Engineering Commons^™

Non-Equilibrium Colloidal Phenomena In Magnetic Fields And Photoillumination: From Controlling Living Microbots To Understanding Microplastics, Ahmed Al Harraq

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Colloids are a ubiquitous class of materials composed of microscopic particles suspended in a continuous phase which are found in everyday products and in nature. Colloids are also useful models for studying the spontaneous arrangement of matter from individual building blocks to mesophases. Standard treatment of colloid science is based on the assumption of equilibrium conditions, as defined in traditional thermodynamics. However, novel assembly mechanisms and motility are unlocked by pushing colloids away from equilibrium using external energy. In addition, many colloids in nature and in industrial applications exchange energy and mass with the surrounding environment thus behaving in a …

Size Distribution, Elemental Composition And Morphology Of Nanoparticles Separated From Respirable Coal Mine Dust, Shoeleh Assemi, Lei Pan, Xuming Wang, Titilayo Akinseye, Jan D. Miller

Michigan Tech Publications

Nanoparticles, defined as particles with one dimension below 100 nm, contribute little to the total mass concentration in respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) toxicological studies, but they could have a considerable part in the adverse health effects by RCMD inhalation. It has been shown that inhaled nanoparticles can penetrate deep into the lung and could plausibly contribute to acute and chronic pulmonary diseases by triggering oxidative stress formation and inducing inflammation. RCMD nanoparticles from samples collected in an underground mine in the United States were analyzed by a particle separation technique, field-flow fractionation (FFF), for size, morphology, and elemental composition. …

Zinc–Acetate–Amine Complexes As Precursors To Zno And The Effect Of The Amine On Nanoparticle Morphology, Size, And Photocatalytic Activity, Josh Eixenberger, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Zinc oxide is an environmentally friendly and readily synthesized semiconductor with many industrial applications. ZnO powders were prepared by alkali precipitation using different [Zn(acetate)₂(amine)_x] compounds to alter the particle size and aspect ratio. Slow precipitations from 95 °C solutions produced micron-scale particles with morphologies of hexagonal plates, rods, and needles, depending on the precursor used. Powders prepared at 65 °C with rapid precipitation yielded particles with minimal morphology differences, but particle size was dependent on the precursor used. The smallest particles were produced using precursors that yielded crystals with low aspect ratios during high-temperature synthesis. Particles …

A Study On Effect Of Manufacturing Parameters On Morphology Of A356 Aluminum Foam, Nikhil Nanabhau Mahajan

All Theses

Metal foams have shown an excellent promise for usage as multifunctional material concerning research & development in the last 20 years. They provide remarkable mechanical as well as physical properties being lightweight. Open-cell metal foams have already been used in sound and noise absorption. Open-cell metal foams are outstanding for use in heat exchangers, filters, and many more applications, while closed-cell foams show excellent characteristics in impact energy absorptions. Closed-cell metal foams have higher energy absorption than their solid parent metal as they convert most of the impact energy into deformation energy. Metal foams have been used as prominent safeguard …

Spray Deposition Of Sustainable Plant Based Graphene In Thermosetting Carbon Fiber Laminates For Mechanical, Thermal, And Electrical Properties, Daniel W. Mulqueen, Siavash Sattar, Thienan Le, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Graphene has generated substantial interest as a filler due to its exceptional strength, flexibility, and conductivity but faces obstacles in supply and implementation. A renewable, plant-based graphene nanoparticle (pGNP) presents a more accessible filler with the same properties as mineral graphenes. In this study, we examine the effects of pGNP, which was sprayed on a carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg at loadings from 1.1 to 4.2 g/m². The study considered the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of pGNP-composite. An even particle dispersion was achieved using a spray application of pGNP in a water/alcohol suspension with the addition of surfactants and …

Development Of Oxide Dispersion Strengthening (Ods) Alloys Powder For Additive Manufacturing, Changyu Ma

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Additive manufacturing (AM) fabricated oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys are given high expectations for critical structural components such as the first stage turbine blade for their excellent creep strength and oxidation resistance compared to superalloys. However, the powder feedstock processing is still an open question since current state-of-the-art processes are not capable of achieving ultrafine strengthening elements such as Y₂O₃ in powder which leads to agglomeration issues in as-consolidated alloys. In this research, the oxidation behavior and stability of ultrafine oxide in AM-printed alloys using mechanically alloyed powders were evaluated at 1100 ^oC. In addition, a …

