CO2 Drying Research Articles

Hemp cellulose-based aerogels and cryogels: From waste biomass to sustainable absorbent pads for food preservation

This study presents a circular economy approach utilizing hemp stems and rice straw, typically perceived as low-value agricultural waste, to develop a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic absorbent pads for food packaging. The development of an active material was achieved through the utilization of hemp cellulose and a bioactive extract isolated from rice straw. In addition to reducing plastic pollution, this material demonstrates the potential to enhance food preservation. This research provides evidence of the benefits of repurposing agricultural by-products to create valuable and environmentally-friendly products. Hemp cellulose was extracted, characterized, and processed to develop stable aerogels and cryogels through supercritical CO2 drying and freeze-drying. The water stability and internal structure of the materials were guided via TEMPO-mediated oxidation and high-pressure homogenization. Both materials showed versatile physicochemical and mechanical properties. Nevertheless, with higher water sorption (2.20 mL/g), minimal dimensional changes, and lower shrinkage, cryogels were suitable for meat absorbent pad application. To enhance the cryogels functionality, they were impregnated with a rice straw bioactive extract in two different concentrations. The incorporation of the extract did not affect the structure of the cryogels, improved their mechanical properties and the antioxidant activity remained stable after drying (63.89–78.96 %). Finally, the performance of the developed materials was compared to commercial plastic pads and pristine meat preservation challenge test during 9 days at refrigeration conditions. The incorporation of rice straw extract improved meat color preservation. While moderate extract concentrations (75 mg/g) showed a protective effect against lipid oxidation, higher levels (187.5 mg/g) induced pro-oxidant reactions. This research highlights the potential of hemp cellulose-based cryogels as sustainable and functional packaging materials for meat products.

Novel biphasic high-entropy ceramic aerogels and their fiber composites with low thermal conductivity, high thermal stability and significant thermal insulation property

A novel biphasic high-entropy (Y0.2Ho0.2Tm0.2Yb0.2Lu0.2)2SiO5/(Y0.2Ho0.2Tm0.2Yb0.2Lu0.2)2Zr2O7 ceramic aerogel (BP-HEZSA) was prepared using formamide/sol-gel, supercritical CO2 drying and combined with a heat treatment process. The results indicate that BP-HEZSA exhibits a biphasic high-entropy structure at 1200 °C, and it maintained its stability at 1400 °C while demonstrating a homogeneous distribution of elements. BP-HEZSA exhibited nanoscale fine grains (with a size range of 18.82 nm to 27.62 nm), high BET specific surface area (16.24 m2·g−1), and good pore structure, all of which were controlled by the thermal treatment temperature. BP-HEZSA had low room temperature thermal conductivity and high structural and phase thermal stability at high temperatures. Furthermore, the applicability of the aerogel was improved by compounding with aluminosilicate fibers. The composites exhibited low density and low thermal conductivities (0.04–0.14 W·m−1K−1). Butane blowtorch testing confirmed superior thermal insulation in the composites, meeting demands for high-temperature resistance in the advanced nanostructured materials.

Seed strategy synthesis of porous NASICON structured NaTi2(PO4)3/carbon aerogel nanocomposites for high-performance hybrid capacitive deionization

The limited capacity of conventional carbon electrode materials hinders the practical application of capacitive deionization (CDI). Hence, it is imperative to develop electrode materials with high sodium ion adsorption and reliable stability to facilitate the construction of hybrid CDI (HCDI) systems. Notably, NaTi2(PO4)3 (NTP) has received significant attention due to its high capacity and rapid transportation ability of sodium ions. However, the poor electrical conductivity and limited electrolyte contact area of NTP have prevented further improvement in its deionization capacity. Herein, we report a seed strategy to synthesize NTP/carbon aerogel (CA). P25 was used as a seed crystal to prepare TiO2/CA via the sol–gel method and supercritical CO2 drying. NTP/CA was then obtained from TiO2/CA by hydrothermal synthesis and calcination. This strategy preserved the rational network skeleton of CA and endowed NTP/CA with a high specific surface area of 420 m2/g. The enhanced electrical conductivity provided by CA yielded a remarkable salt adsorption capacity of 43.3 mg/g in a 500 mg/L NaCl solution and a stable cycle desalination capability. This work provides a new perspective for constructing three-dimensional, highly efficient and stable HCDI electrode materials.

Integrated CO2 Capture and Dry Reforming of CH4 to Syngas: A Review.

