Wettability of proteins adsorbed on silica glasses treated with fluorosurfactants

Generally, the apolar/polar surface is probed by water-wetting, which is measured using a method such as the sessile liquid drop method. However, when one tries to measure the wetting of a surface where biological macromolecules are adsorbed, there is the problem of a change in conformation due to drying the surface; hence, using this method in situ information cannot be obtained. We have developed a new method that can be used to measure the wettability of the adsorbed protein surface without drying. This method, the dropping time method, which is based on measuring the dropping time of a film of liquid along a protein-covered surface when this surface is instantaneously vertically removed from the protein solution. The adsorption behavior of four proteins (albumin, lysozyme, β-lactoglobulin, ovalbumin) on the surface of silica glass that has been treated with various fluorosurfactants is studied using this method. At a high concentration of protein, the surfaces of adsorbed proteins of any kind are fairly hydrophilic on glass treated with all fluorosurfactants. At a lower concentration of protein, the hydrophilicity of the protein layer depends on the kind of fluorosurfactant and also on the protein adsorption process. The apolar glass surface becomes more hydrophilic with increasing dipping time in the protein solution. On the other hand, the hydrophilic glass surface shows a complex change in the hydrophilicity with elapsed time after dipping it into a solution of albumin or lysozyme, i.e., the hydrophilicity decreases in the early stage of the adsorption and then increases with proceeding adsorption. Received: 19 March 1999 Accepted in revised form: 10 June 1999     

阳离子型聚氨酯泡沫载体的制备及对活性污泥的吸附性能

通过在聚氨酯泡沫塑料制备过程中加入不同用量的N-甲基二乙醇胺(简称N-MDA),并对聚氨酯泡沫进行酸化处理,得到了一系列阳离子型聚氨酯泡沫塑料(简称改性PUF),并对其结构和性能进行了研究.结果表明,以醋酸和磷酸(质量比为1∶1)作为N-MDA的催化抑制剂,可在较宽N-MDA用量范围内顺利合成改性PUF.随着N-MDA用量的增加,改性PUF的回弹率、拉伸强度及断裂伸长率均出现先增强后降低的趋势,而阳离子含量和亲水性不断增加.进一步将改性PUF作为固定化载体用于吸附活性污泥,结果显示,由于亲水性的增强和静电相互作用,改性PUF对活性污泥的吸附速度明显高于普通聚氨酯泡沫(简称对比PUF),其对活性污泥的单位体积吸附量最高可达180 g/L,是对比PUF(80 g/L)的2倍以上.     

Crystallization behavior and hydrophilicity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(styrene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-acrylonitrile) (SAN) ternary blends

Compatibilization of the partially miscible poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) pair by a third homopolymer, i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), was investigated in relation to cross section morphology, crystallization behaviors and hydrophilicity of the polyblends. Scanning electron microscopy showed a more regular and homogeneous morphology when more than 15 wt.% PMMA was incorporated. The samples presented only α phase regardless of PMMA content in the blend. As the PMMA content increased in the blends, the interactions between each component were enhanced, and the crystallization of PVDF was limited, leading to a decreasing of the crystallinity and the crystallite thickness. Besides, the hydrophilicity of PVDF was further improved by PMMA addition. The sample containing 15 wt.% PMMA showed a more hydrophilic property due to the more polar part of surface tension induced by PMMA addition. Observed from the cross section of the blends, the miscibility of partially miscible PVDF/SAN blends were efficiently improved by PMMA incorporation.     

Comparison of redox initiated graft polymerisation and sulfonation for hydrophilisation of polyethersulfone nanofiltration membranes

Three polyethersulfone nanofiltration membranes, including two commercial membranes (NFPES10 and N30F) and one lab-made membrane (N71), were hydrophilised in view of an increased water flux and a reduction of membrane fouling.Non-modified as well as modified membranes were characterized using contact angle measurements, water fluxes and retention of sugars.At first, redox initiated graft polymerization was applied, and the influence of reaction time, initiator concentration and monomer concentration were investigated. It was observed that grafting always resulted in a significant reduction of the contact angle. The higher the reaction time, the lower was the contact angle, but the initiator and monomer concentration had no effect when above a threshold value. Grafting results in a decrease of the water flux, while the retention of raffinose increased.A comparison was made with the addition of sulfonated polyethersulfone to the polymer solution. By blending polyethersulfone and sulfonated polyethersulfon, a sufficiently high viscosity could be achieved. The influence of the blending ratio was investigated. The larger the fraction of sulfonated polyethersulfon, the more hydrophilic the membrane became. The addition of sulfonated polyethersulfon, however, has also an influence on the water flux and on the retention of sugars. An important conclusion is also that the membranes containing sulfonated polyethersulfone are significantly more hydrophilic than the ones that have been modified through the grafting technique.     

Fouling reduction in poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylamide) ultrafiltration membranes

Ultrafiltration membranes with similar pore sizes were prepared from acrylonitrile homopolymer and copolymers with increasing acrylamide content. The membranes containing acrylamide were more hydrophilic, had a smaller dispersion force component of the surface energy, and a smaller negative zeta potential than those prepared from the homopolymer. The effect of the differing surface chemistry of these membranes with similar pore sizes was examined by studying the ultrafiltration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a function of feed pH. The hydrophilic membranes showed higher permeate fluxes and flux recoveries than the hydrophobic membrane, in spite of their reduced repulsive electrostatic interaction. With increasing pH, protein transmission increased markedly for the acrylamide containing membranes whereas the transmission through the hydrophobic membrane remained low. These rejection data are explained by the combined effects of the increased hydrophilicity, decreased dispersive surface energy and reduced electrostatic repulsion of the acrylamide containing membranes.     

