Synthesis of poly(lactic acid)‐based polyurethanes

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, but its brittleness makes it unsuitable for many packaging and appliance applications. The goal of the work reported was to create novel poly(ester urethane)s that incorporate biodegradable poly(lactic acid) diols (PLA‐OHs) and good mechanical properties of increased molecular weight via crosslinked network formation for engineering plastics applications. Three kinds of polyols (PLA‐OHs, PLA‐OHs/poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol or PLA‐OHs/poly(butylene adipate) glycol (PBA)) and two kinds of diisocyanates (4,4‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) or toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI)) were chosen for the soft and hard segments to compare their mechanical properties. In addition, 1,4‐butanediol and trimethylolpropane were each used as chain extender agents. Results showed the PLA/PBA‐polyurethanes (PLA/PBA‐PUs) of the MDI series and the PLA/PBA‐PUs of the TDI series had improved thermal stability and enhanced mechanical properties. Degradation behavior showed the PLA‐based polyurethanes could be degraded in phosphate‐buffered saline solution and enzyme solution. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of Recycled ABS Added to Virgin Polymers on the Physical,Mechanical Properties and Molding Characteristics

Reuse of recycled polymers is steadily increasing. In this study, two different ABS virgin materials are considered. Then, blends of varying proportions of ABS recycled resins (0–50%), obtained from the gate and runner materials of products, was added to virgin resin to investigate the effect of various compositions of virgin ABS and recycled polymers on the physical and mechanical properties of the final blend. Three different rib and closure organization of boss of the reinforcement structures were designed and injection molded under blends of varying proportions of the ABS recycled resins to do the torsion test by Air-Torsion tools. In addition, molding characteristics were also examined. The results show that there is no obvious effect of recycled ABS percentage (by weight) on the tensile strength, elongation at yield, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength. However, the torsion strength for rib and closure organization of boss of the reinforcement structures decrease with increasing recycled ABS weight percentage. On the other hand, hardness, glass transition temperature, and melting flow index of recycled ABS increase with as the percentage (by weight) of recycled material increase. The impact strength was found to vary with the recycled ABS loading. The injection pressure decreases with increasing the content of recycled resin under some specified molding conditions.     

Nickel-containing nano-sized islands grown on Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) and Ag/Ge(111)-(√3 × √3) surfaces

The formation of nano-islands on both a Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) surface and an Ag/Ge(111)-(√3 × √3) surface evaporated with 0.1 ML Ni was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We have noticed that at temperatures lower than 670 K, the reaction between Ni and the individual substrate surfaces proceeds to form different structures: flat-topped islands with a 2√7 × 2√7 or a 3 × 3 reconstruction on the Ni/Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) surface vs. islands with a 7 × 7 reconstruction on the Ni/Ag/Ge(111)-(√3 × √3) surface. From this we have inferred that within a temperature range between room temperature and 670 K, the intermediate Ag layer retards mixing between Ni and Ge atoms. As a result, the grown islands are composed of pure Ni atoms. Within a temperature range from 670 to 770 K, most islands produced on the Ag/Ge(111)-(√3 × √3) surface are identical with those formed on the Ni/Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) surface, suggesting that above 670 K, Ni atoms are likely to bind with Ge atoms. However, an essential difference between STM images of the surfaces under study exists in the appearance of large elongated islands on the Ni/Ag/Ge(111)-(√3 × √3) surface. The formation of the latter is explained in terms of a difference in energy for Ni diffusion on the Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) and Ag/Ge(111)-(√3 × √3) surfaces.     

DNA molecule stretching through thermo-electrophoresis and thermal convection in a heated converging-diverging microchannel

A novel DNA molecule stretching technique is developed and tested herein. Through a heated converging-diverging microchannel, thermal convection and thermophoresis induced by regional heating are shown to significantly elongate single DNA molecules; they are visualized via a confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition, electrophoretic stretching is also implemented to examine the hybrid effect on the conformation and dynamics of single DNA molecules. The physical properties of the DNA molecules are secured via experimental measurements.     

