance for antibiotic permeation, we analyzed norfloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent. The modulation of the interaction dwell time suggests possible successful permeation of norfloxacin across OmpF<sub>wt</sub>. This approach may discriminate blockages from translocation events for a wide range of substrates. A potential application could be screening for scaffolds to improve the permeability of antibiotics.

Validated Stability Indicating HPTLC Method for the Estimation of Amoxapine in Different Stress Conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-279
Author(s):  
Shweta G. Rangari ◽  
Nishikant A. Raut ◽  
Pradip W. Dhore
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Peak Height ◽  
Good Resolution ◽  
Stability Indicating ◽  
Limit Of Quantitation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hptlc Method

Background:The unstable and/or toxic degradation products may form due to degradation of drug which results into loss of therapeutic activity and lead to life threatening condition. Hence, it is important to establish the stability characteristics of drug in various conditions such as in temperature, light, oxidising agent and susceptibility across a wide range of pH values.Introduction:The aim of the proposed study was to develop simple, sensitive and economic stability indicating high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for the quantification of Amoxapine in the presence of degradation products.Methods:Amoxapine and its degraded products were separated on precoated silica gel 60F254 TLC plates by using mobile phase comprising of methanol: toluene: ammonium acetate (6:3:1, v/v/v). The densitometric evaluation was carried out at 320 nm in reflectance/absorbance mode. The degradation products obtained as per ICH guidelines under acidic, basic and oxidative conditions have different Rf values 0.12, 0.26 and 0.6 indicating good resolution from each other and pure drug with Rf: 0.47. Amoxapine was found to be stable under neutral, thermal and photo conditions.Results:The method was validated as per ICH Q2 (R1) guidelines in terms of accuracy, precision, ruggedness, robustness and linearity. A good linear relationship between concentration and response (peak area and peak height) over the range of 80 ng/spot to 720 ng/spot was observed from regression analysis data showing correlation coefficient 0.991 and 0.994 for area and height, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for area were found to be 1.176 ng/mL and 3.565 ng/mL, whereas for height, 50.063 ng/mL and 151.707 ng/mL respectively.Conclusion:The statistical analysis confirmed the accuracy, precision and selectivity of the proposed method which can be effectively used for the analysis of amoxapine in the presence of degradation products.

Phytochemical, Analytical and Medicinal Studies of Holoptelea integrifolia Roxb. Planch - A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Kumar ◽  
Simranjeet Singh ◽  
Ragini Bhadouria ◽  
Ravindra Singh ◽  
Om Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Thin Layer ◽  
Thin Layer Chromatography ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Layer Chromatography

Holoptelea integrifolia Roxb. Planch (HI) has been used to treat various ailments including obesity, osteoarthritis, arthritis, inflammation, anemia, diabetes etc. To review the major phytochemicals and medicinal properties of HI, exhaustive bibliographic research was designed by means of various scientific search engines and databases. Only 12 phytochemicals have been reported including biologically active compounds like betulin, betulinic acid, epifriedlin, octacosanol, Friedlin, Holoptelin-A and Holoptelin-B. Analytical methods including the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography With Mass Spectral (LC-MS) analysis have been used to analyze the HI. From medicinal potency point of view, these phytochemicals have a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor. In the current review, it has been noticed that the mechanism of action of HI with biomolecules has not been fully explored. Pharmacology and toxicological studies are very few. This seems a huge literature gap to be fulfilled through the detailed in-vivo and in-vitro studies.

scholarly journals RELaTED Project: New Developments on Ultra-Low Temperature District Heating Networks

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Antonio Garrido Marijuan ◽  
Roberto Garay ◽  
Mikel Lumbreras ◽  
Víctor Sánchez ◽  
Olga Macias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Thermal Systems ◽  
Heating Source ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Thermal Sources ◽  
Heating Networks

