Barrier Ability Research Articles

Structural and dynamical insights revealed the anti-glioblastoma potential of withanolides from Withania coagulans against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR).

Glioblastoma (GBM), well known as grade 4 tumors due to its progressive malignant features such as vascular proliferation and necrosis, is the most aggressive form of primary brain tumor found in adults. Mutations and amplifications in the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) contribute to almost 25% of GBM tumors. And thus, VEGFR has been declared the primary target in glioblastoma therapeutic strategies. However, many studies have been previously reported that include GBM as global therapeutics challenge, but they lack the molecular level insights that could help in understanding the biological function of a therapeutically important protein playing a major role in the disease and design the best strategies to develop the potential drugs. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first time of kind, which involves multi-in silico approaches to predict the inhibition potential of withanolides from Withania coagulan against VEGFR. The study is actually based on determining the mode of action of five isolates: withanolide J, withaperuvin, 27-hydroxywithanolide I, coagule E, and coagule E, along with their respective binding energies. Molecular docking simulations revealed primarily four ligands, withanolide J (- 7.33kJ/mol), 27-withanolide (- 7.01kJ/mol), ajugine, withaperuvin (- 6.89kJ/mol), and ajugine E (- 6.39kJ/mol), to have significant binding potencies against the protein. Ligand binding was found to enhance the confirmational stability of the protein revealed through RMSD analysis, and RMSF assessment revealed the protein residues especially from 900-1000 surrounding the binding of the protein. Structural and dynamics of the protein via dynamics cross-correlation movement (DCCM) and principal component analysis (PCA) in both the unbound form and complexed with most potent ligand, withanolide J, reveal the ligand binding affecting the entire conformational integrity of the protein stabilized by hydrogen bonds and electrostatic attractions. Free energy of binding estimations by means of molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) method further revealed the withanolide J to have maximum binding potency of the all ligands. Withanolide J in final was also found to have suitable molecular characterizations to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB +) and reasonable human intestinal absorption ability determined by ADMET profiling via admetSAR tools.

Exfoliated MoS2 with tunable size effect towards anticorrosion application

MoS2 sheets are becoming more and more active in the field of anticorrosion coatings. In this work, different size of MoS2 were fabricated by a simple gradient centrifugation approach then introduced into epoxy coatings (EP). Composite coatings with smaller size and larger size of MoS2 were also prepared for comparison. Anticorrosion properties of the coatings were evaluated via electrochemical spectroscopy, salt spray tests and theoretical calculation in detail. The impedance arc of doping the 1.4±0.1 μm of EM2000 for EP was 4.8×107 Ω cm2 after 7d immersing, which is much higher than that of EM800/EP, EM1000/EP and EM3000/EP. Salt spray test and corrosion products analysis have also proved the proposed protection mechanism of EM2000/EP coating. Doping the optimized size of EM2000 could form nano-network covering the microcracks to impede the diffusion of corrosive medium. In addition, the theoretical calculation showed that the body-center adsorption of O2 show the weaker physisorption with adsorption energies of ∼ −0.64 eV and −0.14 eV for H2O and O2. Excellent barrier ability and enhanced dispersion of the optimized size of MoS2 sheets were responsible for the superior enhancement of the anticorrosion performance of EP coating.

Effect of propolis extract-loaded films made of apple pomace pectin and grass pea protein on the shelf life extension of black mulberry

The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of propolis extract (PE) (0, 3, 6, and 12% v/w) on edible films, containing 3% w/v apple pomace pectin and 5% w/v grass peas protein. The structural and morphological properties of the films were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, and SEM analysis, showing higher PE levels led to a more homogeneous and compact structure. Moreover, incorporating PE into the film samples developed their mechanical properties, hydrophobicity, antioxidant, and antimicrobial attributes, particularly against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Botrytis cinerea. In addition, the 12% PE film exhibited the highest water vapor and oxygen barrier abilities of 3.57 × 10−10 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 and 1.43 meq/Kg, respectively. Furthermore, the film solutions with the same PE concentrations were applied as coatings to extend black mulberry shelf life. Results revealed that PE-enriched coatings decreased the weight loss and fungal contamination of the fruits during the storage. Specifically, the 12% PE-coated samples showed ABTS radical scavenging activity of 90.22%, total yeast and mold count of 3.11 log CFU g−1, and superior sensorial properties after 18 days of storage. Accordingly, the 12% PE coating was identified as the most effective, preserving postharvest attributes of fruits and prolonging their shelf life until 18 days at 4 °C. Overall, these results suggested that the apple pomace pectin, grass pea protein, and PE can be efficiently used as a promising natural substitute for food packaging to develop the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of films and coatings with various applications in food products.

