Microporous walled micro-capillary films (MMCFs) are porous polymer films with embedded capillaries. MMCFs have been found to be suitable low-cost chromatography substrates capable of tolerating high flowrates, which suggested they might be a solution to the growing bottleneck in the downstream purification of biopharmaceuticals. However, MMCFs have been mainly tested for binary separations of model proteins and broader capabilities of this technology remain largely unknown. The experimental work presented in this thesis focused on developing MMCFs functionalised with different ligands and their subsequent testing as chromatography media for bioseparations. MMCFs were functionalised to form weak anion (MMCF-DEAE) and weak cation-exchangers (MMCF-gCM and MMCF-CA). Emphasis was placed on low-cost functionalisation methods amenable to single-use applications. To confirm the addition of functional groups on the membranes, a comprehensive characterisation routine was implemented. This included the use of spectroscopy, electron microscopy, elemental analysis and pH titration. The binding performance of these weak ion-exchangers was further assessed by static and dynamic adsorption of model proteins. Next, the functionalised MMCFs were tested for bioseparations with binary and complex mixtures, the latter being more relevant for industrial applications. It was found that MMCFs could selectively separate similarly charged biomolecules using optimised elution strategies. Further, it was observed that MMCF-gCM could capture lysozyme from chicken egg white at a near twenty-fold purity increase compared to the feed. Similarly, this weak cation-exchanger could recover antibodies from unfiltered mammalian cell lysate. The recovered biomolecules were then injected onto MMCF-DEAE to remove nucleic acid impurities in subtractive chromatography mode. Finally, MMCFs were explored for the first time as affinity chromatography supports. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Protein A were covalently coupled to the substrate and tested for the capture of relevant analytes. Indeed, it was found that MMCF-BSA could bind bilirubin and MMCF-ProtA could be used to recover antibodies. Given the high cost of Protein A, a cheaper synthetic ligand was coupled onto MMCFs and observed to successfully bind antibodies. Overall, this work has furthered the applications of MMCFs for bioseparations, demonstrating their great versatility and robustness. Furthermore, it opened the field for affinity-based MMCFs, which could have numerous applications in both research and industry. Extensive characterisation methods presented here will greatly simplify future studies with these membranes. While the binding capacity of the developed ion-exchangers was typically two orders of magnitude higher than non-porous MCFs (NMCFs), the low yield achieved with MMCFs currently precludes them from commercial applications. However, optimisation of MMCFs, as outlined in the future work, could make this support more commercially viable and leverage the numerous advantages offered by its unique geometry.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

