Biopolymers – Application in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

In order to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and to minimize the environmental pollution caused by synthetic materials, the quest for utilizing biomaterials is on a rise. Biopolymers in nature are produced by a range of microorganisms and plants. Biopolymers produced by microorganisms require specific nutrients and controlled environmental conditions. This chapter discusses the recent developments and trends of biopolymers especially in the field of nanotechnology. A basic introduction regarding biopolymers is included at the beginning of the chapter. A detailed discussion on various characterization techniques used for characterizing biopolymers and various frequently used biopolymers is also included. Applications of biopolymers in various fields, especially in the field related to nanoscience and nanotechnology, is elaborated at the end of the chapter. Biopolymers together with nanotechnology have already found many applications in various fields including water treatment, biomedical application, energy sector, and food industry. This chapter is intended to give an overview on the importance of biopolymers in nanotechnology-based applications

Dose-dependent effects of gamma irradiation on the materials properties and cell proliferation of electrospun polycaprolactone tissue engineering scaffolds

Electrospun membranes of polycaprolactone are widely used for biomedical applications like wound dressings and tissue engineering scaffolds. It is important to sterilize this material using the most accepted method, the gamma irradiation. In this study, we have evaluated the sterilizability of electrospun polycaprolactone membranes with gamma radiation of varying doses. The irradiated materials were assessed for the changes in morphology, crystallinity, surface degradation, hydrophilicity, mechanical property, sterility and the cell proliferation. Our results demonstrate that electrospun polycaprolactone can be effectively sterilized by gamma irradiation, however a higher dose of radiation affect the materials properties. The irradiated membranes showed improved hydrophilicity and fibroblast cell proliferation.Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, New Delhi.MSUB IPLSARE program.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gpom202016-01-31hb201

Mechanics and Pervaporation Performance of Ionic Liquid Modified CNT Based SBR Membranes - A Case Study for the Separation of Toluene/Heptane Mixtures

SBR/ionic liquid modified CNT Nanocomposites were prepared using different concentration of CNT. Nano scale dispersion of CNT affected the properties of SBR. The results have been compared with the unfilled SBR films. Cure characteristics and mechanical properties such as tensile strength, modulus, abrasion resistance and hardness were measured for different composites. Morphological behaviour and structural characteristics of the composites were investigated by AFM, TEM, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Microstructural development in presence of filler and interfacial interaction between modified CNT and polymer matrix led to enhanced properties. The pervaporation performances of membranes were analysed using a toluene/heptane mixture. Membranes displayed high selectivity towards heptane. The influence of feed composition on pervaporation was also analysed. The 5 phr CNT loaded membrane showed enhanced membrane permeance and selectivity value, an improvement of 18% over the neat polymer. A drop in selectivity and an increase in permeation rate were observed at higher CNT loadings

Полученные методом электростатического формования нанокомпозиты нейлона 6, 12 и клоизита 30B для стоматологического применения

In this study, nylon-nanoclay fibers were prepared by electrospinning. The electrospun membranes were characterized by fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), contact angle and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. The incorporation of nanoclay (Cloisite 30B) to the electrospun membrane which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed improvements in the overall properties of the membrane. Antimicrobial studies carried out using Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans showed that antimicrobial activity of the membrane with higher clay loading was comparable to that of commercially available dental antiseptic, even though lower clay concentrations did not show antimicrobial effects. The incremental addition of the Cloisite 30B resulted in significant increase in the antimicrobial activity and hydrophobicityВ работе были получены методом электростатического формования и исследованы волокна композита нейлона и наноглины (клоизит 30B). Мембраны были охарактеризованы с помощью ИК-спектроскопии, рентгеноструктурного анализа, анализа контактных углов и дифференциальной сканирующей калориметрии. Показано, что включение наноглины в мембраны, которое было подтверждено с помощью просвечивающей электронной микроскопии, привело к улучшению свойств мембран. Исследования, выполненные с использованием Enterococcus faecalis и Candida albicans, установили антимикробную активность мембран с высоким содержанием глины, сопоставимую с активностью имеющихся в продаже антисептиков, используемых в стоматологии. В то же время мембраны с низким содержанием глины не проявляли антимикробных свойств. Увеличение содержания клоизита 30B приводило к существенному увеличению антибактериальной активности и гидрофобности мембра