Integrating carbon capture with dry reforming of methane offers a promising approach to addressing greenhouse gas emissions while producing valuable syngas. This review examines the complexities and progress made in this integrated process, wherein catalysts play a critical role in adsorbing carbon dioxide and facilitating the conversion of methane to syngas. The chemical process entails the concurrent capture of CO2 emissions and their usage in dry reforming, a reaction in which CH4 interacts with CO2 to generate syngas, an essential precursor for various industrial applications. The dual-functional materials can adsorb carbon dioxide and actively reform to an end-use application. The much-studied Ca-based sorbents exhibit a theoretical carbon capture capacity of 17.8 mmol g-1. However, during practical exploration of these materials as a dual-functional catalyst for integrated carbon capture and the dry reforming of methane, the uptake reduces to ∼13 mmol g-1 carbon capacity with 96.5 and 96% conversions of CO2 and CH4, respectively. Therefore, a thorough analysis of the complex relationship between CO2 capture and CH4 reforming catalysis is attempted herein based on various reported materials. Design concepts, structural optimization, and performance evaluation analysis of the dual-functional materials reveal their importance in carbon capture and reformation technology. Additionally, this review covers the field difficulties, future perspectives, and attractive commercial implementation predictions. This scrutiny illustrates the significance of dual-functional materials for sustainable energy production and environmental protection.

Atenolol uptake from pharmaceutical sources onto carbon aerogel prepared by supercritical CO2 drying

Atenolol (ATL) is a popular medication which is widely used to treat hypertension and angina. It is often found in aqueous environments, posing potential risk to human health and ecological well-being. In this study, carbon aerogel was prepared by supercritical CO2 drying of resorcinol–formaldehyde resin subsequently carbonized at 600 °C in an inert atmosphere. This porous material was characterized by SEM, BET, FTIR, and XRD and used for the first time for the removal of ATL from aqueous solutions under varying experimental conditions. Carbon aerogel in the form of microbeads exhibited a relatively high specific surface area of 376.02 m2/g and median pore radius of 9.83 nm. The isotherm models of Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Redlich-Peterson and Brouers-Sotolongo were used to interpret the equilibrium data. Although most of the applied models fitted the data well, the calculated values for maximum sorption capacity (qmax) showed a huge deviation when compared to experimental value of 76.66 mg/g. The pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, Chrastil’s model, and the intraparticle diffusion model were employed for fitting the kinetic data. The rate of the process was rapid with most of the uptake attained in the first 20 min of the contacting. The sorption optimum was achieved at pH pH 9.0 and for sorbent’s dosage of 750 mg/L. Reusability study of the spent aerogel conducted in seven cycles evidenced slight decrease of approximately 1 % in removal efficiency across the cycles indicating that the sorbent maintained its high effectiveness and stability throughout its usage.

Self-Regenerative Ni-Doped CaTiO3/CaO for Integrated CO2 Capture and Dry Reforming of Methane.

In this work, a new type of multifunctional materials (MFMs) called self-regenerative Ni-doped CaTiO3/CaO is introduced for the integrated CO2 capture and dry reforming of methane (ICCDRM). These materials consist of a catalytically active Ni-doped CaTiO3 and a CO2 sorbent, CaO. The article proposes a concept where the Ni catalyst can be regenerated in situ, which is crucial for ICCDRM. Exsolved Ni nanoparticles are evenly distributed on the surface of CaTiO3 under H2 or CH4, and are re-dispersed back into the CaTiO3 lattice under CO2. The Ni-doped CaTiO3/CaO MFMs show stable CO2 capture capacity and syngas productivity for 30 cycles of ICCDRM. The presence of CaTiO3 between CaO grains prevents CaO/CaCO3 thermal sintering during carbonation and decarbonation. Moreover, the strong interaction of CaTiO3 with exsolved Ni mitigates severe accumulation of coke deposition. This concept can be useful for developing MFMs with improved properties that can advance integrated carbon capture and conversion.

Catalytically Active SiO2 Aerogels Comprising Chelate Complexes of Palladium.

