Engineering Commons^™

Royal Society Of Chemistry - Gold-Plated Bacteria, Ravi F. Saraf, Vikas Berry

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: News Releases

No Abstract

Confinement-Induced Ordering Of Alkanes Between An Elastomer And A Solid Surface, Kumar Nanjundiah, Ali Dhinojwala

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

We have studied the molecular structure of liquid alkanes confined between a flexible elastomeric poly(dimethyl siloxane) lens and a rigid sapphire substrate using surface-sensitive infrared-visible sum frequency generation spectroscopy. The reduction in the gauche defects suggests ordering of liquid alkanes under confinement. The cooling of confined liquid below the freezing temperature leads to crystallization with alkane molecules lying on the substrate with the symmetry axis parallel to the surface normal. This structure is very different from the bulk alkane crystals next to sapphire or air interfaces.

The Role Of Cavitation In Acoustically Activated Drug Delivery, Mario A. Diaz, Ghaleb A. Husseini, William G. Pitt, Eric S. Richardson, Douglas A. Christensen

Faculty Publications

The triblock copolymer, Pluronic P105, has been found to be an ideal ultrasonically activated drug delivery vehicle because it forms micelles with hydrophobic polypropylene oxide cores that sequester hydrophobic drugs (Fig. 1). These micelles release their contents upon the application of low frequency ultrasound [1]such that drugs can be released specifically at the ultrasonicated region (Fig. 2). Such ultrasonically controlled release has been effective against cancer cells in vitro [2] and in vivo [3]. This poster presents our results showing that collapse cavitation is associated with drug release. Cavitation is generally divided into two types of behavior. Stable cavitation is …

Nature - Nanotechnology-Live Wire, Ravi F. Saraf, Vikas Berry

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: News Releases

No Abstact.

Development Of Palladium Nanowires, Chuanding Cheng

Doctoral Dissertations

Inherent limitations of traditional lithography have prompted the search for means of achieving self-assembly of nano-scale structures and networks for the next generation of electronic and photonic devices. The nanowire, the basic building block of a nanocircuit, has recently become the focus of intense research. Reports on nanowire synthesis and assembly have appeared in the scientific literature, which include Vapor-Liquid-Solid mechanism, template-based electrochemical fabrication, solvothermal or wet chemistry, and assembly by fluid alignment or microchannel networks. An ideal approach for practical application of nanowires would circumvent technical and economic constraints of templating. Here we report on the self-assembly of highly-ordered …

Phase Stability Analysis Using Interval Newton Method With Nrtl Model, Hatice Gecegormez, Yaşar Demirel

Papers in Fluid Mechanics

The Gibbs energy minimization using activity coefficient models and nonlinear equation solution techniques are commonly applied for phase stability problems. However, dependence on the initial estimates and multiple solutions for these highly nonlinear equations are common drawbacks for some of the conventional approaches. We have used interval Newton method with the local composition model of NRTL for the phase stability analysis of 10 binary systems and 2 ternary systems at various feed compositions to locate all the stationary points. Results indicate that the interval Newton method is reliable and efficient.

Polymer-Mediated Synthesis Of Highly Dispersed Pt Nanoparticles On Carbon Black, Min Chen, Yangchuan Xing

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new method was developed to prepare highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles on carbon black to use as proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell catalysts. This method involves using a polymer, poly-(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), to prevent particle aggregation and thereby reduce nanoparticle sizes to achieve high dispersion. It was found that Pt nanoparticles mediated by PVP are smaller than those obtained without PVP and have a narrower size distribution. Well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles with metal loadings from 5 to 35 wt % were obtained on carbon black (Vulcan XC-72R). It was found that well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles on carbon black could be synthesized at …

Enhancement Of Protein Secretion In Pichia Pastoris By Overexpression Of Protein Disulfide Isomerase, Mehmet İnan, Dinesh Aryasomayajula, Jayanta Sinha, Michael M. Meagher

Papers in Biochemical Engineering

A potential vaccine candidate, Necator americanus secretory protein (Na-ASP1), against hookworm infections, has been expressed in Pichia pastoris. Na- ASP1, a 45 kDa protein containing 20 cysteines, was directed outside the cell by fusing the protein to the preprosequence of the α-mating factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most of the protein produced by single copy clones was secreted outside the cell. However, increasing gene copy number of Na-ASP1 protein in P. pastoris saturated secretory capacity and therefore, decreased the amount of secreted protein in clones harboring multiple copies of Na-ASP1 gene. Overexpression of the …

