Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 62 in total

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  1. Fulltext Surface-Functionalized Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles (SPNs) for Enhanced Oil Recovery: Effects of Surface Modifiers and Their Architectures
    Khalil M, Aulia G, Budianto E, Mohamed Jan B, Habib SH, Amir Z, et al.
    ACS Omega, 2019 Dec 17;4(25):21477-21486.
    PMID: 31867543 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03174
    Superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPNs) have been considered as one of the most studied nanomaterials for subsurface applications, including in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, a comprehensive understanding of the effect of surface functionalization on the ability of the nanoparticles to improve secondary and tertiary oil recoveries remains unclear. Therefore, investigations on the application of bare and surface-functionalized SPNs in EOR using a sand pack were carried out in this study. Here, the as-prepared SPNs were functionalized using oleic acid (OA) and polyacrylamide (PAM) to obtain several types of nanostructure architectures such as OA-SPN, core-shell SPN@PAM, and SPN-PAM. Based on the result, it is found that both the viscosity and mobility of the nanofluids were significantly affected by not only the concentration of the nanoparticles but also the type and architecture of the surface modifier, which dictated particle hydrophilicity. According to the sand pack tests, the nanofluid containing SPN-PAM was able to recover as much as 19.28% of additional oil in a relatively low concentration (0.9% w/v). The high oil recovery enhancement was presumably due to the ability of suspended SPN-PAM to act as a mobility control and wettability alteration agent and facilitate the formation of a Pickering emulsion and disjoining pressure.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  2. Application of polymethylmethacrylate-grafted cellulose as reinforcement for compatibilised polylactic acid/natural rubber blends
    Rosli NA, Ahmad I, Anuar FH, Abdullah I
    Carbohydr Polym, 2019 Jun 01;213:50-58.
    PMID: 30879689 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.02.074
    In this study, modified agave cellulose fibre combined by graft copolymerisation with methylmethacrylate was tested as a potential reinforcement for polylactic acid (PLA)-natural rubber/liquid natural rubber blends. Mechanical, morphological, thermal, wetting, and biodegradation characterisations were performed to assess the influence of cellulose-graft-polymethylmethacrylate (cell-g-PMMA) content on the properties of biocomposites. The addition of cell-g-PMMA improved the mechanical properties of the composites because of the chemical interaction between PLA and PMMA. Thermal stability decreased slightly upon cell-g-PMMA addition because of the low thermal stability of PMMA. A soil burial test revealed that the degradation of composites decreased with an increase in the cell-g-PMMA content. However, the weight loss after burial, which directly affected the water absorption capacity, was still higher for the cell-g-PMMA composites than for the polymer alone.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  3. Fulltext Experimental evaluation of oil recovery mechanism using a variety of surface-modified silica nanoparticles: Role of in-situ surface-modification in oil-wet system
    Adil M, Mohd Zaid H, Raza F, Agam MA
    PLoS One, 2020;15(7):e0236837.
    PMID: 32730369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236837
    Recent developments propose renewed use of surface-modified nanoparticles (NPs) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) due to improved stability and reduced porous media retention. The enhanced surface properties render the nanoparticles more suitable compared to bare nanoparticles, for increasing the displacement efficiency of waterflooding. However, the EOR mechanisms using NPs are still not well established. This work investigates the effect of in-situ surface-modified silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) on interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability behavior as a prevailing oil recovery mechanism. For this purpose, the nanoparticles have been synthesized via a one-step sol-gel method using surface-modification agents, including Triton X-100 (non-ionic surfactant) and polyethylene glycol (polymer), and characterized using various techniques. These results exhibit the well-defined spherical particles, particularly in the presence of Triton X-100 (TX-100), with particle diameter between 13 to 27 nm. To this end, SiO2 nanofluids were formed by dispersing nanoparticles (0.05 wt.%, 0.075 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.2 wt.%) in 3 wt.% NaCl to study the impact of surface functionalization on the stability of the nanoparticle suspension. The optimal stability conditions were obtained at 0.1 wt.% SiO2 NPs at a basic pH of 10 and 9.5 for TX-100/ SiO2 and PEG/SiO nanofluids, respectively. Finally, the surface-treated SiO2 nanoparticles were found to change the wettability of treated (oil-wet) surface into water-wet by altering the contact angle from 130° to 78° (in case of TX-100/SiO2) measured against glass surface representing carbonate reservoir rock. IFT results also reveal that the surfactant treatment greatly reduced the oil-water IFT by 30%, compared to other applied NPs. These experimental results suggest that the use of surface-modified SiO2 nanoparticles could facilitate the displacement efficiency by reducing IFT and altering the wettability of carbonate reservoir towards water-wet, which is attributed to more homogeneity and better dispersion of surface-treated silica NPs compared to bare-silica NPs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  4. Biosensors for phenolic compounds by immobilization of tyrosinase in photocurable methacrylic-acrylic membranes of varying hydrophilicities
    Hanifah SA, Heng LY, Ahmad M
    Anal Sci, 2009 Jun;25(6):779-84.