A series of silica-based aerogels comprising novel bifunctional chelating ligands was prepared. To produce target aerogels, two aminosilanes, namely (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AEAPTMS), were acylated by natural amino acids ((S)-(+)-2-phenylglycine or L-phenylalanine), followed by gelation and supercritical drying (SCD). Lithium tetrachloropalladate was used as the metal ion source to prepare strong complexes of Pd2+ with amino acids covalently bonded to a silica matrix. Aerogels bearing chelate complexes retain the Pd2+ oxidation state after supercritical drying in CO2, but the Pd ion is reduced to Pd metal after SCD in isopropanol. Depending on the structure of amino complexes, Pd-containing aerogels showed catalytic activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation reactions of C=C, C≡C and C=O bonds.

Porous hydroxyapatite-titanium dioxide composites prepared by a sol-gel / supercritical CO2-drying combined process

In this work, porous nanostructured materials based on hydroxyapatite (HA) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) were prepared by integrating the sol-gel process and supercritical CO2 drying. These combined processes constitute a synergistic methodology that allows modulating the porosity generated in the gel and preserving it after drying. HA nanoparticles and a pore-generating agent (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) were included without significant modifications to gel consolidation times or integrity by using this methodology. The presence of HA nanoparticles within the TiO2 matrix helped preserving the anatase phase after the calcination stage. No reactivity between the present phases was detected, indicating their successful integration in the final composite material structure, which was one of the most challenging aspects of the research. This allowed HA-TiO2 composites to improve the adhesion of MG63 osteoblast-like cells and their proliferation, being the sample with high HA content (∼37 % wt/wt) the one that presented the best response. The present work puts forward a new way for the synthesis of scaffolds composed of HA and TiO2 with retention of the anatase phase for applications in bone tissue engineering.

Preparation of porous superabsorbent particles based on starch by supercritical CO2 drying and its water absorption mechanism

The slow water-absorption speed of starch-based superabsorbent resin (St-SAP) limits its application. In this study, porous St-SAP (P-St-SAP) was prepared by inverse suspension polymerization and supercritical CO2 drying, the aim is to provide a preparation method of fast absorbent resin. The P-St-SAP at 33 % starch content had an interpenetrating porous structure with macropores, mesopores and micropores, and the surface area, pore volume and average pore diameter were 32.06 m2·g−1, 0.116 cm3·g−1 and 21.6 nm, respectively. The water-absorption process included rapid-section, medium-section and slow-section, according with internal diffusion, double-constant and quasi second-order kinetic models, respectively. In the initial 30 s, a water-absorption speed of 262.6 g·g−1·min−1 in distilled water was much higher than some previous research results, and the equilibrium absorption value of 517.9 g·g−1 in distilled water and 72.9 g·g−1 in 0.9 % saline was better than that of non-porous St-SAP at similar starch content. Moreover, at the same stage the percentage of saline absorption ratio to equilibrium absorption value was 1.0– 2.0 times higher than that of distilled water. These research results indicate that the P-St-SAP has fast water-absorption speed and good salt resistance, which will have greater application prospects in sanitary materials, building concrete pouring, and flood control blocking piping.

Supercritical CO2 drying of New Zealand red beech to below the fibre saturation point reduces collapse distortion

Supercritical CO2 offers an alternative method of removing wood moisture and reducing cellular collapse compared to traditional drying techniques. The technique has been previously demonstrated for Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus nitens dewatering and was modified in this study for New Zealand red beech (Nothofagus fusca) heartwood, which is notoriously difficult to dry without causing excessive distortion. The technique was also successfully extended to drying below the fibre saturation point. A specific dewatering and drying schedule was developed for N. fusca because of negligible dewatering using a schedule previously designed for wood with an open hydrofluidic network of interconnected vessels. An anatomical assessment confirmed lumen pathways were occluded with tyloses and polyphenol resins. A fluid dynamics assessment concluded that permeability measurements are recommended together with tortuosity and porosity information for improved wood species dewatering characterisation. Using the dewatering and drying schedule, collapse was successfully reduced by 92% for both normalised internal wood area and void collapse when compared to oven-dried samples. The beech specimens took 18 days to reach 17.3% moisture content (MC) but displayed some checking from early dewatering depressurisation, compared to air-dried control specimens which showed no collapse or checking but took 6 months to reach 12% MC. Supercritical CO2 dewatering and drying could be combined with extractives separation, preservative treatment, and mechanical forming of wood in one plant to make a potentially economically viable process with improved energy, environmental and carbon footprints. A techno-economic analysis is suggested to fully compare supercritical drying of wood against conventional drying operations.