Effect Of Thermal Transport On Spatiotemporal Emergence Of Lamellar Branching Morphology During Polymer Spherulitic Growth, Haijun Xu, Wirunya Keawwattana, Thein Kyu

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

Spatiotemporal emergence of lamellar branching morphology of polymer spherulite has been investigated theoretically in the framework of a phase field model by coupling a crystal solidification potential pertaining to a nonconserved crystal order parameter with a temperature field generated by latent heat of crystallization. A local free-energy density having an asymmetric double well has been utilized to account for a first-order phase transition such as crystallization. To account for the polymorphous nature of polymer crystallization, the phase field order parameter of crystal at the solidification potential of the double-well local free-energy density is modified to be supercooling dependent. The heat …

Cgmp Recombinant Fix For Iv And Oral Hemophilia B Therapy, William H. Velander Principal Investigator, Abramson Stephan Lead Investigator, Cooper Julian Lead Investigator, William Dernell Key Person, Mark Manning Lead Investigator, Michael Meagher Lead Investigator, Paul Mohanan Lead Investigator, Timothy Nichols Lead Investigator, Todd Swaanson Key Person, Kevin E. Van Cott

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Funded Proposals

Three specific aims are proposed: Specific Aim # 1. Process engineer and scale-up the recovery and purification of transgenic recombinant human Factor IX. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Biological Process Development Facility will complete process development and scale-up, and produce clinical grade materials for preclinical studies. The endpoint is a proposed final product specification to help facilitate transfer to current Good Manufacturing Practices compliant production of clinical grade material to support an Investigational New Drug filing with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) leading to clinical trials. Specific Aim #2. Characterize and formulate transgenic recombinant human Factor IX for …

Rupture Of A Two-Dimensional Alkane Crystal, Shishir Prasad, Ali Dhinojwala

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

We have studied the breaking of a two-dimensional alkane crystal above the disordered melt using an oscillating bubble rheometer. Surface tension changes abruptly during the expansion and contraction cycle. We postulate that this is due to rupture of the 2D crystal at grain boundaries. The magnitude of the abrupt change in surface tension decreases with a decrease in the rate of change of bubble surface area with a power law exponent of 0.8. The interfacial area formed after rupture decreases with a decrease in rate. These results provide new insights in understanding defect-mediated rupture in confined geometry.

Under Graduate Course Description

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Courses

No abstract provided.

The Processing, Mechanical Properties And Bioactivity Of Zinc Based Glass Ionomer Cements, D. Boyd, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The suitability of Glass Ionomer Cements (GICs) for use in orthopaedics is retarded by the presence in the glass phase of aluminium, a neurotoxin. Unfortunately, the aluminium ion plays an integral role in the setting process of a GIC and its absence is likely to hinder cement formation. However, zinc oxide, a bacteriocide, can act both as a network modifying oxide and an intermediate oxide in a similar fashion to alumina and so ternary systems based on zinc silicates often have extensive regions of glass formation. The purpose of this research was to produce novel GICs based on calcium zinc …

Branching In Electrospinning Of Nanofibers, A. L. Yarin, W. Kataphinan, Darrell Hyson Reneker

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

Electrospinning of polymer nanofibers often begins with a single, straight, elongating, and electrified fluid jet that emanates from a droplet tip when the electric field at the surface is high enough. After some distance an electrically driven bending instability of the elongating jet occurs. For a polymer solution suitable for electrospinning, capillary instability does not cause the jet to become a spray of droplets. Under some conditions, a sequence of secondary jet branches emanates from the primary jet. This paper describes an experiment in which many closely spaced branches along the jet were observed during the electrospinning of a polycaprolactone …

Adsorption Of Lactic Acid From Fermentation Broth And Aqueous Solutions On Zeolite Molecular Sieves, Isam H. Aljundi, Joanne M. Belovich, Orhan Talu

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The recovery of lactic acid from fermentation broth and aqueous solutions was studied by adsorption on Silicalite molecular sieves. Batch experiments were used to measure the adsorption isotherms of the lactic acid on Silicalite. A linear correlation was found for both solutions. Silicalite showed a higher adsorptive capacity in the case of the aqueous solution than that of the fermentation broth. Henry’s constants were estimated as Formula Not Shown and Formula Not Shown for the aqueous and broth solutions, respectively. The effect of temperature on adsorption was also studied in batch mode. Henry’s constant dependency on …

Exfoliated Graphite Nanofibers For Hydrogen Storage, Angela D. Lueking, Ling Pan, Deepa L. Narayanan, Caroline E. Burgess Clifford