    PMID: 19531887
    Electrochemical biosensors for phenolic compound determination were developed by immobilization of tyrosinase enzyme in a series of methacrylic-acrylic based biosensor membranes deposited directly using a photocuring method. By modifying the hydrophilicity of the membranes using different proportions of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and butyl acrylate (nBA), we developed biosensor membranes of different hydrophilic characters. The differences in hydrophilicity of these membranes led to changes in the sensitivity of the biosensors towards different phenolic compounds. In general biosensors constructed from the methacrylic-acrylic based membranes showed the poorest response to catechol relative to other phenolic compounds, which is in contrast to many other biosensors based on tyrosinase. The decrease in hydrophilicity of the membrane also allowed better selectivity towards chlorophenols. However, phenol biosensors constructed from the more hydrophilic membrane materials demonstrated better analytical performance towards phenol compared with those made from less hydrophilic ones. For the detection of phenols, these biosensors with different membranes gave detection limits of 0.13-0.25 microM and linear response range from 6.2-54.2 microM phenol. The phenol biosensors also showed good phenol recovery from landfill leachate samples (82-117%).
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  5. Fulltext UV/O3 treatment as a surface modification of rice husk towards preparation of novel biocomposites
    Rajendran Royan NR, Sulong AB, Yuhana NY, Chen RS, Ab Ghani MH, Ahmad S
    PLoS One, 2018;13(5):e0197345.
    PMID: 29847568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197345
    The use of rice husks (RH) to reinforce polymers in biocomposites are increasing tremendously. However, the incompatibility between the hydrophilic RH fibers and the hydrophobic thermoplastic matrices leads to unsatisfactory biocomposites. Surface modification of the fiber surface was carried out to improve the adhesion between fiber and matrix. In this study, the effect of surface modification of RH via alkali, acid and ultraviolet-ozonolysis (UV/O3) treatments on the properties of composites recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) composites was investigated. The untreated and treated RH were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The composites containing 30 wt% of RH (treated and untreated) were then prepared via extrusion and followed by compression molding. As compared to untreated RH, all surface treated RH exhibited rougher surface and showed improved adhesion with rHDPE matrix. Tensile strength of UV/O3-treated RH composites showed an optimum result at 18.37 MPa which improved about 5% in comparison to the composites filled with untreated RH. UV/O3 treatment promotes shorter processing time and lesser raw material waste during treatment process where this is beneficial for commercialization in the future developments of wood plastic composites (WPCs). Therefore, UV/O3 treatment can be served as an alternative new method to modify RH surface in order to improve the adhesion between hydrophilic RH fibre and hydrophobic rHDPE polymer matrix.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  6. Fulltext Experimental study on electromagnetic-assisted ZnO nanofluid flooding for enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
    Adil M, Lee K, Mohd Zaid H, Ahmad Latiff NR, Alnarabiji MS
    PLoS One, 2018;13(2):e0193518.
