Polymer & Soft Nanotechnology – TechConnect Briefs

Using liquid crystals to improve the performance of luminescent solar concentrator

Debije M., Eindhoven University of Technology, NL

The luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) has been proposed as a cost-effective solution to bring electricity generation from sunlight into the built environment. The basic LSC design consists of a plastic plate containing or topped by [...]

Controlling pH responsive polymersome assembly

Pearson R., Battaglia G., University of Sheffield, UK

Size is an important parameter in delivery systems. It plays a part in whether a particle avoids filtration, evades immune cell binding and by which internalisation pathways are available. However, it is hard to obtain [...]

Magnetically Induced Drop Movement on Nanorough Micropatterned Nanocomposites

Milionis A., Fragouli D., Anyfantis G.C., Bayer I., Cingolani R., Athanassiou A., Italian Institute of Technology, IT

Hybrid organic/inorganic surfaces are engineered by exploiting photo-lithographically tailored patterns of SU-8 polymer nanocomposites containing 2% wt colloidal nanoparticles of iron oxide. The role of the magnetic nanoparticles has two aspects. The first one is [...]

Fabrication of nanostructured microworms for sensor applications

Yagüe J.L., Dubach J.M., Ozaydin-Ince G., Clark H.A., Gleason K.K., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US

A novel method to create in vivo sensors for multiple types of ions and molecules is presented. Using initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD), a gentle process which preserves functional pendant groups and enables conformal coatings, [...]

Silica–Polyacrylate Nanocomposite Pressure Sensitive Adhesives

Shanks R., RMIT University, AU

The aim of this research is to increase cohesion of a PSA by including silica nanoparticles. The silica nanoparticles form reversible agglomerates and bind polymer molecules by adsorption. The adhesive becomes a reversible gel. Under [...]

Poly(butyl terephthalate)/oxytetramethylene + oxidized carbon nanotubes hybrids: mechanical and tribological behavior

Brostow W., Broza G., Datashvili T., Kopyniecka A., TUHH, DE

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been used for providing mechanical reinforcement to polymers [1, 2] – as have been other approaches. Much less attention than to mechanics has been paid to improvement of tribological properties of [...]

Spontaneous Liquid Flow in Microfluidic Systems by Gradual UV Irradiation of the Hybrid Polymer/TiO2 Nanorods Channels

Athanassiou A., Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @ UNILE, IIT, IT

PMMA coatings enriched with colloidal TiO2 nanorods are found to exhibit a remarkable increase in their water wettability when irradiated with UV laser light. The effect can be completely reversed using successive storage in vacuum [...]

Surface Modification of Iron Oxide (Fe3O4) Micro- and Nano-particles with Stimuli Responsive Polymers

Vasquez E.S., Nicholson W.B., Walters K.B., Mississippi State University, US

In this work, the synthesis of stimuli responsive polymer brushes was carried out using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) on iron oxide (Fe3O4) micro- and nano-particles. Bare Fe3O4 nanoparticles (20 nm nom. d(H)) were [...]

Layer by layer control of wettability in nanocomposite films

Villafiorita Monteleone F., Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @ UNILE, IIT, IT

We propose an original method to modify and control the surface wettability properties of a specific material, by creating nanocomposite films on substrates with different surface properties, where the number of the deposited layers defines [...]

Durability Study of Nanophased Jute-Based Green Composites

Hossain M.K., Dewan M.W., Hosur M., Jeelani S., Tuskegee University, US

Jute fiber reinforced biopol biocomposites with and without nanoclay were manufactured using treated and untreated jute fibers by a compression molding process and their durability study was performed using standard moisture absorption and flexure tests [...]

Role of Hard Segment Induced Nanosized Domain on Dilute Solution Properties of Ether Based Thermoplastic Polyurethanes

Lem K.W., Lee D.S., Haw J.R., Song G.S., Curran S., Sund S., Iqbal Z., Brumlik C., Konkuk University, KR

Many useful polyurethane components, such as films, are prepared from solution, in the form of dispersion, emulsion, or suspension. The ultimate properties of such films depend on the effect of nano scaled structures in the [...]

POSS–Substituted Hyperbranched Polyester Blends with Thermoplastic Polyurethanes

Spoljaric S., Shanks R.A., RMIT University, AU

The aim of this research is to prepare and disperse in an elastomer a multi-branched form of POSS. Hyperbranched polymers (HBP) can be formed by grafting from a central core. POSS may be joined with [...]

RAFT: A smarter way to develop multi-functional polymers

Chiefari J., CSIRO, AU

The RAFT (Reverse Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer) process is a ground breaking technology that offers unprecedented control over the composition, functionality and architecture of polymers. The versatility of the RAFT technology provides enormous potential for designing [...]

Mechanical Characteriztion of XD-Grade Carbon Nanotube/Epon 862 Processed by Dual Phase Dispersion Technique

Hossain M.K., Okoro C., Hosur M., Jeelani S., Rangari V., Tuskegee University, US

In this research, a dual-phase dispersion method is studied combining a high intensity ultrasonic liquid processor with a three roll milling technique. Xd-grade carbon nanotubes (xd-CNTs) were infused into Epon 862 epoxy and then mixed [...]

Density Functional Theory calculations of the ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-chlorotrifluoroethylene) copolymers

Cuán A., Cortés-Romero C.M., Wang Q., Noreña L., Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, MX

The quantum mechanics calculations of the energetic and structures corresponding to the different structural conformations for the poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-chlorotrifluoroethylene) copolymers show that the Tp conformation is energetically stabilized even with a chlorine [...]

New Generation Hybrid Plastics Functionalised by Nanogold and Nanosilver

Pobedinsky M., Johnston J.H., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, NZ

This paper reports on the synthesis of a new generation of hybrid plastics comprising polyurethane and nylon with gold or silver nanoparticles respectively, in a synergistic way. The gold and silver nanoparticles are prepared in-situ, [...]

Nanostructured Organogel Networks Self-Assembled from Alkylated Isophthalic Acid and Benzimdizalone Compounds

Makeiff D.A., Carlini R., Xerox Research Center of Canada, CA

Organogel networks from low molecular weight components are a fascinating class of functional nanomaterials, with tremendous potential for a wide variety of commercial applications ranging from medicine, electronics, printing, personal care, and environmental remediation [1]. [...]

Fast gelation of self-assembling peptide nanofibres triggered by electromagnetic radiation heating

Mazza M., Gaisford S., McCharty D., Uchegbu I.F., The School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK

We report a method for the preparation of peptide nanofibre gels prepared by a rapid heating/cooling cycle employing electromagnetic radiation heating. An amphiphilic peptide having a C16 chain attached via an esteric link was used [...]

Estimate effective interaction potentials from the static structure factor in pure fluids and nanocolloids

Oprisan A., Oprisan S.A., Oprisan A., Oprisan S.A., Teklu A., Hegseth J., College of Charleston, US

The direct visualization and analysis of critical fluctuations in pure fluids in microgravity, and concentration-driven interface fluctuations in nanocolloids provide invaluable information about cooperative phenomena and the role played by fluctuations in mixing, phase separation, [...]

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