Structures and compositions of biofilms in moving bed biofilm reactors pretreated by four drying methods

Research has so far paid little attention to the impact of the drying method on the structural and compositional analyses of biofilms from moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs). To ensure that the biofilm was derived from a steady operation phase of the MBBR, in this study, stable values of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), PO43-, total nitrogen (TN), ammonia–nitrogen (NH4-N), NO3-N and NO2-N concentration, and the biofilm dry weight were obtained after 22 d of operation. Four drying methods (supercritical CO2 drying, vacuum freeze-drying, heat drying, and natural drying) were used to pretreat the biofilms, and the changes in biofilm structures and compositions were investigated in detail. The supercritical CO2 drying and vacuum freeze-drying both maintained the biofilm compositions, while vacuum freeze-drying increased the average pore diameter of the biofilm more than five times that of the biofilm obtained by supercritical CO2 drying. In addition, heat drying and natural drying both damaged the structures and compositions of the biofilms, and heat drying in particular could cause structural collapse, surface charge declines of at least 20%, C and N elemental losses, and biomacromolecule (proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids) losses. The results from this investigation will aid in elucidating the appropriate drying methods for analyzing biofilm structures and compositions.

Effects of deacetylation degree of chitosan on the structure of aerogels

Chitosan aerogels, obtained by (supercritical) CO2 drying of hydrogels, are novel adsorbents because of their large surface area and high porosity. Intrinsic properties of chitosan such as molecular weight (MW) and degree of deacetylation (DDA) had large impacts on the characteristics of chitosan aerogels. Although there are a few studies about the effects of solely DDA or MW on aerogel structure, none of them has focused on the mutual effects. The study aims to investigate the combined effects of MW and DDA of chitosan on aerogel properties. Hydrogels were produced in beads form by physical gelation of the chitosan solutions (2 % w/v in acetic acid of 1 %, v/v) in an alkaline environment (NaOH, 4 N). Supercritical CO2 dried aerogels were examined with respect to the bulk density, diameter as well as pore characteristics, and surface area by Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods, respectively. Morphologies of aerogels were also examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images and structural changes of aerogels were observed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Additional to BET-BJH analysis, proton relaxation dispersion was measured by Fast Field Cycling NMR (FFC-NMR) to determine the pore volume of the aerogels. Compact structures were obtained for higher MW chitosan and lower MW chitosans with higher DDA increasing the aerogel diameters. All types of aerogels obtained by different chitosan characteristics (MW and DDA) showed a porous structure and the highest DDA with the lowest MW caused the minimum bulk density with the highest water absorption rate. Although different N2 adsorption-desorption profiles were obtained in terms of pore volumes; all aerogels had Type IV isotherms with Type H1 hysteresis curve. FFC-NMR experiments showed that the coherence length values were associated with the pore volumes and FFC-NMR experiments were found to be meaningful as supportive experiments for the characterization of aerogels.

Antagonistic or Compensatory: Crosstalk between ABA and Ethylene in Regulating Stomatal Behavior under High CO2 and Progressive Soil Drying.

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations accompanied by intensified drought stress have a significant impact on plant growth and physiology. The aim of this study was to explore the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in mediating the response of stomata to elevated CO2 (e[CO2]) and soil water deficits. Tomato plants with different endogenous ABA concentrations (Ailsa Craig (AC), its ABA-deficient mutant (flacca) and ABA-overproduction transgenic tomato (SP5)) were grown in ambient (a[CO2], 400 μmol mol -1) and elevated (800 μmol mol -1) CO2 environments and were subjected to progressive soil drying at six-leaf stage. Results showed that, compared to plants grown under a[CO2], e[CO2]-plants had significantly lower stomatal conductance in AC and SP5 but not in flacca. Under drought, e[CO2]-plants had better water status and higher water use efficiency at both leaf and whole plant levels. e[CO2] had no effects on the ABA concentration of plants under well-watered conditions but promoted the accumulation of ABA in leaves of plants subjected to drought stress, which coincided with the upregulated expression of ABA biosynthetic genes and downregulated expression of ABA metabolic genes. Although in flacca, the increase of ABA induced by drought was much less than in AC and SP5, it accumulated large amounts of ethylene, suggesting that in plants with ABA deficiency, ethylene may play a compensatory role in inducing stomatal closure during soil drying. Collectively, these findings improve our understanding of plant performances to a future drier and CO2-enriched environment.