    PMID: 29489897 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193518
    Recently, nano-EOR has emerged as a new frontier for improved and enhanced oil recovery (IOR & EOR). Despite their benefits, the nanoparticles tend to agglomerate at reservoir conditions which cause their detachment from the oil/water interface, and are consequently retained rather than transported through a porous medium. Dielectric nanoparticles including ZnO have been proposed to be a good replacement for EOR due to their high melting point and thermal properties. But more importantly, these particles can be polarized under electromagnetic (EM) irradiation, which provides an innovative smart Nano-EOR process denoted as EM-Assisted Nano-EOR. In this study, parameters involved in the oil recovery mechanism under EM waves, such as reducing mobility ratio, lowering interfacial tensions (IFT) and altering wettability were investigated. Two-phase displacement experiments were performed in sandpacks under the water-wet condition at 95°C, with permeability in the range of 265-300 mD. A crude oil from Tapis oil field was employed; while ZnO nanofluids of two different particle sizes (55.7 and 117.1 nm) were prepared using 0.1 wt. % nanoparticles that dispersed into brine (3 wt. % NaCl) along with SDBS as a dispersant. In each flooding scheme, three injection sequential scenarios have been conducted: (i) brine flooding as a secondary process, (ii) surfactant/nano/EM-assisted nano flooding, and (iii) second brine flooding to flush nanoparticles. Compare with surfactant flooding (2% original oil in place/OOIP) as tertiary recovery, nano flooding almost reaches 8.5-10.2% of OOIP. On the other hand, EM-assisted nano flooding provides an incremental oil recovery of approximately 9-10.4% of OOIP. By evaluating the contact angle and interfacial tension, it was established that the degree of IFT reduction plays a governing role in the oil displacement mechanism via nano-EOR, compare to mobility ratio. These results reveal a promising way to employ water-based ZnO nanofluid for enhanced oil recovery purposes at a relatively high reservoir temperature.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  7. Simultaneous dual syringe electrospinning system using benign solvent to fabricate nanofibrous P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct as potential leave-on wound dressing
    Vigneswari S, Murugaiyah V, Kaur G, Abdul Khalil HPS, Amirul AA
    Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2016 Sep 01;66:147-155.
    PMID: 27207048 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2016.03.102
    The main focus of this study is the incorporation of collagen peptides to fabricate P(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] nano-fiber construct to further enhance surface wettability and support cell growth while harbouring desired properties for biodegradable wound dressing. Simultaneous electrospinning of nanofiber P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct was carried out using dual syringe system. The wettability of the constructs increased with the increase in 4HB molar fraction from 20mol% 4HB [53.2°], P(3HB-co-35mol%4HB)[48.9°], P(3HB-co-50mol%4HB)[44.5°] and P(3HB-co-82mol%4HB) [37.7°]. In vitro study carried out using mouse fibroblast cells (L929) grown on nanofiber P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct showed an increase in cell proliferation. In vivo study using animal model (Sprague Dawley rats) showed that nanofibrous P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct had a significant effect on wound contractions with the highest percentage of wound closure of 79%. Hence, P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct suitable for wound dressing have been developed using nano-fabrication technique.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  8. Oleophilicity and oil-water separation by reduced graphene oxide grafted oil palm empty fruit bunch fibres
    Mohd Shaiful Sajab, Wan Nurmawaddah Wan Abdul Rahman, Chin Hua Chia, Sarani Zakaria, Hatika Kaco, An’amt Mohamed Noor
    Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:1891-1896.
    Absorption is one of the effective, simple and economical methods to remove oil from oily wastewater. The most widely
    used approach is to utilize lignocellulosic biomass as oil absorbent. However, the hygroscopic of cellulose have limited
    the oil-water separation capability of lignocellulosic fibers. In this study, the surface functionality of oil palm empty
    fruit bunch (EFB) fibers was slightly altered by grafting reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The modified EFB fibers show
    a distinct morphological and chemical characteristics changes as the surface of fibers has been coated with rGO. This
    was supported by FTIR analysis with the diminishing peak of hydroxyl group region of EFB fibers. While the surface
    modification on EFB fibers shows a diminution of a hydrophilic characteristic of 131.6% water absorption in comparison
    with 268.9% of untreated EFB fibers. Moreover, modified fibers demonstrated an oil-water separation increment as well,
    as it shows 89% of oil uptake and improved ~17 times of oil selectivity in oil-water emulsion than untreated EFB fibers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  9. Role of Wettability on the Adsorption of an Anionic Surfactant on Sandstone Cores
    Amirmoshiri M, Zhang L, Puerto MC, Tewari RD, Bahrim RZBK, Farajzadeh R, et al.
