Ethylene Oxide Units Research Articles

Optimizing latex-modified concrete for enhanced workability and durability in pavement construction

High temperatures during summer pavement construction can lead to rapid drying, adversely affecting the workability and homogeneity of concrete mixtures, often resulting in quality issues such as cracks and surface defects. This study aims to overcome these challenges by introducing latex modified concrete (LMC) as a solution for enhancing the quality of summer pavement construction. Latex, known for its excellent flexibility and physical properties, is employed to improve the workability and strength of concrete. The study focuses on enhancing the workability and performance of latex in bridge construction within LMC during the summer. The effects of nonionic emulsifier type, alkyl ethylene oxide (AEO) and alkyl phenyl ethylene oxide (APEO), were investigated. In latex, the AEOs with alkyl chains containing 9–13 carbons and 20–40 ethylene oxide units exhibited remarkable workability in LMC. To improve workability even more, the addition of 0.5 wt% superplasticizer per unit of cement was found to be effective. This research contributes to the field by demonstrating the efficacy of nonionic emulsifiers and superplasticizers in latex in enhancing summer workability and their effects on the compressive strength of concrete.

Consequence Analysis and Safety Assessment of an Ethylene Oxide Unit in a Petrochemical Complex

Abstract Aim: This study focuses on the consequence analysis and safety assessment of an ethylene oxide (EO) unit in a petrochemical complex. This study evaluates the potential consequences of process accidents in the tankage, tank truck loading, and cylinder filling areas of an EO unit. Methods: The analysis was conducted using DNV’s PHAST software (2023), which models and quantifies the consequences of chemical releases by considering various factors such as material characteristics, storage tanks, weather conditions, and the number of people at risk. This study considers scenarios such as fire, flammable and toxic gas dispersion, and vapor cloud explosion. Results: The results provide insights into the safety measures and precautions required in different areas of the petrochemical complex. The analysis of hazard zones allows for the prioritization of protective measures and ongoing monitoring of operational hazards. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the consequences and risks associated with the use of the EO unit in a petrochemical complex.

Controlled Amphiphilicity and Thermo-Responsiveness of Functional Copolymers Based on Oligo(Ethylene Glycol) Methyl Ether Methacrylates.

In this work, comb homopolymers as well as comb-type copolymers of thermo-responsive oligo(ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate)s, OEGMAs, with various chain lengths (DEGMA, PEGMA500, and PEGMA950 containing 2, 9, or 19 repeating ethylene glycol units, respectively) were synthesized through free radical (co)polymerization. For the copolymers, either the functional hydrophobic glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) or the inert hydrophilic N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) were selected as comonomers. The self-assembly and thermo-responsive behavior of the products was investigated through Nile Red fluorescence probing, turbidimetry, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Interestingly, it was found that all OEGMA-based homopolymers exhibit a tendency to self-organize in aqueous media, in addition to thermo-responsiveness. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) increases with the number of repeating ethylene oxide units in the OEGMA macromonomers (CAC was found to be 0.003, 0.01, and 0.03% w/v for the homopolymers PDEGMA, PPEGMA500, and PPEGMA950, respectively). Moreover, the CAC of the copolymers in aqueous media is highly affected by the incorporation of hydrophobic GMA or hydrophilic DMAM units, leading to lower or higher values, respectively. Thus, the CAC decreases down to 0.003% w/v for the GMA-richest copolymer of PEGMA950, whereas CAC increases up to 0.01% w/v for the DMAM-richest copolymer of DEGMA. Turbidimetry and DLS studies proved that the thermo-sensitivity of the polymers is governed by several parameters such as the number of repeating ethylene glycol groups in the side chains of the OEGMAs, the molar percentage of the hydrophobic or hydrophilic comonomers, along with the addition of salts in the aqueous polymer solutions. Thus, the cloud point of the homopolymer PDEGMA was found at 23 °C and it increases to 33.5 °C for the DMAM-richest copolymer of DEGMA. Lastly, the formation of a hydrogel upon heating aqueous mixtures of the GMA-comprising copolymers with silica nanoparticles overnight is strong evidence of the functional character of these polymers.

Development of robust polysesquioxane/polymer dual-network hybrid membranes for flue gas carbon capture

In the present study, robust organic/inorganic dual-network membranes were designed by combining the advantages of polysesquioxane with superior thermal and structural stabilities, and polyether with outstanding CO2-philic and film-forming abilities. Specifically, a typical polysesquioxane precursor, bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE), was selected to generate the inorganic-based amorphous network via a hydrolysis and condensation process, during which polyethylene glycol (PEG) was introduced to form the organic network. The Si-O-Si network derived from BTESE could provide excellent mechanical stability, while the repeat polar ethylene oxide units contained in PEG were expected to furnish a strong affinity toward CO2 through dipolar-dipolar interactions. In comparison to individual membranes, the dual-network membranes presented both attractive CO2/N2 separation performance and improved structural stability. These dual-network membranes proposed in this work hold great potential in industrial flue gas carbon capture and the strategies for designing such inorganic–organic dual-network membranes could be extended to other robust inorganic–organic hybrid films/materials.