Incorporation Of Zinc In Pre-Alloyed Cuin[Zn]S2/Zns Quantum Dots, Jean Carlos Morales Orocu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 2000s heavy-metal-free quantum dots (QDs) such as CuInS2/ZnS have attempted to replace CdSe, their heavy-metal-containing counterparts. CuInS2/ZnS is synthesized in a two-step process that involves the fabrication of CuInS2 (CIS) nanocrystals (NCs) followed by the addition of zinc precursors. Instead of the usual core/shell architecture often exhibited by binary QDs, coating CIS QDs results in alloyed and/or partially alloyed cation-exchange (CATEX) QDs. The effect that zinc has on the properties of CIS NCs was studied by incorporating zinc during the first step of the synthesis. Different In:Cu:Zn ratios were employed in this study, maintaining a constant 4:1 …

Development Of Biomaterials For Drug Delivery, Raquel De Castro

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drug delivery systems (DDS) have highly evolved in the last decades with the development of hydrogels and nanoparticles. However, high systemic uptake, side effects, low bioavailability, and encapsulation efficiency continue to be a major hurdle faced by such DDSs.

Nanoparticles and hydrogels can be specifically designed for targeted DDSs to mitigate some of the problems. This dissertation aimed to design two DDSs for ocular drug delivery and one for cancer treatment. The first project sought to develop chitosan nanoparticles (Cs-NP) using PEGDA as a copolymer to encapsulate gentamicin (GtS) for ocular drug delivery. Cs-NPs contain positive charges that can interact …

Inventions Of Scientists, Engineers And Specialists From Different Countries In The Area Of Nanotechnologies. Part Ii, Leonid A. Ivanov, Li Da Xu, Zhanna V. Pisarenko, Qiang Wang, Petr S. Prokopiev

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

The article provides an abstract review of patents. The results of creative activity of scientists, engineers and specialists, including inventions in the field of nanotechnology and nanomaterials, being implemented, allow achieving a significant effect in construction, housing and community services, and related sectors of the economy. For example, the invention «Method for liquidphase synthesis of nanostructured ceramic material in the CeO2–Sm2O3 system to create a solid oxide fuel cell» can contribute to the active development of alternative, hydrogen energy. Fuel cells have a wide range of applications – from batteries in portable electronic devices to large-scale power generation and autonomous …

Direct Solar Absorption Nanoparticle Doped Membranes For A Hybrid Membrane Distillation And Photovoltaic Cell, Alejandro Espejo Sanchez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The growing demand for clean water supplies is driving the need for an innovative approach of water desalination. Developing a method for treating water with high salinities is possible with membrane distillation (MD). Additionally, MD is very attractive for pairing with solar energy due to the low temperature requirements. The integration of a membrane distillation system with a photovoltaic (PV) system will result in the co-production of electricity and clean water, thereby improving the economics of MD. Such a hybrid system will directly absorb thermal energy in the membrane for desalination while taking advantage of the spectrally selective nature of …

Effect Of Nanofiller Coating And Loading On Facial Elastomer Physical Properties, Rahmi K. Aulia

Theses & Dissertations

Current materials used for facial prostheses are far from being desirable, and improved properties with “skin-like” feel are needed. This study evaluates property changes induced by sequential additions of uncoated and hydrophobic-coated nano-SiO₂ to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and compares them with those measured for conventional submicron SiO₂-filled materials. Each filler type was sequentially added to vinyl-terminated PDMS at 0%, 0.5%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight. Tensile, tear, Durometer hardness, translucency and viscoelastic properties were evaluated, with hardness and translucency also evaluated following 3000 hours of outdoor weathering. Results demonstrated that 15% coated nano-SiO₂-filled PDMS materials …

Nanohybrid Membrane Synthesis With Phosphorene Nanoparticles: A Study Of The Addition, Stability And Toxicity, Joyner Eke, Philip Alexander Mills, Jacob Ryan Page, Garrison P. Wright, Olga V. Tsyusko, Isabel C. Escobar

Center of Membrane Sciences Faculty Publications

Phosphorene is a promising candidate as a membrane material additive because of its inherent photocatalytic properties and electrical conductance which can help reduce fouling and improve membrane properties. The main objective of this study was to characterize structural and morphologic changes arising from the addition of phosphorene to polymeric membranes. Here, phosphorene was physically incorporated into a blend of polysulfone (PSf) and sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) doping solution. Protein and dye rejection studies were carried out to determine the permeability and selectivity of the membranes. Since loss of material additives during filtration processes is a challenge, the stability …