    Langmuir, 2020 Sep 01.
    PMID: 32870010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01521
    We investigate the dynamic adsorption of anionic surfactant C14 - 16 alpha olefin sulfonate on Berea sandstone cores with different surface wettability and redox states under high temperature that represents reservoir conditions. Surfactant adsorption levels are determined by analyzing the effluent history data with a dynamic adsorption model assuming Langmuir isotherm. A variety of analyses, including surface chemistry, ionic composition, and chromatography, is performed. It is found that the surfactant breakthrough in the neutral-wet core is delayed more compared to that in the water-wet core because the deposited crude oil components on the rock surface increase the surfactant adsorption via hydrophobic interactions. As the surfactant adsorption is satisfied, the crude oil components are solubilized by surfactant micelles and some of the adsorbed surfactants are released from the rock surface. The released surfactant dissolves in the flowing surfactant solution, thereby resulting in an overshoot of the produced surfactant concentration with respect to the injection value. Furthermore, under water-wet conditions, changing the surface redox potential from an oxidized to a reduced state decreases the surfactant adsorption level by 40%. We find that the decrease in surfactant adsorption is caused not only by removing the iron oxide but also by changing the calcium concentration after the core restoration process (calcite dissolution and ion exchange as a result of using EDTA). Findings from this study suggest that laboratory surfactant adsorption tests need to be conducted by considering the wettability and redox state of the rock surface while recognizing how core restoration methods could significantly alter the ionic composition during surfactant flooding.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  10. Collapsibility and volume change behavior of unsaturated residual soil
    Huat, Bujang B.K, Faisal AIi, Choong, Foong Heng
    Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2007;15(2):85-94.
    MyJurnal
    Residual soils occur in most countries of the world but the greater areas and depths are normally found in tropical humid areas. In these places, the soil forming processes are still very active and the weathering is much faster than the erosive factor. Most residual exhibit high soil suctions for most of the year. The absence of positive pore water pressure except immediately after rain, renders conventional soil mechanics for saturated soil irrelevant. In particular, the effective stress theories of saturated soil are not applicable at the practical leve l. Ignorance or lack of understanding of the geotechnical behavior of soil in the partially or unsaturated state has caused a lot of damages to infrastructures, buildings and other structures. For instances, the collapsibility and volume change of partially saturated soils in connection with the drying or wetting causes a lot of damage to foundation, roads and other structures. As such, the development of extended soil mechanics, which embraces the soil in the unsaturated state or subjected to soil suction, is essential. This paper examines the collapsibility and volume change behavior specifically of an unsaturated residual soil under various levels of applied matric suction (u -u ), and net mean stress (a-u) in a predetermined stress path. The volume change of ;he"' soil is found to be sensitive to both the applied matric suction and net mean stress. The soil is found to exhibit a collapsibility behavior upon a reduction in applied matric suction to 25 kPa at constant net mean stress.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  11. Improvement of early cell adhesion on Thai silk fibroin surface by low energy plasma
    Amornsudthiwat P, Mongkolnavin R, Kanokpanont S, Panpranot J, Wong CS, Damrongsakkul S
    Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2013 Nov 1;111:579-86.
    PMID: 23893032 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2013.07.009
    Low energy plasma has been introduced to treat the surface of Thai silk fibroin which should be enhanced for cell adhesion due to its native hydrophobic surface. Plasma surface treatment could introduce desirable hydrophilic functionalities on the surface without using any chemicals. In this work, nitrogen glow discharge plasma was generated by a low energy AC50Hz power supply system. The plasma operating conditions were optimized to reach the highest nitrogen active species by using optical emission spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that amine, hydroxyl, ether, and carboxyl groups were induced on Thai silk fibroin surface after plasma treatment. The results on Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy confirmed that the plasma treated effects were only on the outermost layer since there was no change in the bulk chemistry. The surface topography was insignificantly changed from the detection with atomic force microscopy (AFM). The plasma-treated effects were the improved surface wettability and cell adhesion. After a 90-s treatment, the water contact angle was at 20°, while the untreated surface was at 70°. The early cell adhesion of L929 mouse fibroblast was accelerated. L929 cells only took 3h to reach 100% cell adhesion on 90 s N2 plasma-treated surface, while there was less than 50% cell adhesion on the untreated Thai silk fibroin surface after 6h of culture. The cell adhesion results were in agreement with the cytoskeleton development. L929 F-actin was more evident on 90 s N2 plasma-treated surface than others. It could be concluded that a lower energy AC50Hz plasma system enhanced early L929 mouse fibroblast adhesion on Thai silk fibroin surface without any significant change in surface topography and bulk chemistry.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  12. A study on the physical and hydraulic characteristics of cocopeat perlite mixture as a growing media in containerized plant production
    Wan Fazilah Fazlil Ilahi, Desa Ahmad
    Sains Malaysiana, 2016;46:975-980.