Self-assembly mechanism and application performance in aqueous solutions mediated by ethylene oxide chains in alcohol ether carboxylates and cocamidopropyl betaine

Zwitterionic Cocoamidopropyl Betaine (CAB) and anionic alcohol ether carboxylates have garnered significant attention within the realms of green and colloid chemistry owing to their inherent biocompatibility, multi-responsiveness, and diverse applications. Systematic inquiry into the physicochemical properties, self-assembly mechanisms, and application efficacy of complex systems comprising alcohol ether carboxylate salts with varying ethylene oxide (EO) units (AECnH, n = 5, 7, 9) and CAB-35 in aqueous solutions was undertaken. It was discerned that the optimum physicochemical attributes of the complex system are attained at a molar ratio of AEC of 0.5 (αAEC = 0.5). Incremental augmentation in the number of EO units facilitated the formation of rod-like micelles, exhibiting relatively unstable characteristics, while a reduction in the number of EO units led to the generation of comparatively stable spherical micelles. The self-assembly of micelles in these hybrid systems predominantly hinges upon hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic forces. Furthermore, kinetic analysis validated that the genesis of micelles in all three hybrid systems is propelled by enthalpy, with the adsorption process entailing a mechanism characterized by mixed diffusion-kinetic adsorption. The optimal wetting performance of the complex system was observed at αAEC = 0.5, while the foam performance demonstrated a diminishing trend with escalating αAEC. This comprehensive discourse delineates the synergistic mechanisms and application efficacy of two distinct classes of green surfactants with disparate charges in aqueous solutions, while contemplating the influence of varying numbers of ethylene oxide chains. Not only does it furnish fundamental insights into their properties, but it also proffers a novel standpoint for the exploration of green surfactants.

Commercial thermo-responsive polyalkylene glycols as draw agents in forward osmosis

Forward osmosis (FO) is a promising technology for efficient water reclamation at low operating costs. It has shown potential in producing fresh water from seawater; however, the regeneration of the diluted draw solution (DS) still holds back further development. Thermo-responsive polymers, especially polyalkylene glycol (PAG) based copolymers with hydrophilic ethylene oxide and hydrophobic propylene oxide units, have shown suitability as DSs in FO using low-temperature waste heat to regenerate the DS. In this study, we explored five commercially available copolymers: Pluronic® PE 6400, Pluronic® L-35, Pluronic® RPE 1740, Unilube® 50 MB-26, and Polycerin® 55GI-2601 as DSs in a laboratory FO setup, with DI water as the feed solution (FS). The water flux and reverse solute flux varied from 1.5 to 2.0 L·m−2·h−1 and from 0.04 to 0.4 g·m−2·h−1, respectively. Furthermore, all polymer solutions showed the ability to be recovered and reused using temperatures below 100 °C. Therefore, the tested PAGs turned out to be promising as draw solutions for FO systems that utilize low-grade waste heat. The re-usage in FO was shown for regenerated Pluronic® L-35 through a three-step experiment where its recovery was 91.1 %, 93.1 %, and 91.9 % for each FO cycle, respectively.

Single-Step Synthesis and Characterization of Non-Linear Tough and Strong Segmented Polyurethane Elastomer Consisting of Very Short Hard and Soft Segments and Hierarchical Side-Reacted Networks and Single-Step Synthesis of Hierarchical Hyper-Branched Polyurethane.

Polyurethane elastomers are among the most versatile classes of industrial polymers-typically achieved through a two-step synthesis of segmented block copolymers, comprising very long and soft segments that provide elasticity and significantly long and hard segments that provide strength. The present research focused on the design of a single-step synthesis of a new segmented polyurethane consisting of very short soft and hard segments, crosslinked by preferentially side-reacted hierarchical tertiary oligo-uret network structures, thus exhibiting significant strength, elasticity, and toughness. Despite the theoretically linear structure, both FTIR and solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy analyses indicated the quasi-equal presence of urethane groups and tertiary oligo-uret structures in the resulting polymer, indicating a preferential consecutive side reaction mechanism. Thermal analysis indicated the significant crystallization of soft segments consisting of only four ethylene oxide units, which was, hereby, demonstrated to occur via an extended chain mechanism. Tensile mechanical properties included significant strength, elasticity, and toughness. Increasing the soft segment length led to a decreased tertiary oligo-uret secondary crosslinking efficacy. The preferential hierarchical side reaction mechanism was, hereby, further confirmed through the synthesis of a completely new type of hyper-branched polymer via diisocyanate and a mono-hydroxy-terminated reagent. The structure-property relations and reaction mechanisms demonstrated in the present research can facilitate the design of new polyurethanes of enhanced performance and processing efficacy for a variety of novel applications.

