• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2015

Purpose: This report compared the diagnostic effectiveness between ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) and gadolinium (Gd) based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiation of axillary status in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The present authors performed a meta-analysis of previous studies that compared USPIO or Gd based MRI with histological diagnosis after surgery or biopsy. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Ovid databases and references of articles to identify studies reporting data until December 2013. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated for every study; summary receiver operating characteristic and subgroup analysis was done. Analyses of study quality and heterogeneity were also assessed. Results: There were 14 publications that met the criteria for inclusion in our meta-analysis. USPIO based MRI showed 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75-0.89) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.94-0.98) for pooled sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Gd based MRI represented pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.55-0.67) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87-0.92) for each. Overall weighted area under the curve for USPIO and Gd based MRI were 0.9563 and 0.9051, respectively. Conclusion: USPIO based MRI had a tendency toward high pooled sensitivity and specificity in detection of axillary metastases for breast cancer. This result may mean that USPIO based MRI could be used as complementary modality to differentiate axillary status more precisely, and assist in the decision-making process regarding possible invasive procedures, such as sentinel node biopsy.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2016

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) composites coated with spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated by a combination of an electrospinning method and a hydrothermal method, and their morphological, structural, and chemical properties are measured by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For comparison, CNFs and spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ NPs are prepared by either an electrospinning method or a hydrothermal method, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with the composites exhibit enhanced open circuit voltage (0.70 V), short-circuit current density ($12.82mA/cm^2$), fill factor (61.30%), and power conversion efficiency (5.52%) compared to those of the CNFs (0.66 V, $11.61mA/cm^2$, 51.96%, and 3.97%) and spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ NPs (0.67 V, $11.45mA/cm^2$, 50.17%, and 3.86%). This performance improvement can be attributed to a synergistic effect of a superb catalytic reaction of spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ NPs and efficient charge transfer relative to the one-dimensional nanostructure of the CNFs. Therefore, spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$-NP-coated CNF composites may be proposed as a potential alternative material for low-cost counter electrodes in DSSCs.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2016

In this study, the organic-inorganic composite membranes composed of iron oxide (Ferroxane) and Nafion were developed as an alternative proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Acetic acid-stabilized lepidocrocite (${\gamma}$-FeOOH) nanoparticles (ferroxane) was synthesized, and the ferroxane-Nafion composite membranes were prepared by mixing Nafion with the ferroxane. The composite membranes were investigated in terms of ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity (IEC), FT-IR, thermal stability, etc. As a result, the ferroxane-Nafion composite membranes showed higher proton conductivity, IEC, thermal stability than Nafion recast membranes. The proton conductivity and IEC of the composite membrane with the best performance were $0.09S\;cm^{-1}$ and $0.906meq\;g^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2024

This study reports a direct growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of LiCoO₂ (LCO) powders to apply as highly efficient cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIB). The CNT synthesis was performed using a thermal chemical vapor deposition apparatus with temperatures from 575 to 625 ℃. Ferritin molecules as growth catalyst of CNTs were mixed in deionized (DI) water with various concentrations from 0.05 to 1.0 mg/mL. Then, the LCO powders was dissolved in the ferritin solution at a ratio of 1g/mL. To obtain catalytic iron nanoparticles on the LCO surface, the LCO-ferritin suspension was dropped in silicon dioxide substrates and calcined under air at 550℃. Subsequently, the direct growth of CNTs on LCO powders was performed using a mixture of acetylene (10 sccm) and hydrogen (100 sccm) for 10 min. The growth behavior was characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The optimized condition yielding high structural quality and amount of CNTs was 600 ℃ and 0.5 mg/mL. The obtained materials will be developed as cathode materials in LIB.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.185-195
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• 2012

Due to the high reduction and sorption capacity as well as the large specific surface area, nanosized mackinawite (FeS) is useful in reductively transforming chlorinated organic pollutants and sequestering toxic metals and metalloids. Due to the dynamic nature in its colloid stability, however, nanosized FeS may be washed out with the groundwater flow or result in aquifer clogging via particle aggregation. Thus, these nanoparticles should be modified such as to be built into permeable reactive barriers. This study employed coating methods in efforts to facilitate the installation of permeable reactive barriers of nanosized mackinawite. In applying the methods, nanosized mackinawite was coated on non-treated silica sand (NTS) and chemically treated silica sand (CTS). For both silica sands, the maximum coating of mackinawite occurred around pH 5.4, the condition of which was governed by (1) the solubility of mackinawite and (2) the surface charge of both silica and mackinawite. Under this pH condition, the maximum coating by NTS and CTS were found to be 0.101 mmol FeS/g and 0.043 mmol FeS/g respectively, with such elevated coatings by NTS likely linked with impurities (e.g., iron oxides) on its surface. Arsenite sorption experiments were performed under anoxic conditions using uncoated silica sands and those coated with mackinawite at the optimal pH to compare their reactivity. At pH 7, the relative sorption efficiency between uncoated NTS and coated NTS changed with the initial concentration of arsenite. At the lower initial concentration, uncoated NTS showed the higher sorption efficiency, whereas at the higher concentration, coated NTS exhibited the higher sorption efficiency. This could be attributed to different sorption mechanisms as a function of arsenite concentration: the surface complexation of arsenite with the iron oxide impurity on silica sand at the low concentration and the precipitation as arsenic sulfides by reaction with mackinawite coating at the high concentration. Compared to coated NTS, coated CTS showed the lower arsenite removal at pH 7 due to its relatively lower mackinawite coating. Taken together, our results indicate that NTS is a more effective material than CTS for the coating of nanosized mackinawite.