Synthesizing and stabilizing silver nanoparticles on polyamide fabric using silver-ammonia/PVP/UVC

A colloidal dispersion of silver nanoparticles were prepared with Tollens’ reagent [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺ and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a reducing/stabilizing agent trough UVC irradiation and then applied on the nylon fabric by using a simple pad method. The ultraviolet irradiation was assisted to reduce Ag⁺ to Ag⁰. The presence of nanosilver in the solution and on the fabric was confirmed by UV–vis, EDX, SEM and XRD. In addition, the role of PVP as a stabilizing agent on the nylon surface was investigated. Further, an antibacterial test was carried out on the fabrics in the presence of two bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The treated fabric with 200 ppm of the above mentioned solution was reduced the bacteria up to 99.2% after 20 washes. Some other properties of the fabric such as color variations, dimensional stability, water droplet adsorption and reflectance spectrum were also carried out and the results thoroughly discussed.     

Antibacterial activity of chitosan–alginate sponges incorporating silver sulfadiazine: Effect of ladder‐loop transition of interpolyelectrolyte complex and ionic crosslinking on the antibiotic release

Hydrogel membranes prepared from polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) have been used for repair of wounds and controlled antibacterial release. A simple method, based on homogenizing interpolyelectrolyte complex, has been developed to prepare a chitosan–alginate sponge with high stability. The spongelike chitosan–alginate hydrogel can be used as a wound dressing for the sustained release of silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) in a controlled way. In this study, we evaluated the effect of electrolyteic properties of chitosan and alginate on the characteristics of the prepared chitosan–alginate PEC. All types of the spongelike chitosan–alginate hydrogels exhibited superabsorbent properties. However, only the chitosan–alginate hydrogel prepared by the interpolyelectrolyte complex of alginate with low pH of chitosan, and that prepared by the interpolyelectrolyte complex of chitosan with high pH of alginate, can keep their stability after swelling in PBS solution. FTIR analysis suggests that the protonated amino groups on chitosan and the ionized carboxylic groups on alginate should be responsible for the formation of a stable ladder‐type of chitosan–alginate PEC. Ionic crosslinking is helpful to increase the stability of the loop‐type of chitosan–alginate PEC. The release of AgSD from chitosan–alginate PEC sponges could be controlled by the variation of ladder‐loop structural transition of chitosan–alginate PEC and the ionic crosslinking of the chitosan–alginate complex. The antibacterial ability of AgSD‐incorporated PEC sponges was examined in agar plate against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The result suggests that the PEC sponges containing antimicrobial agents should effectively suppress bacterial proliferation to protect the wound from bacterial invasion. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 538–549, 2005     

Cationic hybrids from poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) covalently crosslinked with chloroalkyl silicone derivatives effective in binding anionic dyes

The synthesis and characterization of some novel ionic organic/inorganic hybrids containing quaternary ammonium salt groups in the side chain, built on the basis of poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), as an organic component and cation provider, and chloroalkyl‐functionalized silicone derivatives as crosslinkers and anion generators, are reported in this work. The resulted structures were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The swelling behavior of the ionic hybrids in water as a function of pH as well as the water vapor sorption capacity in dynamic regime was also studied. The cationic hybrids have a higher swelling capacity at pH 2 compared with deionized water (pH 6) due to the presence of tertiary amine groups belonging to the organic compound. The ionic organic/inorganic hybrids were tested as potential sorbents for anionic species such as dyes [e.g., methyl orange (MO)]. The equilibrium sorption capacity increased with the increase of the organic component up to around 32 mg MO/g hybrid. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43942.     

Adsorption of Cr(VI) using thermally activated weed Salvinia cucullata

Cr(VI) removal studies were carried out by using activated carbon obtained from waste weed, Salvinia cucullata. Effects of various parameters, such as pH, contact time, temperature, adsorbate concentration, adsorbent dose and particle size of the adsorbent on percentage of adsorption were studied. The adsorption studies were carried out at an agitation speed of 600 rpm to minimize the film diffusion. The adsorption kinetics followed dual rate; it was fast during a first stage and then it was reduced. The equilibrium was achieved in 12 h. The kinetics increased with decrease in pH. Adsorbate and adsorbent concentration also influenced the kinetics. The adsorption process was endothermic in nature. The reaction kinetics followed pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Empirical rate equation developed, which explained the effect of various adsorption parameters, was studied. Theoretical numbers of stages were calculated based on the results. Intra-particle diffusion was found to be the rate-controlling step. Optimization studies were also carried out to establish the upper and lower breakthrough points.     