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Exfoliation of graphite nanofibers (GNF) expands the interplanar spacing of the GNF, which leads to increased hydrogen storage. Hydrogen uptake measurements at 20 bar indicated that the overall hydrogen uptake and operative adsorption temperature are sensitive to the structural variations and graphitic spacing. The increased surface area of the EGNF-1000 led to a 1.2% hydrogen uptake at 77 K and 20 bar, a three-fold increase in hydrogen physisorption of the starting material. These results suggested that selective exfoliation of a nanofiber is a means by which to control the relative binding energy of the hydrogen interaction with the carbon structure …

A Global Regulatory Role Of Gluconeogenic Genes In Escherichia Coli Revealed By Transcriptome Network Analysis, Katy Kao, Linh Tran, James Liao

Faculty Publications

In bacterial adaptation to the dynamic environment, metabolic genes are typically thought to be the executors, whereas global transcription regulators are regarded as the decision makers. Although the feedback from metabolic consequence is believed to be important, much less is understood. This work demonstrates that the gluconeogenic genes in Escherichia coli, ppsA, sfcA, and maeB, provide a feedback loop to the global regulator, cAMP receptor protein (CRP), in carbon source transition. Disruption of one of the gluconeogenic pathways has no phenotype in balanced growth, but causes a significant delay in the diauxic transition from glucose to acetate. To investigate the …

Investigation Of Solid Polymeric Hollow Fiber Heat Exchange Devices For Use In Thermally-Driven Desalination Processes, Saskia Christian

Theses

The heat exchange between hot brine (4 wt% NaCl) and cold water as well as between condensing steam and cold water without direct fluid-fluid contact using modules made out of solid polymeric hollow fibers of polypropylene (PP) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been studied. The solid hollow fiber dimensions were 425μm/575μm (ID/OD) for PP and 420μm/570μm (ID/OD) for PEEK. Extensive heat transfer measurements have been performed and the experimentally-determined overall heat transfer coefficients utilized to isolate the wall heat transfer coefficient, the inside heat transfer coefficient and the outside heat transfer coefficient. The heat exchange between hot brine and cold water …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polymer Nanocomposites, Nirav S. Patel

Theses

Polymer nanocomposites were produced by solution mixing of a commercial flexible acrylic polymer paint, with nanofillers of different size, shape, aspect ratio and purity such as hydrotalcite (HT), sodium montmorillonite (MMT), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and fullerenes (FUL), at 5 and 10 wt% loading. Structural characteristics and mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of the nanocomposites were characterized by different techniques and compared to those of the unfilled polymer.

The presence of partially exfoliated and intercalated nanoplatelets in the polymer resulted in increased 2% secant tensile modulus, and decreased tensile strength and elongation at break, to different extents. While the …

Electrocatalytic Oxidation And Degration Of Active Red X-3b By Nanotubes Catalytic Electrodes, Yi Wen, Jian-Hui Fang, Wei-Min Cao, Li-Yi Shi

Journal of Electrochemistry

The catalytic splitting decomposition of carbon nanotubes isprocessed by dispersing with dilute nitric acid and thermal oxidation. Then well-proportionedphenolic resin is mixed in the carbon nanotubes. Then, the carbon nanotubesare made into electrodes by hot-press molding after the process of milling with high speed. The surface of the carbon nanotubes electrodes is analyzed by SEM. Active red X-3B simulated waster water is disposed by carbon nanotubes catalyticelectrode (anode) and stainless steel(cathode). The influencing factors of degradation by current density, concentrationof electrolyte, systemtemperature and pH are investigated. The experimental results indicated that acidiccondition is propitious tothe degradationreaction of organicdyestuff and wastewater …

Effect Of Sintering Temperatures On Synthesis Of Mgco0.4Mn1.6O4 Positive Materials In Magnesium Ion Battery, Xiu-Ling Gao, Li-Fang Jiao, Hua-Tang Yuan, Jian-Sheng Cao, Ming Zhao, Hai-Xia Li, Yong-Mei Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The cathode material MgCo_0.4Mn_1.6O₄ for magnesium ion battery was synthesized by sol-gel method. The TG-DTA and XRD analyses showed that the prepared samples has simple spinel structure. Effect of annealing temperature on electrochemical properties was researched. The result shows that the sample sintered at 700℃ has the best electrochemical properties.