O uso do cianeto em processos de eletrodeposição proporciona à prática industrial risco ambiental e ocupacional. Com isso, estudos têm buscado alternativas para a substituição desse agente nocivo. O Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (IPT) desenvolveu um banho de cobre alcalino sem cianeto, que utilizou como substituinte o HEDP (1-hidroxietano-1,1-difosfônico). Para a recuperação desse ácido a eletrodiálise foi avaliada, que consiste no uso de um sistema de membranas trocadoras de íons (MTI) e de corrente elétrica como força motriz. Meios oxidantes, corrosivos e com materiais orgânicos favorecem a degradação da membrana, inibindo sua capacidade em separação. Alternativas de manutenção têm sido estudadas para o aumento da vida útil das membranas, como o uso de agentes de limpeza. O estudo do envelhecimento proporciona a avaliação de um material em condições específicas, a fim de monitorar alterações em função do tempo de contato com o meio. O presente estudo propõe o envelhecimento de membranas aniônicas comerciais em soluções diluídas, provenientes do banho sintético de cobre à base de HEDP. Como objeto de estudo, foram selecionadas duas membranas, sendo uma heterogênea e uma membrana homogênea. Essas foram envelhecidas em três concentrações distintas (CuHEDP 1%, 5%, 10% v/v), por 400h de contato, sob agitação. As possíveis modificações estruturais foram avaliadas por meio de técnicas como a microscopia eletrônica de varredura acoplada à espectroscopia de energia dispersiva de raios-X (MEV-EDS), a análise termogravimétrica (TGA) e espectroscopia por infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR-ATR). As propriedades intrínsecas das membranas estão diretamente relacionadas ao seu caráter seletivo e morfológico. Para avaliar tais propriedades, foram utilizados ensaios cronopotenciométricos e a titulação potenciométrica. As propriedades investigadas foram o grau de inchamento, a capacidade de troca, a resistência elétrica, a densidade de corrente limite e a permeseletividade. Paralelamente, submeteu-se a membrana heterogênea ao envelhecimento em um sistema de eletrodiálise por 400h, monitorando-se as alterações em sua densidade de corrente e resistência elétrica a cada 100h de ensaio. Em adição, realizou-se a avaliação de agentes de limpeza de caráter ácido e básico, em concentrações distintas. O agente que atingiu melhor desempenho em remover a incorporação iônica foi aplicado às membranas envelhecidas em 100h de envelhecimento. Em seguida, essas foram reavaliadas a partir de ensaios eletroquímicos. Observou-se que houve interação entre os íons em solução e as membranas estudadas, que proporcionaram alterações em sua estrutura e propriedades, porém sem causar modificações que indicassem o descarte para ambas membranas. / The use of cyanide in electrodeposition processes provides industrial practice environmental and occupational risk. Thereby, studies have looked for alternatives for the substitution of this noxious agent. The Institute of Technological Research (ITR) developed an alkaline copper bath cyanide-free, which used HEDP (1-hydroxyethane- 1,1-diphosphonic) as a substitute. For the recovery of this acid the electrodialysis was evaluated, which consists of the use of an ion-exchange membrane (IEM) system and electric current as the driving force. Oxidizing, corrosive and organic materials favor membrane degradation, inhibiting their separation ability. Maintenance alternatives have been studied to increase the shelf life of membranes, such as the use of cleaning agents. The ageing study provides the evaluation of a material under specific conditions, in order to monitor changes as a function of the time of contact with the medium. The present study proposes the ageing of commercial anionic membranes in dilute solutions from the synthetic copper bath with HEDP. The purpose of the study was selected two membranes, being a heterogeneous and homogeneous membrane. These were aged in three distinct concentrations (CuHEDP 1%, 5%, 10% v/v) for 400 hours of contact, under stirring. The possible structural modifications were evaluated by techniques such as scanning electron microscopy coupled to X-ray dispersive energy spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR). The intrinsic properties of the membranes are directly related to their selective and morphological character. To evaluate such properties, chronopotentiometric assays and potentiometric titration were used. The investigated properties were swelling degree, ion-exchange capacity, electrical resistance, current density, and permselectivity. In parallel, the heterogeneous membrane was subjected to ageing in an electrodialysis system for 400h, monitoring the changes in its current density and electrical resistance every 100h of the test. In addition, acid and basic cleaning agents were evaluated in different concentrations. The agent that achieved the best performance in removing the ionic incorporation was applied to the membranes aged in 100h of ageing. These were then reevaluated from electrochemical tests. It was observed that there was interaction between the ions in solution and the membranes studied, which provided alterations in its structure and properties, but without provide modifications that indicated the need of disposal for both membranes.

