Review
Chemistry, Applied
Li Ching Wong, Cheu Peng Leh, Choon Fu Goh
Summary: Hydrogels are a versatile system with potential applications, and hydrogel development from non-woody biomass, especially using native cellulose, shows promise. The design of hydrogels is influenced by factors such as cellulose solubility, crosslinking method, and processing conditions, impacting the properties of the hydrogels.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Nobuyuki Harada, Yoshiro Mitsukami, Hiroshi Uyama
Summary: Water-swellable hydrogel-forming porous cellulose beads (HFPCBs) were obtained by a single-step thermal reaction and maintained a highly porous structure with a specific surface area of 36.5 m(2)/g. These HFPCBs showed a maximum centrifuge retention capacity of approximately 50 g/g in deionized water and could be used for the germination of plant seeds.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jamileh Shojaeiarani, Alimohammad Shirzadifar, Dilpreet S. Bajwa
Summary: A porous multi-layered nanocomposite hydrogel featuring selective adsorption of organic dyes has been developed via 3D printing. The surface charge of the hydrogel has a predominant effect on the porous structure, with layers of opposite charges showing different pore characteristics.
MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joao Cunha, Miguel P. P. da Silva, Maria J. J. Beira, Marta C. C. Corvo, Pedro L. L. Almeida, Pedro J. J. Sebastiao, Joao L. Figueirinhas, Maria Norberta de Pinho
Summary: This study presents the characterization of water dynamics in cellulose acetate-silica asymmetric membranes and demonstrates the influence of pore structure and post-treatment on water ordering and dynamics. The findings highlight the potential of using NMR techniques to study porous media and differentiate between ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membrane systems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kurt Livo, Manika Prasad, Trent R. Graham
Summary: The study evaluates the effects of dissolved oxygen on water in H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, finding that oxygen dissolution significantly reduces the transverse relaxation coefficient and presents an empirical model for predicting T-2 times. In a sandstone model system, dissolved oxygen also influences the relaxation time of confined water.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Nadege Leray, Malika Talantikite, Ana Villares, Bernard Cathala
Summary: This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of double network hydrogels based on cellulose nanocrystals. The hydrogels exhibited excellent mechanical properties and tunable swelling capacities which make them suitable for applications in bilayer actuators.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Takahiro Ohkubo, Akio Yamazaki, Yuta Fukatsu, Yukio Tachi
Summary: This study investigated pore distributions in water-saturated Ca-montmorillonite under various dry densities and porewater salinity conditions using H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. It was found that density is the main factor affecting pore distribution in compacted Ca and Na-montmorillonite, while the effect of porewater salinity and interlayer cations is relatively smaller. The established method based on NMR relaxometry is expected to provide structural parameters for realistic modeling of mass transport in water-saturated compacted clay.
MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Guido Fellet, Pellegrino Conte, Villiam Bortolotti, Fabiana Zama, Germana Landi, Delia Francesca Chillura Martino, Vito Ferro, Luca Marchiol, Paolo Lo Meo
Summary: This study investigated the transformations of two different biochars in soil. The results showed that the biochar obtained through wet quenching underwent both chemical and physical modifications, while the biochar obtained through dry quenching only underwent chemical alterations. It was also observed that the soil treated with the dry-quenched biochar had better water retention.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Soraya Soleimani, Amir Heydari, Moslem Fattahi
Summary: In this study, calcium alginate (CA) hydrogels were synthesized using the ion-exchange method and enhanced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The swelling property of the hydrogels was investigated, and the CNC-reinforced hydrogels (CA/CNC) with higher swelling ratio were selected for further tests. The effect of independent variables on the swelling of CA/CNC was analyzed using response surface method based on central composite design (RSM-CCD) and artificial neural network-salp swarm algorithm (ANN-SSA) hybrid. The results showed that ANN-SSA was more precise than RSM in analyzing the influence of sodium alginate concentration, calcium chloride concentration, and CNC concentration on hydrogel swelling.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Lijie Jiang, Xingyu Huang, Chaochao Tian, Yidan Zhong, Ming Yan, Chen Miao, Ting Wu, Xiaofan Zhou
Summary: This research proposes a facile method to prepare cellulose acetate hydrogels with porous structures. Water was added to the cellulose acetate-acetone solution to induce the phase separation and obtain a physical gel with a network structure. The SEM and BET test results showed that the hydrogels are relatively porous, with a maximum pore size of 380 nm and a specific surface area of 62 m(2)/g.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Philippe R. Bodart, Pierre Fouilloux, Adam Rachocki, Adrien Lerbret, Thomas Karbowiak, Ali Assifaoui
Summary: This study performed a detailed analysis of the dynamics of water in two heterogeneous polyGalA hydrogels using nuclear magnetic resonance. Two interpretations of the observed dynamics were discussed and compared with molecular dynamics simulations.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Pompilia Mioara Purcea Lopes, Dumitrita Moldovan, Radu Fechete, Doina Prodan, Carmen Rodica Pop, Ancuta M. Rotar, Violeta Popescu
Summary: The swelling behavior of whey-based hydrogel samples with increasing concentrations of graphene oxide (GO) was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mathematical models. GO was found to improve the mechanical and swelling properties of the hydrogels at low concentrations. The swelling process followed first-order kinetics for the initial <60% swelling and second-order diffusion for the whole time interval. Higher concentrations of GO led to higher cross-linking and reduced swelling capacity. Only hydrogel samples with higher GO concentrations showed antibacterial activity.