Formation and characteristics of cationic-polymer/bentonite complexes as adsorbents for dyes

The adsorption of cationic polymer, i.e., epicholorohydrin-dimethylamine polyamine (EPI-DMA), on bentonite particles was investigated under various conditions of bulk polymer concentration, pH, inorganic salts, and temperature. The resulting high adsorption rate and alkaline solution (pH = 7–11) effect indicated a strong electrostatic interaction between the clay particles and EPI-DMA molecules. Addition of salt can also influence the adsorption of EPI-DMA onto bentonite by affecting the clay particle sizes, the polymer zeta potential and etc. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were employed and fit the experimental data well in the low EPI-DMA concentration range 0.5–5.0 mg L^− 1. The enthalpy implied by the temperature dependence of adsorption of EPI-DMA on bentonite is 7.93 kJ mol^− 1, suggesting that neither coordination exchange nor chemical bond forces exit in this system. In addition, at high temperatures, larger amounts of EPI-DMA were adsorbed by bentonite, which indicated that increased entropy in the dissolved EPI-DMA molecules contributes to adsorption. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that besides the EPI-DMA molecules intercalated between the layers of bentonite, excess polymer molecules were adsorbed onto polymer loops protruding from the surface of the complex. The TGA and corresponding DSC plots demonstrated that the EPI-DMA polymer had intercalated into the clay layers and thus the EPI-DMA/bentonite was more hydrophobic than natural bentonite. With the addition of EPI-DMA polymer, the negatively charged clay particles increased to a net positive charge and the capacity for dye removal also went up with increasing polymer contents in EPI-DMA/bentonite complexes.     

Morphology of photodegraded heterophasic ethylene–propylene copolymers

The morphology of photooxidative degraded films of heterophasic ethylene–propylene copolymer (EPQ‐30R) was investigated and compared with isotactic polypropylene and linear low‐density polyethylene by scanning electron microscopy. Surface damage caused by polychromatic ultraviolet irradiation (λ ≥ 290 nm) at 55°C in air is presented in different micrographs. Changes occurring due to the formation of polar groups during photooxidative degradation are discussed. Morphological study of these photodegraded polymer samples show very good correlation with the photodegradation results. The rate of photooxidation is very fast in case of isotactic polypropylene, compared with polyethylene and ethylene–propylene copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 215–225, 1999     

Crosslinking of poly(vinyl chloride)—I. Grafting of vinyltri(alkoxy)silanes using UV irradiation

In a nitrogen atmosphere the UV irradiation of thin PVC films (ca. 0.1 mm thick) containing vinyltri(isopropoxy)silane results in a grafting reaction. By appropriate choice of conditions, dehydrochlorination can be kept to a minimum while up to 60% gel content is realized. Reaction of the pendent alkoxy groups, either with HCl byproduct or subsequent hydrolysis by exposure to water, results in the formation of Si—O—Si bonds that serve as chemical crosslinks. Although the addition of photosensitizers favors the grafting reactions at short exposure times, the ultimate level of crosslinking is greatly diminished by their presence. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1901–1906, 1998     

UV–Vis observation of different F0 → D0 transitions for both isomeric species in Eu(III) DOTA-like complexes

The presence of the two isomeric species (M and m) of Eu(III) (DOTA-like) complexes has been detected in aqueous solution by UV–Vis absorbance spectrophotometry. It shows that the ⁷F₀ → ⁵D₀ transition in Eu(III) complexes does not only depend on the coordinating atoms present in the first coordination sphere but that it may also be influenced by small differences in the coordination geometry. The absorbance spectra could be well fitted with the K=M/m equilibrium constants measured by NMR. The wavelength variation between the two isomers is found to be 0.20 nm (DTMA), 0.14 nm (DOTA) and about 0.25 nm (DOTAM) (DTMA=1,4,7,10-tetrakis-(methylcarbamoylmethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclo-dodecane; DOTA=1,4,7,10-tetraaza-1,4,7,10-tetrakis(carboxymethyl)-cyclododecane; DOTAM=1,4,7,10-tetrakis(carbamoylmethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). This is small enough not to affect the quantitative determination of water coordination equilibria in solution as hydration equilibria produce differences of about 0.5 nm.     

Study on the adsorption of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) nanostructured films using atomic force microscopy

Nanostructured films of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) (POEA) were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which indicated a globular morphology for films containing one or more layers of POEA. Consistent with the nucleation and growth model for the adsorption process, the mean roughness and fractal dimension were found to increase with the time of adsorption and with the number of POEA layers in the initial stages of adsorption, reached maximum values and then decreased after 10 min of adsorption or after deposition of five POEA layers. Such behavior has been explained in terms of the decrease in the film irregularities, with voids being filled with polymeric material leading to smoother surfaces.     