Preparation and characterisation of fish skin collagen–chitosan–cinnamon essential oil composite film

SummaryThe composite film with collagen as the main component has been widely used due to its characteristics of non‐toxicity, environmental protection and health. Fish skin, a by‐product of fish, is an excellent source of collagen. Thus, collagen was extracted from an under‐utilised species, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) skin, and the composite film of fish skin collagen–chitosan–cinnamon essential oil was prepared by casting. The effects of the ratio of collagen to chitosan (2:8, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 8:2) and the concentration of essential oil (0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4% (v/v)) on the composite film were studied. The structures of the composite films were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffractometry (XRD). The collagen content of Atlantic cod skin is approximately 50.12%, which is significantly higher than that found in basa fish and Nile tilapia (P < 0.05). The content of hydroxyproline was 4.51%. Analyses of tensile strength, elongation at break, water vapor permeability, and water solubility showed Co4Ch6 (Co:Ch = 4:6) had the optimal comprehensive performance, and Co4Ch6–0.2 (Co4Ch6 with 0.2% CEO) had high water resistance in the high‐humidity environment. As the CEO concentration rose, the composite films' infrared absorption bands were enhanced in amplitude, and the XRD peaks were gradually intensified, indicating the internal crystallinity and, thereby, the opacity of the composite films were improved. The bacteriostasis zones Co4Ch6–0.4 against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 2.02 cm and 1.73 cm, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging rate of Co4Ch6 rose with the increase in CEO concentration, and the DPPH radical scavenging rate of C04Ch6–0.4 was up to 48.56%. Thus, the composite films prepared from fish skin collagen, chitosan, and cinnamon essential oils have outstanding mechanical properties, barrier ability, and antimicrobial activity and are promising for application in food packaging and storage. In addition, the composite films showed a potential antioxidation ability, which might be used as green bioactive films to preserve nutraceutical products.

Xanthohumol combined with chitosan-oxidized starch film as a potential new strategy for food packaging: Characterization, physicochemical and biological properties

Foodborne pathogens are still the main culprits causing food decay and diseases, while it has become a new development trend to use natural polymer biomaterials combined with natural active compounds in food packaging research. This study firstly combined isopentenyl chalcone active compound xanthohumol (XN) with cheap source potential and chitosan/oxidized starch film (CS/OS) to develop a novel multifunctional chitosan/oxidized starch/xanthohumol (CS/OS/XN) packaging film. The effects of different mass ratios (0.05 %, 0.1 %, 0.25 %, 0.5 % and 1 %) of XN on physicochemical and biological properties were studied. The results showed that CS/OS/XN films demonstrated non-chemical compatibility with enduring water vapor barrier ability and water locking performance. However, DPPH antioxidant assay showed that the antioxidant properties could not be improved significantly when the amount of XN was added less than 1 % and the antibacterial ability against Escherichia coli (E. coli) was significantly improved than Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). This study expanded the application of natural active compound for food packaging.

Improving Traffic Safety in Existing and New Road Tunnels with the Novel NDBA Concrete Safety Barrier

Abstract Two main elements are essential in terms of road traffic safety. The first element is accident prevention and the second is the minimization of accident severity once a crash has occurred. Concrete safety barriers have very good anti-collision performance against roadside obstacles, relatively modest construction and maintenance costs, and low dynamic deflection and therefore are widely used in tunnels. Thanks to their characteristic redirective profile these barriers can redirect errant vehicles into their original lane after collisions. However insufficient research has been done for increasing the performance of concrete barriers purposely designed for tunnel installations. This research presents the new “NDBA Tunnel” concrete safety barrier designed and constructed by the Italian Road Operator ANAS indicated to be installed in road tunnel sections for safety improvements. In Europe, road safety barriers must be designed in compliance with the European Standard EN 1317. Therefore, the barrier “NDBA Tunnel” was subject to the TB11 and TB81 full-scale crash tests according to the European EN 1317 regulation. The results prove the barrier's ability to absorb impact loads of light and heavy vehicles with a working width W2. Therefore, the NDBA concrete barrier can be installed on existing or new tunnels at a distance less than or equal to 70 cm from the facing of the tunnel wall.

