• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.452-458
• /
• 2018

This research is conducted to create a functional hydrogel ophthalmic lens containing nanoparticles. Carbon nanoparticles and PEGMEMA are used as additives for the basic combination of HEMA, MA, and MMA, and the materials are copolymerized with EGDMA as the cross-linking agent and AIBN as the thermal initiator. The hydrogel lens is produced using a cast-mold method, and the materials are thermally polymerized at $100^{\circ}C$ for an hour. The polymerized lens sample is hydrated in a 0.9 % saline solution for 24 hours before the optical and physical characteristics of the lens are measured. The refractive index, water content, contact angle, light transmittance, and tensile strength are measured to evaluate the physical and optical characteristics of the hydrogel lens. The refractive index, water content, contact angle, UV-B light transmittance, UV-A light transmittance, visible light transmittance, tensile strength and breaking strength of the hydrogel lens polymer are 1.4019~1.4281, 43.05~51.18 %, $31.95{\sim}68.61^{\circ}$, 21.69~58.11 %, 35.59~84.26 %, 45.85~88.06 %, 0.1075~0.1649 kgf and 0.1520~0.2250 kgf, respectively. The results demonstrate an increase in refractive index, tensile strength and breaking strength and a decrease in contact angle and light transmittance. Furthermore, the visible light transmissibility is significantly increased at PEG 10 %. It is clear that this material can be used for high-performance ophthalmic lenses with wettability, ultraviolet ray blocking effect, and tensile strength.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.408-412
• /
• 2008

The rosiglitazone loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by the emulsion-evaporation method and optimized for particle size and entrapment efficiency. The optimized particles were 140-180 nm in size with narrow size distribution and 80% entrapment efficiency at 1% w/w initial drug loading when prepared with 1-3% w/v of PVA as a surfactant. These particulate carriers exhibited controlled in vitro release of rosiglitazone for 36 hrs at a nearly constant rate after 4 hrs release. In conclusion, these results indicate that PLGA NPs have greater potential for oral delivery of rosiglitazone.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.259-264
• /
• 2009

Chemical modification of magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) with functional polymers has recently gained a great deal of attention because of the potential application of MNPs to in vivo and in vitro biotechnology. The potential use of MNPs as capturing agents and sensitive biosensors has been intensively investigated because MNPs exhibit good separation-capability and binding-specificity for biomolecules after suitable surface functionalization processes. In this work, we demonstrate an efficient method for the surface modification of MNPs, by combining surface-initiated polymerization and the subsequent conjugation of the biologically active molecules. The polymeric shells of non-biofouling poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate)(pPEGMA) were introduced onto the surface of MNPs by surface-initiated, atom transfer radical polymerization(SI-ATRP). With biotin as a model of biologically active compounds, the polymeric shells underwent successful post-functionalization via activation of the polymeric shells and bioconjugation of biotin. The resulting MNP hybrids showed a biospecific binding property for streptavidin and could be separated by magnet capture.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.291-296
• /
• 2014

In recent years, researchers have extensively investigated polymers filled with inorganic nanoparticles because these materials present improved physical properties relative to those of conventional unfilled polymers. Oxides, silica in particular, are the most commonly used inorganic particles because they possess good properties and can be fabricated at a low cost. However, oxides are hydrophilic in nature, and this leads to the presence of water at the interface between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. Due to the predominance of particle-matrix interfaces in nanocomposites, the presence of water at the interlayer region can be problematic. Moreover, the hydrophobic nature of most polymers, particularly for polyolefins such as polyethylene, may make it difficult to remove this interfacial water. In this paper, as-received and moistened samples of agglomerated nanosilica/polyethylene were dried using an isothermal treatment at $60^{\circ}C$, and the efficacy of this treatment was studied using dielectric spectroscopy. The Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars relaxation peaks were observed to shift to lower frequencies by three decades, and this was linked to a modification of the water content, due to drying, at the interfaces between silica and polyethylene and at the interfaces within the nanosilica agglomerates. The evolution of the extracted retardation time is explained by the nanosilica hydrophily and the free volume introduced by the nanoparticles.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.626-630
• /
• 2008

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) was used successfully to control the size and distribution of silver nanoparticles generated on inorganic silica nanofibers. The inorganic nanofibers were electro spun using sol-gel chemistry of silicates, and the diameter of the prepared nanofibers was unaffected by adding up to 7% of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The silver ions, in the form of silver nitrate, were introduced into the silica nanofibers and reduced to metallic silver by ultraviolet irradiation with a subsequent thermal treatment. The size of the generated silver particles was decreased dramatically by adding poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The size of the silver nanoparticles was 73 nm when no poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) was added but 23 nm with the addition of only 1% of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). The extent of reduction could be checked by determining the concentration of silver ions leached into water from the silica nanofibers. After thermal treatment of the silica nanofibers, more than 99% of the silver remained in the nanofibers, indicating almost complete reduction of the silver ions to silver metal.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.1424-1429
• /
• 2010