Synthesis, Self-Assembly And High-Pressure Properties Of Nanoparticles And Hybrid Nanocomposites, Lingyao Meng

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Nanoparticles have gained significant scientific interests owing to their unique structural dimensions, size- and shape-tunable properties, and numerous fascinating applications, from opto-electronics, sensor devices, to energy, environmental, and medical fields. Furthermore, the synergistic integration of other materials, including organic polymers, with nanoparticles provides new opportunities and strategies to obtain nanocomposites with superior properties and functionalities. While there is already significant research on the synthesis and characterizations of nanoparticles and hybrid nanocomposites, some research questions, such as how to design and control the interfacial morphology in polymer/nanoparticle hybrid nanocomposites, how to synthesize metal- organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles in well-defined and uniform …

In Vivo Biosynthesis Of Inorganic Nanomaterials Using Eukaryotes - A Review, Ashiqur Rahman, Julia Lin, Francisco E. Jaramillo, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Clayton Jeffryes, Si Amar Dahoumane

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Bionanotechnology, the use of biological resources to produce novel, valuable nanomaterials, has witnessed tremendous developments over the past two decades. This eco-friendly and sustainable approach enables the synthesis of numerous, diverse types of useful nanomaterials for many medical, commercial, and scientific applications. Countless reviews describing the biosynthesis of nanomaterials have been published. However, to the best of our knowledge, no review has been exclusively focused on the in vivo biosynthesis of inorganic nanomaterials. Therefore, the present review is dedicated to filling this gap by describing the many different facets of the in vivo biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using living eukaryotic …

Cancer Biomarker Detection In Human Plasma By Integrating Surface Acoustic Wave And Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence, Yuqi Huang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis includes data and discussion about the technique of metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) to lower the detection limit of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The detection limit goes down to 100pg/mL level when using MEF substrate made by rapid thermally annealed silver film covered by silica, which has great promise in diagnosing certain types of cancer that uses CEA as detection biomarker, such as pancreatic cancer and colon cancer. To further address the issue of background noises from non-specifically bound proteins (NSB) in complex media, such as plasma, serum, urine and blood, MEF is integrated with surface acoustic wave (SAW) streaming in …

Optics Of Two-Dimensional Materials Used As Substrates For Nanoparticle-Based Devices, Reagan Newman

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Antibacterial And Anticancer Activity Of Hydrothermally-Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanomaterials Using Natural Extracts Of Neem, Pepper And Turmeric As Solvent Media, C. Abinaya, R. Manjula Devi, P. Suresh, N. Balasubramanian, N. Muthaiya, N. D. Kannan, J. Annaraj, V. Shanmugaiah, Joshua Pearce, P. Shanmugapriya, J. Mayandi

Michigan Tech Publications

A novel and simple wet chemical hydrothermal synthesis method was employed in the preparation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using neem (N), pepper (P) and turmeric (T) extracts as solvent media. The structural and optical properties as well as the antibacterial and anticancer properties of all the samples (ZnO, N/ZnO, P/ZnO, T/ZnO and NPT/ZnO) were characterized and analyzed. Solvent media was found to have an effect on both the size and the morphology of the nanoparticles, which in turn effected their optical and cytotoxic properties. The colony forming unit (CFU) assays were done for E. coli, S. aureus and S. …

Engineered Nanoparticles For Site-Specific Bioorthogonal Catalysis: Imaging And Therapy, Riddha Das

Doctoral Dissertations

Bioorthogonal catalysis offers a strategy for chemical transformations complementary to bioprocesses and has proven to be a powerful tool in biochemistry and medical sciences. Transition metal catalysts (TMCs) have emerged as a powerful tool to execute selective chemical transformations, however, lack of biocompatibility and stability limits their use in biological applications. Incorporation of TMCs into nanoparticle monolayers provides a versatile strategy for the generation of bioorthogonal nanocatalysts known as “nanozymes”. We have fabricated a family of nanozymes using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as scaffolds featuring diverse chemical functional groups for controlled localization of nanozymes in biological environments, providing unique strategies for …

Tunable Refractive Index Through Spatially Modified Nanoparticle Films For Long-Range Spr Biosensing Applications, Stephen Joshua Binderup