Hepcidin-Induced Iron Deficiency Is Related to Transient Anemia and Hypoferremia in Kawasaki Disease Patients

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a type of systemic vasculitis that primarily affects children under the age of five years old. For sufferers of KD, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been found to successfully diminish the occurrence of coronary artery lesions. Anemia is commonly found in KD patients, and we have shown that in appropriately elevated hepcidin levels are related to decreased hemoglobin levels in these patients. In this study, we investigated the time period of anemia and iron metabolism during different stages of KD. A total of 100 patients with KD and 20 control subjects were enrolled in this study for red blood cell and hemoglobin analysis. Furthermore, plasma, urine hepcidin, and plasma IL-6 levels were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 20 KD patients and controls. Changes in hemoglobin, plasma iron levels, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were also measured in patients with KD. Hemoglobin, iron levels, and TIBC were lower (p < 0.001, p = 0.009, and p < 0.001, respectively) while plasma IL-6 and hepcidin levels (both p < 0.001) were higher in patients with KD than in the controls prior to IVIG administration. Moreover, plasma hepcidin levels were positively and significantly correlated with urine hepcidin levels (p < 0.001) prior to IVIG administration. After IVIG treatment, plasma hepcidin and hemoglobin levels significantly decreased (both p < 0.001). Of particular note was a subsequent gradual increase in hemoglobin levels during the three weeks after IVIG treatment; nevertheless, the hemoglobin levels stayed lower in KD patients than in the controls (p = 0.045). These findings provide a longitudinal study of hemoglobin changes and among the first evidence that hepcidin induces transient anemia and hypoferremia during KD’s acute inflammatory phase.     

Branched and curved nanotubular polyaniline synthesized by emulsion polymerization in presence of zinc salts of n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid

The presence of zinc salts of DBSA (n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid), designated as Zn(DBSA)₂, induced some branches and curvature of the resultant polyaniline nanotubes. These branched or curved nanotubes can be clearly seen from their SEM and TEM micrographs taken for various polyaniline nanotubes prepared in the presence of Zn(DBSA)₂. For branched or curved polyaniline nanotubes, the conjugation chain length can be monitored by the position of their λ_maxs in the UV-Vis-NIR spectra.     

Effects of pre-strain applied at a polyethylene terephthalate substrate before the coating of Al-doped ZnO film on film quality and optical and electrical properties

Five kinds of polyethylene-terephthalate (PET)/aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) specimen were prepared to examine the effect of strain applied to the PET substrate before the coating of AZO film on the mechanical, optical, and electrical properties and morphology. An increase in the strain of PET increases the reflection intensity, resulting in a significant reduction in absorption. The largest mean surface roughness was obtained for the PET-4%/AZO specimen. XRD diffraction peaks of ZnO (002) indicate that the quality of the AZO film initially improved with increasing strain, and then degraded with further increases. Compressive residual stresses formed in the bending specimens at various strains; the residual stress increased with decreasing 2θ angle. A higher compressive stress in the AZO film resulted in a lower optical band gap and a lower transmittance; it also led to an increase in the sheet resistance of the AZO film, and thus a lower carrier mobility.     

A theoretical investigation of the effect of adsorbed NO2 molecules on electronic transport in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

We investigated the variation of electronic transport in a semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) due to NO₂ molecules adsorbed on different locations of the SWCNT surface through a theoretical means. Our results indicate that the electronic conductance of a semiconducting SWCNT strongly depends on the distance between the electrode and the NO₂ adsorption site. In some cases, the conductance variation can reach ten fold. Negative differential resistance behavior is identified in the current–voltage characteristics when a NO₂ molecule is adsorbed on the surface of a semiconducting SWCNT. These phenomena originate from the interaction between the electrode and the NO₂ due to the finite length of the SWCNT. A NO₂ sensing mechanism of an SWCNT-based chemical sensor at low NO₂ concentration was proposed. Several examples of this SWCNT-based sensor adsorbed with two NO₂ molecules were used to demonstrate the complicated conductivity variation when the multiple NO₂ adsorptions take place in an SWCNT-based NO₂ gas sensor.     

Moisture sorption on the wetting behavior of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) fibers in water and epoxy resin

The moisture sorption of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) fibers and the effects of moisture on the wetting behavior of these fibers in water and in an epoxy resin were studied. The moisture regains in the Kevlar 149 fibers followed a third order polynomial dependency on increasing relative humidity at 23°C. When preconditioned at 0% relative humidity (R.H.), water wettability of Kevlar 49 fibers was superior to that of Kevlar 149 fibers. Resin wettability of the dried Kevlar 49 fibers, on the other hand, was lower than that of Kevlar 149 fibers. Wettability in water and resin of these two fiber types was affected differently by moisture. Exposure to 97% R.H. moisture level significantly lowered water wettability of Kevlar 49 fibers but did not affect the wettability of Kevlar 149 fibers in water. Resin wettability of Kevlar 49 fibers was improved upon exposure to moisture, but the opposite was observed on Kevlar 149 fibers.