Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jie Zhao, Jeng Yi Chong, Lei Shi, Rong Wang
Summary: A novel approach was developed to immobilize F127 in PVDF hollow fiber membranes using PTFE particles as a binding agent through the N-TIPS method. The dual functions of F127 in pore formation and surface hydrophilization for PVDF membranes were observed. The membranes showed excellent pure water permeability and tensile strength, demonstrating the potential of the N-TIPS method for tuning membrane pore structure and hydrophilicity using multifunctional additives.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rong Zhang, Jinfei Wei, Ning Tian, Weidong Liang, Junping Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates a facile method to fabricate superamphiphobic coatings on complex substrates. The coatings feature a microscale dense and nanoscale rough texture, which enhances the stability and superamphiphobicity.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Xiaopeng Xiong, Yugang Wang, Chengtang Zhong
Summary: This study presents the preparation of an asymmetric membrane using a vapor induced phase separation (VIPS) method, which shows great potential in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The asymmetric membrane, prepared by co-dissolving hydrophilic cellulose acetate (CA) and hydrophobic poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SBS) in tetrahydrofuran, exhibits different wetting properties on the two sides. The membrane shows excellent resistance to wetting and fouling after deacetylation of CA.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dongwei Ma, Xiangyue Ye, Zhuo Li, Jiemei Zhou, Dinglei Zhong, Chenxu Zhang, Sen Xiong, Jianzhong Xia, Yong Wang
Summary: Ultrafiltration membranes derived from block copolymers with tunable pore structures and intrinsic surface functions are prepared by a simple spray-coating method. The addition of water as a pore-forming agent leads to phase separation during spray coating, resulting in the formation of nanoscale pores in the composite membranes. The membranes exhibit good ultrafiltration performance and intrinsic fouling resistance, making them comparable or better than those prepared by more complicated processes.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Sebastian W. Schultz, Jaime Agudo-Canalejo, Haruka Chino, Simona M. Migliano, Chieko Saito, Ikuko Koyama-Honda, Harald Stenmark, Andreas Brech, Noboru Mizushima, Roland L. Knorr, Alexander I. May
Summary: The wetting interactions between autophagic membranes and phase-separated droplets play a crucial role in determining the structure and fate of forming autophagosomes.
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Salman Mirzadeh, Azadeh Asefnejad, Hossein Ali Khonakdar, Seyed Hassan Jafari
Summary: Superhydrophobic and antibacterial polyurethane nanocomposite films loaded with TiO2 and graphene nanoparticles were fabricated via a spray coating technique. The combination of TiO2, graphene, and nonsolvent led to a hierarchical structure with high uniform surface roughness, resulting in superhydrophobic/roll-off behavior and increased antibacterial activity to around 99%. The presence of TiO2 and graphene nanoparticles in the nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) process played a significant role in promoting the surface properties of the films.
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Salman Mirzadeh, Azadeh Asefnejad, Hossein Ali Khonakdar, Seyed Hassan Jafari
Summary: Polyurethane nanocomposite films were prepared by adding a proper nonsolvent and graphene nanoplatelets to modify the surface properties and enhance biocompatibility. Hydrophilic graphene showed better dispersion and higher cell viability, indicating a direct correlation between biocompatibility and polar groups enriching the surface.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lu Wang, Ying Li, Liming Pu, Miao Yang, Hongsheng Lu, Xuehong Gu, Xuerui Wang
Summary: The asymmetric 6FDA-APAF0.5-Cardo0.5 copolyimide membranes with effective thickness of -200 nm showed excellent performance in helium extraction from natural gas. The membranes exhibited high permeance, good selectivity, and resistance to impurities, making them suitable for practical application.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jie Gao, Tai-Shung Chung
Summary: In this study, a novel membrane was developed for decellularization of blood in the dried plasma spot system. The membrane effectively removed red blood cells and allowed plasma permeation, with almost no retention of targeted amino acids.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Wenlong Liu, Nanlan Huang, Junjie Yang, Lianxin Peng, Jing Li, Weijun Chen
Summary: The NIPS method was used to prepare PLA films with 10wt% NMP, which showed uniform porous structures and improved thermal stability, water vapor transmission, and oxygen permeability. The addition of NMP altered the crystalline properties of the films, but not their composition. The 10 wt% NMP/PLA film demonstrated a longer shelf life for pork compared to polyethylene film, indicating its potential in pork packaging.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shin-ichi Sawada, Yasunari Maekawa
Summary: A novel type of bipolar membranes (BPMs) was prepared using radiation-induced asymmetric graft polymerization (RIAGP), with a clear CEL/AEL boundary achieved for the first time. However, practical application revealed a thinner CEL compared to AEL, which was addressed by controlling the thicknesses of CEL and AEL through different starting times of the grafting reactions.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wenzhong Ma, Zhuang Zhou, Norafiqah Ismail, Elena Tocci, Alberto Figoli, Mohamed Khayet, Takeshi Matsuura, Zhaoliang Cui, Naser Tavajohi
