<p>  </p> <p>Sensing systems have evolved significantly in recent years as a result of several advances in a number of sensor manufacturing approaches. The proximity measuring of approaching objects is a challenging, costly, and critical operation that permits the detection of any impediments without coming into touch with them and causing an unfavorable occurrence. However, developing a flexible proximity sensor capable of operating throughout a wide range of object motion continues to be a difficulty. The current work describes a polymer-based sensor that makes use of a nanostructure composite as the sensing element. The sensor will be used in healthcare and automotive applications in the near future. Composites comprising Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are capable of sensing the presence of an external item at a great distance. The sensor model's performance was then enhanced further by microfabricating an integrated model with a certain shape. The design and production techniques for the TPU/CNTs proximity sensor are basic, and the sensor's performance demonstrates repeatability, as well as high electrical sensitivity and mechanical flexibility. The sensing process is based on the comparison of stored charges at the composite film sensor to the sensor's base voltage. The sensor operates reliably across a detection range of 2-20 cm. Tunneling and fringing effects are used to explain substantial capacitance shifts as sensing mechanisms. The structure's fringing capacitance effect has been thoroughly examined using ANSYS Maxwell (Ansoft) FEA simulation, as the measurements perfectly confirm the simulation's sensitivity trend. A novel mathematical model of fringe capacitance and subsequent tests demonstrate that the distance between an item and the sensor may be determined. Additionally, the model argues that the change in capacitance is significantly influenced by sensor resistivity, with the starting capacitance varying between 0.045pF and 0.024pF in the range 103-105 mm. This analytical model would enable the sensor's sensitivity to be optimized.</p> <p>Additionally, a new generation of durable elastomeric materials is commercially accessible for 3D printing, allowing the development of an entirely new class of materials for wearable and industrial applications. By using functional grading and adjusting to diverse users, the mechanical reaction of soft 3D-printed objects may now be modified for increased safety and comfort. Additionally, electronics may be included into these 3D printed lattice and wearable structures to offer input on the movement of objects associated with healthcare devices as well as automotive components. Thus, in order to investigate the influence of additive manufacturing on the sensitivity of TPU/CNT sensors, samples with equal thickness and size but varied orientations are printed and compared to hot-press samples. Among the many 3D printed patterns, the [0,0] direction has the highest sensitivity, and may be used as an optimum method for increased sensitivity. In contrast to the hot-press samples, the 3D-printed TPU/CNT film features a crystalline network, which may aid in the passage of surface charges and hence increase capacitance changes.</p> <p>To have a better understanding which feature, and parameter can give us the most sensitivity we need to do an optimization. This will be accomplished by collecting experimental and computational results and using them as a basis for establishing a computationally and experimentally supported Genetic Algorithm Assisted Machine Learning (GAML) framework combined with artificial neural network (ANN) to develop TPU/CNT nanocomposite flexible sensors in which material characterizations will be coupled to strain, tactile, electronic and proximity characteristics to probe intermolecular interactions between CNTs and polymers. The proposed framework provides enhanced predictive capabilities by managing multiple sets of data gathered from physical testing (material characterization and sensor testing) and multi-fidelity numerical models spanning all lengths scales. The GAML-ANN framework will allow the concurrent optimization of processing parameters and structural features of TPU/CNT nanocomposites, enabling fabrication of high-performance, lightweight flexible sensor systems.</p> <p>Our suggested nanocomposite sensor establishes a new mainstream platform for ultrasensitive object perception, demonstrating a viable prototype for wearable proximity sensors for motion analysis and the automobile sector.</p>

No description available.

