The Synergism Effect Between Sodium Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate and a Block Copolymer in Aqueous Solution

The synergistic behavior of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) with poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO–PPO–PEO) block copolymer was studied using surface tension measurements. The surface tension of single and mixed solutions of SDBS and the block copolymer in this study was measured at different concentrations and at 25 °C. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of these solutions was determined from the surface tension measurements. The SDBS gives higher CMC values than those of the block copolymer. The results show that the CMC value of SDBS decreases as the molar ratio of SDBS increases in the mixture solution with the block copolymer. The surface parameters of adsorption and micellization for single and mixed solutions were investigated. The results show that the surface and micellization properties of SDBS were improved as a result of mixing with the block copolymer. The mole fractions in the micelles and interaction parameters of the mixed solutions were calculated. The foam stability of single and mixed solutions at 25 °C was determined. The results show that the SDBS has more foam stability than the block copolymer and the foam stability increases as the molar ratio of SDBS increase in mixed solution of it with block copolymer.

嵌段共聚物的改性研究及其在胶黏剂中的应用

论述了嵌段共聚物SBS／SIS（苯乙烯-丁二烯-苯乙烯／苯乙烯-异戊二烯-苯乙烯）的结构、结构对性能的影响及其在胶黏剂中的应用概况,重点介绍了它们的各种改性方法、改性机理及其改性后的效果。将各种化学改性方法和共混改性方法结合起来运用,有条件时进一步使用电子束或紫外光改性,是其重要的发展趋势。     

Phase Inversion Technique-Based Polyamide Films and Their Applications: A Comprehensive Review

This is a comprehensive review regarding the particulars of phase inversion technique and its significance in polyamide films. Phase inversion is a versatile technique to form thin films of neat polyamide, composite, and blend system. Phase inversion can be induced by polymer solution immersion in nonsolvent, contact with nonsolvent vapor, thermal treatment, solvent evaporation, and quenching. Choice of solvent/nonsolvent system, polyamide, additive, coagulation bath, and film casting conditions are crucial. Only limitation of phase inversion is the requirement of polyamide solubility in suitable solvent. Promising applications of phase inversion polyamide are in fuel cell, gas separation, tissue engineering, and water filtration.     

Exosomes and Brain Metastases: A Review on Their Role and Potential Applications

Brain metastases (BM) are a frequent complication in patients with advanced stages of cancer, associated with impairment of the neurological function, quality of life, prognosis, and survival. BM treatment consists of a combination of the available cancer therapies, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Even so, cancer patients with BM are still linked to poor prognosis, with overall survival being reported as 12 months or less. Intercellular communication has a pivotal role in the development of metastases, therefore, it has been extensively studied not only to better understand the metastization process, but also to further develop new therapeutic strategies. Exosomes have emerged as key players in intercellular communication being potential therapeutic targets, drug delivery systems (DDS) or biomarkers. In this Review, we focus on the role of these extracellular vesicles (EVs) in BM formation and their promising application in the development of new BM therapeutic strategies.     

Chemical Interactions and Their Role in the Microphase Separation of Block Copolymer Thin Films

The thermodynamics of self-assembling systems are discussed in terms of the chemical interactions and the intermolecular forces between species. It is clear that there are both theoretical and practical limitations on the dimensions and the structural regularity of these systems. These considerations are made with reference to the microphase separation that occurs in block copolymer (BCP) systems. BCP systems self-assemble via a thermodynamic driven process where chemical dis-affinity between the blocks driving them part is balanced by a restorative force deriving from the chemical bond between the blocks. These systems are attracting much interest because of their possible role in nanoelectronic fabrication. This form of self-assembly can obtain highly regular nanopatterns in certain circumstances where the orientation and alignment of chemically distinct blocks can be guided through molecular interactions between the polymer and the surrounding interfaces. However, for this to be possible, great care must be taken to properly engineer the interactions between the surfaces and the polymer blocks. The optimum methods of structure directing are chemical pre-patterning (defining regions on the substrate of different chemistry) and graphoepitaxy (topographical alignment) but both centre on generating alignment through favourable chemical interactions. As in all self-assembling systems, the problems of defect formation must be considered and the origin of defects in these systems is explored. It is argued that in these nanostructures equilibrium defects are relatively few and largely originate from kinetic effects arising during film growth. Many defects also arise from the confinement of the systems when they are ‘directed’ by topography. The potential applications of these materials in electronics are discussed.     

