Nanostructuring polymeric materials by templating strategies

This contribution summarizes efforts in designing, assembling/synthesizing, and structurally and functionally characterizing nanostructured materials using anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) as a thin-film template. Optical waveguide spectroscopy, using a nanoporous template as the guiding structure, is a particularly powerful analytical tool. The layer-by-layer approach for the fabrication of multilayer assemblies is shown to allow the fabrication of nanotube arrays. In addition to using dendrimers as building blocks, semiconducting nanomaterial (e.g., quantum dot) hybrid architectures with very interesting photophysical properties can be assembled. These can be employed, for example, in biosensing applications. Other strategies for using the AAO layers as templates include the growth of polymeric nanorod arrays from different functional monomers, which, after the dissolution of the template, are still able to guide light. This opens up novel concepts for integrated optics platforms with nanostructured materials.     

Maintenance of safety and quality of refrigerated ready-to-cook seasoned ground beef product (meatball) by combining gamma irradiation with modified atmosphere packaging

Abstract: Meatballs were prepared by mixing ground beef and spices and inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. enteritidis before packaged in modified atmosphere (3% O₂+ 50% CO₂+ 47% N₂) or aerobic conditions. The packaged samples were irradiated at 0.75, 1.5, and 3 kGy doses and stored at 4 °C for 21 d. Survival of the pathogens, total plate count, lipid oxidation, color change, and sensory quality were analyzed during storage. Irradiation at 3 kGy inactivated all the inoculated (approximately 10⁶ CFU/g) S. enteritidis and L. monocytogenes cells in the samples. The inoculated (approximately 10⁶ CFU/g) E. coli O157:H7 cells were totally inactivated by 1.5 kGy irradiation. D¹⁰‐values for E. coli O157:H7, S. enteritidis, and L. monocytogenes were 0.24, 0.43, and 0.41 kGy in MAP and 0.22, 0.39, and 0.39 kGy in aerobic packages, respectively. Irradiation at 1.5 and 3 kGy resulted in 0.13 and 0.36 mg MDA/kg increase in 2‐thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS) reaching 1.02 and 1.49 MDA/kg, respectively, on day 1. Irradiation also caused significant loss of color and sensory quality in aerobic packages. However, MAP effectively inhibited the irradiation‐induced quality degradations during 21‐d storage. Thus, combining irradiation (3 kGy) and MAP (3% O₂+ 50% CO₂+ 47% N₂) controlled the safety risk due to the potential pathogens and maintained qualities of meatballs during 21‐d refrigerated storage. Practical Application: Combined use of gamma irradiation and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) can maintain quality and safety of seasoned ground beef (meatball). Seasoned ground beef can be irradiated at 3 kGy and packaged in MAP with 3% O₂+ 50% CO₂+ 47% N₂ gas mixture in a high barrier packaging materials. These treatments can significantly decrease risk due to potential pathogens including E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. enteritidis in the product. The MAP would reduce the undesirable effects of irradiation on quality, and extend the shelf life of the product for up to 21 d at 3 °C.     

Antioxidant activities of organic grape, pomace, juice, must, wine and their correlation with phenolic content

The highest values of antioxidant activity (AOA), inhibition of low‐density lipoproteins (LDL‐diene, LDL‐MDA) and total phenols were determined in pomace (82.30 and 82.60%), grapes (68.91%) and must [2750 mg L^?1 gallic acid equivalents (GAE)], respectively. For all parameters (AOA, iLDL‐diene, iLDL‐MDA, total phenols) the highest values were obtained in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties. Positive correlations were determined between AOA and iLDL‐diene (r = 0.809); AOA and total phenols (r = 0.528); total phenols and iLDL‐diene (r = 0.451) with significance of P < 0.005. The results of principal component analysis demonstrated that the location of iLDL‐diene and AOA is the same for pomace, must and red wines. The total phenols are found in the same place in red wines, red grapes, pomace and must. The results emphasize the importance of must, pomace and red wine for inhibiting LDL‐oxidation.     

Transient protein-protein interactions

Transient complexes are crucial for diverse biological processes such as biochemical pathways and signaling cascades in the cell. Here, we give an overview of the transient interactions; the importance of transient interactions as drug targets; and the structural characterization of transient protein-protein complexes based on the geometrical and physicochemical features of the transient complexes' interfaces. To better understand and eventually design transient protein-protein interactions (TPPIs), a molecular perspective of the protein-protein interfaces is necessary. Obtaining high-quality structures of protein-protein interactions could be one way of achieving this goal. After introducing the association kinetics of TPPIs, we elaborate on the experimental techniques detecting TPPIs in combination with the computational methods which classify transient and/or non-obligate complexes. In this review, currently available databases and servers that can be used to identify and predict TPPIs are also compiled.     