Valorization of Olive Pomace Using Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for Application in Active Packaging Films.

Bioactive compounds that can be recovered by the solid wastes of the olive oil sector, such as polyphenols, are known for their significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities with potential application in nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Given that industrial demands are growing, and the polyphenol market value is ever increasing, a systematic study on the recovery of natural antioxidant compounds from olive pomace using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was conducted. Single-factor parameters, i.e., the extraction solvent, time, and solid-to-liquid ratio, were investigated evaluating the total phenolic content (TPC) recovery and the antioxidant activity of the final extract. The acetone-water system (50% v/v, 20 min, 1:20 g mL-1) exhibited the highest total phenolic content recovery (168.8 ± 5.5 mg GAE per g of dry extract). The olive pomace extract (OPE) was further assessed for its antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In DPPH, ABTS, and CUPRAC, OPE exhibited an antioxidant capacity of 413.6 ± 1.9, 162.72 ± 3.36 and 384.9 ± 7.86 mg TE per g of dry extract, respectively. The antibacterial study showed that OPE attained a minimum inhibitory activity (MIC) of 2.5 mg mL-1 against E. coli and 10 mg mL-1 against B. subtilis. Hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol were identified as the major phenolic compounds of OPE. Furthermore, active chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (CHT/PVA) films were prepared using different OPE loadings (0.01-0.1%, w/v). OPE-enriched films showed a dose-dependent antiradical scavenging activity reaching 85.7 ± 4.6% (ABTS) and inhibition growth up to 81% against B. subtilis compared to the control film. Increased UV light barrier ability was also observed for the films containing OPE. These results indicate that OPE is a valuable source of phenolic compounds with promising biological activities that can be exploited for developing multifunctional food packaging materials.

A novel epoxy resin composite coating containing polyaniline modified GO with triple anti-corrosion effects of barrier, passivation and corrosion inhibition

Corrosion of metallic materials can have a detrimental impact on their performance, leading to a shortened service life of engineering equipment and posing risks to both people and the environment. This paper presents a novel epoxy resin (EP)-based composite coating (PFANI-GO/EP) that offers triple corrosion protection functions: barrier, passivation, and corrosion inhibition. Perfluorooctanoic acid-doped polyaniline modified graphene oxide (PFANI-GO) demonstrates superhydrophobicity, effectively enhancing the coating's barrier ability against corrosive substances. The combination of PANI and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in composite materials aids in the formation of a passivation film and hydrophobic layer, which prevent metal corrosion. After a 15-day immersion in brine, the PFANI-GO/EP coating demonstrates the highest impedance modulus of 1 × 109 Ω·cm2 at 0.01 Hz, compared to pure EP coating, GO/EP coating, and PFANI/EP coating. Therefore, due to its corrosion resistance and prolonged corrosion aging time, PFANI-GO/EP coating shows promising potential for mitigating metal corrosion.

Satisfactory Tensile Strength and Strain of Recyclable Polyurethane with a Trimaleimide Structure for Thermal Self-Healing and Anticorrosive Coatings.