Summary: Thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) is a popular method for membrane preparation. This review critically evaluates the literature on TIPS and provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art. It discusses the basic principles of TIPS, materials used, parameters affecting the outcome, mass transfer, modeling techniques, current and potential applications, and future developments and prospects for the TIPS process.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Andrey Viktorovich Basko, Konstantin Vasilyevich Pochivalov, Mikhail Yurevich Yurov, Tatyana Nikolayevna Lebedeva, Alexey Alexandrovich Yushkin, Alexey Vladimirovich Volkov
Summary: The nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation (N-TIPS) method is used to prepare flat sheet polypropylene membranes. The morphology and performance of the membranes prepared by standard TIPS and N-TIPS are compared. The effect of some parameters of membrane preparation process such as polymer concentration in dope solutions, thermodynamic affinity between the polymer and cosolvent and gap height in the film-casting device on the membrane structure and properties is investigated. The membrane properties can be controlled over a range of permeability values from 0.3 to 48 m(3)m(-2)h(-1) bar(-1) and mean through pore size from 0.22 to 0.55 μm.
POLYMER-PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Niklas Blagojevic, Marcus Mueller
Summary: Block copolymer membranes offer a bottom-up approach for isoporous membrane formation, which is useful in ultrafiltration and water purification. This process involves the self-assembly of block copolymers in a volatile solvent to create a top layer with selectivity, followed by the exchange of solvents with a non-solvent to create a macroporous support layer. Simulation studies provide insights into the structure formation and the role of thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chiao-Peng Hsu, Jonas Aretz, Arsenii Hordeichyk, Reinhard Faessler, Andreas R. Bausch
Summary: Integrin adhesion complexes are crucial for cell membrane attachments, and the phase separation process can be enhanced by adding phosphoinositides to lipid membranes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Douglas J. Grzetic, Kris T. Delaney, Glenn H. Fredrickson
Summary: Microphase separation in a binary blend of oppositely charged polymers can be stabilized electrostatically, providing a route to control microstructure. The phase behavior is affected by differences in charge density and dielectric constant of the polymers, and specific ordered phases can be stabilized when the minority component has a higher dielectric constant. This system suggests a possible route to large-unit-cell complex-sphere phases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saeed Najafi, Yanxian Lin, Andrew P. Longhini, Xuemei Zhang, Kris T. Delaney, Kenneth S. Kosik, Glenn H. Fredrickson, Joan-Emma Shea, Songi Han
Summary: The driving force for both Tau complex coacervation and self-coacervation is electrostatic interactions between Tau-RNA or Tau-Tau macromolecules. Liquid condensates formed by complex coacervation show higher micro-viscosity and thermal stability compared to those formed by self-coacervation. Different types of Tau condensates with distinct micro-viscosity can coexist as persistent and immiscible entities in solution under various solution conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pierre Kawak, Dakota S. Banks, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: This study focuses on the near-equilibrium nucleation behavior of a simple model of a melt, revealing the existence of ordered nematic and crystalline phases in addition to the disordered melt phase. The research indicates that polymer stiffness plays a crucial role in the nucleation process during polymer crystallization.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Rami Alhasan, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: Phase-field models are cost-effective models capable of capturing the nonequilibrium multiphase behavior of polymers and soft materials. The thermodynamic consistency of some model formulations has been questioned, leading researchers to derive a generalized Gibbs-Duhem relation to ensure thermodynamic consistency. This derivation demonstrates that a phase-field model satisfying the Gibbs-Duhem expression is thermodynamically consistent.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mukul D. Tikekar, Kris T. Delaney, Michael C. Villet, Douglas R. Tree, Glenn H. Fredrickson
Summary: A phase-field framework is used to model the dynamics of reaction kinetics, diffusion, and thermodynamics in reactive blending of polymers. The microstructure and reaction rate of the blend are found to be affected by the immiscibility, transport, and compatibility of the polymers. The study shows that for irreversibly reacting blends, the microstructure evolves through various morphologies depending on the Flory chi parameter, while for reversible reactions, the equilibrium composition depends on the equilibrium constant and chi parameter. The phase-field models provide a useful tool to understand the complex interplay of thermodynamic and kinetic effects in polymer blending.