Nanoparticles promise many interesting applications because of their exceptional chemical and physical properties. Therefore nanoparticles offer a pathway for the fabrication of new functional, smart materials. Since the primary particle strongly tends to strong agglomeration, and since the surface of nanoparticles is often not compatible with polymers, it is not possible to disperse single particles homogeneously in a polymer melt. Formations of agglomerates are responsible for strong differences in concentration of the nanoparticles in the material matrix and therefore impede a homogeneous property profile. Furthermore properties of compounds are not only determined by single components, but considerably by the interface between these single components. Hence, a strong chemical and physical adhesion between the constituents is required. Thus, surface modification of nanoparticles is a crucial issue. This work focuses on the control of the particle/polymer interface in composite materials which has a thickness of some nanometers. This interface regulates the compatibility of the surface of the nanoparticles and their environment. This interface is also the place where the transmission of energy between nanoparticle and polymer occurs. The interlayer of this boundary surface should be occupied with functional “primer”-macromolecules that provide at least two types of functional groups: one species of functional group should assure the bonding of the primer to the surface of the nanoparticle, and the second type enables the compatibilizing to the matrix, and when indicated also the covalent adhesion to the ambient polymer system. The macromolecular scaffold of the primer permits the selective adjustment of important interface properties as elasticity, durability and the surface energy of the particle – matrix interface. Within this thesis hyperbranched polyethylene (PEI) imine was used as starting platform for “Quat-Primer Polymers” bearing a multitude of functional moieties in form of primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups. Chapter 2 gives a literature – review on hyperbranched polymers – with focus on PEI, stabilization of colloids by polymers, as well as polymer – “nanocomposites”. In Chapter 3 the reaction of PEI with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride will be described to obtain hyperbranched polymers that consist of (i) the hyperbranched PEI scaffold, (ii) primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups that can be used for further modification reactions with amino-reactive compounds, and (iii) ammonium moieties that can adsorb to negatively charged surfaces. It will be shown that these Quat-Primer polymers have the ability to stabilize several nanoparticles in water to form aqueous dispersions and that they are capable to partially deagglomerate nanoparticles leading to smaller diameters of the particles in the dispersion. Additionally the reaction of hyperbranched polyethylene imine with glycidol will be described displaying a possibility to change the reactivity of the functional groups and exhibiting that also the generated hydroxyl groups generated by the ring-opening reaction of epoxides with PEI react with epoxide rings to form ether linkages. In Chapter 4 the synthesis of several amino-reactive ATRP initiators will be described and two methods to graft PMMA arms to “Quat-Primer polymers” presented in the previous chapter including the “grafting from” and the “grafting to” technique. These synthesized Quat-Primer polymers bearing ammonium moieties, as well as PMMA arms can be used to fabricate PMMA nanocomposites with homogeneously distributed nanoparticles. The developed method allow for grafting monomers that can be used in ATRP polymerization, including acrylates, acrylonitriles and styrenes, to hyperbranched polyethylene imine. Chapter 5 will display pathways to graft caprolactam derivatives to hyperbranched polyethylene imine to generate Quat-Primer polymers bearing ammonium moieties, as well as caprolactam rings. These quat-primer polymers can be used for the fabrication of PA-6 nanocomposites by dispersing nanoparticles in presence of these Quat-Primer polymers and subsequent polymerization.