Effect of high polymerization temperature on the microstructure of isotactic polypropylene prepared using heterogeneous ticl4/mgcl2 catalysts

The effects of alkylaluminum and polymerization temperature on propylene polymerization without an external donor in the use of a TiCl₄–MgCl₂–diether(BMMF) catalyst were investigated. The results indicated that with increasing polymerization temperature the concentrations of [mmmm] of heptane‐insoluble poly(propylene) (PP) fraction increased. Crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF) results showed the fractions of different crystallization temperatures were changed according to various polymerization temperatures. The activity with Et₃Al as cocatalyst at 100°C was much lower than that at 70°C. However, the activity with i‐Bu₃Al at 100°C was as high as that at 70°C. The fraction of high‐crystallization temperature of PPs obtained with i‐Bu₃Al increased with increasing polymerization temperature, which was opposite to that with Et₃Al, thus implying that the copolymerization of propylene with the monomer arising from Et₃Al led to the lower crystallization ability of PPs obtained with Et₃Al. The terminal groups of PP suggested that the chain‐transfer reaction by β‐H abstraction was the main chain‐transfer reaction at 120°C. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3980–3986, 2003     

Ultraviolet light aging properties of PVC/CaCO3 composites

The ultraviolet radiation aging behaviors of PVC/CaCO₃ and PVC/CaCO₃/macromolecular modifier composites were studied through whiteness measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical properties test. It was found that nano‐CaCO₃ particles used as ultraviolet light screening agents could significantly enhance the antiaging properties of PVC materials. Due to the macromolecular modifier coated on nano‐CaCO₃ particles, the compatibility of nano‐CaCO₃ and PVC matrix was improved, resulting in uniform dispersion of nano‐CaCO₃ in PVC matrix. Therefore, the PVC/CaCO₃/MP composite exhibited better antiaging properties than PVC/CaCO₃ composite. After 12 h of ultraviolet irradiation, the tensile strength retention, elongation at break retention, and impact strength retention of PVC/CaCO₃/MP composite were 79.5%, 74.5%, and 75.3%, which were much higher than that of neat PVC and PVC/CaCO₃ composite. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Characterization of membrane electrode assemblies in polymer electrolyte fuel cells using a.c. impedance spectroscopy

The most common methods used to characterize the electrochemical performance of fuel cells are to record current–voltage U(i) curves. However, separation of electrochemical and ohmic contributions to the U(i) characteristics requires additional experimental techniques. The application of electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) is an approach to determine parameters which have proved to be indispensable for the development of fuel cell electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). This paper proves that it is possible to split the cell impedance into electrode impedances and electrolyte resistance by varying the operating conditions of the fuel cell (current load) and by simulation of the measured EIS with an equivalent circuit. Furthermore, integration in the current density domain of the individual impedance elements enables the calculation of the individual overpotentials in the fuel cell and the determination of the voltage loss fractions.     

Effects of glycerol and ethylene–acrylic acid on composition optimization of PVOH/starch‐blended biodegradable resin using response surface methodology

Response surface methodology was used to analyze the effect of glycerol (X₁) and ethylene–acrylic acid (EAA) level (X₂) on the objective (water solubility index (WSI), water absorption index (WAI), and tensile strength) attributes of a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH)/starch‐blended plastic resin. A rotable central composite design was used to develop models for the objective responses. The experiments were run with different barrel temperatures, such as zone 1: 100°C, zone 2: 100°C, zone 3: 105°C, and zone 4: 105°C, respectively, with a feed rate of 20 g/min and screw speed of 25 rpm. Responses were most affected by changes in glycerol level (X₁) and to a lesser extent by EAA level (X₂). Individual contour plots of the different responses were overlaid, and regions meeting the optimum WSI of 6.10%, WAI of 5.57 g gel/g dry wt, and tensile strength of 62.14 MPa were identified at the glycerol level of 72.41 mL and the EAA level of 36.03 g, respectively. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Separation and recovery of gold(III) from base metal ions using melamine–formaldehyde–thiourea chelating resin

Melamine–formaldehyde–thiourea (MFT) chelating resin has been prepared. Au³⁺ ions uptake behavior and selectivity of the chelating resin were investigated by both batch and column methods. MFT resin showed higher affinity toward Au³⁺ compared with base metal ions, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The highest Au³⁺ uptake values were obtained at pH 2 and Au³⁺ adsorption capacity of the resin was calculated as 48 mg Au³⁺/g resin (0.246 mmol Au³⁺/g resin) by batch method. It was concluded that Au³⁺ ions could be selectively concentrated from the solution including Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ base metal ions by column method. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Improvement of the photostabilization of PVC films in the presence of 2N‐salicylidene‐5‐(substituted)‐1,3, 4‐thiadiazole

