Sharif Digital Repository

The promise of graphene for use as a vapor sensor motivated exploration of the vapor responses of graphene nanomesh (GNM) functionalized with single stranded DNA. Devices detected different vapor types, including carboxylic acids, aldehydes, organophosphates, and explosives. As-fabricated GNM field effect transistors (FETs) had larger vapor responses than standard graphene FETs due to the effect of oxidized edges and lattice defects. DNA-GNM devices discriminated between homologous species with detection limits of a few parts per million, with fast response and recovery. Responses varied significantly when the base sequence of the DNA was changed, making the sensor class an intriguing... 

Low structure carbon black (CBN330), conductive high structure carbon black (CBXE2B) and carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were loaded into the blend of natural rubber (NR) and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) at different contents up to 10 phr. Kraus plots showed that all the reinforcements interact with NR/SBR blend appropriately. However, the CBXE2B whose interfacial area is the highest showed greatest value of Kraus interaction parameter. Flory-Rhener model and effective torque value revealed that all of the reinforcements enhanced the crosslink density, among them CBXE2B showed the highest impact and MWCNT placed in the second rank. It was also shown that the cure kinetic... 

In the present study, we designed a pH-responsive drug nanocarrier based on polyamidoamine-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated by PEGylated starch-co-poly(acrylic acid). This carrier was used for the controlled release of doxorubicin as an anticancer drug model. The purpose of using the polyethylene glycol moiety is to generate a biostable nanocarrier in blood stream as it has been reported widely in the pharmaceutical literature. The use of a poly(acrylic acid) segment also provided pH-sensitivity to the polymer. Besides, the magnetic nanoparticles facilitate the cancer cell targeting with an external magnetic field located near the tumor site. This carrier was... 

A metal-organic framework [Co3(BDC)3(DMF)2(H2O)2] was synthesized and structurally characterized. X-ray single crystal analysis revealed that the framework contains a 2D polymeric chain through coordination of 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid linker ligand to cobalt centers. The polymer crystallize in monoclinic P21/n space group with a=13.989(3) Å, b=9.6728(17) Å, c=16.707(3) Å, and Z=2. The polymer features a framework based on the perfect octahedral Co-O6 secondary building units. The catalytic activities of [Co3(BDC)3(DMF)2(H2O)2]n for olefins oxidation was conducted. The heterogeneous catalyst could be facilely separated from the reaction mixture, and reused three times without significant... 

In the present work a pH responsive drug nanocarrier based on magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MMSN) and polyethylene glycol-co-polyvinyl pyridine (PEG-co-PVP) was prepared. The core-shell nanocarrier was formed due to electrostatic interaction between protonated polyvinyl pyridine and surface modified MMSN with carboxylate groups. This carrier was used for pH-controllable doxorubicin release. The maximum release was occurred at pH 5.5 (pH of endosomes). This carrier was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope techniques. Also the... 

In this study, a new type of magnetite nanocomposite with a core-shell structure was synthesized using Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a core and polyaniline (PANI) as a shell. For this propose, the surface of Fe3O4 was chemically modified with hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDI) to improve its compatibility and interphase interaction with the polymeric matrix. Thereafter, the PANI was reacted with modified Fe3O4 to anchor them to PANI by covalent bands which acted as a shell. In the second step, the poly (maleic acid-co-acrylic acid) (P(MAc-co-AA)) as polymeric dopant for the PANI was synthesized. Finally, the PANI anchored to Fe3O4 was immersed in an aqueous solution of poly (maleic... 

In the present study, it was revealed that incorporation of nanodiamond containing carboxylic group (ND-COOH) decreased considerably specific wear rate (∼30%) and COF (∼60%) of polyamide 6 (PA6) at 1 wt% loading. Compared with ND-COOH, amino functionalized ND enhanced further wear performance of PA6 which was associated with its finer dispersion as well as greater influence on the improvement of mechanical properties, toughness and crystallinity of PA6. Surface temperature increment caused by frictional heat was in close agreement with COF and wear characteristics of the samples. Optical microscopy images revealed that NDs promote the abrasive wear mechanism in PA6/ND composites. © 2017... 

The purpose of this study was to produce an intelligent superabsorbent polymer (SAP) to be used as a pH sensitive matrix for the controlled delivery of drugs. Novel types of highly swelling SAPs were prepared by grafting crosslinked acrylic acid-co-acrylamide (AA-co-AAm) chains onto pectin by free-radical polymerization. The superabsorbent formation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The controlled release behavior of ibuprofen (IBU) from the superabsorbent polymer was investigated. SAP structural-property relationships that affect its controlled release behavior were determined. Analysis of the results indicated that it... 

The purpose of this study was to produce intelligent pectin-based superabsorbent polymers (SAP) to be used as pH- and thermosensitive carriers for the controlled delivery of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The superabsorbent formation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of pH, ionic strength, temperature, porosity, particle size and levels of loaded drug on drug release profile in various surrounding media were investigated. Each sample was well characterized through swelling studies. The molecular weight between crosslinks (M̄C), crosslinking density (ve) polymer-solvent interaction parameter... 

In this investigation a new type of superabsorbent hydrogel based on agar was prepared, and the effect of the feed ratio of some components (acrylic acid, MBA, APS and agar) on the swelling capacity of the hydrogel was systematically studied. Maximum water absorbency of the optimized final product was found to be 1,100∈g/g in distilled water. The structure of the hydrogel was characterized by FT-IR method and morphology of the samples was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Swelling properties of optimized hydrogel sample in different swelling mediums were investigated. The optimum hydrogel were also loaded with potassium nitrate and its potential for controlled release of... 