<p>U radu je predstavljena sinteza i karakterizacija&nbsp; novog fulerenol/doksorubicin nanokompozita, sintetisanog sa ciljem dobijanja potencijalne nove nanoformulacije postojećeg antineoplastika doksorubicina, koja bi pokazala veću biolo&scaron;ku aktivnost uz smanjenje neželjenih sporednih efekata koje sam lek izaziva, na prvom mestu kardiotoksičnosti.</p><p>Nanokompozit fulerenol/doksorbicin je okarakterisan brojnim&nbsp; metodama prateći dva osnovna eksperimentalna pristupa: molekulsko-spektroskopske metode (XPS, denzitometrija i transportne osobine, NMR, UPLC, Ramanska i UV-spektroskopija, SFM) i metode&nbsp; nanokarakterizacije (DLS, AFM, TEM), kao i računske simulacije(RDF). Osnovni cilj ispitivanja je bila detekcija postojanja&nbsp;nekovalentnog nanokompozita koji ostvaruju doksorubicin i fulerenolske nanočestice u vodenom rastvoru. Rezultati karakterizacije jasno i nedvosmisleno ukazuju na postojanje nekovalentnih interakcija unutar nanokompozita, &scaron;to dalje utiče na organizaciju i udruživanje čestica, a &scaron;to uslovljava i drugačiju biolo&scaron;ku aktivnost takvog sistema u odnosu na pojedinačne komponente.&nbsp; Rezultati biolo&scaron;kih ispitivanja na&nbsp;<em>in vitro</em>&nbsp;modelu različitih tumorskih ćelijskih linija pokazuju&nbsp; značajan&nbsp;antiproliferativni efekat nanokompozita, kao i selektivnost prema tumorskim u odnosu na zdravu ćelijsku liniju. Eksperimenti na <em>in vivo</em> modelu zebrica potvrđuju smanjenje toksičnosti nanokompozita u poređenju sa lekom, primarno kardiotoksičnosti. Računske simulacije, mikroskopski i spektroskopski podaci, kao i rezultati&nbsp; <em>in vitro</em> i <em>in vivo</em> studija ukazuju na to da nekovalentne interakcije između fulerenola i doksorubicina mogu biti ključni korak u stvaranju sinergističkog sistema za dostavu leka u biolo&scaron;ki sistem.</p><p>Multipotentnost fulerenola kao nanonosača lekova i nespecifičnost strukture doksorubicina kao leka, ukazuje na to da bi fulerenol mogao biti efikasan nanonosač i drugih antineoplastika, &scaron;to daje prostora za unapređenje antitumorskih osobina lekova posredstvom istovremene administracije leka.</p> / <p>The focus of this thesis was the synthesis and characterization of a novel fullerenol/doxorubicin nanocomposite, with the aim to obtain a potential nanoformulation of antineoplastic drug doxorubicin, which would&nbsp; express greater biological activity and lower level of adverse effects than the drug itself, in the first place cardiotoxicity.</p><p>Nanocomposite fullerenol/doxorubicin was characterized by means of numerous methods&nbsp; following two main experimental approaches: molecular-spectroscopic methods (XPS, densitometry and transport properties, NMR, UPLC, Raman and UVspectroscopy, SFM) and mehods of&nbsp; anocharacterisation&nbsp; (DLS, AFM,&nbsp; TEM), as well as computer simulations (RDF). The goal of characterization was detection of&nbsp; non-covalent interactions within nanocomposite that are established between fullerenol nanoparticles and doxorubicin in aqueous solution. The results clearly indicate the existence of non- covalent interactions within nanocomposite that affect the organization and assembling of the particles, which further exhibit different biological activity of such a system in comparison to components themselves. Results of biological activity on <em>in vitro </em>model of different tumor cell lines show significant antiproliferative effect of&nbsp; nanocomposite, as well as selectivity towards tumor cell lines. Experiments conducted on <em>in vivo</em> zebrafish model confirm the lowering ofthe adverse effects of the drug, especially cardiotoxicity, in case when nanocomposite was applied. Computer simulations, microscopic and&nbsp; spectroscopic results combined with encouraging <em>in vitro </em>and <em>in vivo</em> results point out&nbsp; that non-covalent interactions between fullerenol nanoparticles and doxorubicin may present the keyrole in formation of a synergistic system for nanodrug delivery into biological system. Multipotential of fullerenol nanoparticles as a nanocarrier and non-specific structure of doxorubicin as a drug imply that fullerenol may serve as a efficient nanocarrier of numerous other antineoplastics, which further allows the improvement of antitumor properties of drugs withsimultaneous drug administration.</p>

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第21464号 / 工博第4539号 / 新制||工||1708(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科高分子化学専攻 / (主査)教授 古賀 毅, 教授 吉崎 武尚, 教授 竹中 幹人 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

No description available.

No description available.

The use of nanoreinforcements in automotive structural composites has provided promising improvements in their mechanical properties. For the first time, a robust statistical design of experiments approach was undertaken to demonstrate how key formulation and processing factors (nanofiber type, use of dispersing agent, mixing method, nanofiber weight fraction, and temperature) affected the dynamic mechanical properties of vapor-grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF)/vinyl ester (VE) nanocomposites. Statistical response surface models were developed to predict nanocomposite storage and loss moduli as functions of significant factors. Only ~0.50 parts of nanofiber per hundred parts resin produced a roughly 20% increase in the storage modulus versus that of the neat VE at room temperature. Optimized nanocomposite properties were predicted as a function of design factors employing this methodology. For example, the use of highshear mixing (one of the mixing methods in the design) with the oxidized VGCNFs in the absence of dispersing agent or arbitrarily with pristine VGCNFs in the presence of dispersing agent was found to maximize the predicted storage modulus over the entire temperature range (30-120 °C). To study the key concept of interphase in thermoset nanocomposites, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate liquid VE resin monomer interactions with the surface of a pristine VGCNF. A liquid resin having a mole ratio of styrene to bisphenol A-diglycidyl dimethacrylate monomers consistent with a 33 wt% styrene VE resin was placed in contact with both sides of pristine graphene sheets, overlapped like shingles, to represent the outer surface of a pristine VGCNF. The relative monomer concentrations were calculated in a direction progressively away from the surface of the graphene sheets. At equilibrium, the styrene/VE monomer ratio was higher in a 5 Å thick region adjacent to the nanofiber surface than in the remaining liquid volume. The elevated styrene concentration near the nanofiber surface suggests that a styrene-rich interphase region, with a lower crosslink density than the bulk matrix, could be formed upon curing. Furthermore, styrene accumulation in the immediate vicinity of the nanofiber surface might, after curing, improve the nanofiber-matrix interfacial adhesion compared to the case where the monomers were uniformly distributed throughout the matrix.

