Hees, I. A. van; Swinkels, P. J. M.; Fokkink, R. G.; Velders, A. H.; Voets, I. K.; Gucht, J. van der; Kamperman, M.
Self-assembly of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte block copolymers containing short thermoresponsive blocks
The assembly of oppositely charged block copolymers, containing small thermoresponsive moieties, was investigated as a function of salt concentration and temperature. Aqueous solutions of poly--b-poly (NIPAM44-b-DMAEMA216) and PNIPAM-b-poly-b-PNIPAM (NIPAM35-b-AA200-b-NIPAM35) were mixed in equal charge stoichiometry, and
Photocatalytic Template Removal by Non-Ozone-Generating UV Irradiation for the Fabrication of Well-Defined Mesoporous Inorganic Coatings
Reid, Barry; Taylor, Alaric; Alvarez-Fernandez, Alberto; Ismael, Muhamad Hafiz; Sharma, Shatakshi; Schmidt-Hansberg, Benjamin; Guldin, Stefan
The processing of mesoporous inorganic coatings typically requires a high-temperature calcination step to remove organic precursors that are essential during the material assembly. Lowering the fabrication energy costs and cutting back on the necessary resources would provide a greater scope for the deployment in applications such as architectural glass, optical…
Preparation of cellulose nanofibers from Miscanthus x. Giganteus by ammonium persulfate oxidation
Yang, Han; Zhang, Yefei; Kato, Ryo; Rowan, Stuart J.
Carboxylic acid functionalized cellulose nanofibers (MxG-CNFA-CO2H) were successfully isolated from a sustainable grass hybrid Miscanthus x. Giganteus by a new two-step chemical oxidation, that involves bleach treatment and ammonium persulfate oxidation, followed by ultrasonication. The resulting MxG-CNFA-CO2Hs have ca. 1200?mmol/kg carboxylic acid surface groups, an aspect ratio of 230 (height
Investigation of Micromechanical Behavior and Voiding of Polyethylene Terephthalate/Polyethylene-stat-methyl Acrylate Blends during Tensile Deformation
Lee, Bongjoon; Onbulak, Sebla; Xu, Yuewen; Topolkaraev, Vasily; McEneany, Ryan; Bates, Frank; Hillmyer, Marc
Micromechanical deformation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/ethylene-stat-methyl acrylate copolymer blends was investigated for various MA contents and molar masses of p(E-s-MA). The copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization and subsequent hydrogenation. Varying the MA content and molar mass of the copolymer alters the interfacial adhesion between the
Controlling Processing, Morphology, and Mechanical Performance in Blends of Polylactide and Thermotropic Polyesters
de Kort, Gijs W.; Rastogi, Sanjay; Wilsens, Carolus H. R. M.
Thermoplastic composites based on thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) materials are interesting candidates for reinforced composite application due to their promising mechanical performance and potential for recyclability. In combination with a societal push toward the more sustainable use of materials, these properties warrant new interest in this class of composites.…
Transparent, Lightweight, and High Strength Polyethylene Films by a Scalable Continuous Extrusion and Solid-State Drawing Process
Lin, Yunyin; Tu, Wei; Verpaalen, Rob C. P.; Zhang, Han; Bastiaansen, Cees W. M.; Peijs, Ton
The continuous production of transparent high strength ultra-drawn high-density polyethylene films or tapes is explored using a cast film extrusion and solid-state drawing line. Two methodologies are explored to achieve such high strength transparent polyethylene films; i) the use of suitable additives like 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-ditertpentylphenol (BZT) and ii) solid-state drawing at…
Shape and Phase Transitions in a PEGylated Phospholipid System
Viitala, Lauri; Pajari, Saija; Gentile, Luigi; Määttä, Jukka; Gubitosi, Marta; Deska, Jan; Sammalkorpi, Maria; Olsson, Ulf; Murtomäki, Lasse
Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers and PEG-conjugated lipids are widely used in bioengineering and drug transport applications. A PEG layer in a drug carrier increases hydrophilic repulsion, inhibits membrane fusion and serum opsonin interactions, and prolongs the storage and circulation time. It can also change the carrier shape and have an…
Morphologies of Polyisoprene-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles in Model Elastomers
Bonnevide, Marine; Jimenez, Andrew M.; Dhara, Deboleena; Phan, Trang N.T.; Malicki, Nicolas; Abbas, Zaid M.; Benicewicz, Brian; Kumar, Sanat K.; Couty, Marc; Gigmes, Didier; Jestin, Jacques
We control nanoparticle (NP) dispersion by leveraging the entropic and enthalpic effects associated with mixing silica NPs grafted with polyisoprene (PI) chains into matrices of varying degrees of chemical dissimilarity. Previous work in this area has primarily focused on entropic factors alone, and hence, this work represents a significant advance…
The structure of spray-dried detergent powders
Farshchi, Amin; Hassanpour, Ali; Bayly, Andrew E.
The complex multiscale structure of spray dried detergent granules has been characterized using a complementary range of techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), image analysis, wide angle and small angle X-ray scattering (WAXS, SAXS) and X-ray microtomography. A complex composite structure is revealed due to the multiphase nature of the…
PrP (58–93) peptide from unstructured N-terminal domain of human prion protein forms amyloid-like fibrillar structures in the presence of Zn2+ ions
Gielnik, Maciej; Pietralik, Zuzanna; Zhukov, Igor; Szymańska, Aneta; Kwiatek, Wojciech M.; Kozak, Maciej
Many transition metal ions modulate the aggregation of different amyloid peptides. Substoichiometric zinc concentrations can inhibit aggregation, while an excess of zinc can accelerate the formation of cytotoxic fibrils. In this study, we report the fibrillization of the octarepeat domain to amyloid-like structures. Interestingly, this self-assembling process occurred only in…