Polymer and Organic Materials Commons^™

La2nio4+Δ-Based Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (Soecs) Electrodes Enhanced With Complex Perovskite Nanocatalyst Processed By Surfactant-Enabled Infiltration, Cole Samuel Klemstine

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the world seeks to reduce its reliance on hydrocarbons, the demand for sustainable hydrogen production methods has become increasingly critical. Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be produced from various sources, including water, natural gas, and biomass. Replacing the burning of hydrocarbons with hydrogen could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global climate goals like those set by the US H2NEW program. The joint technologies of solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells present the ability to both produce and process clean hydrogen to meet these goals. Development into solid oxide fuel cells has been met with …

Influence Of Glycopolymer Structure On Amphiphilic, Hybrid, Linear Branched Block Copolymer Properties For Use In Biomedical Applications, Kevin Green

Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is evaluating and adding fundamental knowledge regarding the structure-property relations of glycopolymers used in the design of hybrid block copolymers (HBC) that are cable of self-assembling into delivery vehicles for biomedical applications. A shift to the utilization of natural materials in the design and fabrication of drug-delivery vehicles has garnered significant attention. Understanding the effects of linear glycopolymers content and composition on the resulting HBCs properties can provide valuable insight into how these materials may be tailored for use in targeted biological applications.

The first chapter introduces current literature on the need for improvement in …

Crystalline Colloidal Arrays: Exploring Light-Matter Interactions, Haley W. Jones

All Dissertations

Understanding and manipulating quantum light-matter interactions, especially in the context of nanostructured environments, is highly critical for technological progress and inventive solutions in the fields of telecommunications, energy-efficient lighting, and cutting-edge quantum computing technologies. The fundamental interactions of photons with a surrounding environment directly impact the performance and efficiency of devices such as lasers, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and quantum computing elements, which leverage the unique properties of confined structured environments. Since the late 1980s, the connection between a structured environment and the decay kinetics of an embedded fluorophore has been a highly debated and unresolved topic in the literature. More …

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

Bioactive Poly(Beta-Amino Ester) Biomaterials For Treatment Of Infection And Oxidative Stress, Andrew L. Lakes

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Polymers have deep roots as drug delivery tools, and are widely used in clinical to private settings. Currently, however, numerous traditional therapies exist which may be improved through use of polymeric biomaterials. Through our work with infectious and oxidative stress disease prevention and treatment, we aimed to develop application driven, enhanced therapies utilizing new classes of polymers synthesized in-house. Applying biodegradable poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) polymers, covalent-addition of bioactive substrates to these PBAEs avoided certain pitfalls of free-loaded and non-degradable drug delivery systems. Further, through variation of polymer ingredients and conditions, we were able to tune degradation rates, release profiles, cellular …

Design And Fundamental Understanding Of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (Mql) Assisted Grinding Using Advanced Nanolubricants, Parash Kalita

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abrasive grinding is widely used across manufacturing industry for finishing parts and components requiring smooth superficial textures and precise dimensional tolerances and accuracy. Unlike any other machining operations, the complex thermo-mechanical processes during grinding produce excessive friction-induced energy consumption, heat, and intense contact seizures. Lubrication and cooling from grinding fluids is crucial in minimizing the deleterious effects of friction and heat to maximize the output part quality and process efficiency. The conventional flood grinding approach of an uneconomical application of large quantities of chemically active fluids has been found ineffective to provide sufficient lubrication and produces waste streams and pollutants …