Bismaleimide (BMI) is often used as the cross-linking reagent in Diels-Alder (D-A)-type intrinsic self-healing materials (DISMs) to promote the connectivity of damaged surfaces based on reversible D-A bond formation on the molecular scale. Until now, although DISMs have exhibited great potential in the applications of various sensors, electronic skin, and artificial muscles, it is still difficult to prepare DISMs with satisfactory self-healing abilities and high tensile strengths and strains at the same time, thus largely limiting their applications in self-healing anticorrosive coatings. Herein, symmetrical trimaleimide (TMI) was successfully synthesized, and trimaleimide-structured D-A self-healing polyurethane (TMI-DA-PU) was prepared via the reversible D-A reaction (cycloaddition of furan and maleimide). As a DISM, TMI-DA-PU exhibits apparently higher self-healing efficiency (98.7%), tensile strength (25.4 MPa), and strain (1378%) compared to bismaleimide-structured D-A self-healing polyurethane (BMI-DA-PU) (self-healing efficiency, 90.2%; tensile strength, 19.3 MPa; strain, 1174%). In addition, TMI-DA-PU shows a high recycling efficiency (>95%) after 4 cycles of recycling. A series of characterizations indicate that TMI provides more monoene rings as the self-healing sites, forms denser cross-linked structures compared to BMI, and is, thus, more appropriate to be used for DISM applications. Moreover, the barrier abilities of coatings can be semi-quantitatively expressed by the impedance value at 0.01 Hz (|Z|0.01Hz). The |Z|0.01 Hz value of the TMI-DA-PU coating is 3.93 × 109 Ω cm2 on day 0, which is significantly higher than that of the BMI-DA-PU coating (6.76 × 108 Ω cm2 on day 0), indicating that the denser rigid cross-linked structure of TMI results in the small porosity in the TMI-DA-PU coating, thus effectively improving the anticorrosion performance. The construction of DISMs with the structure of TMI demonstrates immense potential in self-healing anticorrosive coatings.

Improved performance of epoxy resin coating with the modification of dopamine doped Ti4O7

AbstractIn this paper, a dense and well‐adherent polydopamine‐Ti4O7/epoxy resin (PDA‐Ti4O7/EP) composite coating is successfully prepared. The modified grafting of Ti4O7 by polydopamine (PDA) is achieved through the coordination complexation of unstable catechol groups in PDA with coordination unsaturated Ti atoms in Ti4O7. The potentiodynamic polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test results show that the performance of the composite coating is improved compared with that of the pure epoxy coating, and the composite coating slows down the penetration of electrolytes and aggressive ions and improves the corrosion resistance. The composite coating with 2 wt.% PDA‐Ti4O7 filler shows the best corrosion resistance, and its |Z|0.01 Hz remains above 1011 Ω cm2 after 30 days of immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. This can be attributed to the good barrier property of PDA‐Ti4O7 filler, which carries NH2 and OH reactive groups, interacting with the resin and matrix to improve the dispersion of the filler and the adhesion of the composite coating. The NH2 group reacts with the epoxy group in the epoxy resin in a ring‐opening reaction, which avoids the agglomeration of the filler and the uniformly dispersed filler fills the pores in the coating due to curing to improve the denseness of the coating and give full play to the barrier property of the filler. At the same time, the hydrogen bonding between the filler and the OH group in the resin and the substrate increases the adhesion of the coating. In addition, the unstable catechol group in PDA chelates with iron ions to further improve the overall corrosion resistance of the coating.Highlights A dense and well‐adherent PDA‐Ti4O7/EP coating is successfully prepared. PDA connect with Ti4O7 through coordination of catechol groups and Ti atom. PDA‐Ti4O7 are chemically bonded to the EP through a ring‐opening reaction. PDA‐Ti4O7 improves the crosslinking density and barrier ability of the coating.

A transparent p-coumaric acid-grafted-chitosan coating with antimicrobial, antioxidant and antifogging properties for fruit packaging applications

The study aimed to develop a novel, transparent and non-toxic coating with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antifogging properties. The p-coumaric acid-grafted chitosan (CS-PCA) was synthesized via a carbodiimide coupling reaction and then characterized. The CS-PCA coatings were further prepared using the casting method. The CS-PCA coatings obtained exhibited excellent transparency, UV-light barrier ability, and antifogging properties, as confirmed by spectroscopy and antifogging tests. The CS-PCA coatings showed stronger antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Botrytis cinerea compared to CS. The multifunctional coatings were further coated on the polyethylene cling film and their effectiveness was confirmed through a strawberry preservation test. The decay of the strawberries was reduced by CS-PCA coated film at room temperature.

