Article
Engineering, Chemical
A. L. Rangel-Cardenas, S. J. Picken, G. J. M. Koper
Summary: The role of interfacial resistance to water transport in a system geometry similar to a PEM fuel cell was investigated in this study. Water sorption kinetics in carbon-supported Nafion thin-films was studied at different relative humidities and membrane thicknesses. Anomalous water sorption kinetics were observed, characterized by a delayed onset to Fickian behavior and two different time scales. The presence of two regimes with different diffusion coefficients, attributed to interfacial and bulk diffusivities, can simulate the anomalous behavior in sorption curves.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Yanfang Xu, Liyao Cao, Hua Shen, Guangbiao Xu
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of temperature on oil sorption behavior, absorption coefficient, and oil wettability of Kapok fiber powder. Results showed minimal temperature influence on oil sorption capacity but exponential increase in absorption coefficient with higher temperatures. Additionally, higher temperatures weakened the wettability of oil to solid powder, as indicated by contact angle measurements.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Emma J. M. Moonen, Tanveer ul Islam, Sebastiaan van Kemenade, Eduard Pelssers, Jason Heikenfeld, Jaap M. J. den Toonder
Summary: Research on the development of on-body sensors, such as on-skin sweat sensing, has grown significantly in recent years. However, the variability of skin characteristics makes testing of these sensors and related materials difficult, especially in the initial development phase. Therefore, there is a need for a realistic and adaptable test platform or artificial skin that can accurately mimic the features of human skin.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sergey A. Baskakov, Yuliya V. Baskakova, Svetlana S. Krasnikova, Eugene N. Kabachkov, Maria A. Kapustyanskaya, Nadezhda N. Dremova, Filipp O. Milovich, Yury M. Shulga, Xiaowu Wang, Zhi Li
Summary: Polytetrafluoroethylene/cellulose composite aerogels were prepared and the effect of PTFE content on the properties of the aerogels was investigated. Heat treatment of the composite aerogels at high temperatures improved the hydrophobicity of cellulose and enhanced the solvent absorption capacity.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Matti J. Hokkanen, Matilda Backholm, Maja Vuckovac, Quan Zhou, Robin H. A. Ras
Summary: Superhydrophobic coatings with unique properties such as self-cleaning and staying dry have recently emerged in industrial and consumer markets. The stochastic nature of coating components can affect the uniformity of water repellency, and traditional contact angle goniometry may not provide accurate quantification of wetting properties. The study demonstrates that highly sensitive force-based methods can offer advantages in quantifying microscale heterogeneity in superhydrophobic coatings.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
C. A. Papakonstantinou, H. Chen, V Bertola, A. Amirfazli
Summary: The study found through experiments that the contact angle between water and different surfaces decreases over time in a condensation environment, due to the evaporation of condensed drops forming a thin film and adsorption of water vapor causing the contact angle to decrease. The change in contact angle over time has a significant impact on the shedding of droplets in drop-wise condensation processes.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Mengyang Qu, Bo Zhou, Chunlei Wang
Summary: In this study, contact angle values of droplets and the work of adhesion between droplets and a monolayer were calculated using an extended phantom-wall method. The results show that the classical Young-Dupre equation is applicable for the interface of liquid water and an ordered water monolayer, similar to the conventional solid-liquid interface.
Article
Physics, Applied
Luming Song, Chon U. Chan, Hongyi Lin, Claus-Dieter Ohl, Dong Sun
Summary: In this study, the propagation of evanescent waves at the interface between water and glass was numerically examined, showing that surface-attached nanobubbles can increase the intensity of the evanescent wave and provide a possible method for measuring contact angles. The theoretical distribution of bright and dark areas on nanobubbles aligns with experimental data, indicating a potential application for dark-field inspection.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. L. Brusseau, B. Guo
Summary: This research focused on the relationship between soil porewater concentrations and soil concentrations of PFAS, based on a comprehensive model. The model was validated using measured parameters and literature data, showing accurate predictions of concentration ratios. Numerical simulations demonstrated the importance of air-water interfacial adsorption for the distribution of longer-chain PFAS. It was found that PFAS soil porewater concentrations can vary from ng/L to mg/L depending on soil concentrations and site conditions.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Wei Sun, Qingrui Song, Kun Liu, Xiaojun Liu, Jiaxin Ye
Summary: The addition of nano-sized fillers can greatly reduce the wear rate of polytetrafluoroethylene by forming a protective transfer film. The wear reduction is influenced by the properties of the polymer wear surface and the roughness of the transfer film.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Li Cheng, Bei Fan, Zichen Zhang, Aaron McLeod, Wade Shipley, Prabhakar Bandaru
Summary: A new plasma processing-based methodology has been proposed to enhance the streaming potential (Vs) in electrokinetic flows over a silicon surface-based microchannel. The relationship between Vs, surface zeta potential, and electrolyte slip length was carefully determined through experiments. The study found that while the zeta potential always increases, the slip length may decrease under certain conditions. A record value of 0.1 mV/Pa was achieved using CF4 plasma.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Eun Jo Jang, Bandana Padhan, Madhumita Patel, Jitendra Kumar Pandey, Baojun Xu, Rajkumar Patel