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Despite optics and refraction being among the oldest scientific principles, material limitations have prevented scientists from taking full advantage of the potential this technology holds. Indeed, films with designer optical properties have potential for use in exotic cloaking architectures, advanced waveguides, and precise optical biosensors. This thesis focuses on the fabrication methodology for making thin films with refractive index tuned to a desired value through self-assembly of amorphous nanoparticle films made of organosilicate materials. The inclusion of a slowly evaporating polymer phase along with the organosilicate nanoparticles results in nanopores formed within the film, which effectively reduce the film’s refractive …

Classification And Biological Identity Of Complex Nano Shapes, Luca Boselli, Hender Lopez, Wei Zhang, Qi Cai, Valeria A. Giannone, Jingji Li, Alirio Moura, João M. De Araujo, Jennifer Cookman, Valentina Castagnola, Yan Yan, Kenneth A. Dawson

Articles

Everywhere in our surroundings we increasingly come in contact with nanostructures that have distinctive complex shape features on a scale comparable to the particle itself. Such shape ensembles can be made by modern nano-synthetic methods and many industrial processes. With the ever growing universe of nanoscale shapes, names such as “nanoflowers” and “nanostars” no longer precisely describe or characterise the distinct nature of the particles. Here we capture and digitise particle shape information on the relevant size scale and create a condensed representation in which the essential shape features can be captured, recognized and correlated. We find the natural emergence …

Electrospun Fibers With Smart Delivery Of Therapeutic Agents, Zahra Mahdieh

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Electrospinning is the most widely studied technique of producing fibers. Delivery of nanoparticles and therapeutic agents from electrospun fibers have potential uses in various fields including drug delivery, filtration, and cosmetics. However, controlling the delivery rate remains the main challenge. In the current study, core-shell structure fibers were developed with zinc oxide nanoparticles applied in the shell composition to improve the pore structure (release pathway) and mechanical stability. Fine-tuned delivery rates were achieved via loading different sizes of silver nanoparticles (Ag NP) inside the fiber core. In vitro drug release assays showed fast, slow, and intermediate delivery rates of 20 …

Green Synthesis Nanocomposite Membranes, Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Vasile Smuleac, Rajender S. Varma, Subhas K. Sikdar

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

A nanocomposite membrane includes a macroporous polymer membrane having a plurality of pores. A plurality of metal nanoparticles are synthesized and immobilized within those plurality of pores. The nanoparticles are reduced and capped with a green reducing and capping agent such as green tea extract.

Form Stable Phase-Change Materials, Russell Dent, Marjan Kashfipour, Nitin Mehra, Jiahua Zhu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This work investigates the use of two different polyols, xylitol (Xyl) and erythritol (Ery), in conjunction with boron nitride (BN) aerogels, for the purpose of creating thermally conductive composites. While the BN filler in Xyl composites achieved a high anisotropic thermal conductivity of up to 4.53 W/m-K at 18.2 weight percent filler loading, they do not exhibit good phase-change material qualities due to a low solidification enthalpy even at low cooling rates. Alternatively, the BN-Ery composites have shown promising results with a solidification enthalpy of 225.14 J/g and a melting enthalpy of 385.84 J/g at a heat rate of 5 …

Gold-Catalyzed Conversion Of Lignin To Low Molecular Weight Aromatics, Yang Song, Justin K. Mobley, Ali Hussain Motagamwala, Mark Isaacs, James E. Dumesic, John Ralph, Adam F. Lee, Karen Wilson, Mark Crocker

Chemistry Faculty Publications

A heterogeneous catalyst system, employing Au nanoparticles (NPs) and Li–Al (1 : 2) layered double hydroxide (LDH) as support, showed excellent activity in aerobic oxidation of the benzylic alcohol group in β-O-4 linked lignin model dimers to the corresponding carbonyl products using molecular oxygen under atmospheric pressure. The synergistic effect between Au NPs and the basic Li–Al LDH support induces further reaction of the oxidized model compounds, facilitating facile cleavage of the β-O-4 linkage. Extension to oxidation of γ-valerolactone (GVL) extracted lignin and kraft lignin using Au/Li–Al LDH under similar conditions produced a range of aromatic monomers in high yield. …

Incorporation Of Silica Nanoparticles Into The Underlayer Of Pda/Ptfe Thin Coatings, Adedoyin Abe

