• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.363-369
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• 2022

Biomolecular phase separation has recently attracted broad interest, due to its role in the spatiotemporal compartmentalization of living cells. It governs the formation, regulation, and dissociation of biomolecular condensates, which play multiple roles in vivo, from activating specific biochemical reactions to organizing chromatin. Interestingly, biomolecular phase separation seems to be a mainly passive process, which can be explained by relatively simple physical principles and reproduced in vitro with a minimal set of components. This Mini review focuses on our current understanding of the fundamental principles of biomolecular phase separation and the recent progress in the research on this topic.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.6-15
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• 2022

Phase separation is a thermodynamic process leading to the formation of compositionally distinct phases. For the past few years, numerous works have shown that biomolecular phase separation serves as biogenesis mechanisms of diverse intracellular condensates, and aberrant phase transitions are associated with disease states such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Condensates exhibit rich phase behaviors including multiphase internal structuring, noise buffering, and compositional tunability. Recent studies have begun to uncover how a network of intermolecular interactions can give rise to various biophysical features of condensates. Here, we review phase behaviors of biomolecules, particularly with regard to regular solution models of binary and ternary mixtures. We discuss how these theoretical frameworks explain many aspects of the assembly, composition, and miscibility of diverse biomolecular phases, and highlight how a model-based approach can help elucidate the detailed thermodynamic principle for multicomponent intracellular phase separation.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.130-134
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• 2017

Organic aerosols dispersed in the atmosphere likely undergo phase separation. Such internally mixed particles are often described as comprising an organic phase and an aqueous phase separately. We studied the morphology of two liquid separated aerosols in the sub-microscale by using a simple thermodynamic model with Russian doll geometry. The morphology of particles can be easily predicted from the simple criteria on the surface tension and two algebraic equations (the volume constraint and Young equation). This result may give the potential explanation about the complex morphology of the organic airborne particles.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.514-520
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• 2005

Composite membranes of Nafion and sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) were prepared. Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s with different degrees of sulfonation were blended with Nafion to reduce the methanol crossover. The morphology, proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the resulting composite membranes were investigated by SEM, EDAX, AC impedance spectroscopy and permeability measuring instrument. The cross­sections of the composite membranes showed a phase separated morphology. The morphology and phase separation mechanism could be controlled by varying the blend ratio and the degree of sulfonation of poly(arylene ether sulfone). These complex morphologies can be applied for reducing methanol crossover. The methanol permeability and proton conductivity of the composite membranes were lower than those of Nafion 117 membrane since the development of an ionic pathway in the blend membrane was more difficult than that in Nafion itself.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.198-208
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• 2022

Membrane can selectively separate various substances such as organic substances, liquids, solutes, vapors, gases, ions or electrons according to the separation technology and various uses. Membranes are largely divided into symmetric membranes and asymmetric membranes, and classified into porous and nonporous structure depending on the presence or absence of pores. Also, the interface of the membrane may be molecularly uniform, or chemically or physically non-uniform. Preparation techniques include melt extrusion, stretching, template leaching, track-etching, solution casting, phase inversion, and solution coating method. The prepared membrane can be applied to various applications such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, gas separation and energy fields. This review provides a tutorial on how to prepare membranes according to the classification and types.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.423-437
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• 2015

Polyvinylidene fluoride/fullerene nanoparticle (PVDF/$C_{60}$) composite microfiltration (MF) membranes were fabricated by a non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) using N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as solvent and deionized water (DI) as coagulation solution. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was added to the casting solution to form membrane pores. $C_{60}$ was added in increments of 0.2% from 0.0% to 1.0% to produce six different membrane types: one pristine PVDF membrane type with no $C_{60}$ added as control, and five composite membrane types with varying $C_{60}$ concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0%, respectively. The mechanical strength, morphology, pore size and distribution, hydrophilicity, surface property, permeation performance, and fouling resistance of the six membranes types were characterized using respective analytical methods. The results indicate that membranes containing $C_{60}$ have higher surface porosity and pore density than the pristine membrane. The presence of numerous pores on the membrane caused weaker mechanical strength, but the water flux of the composite membranes increased in spite of their smaller size. Initial flux and surface roughness reached the maximum point among the composite membranes when the $C_{60}$ concentration was 0.6 wt.%.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.395-405
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• 2018

