Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chuan Yan, Liqin Yang, Xiangquan Mo, Keying Chen, Weiya Niu, Zhiju Zhao, Guanghua Li
Summary: PMAAAB-ran-PHEA micelles exhibit porous or bowl-shaped structure with a size of 135-150 nm. They possess reversible hydrophobicity, temperature-dependent size, and solubilization capacity.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Max von Witzleben, Thomas Stoppe, Alina Zeinalova, Zhaoyu Chen, Tilman Ahlfeld, Matthias Bornitz, Anne Bernhardt, Marcus Neudert, Michael Gelinsky
Summary: Three additive manufacturing techniques were combined to develop a mimicry of the tympanic membrane to address large perforations caused by chronic otitis media. The mimicry exhibited similar mechanical and acoustic properties as the eardrum, and optimized process parameters allowed for reasonable microfiber arrangements. In vitro studies showed high biocompatibility and cell growth orientation similar to the original collagen fiber orientation of the tympanic membrane. Overall, this combined approach offers a suitable alternative to autologous materials for the treatment of chronic otitis media.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kai Cao, Fucheng Zhang, Ahmadreza Zaeri, Ralf Zgeib, Robert C. Chang
Summary: The residual charge in melt electrowriting (MEW) process can affect printing accuracy, and this study measures the residual charge amount (Q(r)) at a nanocoulomb scale using a commercial electrometer. Various design and process parameters were investigated for their effects on Q(r), and it was found that increasing substrate surface conductivity or decreasing layer number can help reduce the residual charge. The effects of different process parameters on residual charge can be dependent or independent of fiber morphologies, and the outcomes may be either synergistic or antagonistic.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Conor Darroch, Giuseppe A. Asaro, Coralie Greant, Meenakshi Suku, Nele Pien, Sandra van Vlierberghe, Michael G. Monaghan
Summary: This study aimed to functionalize MEW-printed scaffolds by directly adding functional groups to the polymer itself using acrylate-endcapped urethane-based polymers (AUPs). Blending AUP with PCL enabled the direct covalent bonding of external agents onto the MEW material, increasing the scaffold's stiffness and ultimate strength. The AUP/PCL blends were also proven to be highly biocompatible, with cells attaching and proliferating readily.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART A
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
I. Razquin, A. Iregui, M. Cobos, J. Latasa, A. Eceiza, K. Gonzales, L. Martin, A. J. Muller, A. Gonzalez, L. Irusta
Summary: Epoxy/polycaprolactone (PCL) blends with cationic photo-initiator were prepared by solution and melt blending, and processed using various techniques including solvent casting, solution electrospinning, melt electrowriting, and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing. The shape memory properties varied depending on the processing technique, with electrospun fibers showing optimal fixity and recovery ratios. AFM images revealed different morphologies for different processing techniques, with electrospun mats exhibiting Shish-Kebab-type crystalline morphology and superior solvent resistance properties. The electrospun mats also showed high affinity towards chloroform, suggesting potential applications as chloroform sensors.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nele Pien, Michael Bartolf-Kopp, Laurens Parmentier, Jasper Delaey, Lobke De Vos, Diego Mantovani, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Peter Dubruel, Tomasz Jungst
Summary: Melt electrowriting is an additive manufacturing process that produces highly defined constructs in the micrometer range. Researchers have synthesized a polymer to widen the range of processable materials and improve the printing performance. By blending different materials, the print fidelity and mechanical properties of the constructs are enhanced. The material also shows non-cytotoxicity in vitro cell compatibility assay.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Laongdaw Techawinyutham, Naruemon Sumrith, Rapeeporn Srisuk, Wiroj Techawinyutham, Suchart Siengchin, Sanjay Mavinkere Rangappa
Summary: The research explored the possibility of using residual calcium carbonate from the cane sugar production process to replace commercial calcium carbonate in plastic, adding value to the residual calcium carbonate. The residual CaCO3/PP composites showed better mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties compared to commercial CaCO3/PP composites. Tensile modulus, flexural modulus, hardness, thermal stability, and rheological properties of the composites improved with increasing CaCO3 loading.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bahram Mirani, Sean O. Mathew, Neda Latifi, Michel R. Labrosse, Brian G. Amsden, Craig A. Simmons
Summary: In this study, a novel method combining computational modeling, melt electrowriting (MEW), and design of experiments (DOE) is reported to generate scaffolds with prescribed mechanical properties to mimic the nonlinear and anisotropic behavior of three model tissues. The optimized scaffold architecture is then used to create functional scaffolds with accurate mechanics, which can also be used for tissue engineering applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kilian Maria Arthur Mueller, Andreas Unterrainer, Diana Marcela Rojas-Gonzalez, Elena De-Juan-Pardo, Marian Sebastian Willner, Julia Herzen, Petra Mela