Summary: Antimicrobial film is a revolutionary active packaging material that preserves food quality and extends shelf life. Researchers are fortifying bacterial cellulose (BC) with various additives to improve its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, providing benefits for the food industry to select and produce enhanced BC with improved shelf-life and other functional qualities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryosuke Jinnouchi, Kenji Kudo, Kensaku Kodama, Naoki Kitano, Takahisa Suzuki, Saori Minami, Kazuma Shinozaki, Naoki Hasegawa, Akihiro Shinohara
Summary: This study reports the improvement of performance in polymer electrolyte fuel cells by incorporating a ring-structured backbone matrix into ionomers in the cathode catalyst layers. High power density and catalytic activity are achieved through the high oxygen solubility of the ionomer, promoting oxygen transport and reactions. The molecular design of the ionomer enhances the oxygen reduction reaction activity and mitigates catalyst poisoning, ultimately benefiting the overall performance of the fuel cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mylene Robert, Assma El Kaddouri, Marie Crouillere, Jean-Christophe Perrin, Laetitia Dubau, Florence Dubelley, Kevin Mozet, Meriem Daoudi, Jerome Dillet, Jean-Yves Morel, Sebastien Leclerc, Olivier Lottin
Summary: This study investigates the impact of conjoint mechanical and chemical stresses on PFSA membranes. Accelerated aging tests showed significant morphological changes in the Nafion(TM) XL membrane, with the appearance of bubbles and delamination. Surprisingly, water sorption, self-diffusion properties, and cell performances of the aged membranes remained satisfactory.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Congli Cui, Lin Gao, Lei Dai, Na Ji, Yang Qin, Rui Shi, Yuanyuan Qiao, Liu Xiong, Qingjie Sun
Summary: Food packaging materials are essential for maintaining food quality by preventing deterioration, dehydration, and oxidation. Natural biopolymers, such as polysaccharides and proteins, are being investigated for their potential as hydrophobic films in food packaging. Effective preparation strategies, mechanical and barrier properties, pH responsiveness, self-cleaning performance, and antibacterial and antioxidant functions of hydrophobic biopolymer-based films are summarized. The most effective methods include electrospinning with hydrophobically modified biopolymers, addition of micro/nanofillers and hydrophobic compounds, and hydrophobic modification of the films, which can even produce superhydrophobic films with excellent barrier properties. The current opportunities and challenges of hydrophobic biopolymer-based films are discussed.
FOOD ENGINEERING REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Mehlika Karamanlioglu, Serap Yesilkir-Baydar
Summary: This study determined the influence and ideal ratios of different amounts of coconut oil in gelatin-based films as wound dressings. Increasing coconut oil content improved the mechanical properties, thermal stability, cell viability, and wound healing ability of the films. CO-2 and CO-4 showed the best performance among the samples.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yu-Min Chen, Chihoko Tokoda, Yasuhiko Tabata
Summary: The objective of this study is to establish strategies to uniformly proliferate cells in a three-dimensional nonwoven PET/EVOH scaffold by simple adjustments in seeding and culture methods and the scaffold design. The combination of dynamic and static seeding methods resulted in the highest seeding efficiency. Stirring culture allowed cells to proliferate to a greater extent, while opening holes in the scaffold improved cell distribution. Two 1-mm holes were found to be optimal for homogeneous cell proliferation. Different cell types showed similar behavior in the scaffold, indicating the applicability of the established procedure. The nonwoven PET/EVOH scaffold serves as a potential cell culture substrate for efficient cell proliferation.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Majid Saeedi, Katayoun Morteza-Semnani, Jafar Akbari, Seyyed Mobin Rahimnia, Fatemeh Ahmadi, Hanieh Choubdari, Amir Lotfi, Seyyed Mohammad Hassan Hashemi
Summary: In this study, kojic acid loaded chitosan/collagen nanoparticles were produced using an ionic gelation and ultrasonic approach to enhance dermal delivery and anti-pigmentation effects. Increasing the amount of collagen in the nanoparticles led to larger particle size and higher entrapment efficiency of kojic acid. The nanoparticles were found to be spherical in shape and kojic acid was in an amorphous form. Skin permeability tests showed that the nanoparticles delivered more kojic acid to the dermal layers compared to plain gel. The nanoparticles were non-toxic and non-irritating, and exhibited stronger inhibition of melanin formation compared to free kojic acid. These findings suggest that the produced nanoparticles have potential as a nano-vehicle for dermal administration of kojic acid, providing new options for managing hyper-melanogenesis problems.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hue Thi Nguyen, Anh-Tuan Le, Thanh Thuy Nguyen, Tran Quang Huy, Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen
Summary: In this study, a chitosan and emodin formulation was prepared to enhance the solubility of emodin and exhibited synergic antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacterial strains. The enhanced solubility of the formulation suggests its potential as a candidate for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jiu Ge, Mengting Li, Jiahui Fan, Christian Celia, Yijun Xie, Qing Chang, Xiaoyong Deng
Summary: Bacterial infections pose a significant threat to human health, and the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has reduced the effectiveness of antibacterial treatments. In this study, chitosan/silver nanoparticle complexes were developed to inhibit bacterial proliferation and induce membrane damage. The results demonstrated that increasing the chitosan concentration enhanced the antibacterial impact, and the nanoparticles showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The study provides valuable insights into the development of nano-antibacterial agents as a potential substitute for traditional antibiotics in medical applications.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2024)