Development of highly reusable, mechanically stable corn starch-based aerogel using glycerol for potential application in the storage of fresh spinach leaves

Impact of glycerol on the physico-functional, morphological, mechanical, and rehydration properties of corn starch-based aerogel has been investigated. The aerogel was prepared from hydrogel (sol-gel method) using solvent exchange and supercritical CO2 drying. Glycerol-infused aerogel had a more connected, denser structure (0.38–0.45 g/cm3), enhanced hygroscopic behavior, and was reusable up to eight times in terms of its capacity to absorb water after being drawn from the soaked sample. However, the inclusion of glycerol reduced the aerogel's porosity (75.89–69.91 %) and water absorption rate (WAR; 118.53–84.64 %) but enhanced its percentage shrinkage (75.03–77.99 %) and compressive strength (26.01–295.06 N). The most effective models for describing the rehydration behavior of aerogel were determined to be the Page, Weibull, and Modified Peleg models. Glycerol addition improved the internal strength of the aerogel so could be recycled without significant change in the physical characteristics of the aerogel. By effectively eliminating the condensed moisture that was developed inside the packing owing to the transpiration of fresh spinach leaves, the aerogel extended the storage life of the leaves by up to eight days. The glycerol-based aerogel has the potential to be employed as a carrier matrix for various chemicals and a moisture scavenger.

Toward Controlled Partial Desolvation of Guest-Responsive Metal–Organic Frameworks for Precise Porosity Control

Desolvation of guest-responsive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) under dynamic vacuum often leads to the collapse of the pores, whereas supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) drying is found to be the best alternative way to overcome the challenge of MOF desolvation. Nevertheless, some of the MOFs collapse during desolvation by the SC-CO2 drying method. SC-CO2 drying always leads to complete desolvation of the MOFs except the metal-coordinated solvent molecules. However, controlled and partial desolvation of the MOFs can be a possible way to restrict the pore collapse of the frameworks. The importance of nuanced desolvation is demonstrated for two isostructural tetracarboxylic acid-based Cu-MOFs (DUT-202, DUT-203). These MOFs switch to a contracted pore phase upon complete desolvation either by vacuum treatment or the SC-CO2 drying method. Therefore, a controlled desolvation technique has been used to desolvate DUT-202 and 203, while the strongly confined N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) remains coordinated, which is essential to retain the microporous nature of the framework. Acetone-exchanged Cu-MOFs were treated under an argon flow to remove the weakly connected solvent molecules inside the pores but not the strongly trapped guest molecules, and the desolvated phases were found to have an open pore phase with microporous nature. Interestingly, the contracted pore phase can be reopened by heating in DMF for several hours.

Chitosan-Silica Hybrid Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering: A Comparative Study of Xerogels and Aerogels.

Chitosan (CS) is a natural biopolymer that shows promise as a biomaterial for bone-tissue regeneration. However, because of their limited ability to induce cell differentiation and high degradation rate, among other drawbacks associated with its use, the creation of CS-based biomaterials remains a problem in bone tissue engineering research. Here we aimed to reduce these disadvantages while retaining the benefits of potential CS biomaterial by combining it with silica to provide sufficient additional structural support for bone regeneration. In this work, CS-silica xerogel and aerogel hybrids with 8 wt.% CS content, designated SCS8X and SCS8A, respectively, were prepared by sol-gel method, either by direct solvent evaporation at the atmospheric pressure or by supercritical drying in CO2, respectively. As reported in previous studies, it was confirmed that both types of mesoporous materials exhibited large surface areas (821 m2g-1-858 m2g-1) and outstanding bioactivity, as well as osteoconductive properties. In addition to silica and chitosan, the inclusion of 10 wt.% of tricalcium phosphate (TCP), designated SCS8T10X, was also considered, which stimulates a fast bioactive response of the xerogel surface. The results here obtained also demonstrate that xerogels induced earlier cell differentiation than the aerogels with identical composition. In conclusion, our study shows that the sol-gel synthesis of CS-silica xerogels and aerogels enhances not only their bioactive response, but also osteoconduction and cell differentiation properties. Therefore, these new biomaterials should provide adequate secretion of the osteoid for a fast bone regeneration.