Osteoinductive micro-nano guided bone regeneration membrane for in situ bone defect repair

BackgroundBiomaterials used in bone tissue engineering must fulfill the requirements of osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osseointegration. However, biomaterials with good osteoconductive properties face several challenges, including inadequate vascularization, limited osteoinduction and barrier ability, as well as the potential to trigger immune and inflammatory responses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop guided bone regeneration membranes as a crucial component of tissue engineering strategies for repairing bone defects.MethodsThe mZIF-8/PLA membrane was prepared using electrospinning technology and simulated body fluid external mineralization method. Its ability to induce biomimetic mineralization was evaluated through TEM, EDS, XRD, FT-IR, zeta potential, and wettability techniques. The biocompatibility, osteoinduction properties, and osteo-immunomodulatory effects of the mZIF-8/PLA membrane were comprehensively evaluated by examining cell behaviors of surface-seeded BMSCs and macrophages, as well as the regulation of cellular genes and protein levels using PCR and WB. In vivo, the mZIF-8/PLA membrane’s potential to promote bone regeneration and angiogenesis was assessed through Micro-CT and immunohistochemical staining.ResultsThe mineralized deposition enhances hydrophilicity and cell compatibility of mZIF-8/PLA membrane. mZIF-8/PLA membrane promotes up-regulation of osteogenesis and angiogenesis related factors in BMSCs. Moreover, it induces the polarization of macrophages towards the M2 phenotype and modulates the local immune microenvironment. After 4-weeks of implantation, the mZIF-8/PLA membrane successfully bridges critical bone defects and almost completely repairs the defect area after 12-weeks, while significantly improving the strength and vascularization of new bone.ConclusionsThe mZIF-8/PLA membrane with dual osteoconductive and immunomodulatory abilities could pave new research paths for bone tissue engineering.

Studying how changes in the structure caused by hydrogen bonding affect the corrosion resistance of polybenzoxazine-based coatings using molecular dynamics simulations

Polybenzoxazine (PBz) based coatings were prepared using designed PBz monomers for corrosion protection. The structure and properties of poly(MPM) and poly(POPM) coatings deriving from PBz monomer with methyl group and phenoxy group, respectively, were fully investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. For the two crosslinking coating systems, the poly(POPM) coating, with a lower intermolecular hydrogen bonding ratio of 9.7 %, exhibited better hydrophobicity, stability, and corrosion resistance. This is evidenced by a water contact angle (WCA) exceeding 94° (90° for poly(MPM) system) and a charge-transfer resistance surpassing 1 GΩ cm2 (1 MΩ cm2 for poly(MPM) system) even after 30 days of immersion in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The distinct performance in corrosion resistance performance between the two systems can be attributed to structural changes arising from hydrogen bonding, which were extensively investigated through solubility parameters calculation and molecular dynamics simulations in this study. The results show that the prevalence of intra‑hydrogen bonding in the poly(POPM) coating lead to a more compact structure and enhanced hydrophobicity against water, thereby enhancing the barrier ability of PBz based coatings against the penetration of corrosive substances.

Bionic modified h-BN loaded CeO2 nanoparticles to improve the anti-corrosion properties of composited epoxy coatings

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), as a two-dimensional lamellar material, has been paid more and more attention in the field of corrosion protection because of its excellent thermal stability, chemical stability and insulation. In order to solve the problem that h-BN is difficult to disperse in resin, inspired by the adhesion ability of mussel secretions, the surface of h-BN was modified with polydopamine (PDA) to improve the dispersion of the fillers in epoxy resin, and the prepared corrosion inhibition CeO2 nanoparticles were loaded on the surface. A functional filler CeO2&PDA/h-BN with corrosion inhibition effect was prepared. The surface morphology, chemical structure and thermal stability of functional fillers were analyzed by SEM, FTIR, XRD and thermogravimetric analysis. The test results show that after 40 days of testing, the low-frequency impedance modulus of the epoxy composite coating is 15 times that of the pure epoxy resin, and the wear resistance properties also significantly improved. The anti-corrosion mechanism of the composite coating is analyzed, and the synergistic effect of h-BN's barrier ability and CeO2's corrosion inhibition ability is revealed. This paper provides an idea for the preparation of multifunctional h-BN composite anticorrosive filler.

