Thermal,mechanical, and morphological properties of phenolic resin/silica hybrid ceramers

Phenolic resin/silica hybrid ceramers were prepared through sol–gel technology. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis methods were utilized to study the thermal properties of the fabricated hybrid ceramers. The results showed that the heat resistance of the ceramers was slightly higher than that of the phenolic resin. The hydrogen bonding occurring inside the hybrid ceramers was investigated by Fourier transform infrared. The results showed that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the phenolic resin and the silica was stronger than the intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the phenolic resin molecules themselves. Furthermore, the hybrid ceramers were utilized to fabricate carbon‐fiber‐reinforced composites. The fabricated ceramer composites possessed better flexural strength and flexural modulus than that fabricated from neat phenolic resin. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1699–1706, 2000     

Novel molecularly hybridized polyethylene/silica composite materials: Polymerization of ethylene with supported titanocenes by mesoporous silicates

A novel molecularly hybridized polyethylene/silica composite thin film was obtained by the gas‐phase polymerization of ethylene with a titanocene‐mounted mesoporous silica layer on a mica plate with mesoscopic pores arranged on the film surface. However, the use of titanocene‐mounted hexagonal domains of mesoporous silica on a glass plate for the gas‐phase polymerization of ethylene resulted in the formation of an islanded polyethylene/silica hybridized material. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4821–4825, 2000     

The Impact of an Anchoring Layer on the Formation of Tethered Bilayer Lipid Membranes on Silver Substrates

Tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs) have been known as stable and versatile experimental platforms for protein–membrane interaction studies. In this work, the assembly of functional tBLMs on silver substrates and the effect of the molecular chain-length of backfiller molecules on their properties were investigated. The following backfillers 3-mercapto-1-propanol (3M1P), 4-mercapto-1-butanol (4M1B), 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (6M1H), and 9-mercapto-1-nonanol (9M1N) mixed with the molecular anchor WC14 (20-tetradecyloxy-3,6,9,12,15,18,22 heptaoxahexatricontane-1-thiol) were used to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silver, which influenced a fusion of multilamellar vesicles and the formation of tBLMs. Spectroscopic analysis by SERS and RAIRS has shown that by using different-length backfiller molecules, it is possible to control WC14 anchor molecules orientation on the surface. An introduction of increasingly longer surface backfillers in the mixed SAM may be related to the increasing SAMs molecular order and more vertical orientation of WC14 at both the hydrophilic ethylenoxide segment and the hydrophobic lipid bilayer anchoring alkane chains. Since no clustering of WC14 alkane chains, which is deleterious for tBLM integrity, was observed on dry samples, the suitability of mixed-component SAMs for subsequent tBLM formation was further interrogated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). EIS showed the arrangement of well-insulating tBLMs if 3M1P was used as a backfiller. An increase in the length of the backfiller led to increased defectiveness of tBLMs. Despite variable defectiveness, all tBLMs responded to the pore-forming cholesterol-dependent cytolysin, vaginolysin in a manner consistent with the functional reconstitution of the toxin into phospholipid bilayer. This experiment demonstrates the biological relevance of tBLMs assembled on silver surfaces and indicates their utility as biosensing elements for the detection of pore-forming toxins in liquid samples.     

Effects of Permeation of Helium through the Walls of Fused Silica Capillary GC Columns

Hold-up times and peak widths have been measured in long fused silica GC capillary columns at high temperature with helium as the carrier gas. The results lead to the conclusion that the helium permeates through the column walls. The conventional Poiseuille theory of carrier gas flow has been extended to include this phenomenon. The resulting “loss modified Poiseuille” model, which uses literature values for the permeability of fused silica to helium, has been used to simulate the observed behavior. Good agreement between simulation and experiment validates the model. Simulations have been used to explore the effect of column permeability on hold-up times, peak widths, and velocity profiles over a broad range of column geometries.     

New sulfonated engineering polymers via the metalation route. II. Sulfinated/sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) PSU Udel and its crosslinking

New mixed sulfinated/sulfonated polysulfone PSU Udel has been produced by partial oxidation of sulfinated PSU with NaOCl. From the mixed sulfinated/sulfonated PSU, thin crosslinked polymer films have been produced by S-alkylation of the residual sulfinate groups with α,ω-diiodoalkanes having 4–10  (CH₂) units. The advantages of the partial oxidation process using NaOCl are as follows: (1) The desired oxidation degree can be adjusted finely. (2) No side reactions take place during oxidation. (3) The partially oxidized polymers is stable at ambient temperature. By variation of the oxidation degree of the sulfinated/sulfonated prepolymer and by variation of the chain length of the diiodo crosslinker, crosslinked membranes with a large range of properties in terms of ionic conductivity, swelling, and permselectivity have been produced. The partially oxidized polymers have been characterized by redox titration, ¹H-NMR, and FTIR. The crosslinked membranes have been characterized in terms of ionic conductivity (resistance), permselectivity, and swelling in dependence on ion-exchange capacity and oxidation degree of the prepolymers. In addition, the thermal stabilities of the membranes have been determined by TGA, and FTIR spectra have been recorded on the crosslinked films. Selected membranes show low ionic resistances, low swelling, and good temperature stability which makes them promising candidates for application in (electro)membrane processes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1441–1448, 1998     

p-Nitrophenol permeability and temperature characteristics of an acryloyl-L-proline methyl ester-based porous gel membrane