乙烯-丙烯嵌段共聚物与高密度聚乙烯熔体相容性的探讨

利用MiniLab微型混合流变仪测定高聚物熔体平衡转矩-转速关系曲线,探讨乙烯-丙烯嵌段共聚物(E-b-P)和高密度聚乙烯(HDPE)的熔体相容性.结果表明:Eb-P/HDPE共混物熔体是完全互容的,HDPE对E-B-P中的PE链段有更大的亲和力,可形成不同的核壳结构,使共混物的平衡转矩偏离原有的加和性,表现出协同效应.     

Hierarchical Assembly of Multifunctional Oxide-based Composite Nanostructures for Energy and Environmental Applications

Composite nanoarchitectures represent a class of nanostructured entities that integrates various dissimilar nanoscale building blocks including nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanofilms toward realizing multifunctional characteristics. A broad array of composite nanoarchitectures can be designed and fabricated, involving generic materials such as metal, ceramics, and polymers in nanoscale form. In this review, we will highlight the latest progress on composite nanostructures in our research group, particularly on various metal oxides including binary semiconductors, ABO(3)-type perovskites, A(2)BO(4) spinels and quaternary dielectric hydroxyl metal oxides (AB(OH)(6)) with diverse application potential. Through a generic template strategy in conjunction with various synthetic approaches- such as hydrothermal decomposition, colloidal deposition, physical sputtering, thermal decomposition and thermal oxidation, semiconductor oxide alloy nanowires, metal oxide/perovskite (spinel) composite nanowires, stannate based nanocompostes, as well as semiconductor heterojunction-arrays and networks have been self-assembled in large scale and are being developed as promising classes of composite nanoarchitectures, which may open a new array of advanced nanotechnologies in solid state lighting, solar absorption, photocatalysis and battery, auto-emission control, and chemical sensing.     

Cell Culture on MEMS Platforms: A Review

Microfabricated systems provide an excellent platform for the culture of cells, and are an extremely useful tool for the investigation of cellular responses to various stimuli. Advantages offered over traditional methods include cost-effectiveness, controllability, low volume, high resolution, and sensitivity. Both biocompatible and bio-incompatible materials have been developed for use in these applications. Biocompatible materials such as PMMA or PLGA can be used directly for cell culture. However, for bio-incompatible materials such as silicon or PDMS, additional steps need to be taken to render these materials more suitable for cell adhesion and maintenance. This review describes multiple surface modification strategies to improve the biocompatibility of MEMS materials. Basic concepts of cell-biomaterial interactions, such as protein adsorption and cell adhesion are covered. Finally, the applications of these MEMS materials in Tissue Engineering are presented.     

Review Highlighting Physical Prospects of Styrenic Polymer and Styrenic Block Copolymer Reinforced with Carbon Nanotube

High-performance styrenic copolymers with carbon nanotube have invented technical relevance. Polystyrene is used to compensate different deficiencies of carbon nanotube within PS/carbon nanotube composite. Dispersion of carbon nanotube content is essential for enhanced mechanical and thermal performance of styrenic copolymer/carbon nanotube composite. Multiwalled carbon nanotube has been reinforced in styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and other styrenic copolymers to enhance electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Viscoelastic and photoactuation study of polystyrene-grafted-multiwalled carbon nanotube has been performed. Different styrene-based copolymers show high resistivity toward high impact and are used in food packaging, electrical devices, medical appliance, construction materials, motor oils, sealants, and household purposes.     