Poly(ethylene-co-vinylalcohol) EVOH hollow fiber membranes were successfully fabricated via a thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method. It was observed that all membranes fabricated under different spinning conditions had interconnected and bicontinuous structures through liquid-liquid phase separation. Glycerol and poly(ethylene glycol) 200 were used as diluents for the TIPS method. Glycerol was used as a mixing component in quenching bath to control pores on the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane. Hot quenching bath with a mixing component to generate large pores on the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane. The effects of polymer concentration, diluent and quenching bath on the morphologies, water permeabilities, and mechanical properties of the EVOH hollow fiber membranes were systematically investigated. The relationship between water permeability, mechanical properties and spinning conditions was discussed in detail.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.457-466
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• 2008

The relation between the phase separated morphologies and their transport properties in the polymer blend membrane for direct methanol fuel cell application was studied. In order to enhance the proton conductivity and reduce the methanol crossover, sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymer, with a sulfonation of 60 mol% (sPAES-60), was blended with nonsulfonated poly(ether sulfone) copolymer (RH-2000, Solvay). Various morphologies were obtained by varying the drying condition and the concentration of the casting solution (10, 15, 20 wt%). The transport properties of proton and methanol molecule through the polymer blend membranes were studied according to the absorbed water. AC impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the proton conductivity and a liquid permeability measuring instrument was designed to measure the methanol permeability. The state of water in the blend membranes was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and was used to correlate the morphology of the membrane with the membrane transport properties.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Poly(ether block amide) (PEBA) is one of the commercially important class of block copolymer very much suitable specifically for $CO_2$ separation. Gas separation membrane need to have good mechanical strength as well as high gas permeability. The crystalline polyamide (PA) block provides the mechanical strength while the rubbery polyether (PE) group being $CO_2$-philic facilitate $CO_2$ permeation though the membrane. Composition of thermoplastic and rubbery phase in the polymer are changed to fit into suitable gas separation application. Although PEBA has good permeability, the selectivity of the membrane can be enhanced by incorporating molecular sieve without affection much the gas permeability. Mixed matrix membrane (MMM), a class of composite membrane combine the advantage of polymer matrix with the inorganic fillers. However, there are some disadvantages based on the compatibility of the inorganic fillers and polymeric phase. This review covers both the advantage and limitations of PEBA block copolymer based composite membrane.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.268-275
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• 2006

Novel SILEMs were prepared by multi-stage phase separation process combined by the low temperature phase separation (LTPS) and the high temperature phase separation (HTPS) using room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) which have a high ionic conductivity. PVDF and imidazolium series ionic liquids were used as membrane material and electrolyte, respectively. To study the ion conducting properties, the SILEMs were tested using LCR meter at temperature controlled from 30 to $130^{\circ}C$. Under humid conditions, with increasing temperature from 30 to $100^{\circ}C$, the ion conductivity of the cast $Nafion^{(R)}$ membrane increased linearly, but then started to decrease after $100^{\circ}C$. However, in the case of the SILEMs, with increasing operating temperature, the ion conductivity increased. Also, the ion conductivity behaviors of the SILEMs were almost same, regardless of humidity. The ion conductivity of the SILEMs was $2.7{\times}10^{-3}S/cm$ and increased almost linearly up to $2.2{\times}10^{-2}S/cm$ with increasing temperature to $130^{\circ}C$. The effects of an inorganic filler on the physical properties of the SILEMs were studied using the $SiO_2$. The addition of $SiO_2$ could improve the mechanical strength of the SILEMs, though the ionic conductivity was decreased slightly.