• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.849-862
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• 2017

With growing interests in using bacterial biopolymers in geotechnical practices, identifying mechanical properties of soft gel-like biopolymers is important in predicting their efficacy in soil modification and treatment. As one of the promising candidates, dextran was found to be produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The model bacteria utilize sucrose as working material and synthesize both soluble and insoluble dextran which forms a complex and inhomogeneous polymer network. However, the traditional rheometer has a limitation to capture in situ properties of inherently porous and inhomogeneous biopolymers. Therefore, we used the particle tracking microrheology to characterize the material properties of the dextran polymer. TEM images revealed a range of pore size mostly less than $20{\mu}m$, showing large pores > $2{\mu}m$ and small pores within the solid matrix whose sizes are less than $1{\mu}m$. Microrheology data showed two distinct regimes in the bacterial dextran, purely viscous pore region of soluble dextran and viscoelastic region of the solid part of insoluble dextran matrix. Diffusive beads represented the soluble dextran dissolved in an aqueous phase, of which viscosity was three times higher than the growth medium viscosity. The local properties of the insoluble dextran were extracted from the results of the minimally moving beads embedded in the dextran matrix or trapped in small pores. At high frequency (${\omega}>0.2Hz$), the insoluble dextran showed the elastic behavior with the storage modulus of ~0.1 Pa. As frequency decreased, the insoluble dextran matrix exhibited the viscoelastic behavior with the decreasing storage modulus in the range of ${\sim}0.1-10^{-3}Pa$ and the increasing loss modulus in the range of ${\sim}10^{-4}-1\;Pa$. The obtained results provide a compilation of frequency-dependent rheological or viscoelastic properties of soft gel-like porous biopolymers at the particular conditions where soil bacteria produce bacterial biopolymers in subsurface.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.309-320
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• 2003

Since the concrete covers most structures in modern architecture and it is composed of aggregates of about 75%, the appropriate selection of aggregates is valuable for the durability of concrete. A major cause of the expansion of mortar-bar measured by ASTM C 227-90 has been accounted by the alkali-aggregate reaction. This study carried out designed experiments on some aggregates including basalt and sandstone, to classify the expansion factors into the alkali-aggregate reaction, the increase of the gel pore volume, and the interstitial water that could expand physically the cracks or foliation developed in aggregates itself. The quantitative analyses of expansion by each factor indicated that the interstitial water and/or the alkali-aggregate reaction had major roles in the concrete expansion. Thus, if the supplied aggregates have deteriorated the structural framework, it is important to investigate the exact causes through this suggested method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.484.2-484.2
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• 2014

There are many efforts to improving the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Although DSCs have a low production cost, their low PCE and low thermal stability have limited commercial applications. This study describes the preparation of a novel multifunctional polymer gel electrolyte in which a cross-linking polymerization reaction is used to encapsulate $TiO_2$ nanoparticles toward improving the power conversion efficiency and long-term stability of a quasi-solid state DSC. A series of liquid junction dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) was fabricated based on polymer membrane encapsulated dye-sensitized $TiO_2$ nanoparticles, prepared using a surface-induced cross-linking polymerization reaction, to investigate the dependence of the solar cell performance on the encapsulating membrane layer thickness. The ion conductivity decreased as the membrane thickness increased; however, the long term-stability of the devices improved with increasing membrane thickness. Nanoparticles encapsulated in a thick membrane (ca. 37 nm), obtained using a 90 min polymerization time, exhibited excellent pore filling among $TiO_2$ particles. This nanoparticle layer was used to fabricate a thin-layered, quasi-solid state DSC. The thick membrane prevented short-circuit paths from forming between the counter and the $TiO_2$ electrode, thereby reducing the minimum necessary electrode separation distance. The quasi-solid state DSC yielded a high power conversion efficiency (7.6/8.1%) and excellent stability during heating at $65^{\circ}C$ over 30 days. These performance characteristics were superior to those obtained from a conventional DSC (7.5/3.5%) prepared using a $TiO_2$ active layer with the same thickness. The reduced electrode separation distance shortened the charge transport pathways, which compensated for the reduced ion conductivity in the polymer gel electrolyte. Excellent pore filling on the $TiO_2$ particles minimized the exposure of the dye to the liquid and reduced dye detachment.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 2003