[pt] As nanopartículas fluorescentes são uma classe de compostos bastante recente e fascinante. Entre estas nanopartículas, têm-se os semicondutores quantum dots - QD (nanopartículas de confinamento quântico) e, as novas nanopartículas carbono dots, CD (nanopartículas de confinamento quântico baseadas em carbono). As nanopartículas fluorescentes podem ter várias utilidades, particularmente em análises químicas, como sensores e em biotecnologia. Ao contrário dos semicondutores QD, que possuem metais tóxicos no seu núcleo, nanopartículas de carbono não contêm componentes tóxicos, sendo vantajosas biologicamente e biodegradáveis. Os CDs têm área superficial muito alta (até 3600 m2/g) com vários grupos funcionais, que podem ser usados para imobilização na superfície de um suporte. Estes vários grupos funcionais influenciam as propriedades óticas dos CDs. Como estas propriedades podem ser mudadas em função do ambiente químico, conferem aos CDs uma característica notável na aplicação em sensores. CDs formam suspensões muito estáveis em meio aquoso, podendo ser sintetizados a partir de vários compostos moleculares, tais como sacarose, glicose, ureia, ácido cítrico, entre outros. Como as propriedades físico-químicas e óticas dos CDs dependem de seus precursores, tem-se em vista neste trabalho: a exploração do uso de aminofenol como precursor na síntese de CDs via solvólise hidrotérmico até os nanomateriais obtidos atingirem fluorescência vermelha dos nanomateriais obtidos; efetuar a purificação dos nanomateriais sintetizados, no seu limite; realizar a caracterização morfológica e estrutural dos CDs obtidos, através de diferentes técnicas físico-químicas, avaliando as suas propriedades fotoluminescentes; desenvolver a metodologia de imobilização covalente dos CDs na superfície de sílica gel mesoporosa; e estudar se o material híbrido pode ser aplicado como adsorvente. Imagens de Microscopia de Força Atômica indicam partículas entre 1,0 e 7,0 nm, e dependem do solvente, já que as partículas menores aparentam dispersão melhor em solvente menos polares. Os espectros de UV-Vis e de Fluorescência confirmam a presença de CDs com transições pi - pi asterisco em acetato de etila, a 290 nm, e em heptano, a 278 nm. O deslocamento batocrômico com o pico de emissão variando de 501 nm a 535 nm com a mudança de solvente, indica que este pode ser utilizado para avaliar a polaridade local, por exemplo, em biopolímeros. Variados suportes de sílica–gel (octadecil, mercaptopropil, aminopropil e SiO2) foram utilizados no estudo de adsorção. Os resultados apontam para um processo de cinética de segunda ordem, sob o modelo de Langmuir, indicando maior afinidade dos CDs com a aminopropil-sílicagel. No estudo foi apresentado que o tratamento térmico da aminopropil-sílicagel (SiO2-NH2) com CDs adsorvidos leva à imobilização de CDs à superfície de suporte através de ligações covalentes. Como este material híbrido (SiO2-NH2/CDs) exibe propriedades de adsorção para metais e compostos poliaromáticos, foi estudada a adsorção de uma mistura contendo 23 cátions metálicos em SiO2-NH2/CDs e o efeito da acidez do meio na sorção de íons. Os resultados obtidos em solução aquosa demonstraram que íons com afinidade por ligantes oxigenados, tais como Bi, Tl, Cr, Al, Fe, são melhor adsorvidos no material sintetizado. / [en] Fluorescent nanoparticles are a very new and fascinating class of compounds. Among these are the semiconductors quantum dots (quantum confinement nanoparticles - QD) and also the new types of nanoparticles that are generally called carbon dots, CD (carbon based quantum confinement nanoparticles). Fluorescent nanoparticles can have several uses, particularly in chemical analysis: as sensors and in biotechnology for drug delivery and theranostics. Unlike QD semiconductors that have toxic metals in their core, carbono nanoparticles do not contain toxic components, being biologically beneficial and biodegradable. CDs have a very high surface area (up to 3600 m2/g) with various functional groups and can be used for immobilization on the surface of a support. Due to their functional groups, optical properties of CDs can be changed depending on the chemical environment, a notable feature of CDs in sensor applications. CDs form very stable suspensions in aqueous media and can be synthesized from molecular compounds such as sucrose, glucose, urea, citric acid and so on. It is worth noting that physicochemical and optical properties of CDs depend on their precursors. The aim of this work is to explore the use of aminophenol as a precursor in the synthesis of CDs via hydrothermal solvolysis to achieve red photoluminescence of the obtained nanomaterials; carrying out the purification of synthesized nanomaterials, at its limit; perform the morphological and structural characterization of the obtained carbon dots, through different physicochemical techniques, evaluating their photoluminescent properties; to develop the methodology of covalent immobilization of CDs on the surface of mesoporous silica gel, and to study the hybrid material as adsorbent. Atomic Force Microscopy images indicate particles between 1.0 to 7.0 nm depending on the solvent, as smaller particles appear better dispersibility in less polar solvents. The UVVis and Fluorescence spectra confirm the presence of CDs with pi-pi asterisk transitions at 290 nm in ethyl acetate and at 278 nm in heptane, they also indicate a bathochromic shift with the emission peak going from 501 nm to 535 nm with a solvent change, which can be used to assess local polarity, eg in biopolymers. Adsorption was verified using various silica-gel supports (Octadecyl, Mercaptopropyl, Aminopropyl and SiO2) indicating greater affinity with aminopropylsilica-gel, indicating a second-order kinetic process under the Langmuir model. It has been shown that the thermal treatment of aminopropyl-silica (SiO2-NH2) with adsorbed CDs leads to covalent immobilization of CDs to the support surface. This hybrid material (SiO2-NH2/CDs) could exhibit adsorption properties for metals and polyaromatic compounds. Therefore, the adsorption of a mixture containing 23 metals ions on SiO2-NH2/CDs was studied. The effect of the acidity of the medium on ion sorption was studied. It has been shown that ions with affinity for oxygenated ligands (such as Bi, Tl, Cr, Al, Fe) are better collected.