Effect of soft segment length on properties of fluorinated polyurethanes

The effects of soft segment length on the variations in morphology, surface composition, and hydrophilicity have been studied in fluorinated polyurethanes (FPUs) and correlated with their preliminary blood compatibility as evidenced by in vitro platelet adhesion experiments. The fluorinated polyurethanes were obtained using hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and chain extender of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1,4-butanediol (TF) as the hard segment as well as various soft segments—polytetramethyl oxides (PTMO) with molecular weights of 650, 1000, 1400, and 2000. The increased phase separation in hard-segment domains with lengthening soft segment was observed by FT-IR, which is believed to result in enhanced strength of hydrogen bonds and good hard-segment order arrangement. Thin-film XRD results indicate at least three lateral distances existing between adjacent hard segments in the crystallized hard segment. Their distribution depends strongly on the length of soft segment. Lengthening soft segment promotes the formation of dense arrangement of crystallized hard segments. Compared with the effect of phase separation, surface composition was found to exert a major influence on the preliminary blood compatibility of fluorinated polyurethanes. Increasing fluorine content by decreasing soft segment length promotes reduction in platelet adhesion and activation on polyurethane surfaces.     

苏氨酸在昆虫抗冻蛋白抗冻活性中的作用

设计系列昆虫抗冻蛋白CfAFP突变体, 通过分子动力学模拟确定各突变体与冰晶的最佳作用模式, 并用半经验分子轨道方法AM1和PM3研究了其与冰晶的相互作用. 结果表明, TXT面上的苏氨酸在蛋白与冰晶相互识别和结合过程中十分关键, 对CfAFP与冰晶间相互作用的贡献大, 用其它疏水或亲水氨基酸残基替换都将削弱抗冻蛋白与冰晶的相互作用强度, 从而降低蛋白的抗冻活性. 但是, 在维系蛋白和冰晶结构匹配的基础上, 疏水基团的增加加强了抗冻蛋白与冰晶的结合, 从而增加蛋白的抗冻活性.     

Surface modification and aging studies of addition-curing silicone rubbers by oxygen plasma

Poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) has been focused on recently due to its variety of applications specifically in microsystems technology. Many companies market two-component PDMS, which is comprised of a base component and a curing agent. Widely known and used for microsystems applications is Sylgard 184 from Dow Corning. Present work deals with two-component Room Temperature Vulcanized (RTV) PDMS from three different companies. They are Sylgard 184 from Dow Corning, RTV 615 from GE Silicones and RTV 141 from Rhodia Chemicals. Temporary increase in wettability of these three different types of PDMS by oxygen plasma by varying the plasma power and exposure time has been studied and compared with results available in literature. The hydrophobic recovery of the modified surfaces was monitored as a function of time and quantified. The surfaces were characterized using contact angle measurements and ATR-FTIR and XPS spectroscopy, their behavior analyzed in term of free surface energy and work of adhesion.     

Exploration of spray pyrolysis technique in preparation of absorber material CFATS: Unprecedented hydrophilic surface and antibacterial properties

In this study, we achieve the production of nontoxic Cu₂Fe_1-xAl_xSnS₄ films (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1) by substituting Fe with Al atoms. Physical properties of the investigated films were studied using: Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, spectrophotometer and drop shape analysis system (DSA). The formation of new quaternary Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆ (CATS) chalcogenide for x = 1 was proven from EDX study. Notably, the major diffraction peaks were located at 2θ = 28.34°, 47.43° and 55.93° which are respectively tagged as (1 1 2), (2 0 4), and (3 1 2) plans, confirming the stannite crystal structure of Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆ film. The morphological states show a nanofiber structure accompanied with voids and cavities for CATS films. Tauc-relation plot reveals direct energy bandgap, close to 1.52 eV, which proves the absorber film type of Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆. The effluent toxicity of the obtained thin films has been assessed using the inhibition of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and indicated good antibacterial activity of the CATS/SnO₂:F heterojunction. The viability rates against S. aureus achieved 40 %, 31 % and 15% for SnO₂:F, Cu₃Al_0.6Sn₁S₆ films and CATS/SnO₂:F heterojunction. These results highlight the great antibacterial activity of coupled CATS/SnO₂:F. Therefore this research underscores the effectiveness of CATS/SnO₂:F surface which demonstrates self-disinfecting and self-cleaning with hydrophilicity and high antibacterial activity.     

Surface properties of cellulose modified by imidazolidinone

The influence of the modification of cellulose fibres by the imidazolidinone derivative 1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (DMeDHEU) on fibre surface free energy and electrochemical potential was studied. The presence of DMeDHEU in the cellulose structure was confirmed by infrared spectral analysis. The surface free energy of untreated and treated cellulose fibres was determined from the results of thin-layer wicking, where the rate of liquid penetration into the cellulose fabric was measured. Using the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good theoretical approach, apolar, γ _S ^LW , polar electron-acceptor, γ _S ⁺, and electron-donor, γ _S ⁻, components of the surface free energy were calculated. The electrokinetic potential was determined from the results of steaming potential measurements. The results revealed that the incorporation of DMeDHEU into the cellulose structure lead to a decrease in the value of γ _S ⁻, whereas the values of γ _S ^LW and γ _S ⁺ remained almost unchanged. Despite their decreased γ _S ⁻ value, the treated cellulose fibres still represent a monopolar solid with a strongly expressed electron-donor component. The values of ΔG _iw and ΔG _iwi suggested that both untreated and treated cellulose samples could be considered hydrophilic substrates. The results of the electrokinetic potential measurements showed that the consumption of cellulose hydroxyl groups in the crosslinking reaction with DMeDHEU did not decrease the electrokinetic properties of the cellulose surface.