In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2016, vol. 120, no. 29, p. 7244–7252
We have studied the long-term dynamics of shear-induced breakage of individual colloidal clusters, covering a wide range of fractal dimensions, using Stokesian dynamics. We found that the time evolution of the normalized average size of the fragments generated by the breakup process could be scaled using a unique dimensionless time defined by multiplying the real time with the cluster...
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In: Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 2017/218/22/n/a-n/a
In this work, the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the self-assembly of nanocomposite materials made of cylinder-forming polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene- butylene)-block-polystyrene (SEBS) is studied. CNTs are modified with polystyrene (PS) brushes by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to facilitate both their dispersion and the orientation of neighboring PS domains...
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In: Composites Science and Technology, 2017, vol. 149, no. Supplement C, p. 192–206
Block copolymer (BCP) nanocomposite systems are of broad interest; however, reports on the role of nanoparticles on microphase separation behavior are rare. The goal of present study is to investigate the preparation of composite nanostructured materials containing Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) or graphene nanoplates. BCP nanocomposites based on the linear triblock copolymer, ...
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In: Advanced Materials, 2018, vol. 30, no. 19, p. 1707069
Stimuli-responsive colors are a unique characteristic of certain animals, evolved as either a method to hide from enemies and prey or to communicate their presence to rivals or mates. From a material science perspective, the solutions developed by Mother Nature to achieve these effects are a source of inspiration to scientists for decades. Here, an updated overview of the literature on...
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In: Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2019, vol. 278, p. 289–296
Silica aerogels display an ultra-low thermal conductivity (λ) and are used as thermal superinsulators. Here, we study the influence of aging and drying processes on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of fiber-reinforced silica aerogel composites. Glass wool-silica gel composites were aged for variable times, hydrophobized, and dried either at ambient pressure or from supercritical...
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In: Acta Materialia, 2018, vol. 147, p. 322–328
Silica aerogels have only half the thermal conductivity of conventional insulation, but their application potential is limited by the poor mechanical properties. The fragility arises from the thin necks between the silica nanoparticle building blocks. Here, we produce strong silica aerogels through co-gelation of the polyethoxydisiloxane precursor with a variety of silane terminated...
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In: Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2017, vol. 241, p. 293–302
Silica aerogels’ unique physical and chemical properties make them fascinating materials for a wide variety of applications. In addition to hydrophobization by silylation, aging is very important in the synthesis of silica aerogel by ambient pressure drying. Here we systematically study the effect of aging on the physico-chemical properties of silica aerogel with emphasis on ambient dried...
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In: Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2016, vol. 4, no. 44, p. 7080–7086
We report on theoretical and experimental considerations on bacteria capturing and enrichment via magnetic separation enabling integrated diagnosis and treatment of blood stream infections. We show optimization of carrier-pathogen interactions based on a mathematical model followed by an experimental proof-of-concept study along with investigations on the process safety.
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In: CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2019, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 39–42
Magnetic nanoparticles have been the subject of enormous investigations for their potential use as cancer treatment via hyperthermia. This is due to their ability to generate heat when exposed to an external magnetic field oscillating at sufficiently high frequency. There are many different parameters that need to be considered when designing the optimal nanoparticle formulation for...
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In: Soft Matter, 2016, vol. 12, no. 24, p. 5313–5324
Application of shear flow to charge-stabilized aqueous colloidal suspensions is ubiquitous in industrial applications and as a means to achieve controlled field-induced assembly of nanoparticles. Yet, applying shear flow to a charge-stabilized colloidal suspension, which is initially monodisperse and in quasi-equilibrium leads to non-trivial clustering phenomena (and sometimes to a gelation...
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