Influence of solvents on the formation of ultrathin uniform poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) nanofibers with electrospinning

Although there have been many reports on the preparation and applications of various polymer nanofibers with the electrospinning technique, the understanding of synthetic parameters in electrospinning remains limited. In this article, we investigate experimentally the influence of solvents on the morphology of the poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) micro/nanofibers prepared by electrospinning PVP solution in different solvents, including ethanol, dichloromethane (MC) and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). Using 4 wt % PVP solutions, the PVP fibers prepared from MC and DMF solvents had a shape like a bead‐on‐a‐string. In contrast, smooth PVP nanofibers were obtained with ethanol as a solvent although the size distribution of the fibers was somewhat broadened. In an effort to prepare PVP nanofibers with small diameters and narrow size distributions, we developed a strategy of using mixed solvents. The experimental results showed that when the ratio of DMF to ethanol was 50:50 (w/w), regular cylindrical PVP nanofibers with a diameter of 20 nm were successfully prepared. The formation of these thinnest nanofibers could be attributed to the combined effects of ethanol and DMF solvents that optimize the solution viscosity and charge density of the polymer jet. In addition, an interesting helical‐shaped fiber was obtained from 20 wt % PVP solution in a 50:50 (w/w) mixed ethanol/DMF solvent. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3721–3726, 2004     

Viscosity,particle size distribution,and structural investigation of tetramethyloxysilane/2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate sols during the sol–gel process with acid and base catalysts

The tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)/2‐hydroxylethyl methacrylate (HEMA) hybrid gels were synthesized with acid and base catalysts, via the in situ polymerization of HEMA, with and without the cosolvent methanol. With methanol in the TMOS/HEMA sol, the enhanced esterification and depolymerization reactions of the silanols resulted in a slower growth of silica particles. The silica particles that were synthesized with an acid catalyst were less than 40 nm. The thermal resistance of the poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) chains was enhanced by the addition of colloidal silica. The Fourier transform infrared characterizations and the exothermal peaks on the differential scanning calorimetry traces of these hybrid gels indicated chemical hybridization occurring as a result of condensation of the colloid silica and PHEMA at higher temperatures. Hence, the residual weight content of the hybrid gel after its synthesis with the base catalyst was even higher than the content of TMOS in the hybrid sol. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3476–3486, 2004     

Time-resolved chemiluminescence technique for the microdetermination of proteins based on their complexation with copper(II).

Based on the complexation between proteins and Cu(II) coupled with the time-resolved chemiluminescence (CL) technique, a highly sensitive and quantitative assay for measuring proteins in solution is described. The complexes of proteins with Cu(II) have a strongly catalytic effect on the luminol-H2O2 CL reaction. Because the CL emission produced by the complexes is much more long-lived than that by Cu(II), the CL signals originating from proteins can be easily identified and measured with a time-resolved technique. On this basis, bovine albumin fraction V (BAF V) can be quantitatively determined in the range of 0.01 - 5.0 microg/ml with a detection limit of 5.8 ng/ml. The results show that the proposed assay exhibits a small variation in the response values for the same amount of different proteins, as compared to the Lowry as well as Bradford assays. The CL assay has also been studied for the detection of immobilized proteins.     

Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric determination of traces of copper with a tobramycin-Nafion modified electrode.

A Nafion-modified glassy carbon electrode incorporated with tobramycin for the voltammetric stripping determination of Cu2+ has been explored. The electrode was fabricated by tobramycin containing Nafion on the glassy carbon electrode surface. The modified electrode exhibited a significantly increased sensitivity and selectivity for Cu2+ compared with a bare glassy carbon electrode and the Nafion modified electrode. Cu2+ was accumulated in HAc-NaAc buffer (pH 4.6) at a potential of -0.6 V (vs. SCE) for 300 s and then determined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. The effects of various parameters, such as the mass of Nafion, the concentration of tobramycin, the pH of the medium, the accumulation potential, the accumulation time and the scan rate, were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, a linear calibration graph was obtained in the concentration range of 1.0 x 10(-9) to 5.0 x 10(-7) mol l(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9971. The relative standard deviations for eight successive determinations were 4.3 and 2.9% for 1.0 x 10(-8) and 2.0 x 10(-7) mol l(-1) Cu2+, respectively. The detection limit (three times signal to noise) was 5.0 x 10(-10) mol l(-1). A study of interfering substances was also performed, and the method was applied to the direct determination of copper in water samples, and also in analytical reagent-grade salts with satisfactory results.     