Summary: Melt electrowriting (MEW) enables precise digital fabrication of scaffold architectures by creating micron-sized fibers. However, charge accumulation and fiber bridging disrupt the desired pattern and make controlled printing difficult. To address this, a design strategy is developed to introduce controlled microporosity directly in MEW scaffolds by creating bridging-free parallel fibers that are angularly shifted from layer to layer and starting at a random point. This allows for the decoupling of pore size from fiber diameter and enables customization of mechanical properties.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nele Pien, Dalila Di Francesco, Francesco Copes, Michael Bartolf-Kopp, Victor Chausse, Marguerite Meeremans, Marta Pegueroles, Tomasz Juengst, Catharina De Schauwer, Francesca Boccafoschi, Peter Dubruel, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Diego Mantovani
Summary: The mechanical and biological properties of a cellularized collagen-based vascular wall model were improved by reinforcing it with a polymeric scaffold. Different processing techniques were used to create the polymeric reinforcements, which influenced the architecture of the scaffolds and subsequently affected the resulting properties. The incorporation of the polymeric reinforcement led to mechanical properties similar to native arteries.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juliana Domingues dos Santos Carvalho, Renata Santos Rabelo, Miriam Dupas Hubinger
Summary: The study investigated the thermal and rheological properties of methylcellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogels with the addition of chitosan. The results indicated that the addition of chitosan allowed these polymers to form gels at lower temperatures, which could benefit the processing of oil carrier systems under milder thermal conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ziyi Ge, Baoxing Xiong, Xiang Zhang, Xiao Yuan
Summary: This paper studies the effect of photo-thermo-induced nucleation on the crystallization kinetics of PTR glass and analyzes the properties of the induced nucleation process. The results show that photo-thermo-induced nucleation can significantly change the crystallization ability of PTR glass and affect the size, morphology, and volume fraction of precipitated crystals.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nicolo Mauro, Mara Andrea Utzeri, Alice Sciortino, Marco Cannas, Fabrizio Messina, Gennara Cavallaro, Gaetano Giammona
Summary: In this study, we propose a method for synthesizing carbon nanodots-poly(D,L-lactide) (CDs-PLA) nanocomposites through a reactive melt-extrusion process. The resulting material is suitable for 3D printing applications and exhibits both degradation resistance and fluorescence emission properties. Our findings pave the way for the design of fluorescent implants capable of real-time localization and monitoring of degradation state.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Xingzhen Li, Xiaoting Liu, Xin Xie, Chunli Liu, Zhenbin Chen, Jixiong Kou, Lei Wu, Qianqian Chen
Summary: In this study, rheological properties of a novel fabricated random high impact polypropylene-based copolymer, PBE, were investigated. The results showed that PBE is a pseudoplastic fluid, with the highest shearing sensitivity among the samples studied. Temperature and shearing rate had the greatest influence on its rheological properties, and injection molding was found to be the most suitable processing method for PBE.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xin Yuan, Jiabei Yuan, Bin Li, Yifeng Feng, Yin Maung Maung, Jianyu Yuan
Summary: A series of random donor-acceptor conjugated polymers with varying difluorothiophene (FTh) substitution were designed and synthesized, achieving a best power conversion efficiency of 9.04% through optimizing crystallinity. This research provides insight into controlling polymer-polymer blends with desirable optoelectronic properties.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Ying Shi Chang, Priyanka Kumari, Catherine J. Munro, Gyorgy Szekely, Lourdes F. Vega, Suzana Nunes, Ludovic F. Dumee
Summary: Plasticization is a common problem in polymeric membranes, where specific compounds can cause the material to degrade and lose performance. However, through smart material design and engineering processes, such as crosslinking and blending, this plasticization effect can be minimized. This review critically presents recent approaches to tackle plasticization in glassy polymeric membranes and offers recommendations for future work.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ahmed O. Rashed, Chi Huynh, Andrea Merenda, Si Qin, Ken Aldren S. Usman, Abu Sadek, Lingxue Kong, Takeshi Kondo, Ludovic F. Dumee, Joselito M. Razal