Article
Polymer Science
Daniel L. Vigil, Timothy Quah, Dan Sun, Kris T. Delaney, Glenn H. Fredrickson
Summary: Using self-consistent field theory, the phase boundaries between periodic microphases for linear, comb-like, and bottlebrush diblock copolymers were mapped, revealing a universal phase diagram for sphere phases including A15 and sigma phases. However, a transition from comb-like to bottlebrush scaling with architectural parameter variation was not observed.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Mark N. McDonald, Cameron K. Peterson, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: Biological systems rely on chemical gradients for motion, and a novel method has been presented to manipulate the position and velocity of colloidal particles in a microfluidic device using chemical gradients. The method involves utilizing controllable spatially localized chemical reactions to steer colloidal particles via diffusiophoresis along any desired trajectory. Brownian dynamics simulations were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, and comparisons with other techniques were made to analyze its applicability in the physical parameter space. The results suggest that it is theoretically possible to explicitly steer particles via chemical gradients in microfluidics.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rami Alhasan, Tanner A. Wilcoxson, Dakota S. Banks, Sion Jung, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: In this study, simulations of a phase-field model were used to investigate the effects of solvent/nonsolvent miscibility and finite domain boundaries on nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The relative location of the initial droplet composition with respect to the phase diagram was found to be a key factor determining the NIPS behavior. Polymer/nonsolvent miscibility was found to compete with solvent/nonsolvent miscibility in driving the NIPS kinetics. Furthermore, the model predicted that polymer droplets undergoing solvent/nonsolvent exchange exhibit almost Fickian diffusion kinetics.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Qinyu Zhu, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: One of the grand challenges in amphiphilic self-assembly is to design ordered structures with controllable morphology and shape, which can be achieved by adjusting the properties of the amphiphiles or their surroundings. Computational studies provide important insights and exploration of parameter spaces that are not easily accessible in experiments. This review introduces fundamental concepts, relevant experiments, and influential simulation studies on controlling the self-assembled shape of amphiphiles, with a focus on kinetic and mechanical effects.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Mark N. McDonald, Qinyu Zhu, Walter F. Paxton, Cameron K. Peterson, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: The development of top-down active control over bottom-up colloidal assembly processes has the potential to produce materials, surfaces, and objects with applications in a wide range of fields. The review summarizes recent progress in the field using a taxonomy based on how active control is used to guide assembly. Three distinct scenarios are identified: navigating kinetic pathways to reach equilibrium, creating metastable or kinetically trapped states, and creating far-from-equilibrium states through continuous energy input. Important works, application areas, and fundamental control theory concepts are discussed, along with current and potential future applications and open questions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jan Ulric Garcia, Douglas R. Tree, Alyssa Bagoyo, Tatsuhiro Iwama, Kris T. Delaney, Glenn H. Fredrickson
Summary: In this study, the bulk coarsening dynamics of ternary polymer solutions undergoing a glass transition were investigated using phase-field simulations. Two models of phase separation, diffusion only and with hydrodynamics, were examined. It was found that mobility and viscosity contrasts significantly hinder coarsening in microstructures composed of polymer-poor clusters in a polymer-rich matrix, while they do not impede domain growth but alter the shape of discrete domains in microstructures composed of polymer-rich clusters in a polymer-poor matrix.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rajarshi Sengupta, Mukul D. Tikekar, Kris T. Delaney, Michael C. Villet, Glenn H. Fredrickson
Summary: This study investigates the reactive blending process in layered films of immiscible polymers using a phase field model, and reveals that interface roughening leads to spontaneous emulsification. The reaction rate, film thickness, and interaction parameter all influence the system dynamics and interface morphology evolution.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qinyu Zhu, Timothy R. Scott, Douglas R. Tree
Summary: Researchers have long been interested in biological cells' ability to actively control their shape, leading to the study of generating simplified synthetic protocells that can change shape based on a stimulus. By combining DPD and SRBD, a simulation tool was created to study morphological changes in polymer structures undergoing chemical reactions. It was found that local morphological changes can be induced by solvents or reactants affecting the block polymer chemistry in the membrane.
