Interfacial Molecular Imprinting in Nanoparticle-Stabilized Emulsions

A new interfacial nano and molecular imprinting approach is developed to prepare spherical molecularly imprinted polymers with well-controlled hierarchical structures. This method is based on Pickering emulsion polymerization using template-modified colloidal particles. The interfacial imprinting is carried out in particle-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions, where the molecular template is presented on the surface of silica nanoparticles during the polymerization of the monomer phase. After polymerization, the template-modified silica nanoparticles are removed from the new spherical particles to leave tiny indentations decorated with molecularly imprinted sites. The imprinted microspheres prepared using the new interfacial nano and molecular imprinting have very interesting features: a well-controlled hierarchical structure composed of large pores decorated with easily accessible molecular binding sites, group selectivity toward a series of chemicals having a common structural moiety (epitopes), and a hydrophilic surface that enables the MIPs to be used under aqueous conditions

Preparation of cinnamon essential oil emulsion by bacterial cellulose nanocrystals and fish gelatin

This study was aimed at preparing nanoemulsions with bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNCs) and cinnamon essential oil (CEO) with and without fish gelatin. The effect of CEO concentration (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.57, 2.34 and 3.1% v/w) and pH (3.5 and 5) on the droplet size, \u3b6-potential, morphology, and encapsulation efficiency (EE) of CEO/BCNC emulsions was investigated. It was observed that \u3b6-potential was approximately 1225 mV for the BCNC emulsions, whereas it changed to positive values (from approximately 4 mV\u201312 mV) in the systems containing gelatin (3% w/w). In addition, in the presence of gelatin, emulsions exhibited larger droplets (450\u20131000 nm) than did the CEO/BCNC emulsions (350\u2013550 nm), as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy. TEM analysis also revealed the surfactant activity of gelatin, which displaced between the hydrophobic CEO nanodroplets and the more polar BCNCs. The effect of pH on EE was significant for the emulsions in the presence of gelatin in that EE was higher at pH 5 than at pH 3.5 up to a CEO concentration of 0.24% w/v. Finally, a direct relationship was established between CEO concentration and EE for emulsions with and without gelatin

Mineralogical and microstructural characterization of ceramics from the fifth and fourth millennium BC in the central plateau of Iran

This research presents the effects of sintering process and clay composition on the physico-mechanical properties of ceramics from the fifth and fourth millennium BC (6950 ± 280 to 5040 ± 220 TL dating). The combined multiscale mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) revealed the increase of round cryptopores and ultramicropores in a range of 0.01–0.1 μm and 0.1–5 μm respectively, closely linked to vitrified glassy connections and bonding between particles and the partial melting of phyllosilicates with different sizes of bubbles at 950 °C. Cold crushing strength (CCS) of the ceramics, containing high calcite and phyllosilicate mineral exhibited a lower strength value from 6.24 to 6.31 MPa at ∼750–800 °C due to the increase in crack porosity area with high interconnectivity and internal stresses. However, the ceramics with a well glassy network show a higher strength value of 16.5Mpa, contributing to sustainable ceramic materials with a uniform cross-section >900 °C and minimal shrinkage for conservation treatment