Sharif Digital Repository

Gold nanotubes/nanowires (GNT/NW) were synthesized by using the template-assisted electrodeposition technique and mixed with castor oil-polyethylene glycol based polyurethane (PU) to fabricate porous composite scaffolds for biomedical application. 100 and 50 ppm of GNT/NW were used to synthesize composites. The composite scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Cell attachment on polyurethane-GNT/NW composites was investigated using fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Addition of 50 or 100 ppm GNT/NW had significant effects on thermal, mechanical, and cell... 

Long-time interaction of dewetting nanodroplets is investigated using a long-wave approximation method. Although three-dimensional (3D) droplets evolution dynamics exhibits qualitative behavior analogous to two-dimensional (2D) dynamics, there is an extensive quantitative difference between them. 3D dynamics is substantially faster than 2D dynamics. This can be related to the larger curvature and, as a consequence, the larger Laplace pressure difference between the droplets in 3D systems. The influence of various chemical heterogeneities on the behavior of droplets has also been studied. In the case of gradient surfaces, it is shown how the gradient direction could change the dynamics. For a... 

A simple electrodeposition method is employed to construct a thin film modifier of palladium-gold nanoparticles (Pd-AuNPs) decorated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Morphology and property of Pd-AuNPs-MWCNT have been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Electrochemical performance of Pd-AuNPs-MWCNT/GCE for detection of ceftazidime (CFZ) has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). This nanostructured film modified electrode effectively exhibited enhanced properties for detection of ceftazidime (CFZ). The effects of various experimental variables such as, the amount of casted MWCNT,... 

This study describes spectrometric monitored kinetic processes to determine the size of citrate-capped Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) based on aggregation induced by L-cysteine (L-Cys) as a molecular linker. The Au NPs association process is thoroughly dependent on pH, concentration and size of nanoparticles. Size dependency of aggregation inspirits to determine the average diameters of Au NPs. For this aim the procedure is achieved in aqueous medium at pH 7 (phosphate buffer), and multivariate data including kinetic spectra of Au NPs are collected during aggregation process. Subsequently partial least squares (PLS) modeling is carried out analyzing the obtained data. The model is built on the... 

TiO2-based photocatalysts are seen as the most common agents for the photodegradation of bacteria. In this study, AgCl/TiO2, hydroxyapatite(Hp)/AgCl/TiO2, AgI/TiO2, and Hp/AgI/TiO2 were prepared by the deposition-precipitation method on P25 TiO2 nanoparticles and were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, EDX and BET methods. The prepared composites showed high efficiency for the inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria under visible light and in dark media with different catalyst amounts of 12 and 24 mg, respectively. In less than 30 min, AgI/TiO2, prepared by the combination of cationic surfactant and PVPI2, disinfected 1 × 107 colony-forming units of E. coli completely. However,... 

Field-effect transistors have been widely used to study electronic transport and doping in colloidal quantum dot solids to great effect. However, the full power of these devices to elucidate the electronic structure of materials has yet to be harnessed. Here, we deploy nanodielectric field-effect transistors to map the energy landscape within the band gap of a colloidal quantum dot solid. We exploit the self-limiting nature of the potentiostatic anodization growth mode to produce the thinnest usable gate dielectric, subject to our voltage breakdown requirements defined by the Fermi sweep range of interest. Lead sulfide colloidal quantum dots are applied as the active region and are treated... 

In the present research, the introduction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the hydroxyapatite (HA) matrix and dip coating of nanocomposite on titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) plate was conducted in order to improve the performance of the HA-coated implant via the sol-gel method. The structural characterization and electron microscopy results confirmed well crystallized HA-MWCNT coating and homogenous dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the ceramic matrix at temperatures as low as 500 C. The evaluation of the mechanical properties of HA and HA/MWCNT composite coatings with different weight percentages of MWCNTs showed that the addition of low concentrations of MWCNTs (0.5 and 1 wt.%)... 

In this paper we present experimental results describing electrical readout of the mechanical vibratory response of graphene-doped fibers by employing electrical actuation. For a fiber resonator with an approximate radius of 850 nm and length of 100 m, we observed a resonance frequency around 580 kHz with a quality factor (Q) of about 2511 in air at ambient conditions. Through the use of finite element simulations, we show that the reported frequency of resonance is relevant. We also show that the resonance frequency of the fiber resonators decreases as the bias potential is increased due to the electrostatic spring-softening effect  

Green tea-reduced graphene oxide (GT-rGO) sheets have been exploited for high efficiency near infrared (NIR) photothermal therapy of HT29 and SW48 colon cancer cells. The biocompatibility of GT-rGO sheets was investigated by means of MTT assays. The polyphenol constituents of GT-rGO act as effective targeting ligands for the attachment of rGO to the surface of cancer cells, as confirmed by the cell granularity test in flow cytometry assays and also by scanning electron microscopy. The photo-thermal destruction of higher metastatic cancer cells (SW48) is found to be more than 20% higher than that of the lower metastatic one (HT29). The photo-destruction efficiency factor of the GT-rGO is... 

The electrooxidation of clozapine (CLZ) was studied on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a thin film of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/new coccine (NC) doped polypyrrole (PPY) by using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The pH of the supporting electrolyte (D), drop size of the cast MWCNTs suspension (E) and accumulation time of CLZ on the surface of modified electrode (F) was considered as effective experimental factors and the oxidation peak current of CLZ was selected as the response. By using factorial-based response-surface methodology, the optimum values of factors were obtained as 5.44, 10 μL and 300 s for D, E and F respectively. Under the optimized... 