District heating networks deliver around 13% of the heating energy in the EU, being considered as a key element of the progressive decarbonization of Europe. The H2020 REnewable Low TEmperature District project (RELaTED) seeks to contribute to the energy decarbonization of these infrastructures through the development and demonstration of the following concepts: reduction in network temperature down to 50 °C, integration of renewable energies and waste heat sources with a novel substation concept, and improvement on building-integrated solar thermal systems. The coupling of renewable thermal sources with ultra-low temperature district heating (DH) allows for a bidirectional energy flow, using the DH as both thermal storage in periods of production surplus and a back-up heating source during consumption peaks. The ultra-low temperature enables the integration of a wide range of energy sources such as waste heat from industry. Furthermore, RELaTED also develops concepts concerning district heating-connected reversible heat pump systems that allow to reach adequate thermal levels for domestic hot water as well as the use of the network for district cooling with high performance. These developments will be demonstrated in four locations: Estonia, Serbia, Denmark, and Spain.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Polymer-Grafted Low-K and High-K Nanoparticles for Dielectric and Electronic Applications

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 2942
Author(s):  
Bhausaheb V. Tawade ◽  
Ikeoluwa E. Apata ◽  
Nihar Pradhan ◽  
Alamgir Karim ◽  
Dharmaraj Raghavan
Keyword(s):  
Energy Density ◽  
Polymer Nanocomposites ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Breakdown Strength ◽  
Polymer Nanocomposite ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Polymer Chains ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Grafted Nanoparticles ◽  
Grafting From

The synthesis of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) or hairy nanoparticles (HNPs) by tethering of polymer chains to the surface of nanoparticles is an important technique to obtain nanostructured hybrid materials that have been widely used in the formulation of advanced polymer nanocomposites. Ceramic-based polymer nanocomposites integrate key attributes of polymer and ceramic nanomaterial to improve the dielectric properties such as breakdown strength, energy density and dielectric loss. This review describes the ”grafting from” and ”grafting to” approaches commonly adopted to graft polymer chains on NPs pertaining to nano-dielectrics. The article also covers various surface initiated controlled radical polymerization techniques, along with templated approaches for grafting of polymer chains onto SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, and Al2O3 nanomaterials. As a look towards applications, an outlook on high-performance polymer nanocomposite capacitors for the design of high energy density pulsed power thin-film capacitors is also presented.

scholarly journals Applicability of Cork as Novel Modifiers to Develop Electrochemical Sensor for Caffeine Determination

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Mayra K. S. Monteiro ◽  
Djalma R. Da Silva ◽  
Marco A. Quiroz ◽  
Vítor J. P. Vilar ◽  
Carlos A. Martínez-Huitle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrochemical Sensor ◽  
Linear Response ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pharmaceutical Formulations ◽  
Caffeine Concentration ◽  
Real Samples ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Use

This study aims to investigate the applicability of a hybrid electrochemical sensor composed of cork and graphite (Gr) for detecting caffeine in aqueous solutions. Raw cork (RAC) and regranulated cork (RGC, obtained by thermal treatment of RAC with steam at 380 °C) were tested as modifiers. The results clearly showed that the cork-graphite sensors, GrRAC and GrRGC, exhibited a linear response over a wide range of caffeine concentration (5–1000 µM), with R2 of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD), estimated at 2.9 and 6.1 µM for GrRAC and GrRGC, suggest greater sensitivity and reproducibility than the unmodified conventional graphite sensor. The low-cost cork-graphite sensors were successfully applied in the determination of caffeine in soft drinks and pharmaceutical formulations, presenting well-defined current signals when analyzing real samples. When comparing electrochemical determinations and high performance liquid chromatography measurements, no significant differences were observed (mean accuracy 3.0%), highlighting the potential use of these sensors to determine caffeine in different samples.

scholarly journals Review of Functional Treatments for Modified Wood

Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 327
Author(s):  
Morwenna J. Spear ◽  
Simon F. Curling ◽  
Athanasios Dimitriou ◽  
Graham A. Ormondroyd
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Responsive Materials ◽  
Wood Modification ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Natural Wood ◽  
Impregnation Modification ◽  
New Applications ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Dimensional Instability ◽  
Modified Wood

