Rock Matrix Studies with Carbon-14-Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA); Method Development and Applications

Application of the ¹⁴C-PMMA impregnation method has provided relevant information not available by other methods about the accessible pore space in crystalline rock. Such information is relevant for the assessment of the capability of the geosphere to retard the migration of harmful waste components. In this work further developments of the system (calibration, corrections, options), the impregnation method itself (problems related to infiltration and polymerization of the tracer) and an assessment of the method performance are presented, as well as additional examples of applications.     

Amino acid intercalated layered double hydroxide catalyzed chemoselective methylation of phenols and thiophenols with dimethyl carbonate

Sixteen different amino acids are intercalated into Mg–Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) by the reconstruction method and are characterized by powder XRD and FT-IR. The intercalated amino acid–LDHs (AA-LDHs) are used as catalysts for chemoselective O-methylation of phenol and S-methylation of thiophenol with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as a green methylating agent. The intercalation behavior of various amino acids is influenced by various structural features of amino acids, namely, carbon chain length, structure, and physicochemical properties. In particular, amino acids possessing a hydrophobic side-chain show higher catalytic activity. A suitable reaction mechanism is proposed. The catalyst can also be recycled.     

An electrochemical immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen enhanced by self-assembled nanogold coatings on magnetic particles

A quick and reproducible electrochemical-based immunosensor technique, using magnetic core/shell particles that are coated with self-assembled multilayer of nanogold, has been developed. Magnetic particles that are structured from Au/Fe₃O₄ core-shells were prepared and aminated after a reaction between gold and thiourea, and additional multilayered coatings of gold nanoparticles were assembled on the surface of the core/shell particles. The carcinoembryonic antibody (anti-CEA) was immobilized on the modified magnetic particles, which were then attached on the surface of solid paraffin carbon paste electrode (SPCE) by an external magnetic field. This is an assembly of a novel immuno biosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The sensitivity and response features of this immunoassay are significantly affected by the surface area and the biological compatibility of the multilayered nanogold. The linear range for the detection of CEA was from 0.005 to 50 ng mL⁻¹ and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.001 ng mL⁻¹. The LOD is approximately 500 times more sensitive than that of the traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for CEA detection.     

Mesoporous mixed metal oxides derived from P123-templated Mg-Al layered double hydroxides

We report the preparation of mesoporous mixed metal oxides (MMOs) through a soft template method. Different amounts of P123 were used as structure directing agent to synthesize P123-templated Mg-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs). After calcination of as-synthesized LDHs at 500 °C, the ordered mesopores were obtained by removal of P123. The mesoporous Mg-Al MMOs fabricated by using 2 wt% P123 exhibited a high specific surface area of 108.1 m²/g, and wide distribution of pore size (2-18 nm). An investigation of the “memory effect” of the mesoporous MMOs revealed that they were successfully reconstructed to ibuprofen intercalated LDHs having different gallery heights, which indicated different intercalation capacities. Due to their mesoporosity these unique MMOs have particular potential as drug or catalyst carriers.     

Synthesis and release behavior of composites of camptothecin and layered double hydroxide

A simple method, reconstruction of calcinated layered double hydroxides (CLDH) in an organic (ethanol)-water mixed solvent medium containing drug, was developed to intercalate partially a non-ionic and poorly water-soluble drug (camptothecin) into the gallery of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to form the drug-LDH composites. The purpose of choosing organic-water mixed solvent is to increase remarkably the solubility of camptothecin (CPT) in the reconstruction medium. A probable morphology of CPT molecules in the gallery of LDHs is that CPT molecules arrange as monolayer with the long axis parallel to the LDH layers. The in vitro drug release from the composites was remarkably lower than that from the corresponding physical mixture, which shows these drug-inorganic composites can be used as a potential drug delivery system.     