Characteristics of hybrid alginate/soy protein isolate wound dressing aerogels dried by supercritical carbon dioxide

This work demonstrates the synthesis of hybrid alginate and soy protein isolate as a biopolymer wound dressing and dried by supercritical CO2 drying. The effect of soy protein isolate ratio (0.5, 1.0 wt%) and glycerol (20 and 40%) on the chemical and physical properties of the alginate-based biopolymer wound dressing is presented. The wound dressing films were synthesized via the sol–gel and solvent casting technique, followed by drying via supercritical CO2 at 120 ± 5 bar and 40 °C for 4 h. The biopolymer wound dressing was characterized by its chemical composition, surface morphology, thermal degradation, and swelling ratio. Results demonstrated that the alginate/SPI film, with the addition of glycerol, has a reduction of its glass transition temperature to a range of 73 to 89 °C, and decomposed at below 280 °C. Higher glycerol content of up to 40% v/v has turned the morphological film into a plasticizer characteristic. The alginate-based ound dressing film with a lower ratio of 0.5 wt% SPI successfully absorbed fluids up to 16 times its weight. These findings imply the great potential of the alginate and soy protein isolate blends as a wound dressing.

Oleogels from mesoporous whey and potato protein based aerogel microparticles: Influence of microstructural properties on oleogelation ability

Animal-based whey protein isolate (WPI) and plant-based potato protein isolate (PPI) aerogel microparticles (particle size ∼40–77 μm) were produced via top-down wet milling of alcogels followed by supercritical–CO2–drying and used as matrices for structuring of liquid sunflower oil. pH variation (pH 3.0, 7.0, 9.0) during heat-induced gelation was used to tune aerogel microstructural properties, resulting in high specific surface areas (347–480 m2/g) and mesopore volumes (2.3–5.6 m3/g) as well as different macro-to mesoporous ratios. Oleogels oil content (70–84 wt%) and firmness (0.55–1.25 N) were related to pH during gelation, yielding firmest oleogels for aerogel templates produced at pH 9. All oleogel samples showed high physical stability, as shown by oil holding capacity (OHC) up to 95%. Minimization of macropore volume, high mesopore fractions, and high specific surface areas were found to increase OHC. Results suggest that for WPI and PPI, different aerogels microstructures induced by different gelation pH rather than protein nature, to be the driving factor affecting aerogel oleogelation ability and demonstrate the versatility of the aerogel particle-template approach in terms of protein source, thus highlighting the importance of aerogel microstructure design to fine-tune oleogel properties.

Drying of pears in CO2 modified atmosphere

One of the biggest problem encountered in drying area of food processing are the losses in food quality. While drying process is held, there is an important damage done to vitamins, polyphenols and other important nutriments. Being easily affected by high temperature and oxygen exposure, our concern was to find out what will be the effect of convective drying in air flow and CO2 modified atmosphere upon pears, “Conference” variety quality. Testing took place with temperatures between 60 and 100°C for both drying methods, one also used three different CO2 concentration regimes for the modified atmosphere approach, namely 30, 60, and 80%. The usage of carbon dioxide instead of air inside the drying chamber is expected to reduce oxygen exposure of the product during drying process, thus reducing oxidative reactions. Using CO2 as air substituent for convective drying showed good results from the organoleptic point of view by preserving a more natural pear color closer to the row material one, reduced damage done to ascorbic acid and total polyphenols concentration presumably thanks to reducing oxygen concentration and a slight drying duration reduction. There was deducted and established a mathematical model for the convective modified CO2 drying atmosphere as well as a pilot drying installation was designed for combined dying methods equipped with a CO2 recycling system.

Release Kinetics of Dexamethasone Phosphate from Porous Chitosan: Comparison of Aerogels and Cryogels.

Porous chitosan materials as potential wound dressings were prepared via dissolution of chitosan, nonsolvent-induced phase separation in NaOH-water, formation of a hydrogel, and either freeze-drying or supercritical CO2 drying, leading to "cryogels" and "aerogels", respectively. The hydrophilic drug dexamethasone sodium phosphate was loaded by impregnation of chitosan hydrogel, and the release from cryogel or aerogel was monitored at two pH values relevant for wound healing. The goal was to compare the drug-loading efficiency and release behavior from aerogels and cryogels as a function of the drying method, the materials' physicochemical properties (density, morphology), and the pH of the release medium. Cryogels exhibited a higher loading efficiency and a faster release in comparison with aerogels. A higher sample density and lower pH value of the release medium resulted in a more sustained release in the case of aerogels. In contrast, for cryogels, the density and pH of the release medium did not noticeably influence release kinetics. The Korsmeyer-Peppas model showed the best fit to describe the release from the porous chitosan materials into the different media.