Polymer Science Commons^™

One-Step Production Of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons From Waste-Biomass-Derived Chemicals Using Bi-Functional Heterogeneous Catalysts, Cun Wen, Elizabeth A. Barrow, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

n this study, we demonstrate the production of long-chain hydrocarbons (C₈₊) from 2-methylfuran (2MF) and butanal in a single step reactive process by utilizing a bi-functional catalyst with both acid and metallic sites. Our approach utilizes a solid acid for the hydroalkylation function and as a support as well as a transition metal as hydrodeoxygenation catalyst. A series of solid acids was screened, among which MCM-41 demonstrated the best combination of activity and stability. Platinum nanoparticles were then incorporated into the MCM-41. The Pt/MCM-41 catalyst showed 96% yield for C₈₊ hydrocarbons and the catalytic performance was stable …

Electrospinning Applications Air Filtration And Superhydrophobic Materials, Negar Ghochaghi, Adetoun Taiwo

Graduate Research Posters

Electrospinning is a widely applicable technique that generates non-woven fibers in the micro and nano range. In this project two of its applications are highlighted namely filtration media and enhancement of wettability. The first project demonstrates that electrospinning can be used to produce new fiber filtration media with controlled microstructure. The bimodal and unimodal orthogonal and random filters were made and characterized against their filtration efficiency and pressure drop. Figure of Merit (FOM) was also calculated and discussed. It is shown that the FOM increases when the electrospun fibers are arranged into alternating layers of aligned course and fine fibers. …

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. …

Generation Of Multicomponent Polymer Blend Microparticles Using Droplet Evaporation Technique And Modeling Evaporation Of Binary Droplet Containing Non-Volatile Solute, Venkat N. Rajagopalan

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the generation of nano- and micrometer scale multicomponent polymer particles with specifically tailored mechanical, electrical and optical properties. As only a few polymer-polymer pairs are miscible, the set of multicomponent polymer systems achievable by conventional methods, such as melt blending, is severely limited in property ranges. Therefore, researchers have been evaluating synthesis methods that can arbitrarily blend immiscible solvent pairs, thus expanding the range of properties that are practical. The generation of blended microparticles by evaporating a co-solvent from aerosol droplets containing two dissolved immiscible polymers in solution seems likely to exhibit a …

Plasma Processes And Polymers Special Issue On: Plasma And Cancer, Mounir Laroussi, Michael Keidar

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

During the last two decades, research efforts on the application of low temperature plasmas in biology and medicine have positioned nonequilibrium lowtemperature plasmas as a technology that has the potential of revolutionizing healthcare.[1,2] Low temperature plasmas can be applied in direct contact with living tissues to inactivate bacteria,[3] to disinfect wounds and accelerate wound healing,[4] and to induce damage in some cancer cells.[5–11]

Sulfonated Perfluorocyclobutyl (Pfcb) Aryl Ether Polymers: Synthesis, Reactivity, And Characterization For Polymer Electrolyte Applications, Jiyoung Park

All Dissertations

Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) aryl ether copolymers are excellent candidates for proton exchange membrane (PEM) component in PEM fuel cells. Sulfonated PFCB copolymer membranes exhibit not only high chemical/thermal/mechanical stability but also high proton conductivity. In this regard, PFCB aryl ether copolymers were synthesized via thermal step-growth [2 + 2] cyclopolymerization from aryl bis-(trifluorovinyl ether) (TFVE) monomers and oligomers. Experimental and computational studies confirmed that copolymerization of relatively electron-rich and electron-poor TFVE monomers gave selective-segmented copolymers in an one-pot polymerization. After sulfonation, the PFCB copolymers comprising hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments gave membranes with high proton conductivity. Cross-linked membranes of the sulfonated PFCB …

Optimization Of Polymer Separation By Gradient Polymer Elution Chromatography, Gideon R. Liem, Linda Nien-Hwa Wang

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) has been a versatile separation method for polymers for many years. Analysis of different polymers by HPLC is typically done by utilizing the differential solubility of the polymers by mixing a good solvent and an anti-solvent in various compositions. This method is called Gradient Polymer Elution Chromatography (GPEC). While GPEC has been used extensively, it commonly uses a linear gradient to separate components. Linear solvent gradients consume a lot of solvent and take a relatively long time (> 30 minutes) to complete. The goal of this study is to develop a step gradient from a …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Bismuth Telluride Nanoparticles For Use In Flexible Polymer-Nanoparticle Hybrid Thermoelectric Devices, Alexander R. Muller, Bryan Boudouris, Edward P. Tomlinson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Polymer-based thermoelectric materials, which can have readily-tuned properties through simple control of their chemistry, offer the promise of providing flexible, lightweight, and low-cost modules for the environmentally-friendly conversion of waste heat to electricity without the need for moving parts. As such, they have started to be explored in applications ranging from improved building efficiency to increased mileage in automobiles. However, widespread implementation of these materials is limited due to their low performance relative to their mechanically-rigid, heavy inorganic material-based counterparts. Therefore, a critical need exists to design polymer-nanoparticle composite materials to increase the energy conversion of thin film thermoelectric devices. …