Property enhancement in unsaturated polyester nanocomposites by using a reactive intercalant for clay modification

Polymeric nanocomposites were synthesized from unsaturated polyester (UPE) matrix and montmorillonite (MMT) clay using an in situ free radical polymerization reaction. Organophilic MMT was obtained using a quaternary salt of coco amine as intercalant having a styryl group making it a reactive intercalant. The resultant nanocomposites were characterized via X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of increased nanofiller loading on the thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites was investigated. All the nanocomposites were found to have improved thermal and mechanical properties as compared with neat UPE matrix, resulting from the contribution of nanolayer connected intercalant‐to‐crosslinker which allows a crosslinking reaction. It was found that the partially exfoliated nanocomposite structure with an exfoliation dominant morphology was achieved when the MMT loading was 1 wt %. This nanocomposite exhibited the highest thermal stability, the best dynamic mechanical performance and the highest crosslinking density, most probably due to more homogeneous dispersion and optimum amount of styrene monomer molecules inside and outside the MMT layers at 1 wt % loading. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Investigation of Corrosion Behavior of Borided Gear Steels

In this study, corrosion behaviors of GS18NiMoCr36 (GS 18) and GS32NiCrMo6.4 (GS 32) gear steels borided in Ekabor-II powder at the temperature of 950 °C for 2 and 6 h were investigated in a 6 % M HCI acid solution. The boride layer was characterized by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction technique and the Micro-Vickers hardness tester. X-ray diffraction analysis of boride layers on the surface of the steels revealed the existence of FeB, Fe₂B, CrB and Cr₂B compounds. The thickness of the boride layer increases by increasing boriding time for gear steels. The hardness of the boride compounds formed on the surface of the steels GS 18 and GS 32 ranged from 1,728 to 1,905 HV_0,05 and 1,815 to 2,034 HV_0,05 respectively, whereas Vickers hardness values of the untreated steels GS 18 and GS 32 were 335 HV_0,05 and 411 HV_0,05, respectively. The corrosion resistance of borided gear steels is higher compared with that of unborided steels. The boride layer increased the corrosion resistances of gear steels 4–6-fold.     

Effects of structural parameters on compressibility and soiling properties of machine woven carpets

Compressibility performance of the machine woven carpet after a static or dynamic loading expresses the texture deformation tendency of the carpet. This study is an experimental attempt to investigate the effects of pile height and pile density on compressibility and soiling property by dynamic loading, prolonged heavy static loading, compression recovery and artificial soiling tests. In this study, a total of 12 carpet samples with three different pile heights and four different pile densities were tested. As a result of this study, it was seen that higher pile density provides a lower thickness loss and so a lower level of texture deformation. On the other hand, pile height has a preventing effect for texture deformation for static loading and compression recovery tests whereas there is no considerable effect on dynamic loading test. There is no considerable difference between the soiling properties of the samples.     

A Thienothiophene-Based Cation Treatment Allows Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells with Improved Efficiency and Stability

Perovskite surface treatment with additives has been reported to improve charge extraction, stability, and/or surface passivation. In this study, treatment of a 3D perovskite ((FAPbI₃)_1−x(MAPbBr₃)_x) layer with a thienothiophene-based organic cation (TTMAI), synthesized in this work, is investigated. Detailed analyses reveal that a 2D (n = 1) or quasi-2D layer does not form on the PbI₂-rich surface 3D perovskite. TTMAI-treated 3D perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated in this study show improved fill factors, providing an increase in their power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) from 17% to over 20%. It is demonstrated that the enhancement is due to better hole extraction by drift-diffusion simulations. Furthermore, thanks to the hydrophobic nature of the TTMAI, PSC maintains 82% of its initial PCE under 15% humidity for over 380 h (the reference retains 38%). Additionally, semitransparent cells are demonstrated reaching 17.9% PCE with treated 3D perovskite, which is one of the highest reported efficiencies for double cationic 3D perovskites. Moreover, the semitransparent 3D PSC (TTMAI-treated) maintains 87% of its initial efficiency for six weeks (>1000 h) when kept in the dark at room temperature. These results clearly show that this study fills a critical void in perovskite research where highly efficient and stable semitransparent perovskite solar cells are scarce.