Physical properties and microstructure of new coumarin 4 doped $SiO_2$-PDMS ORMOSILs, synthesized by one-step (OS, acid-catalysis) and two-step (TS, acid-base catalysis) routes of sol-gel method with varying pH (0.6 to 7) and dye content $(5\;{times}\;10^{-4}\;to\;5{\times}\;10^{-2}\;mole)$, are reported. BET, UV-visible spectroscopy and SEM were used for characterizations. The increase in acid or base concentration increased the size of pores and aggregated silica particles. The samples with pH ≤ 2.5 were transparent and attributed to the small size of pores (~20 Å) and silica particles. The samples with pH > 2.5 were translucent or opaque due to non-uniform pore system formed by voids and large aggregated silica particles. The surface area was found a key factor controlling the interactions between the gel matrix and the dye. The OS samples with the highest dye concentration exhibited the minimal values of pore size, surface area and silica particle size, resulting in the concentration-quenching phenomenon.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.99-104
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• 1996

Carbohydrate-free caseinomacropeptide (CMP) was isolated from the sweet whey powder by a precipitation method using 12% trichloroacetic acid. The yield of carbohydrate-free CMP was 2.7 g from 100 g sweet whey powder. The electrophoretic pattern and the amino acid analysis of CMP showed that isolated CMP was quite pure, indicating the precipitation with 12% trichloroacetic acid was very effective for isolating carbohydrate-free CMP from the sweet whey powder. Trypsin, covalently immobilized on pore glass beads by carbodiimide (EDC) method, was 20mg per 1g glass beads. CMP was almost completely hydrolyzed by soluble trypsin in 24hr, but not by immobilized trypsin. The tryptic hydrolysates were fractionated on a Bio-Gel P 4 column $(1.5{\times}120\;cm)$and separated peptides were tested for their capacities to inhibit platelet aggregation using a aggregometer. The hydrolysate obtained from CMP after 24hr digestion by immobilized trypsin showed the highest activity.

• Composites Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.336-340
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• 2020

In this study, carbon aerogels (CA) were prepared by sol-gel polycondensation of resorcinol and furfural in isopropanol using hexamethylenetetramine as a catalyst, and then directly drying the organic gels under isopropanol freeze-drying conditions, followed by carbonization under a nitrogen atmosphere. The preparation conditions of the CA were explored by changing the mole ratio of resorcinol to furfural. The effect of the preparation conditions on the pore structure of the CA was studied by nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The characteristics of the CA were studied by scanning and transition electron microscopy, and infrared spectrometry. The accessibility of pores and performance of the CA as an electrode in electric double layer capacitors were also electrochemically investigated. As a result, BET surface area and specific capacitance increased with the molar ratio of resorcinol to catalyst (R/C) ratio; the maximum values of 765 ㎡/g and 132 F/g were achieved at the R/C ratio of 200, respectively. Consequently, it was confirmed that increasing the R/C ratio increased the average pore size of the CA electrode, which improved the rate capability of the system.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2023

Nanoparticles are known for their outstanding properties such as particle size, surface area, optical and electrical properties. These properties have significantly boasted their applications in various surface phenomena. In this work, calcium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from periwinkle shells as an approach towards waste management through resource recovery. The sol gel method was used for the synthesis. The nanoparticles were characterized using X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infra-Red Spectrophotometer (FTIR), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultra violet visible spectrophotometer (UV-visible). While DLS and SEM underestimate the particle diameter, the BET analysis reveals surface area of 138.998 m²/g, pore volume = 0.167 m³/g and pore diameter of 2.47 nm. The nanoparticles were also employed as an adsorbent for the purification of dye (methyl orange) contaminated water. The adsorbent showed excellent removal efficiency (up to 97 %) for the dye through the mechanism of physical adsorption. The adsorption of the dye fitted the Langmuir and Temkin models. Analysis of FTIR spectrum after adsorption complemented with computational chemistry modelling to reveal the imine nitrogen group as the site for the adsorption of the dye unto the nanomaterials. The synthesized nanomaterials have an average particle size of 24 nm, showed a unique XRD peak and is thermally and mechanically stable within the investigated temperature range (30 to 70 ℃).