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is one of the most low friction and corrosion resistant solid lubricants. Prior studies have shown that a polydopamine (PDA) underlayer enhances the durability of PTFE thin coating. In this study, 100, 200, and 300 µL of aqueous silica nanoparticle (NP) solutions were added to the PDA deposition solution. The durability and coefficient of friction of PDA/PTFE thin coatings on stainless steel substrates are investigated with and without incorporating the silica NPs. The coatings were tested in dry contact conditions using a Universal Mechanical Tester (UMT) with a ball-on-flat configuration in a reciprocating motion. It was found that …

Imaging The Three-Dimensional Orientation And Rotational Mobility Of Fluorescent Emitters Using The Tri-Spot Point Spread Function, Oumeng Zhang, Jin Lu, Tianben Ding, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Fluorescence photons emitted by single molecules contain rich information regarding their rotational motions, but adapting single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) to measure their orientations and rotational mobilities with high precision remains a challenge. Inspired by dipole radiation patterns, we design and implement a Tri-spot point spread function (PSF) that simultaneously measures the three-dimensional orientation and the rotational mobility of dipole-like emitters across a large field of view. We show that the orientation measurements done using the Tri-spot PSF are sufficiently accurate to correct the anisotropy-based localization bias, from 30 nm to 7 nm, in SMLM. We further characterize the emission anisotropy …

Surface Area And Electrocatalytic Properties Of Feni Nanoparticles For The Oxygen Evolution Reaction (Oer), James Burrow

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Iron-nickel bimetallic electrocatalysts have recently emerged as some of the best candidates for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. Understanding the effects of composition and morphology of iron-nickel nanoparticles is crucial for optimization and enhanced electrocatalyst performance. Both physical surface area and electrochemical surface area (ECSA) are functions of morphology. In this study, four different iron-nickel nanoparticle catalysts were synthesized. The catalysts were varied based on morphology (alloy versus core-shell) and composition (low, medium, and high stabilizer concentration). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis was conducted on three of the synthesized iron-nickel nanoparticles using a physisorption analyzer while electrochemical …

Mesoscale Computational Studies Of Thin-Film Bijels, Joseph M. Carmack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bijels are a relatively new class of soft materials that have many potential applications in the technology areas of energy, medicine, and environmental sustainability. They are formed by the arrest of binary liquid spinodal decomposition by a dispersion of solid colloidal nanoparticles. This dissertation presents an in-depth simulation study of Bijels constrained to thin-film geometries and in the presence of electric fields. We validate the computational model by comparing simulation results with previous computational modeling and experimental research. In the absence of suspended particles, we demonstrate that the model accurately captures the rich kinetics associated with diffusion-based surface-directed spinodal decomposition. …

Supramolecular Aptamer Nano-Constructs For Receptor-Mediated Targeting And Light-Triggered Release Of Chemotherapeutics Into Cancer Cells, Deepak K. Prusty, Volker Adam, Reza M. Zadegan, Stephan Irsen, Michael Famulok

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Platforms for targeted drug-delivery must simultaneously exhibit serum stability, efficient directed cell internalization, and triggered drug release. Here, using lipid-mediated self-assembly of aptamers, we combine multiple structural motifs into a single nanoconstruct that targets hepatocyte growth factor receptor (cMet). The nanocarrier consists of lipidated versions of a cMet-binding aptamer and a separate lipidated GC-rich DNA hairpin motif loaded with intercalated doxorubicin. Multiple 2′,6′-dimethylazobenzene moieties are incorporated into the doxorubicin-binding motif to trigger the release of the chemotherapeutics by photoisomerization. The lipidated DNA scaffolds self-assemble into spherical hybrid-nanoconstructs that specifically bind cMet. The combined features of the nanocarriers increase serum nuclease …

Real-Time Atomistic Observation Of Structural Phase Transformations In Individual Hafnia Nanorods, Bethany M. Hudak, Sean W. Depner, Gregory R. Waetzig, Anjana Talapatra, Raymundo Arroyave, Sarbajit Banerjee, Beth S. Guiton

Chemistry Faculty Publications

High-temperature phases of hafnium dioxide have exceptionally high dielectric constants and large bandgaps, but quenching them to room temperature remains a challenge. Scaling the bulk form to nanocrystals, while successful in stabilizing the tetragonal phase of isomorphous ZrO₂, has produced nanorods with a twinned version of the room temperature monoclinic phase in HfO₂. Here we use in situ heating in a scanning transmission electron microscope to observe the transformation of an HfO₂ nanorod from monoclinic to tetragonal, with a transformation temperature suppressed by over 1000°C from bulk. When the nanorod is annealed, we observe with …