In this work cis-inositol, epi-inositol and myo-inositol carbonate were successfully synthesised and used for coordination studies. The preparation of cis-inositol was achieved by reduction of tetrahydroxybenzoquinone via hydrogenation with palladium hydroxide as the catalyst and was purified by chromatographic separation using Dowex resin. The synthesis of epi-inositol was achieved by the nitric acid oxidation of myo-inositol to form epi-inosose which was subsequently reduced by hydrogenation using palladium hydroxide as the catalyst. myo-Inositol was converted into its mono-orthoformate derivative and the equatorial hydroxy group was then protected as a tertiary-butyldimethylsilyl ether. The carbonate group was introduced onto this protected inositol and then the protecting groups were removed by acid hydrolysis. The coordination characteristics of four inositols, viz cis-inositol, epi-inositol, myo-inositol and myo-inositol carbonate with calcium, aluminium, gallium, lanthanum and samarium ions have been investigated. Interactions of the aluminate anion with epi-inositol and myo-inositol in deuterated sodium hydroxide were also investigated. Three methods were used in the study of complexation behaviour of these systems. namely, [superscript]13C NMR spectroscopy, HPLC and ion exchange chromatography. [superscript]13C NMR spectroscopy was found to be most useful for determining possible complexation behaviour of the inositols. Chemical shift changes of the resonance signals in the [superscript]13C NMR spectra on sequential addition of cations to solutions of the inositols at near neutral pH, have led to determination of possible coordination sites of the inositols. In general, large induced chemical shift changes have been interpreted to signify strong cation-inositol interaction at specific hydroxy groups. / Triaxial sites of the inositols have shown a preference to coordinate small ions with ionic size of at least 60 pin, smaller ions than this displayed very weak interactions. Likewise large ions (90-100 pm) imparted weak interactions on triaxial sites of the inositols. These large ions coordinated well with the axial-equatorial-axial sites of the inositols although it was observed that calcium ions appeared to form a 2:1 ligand:cation complex with cis-inositol at the triaxial site despite being a large cation (100 pm). The detection of complex formation by HPLC showed a possible formation of very stable complexes of epi-inositol complexes with calcium ions. However, a change of refractive index of the solution on sequential addition of the cation may have caused an interference in the results such that direct interpretation was not possible. Ion exchange chromatography provided the quickest guide on how strongly the inositols interact with a particular cation. However, determination of complex stoichiometry and or structure was not possible using this technique.

Ion exchange equilibria are presented for [ ]??? ??? Au(CN)2 / Cl , [ ]??? ??? Au(CN)2 / SCN and SCN??? / Cl??? in aqueous solution, and in various mixed solvents, at 303K using Purolite A500 as the ion-exchanger. The mixed solvents investigated include water-acetone, water-dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and water-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). In aqueous solution, the selectivity of Purolite A500 for a given anion increases in the order: [ ]??? ??? &lt ??? &lt Cl SCN Au(CN)2 . This selectivity sequence confirms the high affinity of the ion exchange resin for the [ ]??? Au(CN)2 species. In mixed solvents, however, the selectivity of Purolite A500 for [ ]??? Au(CN)2 decreases with an increase in the composition of the organic solvent in the external solution. Mixed solvents containing greater than 60 mol% organic solvent are preferred for the displacement of [ ]??? Au(CN)2 from the resin. The effectiveness of a given type of mixed solvent generally increases in the following order: DMSO &it acetone &it NMP. The ion exchange equilibria are correlated using the Law of Mass Action, modified with activity coefficients, to determine the equilibrium constant for each binary system. The fitted values of the equilibrium constants are consistent with the trends observed in the ion exchange isotherms. The accuracy of the correlation results in the mixed solvent systems range from 1 to 10% and this is similar to the level of accuracy obtained for the ion exchange equilibria in aqueous solution. From these results it can be concluded that the Law of Mass Action is equally valid in mixed solvent systems. The variation in the equilibrium constant with mixed solvent composition, for a given binary system, correlates well with the dielectric constant of the mixed solvent. For a given value of the dielectric constant, however, the equilibrium constant, however, the equilibrium constant is dependent on the type of mixed solvent. A fundamental relationship is derived between the equilibrium constants and the Gibbs energies of transfer associated with the solvation of the ions in the mixed solvents. Based on this relationship, the redistribution of ions between the pore solution and the bulk mixed solvent, appears to be the most significant factor that governs the selectivity of the resin in mixed solvent systems.

New layered cathode materials, Li₀.₉Ni₀.₄₅Ti₀.₅₅O₂, were synthesized by means of ion-exchange from Na₀.₉Ni₀.₄₅Ti₀.₅₅O₂. The degree of cation disordering in the material depends critically on the synthesis conditions. Longer times and higher temperatures in the ion-exchange process induced more cation disordering. However, the partially disordered phase showed better capacity retention than the least disordered phase. First principles calculations indicated this could be attributed to the migration of Ti⁺⁴ into the Li layer during the electrochemical testing, which seems to depend sensitively on the Ni⁺² -Ti⁺⁴ configuration in the transition metal layer. The poor conductivity of this material could also be the reason for its low specific capacity according to the Density of States (DOS) obtained from first principles calculations indicating that only Ni participates in the electronic conductivity. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

