Polymer and Organic Materials Commons^™

Mechanistic Investigation Of Ring-Opening Polymerization Of Polycaprolactone Using Tin(Ii) Catalysts: Ligand Effects And Biomedical Applications, Eva-Larue M. Barber

Honors Scholar Theses

This research explores the mechanistic aspects of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) to produce polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polymer widely used in biomedical applications. The study investigates how light exposure and catalyst concentration influence polymerization efficiency, using tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate [Sn(Oct)₂] as the catalyst in a non-polar toluene solvent at 90 °C. Reactions were conducted under either ambient light or black light bulb (BLB) illumination, with monomer-to-catalyst ratios of 1:1 and 200:1.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy was used to analyze conversion efficiency by tracking the disappearance of monomer signals and appearance of characteristic PCL peaks. Results revealed …

Characterization Of Platinum On Carbon Nanoparticles Selectively Coated With Titanium Nitride (Tin), Matthew Maramo

Honors Scholar Theses

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are a promising low-carbon technology that still face problems including low durability during their normal operation cycles. At the cathode, the carbon supports of the catalysts may corrode. Atomic layer deposition of titanium nitride is performed on prepared catalyst layer samples. The purpose of the deposition is to create a thin film over the carbon supports to reduce carbon support corrosion and improve the lifespan of the fuel cell. Sheet resistances and contact angles are measured for the samples before and after the deposition, although some samples did not receive the deposition and post-deposition characterization …

Investigation Of Neoprene Medical Gloves: Analysis Of Material Properties, Durability, And Bacterial Barrier Efficacy, Amanda Agui

Honors Scholar Theses

This work aims to investigate the material properties, durability, and bacterial barrier efficacy of neoprene for applications in the healthcare/medical field. A special focus on material stiffness and fatigue failure will be explored. Additionally, manufacturer regulations and testing will be inspected to ensure medical gloves made of neoprene blends have a proper lifespan for its desired application in the healthcare community. The resistance of protective gloves and its ability to withstand perforation failure will be investigated to guarantee the safety of users holds extreme importance. Lastly, an analysis of the bacterial barrier efficacy of neoprene gloves will be determined.

Hydrolytic Degradation Study Of Polyphosphazene-Plga Blends, Riley Blumenfield

Honors Scholar Theses

The synthesis and in vitro degradation analysis of thin films of poly[(glycineethylglycinato)₇₅(phenylphenoxy)₂₅phosphazene]
(PNGEG₇₅PhPh₂₅) and poly[(ethylphenylalanato)₂₅(glycine-
ethylglycinato)₇₅phosphazene] (PNEPA₂₅GEG₇₅) blended with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) was conducted to determine the blends’ potential for use as scaffolding materials for tissue regeneration applications. The samples were synthesized with glycylglycine ethyl ester (GEG) acting as the primary substituent side group, with cosubstitution by phenylphenol (PhPh) and phenylalanine ethyl ester (EPA) to make the final product [1]. Blends of 25% polyphosphazene, 75% PLGA and 50% polyphosphazene, 50% PLGA were …

Development Of A Sonically Powered Biodegradable Nanogenerator For Bone Regeneration, Avi S. Patel

University Scholar Projects

Background: Reconstruction of bone fractures and defects remains a big challenge in orthopedic surgery. While regenerative engineering has advanced the field greatly using a combination of biomaterial scaffolds and stem cells, one matter of difficulty is inducing osteogenesis in these cells. Recent works have shown electricity’s ability to promote osteogenesis in stem cell lines when seeded in bone scaffolds; however, typical electrical stimulators are either (a) externally housed and require overcomplex percutaneous wires be connected to the implanted scaffold or (b) implanted non-degradable devices which contain toxic batteries and require invasive removal surgeries.

Objective: Here, we establish a biodegradable, piezoelectric …

Development Of A Sonically Powered Biodegradable Nanogenerator For Bone Regeneration, Avi Patel

Honors Scholar Theses

Background: Reconstruction of bone fractures and defects remains a big challenge in orthopedic surgery. While regenerative engineering has advanced the field greatly using a combination of biomaterial scaffolds and stem cells, one matter of difficulty is inducing osteogenesis in these cells. Recent works have shown electricity’s ability to promote osteogenesis in stem cell lines when seeded in bone scaffolds; however, typical electrical stimulators are either (a) externally housed and require overcomplex percutaneous wires be connected to the implanted scaffold or (b) implanted non-degradable devices which contain toxic batteries and require invasive removal surgeries.

Objective: Here, we establish a biodegradable, piezoelectric …

Optimizing Polymer Fluorescence For Explosives Detection, Rose K. Cersonsky

Honors Scholar Theses

Pyrene is commonly used for explosives detection, as when mixed with polystyrene, the fluorescence intensity of the resulting film can be used as an indicator of the presence of nitro-aromatic, nitro-ether, or nitro-amine explosives. Previous studieshave tested a three-component system including pyrene, polystyrene, and a salt, tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAHP). From these previous studies, it has been seen that vapor pressure of the preparation area is a governing factor in the formation of excimers, which are instrumental in achieving and maintaining fluorescence intensity. In this study, three parameters – solution concentration, film thickness, and molecular weight of polystyrene are examined to …

Material Characterization And The Effects Of Moisture And Drying On Injection Molded Torlon 5030, Michael R. Di Re

Master's Theses

The effects of water absorption and drying were studied on injection molded Torlon 5030, a high performance thermoplastic fabricated by Solvay Specialty Polymers. Torlon 5030 contains 30% by weight glass fibers in a polyamide-imide base resin. The objective behind this work was to test and better define relevant properties for industrial applications using this material. While the material design guide offers information on many mechanical properties including tensile, fatigue, and creep data; there is little to no publicly published data on the effects of water absorption and any subsequent drying of Torlon 5030. Blistering was also studied. With exposure to …

Nanocharacterization Of Porous Materials With Atomic Force Microscopy, Yasemin Kutes

Master's Theses

Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques have proven very useful in the investigation of porous nanostructured surfaces. Especially, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been widely used due to its compatibility with non-conducting surfaces. In particular, AFM often complements other techniques like scanning and transmission electron microscopy by providing quantitative surface information coupled with nanoscale spatial resolution. Its ability to operate in fluid is also important, as this allows researchers to mimic the physiological environment of biological materials and systems. In this work, two main types of porous materials are studied with AFM, including Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) electrode catalyst layers, and …

Advanced Design Optimization For Composite Structure: Stress Reduction, Weight Decrease And Manufacturing Cost Savings, Shayan Ahmadian

Master's Theses

An injection moldable chopped fiber composite actuator with detailed drawing and tolerances was designed within one year. A vendor was selected and a quote for injection molding tooling cost for production was obtained and the first prototype was built in addition of six months. The risks are identified and material characterization tests are proposed.

The objective of this project was redesigning an aluminum made actuator with a continuous fiber composite for weight saving purposes. After searching the literature and consulting with experts in the field it was concluded that manufacturing costs associated with continuous fiber composite are 3 times as …