无机-有机混聚物涂层产业用纺织品

无机－有机混聚物具有改进和创建表面性能的巨大潜力。使用溶胶－凝胶技术可以生产多种涂层材料，并且可以把不同的性能综合利用。考虑到许多产业用织物有在恶劣气候条件下使用的要求，这些混聚物可以提高纺织材料的竞争力。这些涂层可以有效地防护聚酰胺纤维和玻璃纤维材料在酸碱环境下的水解。对玻璃纤维织物，这种防护还可以起到提高耐磨性的效果。在另外一些研究中，本文作者叙述了制备疏油、疏水、着色、光致变色涂层或透明涂层的可能性，其中使用溶胶－凝胶技术制备的透明涂层具有很高的紫外吸收性能。     

Localised visualisation of O2 consumption and H2O2 formation by means of SECM for the characterisation of fuel cell catalyst activity

Catalytic reduction of O₂ at metal catalysts either follows a 2-electron transfer pathway to the formation of H₂O₂ or a 4-electron transfer pathway to the formation of H₂O. The branching ratio of this reaction has a significant impact on the applicability of catalyst materials. The previously introduced oxygen competition mode of SECM, which allows high-resolution imaging of local O₂ consumption, has been extended to a potential-pulse sequence enabling the sequential detection of O₂ reduction followed by the detection of local H₂O₂ formation. Thus, not only the local catalytic activity of a catalyst can be visualised but, additionally, the degree of the branching can be estimated. The selectivity of a catalyst candidate can thereby be visualised sequentially to the elucidation of its activity. First results on the properties of electrodeposited Pt and Au test structures are shown demonstrating the feasibility to clearly distinguish catalyst activity and selectivity under variation of the polarisation potential.     

Uptake and metabolism of lipoproteins from patients with diabetes mellitus type II by glomerular epithelial cells

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that dyslipidaemia accelerates the progression of diabetic nephropathy, but the various pathomechanisms underlying such abnormalities are not completely delineated. METHODS: We isolated, radiolabelled, and characterized very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from eight diabetic patients with moderate impairment of renal function and dyslipidaemia and studied their interaction with LDL receptors in human glomerular epithelial cells. RESULTS: While diabetic VLDL showed no compositional changes, LDL particles contained a higher proportion of triglycerides at the expense of cholesterol in comparison with healthy controls. Despite differences in composition, both VLDL and LDL from patients exhibited reduced receptor affinity and cellular uptake capacity by glomerular epithelial cells. Since LDL composition was altered intracellular cholesterol homeostasis was investigated. Due to reduced cholesterol content and lower uptake capacity, diabetic LDL were less effective in suppressing intracellular sterol synthesis and in activating acylcholesterol acyltransferase than LDL from controls. Electrophoretic mobility of apoB from diabetic patients was enhanced as compared to controls, most probably due to the higher degree of glycation (17 + 1.7 versus 11 + 1%, P < 0.05) but not to oxidation (TBARS 0.5 + 0.2 versus 0.2 + 0.1 mumol/1). Oxidized LDL was not taken up in significant amounts, indicating no scavenger receptor activity in glomerular epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: The receptor-specific uptake of diabetic VLDL and LDL by glomerular epithelial cells is impaired. Compositional changes of the LDL particle and glycation of the protein moiety may contribute to altered glomerular uptake. However, glycation of the protein moiety may be superior to compositional changes. Because glomerular structures like mesangial matrix and endothelial cells are known for preferential binding of modified lipoproteins, further studies are required to elucidate their potential role in the progression of diabetic glomerulosclerosis.     

Textile solar light collectors based on models for polar bear hair

Concepts of technical fibers following models for the polar bear hair to be used for textile solar collectors are discussed. The approach to coat fibers with a thin layer into which fluorescent dyestuff was dispersed was studied experimentally. Modified fibers made of different polymers were characterized with respect to optical properties relevant for the bionic model. In the case of poly(methylmethacrylate) fibers, the envisaged effect could be achieved to high efficiency. The optical performance could be enhanced by ultrasonic dispersion of the dyestuff in the coating matrix. The effect is less significant in semi-crystalline fibers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), which is attributed to diffuse scattering.     