Graduation date: 1992

The chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete structures has become a widespread durability problem throughout the world. When concrete structures come in contact with chloride sources, the chloride ions will diffuse through the body of the concrete and ultimately reach the steel. Not all of the chloride ions which penetrate the concrete remain free in the pore solution. Some of the ions become bound to the hydration products in a chemical reaction to form calcium chloroaluminate hydrate (Friedel' salt). It is also well known that only the portion of the chloride ions that remains free is responsible for causing damage to the concrete structures by corroding steel rebar. Thus, the chloride binding capacity of the cementitious matrix plays a major role in controlling chlorides ingress and, consequently, the corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete. The chloride binding capacity is affected by cement composition, environmental factors, and by the source of the chlorides ( vs. ). To quantify the durability of new and existing structures, a clear understanding of the mechanisms of chloride penetration into the concrete cover is required.<p> Currently, most of the models available in the published literature for calculating free chloride ions in concrete use Ficks law for chloride transport and chloride binding isotherms to account for bound chlorides. Binding isotherms are cement and environment specific. Thus, the existing models cannot be used for all types of cement and variable general environmental exposure conditions such as temperatures, pH levels, and chloride sources. A general mechanistic approach that can overcome those limitations is proposed in this thesis based on the concepts of ion-exchange theory for an accurate determination of chloride ingress in concrete under variable environmental conditions.<p> Some of the model input parameters, such as exchange capacity and the equilibrium constant for the exchange reaction, were not easy to determine directly from experiments and were determined through an inverse modeling procedure. Verification experiments were carried out by varying different environmental parameters and making comparisons with the simulated results using the corresponding parameters.<p> The experimental results showed that the proposed procedure is able to predict the amount of free chlorides in concrete, including predictions of chloride binding as a function of pH, temperature, chloride sources, and the presence of other ions such as carbonate. The proposed model was also used to clarify some unresolved issues such as the effect of chloride sources on binding and the effect of pH on the release of bound chlorides in the presence of carbonation.

The chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete structures has become a widespread durability problem throughout the world. When concrete structures come in contact with chloride sources, the chloride ions will diffuse through the body of the concrete and ultimately reach the steel. Not all of the chloride ions which penetrate the concrete remain free in the pore solution. Some of the ions become bound to the hydration products in a chemical reaction to form calcium chloroaluminate hydrate (Friedel' salt). It is also well known that only the portion of the chloride ions that remains free is responsible for causing damage to the concrete structures by corroding steel rebar. Thus, the chloride binding capacity of the cementitious matrix plays a major role in controlling chlorides ingress and, consequently, the corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete. The chloride binding capacity is affected by cement composition, environmental factors, and by the source of the chlorides ( vs. ). To quantify the durability of new and existing structures, a clear understanding of the mechanisms of chloride penetration into the concrete cover is required.<p> Currently, most of the models available in the published literature for calculating free chloride ions in concrete use Ficks law for chloride transport and chloride binding isotherms to account for bound chlorides. Binding isotherms are cement and environment specific. Thus, the existing models cannot be used for all types of cement and variable general environmental exposure conditions such as temperatures, pH levels, and chloride sources. A general mechanistic approach that can overcome those limitations is proposed in this thesis based on the concepts of ion-exchange theory for an accurate determination of chloride ingress in concrete under variable environmental conditions.<p> Some of the model input parameters, such as exchange capacity and the equilibrium constant for the exchange reaction, were not easy to determine directly from experiments and were determined through an inverse modeling procedure. Verification experiments were carried out by varying different environmental parameters and making comparisons with the simulated results using the corresponding parameters.<p> The experimental results showed that the proposed procedure is able to predict the amount of free chlorides in concrete, including predictions of chloride binding as a function of pH, temperature, chloride sources, and the presence of other ions such as carbonate. The proposed model was also used to clarify some unresolved issues such as the effect of chloride sources on binding and the effect of pH on the release of bound chlorides in the presence of carbonation.

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