Thermoresponsive porous gel membranes were synthesized by a simultaneously occurring process consisting of radiation-induced polymerization and crosslinking in aqueous solutions at various concentrations of acryloyl-L -proline methyl ester(A-ProOMe) without a crosslinker. Permeation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) through a thermoresponsive porous gel membrane obtained at a monomer concentration of 80% (w/w) drastically reduced around 14°C, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of linear poly(A-ProOMe) in water, from 0.60 × 10⁻³ cm/min at 10°C to no permeation at 18°C, accompanied by changes in both size and shape of pores associated with gel shrinkage. Moreover, it was found that porous gel membranes with a porosity of approximately 60% had a greater PNP permeability constant through porous gel membranes with mutually connected pores obtained at a monomer concentration of 50% (w/w) than individually supported pores obtained at a monomer concentration of 70% (w/w). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1495–1500, 1998     

Ion transport across membranes prepared by gel crystallization

A one-step procedure for the preparation of ion-selective membranes is described. The method employs the thermally induced gel crystallization of ultrahigh molecular weight poly(ethylene) (UHMW-PE) from a dilute xylene solution. After evaporation of the xylene, a microporous UHMW-PE film remains, which can serve as the support for liquid and polymeric ion-selective membranes. The addition of a membrane solvent and suitable receptor molecules to the xylene solution allows a one-step incorporation of these membrane components into the UHMW-PE support. The influence of the preparation conditions of the UHMW-PE support on the rates of the p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene tetraethylester-mediated transport of NaClO₄ was studied. Two concepts to improve the life-time of the membranes are introduced. In a first approach, the addition of photocrosslinkable nitril-substituted siloxane copolymers to the membrane phase has been evaluated. The enhanced viscosity of the membrane phase reduces leaching of carrier and solvent molecules from the membrane into the aqueous phases. In a second approach, the solvent is omitted and the membrane-phase merely consists of a benzo-15-crown-5 or calix[4]arene modified siloxane-copolymer, which is substituted to such a degree that ion transport no longer has to take place via diffusion of host–guest complexes but by jumping of the cations from one fixed carrier to a neighboring carrier. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36 : 383–394, 1998     

亚表面引发原子转移自由基聚合构筑温度响应型纳米纤维油水分离膜

亚表面引发聚合是一种用于制备共价嵌入型聚合物刷的新型改性策略. 该方法在发展高稳定性聚合物刷功能化表界面材料方面具有显著的优势. 本工作利用亚表面引发原子转移自由基聚合(sSI-ATRP)对静电纺丝聚丙烯腈(PAN)基纳米纤维膜进行亚表面改性, 通过接枝聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)制备了温度响应型纳米纤维油水分离膜(PAN-sg-PNIPAM). 当温度低于低临界溶解温度(LCST)时, PNIPAM链与水分子之间的强氢键作用使得聚合物链完全伸展, 分离膜表面亲水且对油滴具有非常低的粘附力, 对油水乳液具有非常高的分离效率(达98.7%); 当温度高于LCST时, PNIPAM链失水收缩, 膜表面变得更加疏水且对油滴的粘附力显著增加, 其油水乳液分离效率显著降低, 仅为9.1%. 此外, 由于共价嵌入聚合物刷的高稳定性, 该分离膜在4 kPa压力下, 20 ℃和45 ℃之间可逆切换10个循环后, 仍能保持非常稳定的渗透通量. 本研究为发展高稳定性的智能型油水分离膜提供了一种新方法.     

基于二氧化硅胶体晶体薄膜和反射干涉光谱的蛋白冠监测方法

生物分子与纳米材料作用形成的“蛋白冠”影响纳米材料的物理和化学性质, 目前缺少有效的原位实时技术监测蛋白冠的形成过程. 本研究基于二氧化硅胶体晶体薄膜和反射干涉光谱法, 研究了三种代表性血液蛋白质在二氧化硅纳米粒子表面的蛋白冠形成过程, 结果表明这三种蛋白具有不同的蛋白冠形成过程及参数; 研究了人血清白蛋白在三种表面曲率的二氧化硅表面的蛋白冠形成过程, 结果表明曲率越大时, 蛋白冠形成速率越快, 厚度越大. 以血浆和全血样品为生物环境开展蛋白冠形成过程研究, 结果表明本研究的监测方法可以直接用于血浆和全血在纳米粒子表面蛋白冠的形成过程监测, 为纳米材料与生物分子的相互作用研究提供了一种简单可靠的评价技术.