In the present study the effect of nanodiamond (ND) on the adsorption capacity of Drug has been investigated. Thermal oxidation nanodiamond (OND) was used as adsorbents for Methotrexate adsorption. The surface properties of NDs were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and zeta potential. It was determined that thermal oxidation changed the surface properties of ND, including increase the amount of carboxylic acid groups and decreasing the zeta potential of ND by increasing the thermal oxidation time. The adsorption experiments showed that untreated ND (UND) has large adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetic for methotrexate (MTX). These results suggest that the... 

In the context of nanodiamond/chitosan (ND/CS) nanocomposites and utilizing atomistic molecular dynamics, the interaction mechanism of adsorbed CS layer around a model ND has been investigated at three level of hydration: in bulk of water, water as a droplet, and completely dry condition. The effect of amination and carboxylation of ND has been studied. To ensure that the comparison of these model systems is meaningful (energetically and geometrically), the CS interphases around NDs were characterized through holistic concentration profiles and density distribution maps. Our results revealed that in a completely dry condition or hydrated by a molecularly small droplet, both of the... 

In this study a novel alginate-g-poly(acrylic acid)/alumina composite was synthesized and characterized. Preparation of the composite hydrogels involved free radical polymerization of a combination of alginate, acrylic acid (AA) and distilled water, in appropriate amounts and N,N-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinking agent. The composite formation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR). The surface morphologies of the synthesized hydrogels were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Systematically, the different variables of the graft copolymerization were optimized to achieve maximum swelling capacity. The swelling of superabsorbent hydrogels was... 

Hydrogels of poly(acrylic acid) grafted onto salep with excellent water absorption and water retention abilities under neutral conditions were successfully synthesized for the first time and employed for different applications. The effect of reaction variables to achieve maximum swelling capacity was investigated. In our procedure, ammonium persulfate (APS) as a water-soluble initiator and methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a suitable crosslinking agent were used and the best synthesis conditions described. The structure of the final product was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy SEM and TGA analysis and a mechanism for superabsorbent... 

Herein, poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) microgels were synthesized via alcohol type cross-linked by a free radical precipitation polymerization approach. At the first time, 1,6-hexanediol (1–6 diol), trimethylolpropane (TMP), and pentaerythritol (PEN) were selected as multifunctional cross- linking agent to synthesize cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) microgels. Alcohol type cross-linking agents can connect the PAA chains. The cross-linking reaction takes place due to reaction between hydroxyl groups of various cross-linkers and carboxyl groups of PAA chains. All of the hydroxyl groups do not participate in the reaction with acid groups of polymer chains through the polymerization stage; therefore,... 

In this study, a series of highly swelling hydrogels based on sodium alginate (NaAlg) and polymethacrylamide (PMAM) was prepared through free radical polymerization. The graft copolymerization reaction was performed in a homogeneous medium and in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker. The crosslinked graft copolymer, alginate-graft-polymethacrylamide (Alg-g-PMAM), was then partially hydrolyzed by NaOH solution to yield a hydrogel, hydrolyzed alginate-graft-polymethacrylamide (H-Alg-g-PMAM). During alkaline hydrolysis, the carboxamide groups of Alg-g-PMAM were converted into hydrophilic carboxylate anions. Either the... 

Despite previous researches on ion-engineered waterflooding (IEWF), its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, particularly in presence of additives, like surfactants. This paper concerned with the contribution of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SO 4 2- and Na + into altering wettability of oil-wet carbonate minerals towards water preferred state. As a mechanistic study, an experiment workflow was conducted to probe the impact of ions' concentrations in SW, either with or without sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) which is an anionic surfactant. At first, contact angle (CA) measurement was carried out to evaluate the degree of wettability reversal upon treating the oil-aged calcite slabs with... 

The biological identity of nanoparticles (NPs) is established by their interactions with a wide range of biomolecules around their surfaces after exposure to biological media. Understanding the true nature of the biomolecular corona (BC) in its native state is, therefore, essential for its safe and efficient application in clinical settings. The fundamental challenge is to visualize the biomolecules within the corona and their relationship/association to the surface of the NPs. Using a synergistic application of cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, and three-dimensional reconstruction, we revealed the unique morphological details of the biomolecules and their... 

Chitosan is a natural polymer with acceptable biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical stability; hence, it has been widely appraised for drug and gene delivery applications. However, there has been no comprehensive assessment to tailor-make chitosan cross-linkers of various types and functionalities as well as complex chitosan-based semi- and full-interpenetrating networks for drug delivery systems (DDSs). Herein, various fabrication methods developed for chitosan hydrogels are deliberated, including chitosan crosslinking with and without diverse cross-linkers. Tripolyphosphate, genipin and multi-functional aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and epoxides are common cross-linkers used in... 

The novel coumarin-3-carboxamides (=2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran-3-carboxamides) 5a-5g containing lipophilic spacers were synthesized through the Ugi-four-component reaction (Scheme 1). The reactions of aromatic aldehydes 1, 4,4'-oxybis[benzenamine] or 4,4'-methylenebis[benzenamine] as diamine 2, coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (=2-oxo-2H-benzopyran-3-carboxylic acid; 3), and alkyl isocyanides 4 lead to the desired substituted coumarin-3-carboxamides 5a-5g at room temperature with high bond-forming efficiency. These novel coumarin derivatives exhibit brilliant fluorescence at 544 nm in CHCl 3