Summary: This study presents a stimuli-responsive membrane reactor for simultaneous separation and degradation of organic contaminants through photo or electro stimuli. By assembling carbon nanotubes (CNT) with conformal nanoscale SnO2 coatings, ultrathin and flexible ultrafiltration membranes were fabricated. The membranes exhibited high water permeance and faster reaction kinetics, making them suitable for cost-effective water purification.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Deepak Surendhra Mallya, Sara Abdikheibari, Ludovic F. Dumee, Shobha Muthukumaran, Weiwei Lei, Kanagaratnam Baskaran
Summary: Given that surface water is the primary supply of drinking water worldwide, the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) in surface water presents difficulties for water treatment facilities. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes can effectively solve this problem, but NOM fouling remains a challenge, necessitating the development of fouling-resistant membranes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of NOM removal, operation, mechanisms, fouling, and its controlling variables in NF. It critically assesses the potential of surface-engineered NF membranes, and examines the effect of surface alteration, interactions with solutes and foulants, and applications in water treatment.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Anna Siekierka, Damien L. Calahan, Wojciech Kujawski, Ludovic F. Dumee
Summary: The recovery of valuable resources from spent effluents, such as batteries, is important for sustainable growth and reducing commodity shortages. This study focuses on the development of selective cation exchange membranes for the recovery of cobalt from mixtures of lithium, cobalt, and nickel in spent battery effluents. The membranes showed high stability, low sorption energy, and high selectivity for cobalt, indicating their potential for efficient and selective separation of metal ions.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shuaifei Zhao, Paul H. M. Feron, Xiao Chen, Inci Boztepe, Jianhua Zhang, Nouman Rafique Mirza, Lingxue Kong
Summary: In this study, a simple and highly effective method to enhance the water vapor flux in vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) was proposed and demonstrated by introducing a gas flow on the vacuum side. Experimental and modelling results confirmed that gas flow can effectively enhance mass transfer in VMD by minimizing the boundary layer effect. A higher gas flow velocity results in a much higher water vapor flux due to reduced boundary layer effect and temperature polarization. The study provides a cost-effective method to enhance the water vapor flux in VMD and contributes to understanding vapor condensation and mass transfer mechanisms in thermally-driven membrane processes.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Muhammad Tawalbeh, Liyan Qalyoubi, Amani Al-Othman, Muhammad Qasim, Mohammad Shirazi
Summary: Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are widely used for their excellent water permeation rates and high salt rejection, but fouling remains a major issue. Various techniques, including pretreatment and cleaning, have been developed to minimize and control fouling. The development of antifouling and self-cleaning RO membranes has received significant attention. This review discusses the types and mechanisms of fouling, highlights factors influencing fouling in RO, and provides an overview of novel techniques for imparting antifouling and self-cleaning properties to RO membranes.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ahmed O. Rashed, Chi Huynh, Andrea Merenda, Si Qin, Maxime Maghe, Lingxue Kong, Takeshi Kondo, Ludovic F. Dumee, Joselito M. Razal
Summary: The engineering of electrocatalytic membrane reactors integrates membrane separation with electrocatalytic technology for efficient removal of emerging organic pollutants from waste-water. Electro-responsive microfiltration carbon nanofibre (CNF) membranes were synthesized by electrospinning and subsequent carbonization, followed by oxygen plasma treatment to enhance their wettability and reactivity for electrocatalytic water treatment. The CNF membranes exhibited fine-tuned electrocatalytic performance and improved water permeance, resulting in significantly higher removal efficiency of methylene blue (MB) and acetaminophen (ACP) during combined microfiltration and electrocatalytic reaction compared to microfiltration alone. The success of this study lies in the enhanced wettability and raised electro-oxidation capacity of the oxygen plasma treated CNF membranes.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ananya Padmakumar, Chowdary Pavani, Kalyani Eswar, Lingxue Kong, Wenrong Yang, Subramanium Gopalakrishnan, David Miles Cahill, Aravind Kumar Rengan
Summary: The use of bacterial biocontrol agents (BBCAs) in plant protection has increased due to the rising awareness of chemical risks and the need for sustainable agriculture. Nanotechnology has facilitated the development of efficient and ecologically sound nanoformulations, such as bacteria premised nanobiopesticides (B-NBPs). These B-NBPs are synthesized using nanomaterials with amended properties at the nanoscale. This article provides an overview of BBCAs and their antagonistic mechanisms, focusing on the significance of BNPs in plant infection management and addressing concerns related to the efficacy of B-NBPs.
ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Milad Laghaei, Mohsen Ghasemian, Mahmoud Reza Ghandehari Ferdowsi, Juerg A. Schuetz, Lingxue Kong
Summary: This study investigates the fabrication of nanoporous composites of titanium-vanadium oxide using magnetron sputtering, electrochemical anodization, and annealing processes. The effect of varying vanadium sputtering power on the composite semiconductors and their photodegradation performance was studied. The results showed that the composite with the lowest vanadium content exhibited the highest degradation efficiency under solar-simulated irradiation due to its homogeneous vanadium dispersion and lower recombination possibility.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ahmed O. Rashed, Chi Huynh, Andrea Merenda, Julio Rodriguez-Andres, Lingxue Kong, Takeshi Kondo, Joselito M. Razal, Ludovic F. Dumee
Summary: By engineering dry-spun ultrafiltration carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes coated with anti-viral SnO2 thin films, an efficient approach for simultaneous filtration and disinfection of waterborne Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) is proposed.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Solomon K. Gebremariam, Ludovic F. Dumee, Philip L. Llewellyn, Yasser Fowad AlWahedi, Georgios N. Karanikolos
Summary: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising adsorbent materials for CO2 capture. Hybridization with other materials can enhance their performance and overcome inherent drawbacks. This study critically reviews hybridized MOF adsorbents, providing insights and recommendations for further research in practical CO2 capture applications.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Milad Laghaei, Mohsen Ghasemian, Weiwei Lei, Lingxue Kong, Qi Chao
Summary: The conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals by photoreduction using two-dimensional nanomaterials, such as boron nitride, shows promising potential. However, modification strategies are needed to enhance their efficiency in CO2 reduction due to their large band gaps and inert surface chemistry. Various modification techniques, including doping, fabricating composite heterojunctions, and engineering defects, have been developed to tailor CO2 adsorption/conversion. Challenges regarding large-scale production, stability, and product selectivity are discussed, along with suggestions for future studies.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hari Kalathil Balakrishnan, Ludovic F. Dumee, Andrea Merenda, Cyril Aubry, Dan Yuan, Egan H. Doeven, Rosanne M. Guijt
Summary: 3D printing is used to fabricate functionally graded porous materials in a single layer by grayscale digital light projection 3D printing of a polymerization-induced phase separation ink. The materials printed from a single ink can have tunable structural properties ranging from effectively dense to porous with interconnected pores. This technique allows for the concurrent formation of heterostructures and porous structures within a layer with high spatial resolution. The fabricated materials show wicking rates and are used for metal sensing in a proof-of-concept membrane-integrated fluidic device.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Akbar Samadi, Zhuan Wang, Shaobin Wang, S. K. Nataraj, Lingxue Kong, Shuaifei Zhao
Summary: This review critically assesses PANI-based adsorbents in terms of their advantages, disadvantages, and separation mechanisms in pollutant removal. It highlights the significant roles of low-cost materials as well as emerging 2D nanosheets in enhancing the performance of PANI-based adsorbents.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Lin Li, Dou Du, Chengen He, Lianqing Yu, Wenyang Tang, Shuang Hu, Xinyu Wang, Zhuan Fu, Liangjun Xia, Weilin Xu, Lingxue Kong
Summary: A reduced graphene oxide/cotton yarn supercapacitor was fabricated using a green hydrothermal approach without the use of any chemical reducing agents. The study investigated the reduction efficiency of graphene oxide nanoparticles and morphology change of cotton fibers under different hydrothermal treatments, and their effects on the energy storage performance of the supercapacitor.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Przemyslaw Golebiewski, Pawel Wienclaw, Jaroslaw Cimek, Pawel Socha, Dariusz Pysz, Adam Filipkowski, Grzegorz Stepniewski, Olga Czerwinska, Ireneusz Kujawa, Ryszard Stepien, Rafal Kasztelanic, Andrzej Burgs, Ryszard Buczynski
Summary: We report the development of a 3D printing process for producing soft glass optical fibers. The process involves direct printing using a miniaturized crucible and depositing straight horizontally-oriented lines to replace traditional assembly techniques. Experimental results demonstrate good performance of the printed photonic crystal fiber preform.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2024)