Wood modification is now widely recognized as offering enhanced properties of wood and overcoming issues such as dimensional instability and biodegradability which affect natural wood. Typical wood modification systems use chemical modification, impregnation modification or thermal modification, and these vary in the properties achieved. As control and understanding of the wood modification systems has progressed, further opportunities have arisen to add extra functionalities to the modified wood. These include UV stabilisation, fire retardancy, or enhanced suitability for paints and coatings. Thus, wood may become a multi-functional material through a series of modifications, treatments or reactions, to create a high-performance material with previously impossible properties. In this paper we review systems that combine the well-established wood modification procedures with secondary techniques or modifications to deliver emerging technologies with multi-functionality. The new applications targeted using this additional functionality are diverse and range from increased electrical conductivity, creation of sensors or responsive materials, improvement of wellbeing in the built environment, and enhanced fire and flame protection. We identified two parallel and connected themes: (1) the functionalisation of modified timber and (2) the modification of timber to provide (multi)-functionality. A wide range of nanotechnology concepts have been harnessed by this new generation of wood modifications and wood treatments. As this field is rapidly expanding, we also include within the review trends from current research in order to gauge the state of the art, and likely direction of travel of the industry.

scholarly journals Human Plasma and Recombinant Hemopexins: Heme Binding Revisited

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1199
Author(s):  
Elena Karnaukhova ◽  
Catherine Owczarek ◽  
Peter Schmidt ◽  
Dominik J. Schaer ◽  
Paul W. Buehler
Keyword(s):  
Protein S ◽  
Soret Band ◽  
Cell System ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Heme Binding ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Molar Ratios ◽  
Recombinant Production ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Exclusion Chromatography

Plasma hemopexin (HPX) is the key antioxidant protein of the endogenous clearance pathway that limits the deleterious effects of heme released from hemoglobin and myoglobin (the term “heme” is used in this article to denote both the ferrous and ferric forms). During intra-vascular hemolysis, heme partitioning to protein and lipid increases as the plasma concentration of HPX declines. Therefore, the development of HPX as a replacement therapy during high heme stress could be a relevant intervention for hemolytic disorders. A logical approach to enhance HPX yield involves recombinant production strategies from human cell lines. The present study focuses on a biophysical assessment of heme binding to recombinant human HPX (rhHPX) produced in the Expi293FTM (HEK293) cell system. In this report, we examine rhHPX in comparison with plasma HPX using a systematic analysis of protein structural and functional characteristics related to heme binding. Analysis of rhHPX by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)-HPLC, and catalase-like activity demonstrated a similarity to HPX fractionated from plasma. In particular, the titration of HPX apo-protein(s) with heme was performed for the first time using a wide range of heme concentrations to model HPX–heme interactions to approximate physiological conditions (from extremely low to more than two-fold heme molar excess over the protein). The CD titration data showed an induced bisignate CD Soret band pattern typical for plasma and rhHPX versions at low heme-to-protein molar ratios and demonstrated that further titration is dependent on the amount of protein-bound heme to the extent that the arising opposite CD couplet results in a complete inversion of the observed CD pattern. The data generated in this study suggest more than one binding site in both plasma and rhHPX. Furthermore, our study provides a useful analytical platform for the detailed characterization of HPX–heme interactions and potentially novel HPX fusion constructs.

scholarly journals Strength Analysis of Alternative Airframe Layouts of Regional Aircraft on the Basis of Automated Parametrical Models

Aerospace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Dmitry V. Vedernikov ◽  
Alexander N. Shanygin ◽  
Yury S. Mirgorodsky ◽  
Mikhail D. Levchenkov
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Strength Analysis ◽  
Labor Input ◽  
Aerodynamic Loading ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Parametrical Design

This publication presents the results of complex parametrical strength investigations of typical wings for regional aircrafts obtained by means of the new version of the four-level algorithm (FLA) with the modified module responsible for the analysis of aerodynamic loading. This version of FLA, as well as a base one, is focused on significant decreasing time and labor input of a complex strength analysis of airframes by using simultaneously different principles of decomposition. The base version includes four-level decomposition of airframe and decomposition of strength tasks. The new one realizes additional decomposition of alternative variants of load cases during the process of determination of critical load cases. Such an algorithm is very suitable for strength analysis and designing airframes of regional aircrafts having a wide range of aerodynamic concepts. Results of validation of the new version of FLA for a high-aspect-ratio wing obtained in this work confirmed high performance of the algorithm in decreasing time and labor input of strength analysis of airframes at the preliminary stages of designing. During parametrical design investigation, some interesting results for strut-braced wings having high aspect ratios were obtained.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document