A poly(${\gamma}$-glutamic acid) (${\gamma}$PGA)-cholesterol conjugate was synthesized and its properties were then evaluated. The conjugate exhibited an amphiphilic nature derived from the hydrophilic ${\gamma}$PGA backbone and the hydrophobic cholesterol side chain. The conjugate spontaneously formed nanoparticles, becoming an aqueous solution when at low concentrations, and at high concentrations the result was the formation of a physical gel. By utilizing the self-aggregating properties of the conjugate in water, an artificial chaperone was developed. A complex of protein, with the nanoparticles of the conjugate, was formed and the protein was released upon the dissociation of the nanoparticles through the addition of ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin. For denatured carbonic anhydrase, the activity was recovered in the artificial chaperone of the nanoparticle conjugate.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.195-207
• /
• 2018

First-order reliability method (FORM) is enhanced based on the search direction using relaxed conjugate reliability (RCR) approach for the embedded nanocomposite beam under buckling failure mode. The RCR method is formulated using discrete conjugate map with a limited scalar factor. A dynamical relaxed factor is proposed to control instability of proposed RCR, which is adjusted using sufficient descent condition. The characteristic of equivalent materials for nanocomposite beam are obtained by micro-electro-mechanical model. The probabilistic model of nanocomposite beam is simulated using the sinusoidal shear deformation theory (SSDT). The beam is subjected to external applied voltage in thickness direction and the surrounding elastic medium is modeled by Pasternak foundation. The governing equations are derived in terms of energy method and Hamilton's principal. Using exact solution, the implicit buckling limit state function of nanocomposite beam is proposed, which is involved various random variables including thickness of beam, length of beam, spring constant of foundation, shear constant of foundation, applied voltage, and volume fraction of ZnO nanoparticles in polymer. The robustness, accuracy and efficiency of proposed RCR method are evaluated for this engineering structural reliability problem. The results demonstrate that proposed RCR method is more accurate and robust than the excising reliability methods-based FORM. The volume fraction of ZnO nanoparticles and the applied voltage are the sensitive variables on the reliable levels of the nanocomposite beams.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.435-439
• /
• 2016

We report a novel detection technology for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) that is measured primarily to identify the three-month average plasma glucose concentration. In enzymatic measuring of glycated hemoglobin, the generated hydrogen peroxide was then used as a reducing agent of gold (III) for the synthesis of gold (0). Gold nanoparticles obtained from this novel approach were measured by optical and piezoelectric methods. In optical method, we have developed polymer based film-type sensor cartridge filled with all the reagents for glycated hemoglobin analysis and the cartridge worked very well having the detection limit of 0.53% of glycated hemoglobin. On the other hand, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors also have been developed to determine the abilities of surface modified QCM sensors at various levels of the concentration of glycated hemoglobin to bind gold nanoparticles and limit of detection was 0.90%. Finally, despite of relatively lower sensitivities of QCM sensor and film-type optical sensor than well-plate based optical detection, these two sensors were available to measure the glycated hemoglobin level for diabetes patients and normal person.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2019

Piezoelectric energy harvesting technology is attracting attention, as it can be used to convert more accessible mechanical energy resources to periodic electricity. Recent developments in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are associated with nanocomposites made from inorganic piezoelectric nanomaterials and organic elastomers. Here, we used the $BaTiO_3$ nanoparticles and piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymeric matrix to fabricate the nanocomposites-based PEH to improve the output performance of PEHs. The piezoelectric nanocomposite is produced by dispersing the inorganic piezo-ceramic nanoparticles inside an organic piezo-polymer and subsequently spin-coat it onto a metal plate. The fabricated organic-inorganic piezoelectric nanocomposite-based PEH harvested the output voltage of ~1.5 V and current signals of ~90 nA under repeated mechanical pushings: these values are compared to those of energy devices made from non-piezoelectric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers and supported by a multiphysics simulation software.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.81-92
• /
• 2023

In this work, the effect of the addition of Aerosil 200, an insulating resin applied in many industries, on the water absorption of cement plast mixture has been experimentally evaluated. First, the preparation stages of cement plast mixture was evaluated based on corresponding standards and then, the effect of the addition of Aerosil 200 nanoparticles (NPs) to cement plast mixtures with sand weight percentage range of 0-0.1% on the variation of water absorption properties was evaluated based on National Standard Institution of Iran 20185 for Concrete Flooring Blocks - Requirements and Test Procedures. Based on the obtained results, it could be found that excessive addition of NPs did not affect the physical properties of the final product. Water absorption percentage was increased in the weight percentage of cement. By the increase of the amount of Aerosil 200 NPs in the prepared cement plast mixture, the percentage of water absorption in weight percentage of sand was decreased. Cement plast with NPs presented significantly lower water absorption than that without NPs.