Applications of electrospun nanofibers in filtration processe

Thesis (Doctoral)--İzmir Institute of Technology, Chemistry, İzmir, 2013Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 136-161)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxxi, 161 leavesElectrospinning is a simple and versatile method to fabricate ultrathin fibrous mats from a wide variety of organic and/or inorganic materials. Since it allows fabricating fiber diameter and surface/internal structures by solution and instrumental parameters, electrospun fibers provide much enhanced functionalities, which can not be obtained by bulk materials. This thesis examines the filtration, sensing and catalytical applications associated with the remarkable features of electrospun nanofibers. The systems studied are reported herein; (i) The first part of this dissertation deals with the filtration applications of electrospun nanofibrous membranes. Nano-sized chitosan fibers were utilized for sorption of Fe(III), Cu(II), Ag(I), and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The surface of chitosan fibers were further functionalized by monodisperse nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles for the removal of inorganic arsenic species. Sorption of radioactive U(VI) ions from aqueous systems via column sorption under continuous flow was performed using amidoximated polyacrylonitrile fibers. (ii) The second part of this dissertation presents sensing applications of ceramic fibers. Humidity sensing properties of electrospun ZnO fiber mats were investigated by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method and electrical measurements. Electrospinning technique was used as coating process for deposition of CeO2/ZnO and ZnO based nanofibers on the electrode of QCM. The fiber-coated QCM sensors were used for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). (iii) The last part of this dissertation describes an approach to fabricate hierarchically structured composite nanofibers. The nanostructured materials prepared by the simultaneous electrospinning of CeO2 and LiCoO2 precursors and SiO2 nanoparticles were used for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures

ZnO-based nanomaterials have been proven to be of great use for several leading applications since the beginning of nanoscience due to the abundance of zinc element and the relatively easy conversion of its oxide to nanostructures. Nowadays, ZnO as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanofibers as well as plenty of other sophisticated nanostructures takes place among the pioneer nanomaterials employed in the photovoltaic systems, fuel cells, and biomedical fields. Nevertheless, optimizing energy consumption and being eco-friendly are the challenging requirements that are still to be overcome for their synthesis. Green chemistry has been strongly presented recently in the scientific arena as an adequate potential alternative; worldwide investigations have been held on subjects involving bacteria, fungus, or algae-based synthesis as efficient options, and some of the intriguing scientific findings on this subject are reported hereafter

From Sophisticated Analysis to Colorimetric Determination: Smartphone Spectrometers and Colorimetry

Smartphone-based spectrometer and colorimetry have been gaining relevance due to the widespread advances of devices with increasing computational power, their relatively low cost and portable designs with user-friendly interfaces, and their compatibility with data acquisition and processing for “lab-on-a-chip” systems. They find applications in interdisciplinary fields, including but not limited to medical science, water monitoring, agriculture, and chemical and biological sensing. However, spectrometer and colorimetry designs are challenging tasks in real-life scenarios as several distinctive issues influence the quantitative evaluation process, such as ambient light conditions and device independence. Several approaches have been proposed to overcome the aforementioned challenges and to enhance the performance of smartphone-based colorimetric analysis. This chapter aims at providing researchers with a state-of-the-art overview of smartphone-based spectrometer and colorimetry, which includes hardware designs with 3D printers and sensors and software designs with image processing algorithms and smartphone applications. In addition, assay preparation to mimic the real-life testing environments and performance metrics for quantitative evaluation of proposed designs are presented with the list of new and future trends in this field

Polymer hydrogel-based microneedles for metformin release

Drug delivery devices ensure the effective delivery of a broad range of therapeutics to millions of patients worldwide on a daily basis.1 Microneedles are a class of drug delivery device that provide pain free transdermal delivery with improved patient compliance.2-4 The release of metformin, a drug used in the treatment of cancer and diabetes, from polymer hydrogel-based microneedle patches was demonstrated in vitro. Tuning the composition of the polymer hydrogels enabled preparation of robust microneedle patches with mechanical properties such that they would penetrate skin (insertion force of a single microneedle to be ca. 40 N). Swelling experiments conducted at 20°C, 35°C and 60°C show temperature dependent degrees of swelling and kinetics (Fickian diffusion). Drug release from the hydrogel-based microneedles was fitted to various models (e.g., zero order, first order, second order, Korsmeyer-Peppas, Peppas-Sahlins), observing the best fit for the zero-order model. Such microneedles have potential application for transdermal delivery of metformin for the treatment of cancer and diabetes

Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Hydrogel-Based Microneedles for Metformin Release