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is the most substantial mineral constituent of a bone which has been extensively used in medicine as implantable materials, owing to its good biocompatibility, bioactivity high osteoconductive, and/or osteoinductive properties. Nevertheless, its mechanical property is not utmost appropriate for a bone substitution. Therefore, a composite consist of HA and a biodegradable polymer is usually prepared to generate an apt bone scaffold. In the present work polycaprolactone (PCL), a newly remarkable biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, was employed as a matrix and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were used as a reinforcement element of the composite. HA/PCL nanocomposites were... 

Nanoparticles for biomedical use must be cytocompatible with the biological environment that they are exposed to. Current research has focused on the surface functionalization of nanoparticles by using proteins, polymers, thiols and other organic compounds. Here we show that inorganic nanoparticles such as titanium oxide can be coated by pyrolytic carbon (PyC) and that the coating has cytocompatible properties. Pyrolization and condensation of methane formed a thin layer of pyrolytic carbon on the titanium oxide core. The formation of the PyC shell retards coalescence and sintering of the ceramic phase. Our MTT assay shows that the PyC-coated particles are cytocompatible at employed doses  

In the present study, CS-CA nanoparticle was prepared for forming a new amide linkage, by grafting the amino groups of CS in the presence of carboxylic groups of CA that acts as cross-linking agent. The as-prepared CS-CA nanoparticle samples were characterized by use of dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques, which showed that the cross-linking agent preserved during the chemical modifications. The adsorption capacity of the CS-CA nanoparticles for the removal of Cr (VI) in aqueous solution was studied. The adsorption equilibrium data... 

The cellular microenvironment can be engineered through the utilization of various nano-patterns and matrix-loaded bioactive molecules. In this study, a multilayer system of electrospun scaffold containing chitosan nanoparticles was introduced to overcome the common problems of instability and burst release of proteins from nanofibrous scaffolds. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles was fabricated based on ionic gelation interaction between chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate. Suspension electrospinning was employed to fabricate poly-e{open}-caprolacton (PCL) containing protein-loaded chitosan nanoparticles with a core-shell structure. To obtain the desired scaffold... 

This paper reports on the development of conductive porous scaffolds by incorporating conductive polyaniline/graphene (PAG) nanoparticles into a chitosan/gelatin matrix for its potential application in peripheral nerve regeneration. The effect of PAG content on the various properties of the scaffold is investigated and the results showed that the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties increased proportional to the increase in the PAG loading, while the porosity, swelling ratio and in vitro biodegradability decreased. In addition, the biocompatibility was evaluated by assessing the adhesion and proliferation of Schwann cells on the prepared scaffolds using SEM and MTT assay,... 

Different grades of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) (PTMEG) without any solvent in the presence of a block copolymer dispersing agent by ultrasonication at a temperature well above the melting point of the PTMEG. The state of CNT dispersion at different length scales was evaluated by using optical microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, rheological measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and sedimentation tests. Optical microscopy can be used to characterize the state of dispersion and CNT network formation on a micrometer scale, whereas UV-Vis provides useful information about the dispersion of individual CNTs at... 

In the present work, the roles of inorganic oxide nanoparticles on the extraction efficiency of polyethylene terephthalate-based nanocomposites were extensively studied. Four fiber coatings based on polyethylene terephthalate nanocomposites containing different types of nanoparticles along with a pristine polyethylene terephthalate polymer were conveniently electrospun on stainless steel wires. The applicability of new fiber coatings were examined by headspace-solid phase microextraction of some environmentally important volatile organic compound such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), as model compounds, from aqueous samples. Subsequently, the extracted analytes were... 

Post-deposition annealing effects on nanomechanical properties of granular TiO2 films on soda-lime glass substrates were studied. In particular, the effects of Na diffusion on the films' mechanical properties were examined. TiO2 photocatalyst films, 330 nm thick, were prepared by dip-coating using a TiO2 sol, and were annealed between 100 °C and 500 °C. Film's morphology, physical and nanomechanical properties were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermo-gravimetric analysis, and nanoindentation. Contrary to expectations, the maximum film hardness was achieved for 300°C annealing, with a value of 0.69 ± 0.05 GPa.... 

Nanostructured TiO2 hollow fibers have been prepared using natural cellulose fibers as a template. This cheap and easily processed material was used to produce highly porous photoanodes incorporated in dye-sensitized solar cells and exhibited remarkably enhanced electron transport properties compared to mesoscopic films made of spherical nanoparticles. Photoinjected electron lifetime, in particular, was multiplied by 3-4 in the fiber morphology, while the electron transport rate within the fibrous photoanaode was doubled. A nearly quantitative absorbed photon-to-electrical current conversion yield exceeding 95% was achieved upon excitation at 550 nm and a photovoltaic power conversion... 

We have studied the mechanical properties of a few-layer graphene cantilever (FLGC) using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The mechanical properties of the suspended FLGC over an open hole have been derived from the AFM data. Force displacement curves using the Derjaguin-Müller-Toporov (DMT) and the massless cantilever beam models yield a Young modulus of Ec ∼ 37, Ea ∼ 0.7TPa and a Hamakar constant of ∼ 3 × 10 -18J. The threshold force to shear the FLGC was determined from a breaking force and modeling. In addition, we studied a graphene nanoribbon (GNR), which is a system similar to the FLGC; using density functional theory (DFT). The in-plane Young's modulus for the GNRs were calculated from...