Silicon and Germanium Nanostructures for Photovoltaic Applications: Ab-Initio Results

Actually, most of the electric energy is being produced by fossil fuels and great is the search for viable alternatives. The most appealing and promising technology is photovoltaics. It will become truly mainstream when its cost will be comparable to other energy sources. One way is to significantly enhance device efficiencies, for example by increasing the number of band gaps in multijunction solar cells or by favoring charge separation in the devices. This can be done by using cells based on nanostructured semiconductors. In this paper, we will present ab-initio results of the structural, electronic and optical properties of (1) silicon and germanium nanoparticles embedded in wide band gap materials and (2) mixed silicon-germanium nanowires. We show that theory can help in understanding the microscopic processes important for devices performances. In particular, we calculated for embedded Si and Ge nanoparticles the dependence of the absorption threshold on size and oxidation, the role of crystallinity and, in some cases, the recombination rates, and we demonstrated that in the case of mixed nanowires, those with a clear interface between Si and Ge show not only a reduced quantum confinement effect but display also a natural geometrical separation between electron and hole.     

MEMS-Based Controlled Drug Delivery Systems: A Short Review

The use of microelectromechanical systems-based drug delivery vehicles is on the rise. These advancements in the technologies have enabled the researchers in developing miniaturized devices including drug delivery platforms. This has opened up a new arena in pharmaceutical research. The main advantage of these devices is their ability to control the release profile of the drugs in a temporal scale. The main components of the microelectromechanical systems-based drug delivery devices are the microsensors, microvalves, micropumps, microchannel and a miniaturized control system. The current review discusses the different pumping mechanisms and clinical applications of the microelectromechanical systems-based delivery devices.     

单体浇铸聚酰胺6-聚醚嵌段共聚物/纳米炭黑复合材料的制备及其非等温结晶行为的研究

采用阴离子原位聚合法制备了单体浇铸聚酰胺6-聚醚嵌段共聚物/纳米炭黑复合材料。力学性能测试表明,聚醚、纳米炭黑配合使用,可大幅度提高单体浇铸聚酰胺6的韧性和耐磨性,但会降低其拉伸强度。当加入10 %的聚醚时,复合材料的冲击强度比纯聚酰胺6提高了120 %;当聚醚的用量为15 %时,复合材料的磨耗体积比纯聚酰胺6下降了89.7 %。差示量热分析表明,聚醚对单体浇铸聚酰胺6没有成核作用,聚醚和纳米炭黑的引入使单体浇铸聚酰胺6结晶峰温度降低,结晶变慢,结晶活化能降低。     

Fabrication and Applications of Microfluidic Devices: A Review

Microfluidics is a relatively newly emerged field based on the combined principles of physics, chemistry, biology, fluid dynamics, microelectronics, and material science. Various materials can be processed into miniaturized chips containing channels and chambers in the microscale range. A diverse repertoire of methods can be chosen to manufacture such platforms of desired size, shape, and geometry. Whether they are used alone or in combination with other devices, microfluidic chips can be employed in nanoparticle preparation, drug encapsulation, delivery, and targeting, cell analysis, diagnosis, and cell culture. This paper presents microfluidic technology in terms of the available platform materials and fabrication techniques, also focusing on the biomedical applications of these remarkable devices.     

Hyperbranched Polymers for Coating Applications: A Review

In the present era, hyperbranched polymers have been received much progress in the structural understanding and their unique chemical and physical properties as well as their potential applications in coatings. In a new perspective, low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) coatings and films with previously nonachievable properties can now be produced due to the innovation of a new class of macromolecular architecture, called hyperbranched polymers revolution. This review describes notable efforts on the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers, characterization techniques, and some of the key approaches that have been made in the application of these hyperbranched polymers in the areas of PU coatings.     

3D Printing Soft Matters and Applications: A Review

The evolution of nature created delicate structures and organisms. With the advancement of technology, especially the rise of additive manufacturing, bionics has gradually become a popular research field. Recently, researchers have concentrated on soft robotics, which can mimic the complex movements of animals by allowing continuous and often responsive local deformations. These properties give soft robots advantages in terms of integration and control with human tissue. The rise of additive manufacturing technologies and soft matters makes the fabrication of soft robots with complex functions such as bending, twisting, intricate 3D motion, grasping, and stretching possible. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the additive manufacturing process, including fused deposition modeling, direct ink writing, inkjet printing, stereolithography, and selective laser sintering, are discussed. The applications of 3D printed soft matter in bionics, soft robotics, flexible electronics, and biomedical engineering are reviewed.     