Polylactic acid/nano chitosan composite fibers and their morphological, physical characterization for the removal of cadmium(II) from water

This work discusses the fabrication of polylactic acid (PLA)/nano chitosan (nCHS) composite fibers by electrospinning method for Cd2+ metal ion adsorption from water. Here nCHS was synthesized by ionic gelation method and which is used as a reinforcement for PLA. The scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that the addition 0.1 wt% nCHS has decreased the fiber diameter as well as the secondary pore size and hence imparted unique properties to electrospun composite fibers. The positive zeta potential values for the composites indicated their higher stability, though; the inclusion of nCHS reduced the crystallinity of the neat membranes. The contact angle measurements showed that the hydrophilicity of the composite was increased up to 0.1 wt% nCHS, and hence the surface energy was increased. Inverse gas chromatography results suggested that the basic character of the composites has intensified with the increase in nCHS addition. The adsorption capacity of the neat electrospun PLA and PLA–nCHS composites for Cd2+ ions were investigated and studies revealed that adsorption capacity of the composite was two times faster (approximately 70%) in comparison with neat PLA fibers. The increase in surface area as well as presence nCHS improved the adsorption capacity of the electrospun membrane.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Environmental Fate of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Risks and Benefits

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are among nanoscale materials displaying exponentially growing production due to their applications in the field of cosmetology, medicine, as antibacterial agent and catalyst. The ZnO nanomaterials release into the aquatic ecosystems through domestic and industrial wastewaters has the potential to induce pernicious effects on fish and other organisms. Increasing concerns on the environmental hazard to aquatic biota have been highlighted by the toxic potential of some metal-based nanomaterials. Several characteristics of ZnO-NPs (e.g. size, shape, surface charge and agglomeration state) play a central role in biological effects such as genotoxic, mutagenic or cytotoxic effects. Overall, Zn bioaccumulation, histopathological, and hematological changes with oxidative and cellular stress have been reported in ZnO-NPs exposed animals

Toxicity Evaluation and Biocompatibility of Nanostructured Biomaterials

Biomaterials have occupied a prominent place in regenerative procedures to restore human health. Moreover, there is a greater need in understanding, analyzing and establishing their toxicity profile. These, when made into nano-sized constructions called nanostructured biomaterials, their regenerative potential is enhanced, which could influence their toxicity nature. This chapter intends to give comprehensive information on their nanotoxicology pathways at the cellular level, their entry pathways into the human body, and their potential consequences on human health. It clearly explains the cytocompatibility and biocompatibility of various nanostructured biomaterials for potential human health applications like drug delivery and tissue engineering. A detailed overview of various in vitro and in vivo evaluation methods of biocompatibility of nanomaterials are outlined in this chapter that researchers should address as they move forward in developing new systems for the field of regeneration

Random lasing in rhodamine 6G dye - Kaolinite nanoclay colloids under single shot nanosecond pumping

International audienceRandom lasers [RLs] are mirror-less light sources where feedback emanates from multiple scattering at the expense of spatial coherence and directionality. One of the most straightforward ways to build a random laser [RL] is by preparing a solution of a laser dye, which has a significantly large quantum yield with suspended scatterers (Colloidal based random lasers). Here we showed that rhodamine 6 g (R6G) dye in methanol with Kaolinite nanoclay (scatterer) together could serve the purpose of a disordered active medium. It performs as a good novel platform for colloidal RLs. We investigated the dependence of the concentration of gain medium and scatterers in Kaolinite nanoclay colloidal RLs under single-shot nanosecond pumping. Line width narrows down to ~5nm above a threshold of 40 μJ per pulse for a particular concentration of gain and scatterer. Finally, narrowing and beta factors (β) are also calculated for further quantification

Nanomaterials : synthesis, characterization and applications

xvii, 278 p. : ill. ; 24 c