The release of metformin, a drug used in the treatment of cancer and diabetes, from poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), pHEMA, hydrogel-based microneedle patches is demonstrated in vitro. Tuning the composition of the pHEMA hydrogels enables preparation of robust microneedle patches with mechanical properties such that they would penetrate skin (insertion force of a single microneedle to be ≈40 N). Swelling experiments conducted at 20, 35, and 60 °C show temperature-dependent degrees of swelling and diffusion kinetics. Drug release from the pHEMA hydrogel-based microneedles is fitted to various models (e.g., zero order, first order, second order). Such pHEMA microneedles have potential application for transdermal delivery of metformin for the treatment of aging, cancer, diabetes, etc

Synthesis and characterization of MgB2 superconducting wires

Thesis (Master)--İzmir Institute of Technology, Chemistry, İzmir, 2008Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 68-78)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxi, 78 leavesIn this study, the superconducting properties of laboratory synthesized MgB2 was investigated. In the first part, MgB2 synthesis using commercial magnesium and boron (95-97% purity), and its microstructural and electrical characterization was investigated.Effects of sheath material and annealing temperatures were also examined. The microstructural studies showed that when Cu tubes were used as sheath material, MgCu2 forms instead of MgB2 even at 700oC, while on Fe clad cores, the major phase was MgB2 with minor MgO constituent. The transition temperatures of Fe clad wires were measured between 39K and 40K, whereas no transition temperature was observed for Cu clad wires. The Ic value of the Fe clad MgB2 wire was about 25 A at 4K, while the copper clad wire could not carry current and formed resistance. In Fe clad wires, better results were obtained at annealing temperature of 800°C for 30 minutes. In the second part, MgB2 synthesis using commercial magnesium and boron (90% purity) was tried. 0-5-10-15 wt% of Mg doping and, additionally annealing temperatures were examined. Powder-In-Tube method was used for wire production. 10 wt% Mg addition was seen to be beneficial as compared to the stoichiometric MgB2. 750°C was found to be the most suitable temperature for the formation of MgB2 phase. The Ic value of the wire was measured as 13 A at 4K and it showed a broader transition with non-zero resistivity, transition temperature of 24K.In the third part, 200 m long four filament MgB2/Cu wire was successfully produced in laboratory conditions

Applications of electrospun nanofibers in filtration processe

Thesis (Doctoral)--İzmir Institute of Technology, Chemistry, İzmir, 2013Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 136-161)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxxi, 161 leavesElectrospinning is a simple and versatile method to fabricate ultrathin fibrous mats from a wide variety of organic and/or inorganic materials. Since it allows fabricating fiber diameter and surface/internal structures by solution and instrumental parameters, electrospun fibers provide much enhanced functionalities, which can not be obtained by bulk materials. This thesis examines the filtration, sensing and catalytical applications associated with the remarkable features of electrospun nanofibers. The systems studied are reported herein; (i) The first part of this dissertation deals with the filtration applications of electrospun nanofibrous membranes. Nano-sized chitosan fibers were utilized for sorption of Fe(III), Cu(II), Ag(I), and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The surface of chitosan fibers were further functionalized by monodisperse nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles for the removal of inorganic arsenic species. Sorption of radioactive U(VI) ions from aqueous systems via column sorption under continuous flow was performed using amidoximated polyacrylonitrile fibers. (ii) The second part of this dissertation presents sensing applications of ceramic fibers. Humidity sensing properties of electrospun ZnO fiber mats were investigated by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method and electrical measurements. Electrospinning technique was used as coating process for deposition of CeO2/ZnO and ZnO based nanofibers on the electrode of QCM. The fiber-coated QCM sensors were used for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). (iii) The last part of this dissertation describes an approach to fabricate hierarchically structured composite nanofibers. The nanostructured materials prepared by the simultaneous electrospinning of CeO2 and LiCoO2 precursors and SiO2 nanoparticles were used for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

Anticorrosion coating for magnesium alloys: Electrospun superhydrophobic polystyrene/SiO2 composite fibers

Superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings for magnesium surfaces with remarkable corrosion resistance were fabricated by electrospinning in the presence of fluorosilane-functionalized silica (SiO2) nanoparticles. The effects of surface-modified silica (mod-SiO2) nanoparticles on the superhydrophobicity and corrosion resistance of polystyrene (PS)/mod-SiO2 fiber coatings were evaluated. The incorporation of the SiO2 nanoparticles endows PS fibers with rough surfaces exhibiting a water contact angle (WCA) of 165◦. The surface wettability, corrosion resistance, and their relation to the inorganic content in the PS fibers and the contact angle of the composite coatings were explored. Analysis of the corrosion results confirmed that the PS/mod-SiO2 coating protected the Mg surface from corrosion. In addition, PS fibers containing mod-SiO2 nanoparticles showed improved hydrophobicity, and excellent corrosion resistance was achieved with PS fibers containing 4 wt% SiO2 nanoparticles