graphene mediated surface enhanced raman scattering in silica mesoporous nanocomposite films

Highly performing mesoporous nanocomposite films with embedded exfoliated graphene and gold nanoparticles display a significant enhancement of G-SERS properties

Sliding Crosslinked Thermoresponsive Materials: Polypseudorotaxanes Made of Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) and Acrylamide-γ-Cyclodextrin

Novel polypseudorotaxanes (PPR) based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and acrylamide-γ-cyclodextrin (AγCD) are successfully synthesized. AγCD gives rise to sliding crosslinking systems and influences the thermoresponsive and swelling behavior of PNIPAAm hydrogels. Namely, their lower critical solution temperature (LCST) can be tuned up to 38°C, thus making the resulting materials of great interest in biomedical applications. Also, AγCD influences the thermal and mechanical properties of hydrogels, by affecting the Tg and E modulus values

Novel docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles based on poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide-co-caprolactone) for prostate cancer treatment: formulation, characterization, and cytotoxicity studies

Docetaxel (Dtx) chemotherapy is the optional treatment in patients with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer, and Dtx-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have the potential to induce durable clinical responses. However, alternative formulations are needed to overcome the serious side effects, also due to the adjuvant used, and to improve the clinical efficacy of the drug

Complete genome sequence of Mesorhizobium ciceri Strain R30, a Rhizobium used as a commercial inoculant for Chickpea in Argentina

We report the complete genome sequence of Mesorhizobium ciceri strain R30, a rhizobium strain recommended and used as a commercial inoculant for chickpea in Argentina. The genome consists of almost 7 Mb, distributed into two circular replicons: a chromosome of 6.49 Mb and a plasmid of 0.46 Mb.Fil: Foresto, Emiliano. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Revale, Santiago. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Primo, Emiliano David. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud.; ArgentinaFil: Nievas, Fiorela Lujan. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud.; ArgentinaFil: Carezzano, Maria Evangelina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud.; ArgentinaFil: Puente, Mariana Laura. Instituto de Microbiología y Zoología Agrícola; ArgentinaFil: Alzari, Pedro. Institut Pasteur de Paris.; FranciaFil: Martinez, Mariano. Institut Pasteur de Paris.; FranciaFil: Mathilde Ben-Assaya. Institut Pasteur de Paris.; FranciaFil: Mornico, Damien. Institut Pasteur de Paris.; FranciaFil: Santoro, Valeria Maricel. Max Planck For Chemical Ecology,; Alemania. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Abarca, Francisco. Estación Experimental del Zaidín; EspañaFil: Giordano, Walter Fabian. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud.; ArgentinaFil: Bogino, Pablo Cesar. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Biotecnologia Ambiental y Salud.; Argentin

Hybrid organic/inorganic epoxy resins prepared by frontal polymerization

The syntheses of hybrid epoxy resins made from different ratios among bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS), and diethylenetriamine were successfully performed by using frontal polymerization. Conversions were always almost quantitative, and, because of the use of this alternative convenient technique, materials were prepared in very short times. Samples were characterized by DSC, TGA, IR spectroscopy, and solvent extraction. It was found that those materials containing a relatively high-Si amount exhibit two different transition temperatures, with the highest one that increases as the content of GPTMS raises. The analogies and the differences with the analogous samples prepared by the classical batch technique are discussed

New sets of solubility parameters of linear and crosslinked aromatic polyamides

As generally accepted, also in the case of polyamides linear and crosslinked polymeric materials are believed to be characterized by the same solution properties and, consequently, by the same solubility parameters. However, despite their great practical importance, a thorough study aimed to determine the best solvent media able to dissolve linear aromatic polyamides has not been performed yet or, at least, has not been published. In this study, we report on our study on the solubility parameters of linear and crosslinked aromatic polyamides. We demonstrate that the assumption of considering these two classes as having the same solubility properties can lead to dramatically erroneous results. Two new different sets for linear and crosslinked aromatic polyamides are proposed. Namely, linear poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) is characterized by δp, δd, and δH equal to 8.6, 18.4, and 11.3, respectively; by contrast, the corresponding values of the crosslinked aromatic polyamides taken into consideration are: 11.5, 16.8, and 10.2

The production of concentrated dispersions of few-layer graphene by the direct exfoliation of graphite in organosilanes

Abstract We report the formation and characterization of graphene dispersions in two organosilanes, 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and phenyl triethoxysilane (PhTES) as new reactive solvents. The preparation method was mild and easy and does not produce any chemical modification. The dispersions, which exhibit the Tyndall effect, were characterized by TEM and Raman spectroscopy to confirm the presence of few-layer graphene. Concentrations as high as 0.66 and 8.00 mg/ml were found for PhTES and GPTMS, respectively. The latter is one of the highest values reported for a dispersion of graphene obtained by any method. This finding paves the way for the direct synthesis of polymer nanofiller-containing composites consisting of graphene and reactive silanes to be used in sol–gel synthesis, without any need for solvent removal, thus preventing graphene reaggregation to form graphite flakes.Peer Reviewe

Polymeric nanocomposites containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes prepared via frontal polymerization

Frontal polymerization (FP) has been successfully applied, for the first time, to obtain polymeric nanocomposites containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) in an amine-cured epoxy matrix. Variations of maximum temperature (Tmax) and front velocity (Vf) have been studied. A comparison of these products with the corresponding materials, obtained by the classical batch polymerization technique, demonstrated that FP allows a higher degree of conversion than batch polymerization. The products have been characterized in terms of their thermal behavior with DSC analysis. SEM and X-ray analyses revealed the morphology and the structures of the nanocomposites. The nanocomposites obtained by FP have the same characteristics of those synthesized, in much longer times, by batch polymerization