Plasmachemisches Ätzen und Beschichten bei Atmosphärendruck

Atmospheric pressure plasma‐chemical etching and deposition. Application in crystalline silicon photovoltaics. For industrial processing of wafer based crystalline silicon solar cells a variety of different technologies are applied. The combination of these requires a complex wafer handling; increasing not only investment costs, but also the risk of wafer breakage. Application of plasma technologies offers the possibility to manufacture crystalline silicon solar cells without any wet chemical or vacuum processes. At Fraunhofer IWS all etching steps necessary for the production of solar cells and the deposition of silicon nitride as passivation and anti‐reflection coating were demonstrated successfully using atmospheric pressure plasma technologies.     

The fabrication of nanoporous Pt-based multimetallic alloy nanowires and their improved electrochemical durability

A general approach for the fabrication of nanoporous Pt-based multimetallic alloy nanowires is reported, which involves electrodeposition of corresponding precursor alloys into porous anodic alumina templates, followed by a mild dealloying process. Nanoporous ternary PtCoNi and PtCoAu as well as quaternary PtRuCoNi nanowires were successfully fabricated, and their microstructure and composition were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Electrochemical tests showed that these porous nanowires exhibit higher electrochemically active surface area and much improved durability compared to commercially available Pt black, and may find potential applications in electrocatalysis and electrochemical sensing.     

An Alternative Route Towards Metal–Polymer Hybrid Materials Prepared by Vapor‐Phase Processing

Transition metals incorporated into polymers lead to unusual or improved physical properties that significantly differ from those of purely organic polymers. A simple and practicable incorporation of diverse transition metals into any available polymer would make an important contribution to overcome some of the synthetic difficulties of metal‐polymer hybrid materials. Here, it is demonstrated that atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be a promising means to resolve some of those difficulties. It is found that even polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with its great physical and chemical stability can be easily transformed into a transition metal–PTFE hybrid material simply by applying a metal‐oxide ALD process to PTFE. Upon metal incorporation into the PTFE, the molecular structure as well as mechanical properties (tensile behavior) of PTFE were observed to significantly change. For a better understanding of the changes to the material, experimental investigations using Raman spectroscopy, attenuated‐total‐reflection Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis were performed. In addition, with density functional theory calculations, potential bonding states of the incorporated metal into PTFE were modeled and predicted. The ALD‐based vapor‐phase approach for metal incorporation into a polymer could bring about rapid progress in the research area of metal–polymer hybrid materials.     

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein is present in effluents of patients with Gram-negative and Gram-positive CAPD peritonitis

BACKGROUND: Bacterial peritonitis is a frequent complication during treatment of end-stage renal failure by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Local host defence mechanisms including the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by peritoneal macrophages are of particular importance in the pathogenesis of infectious complications. LPS-binding protein (LBP) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) are serum factors known to regulate the endotoxin-induced cellular immune response. However, it is still unknown whether LBP and sCD14 are also present in the peritoneal effluent of CAPD patients. METHODS: Using specific immunoassays, we examined the concentration of LBP, sCD14 and the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 in the dialysis effluents of 31 patients with CAPD-associated peritonitis. Twenty patients without peritonitis served as controls. Intraperitoneal LPS concentrations were determined using the limulus amebocyte lysate assay. RESULTS: Bacterial lipopolysaccharide could be detected in 42% of the infected dialysis effluents. In comparison to controls (0.2 +/- 0.05 microg/ml), LBP was significantly elevated in both gram-negative/LPS-positive (1.03 +/- 0.3 microg/ml) and gram-positive infections (0.5 +/- 0.14 microg/ml) (P<0.05). No significant differences were detected concerning the intraperitoneal sCD14 levels in the three patient groups. Levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 were significantly increased in the effluents of patients with bacterial peritonitis compared to noninfected controls. Moreover the respective cytokine concentrations were significantly higher in the gram-negative/LPS-positive compared to the gram-positive bacterial infections (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that LBP is significantly elevated in the dialysis effluents of patients with CAPD-associated peritonitis caused by both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and might be used as a marker of intraperitoneal infection. Moreover, our findings support the concept that LBP enhances the effects of LPS on cytokine production by peritoneal macrophages. The function of LBP in gram-positive infection remains to be further elucidated.