Interphase phenomenon gains more and more interest throughout the research community. An interphase is formed between a filler particle and a polymeric matrix, and it may constitute almost the entire volume of a nanocomposite. If the interphase have favorable mechanical properties it will thus result in a nanocomposite with such properties. Therefore, understanding the principles of its formation and properties are crucial in order to design advanced nanocomposites. This thesis focuses on PDMS-carboxylic acid modified latex nanoparticles (PDMS-CML) surface composites investigated by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). A new sample preparation method was designed and utilized together with the Gel Trapping Technique (GTT). Quantitative Imaging Mode and Contact Mode were utilized in the AFM studies. Topography and nanomechanical properties were investigated and compared for pure PDMS and PDMS containing the nanoparticles. Further, Contact Mode was used to investigate nanoscale wear of the samples in order to elucidate the interactions strength between the nanoparticles and the matrix. / Egenskaper hos interfaser är ett område som röner allt större intresse hos forskarna inom materialområdet. En interfas bildas mellan en fillerpartikel och en polymermatris, och den kan utgöra den största volymen i en nanokomposit. Ifall interfasen har fördelaktiga mekaniska egenskaper så resulterar det alltså i att nanokompositen också får det. Det är därför viktigt att först principerna för hur interfasen bildas och får sina egenskaper om man vill framställa avancerade nanokompositer. I det här avhandlingsarbetet lades fokus på PDMS och karboxylsyrefunktionaliserade latex nanopartiklar som bildade en nanokomposit yta, vilken studerades med atomkraftsmikroskopi (AFM). En ny framställningsmetod togs fram och utnyttjades tillsammans med den så kallade ”Gel Trapping” tekniken (GTT). Quantitative Imaging och kontakt mode utnyttjades vid AFM studierna. Topografin och de nanomekaniska egenskaperna studerades för ren PDMS och PDMS blandat med nanopartiklarna. Nötning på nanometernivå studerades också, och dä med AFM i kontakt mode.