Search results for "bioengineering"
showing 10 items of 1963 documents
Broadband light trapping in thin film solar cells with self-organized plasmonic nano-colloids
2015
The intense light scattered from metal nanoparticles sustaining surface plasmons makes them attractive for light trapping in photovoltaic applications. However, a strong resonant response from nanoparticle ensembles can only be obtained if the particles have monodisperse physical properties. Presently, the chemical synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles is the method that produces the highest monodispersion in geometry and material quality, with the added benefits of being low-temperature, low-cost, easily scalable and of allowing control of the surface coverage of the deposited particles. In this paper, novel plasmonic back-reflector structures were developed using spherical gold colloids wi…
The Engineering of Hot Carbon Nanotubes with a Focused Electron Beam
2004
Single-wall and multiwall carbon nanotubes at high temperature are irradiated with the focused electron beam in an electron microscope. Nanotubes can be tailored with monolayer precision, and new morphologies of nanotubes are created. Atoms from layers of multiwall tubes can be removed and the tubes can be bent by a predefined angle. Bundles of single-wall tubes are transformed locally to multiwall tubes with coherent transition between the two modifications.
Thermo-optic control of dielectric-loaded plasmonic Mach-Zehnder interferometers and directional coupler switches
2012
We report detailed experimental studies of compact fiber-coupled dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguide components-Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) and directional couplers (DCs)-whose operation at telecom wavelengths is controlled via the thermo-optic effect by electrically heating the gold stripe of dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguides. The effect of the gaps isolating the heated part of the waveguide from the rest of the structure was examined showing the presence of a Fabry-Perot cavity in this MZI arm. Wavelength-dependent modulation is demonstrated with MZI-based components, and wavelength dependent low power (similar to 0.92 mW) rerouting is achieved with DC switches. Furthermore…
The fingerprint of Te-rich and stoichiometric Bi2Te3 nanowires by Raman spectroscopy
2016
We unambiguously show that the signature of Te-rich bismuth telluride is the appearance of three new peaks in the Raman spectra of Bi2Te3, located at 88, 117 and 137 cm−1 . For this purpose, we have grown stoichiometric Bi2Te3 nanowires as well as Te-rich nanowires. The absence of these peaks in stoichiometric nanowires, even in those with the smallest diameter, shows that they are not related to confinement effects or the lack of inversion symmetry, as stated in the literature, but to the existence of Te clusters. These Te clusters have been found in nonstoichiometric samples by high resolution electron microscopy, while they are absent in stoichiometric samples. The Raman spectra of the l…
Core-shell PLA/Kef hybrid scaffolds for skin tissue engineering applications prepared by direct kefiran coating on PLA electrospun fibers optimized v…
2021
Abstract Over the recent years, there is a growing interest in electrospun hybrid scaffolds composed of synthetic and natural polymers that can support cell attachment and proliferation. In this work, the physical and biological properties of polylactic acid (PLA) electrospun mats coated with kefiran (Kef) were evaluated. Gravimetric, spectroscopic (FTIR-ATR) and morphological investigations via scanning electron microscopy confirmed the effective formation of a thin kefiran layer wrapped on the PLA fibers with an easy-tunable thickness. Air plasma pre-treatment carried out on PLA (P-PLA) affected both the morphology and the crystallinity of Kef coating as confirmed by differential scanning…
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and Copolymers: A Review on Recent Progresses in Biomedical Applications.
2017
The innate ability of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) thermo-responsive hydrogel to copolymerize and to graft synthetic polymers and biomolecules, in conjunction with the highly controlled methods of radical polymerization which are now available, have expedited the widespread number of papers published in the last decade—especially in the biomedical field. Therefore, PNIPAAm-based hydrogels are extensively investigated for applications on the controlled delivery of active molecules, in self-healing materials, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, or in the smart encapsulation of cells. The most promising polymers for biodegradability enhancement of PNIPAAm hydrogels are probably…
E-beam irradiation and UV photocrosslinking of microemulsion-laden poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) hydrogels for ‘‘in situ’’ encapsulation of volatile hy…
2011
Gelled microemulsions are the subject of considerable scientific and commercial interest. Many efforts are currently devoted to improving their toxicological profile and functioning as biocompatible diffusion barrier for the controlled delivery of hydrophobic compounds. In the present investigation, a non-ionic polymeric surfactant was chosen to generate an oil-in-water microemulsion of a model fragrance in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP). The microemulsion was then subjected to either electron-beam or UV-irradiation to induce free-radical crosslinking of PVP at low temperature and in the absence of crosslinking agents, catalysts and initiators. Irradiation conditions with…
The effect of THF and the chelating modifier DTHFP on the copolymerisation of β-myrcene and styrene: kinetics, microstructures, morphologies, and mec…
2022
The statistical anionic copolymerisation of the biobased monomer β-myrcene with styrene in cyclohexane was investigated via in situ near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, focusing on the influence of the modifiers (i.e., Lewis bases) tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 2,2-di(2-tetrahydrofuryl)propane (DTHFP) on the reactivity ratios. With increasing [modifier]/[Li] ratio, the reactivity ratios in the system myrcene/styrene are adjustable from rS ≪ rMyrvia rS ≈ rMyr to rS ≫ rMyr. The bidentate modifier DTHFP affects the reactivity ratios much more than THF: minute amounts only (0.35 equivalent relative to Li) are required to randomize the copolymer, and one equivalent to invert the reactivity ratios. Usin…
The poly(propylene oxide-co-ethylene oxide) gradient is controlled by the polymerization method: determination of reactivity ratios by direct compari…
2019
An investigation of the highly relevant copolymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) by in situ1H NMR spectroscopy shows striking differences in the copolymerization kinetics, depending on the polymerization method. Examination of the EO/PO copolymerization kinetics using iBu3Al for the monomer-activated anionic ring opening polymerization (AROP) confirmed a strong monomer gradient of the microstructure (rEO = 6.4, rPO = 0.16) in contrast to the known weak gradient in the conventional AROP (rEO = 2.8, rPO = 0.25). The first study via in situ1H-NMR kinetics of the copolymerization of PO and EO under heterogeneous double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysis, a method that produce…
Interpolymer complex between hydroxypropyl cellulose and maleic acid-styrene copolymer: phase behavior of semi-dilute solutions.
2005
Summary: The phase behavior of a water/hydroxypropyl cellulose/maleic acid–styrene copolymer (H2O/HPC/MAc-S) system was investigated in the semi-dilute range by turbidimetry, rheology, and optical microscopy. The two polymers under investigation form interpolymer complexes via hydrogen bonding. In the case of a total polymer concentration of cpol = 5 mg · mL−1 a second phase segregates upon heating the homogeneous ternary system. By applying a constant shear rate ( = 50 s−1) the phase separation temperature of the system is 10–15 °C lower than for an unsheared one. For cpol = 10 mg · mL−1 phase separation has already occurred at room temperature when the two binary polymer solutions are mix…