Article
Polymer Science
Fabio Bignotti, Francesco Baldi, Mario Grassi, Michela Abrami, Gloria Spagnoli
Summary: This work presents a novel method to synthesize hydrophobically-modified hydrogels, which exhibit thermosensitive behavior and enhanced properties when the HLB decreases, especially when wp exceeds 10%. The decrease in HLB results in an increase in polymer weight content and improvement in mechanical properties due to the occurrence of physical crosslinking.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Agathe Fanost, Maguy Jaber, Laurence de Viguerie, Jean-Pierre Korb, Pierre E. Levitz, Laurent J. Michot, Guillaume Meriguet, Anne-Laure Rollet
Summary: This study utilized H-1 variable field NMR relaxometry to investigate green earth pigment dispersions, developing a new analytical model to explore the interaction of water with different surfaces and water diffusion/residence times in complex phyllosilicate dispersions. The research findings indicate that NMR relaxation profile is highly sensitive to the structural aspect of phyllosilicates and water accessibility to iron, playing a crucial role in distinguishing between similar phyllosilicates.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Denise Besghini, Michele Mauri, Payam Hashemi, Matthias Knarr, Roland Adden, Petra Mischnick, Roberto Simonutti
Summary: The reversible gelation process of aqueous methylcellulose (MC) solutions at high temperature was studied using low-field time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-TD-NMR). The gel transition did not affect the water self-diffusion coefficient, but resulted in a decrease of the proton transverse relaxation times H-1 T (2) by more than 60%. The effects of molecular weight and concentration of polysaccharide chains on gel transition temperature and strength were investigated. The findings were in agreement with literature results from more advanced techniques, such as small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS), and supported the idea of a network structure of disorderly arranged fibrils with an inhomogeneous mesh size at the order of tens of microns.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Alejandro Orellana-Silla, Ruben Turo-Cortes, Victor Rubio-Gimenez, Carlos Bartual-Murgui, Rob Ameloot, Carlos Marti-Gastaldo, M. Carmen Munoz, Jose Antonio Real
Summary: This study investigates the influence of chemical functionalization on the magnetic and adsorption properties of porous Fe-II coordination polymers. The results show that the chemical functionalization leads to significant changes in the magnetic transition temperature and curve shape, as well as higher adsorption capacities. The structural reasons behind these variations are determined through single crystal-to-single crystal transformations.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jenna Multia, Dmitry E. Kravchenko, Victor Rubio-Gimenez, Anish Philip, Maarit Karppinen, Rob Ameloot
Summary: Atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) enables the gas-phase synthesis of crystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. By using krypton and methanol physisorption measurements, we demonstrate that ALD/MLD-fabricated copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (Cu-BDC) ultrathin films have accessible porosity equivalent to that of the corresponding bulk MOF.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ziyou Yu, Rodrigo de Oliveira-Silva, Yiannis Pontikes, Dimitrios Sakellariou
Summary: The effect of adding Fe(III) ions on spin relaxation and pore structure in metakaolin-based geopolymers was studied using low-field 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR). The results showed that Fe(III) affected spin relaxation and pore size, with the former being related to Fe(III) ion content and the latter increasing significantly after reaching 2.0 wt% iron content.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maarten Everaert, Olivier Duboc, Elden Willems, Gerhard Soja, Christoph Pfeifer, Niels Van Velthoven, Rodrigo de Oliveira-Silva, Dimitrios Sakellariou, Jakob Santner
Summary: Boron (B) fertilizers are crucial for global crop production. A study investigated thermochemical treatments to process cellulose fiber insulation waste into a slow-release B fertilizer, achieving slow-release properties through the formation of sparingly soluble Ca-B phases. Results showed the potential of slow-release B in reducing toxicity and leaching losses, indicating its effectiveness as a B application method.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Iurii Alekseevich Babkin, Aniket Pradip Udepurkar, Hannes Van Avermaet, Rodrigo de Oliveira-Silva, Dimitrios Sakellariou, Zeger Hens, Guy van den Mooter, Simon Kuhn, Christian Clasen