    A well-known planting medium in soilless culture is a coconut based material famously known in Malaysia as cocopeat.
    It is a viable ecologically friendly peat soil substitute for containerized crop production. The multipurpose growing media
    had received much interest particularly in commercial applications. This study focused on the physical and hydraulic
    characteristics of cocopeat perlite mixture as a growing media in containerized plant production. Perlite was added to
    cocopeat at a ratio of 3 cocopeat: 1 perlite. Bulk density, particle density, porosity, particle size distribution, water holding
    capacity, wettability and hydraulic conductivity of the media were evaluated. About 82.93% of the total particles were
    in the range between 0.425 and 4 mm in diameter at a bulk density of 0.09 g/cm3
    . Total porosity (79%) and wettability
    improved with the incorporation of perlite to cocopeat. This study showed that water holding capacity was very high at
    912.54% whereas the saturated hydraulic conductivity was low at 0.1 cm/s. The results showed that adding perlite to
    cocopeat had improved the physical and hydraulic characteristics of the media.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  13. Fulltext Influence of organic molecules on wetting characteristics of mica/H2/brine systems: Implications for hydrogen structural trapping capacities
    Ali M, Yekeen N, Pal N, Keshavarz A, Iglauer S, Hoteit H
    J Colloid Interface Sci, 2022 Feb 15;608(Pt 2):1739-1749.
    PMID: 34742087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.080
    HYPOTHESIS: Actualization of the hydrogen (H2) economy and decarbonization goals can be achieved with feasible large-scale H2 geo-storage. Geological formations are heterogeneous, and their wetting characteristics play a crucial role in the presence of H2, which controls the pore-scale distribution of the fluids and sealing capacities of caprocks. Organic acids are readily available in geo-storage formations in minute quantities, but they highly tend to increase the hydrophobicity of storage formations. However, there is a paucity of data on the effects of organic acid concentrations and types on the H2-wettability of caprock-representative minerals and their attendant structural trapping capacities.

    EXPERIMENT: Geological formations contain organic acids in minute concentrations, with the alkyl chain length ranging from C4 to C26. To fully understand the wetting characteristics of H2 in a natural geological picture, we aged mica mineral surfaces as a representative of the caprock in varying concentrations of organic molecules (with varying numbers of carbon atoms, lignoceric acid C24, lauric acid C12, and hexanoic acid C6) for 7 days. To comprehend the wettability of the mica/H2/brine system, we employed a contact-angle procedure similar to that in natural geo-storage environments (25, 15, and 0.1 MPa and 323 K).

    FINDINGS: At the highest investigated pressure (25 MPa) and the highest concentration of lignoceric acid (10-2 mol/L), the mica surface became completely H2 wet with advancing (θa= 106.2°) and receding (θr=97.3°) contact angles. The order of increasing θa and θr with increasing organic acid contaminations is as follows: lignoceric acid > lauric acid > hexanoic acid. The results suggest that H2 gas leakage through the caprock is possible in the presence of organic acids at higher physio-thermal conditions. The influence of organic contamination inherent at realistic geo-storage conditions should be considered to avoid the overprediction of structural trapping capacities and H2 containment security.

    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  14. Starch granules as Pickering emulsifiers: Role of octenylsuccinylation and particle size
    Li S, Li C, Yang Y, He X, Zhang B, Fu X, et al.
    Food Chem, 2019 Jun 15;283:437-444.
