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Recent Advances In Surface Tailoring Of Thin Film Forward Osmosis Membranes: A Review, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Mohadeseh Najafi, Wafa Suwaileh, Amir Razmjou, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The recent advancements in fabricating forward osmosis (FO) membranes have shown promising results in desalination and water treatment. Different methods have been applied to improve FO performance, such as using mixed or new draw solutions, enhancing the recovery of draw solutions, membrane modification, and developing FO-hybrid systems. However, reliable methods to address the current issues, including reverse salt flux, fouling, and antibacterial activities, are still in progress. In recent decades, surface modification has been applied to different membrane processes, including FO membranes. Introducing nanochannels, bioparticles, new monomers, and hydrophilic-based materials to the surface layer of FO membranes has significantly impacted …

Study Of The Stability Of Heparin/Collagen Layer-By-Layer Coatings, Hector M. Apodaca Reyes

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pairing heparin with collagen-based medical implants has opened a whole new area of research for enhancing the desired effect of current implants. In fact, heparin (HEP) and collagen (COL) layer-by-layer (LbL) coatings have shown impressive results in forming polyelectrolyte multilayers. It has been already seen on skin grafts, nerve guide conduits (NGCs), and drug delivery devices yielding promising results. Due to being a simple, cost-efficient, and versatile option to fabricate thin biomimetic films, this self-assembly technique is one of the most effective methods to immobilize extracellular matrix (collagen and heparin) onto medical devices and implants. Even though previous studies have …

Biodegradable Active Bio-Nanocomposite Film For The Enhanced Shelf Life Of Tomatoes, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

The increased environmental pollution has led to finding sustainable solutions for non-renewable plastic-based food packaging materials. Thus, the use of biomaterial-based packaging material has become an immense trend. This work aims at developing an antimicrobial biodegradable chitosanalginate bio-nano composite film with TiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) for food packaging applications. The film was developed by a solution casting method. The chemical, mechanical, thermal, barrier, antimicrobial, and biodegradable properties of the packaging films were evaluated. Packaging studies were performed for 15 days for cherry tomatoes. The designed packaging material had enhanced the mechanical properties with a significantly (p < 0.05) higher tensile strength of 15.76 folds and 2 fold higher elongation at break. The UV barrier properties increased by 88.6%, while the film transparency decreased by 87.23%. Molecular interaction of N-H covalent bonds was observed between alginate and chitosan together with TiO2 NPs. The developed bio-nano composite film showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, and L. monocytogene with a log reduction of 7.08, 7.28, 6.04 & 6.02 log CFU/ml respectively at 24 hours incubation period. The film was completely biodegraded and a weight loss of 89.06% was observed in bio-nanocomposite film during the 3 months. Shelf-life estimation of cherry tomato using developed packaging films showed an increase in the shelf-life up to 8 days with stable pH, total soluble solids, and weight with no bacterial growth when packaged with prepared film. Owing to their improved mechanical, UV barrier, antibacterial, and biodegradability, the prepared active bio-nano composite packaging films could be considered a potential candidate for fruit packaging.

An Active Biodegradable Layer-By-Layer Film Based On Chitosan-Alginate-Tio2 For The Enhanced Shelf Life Of Tomatoes, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Shiviani Pathania, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarma Jaiswal

Articles

This work aims at developing biodegradable active chitosan-alginate layer-by-layer bio-nanocomposite film with TiO₂NPs using the solvent casting method followed by CaCl₂ crosslinking for food packaging applications. The developed films enhanced the tensile strength and elongation at break by 14.76 and 2 folds (p < 0.05) respectively. The UV barrier properties of CH-SA-0.3%TiO₂ film increased by 88.6%, while the film transparency decreased by 87.23%. All films showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, and L. monocytogene. The film with 0.1%TiO₂ showed the complete killing of gram-positive bacteria. The CH-SA-0.1%TiO₂ film was completely biodegraded during the …

Biodegradable Active Bio-Nanocomposite Film For The Enhanced Shelf Life Of Tomatoes, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