Summary: Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals used in optoelectronic applications. Most modern QDs are based on toxic metals and do not comply with EU regulations. However, there are promising developments in safer QD alternatives based on elements from the III-V group. This study focuses on encapsulating InP-based QDs in polymer microbeads for improved photostability.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Alexander E. J. Hoffman, Joao Marreiros, Sven M. J. Rogge, Rob Ameloot, Veronique Van Speybroeck
Summary: Mixed-linker zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are candidate materials for gas separation. The pore size of ZIFs can be regulated by changing the linker content, which affects diffusion and adsorption. The linker distribution in mixed-linker ZIF-8/ZIF-90 is characterized using computational Raman spectroscopy, revealing the impact of hydrogen bonding behavior on the distribution.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guanghai Fei, Cesar Parra-Cabrera, Benzheng Xia, Kuo Zhong, Koen Clays, Rob Ameloot
Summary: Researchers have developed a digital halftoning approach using dithering techniques and image-processing algorithms to generate universally printable files consisting only of black and white pixels that mimic true grayscale levels. This enables the control of irradiation dose and photopolymerization degree on each printed layer using any SLA printer, allowing for the fabrication of graded properties in objects.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Galahad O'Rourke, Tess Hennebel, Maxime Stalpaert, Alina Skorynina, Aram Bugaev, Kwinten Janssens, Lisa Van Emelen, Vincent Lemmens, Rodrigo De Oliveira Silva, Christel Colemonts, Philippe Gabriels, Dimitrios Sakellariou, Dirk De Vos
Summary: A solvent-based tandem dehydrochlorination-hydrogenation process is proposed to efficiently convert PVC to a saturated polymer, addressing the issue of insoluble conjugated polymers formed during high-temperature PVC treatment. The process achieves high dechlorination and produces products with tunable double bond content and high degrees of dechlorination. The chemical structures of the products are accurately monitored by liquid H-1-NMR method, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the stabilization of Rh catalyst species by ionic liquid during the tandem process.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kenneth Cerdan, Jesus Gandara-Loe, Giel Arnauts, Vedran Vangramberen, Anton Ginzburg, Rob Ameloot, Erin Koos, Peter Van Puyvelde
Summary: This study aims to understand the thermal polymerization mechanisms of humins from a rheological perspective for successful processing of humin-based materials. Thermal crosslinking of raw humins leads to the formation of a gel. The temperature plays an essential role in the crosslink density and the gel properties, with high temperatures delaying gel formation and low temperatures resulting in a stronger gel.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anthony De Bruyne, Wouter Stuyck, Jarne Leinders, Willem Deleu, Carlos Marquez, Kwinten Janssens, Dimitrios Sakellariou, Ruben Ghillebert, Dirk E. De Vos
Summary: We developed a two-step process to produce biobased plasticizers from citric acid. The process involves dehydration-hydrogenation of citric acid followed by a Fischer esterification. The resulting tributyl propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate (TBPTC) can be used as a plasticizer in PVC with a high overall yield of 90%.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Nathalie Wauteraerts, Min Tu, Nicolas Chanut, Sabina Rodriguez-Hermida, Jesus Gandara-Loe, Rob Ameloot
Summary: In this work, the vapor-assisted synthesis of MOF-74 from different metal oxides is investigated. The results show that the reaction outcome can be directed towards the desired porous phase depending on the added vapor, metal oxide, and temperature. XRD measurements reveal the formation of an intermediate phase during the reaction of MgO with H4dobdc, while the MOF-74 phase forms directly for ZnO and CoO. Despite the reduced CO2 uptake compared to solvothermally prepared MOFs, the convenience of this route and the promise of a high space time yield make it a potentially advantageous method.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Alejandro Orellana-Silla, Manuel Meneses-Sanchez, Ruben Turo-Cortes, Victor Rubio-Gimenez, Giel Arnauts, M. Carmen Munoz, Rob Ameloot, Carlos Bartual-Murgui, Jose Antonio Real
Summary: Functionalization of spin crossover porous coordination polymers (PCPs) with hydrogen-bonding active groups is an efficient strategy for the study of multifunctional materials. The interaction of guests with the host framework can improve the cooperativity of the spin crossover (SCO) and further enhance its properties. Comprehensive magneto-structural studies are still needed to understand the role of guests in the enhancement of the SCO properties.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)