Electrochemical Reduction Characteristics Of Nitrobenzene At The Copper Electrode, Jin-Hong Fan, Wen-Ying Xu, Ting-Yao Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical reduction characteristics and transition steps of nitrobenzene aqueous solution at the copper electrode, as well as its reduction mechanism were extensively investigatedby using the techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear scan voltammetry (LSV). The results showed that the reduction peaks of nitrobenzene at the copper electrode were located at 0.58 V and 1.32 V or so (vs. SCE), both acidity and alkalinesolutionsfavoredthe reduction of nitrobenzene. The adsorption of compounds followed by the reduction process, which is controlled by the mass transfer step at higher nitrobenzene concentration. In addition, the higher anaerobic degree led to faster reduction …

Nafion Emulsion Method For Fuel Cell Membrane-Electrode-Assembly Preparation, Chao-Yang Xia, Lin Zhuang, Jun-Tao Lu

Journal of Electrochemistry

A Nafion emulsion method for fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) preparation was reported for the first time in this paper. 5 %(by mass) Nafion alcohol solution and non-polar solvent (e.g., cyclohexane) were ultrasonicallymixed to produce Nafion emulsion. The catalyst ink prepared using the thus-obtained Nafion emulsion can be directly cast onto Nafion membrane to make MEA. This method is simple in operation, and effectively preventsthe Nafion membrane swelling, hence is suitable for large-scale application. The MEA thus-prepared showed comparable catalyst efficiencywith respect to the popular transfer-method, and the preliminary performance in room-temperature H₂/O₂ fuel cell test was satisfying.

Generation Of Biomarkers From Anthrax Spores By Catalysis And Analytical Pyrolysis, Phillip R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Anthrax spores, in weaponized form, are dangerous biological warfare agents. Handheld technology for the rapid detection of anthrax is greatly needed to improve national security. Methods to detect anthrax spores are diverse, with most taking at least an hour for positive identification. A viable option for rapid detection is analytical pyrolysis (AP), which produces chemicals containing taxonomical information (biomarkers). AP methods are reviewed and critically analyzed to show that reproducible detection of anthrax spores in a rapid manner (< 5 min) with a handheld device is not currently possible. A promising alternative to AP is the use of a catalyst to produce biomarkers from anthrax spores with improved selectivity and reproducibility. Catalytic materials having promise for this include platinum, nickel, and superacids. Experiments evaluating several of these materials are described. A biomarker mass spectral library was created, based on information available in the scientific literature, to facilitate analysis and identification of the biomarkers produced experimentally. The RAMFAC algorithm was used to deconvolute chromatographic peaks to produce clean mass spectra and match them against entries in the biomarker library. While the library is not complete, its use with the RAMFAC algorithm enabled detection of many important biomarkers in experiments involving catalytic breakdown of anthrax spores. Experimental results from preliminary tests of several catalysts are presented and discussed. Addition of catalysts in the form of platinum nanoclusters and superacids to bacterial spores in a commercial pyrolyzer effected an increase in the amount of biomarkers produced at mild conditions over traditional pyrolysis methods. Electroformed nickel mesh, on the other hand, demonstrated low catalytic activity for the production of biomarkers, likely due to poor contact of the spores with the mesh. Biomarkers similar to those published in the literature were observed, including dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid, propionamide, acetamide, diketopiperazines, fatty acids, furfuryl alcohol, and DNA bases. A statistically designed factorial study was used to determine the importance of temperature, spore loading, and nanocluster loading on the production of three important biomarkers. The relative importance of these variables differs for each of the three important biomarkers, suggesting they are produced by different reaction mechanisms.

Crosslinked Chitosan: Its Physical Properties And The Effects Of Matrix Stiffness On Chondrocyte Cell Morphology And Proliferation, Anuradha Subramanian, Hsin-Yi Lin

Papers in Biotechnology

Chitosan [<(1-4)-2 amino-2-deoxy-d-glucose], the natural polyaminosaccharide derived from N-deacetylation of chitin [<(1-4)-2 acetamide-2-deoxy-d-glucose], has been shown to possess attractive biological and cell interactive properties. Recently chitosan and chitosan analogs have also been shown to support the growth and continued function of chondrocytes. In the present study, chitosan substrates are crosslinked with a func-tional diepoxide (1,4 butanediol diglycidyl ether) to alter its mechanical property, and the viability and proliferation of the canine articular chondrocytes seeded on the crosslinked surface are further assayed. Of interest is the impact of substrate stiffness on the growth and proliferation of articular canine chondrocytes. Cross linked scaffolds were also sub-jected to degradation by chitosanase to examine the impact of cross linking on enzyme- assisted degradation. The hydrophilicity and compression modulus of the crosslinked sur-faces were measured via contact-angle measurements and compression tests, respec-tively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescent staining were used to ob-serve the proliferation and morphology of chondrocyte cells on noncrosslinked and crosslinked surfaces. The crosslinked chitosan was found to be nontoxic to chondrocytes and more hydrophilic. Its compression modulus and stiffness increased, which may im-prove the scaffold resistance to wear and in vivo shrinkage once implanted. The in-creased stiffness also seemed to serve as an additional mechanical stimulus to promote chondrocyte growth and proliferation. The cell morphology on crosslinked scaffolds seen by SEM and fluorescent stain was the typical chondrocytic rounded shape. The method proposed provides a nontoxic way to increase the mechanical strength of the chitosan scaffolds.