    PMID: 30722895 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.01.020
    The present study aimed at investigating the effects of octenylsuccinylation and particle size on the emulsifying properties of starch granules as Pickering emulsifiers. Starch spherulites (1-5 μm), native rice starch (5-10 μm), waxy maize starch (10-20 μm) and waxy potato starch (20-30 μm) were modified with octenylsuccinic anhydride. Results showed that octenylsuccinylation caused a significant increase in the contact angle, and there was a weak positive linear correlation with the emulsifying capacity of the starch granules. After octenylsuccinylation, smaller particles of octenylsuccinate-starch granules exhibited better emulsifying properties with smaller droplet size and lower creaming index. Overall, both octenylsuccinylation and particle size have important effects on the emulsifying properties of starch granules as Pickering stabilizers. This study could be useful in the design and development of starch-based Pickering emulsifiers, and provide potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  15. Fulltext Enhanced Evaporation Strength through Fast Water Permeation in Graphene-Oxide Deposition
    Tong WL, Ong WJ, Chai SP, Tan MK, Hung YM
    Sci Rep, 2015;5:11896.
    PMID: 26100977 DOI: 10.1038/srep11896
    The unique characteristic of fast water permeation in laminated graphene oxide (GO) sheets has facilitated the development of ultrathin and ultrafast nanofiltration membranes. Here we report the application of fast water permeation property of immersed GO deposition for enhancing the performance of a GO/water nanofluid charged two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT). By benchmarking its performance against a silver oxide/water nanofluid charged TPCT, the enhancement of evaporation strength is found to be essentially attributed to the fast water permeation property of GO deposition instead of the enhanced surface wettability of the deposited layer. The expansion of interlayer distance between the graphitic planes of GO deposited layer enables intercalation of bilayer water for fast water permeation. The capillary force attributed to the frictionless interaction between the atomically smooth, hydrophobic carbon structures and the well-ordered hydrogen bonds of water molecules is sufficiently strong to overcome the gravitational force. As a result, a thin water film is formed on the GO deposited layers, inducing filmwise evaporation which is more effective than its interfacial counterpart, appreciably enhanced the overall performance of TPCT. This study paves the way for a promising start of employing the fast water permeation property of GO in thermal applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  16. Conductive PEDOT:PSS coated polylactide (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) electrospun membranes: Fabrication and characterization
    Chang HC, Sun T, Sultana N, Lim MM, Khan TH, Ismail AF
    Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2016 Apr 1;61:396-410.
    PMID: 26838866 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2015.12.074
    In the current study, electrospinning technique was used to fabricate composite membranes by blending of a synthetic polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) and a natural polymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), PHBV. Conductive membranes were prepared by dipping PLA/PHBV electrospun membranes into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  17. Fulltext Thermal Stability and Water Content Study of Void-Free Electrospun SPEEK/Cloisite Membrane for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Application
    Awang N, Jaafar J, Ismail AF
    Polymers (Basel), 2018 Feb 15;10(2).
    PMID: 30966230 DOI: 10.3390/polym10020194
    Void-free electrospun SPEEK/Cloisite15A® densed (SP/e-spunCL) membranes are prepared. Different loadings of Cloisite15A® (0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 wt %) are incorporated into electrospun fibers. The physico-chemical characteristics (methanol permeability, water uptake and proton conductivity) of the membranes are observed. Thermal stability of all membranes is observed using Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA). The thrree stages of degradation range between 163.1 and 613.1 °C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is used to study the wettability of the membranes. SP/e-spunCL15 shows the lowest freezing bound water of 15.27%, which contributed to the lowest methanol permeability. The non-freezing bound water that proportionally increased with proton conductivity of SP/e-spunCL15 membrane is the highest, 10.60%. It is suggested that the electrospinning as the fabricating method has successfully exfoliated the Cloisite in the membrane surface structure, contributing to the decrease of methanol permeability, while the retained water has led to the enhancement of proton conductivity. This new fabrication method of SP/e-spunCL membrane is said to be a desirable polymer electrolyte membrane for future application in direct methanol fuel cell field.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  18. Fulltext Multifaceted Characterization And In Vitro Assessment Of Polyurethane-Based Electrospun Fibrous Composite For Bone Tissue Engineering
    Jiang H, Mani MP, Jaganathan SK
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2019;14:8149-8159.