The increased environmental pollution has led to finding sustainable solutions for non-renewable plastic-based food packaging materials. Thus, the use of biomaterial-based packaging material has become an immense trend. This work aims at developing an antimicrobial biodegradable chitosan-alginate bio-nano composite film with TiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) for food packaging applications. The film was developed by a solution casting method. The chemical, mechanical, thermal, barrier, antimicrobial, and biodegradable properties of the packaging films were evaluated. Packaging studies were performed for 15 days for cherry tomatoes. The designed packaging material had enhanced the mechanical properties with a significantly (p < 0.05) higher tensile strength of 15.76 folds and 2 fold higher elongation at break. The UV barrier properties increased by 88.6%, while the film transparency decreased by 87.23%. Molecular interaction of N-H covalent bonds was observed between alginate and chitosan together with TiO2 NPs. The developed bio-nano composite film showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, and L. monocytogene with a log reduction of 7.08, 7.28, 6.04 & 6.02 log CFU/ml respectively at 24 hours incubation period. The film was completely biodegraded and a weight loss of 89.06% was observed in bio-nanocomposite film during the 3 months. Shelf-life estimation of cherry tomato using developed packaging films showed an increase in the shelf-life up to 8 days with stable pH, total soluble solids, and weight with no bacterial growth when packaged with prepared film. Owing to their improved mechanical, UV barrier, antibacterial, and biodegradability, the prepared active bio-nano composite packaging films could be considered a potential candidate for fruit packaging.

Biodegradable Nanocomposite Multifunctional Packaging Film For Fruits, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Dileswar Pradhan, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Biopolymers have been used in food packaging in recent years due to high pollution rates and decreased biodegradation of synthetic polymers. Chitosan (CH) and Sodium alginate (SA) are both biodegradable biopolymers with excellent film forming capability. TiO2 nanoparticles have high mechanical strength, degradation ability and antimicrobial properties, which are beneficial in food packaging. The aim of the current work is to develop the biodegradable multifunctional nanocomposite film for fruit (i.e., Pear) packaging applications. Bionanocomposite film was prepared by solvent casting method using CH-SA and various concentrations of TiO2. The multifunctional properties such as UV barrier, thermal, water retention, mechanical, chemical, …

Development And Evaluation Of A Functional Human Cardiac Tissue Equivalent Fabricated From Multi-Lineage Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cells, Danielle Pretorius

All ETDs from UAB

The human heart is an exceptionally complex muscular organ that is vital for survival. Electrical impulses signal activation of mechanical contractions, pumping blood through the entire body and allowing for oxygen-exchange to occur. Unfortunately, certain disease states or traumatic injuries such as myocardial infarctions hamper the heart’s efficiency and function by damaging its structure. Ideal treatment would allow for the replacement or regeneration of the damaged tissue with cells and material harvested from the patient, thus avoiding the potential for immune rejection. Engineered cardiac tissues fabricated from human induced pluripotent stem cells have shown great promise for restoring function in …

Oxygen-Free Layer-By-Layer Assembly Of Lithiated Composites On Graphene For Advanced Hydrogen Storage, Guanglin Xia, Yingbin Tan, Xiaowei Chen, Fang Fang, Dalin Sun, Xingguo Li, Zaiping Guo, Xuebin Yu

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

A facile hydrogenation-induced self-assembly strategy to synthesize lithium hydride (LiH) nanosheets with a thickness of 2 nm that are uniformly distributed on graphene is reported and designed. Taking advantage of LiH nanosheets with high reactivity and a homogeneous distribution on graphene support as a nanoreactor, the confined chemical synthesis of oxygen-free lithiated composites is effectively and efficiently realized.

Layer-By-Layer Assemblies For Membrane-Based Enzymatic Catalysis, Andrew R. Tomaino

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

While considerable progress has been made towards understanding the effect that membrane-based layer-by-layer (LbL) immobilizations have on the activity and stability of enzymatic catalysis, detailed work is required in order to fundamentally quantify and optimize the functionalization and operating conditions that define these properties. This work aims to probe deeper into the nature of transport mechanisms by use of pressure-induced, flow-driven enzymatic catalysis of LbL-functionalized hydrophilized poly(vinyldiene) (PVDF)-poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)-glucose oxidase (GOx) membranes. These membranes were coupled in a sealed series following cellulose acetate (CA) membranes for the elimination of product accumulation within the feed-side solution during operation. …

Ultrasonication Assisted Layer-By-Layer Technology For The Preparation Of Multi-Functional Anticancer Drugs Paclitaxel And Lapatinib, Xingcai Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, ultrasonication assisted Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology for the preparation of multifunctional poorly water-soluble anticancer drug nanoparticles, paclitaxel and lapatinib, has been developed. Many FDA approved drugs are very low soluble in water; therefore, it is very difficult to load and control their release and targeting efficiently, which greatly confines their application. The development of this method will pave the way for the development and application of those low soluble anticancer drugs.