Tobacco Mosaic Virus Implemented As An Interfacial Layer In Organic Photovoltaic Cells, Monica D. Del Real, Bryan Boudouris

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are flexible, light weight, and economical to produce due to low processing temperatures, solution processing, and print fabrication. This makes them optimal for a wide range of applications. However, the efficiencies of OPVs are currently not high enough for them to be viable in the market or to be able to compete with inorganic photovoltaics. Therefore the integration of new materials and methods into OPVs in order to increase their efficiency is a vital field. One way to increase the efficiency of OPVs is to increase the surface area in-between layers to allow for enhanced electron transport. …

Extending The Shelf Life Of Solid Rocket Motors Through Mechanical Activation Of, Emilio J. Cantu, Hope Klukovich, Timothy Haddad

STAR Program Research Presentations

A great deal of interest has been given to extending the life of our fleet of solid rocket motors. Once poured, these motors are essentially stored, unused, and are therefore subject to various environmental conditions. Cycling between high and low temperatures causes thermal expansion and contraction of motor materials. This will eventually lead to cracks forming and propagating in the rocket motor, rendering it unreliable and thus must be re-poured at great expense. A common binder material used in these motors is hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), which when cured with a diisocyanate, creates the solid matrix to house the energetic materials …

A Localized Controlled Delivery System Utilizing A Block Copolymer To Improve The Current Paradigm Of Chemotherapy, Jason Olbrich

All Dissertations

The goal of the field of Bioengineering has always been to bring about a better standard of care for patients. As a field encompassing a broad array of researchers and talents, such improvements often are brought about through the integration of different fields. This work advances the integration of controlled delivery and chemotherapy. The use of cytotoxic chemotherapy has become and will continue to be a powerful tool for the treatment of solid malignancies. Conventional dose scheduling of cytotoxic agents and newer biological response modifiers are investigated under a clinical paradigm initially designed to identify a drug dose that elicits …

Improving The Efficiency Of P3ht:Icba Organic Solar Cells By Modifying The Photoactive Solution Preparation Step, Matthew Blaine Samson

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Organic solar cells (OSCs) are a promising alternative to conventional silicon solar cells. These organic devices offer the promise of facile low cost large scale solution based processing on lightweight, flexible, plastic substrates. At the present state of the technology, however, OSCs exhibit relatively low power conversion efficiencies. To improve these efficiencies, new materials are constantly being developed.

One such material is the fullerene indene-C₆₀ bisadduct (ICBA). When implemented in a poly(3-hexylthiophene-2, 5-diyl) (P3HT) : ICBA bulk heterojunction solar cell, these devices exhibit open circuit voltages exceeding 0.8 V, a value much higher than the devices made implementing phenyl-C …

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Survey Stats), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Program Sheet), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Program Booklet), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Website), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Collection Creation And Administration: A New Role For Libraries (White Paper), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

The Problem/Opportunity: To define, identify, and guide design-based materials collections in academic settings and foster community among those with existing collections and/or those considering creating and supporting one.

Contents and topics:

1. What is a materials collection?
2. Why have a materials collection?
3. Acquisition strategies
4. Organizational approaches
5. Programming possibilities
6. Symposium summary
7. Resources

Aqueous Suspensions Of Polymer Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles: Colloidal Stability, Specific Absorption Rate, And Transverse Relaxivity, Steven Saville

All Dissertations

The design, functionalization, characterization, and applications of magnetic nanoparticles have garnered significant interest over the past several decades. While this area has garnered increasing attention, several questions remain unanswered about the stability of these systems and it's influence on their biomedical applications. To help answer these questions about the stability of these, a novel tri(nitroDOPA) terminated polymer based ligand has been developed for the stabilization of magnetite nanoparticles. The synthesis involves a process in which ethylene oxide is polymerized using a trivinyl initiator, modified with carboxylic acid using a free radical addition of mercaptoundecanoic acid, and then functionalized with nitroDOPA …

Applied Analysis Of Ionic Polymer Metal-Composite Actuators, Siul Ruiz, Benjamin Mead, Woosoon Yim

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• IPMC is a type of smart material called an electroactive polymer
• Consists of an ionic polymer such as Nafion or Flemion and a conducive metal such as platinum or gold
• COMSOL multi-physics simulations accurately model the experimental displacement results
• Optimization performed using the multi-physics model to find the maximum deflection, force, and twisting
• Using the closed loop control system accurate IPMC tip location can be achieved
• This control system has been extended to function using a computer mouse as an input

Measuring Acoustic Attenuation Of Polymer Materials Using Drop Ball Test, Yi Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Polymers are often used for vibration damping and energy absorption. The effect of a material in reducing the strength of sound waves traveling through it is called acoustic attenuation. In the past, attenuation has mostly been evaluated in the MHz frequency range, using a pulse generator and transmitting transducer as the wave source. However, most real acoustic activities occur at frequencies up to a few hundred kHz. Here, a simple drop ball mechanism is used to generate acoustic source waves in the kHz range, and the attenuation capacities of several solid materials are measured. The recorded waveforms substantially differ between …