Fabrication and characterization of pullulan/tapioca starch-based antibacterial films incorporated with Litsea cubeba essential oil for meat preservation

Active packaging is a novel technology that utilizes active materials to interact with products and the environment, improving food shelf life. The purpose of this work was to fabricate a multifunctional film using Litsea cubeba essential oil (LC-EO) (1 %, 3 %, 5 %, and 7 %) as the active ingredient and pullulan(P)/tapioca starch (TS) as the carrier material. Adding essential oil improves the films properties, such as barrier ability, anti-oxidant, and antibacterial activity. However, tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) were slightly reduced from 28.94 MPa to 11.29 MPa and 15.36 % to 12.19 %. The developed PTS3% films showed the best performance in mechanical properties, especially EAB (14.26 %), WVP (3.26 %) and OP (3.13 %), respectively. The inhibitory zone diameters in the agar-well diffusion test were 18.59 mm for Staphylococcus aureus and 17.32 mm for Escherichia coli. Further study was conducted to compare the preservation effects of film with low-density polyethylene bag (LDPE) on chilled beef. Remarkably, PTS3% film decreased the bacterial population in beef meat while maintaining the pH, color, texture, and TBARS levels within an acceptable range for ten days of storage at 4 °C rather than in a low-density polyethylene bag. The outcomes indicated the potential of PTS3% films in food packaging applications.

Preparation, Characterization and Application of Active Food Packaging Films Based on Sodium Alginate and Twelve Varieties of Mandarin Peel Powder.

The industrial processing of mandarin fruits yields a large amount of peel waste, resulting in economic losses and environmental pollution. The peels of mandarin fruits are a good source of biomass and active substances that can be used to produce food packaging systems. In this study, active food packaging films were prepared based on sodium alginate and twelve varieties of mandarin peel powder. The structures, properties, and corn oil packaging performance of the films were compared. Results showed that the twelve varieties of mandarin peel powder differed in pectin, lipid, protein, crude fiber, and total phenol contents. The prepared films all exhibited a yellow color, 117.73-152.45 μm thickness, 16.39-23.62% moisture content, 26.03-90.75° water contact angle, 5.38-8.31 × 10-11 g m-1 s-1 Pa-1 water vapor permeability, 5.26-12.91 × 10-20 m2 s-1 Pa-1 oxygen permeability, 4.87-7.90 MPa tensile strength, and 13.37-24.62% elongation at break. Notably, the films containing mandarin peel powder with high pectin and lipid contents showed high moisture/oxygen barrier ability and mechanical properties. The films containing mandarin peel powder with high total phenol content exhibited high antioxidant- and antimicrobial-releasing abilities and good performance in delaying corn oil oxidation. Overall, the results suggested that the films have good application potential in active food packaging.

Improvement of mechanical properties of highly ZnO‐filled polyethylene composites by dual‐compatibilizer for hydrogen sulfide permeation inhibition

AbstractTransportation of acidic fluids containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) by flexible reinforced thermoplastic pipes can cause safety problems due to diffusion of H2S in the pipe. Herein, high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) composites are prepared with a large amount of zinc oxide (ZnO) particles as absorbent fillers by melt‐mixing via introducing maleic anhydride‐grafted polyethylene (PE‐g‐MAH) and maleic anhydride‐grafted poly(ethylene‐co‐octene) (POE‐g‐MAH) as dual‐compatibilizer. By controlling the mass ratio of the two compatibilizers, ZnO particles can be encapsulated by PE‐g‐MAH and POE‐g‐MAH so that mechanical properties of the prepared HDPE/ZnO composites are improved owing to enhanced compatibility between the filler and the resin. By adding PE‐g‐MAH and POE‐g‐MAH with total 10 wt% in a mass ratio of 1/3, the HDPE/ZnO composite containing 50 wt% ZnO exhibits 37.3 ± 3.8 MPa of yield strength, 576 ± 16 MPa of flexural modulus, and 84.4 ± 1.4 kJ m−2 of notched Izod impact strength corrected to 311 ± 24.9 kJ m−2. After exposure in H2S at 0.1 MPa for 7 days, the diffusion distance of H2S in the composite is 659 ± 17 μm, demonstrating a high barrier ability on H2S via absorption. This study provides a feasible method for preparation of polymer composites with suitable mechanical properties for inhibiting H2S permeation in reinforced thermoplastic pipes.