Modeling Catalytic Trickle-Bed And Upflow Packed-Bed Reactors For Wet Air Oxidation Of Phenol With Phase Change, Jing Guo, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Study, to Simulate the Steady-State Behavior of Packed-Bed Reactors for Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Phenol, One-Dimensional (1D) Axial Dispersion Model for the Liquid Phase is Coupled with a Cell Stack Model for the Gas Phase, Providing Considerable Phase Change under the Selected Operating Conditions. the Reactor Scale Governing Equations, Reaction Kinetics Involved, and Solution Strategy Are Discussed. the Computational Approach Accounts for the Observed Catalyst Activities, Combined with Local Transport and Catalyst Wetting Effects. the Approach Selected is Shown to Be Suitable and Efficient in Dealing with the Problem in Question. Comparisons of Simulated Model Predictions and Lab …

Purification And Scale-Up Of A Recombinant Heavy Chain Fragment C Of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype E In Pichia Pastoris Gs115, Michael P. Dux, Rick Barent, Jayanta Sinha, Mark Gouthro, Todd Swanson, Ardis Barthuli, Mehmet İnan, John T. Ross, Leonard A. Smith, Theresa J. Smith, Robert Webb, Bonnie Loveless, Ian Henderson, Michael M. Meagher

Papers in Biochemical Engineering

A recombinant C-terminus heavy chain fragment from Botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) is proposed as a vaccine against the serotype E neurotoxin. This fragment, rBoNTE(Hc), was produced intracellular in Pichia pastoris GS115 by a three-step fermentation process, i.e., glycerol batch phase and a glycerol fed-batch phase to achieve high cell densities, followed by a methanol fed-batch induction phase. The rBoNTE(Hc) protein was purified from the soluble fraction of cell lysates using three ion-exchange chromatography steps (SP Sepharose Fast Flow, Q Sepharose Fast Flow, Sp Sepharose High Performance) and polished with a hydrophobic charge induction chromatography step (MEP HyperCel). Method development …

Flow Distribution Characteristics Of A Gas-Liquid Monolith Reactor, Shaibal Roy, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Flow Distribution Characteristics in a 0.05 M Diameter Monolith Reactor, Operated Co-Current Downward in the Taylor Flow Regime, Was Investigated and Quantified using Gamma Ray Computed Tomography (CT). the Results Indicate that the Flow Distribution is a Strong Function of Liquid Distributor Design, and Gas and Liquid Superficial Velocities. Additionally, within the Range of Gas and Liquid Superficial Velocities Investigated, a Window of Operating Condition (Gas and Liquid Velocities) Was Identified Which Resulted in a Close to Uniform Phase Distribution. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All Rights Reserved.

Effects Of Pressure On Coal Pyrolysis At High Heating Rates And Char Combustion, Dong Zeng

Theses and Dissertations

Clean coal technologies are now becoming popular because of their high efficiencies and minimal environmental impact. Higher operating pressures have been applied to clean coal technologies. The effect of pressure on coal pyrolysis and char combustion has been extensively studied but still remains to be further explored. The objective of this project was to characterize high pressure, high heating rate coal pyrolysis and char combustion, with emphasis on improving coal/char high pressure combustion models. A flat-flame burner was used in a high pressure laminar flow facility to conduct high temperature, high heating rate pyrolysis and combustion experiments for four coals. …

The Calculation Of Characteristic Impedance And Propagation Operator Associated With Isothermal And Viscous Effects In Acoustic Tubes, Dean R. Wheeler

Faculty Publications

Chebychev type approximations are used to represent the Kelvin functions and in turn the complex Bessel functions needed in modeling the characteristic impedance and propagation operator for an acoustic tube. This technique is used to approximate the Bessel functions of the first kind of order zero and order one with complex arguments. The method is then used to approximate the ratio of Bessel functions in an effort to decrease computing time. The results are used in electrical analog expressions for computing system frequency response of miniature transducers.