The photostabilization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films by 2N‐salicylidene‐5‐(substituted)‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole compounds was investigated. The PVC films containing concentration of complexes 0.5% by weight were produced by the casting method from tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent. The photostabilization activities of these compounds were determined by monitoring the carbonyl, polyene, and hydroxyl indices with irradiation time. The changes in viscosity average molecular weight of PVC with irradiation time were also tracked (using THF as a solvent). The quantum yield of the chain scission (ϕ_cs) of these complexes in PVC films was evaluated and found to range between 4.72 × 10⁻⁸ and 8.99 × 10⁻⁸. Results obtained showed that the rate of photostabilization of PVC in the presence of the additive followed the trend: According to the experimental results obtained, several mechanisms were suggested depending on the structure of the additive. Among them, UV absorption, peroxide decomposer, and radical scavenger for photostabilizer mechanisms were suggested. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Diplatinum(III) [Cl2(μ2-amidinate)4] compound derived from air oxidation of mononuclear cis-[Pt(NH3)2(amidine-κ)2] complex

The dinuclear platinum(III) complex [Pt₂Cl₂{μ₂-N(H)C(Et)N(H)}₄] (2) has been prepared by heating cis-[Pt(NH₃)₂{NHC(NH₂)Et}₂](Cl)₂ (cis-1) under aeration conditions in an EtOH/H₂O mixture at 70 °C for 2 d and it was characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N), ESI⁺-MS, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and also by X-ray diffraction. Complex 2 represents the second Pt^III dimer stabilized by the amidinate ligand ever known and it has a lantern-type structure with four amidinate ligands bridging two Pt^III centers with Pt–Pt distance of 2.4809(2) Å.     

Synthesis and evaluation of high‐performance ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer/organoclay nanoscale composites

The main objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize the properties of ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM)/clay nanocomposites. Pristine clay, sodium montmorillonite (Na⁺–MMT), was intercalated with hexadecyl ammonium ion to form modified organoclay (16Me–MMT) and the effect of intercalation toward the change in interlayer spacing of the silicate layers was studied by X‐ray diffraction, which showed that the increase in interlayer spacing in Na⁺–MMT by 0.61 nm is attributed to the intercalation of hexadecyl ammonium ion within the clay layers. In the case of EPDM/16Me–MMT nanocomposites, the basal reflection peak was shifted toward a higher angle. However, gallery height remained more or less the same for different EPDM nanocomposites with organoclay content up to 8 wt %. The nanostructure of EPDM/clay composites was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, which established the coexistence of intercalated and exfoliated clay layers with an average layer thickness in the nanometer range within the EPDM matrix. The significant improvement in thermal stability and mechanical properties reflects the high‐performance nanocomposite formation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2429–2436, 2004     

Effect of the clay size on the dispersion morphology and emulsion stability of ABS/layered silicate nanocomposites

ABS/layered silicate nanocomposites were synthesized through an emulsion polymerization with different sizes of silicates. The particle sizes of Laponite, Cloisite‐Na and Kunipia‐F are about 20–30, 70–150, and 300–500 nm, respectively. When ABS was synthesized by the emulsion polymerization in the presence of Laponite and Cloisite‐Na, ABS/layered silicate nanocomposite emulsion showed a stable suspension without the precipitation of solid particle. On the other hand, ABS/layered silicate nanocomposite synthesized with Kunipia‐F showed the precipitation of large aggregated particles and the phase separation. Smaller sizes of silicates like Laponite and Cloisite‐Na than polymerized particle worked as resided barrier preventing the emulsion particle from coagulation. Larger size of silicate like Kunipia‐F than emulsion particle was not able to enclose the emulsion particle delicately because of its stiffness and large aspect ratio. The monomers inserted into the intercalated Kunipia‐F connected the ABS particles and clay particles. The Kunipia‐F particles anchored ABS particles around them inducing the aggregation and precipitation of ABS particles. ABS copolymer emulsion and aqueous silicate dispersion were mixed to compare with synthesized ABS/layered silicate nanocomposites and showed a stable suspension. With small amount of Laponite or Cloisite‐Na, nanocomposite emulsion of Kunipia‐F was also stabilized. Laponite and Cloisite‐Na worked as a steric stabilizer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Observation of Nano-Particles in Silica/poly(HEMA) Hybrid by Electron Microscopy

The sol–gel method was employed to prepare an inorganic–organic hybrid, silica/poly(HEMA). The chemical structure of this material was analyzed by means of FTIR and solid ²⁹Si-NMR. Using TEM and low voltage FESEM imaging at high magnifications (e.g., 300 KX), the hybrid was found to comprise nano-particles whose sizes fall largely over the range 20–30 nm.