H-BN base triple-functional filler enhances the anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coating

The dispersion of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) in resin to prepare anti-corrosion coating has only a single physical shielding function, and does not inhibit the electrochemical reaction process, which significantly reduces the durability of anti-corrosion coating. In this paper, polyaniline with anodic passivating function was synthesized on the surface of h-BN by in-situ polymerization, and Ce3+ cation with corrosion inhibition was loaded into polyaniline/h-BN. Thus, a triple functional anti-corrosion filler Ce3+&PANI/h-BN with physical shielding - anode passivation - cathode corrosion inhibition was prepared. The microstructure, crystal form, element distribution, thermal stability and corrosion inhibition ability of the composite filler were characterized. The anti-corrosion, anti-friction and adhesion properties of EP/Ce3+&PANI/h-BN composite coating was investigated. EIS and Tafel test results show that the corrosion inhibition efficiency of Ce3+&PANI/h-BN is 55.5% and 89.67%, respectively. The low-frequency impedance modulus of the composite coating after 40 days of exposure is 13 times that of the pure EP coating, up to 9.79 × 109 ·cm2. The results of salt spray test also show that the barrier ability and anti-corrosion effect of the composite coating are significantly improved compared with the pure EP coating. The wear mass loss of the composite coating is reduced by 43.69% compared with the pure EP coating. This research provides a way to prepare multi-functional, high shielding, wear resistance anti-corrosion fillers to achieve long-term protection of coatings.

Biodegradable, Strong, and Hydrophobic Regenerated Cellulose Films Enriched with Esterified Lignin Nanoparticles.

The scientific community is pursuing significant efforts worldwide to develop environmentally viable film materials from biomass, particularly transparent, high-performance regenerated cellulose (RC) films, to replace traditional plastics. However, the inferior mechanical performance and hydrophilic nature of RC films are generally not suitable for use as a substitute for plastics in practical applications. Herein, lignin homogenization is used to synthesize high-performance composite films. The esterified lignin nanoparticles (ELNPs) with dispersible and binding advantages are prepared through esterification and nanometrization. In the presence of ELNPs, RC films exhibit a higher tensile strength (110.4MPa), hydrophobic nature (103.6° water contact angle, 36.6% water absorption at 120min, and 1.127×10-12gcmcm-2s-1 Pa-1 water vapor permeability), and exciting optical properties (high visible and low ultraviolet transmittance). The films further display antioxidant activity, oxygen barrier ability, and thermostability. The films completely biodegrade at 12 and 30% soil moisture. Overall, this study offers new insights into lignin valorization and regenerated cellulose composite films as novel bioplastic materials.

An Inhibitor-Loaded LDH- and MOF-Based Bilayer Hybrid System for Active Corrosion Protection of Aluminum Alloys.

A novel inhibitor-loaded bilayer hybrid system based on the LDH inner layer and MOF outer layer is designed on an aluminum alloy 2A12 surface to improve corrosion performance. The hybrid film system covers the inherent cavities and intercrystalline defects of the LDH film using the affinity between the LDH and the MOF compounds. The results demonstrate that the LDH-inhI precursor film is entirely covered by new Zn-based MOF microrods. The LDH-inhI precursor film is partially dissolved and recrystallized in favor of MOF crystal growth to strengthen the binding adhesion between LDH and MOF films. The LDH-inhI/MOF-inhII bilayer film shows significantly enhanced corrosion resistance through the synergistic action of LDH and MOF nanocontainers doped with different corrosion inhibitors (vanadates, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, and benzotriazoles). Due to the multiple loadings of the MOF film and the sustained-release of the LDH film, this method provides an effective approach to developing new anticorrosion systems and enhancing both the barrier ability and active corrosion protection performance of LDH-based conversion treatments.