    PMID: 31632024 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S214646
    Introduction: Recently several new approaches were emerging in bone tissue engineering to develop a substitute for remodelling the damaged tissue. In order to resemble the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of the human tissue, the bone scaffolds must possess necessary requirements like large surface area, interconnected pores and sufficient mechanical strength.

    Materials and methods: A novel bone scaffold has been developed using polyurethane (PE) added with wintergreen (WG) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The developed nanocomposites were characterized through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), contact angle measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and tensile testing. Furthermore, anticoagulant assays, cell viability analysis and calcium deposition were used to investigate the biological properties of the prepared hybrid nanocomposites.

    Results: FESEM depicted the reduced fibre diameter for the electrospun PE/WG and PE/WG/TiO2 than the pristine PE. The addition of WG and TiO2 resulted in the alteration in peak intensity of PE as revealed in the FTIR. Wettability measurements showed the PE/WG showed decreased wettability and the PE/WG/TiO2 exhibited improved wettability than the pristine PE. TGA measurements showed the improved thermal behaviour for the PE with the addition of WG and TiO2. Surface analysis indicated that the composite has a smoother surface rather than the pristine PE. Further, the incorporation of WG and TiO2 improved the anticoagulant nature of the pristine PE. In vitro cytotoxicity assay has been performed using fibroblast cells which revealed that the electrospun composites showed good cell attachment and proliferation after 5 days. Moreover, the bone apatite formation study revealed the enhanced deposition of calcium content in the fabricated composites than the pristine PE.

    Conclusion: Fabricated nanocomposites rendered improved physico-chemical properties, biocompatibility and calcium deposition which are conducive for bone tissue engineering.

    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  19. Surface modification via wet chemical etching of single-crystalline silicon for photovoltaic application
    Reshak AH, Shahimin MM, Shaari S, Johan N
    Prog Biophys Mol Biol, 2013 Nov;113(2):327-32.
    PMID: 24139943 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2013.10.002
    The potential of solar cells have not been fully tapped due to the lack of energy conversion efficiency. There are three important mechanisms in producing high efficiency cells to harvest solar energy; reduction of light reflectance, enhancement of light trapping in the cell and increment of light absorption. The current work represent studies conducted in surface modification of single-crystalline silicon solar cells using wet chemical etching techniques. Two etching types are applied; alkaline etching (KOH:IPA:DI) and acidic etching (HF:HNO3:DI). The alkaline solution resulted in anisotropic profile that leads to the formation of inverted pyramids. While acidic solution formed circular craters along the front surface of silicon wafer. This surface modification will leads to the reduction of light reflectance via texturizing the surface and thereby increases the short circuit current and conversion rate of the solar cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
  20. Fulltext Isolation of Textile Waste Cellulose Nanofibrillated Fibre Reinforced in Polylactic Acid-Chitin Biodegradable Composite for Green Packaging Application
    Rizal S, Olaiya FG, Saharudin NI, Abdullah CK, N G O, Mohamad Haafiz MK, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Jan 20;13(3).
    PMID: 33498323 DOI: 10.3390/polym13030325
    Textile waste cellulose nanofibrillated fibre has been reported with excellent strength reinforcement ability in other biopolymers. In this research cellulose nanofibrilated fibre (CNF) was isolated from the textile waste cotton fabrics with combined supercritical carbon dioxide and high-pressure homogenisation. The isolated CNF was used to enhance the polylactic acid/chitin (PLA/chitin) properties. The properties enhancement effect of the CNF was studied by characterising the PLA/chitin/CNF biocomposite for improved mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. The tensile properties, impact strength, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetry analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and the PLA/chitin/CNF biocomposite wettability were studied. The result showed that the tensile strength, elongation, tensile modulus, and impact strength improved significantly with chitin and CNF compared with the neat PLA. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopy SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) morphological images showed uniform distribution and dispersion of the three polymers in each other, which corroborate the improvement in mechanical properties. The biocomposite's water absorption increased more than the neat PLA, and the contact angle was reduced. The results of the ternary blend compared with PLA/chitin binary blend showed significant enhancement with CNF. This showed that the three polymers' combination resulted in a better material property than the binary blend.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wettability
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