Desorption behavior of a surfactant in a linear low‐density polyethylene blend at elevated temperatures

The desorption behavior of a surfactant in a linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) blend at elevated temperatures of 50, 70, and 80 °C was studied with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The composition of the LLDPE blend was 70:30 LLDPE/low‐density polyethylene. Three different specimens (II, III, and IV) were prepared with various compositions of a small molecular penetrant, sorbitan palmitate (SPAN‐40), and a migration controller, poly(ethylene acrylic acid) (EAA), in the LLDPE blend. The calculated diffusion coefficient (D) of SPAN‐40 in specimens II, III, and IV, between 50 and 80 °C, varied from 1.74 × 10^?11 to 6.79 × 10^?11 cm²/s, from 1.10 × 10^?11 to 5.75 × 10^?11 cm²/s, and from 0.58 × 10^?11 to 4.75 × 10^?11 cm²/s, respectively. In addition, the calculated activation energies (E_D) of specimens II, III, and IV, from the plotting of ln D versus 1/T between 50 and 80 °C, were 42.9, 52.7, and 65.6 kJ/mol, respectively. These values were different from those obtained between 25 and 50 °C and were believed to have been influenced by the interference of Tinuvin (a UV stabilizer) at elevated temperatures higher than 50 °C. Although the desorption rate of SPAN‐40 increased with the temperature and decreased with the EAA content, the observed spectral behavior did not depend on the temperature and time. For all specimens stored over 50 °C, the peak at 1739 cm^?1 decreased in a few days and subsequently increased with a peak shift toward 1730 cm^?1. This arose from the carbonyl stretching vibration of Tinuvin, possibly because of oxidation or degradation at elevated temperatures. In addition, the incorporation of EAA into the LLDPE blend suppressed the desorption rate of SPAN‐40 and retarded the appearance of the 1730 cm^?1 peak. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1114–1126, 2004     

Novel fixed‐site–carrier polyvinylamine membrane for carbon dioxide capture

Fixed‐site–carrier membranes were prepared for the facilitated transport of CO₂ by casting polyvinylamine (PVAm) on various supports, such as poly(ether sulfone) (PES), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), cellulose acetate (CA), and polysulfone (PSO). The cast PVAm on the support was crosslinked by various methods with glutaraldehyde, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonium fluoride. Among the membranes tested, the PVAm cast on polysulfone and crosslinked by ammonium fluoride showed the highest selectivity of CO₂ over CH₄ (>1000). The permeance of CO₂ was then measured to be 0.014 m³ (STP)/(m² bar h) for a 20 μm thick membrane. The effect of the molecular weight of PVAm and feed pressure on the permeance was also investigated. The selectivity increased remarkably with increasing molecular weight and decreased slightly with increased pressure in the range of 1 to 4 bar. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4326–4336, 2004     

Pressure and temperature dependence of the gas‐transport properties of dense poly[2,6‐toluene‐2,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxylphenyl)hexafluoropropane diimide] membranes