Structural characterization and thermal properties of polyamide 6.6/Mg, Al/adipate-LDH nanocomposites obtained by solid state polymerization

A new nanocomposite was obtained by dispersing an adipate-modified layered double hydroxide (Ad-LDH) with adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine. These samples were polymerized in the solid phase under a nitrogen flow for 200 min at 190 °C. The structural and compositional details of the nanocomposite were determined by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, focused ion beam (FIB), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The PXRD patterns and FIB images show a partially intercalated and partially exfoliated dispersion of layered crystalline materials in the polyamide 6.6 matrix. The best dispersion level is achieved in polyamide 6.6/LDH nanocomposites with low LDH loading. Some residual tactoids and particle agglomerates are also evident at high concentration. The best thermal stability of the nanocomposites is shown by the sample with 0.1% LDH content, for which it is higher than that of pure polyamide.     

聚丙烯酰胺/层状无机物纳米复合材料研究进展

聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)/层状无机物纳米复合材料相比于纯PAM具有更好的力学性能、超吸水性能、热稳定性能和气体阻隔性能等,是一种性能优异并在采油、农业和卫生学等领域有着广泛应用前景的新型聚合物基纳米复合材料。本文对近年来聚丙烯酰胺/层状无机物纳米复合材料的研究进展进行了综述。首先重点介绍了层状双氢氧化物(LDHs)在有机溶剂和水中剥离分散方面的研究进展,接着综述了PAM/LDH和PAM/粘土纳米复合材料的制备与结构表征,最后阐述了PAM/层状无机物纳米复合材料的流变性能、力学性能和超吸水性能等。     

Poly l-lactide-layered double hydroxide nanocomposites via in situ polymerization of l-lactide

The use of clay nanofillers offers a potential route to improved barrier properties in polylactide films. Magnesium-aluminium layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are interesting in this respect and we therefore explored synthesis of PLA-LDH nanocomposites by ring-opening polymerization. This method is attractive because it should ensure good dispersion of LDH in the polymer. The effect of adding either LDH carbonate (LDH-CO₃) or laurate-modified LDH (LDH-C₁₂) was investigated. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy revealed that exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained when using LDH-C₁₂ but that LDH-CO₃ gave a partly phase-separated morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that PLA-LDH combinations exhibited higher degradation onset temperatures and differential scanning calorimetry confirmed that LDHs can act as nucleating agents. However, PLA molecular weight was significantly reduced when in-situ polymerization was conducted in the presence of the LDHs and we suggest that chain termination via LDH surface hydroxyl groups and/or metal-catalyzed degradation could be responsible.     

Peroxidase‐Like Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoflakes for Electrocatalytic Reduction of H2O2

Peroxidase‐like layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoflakes were synthesized directly and facilely by a one‐pot chemical method, hydrothermal treatment. The as‐prepared LDHs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform IR, and cyclic voltammetry. The functionalized LDHs immobilized on the glassy carbon electrode exhibited a well‐defined pair of redox peaks, excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide without inhibition of dissolved oxygen and a higher affinity for H₂O₂, just like the peroxidase. The low apparent Michaelis–Menten constant was only 242 μM. The electrochemical response to H₂O₂ shows a linear range of 12–254 μM with the calculated detection limit of 2.3 μM at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3. Furthermore, compared with most metal hexacyanoferrates, the peroxidase‐like LDHs are very stable in neutral and alkaline solution. The electrochemical and electrocatalytic behavior of the functionalized LDHs indicate that they may be useful to explore man‐made mimics of enzyme in electrochemical biosensors.     

Synthesis, sustained release properties of magnetically functionalized organic–inorganic materials: Amoxicillin anions intercalated magnetic layered double hydroxides via calcined precursors at room temperature

Zinc–aluminum–carbonate–layered double hydroxides (ZnAl–CO₃–LDHs), loaded with magnetic substrates (Fe₃O₄), were prepared for sustained drug-targeting delivery. From the X-ray diffraction results, it was found that the magnetic substrates were successfully incorporated with LDHs and highly dispersed in the hydrotalcite structure. After intercalation with an antibiotic drug (amoxicillin) by using a calcinations–reconstruction method, the basal spacing of layered double hydroxides increased from 7.51 Å to 12.35 Å, indicating that amoxicillin was successfully intercalated into the interlay space of LDHs as a monolayer. Furthermore, in vitro drug release experiments in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution (PBS) showed sustained release profiles with amoxicillin as a model drug. Magnetic measurements revealed that the composite possessed paramagnetic properties at room temperature.