Polyampholyte Polymers-Based Sensors: A Review on Stimuli and Applications

Polyampholytes are a specific type of zwitterionic materials composed of monomers with both positive and negative charges. These materials can be synthesized through various methods, such as free radical, anionic, or cationic polymerization, or by modifying existing polymers through postpolymerization processes. Polyampholytes possess unique properties that make them attractive for a wide range of applications, particularly in sensor technology. They can undergo conformational changes in response to external stimuli like pH variations, temperature fluctuations, or changes in salt concentration. These properties have led to their application in biosensors, salt and ion sensors, pH sensors, fluorescence-based sensors, strain sensors, and thermosensitive sensors. It is worth noting that in some cases polyampholytes can respond to multiple stimuli simultaneously. Overall, polyampholytes are drawing great attention for their excellent mechanical properties including self-healing, high toughness, and fatigue resistance. Thus, this review is focused on advances that are made to develop polyampholyte polymer-based sensors in different applications.     

A Review of Microsatellite Markers and Their Applications in Rice Breeding Programs to Improve Blast Disease Resistance

Over the last few decades, the use of molecular markers has played an increasing role in rice breeding and genetics. Of the different types of molecular markers, microsatellites have been utilized most extensively, because they can be readily amplified by PCR and the large amount of allelic variation at each locus. Microsatellites are also known as simple sequence repeats (SSR), and they are typically composed of 1–6 nucleotide repeats. These markers are abundant, distributed throughout the genome and are highly polymorphic compared with other genetic markers, as well as being species-specific and co-dominant. For these reasons, they have become increasingly important genetic markers in rice breeding programs. The evolution of new biotypes of pests and diseases as well as the pressures of climate change pose serious challenges to rice breeders, who would like to increase rice production by introducing resistance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent advances in rice genomics have now made it possible to identify and map a number of genes through linkage to existing DNA markers. Among the more noteworthy examples of genes that have been tightly linked to molecular markers in rice are those that confer resistance or tolerance to blast. Therefore, in combination with conventional breeding approaches, marker-assisted selection (MAS) can be used to monitor the presence or lack of these genes in breeding populations. For example, marker-assisted backcross breeding has been used to integrate important genes with significant biological effects into a number of commonly grown rice varieties. The use of cost-effective, finely mapped microsatellite markers and MAS strategies should provide opportunities for breeders to develop high-yield, blast resistance rice cultivars. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge concerning the linkage of microsatellite markers to rice blast resistance genes, as well as to explore the use of MAS in rice breeding programs aimed at improving blast resistance in this species. We also discuss the various advantages, disadvantages and uses of microsatellite markers relative to other molecular marker types.     

Applications of Plasma-Activated Water in Dentistry: A Review

The activation of water by non-thermal plasma creates a liquid with active constituents referred to as plasma-activated water (PAW). Due to its active constituents, PAW may play an important role in different fields, such as agriculture, the food industry and healthcare. Plasma liquid technology has received attention in recent years due to its versatility and good potential, mainly focused on different health care purposes. This interest has extended to dentistry, since the use of a plasma–liquid technology could bring clinical advantages, compared to direct application of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas (NTAPPs). The aim of this paper is to discuss the applicability of PAW in different areas of dentistry, according to the published literature about NTAPPs and plasma–liquid technology. The direct and indirect application of NTAPPs are presented in the introduction. Posteriorly, the main reactors for generating PAW and its active constituents with a role in biomedical applications are specified, followed by a section that discusses, in detail, the use of PAW as a tool for different oral diseases.     

Polyurethane Composite Foams in High-Performance Applications: A Review

Polyurethane foam is a polymeric material having cellular structure. Multifunctional polyurethane foams reinforced with nanofiller have combined enhanced specific properties with density reduction. This article primarily considers important aspects of various foam processing techniques. Numerous nanofillers such as graphite, graphene, graphene oxide, carbon black, carbon nanotube, nanoclay, and inorganic nanoparticle have been reinforced in polyurethane foam. Particular attention is given to various categories of polymer/carbon nanofiller and polymer/inorganic nanofiller composite foams. Applications of polyurethane composite foams have been focused with relevance to aerospace and automotive industry, radar absorbing and electromagnetic interference shielding, oil absorbants, sensors, fire proof, shape memory, and biomedical materials.