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.104-114
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• 1994

ZrO2 fibers were fabricated by means of the Sol-Gel process using Zr(O-nC3H7)4-H2O-C2H5OH-HNO3 solution as a starting material. The optimum experimental parameters such as molar ratio of starting materials, concentration, temperature, viscosity, the amounts of stabilizer and the pH of solution were determined. The experimentally determined optimum variables which produce good ZrO2 fibers were used to manufacture the Y2O3-and CaO-ZrO2 fibers. The amounts of Y2O3 and CaO were varied within the range from 1.5~5 mol% and 3~15 mol% respectively. The phase transformation and microstructural evolution of the fabricated ZrO2 gel fibers were investigated after heat treatments up to 120$0^{\circ}C$ by X-ray diffraction, Raman microprobe spectroscopy, SEM, and specific surface area and pore volume measurements. From the analysis of X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra, the phase of heat treated Y2O3-and CaO partially stabilized ZrO2 gel fibers(Y2O3:2.5~3 mol%, CaO:6~9 mol%) were identified as a tetragonal phase up to 100$0^{\circ}C$. The maximum tensile strength of 2.5Y2O3-97.5ZrO2 and 6CaO-94ZrO2 (in mol%) fibers heat treated at 100$0^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr was found be 1.3~2 GPa with diameters of 10~20 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.902-907
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• 1998

In this study the anaerobic degradation of nitrate by in GFM (gel and foam matrix) and bead gel immobilized Paracoccus denitrificans DSM 65 in continous culture was conducted. A novel GFM immobilization system was developed in order to improve conventional system (bead). With increasing nitrate concentration in water, the nitrate reduction rate was increased. The observed maximum denitrification rate by in GFM immobilized cells was 177 mg/L h in buffered water, while that was 33 mg/L h in tap water. In comparison with bead system the reduction activity by GFM system showed $1.2{\sim}2.1$ times better. The denitrification activity was not changed after 16 days storage at $5^{\circ}C$ and also showed better activity than that of free cells or even bead immobilized cells.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.531-537
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• 2009

In this study alkali reactivity of crushed stone was conducted according to the ASTM C 227 that is traditional mortar bar test, and C 1260 that is accelerated mortar bar test method. The morphology and chemical composition of products formed in mortar bar, 3 years after the mortar bar tests had been performed, were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with secondary electron imaging (SEI) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) with backscattered electron imaging (BSEI). The crushed stone used in this study was not identified as being reactive by ASTM C 227. However, mortar bars exceeded the limit for deleterious expansion in accelerated mortar bar test used KOH solution. The result of SEM (SEI) analysis, after the ASTM C 227 mortar bar test, confirmed that there were no reactive products and evidence of reaction between aggregate particles and cement paste. However, mortar bars exposed to alkali solution (KOH) indicated that crystallized products having rosette morphology were observed in the interior wall of pores. EPMA results of mortar bar by ASTM C 227 indicated that white dots were observed on the surface of particles and these products were identified as Al-ASR gels. It can be considered that the mortar bar by ASTM C 227 started to appear sign of alkali-silica reaction in normal condition. EPMA results of the mortar bar by ASTM C 1260 showed the gel accumulated in the pores and diffused in to the cement matrix through cracks, and gel in the pores were found to be richer in calcium compared to gel in cracks within aggregate particles. In this experimental study, damages to mortar bars due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) were observed. Due to the increasing needs of crushed stones, it is considered that specifications and guidelines to prevent ASR in new concrete should be developed.