In the first part of this dissertation, the first approach for powerful ultrasonication, the top-down approach (sonicating bulk drug crystals in polyelectrolyte solution), was successfully applied for …

Surface Morphology Of Platelet Adhesion Influenced By Activators, Inhibitors And Shear Stress, Melanie Groan Watson

Doctoral Dissertations

Platelet activation involves multiple events, one of which is the generation and release of nitric oxide (NO), a platelet aggregation inhibitor. Platelets simultaneously send and receive various agents that promote a positive and negative feedback control system during hemostasis. Although the purpose of platelet-derived NO is not fully understood, NO is known to inhibit platelet recruitment. NO's relatively large diffusion coefficient allows it to diffuse more rapidly than platelet agonists. It may thus be able to inhibit recruitment of platelets near the periphery of a growing thrombus before agonists have substantially accumulated in those regions.

Results from two studies in …

An Improved Layer-By-Layer Self-Assembly Technique To Generate Biointerfaces For Platelet Adhesion Studies: Dynamic Lbl, Juan Manuel Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations

Layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) is a technique that generates engineered nano-scale films, coatings, and particles. These nanoscale films have recently been used in multiple biomedical applications. Concurrently, microfabrication methods and advances in microfluidics are being developed and combined to create "Lab-on-a-Chip" technologies. The potential to perform complex biological assays in vitro as a first-line screening technique before moving on to animal models has made the concept of lab on a chip a valuable research tool.

Prior studies in the Biofluids Laboratory at Louisiana Tech have used layer-by-layer and in vitro biological assays to study thrombogenesis in a controlled, repeatable, engineered environment. …

Layer-By-Layer Assembly Of {Nanoclay-(Sol-Gel Oxide)}N And {Nanoclay-(Oxide Nanoparticle)}N Multilayers: Synthesis And Growth Mechanisms, Hao Chen

All Dissertations

Two new classes of all-inorganic nanostructured multilayers, {MMTx-(sol-gel oxide)}n and {MMTx-(oxide nanoparticle)}n, have been successfully synthesized for the first time. They were made by adapting a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method initially developed to synthesize polyelectrolyte-based multilayers. In most previous studies, this electrostatic-assisted LbL assembly method used polyelectrolytes/polymers as the 'structural glue' to prepare multilayers. The synthesis of {MMTx-(sol-gel ZrO2)}n multilayers demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of making sol-gel oxide 'glued' all-inorganic multilayers, thereby introducing an innovative nanoscale fabrication concept. The synthesis of {MMTx-(oxide nanoparticle)}n multilayers further illustrates the versatility of LbL assembly technique by achieving a second new …

Interfacial Polymerization Of Water-Soluble Polyaniline And Its Assembly Using The Layer-By-Layer Technique, E Detsri, S T. Dubas

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The interfacial polymerization of aniline has been used to prepare water-soluble polyaniline. Polyaniline was made water-soluble by interfacial polymerization in the presence of poly(styrene sulfonated, sodium salt) (PSS), which acted as bundling agent to provide water solubility. The prepared polymer composite was later used for the fabrication of polyaniline nano-thin films using the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique. Film produced by the LbL technique can be used in electro-chromic films, sensors or electro-catalytic films depending on the type of architectures. This paper first presents, a brief review on conducting polymer prepared by interfacial polymerization. Special interest is given to the synthesis …

Improved L-929 Cell Growth From Self Assembled Pdadmac/Gelatin Thin Films, P Kittitheeranun, P Potiyaraj, T Bunaprasert, N Sanchavanakit, S T. Dubas

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This article demonstrates the advantages of using PDADMAC/gelatin over chitosan/gelatin multilayer thin films to improve L-929 mouse fibroblast growth. Although chitosan-based materials are often preferred in cell culture, we put in evidence the problematic low stability and decomposition of chitosan based film under physiological pH. Two kinds of coating were assembled using either chitosan or Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) as polycationic polyelectrolyte and gelatin as the anionic counterpart. The non-toxic nature of each coating was confirmed by MTT assay for cell viability and cell proliferation. Using optical microscopy, it was observed that the L-929 fibroblast spread preferentially on the PDADMAC/gelatin surface …

Fabrication Of Bioactive Osteogenic Controlled-Release Systems, Cellular Platforms, And Cellular Capsules Using Layer -By -Layer Nanoassembly, Skylar Stewart-Clark

Doctoral Dissertations

There is an ever-increasing awareness that the field of tissue engineering offers many potential solutions to clinical problems. While advances along these lines have been made, the design and implementation of an "off the shelf" tissue is yet to be realized. Thus, the objectives of this work were largely aimed at the design and fabrication of biocompatible, bioactive structures which could be integrated into existing biomaterial products.

The electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique was used to incorporate biologically relevant molecules within controlled release systems, cell culture platforms, and 3-D cellular capsules. Two delivery systems were investigated to determine the release …

Application Of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers For Photolithographic Patterning Of Diverse Mammalian Cell Types In Serum Free Medium, Vipra Dhir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integration of living cells with novel microdevices requires the development of innovative technologies for manipulating cells. Chemical surface patterning has been proven as an effective method to control the attachment and growth of diverse cell populations. Patterning polyelectrolyte multilayers through the combination of layer-by-layer self-assembly technique and photolithography offers a simple, versatile and silicon compatible approach that overcomes chemical surface patterning limitations, such as short-term stability and low protein adsorption resistance. In this study, direct photolithographic patterning of PAA/PAAm and PAA/PAH polyelectrolyte multilayers was developed to pattern mammalian neuronal, skeletal and cardiac muscle cells. For all studied cell types, PAA/PAAm …

Development Of Flame Retardant Polyphosphoric Acid Coating Based On The Polyelectrolyte Multilayers Technique, K Srikulkit, C Iamsamai, S T. Dubas

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) thin films were deposited on silk by sequential deposition of Chitosan and polyphosphoric acid. This PEM composition takes advantage of synergetic effect of the phosphorus and the nitrogen to provide an efficient coating, which prevents fiber decomposition at high temperature. Prior to the PEM assembly on silk fibers, the growth of the film was initially monitored using an atomic force microscopy (AFM). Films formed on silicon wafer after 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 layers showed somewhat linear increase, which is consistent with the PEM technique. A total thickness ranging from 10 to 107 nm for the …

Multicomponent Patterning Of Nanocomposite Polymer And Nanoparticle Films Using Photolithography And Layer-By-Layer Self -Assembly, Javeed Shaikh Mohammed

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, the fabrication, characterization, and application examples of 3D multicomponent nanocomposite micropatterns (MNMs) with precise spatial arrangements are described. The ability to produce such small-scale 3D structures with versatility in composition and structure is a new development based on the integration of nanoscale layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly and microscale photolithographic patterning, enabling construction of surfaces with microscale patterns that possess nanotopographies. The techniques used here are analogous to surface micromachining, except that the deposition materials are polymers, biological materials, and colloidal nanoparticles used to produce 3D MNMs. A key feature of the resulting 3D MNMs is that the physical …

Integration Of Micro Nano And Bio Technologies With Layer -By -Layer Self -Assembly, Dinesh Shankar Kommireddy

Doctoral Dissertations

In the past decade, layer-by-layer (LbL) nanoassembly has been used as a tool for immobilization and surface modification of materials with applications in biology and physical sciences. Often, in such applications, LbL assembly is integrated with various techniques to form functional surface coatings and immobilized matrices. In this work, integration of LbL with microfabrication and microfluidics, and tissue engineering are explored. In an effort to integrate microfabrication with LbL nanoassembly, microchannels were fabricated using soft-lithography and the surface of these channels was used for the immobilization of materials using LbL and laminar flow patterning. Synthesis of poly(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride)/poly(styrene sulfonate) …

Application Of Polyelectrolyte Layer-By-Layer Nano-Assembly For Surface Modification, Encapsulation And Controlled Release, Nikhil Anil Pargaonkar

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, we applied the traditional Electrostatic layer-by-layer (ELBL) assembly procedure to fabricate nanothin films over flat surfaces, and modify particle surfaces to influence the drug particle size, and drug release. The ELBL assembly has previously been applied to fabricate multilayer nano-scale thin films, but its ability to instantaneously influencing particle size is unique. Other unique observations such as influence on drug release as a result of polymer complexation, and thermal changes occurring during layer fabrication are recorded.

The ELBL self-assembly process was applied to produce dexamethasone particles layered with various polyelectrolyte layer combinations. These combinations were further applied …