The gas‐transport properties of poly[2,6‐toluene‐2,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxylphenyl)hexafluoropropane diimide] (6FDA‐2,6‐DAT) have been investigated. The sorption behavior of dense 6FDA‐2,6‐DAT membranes is well described by the dual‐mode sorption model and has certain relationships with the critical temperatures of the penetrants. The solubility coefficient decreases with an increase in either the pressure or temperature. The temperature dependence of the diffusivity coefficient increases with an increase in the penetrant size, as the order of the activation energy for the diffusion jump is CH₄ > N₂ > O₂ > CO₂. Also, the average diffusion coefficient increases with increasing pressure for all the gases tested. As a combined contribution from sorption and diffusion, permeability decreases with increases in the pressure and the kinetic diameter of the penetrant molecules. Even up to 32.7 atm, no plasticization phenomenon can be observed on flat dense 6FDA‐2,6‐DAT membranes from their permeability–pressure curves. However, just as for other gases, the absolute value of the heat of sorption of CO₂ decreases with increasing pressure at a low‐pressure range, but the trend changes when the feed pressure is greater than 10 atm. This implies that CO₂‐induced plasticization may occur and reduce the positive enthalpy required to create a site into which a penetrant can be sorbed. Therefore, a better diagnosis of the inherent threshold pressure for the plasticization of a glassy polymer membrane may involve examining the absolute value of the heat of sorption as a function of pressure and identifying the turning point at which the gradient of the absolute value of the heat of sorption against pressure turns from a negative value to a positive one. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 354–364, 2004     

Behavior of cellulose in NaOH/Urea aqueous solution characterized by light scattering and viscometry

Cellulose was dissolved in 6 wt % NaOH/4 wt % urea aqueous solution, which was proven by a ¹³C NMR spectrum to be a direct solvent of cellulose rather than a derivative aqueous solution system. Dilute solution behavior of cellulose in a NaOH/urea aqueous solution system was examined by laser light scattering and viscometry. The Mark–Houwink equation for cellulose in 6 wt % NaOH/4 wt % urea aqueous solution at 25 °C was [η] = 2.45 × 10^?2 weight‐average molecular weight (M_w)^0.815 (mL g^?1) in the M_w region from 3.2 × 10⁴ to 12.9 × 10⁴. The persistence length (q), molar mass per unit contour length (M_L), and characteristic ratio (C_∞) of cellulose in the dilute solution were 6.0 nm, 350 nm^?1, and 20.9, respectively, which agreed with the Yamakawa–Fujii theory of the wormlike chain. The results indicated that the cellulose molecules exist as semiflexible chains in the aqueous solution and were more extended than in cadoxen. This work provided a novel, simple, and nonpollution solvent system that can be used to investigate the dilute solution properties and molecular weight of cellulose. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 347–353, 2004     

Bio‐based nanocomposites from functionalized plant oils and layered silicate

Some discovery work was done on the synthesis of clay nanocomposites based on renewable plant oils. Functionalized triglycerides, such as acrylated epoxidized soybean oil, maleinized acrylated epoxidized soybean oil, and soybean oil pentaerythritol maleates, combined with styrene were used as the polymer matrix. The miscibility of these monomers and clay organomodifier was assessed by solubility parameters. The formation of nanocomposites was confirmed by both X‐ray data and transmission electron microscopy. The morphology showed a mix of intercalated and partially exfoliated sheets. The flexural modulus increased 30% at only 4 vol % clay content, but there was no significant effect on flexural strength, glass‐transition temperature, and thermal stability. Property enhancement was related to the degree of exfoliation that depends on both the polarity and flexibility of the monomers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1441–1450, 2004     

Toughness mechanism in polypropylene composites: Polypropylene toughened with elastomer and calcium carbonate

Polypropylene (PP) was modified with elastomer or CaCO₃ particles of two different sizes (1 μm and 50 nm) in various volume fractions. The dispersion morphology and mechanical properties of the two systems were investigated as functions of the particle size and volume fraction of the modifier. The brittle‐to‐tough transition occurred when the matrix ligament thickness was less than the critical ligament thickness, which was about 0.1 μm for the PP used here, being independent of the type of modifier. At the same matrix ligament thickness, the improvement of the toughness was obviously higher with the elastomer rather than with CaCO₃, but adding CaCO₃ increased the modulus of PP. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1656–1662, 2004