A systematic derivatization technique for characterization of ethoxylates by GC and GCMS

AbstractEthoxylation is one of the common industrial process in which ethylene oxide (EO) is added to compounds containing active hydrogen atom (OH, COOH, SH, NH, etc.) to form surfactants. Alcohol ethoxylates are a major class of non‐ionic surfactants composed of an alkyl chain combined with few EO units. They are widely used in homecare products, personal care products, textiles, oilfield, construction, lubricants, food, paper, leather. The analysis of these ethoxylates possess several challenges since they contain ‘n’ number of EO units (n > 1). With increase in “n,” the product becomes more and more viscous and the boiling point increases making it difficult to analyze by normal gas chromatography (GC) technique. This paper describes a method of derivatizing these ethoxylates so that they can be eluted on a high temperature GC. BSTFA (N, O‐bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide) is used as the derivatizing agent (silylating agent). The ethoxylate combines with BSTFA to form the corresponding trimethylsilylated (TMS) product, which have comparatively lower boiling point. Thus, we detect trimethyl silyl product, which is the resemblance for the ethoxylated product. In this paper, we present a quantitative GC method for the ethoxylates of a few simple alcohols (2‐ethyl hexanol, glycerin), and complex vegetable oils (castor oil). The products formed during the reaction have also been identified on a gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer (GCMS). GCMS shows the mass corresponding to the TMS derivatized product. The derivatization technique not only helps in increasing the volatility of these compounds but also improves the chromatographic efficiency, selectivity, and enhances the detectability.

Self-assembling and foaming properties of nonionic, cardanol-based surfactants in aqueous solutions

Surfactants from renewable sources have gained attention due to their potential as substituents for petroleum-based chemicals. In this sense, surfactants based on cardanol, a compound abundant in the cashew nutshell liquid, have been proposed as suitable candidates for this purpose. However, their application is hindered by the lack of quantitative and reliable information about their bulk and surface properties in aqueous solutions. In this work, for the first time, three nonionic, cardanol-derived surfactants (7EO, 9EO, and 12EO), with different number of ethylene oxide (EO) units in the polar headgroup, had their foaming performances analyzed and correlated with their respective surface (equilibrium and dynamic surface tension and surface viscoelasticity) and bulk (cloud points, critical micelle concentration, micelle diameter, and viscosity) properties. Depending on the EO number, different scenarios were seen. Solutions containing the 7EO surfactant were below the cloud point at room temperature and presented antifoaming properties. Aqueous solutions of 9EO and 12EO displayed foamability comparable to solutions prepared with a traditionally employed anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) at the same concentrations. The surfactant 12EO presented a rapid surface adsorption, thus favoring the formation of large amounts of foam during aeration. Furthermore, solutions of 9EO resulted in foams that were considerably more stable than the ones formed by SDS. Such an enhanced stability was attributed to the presence of elongated micelles, formed at the vicinity of the cloud point, that increased solution viscosity and delayed the liquid drainage in the foams. This surfactant also promoted the formation of highly viscoelastic surface films that contributed to foam stabilization. The obtained results suggest that these surfactants can be used in the formulation of new products with a more sustainable character and with improved properties. Moreover, they indicate the important interchange among bulk aggregates, surface properties and foam stability in aqueous surfactant systems.

Phase Behavior and Conformational Asymmetry near the Comb-to-Bottlebrush Transition in Linear-Brush Block Copolymers.

This study explores how conformational asymmetry influences the bulk phase behavior of linear-brush block copolymers. We synthesized 60 diblock copolymers composed of poly(trifluoroethyl methacrylate) as the linear block and poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] as the brush block, varying the molecular weight, composition, and side-chain length to introduce different degrees of conformational asymmetry. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we determined the morphology and phase diagrams for three different side-chain length systems, mainly observing lamellar and cylindrical phases. Increasing the side-chain length of the brush block from three to nine ethylene oxide units introduces sufficient asymmetry between the blocks to alter the phase behavior, shifting the lamellar-to-cylindrical transitions toward lower brush block compositions and transitioning the brush block from the dense comb-like regime to the bottlebrush regime. Coarse-grained simulations support our experimental observations and provide a mapping between the composition and conformational asymmetry. A comparison of our findings to strong stretching theory across multiple phase boundary predictions confirms the transition between the dense comb-like regime and the bottlebrush regime.

Enhancing ion selectivity by tuning solvation abilities of covalent-organic-framework membranes

Understanding the molecular-level mechanisms involved in transmembrane ion selectivity is essential for optimizing membrane separation performance. In this study, we reveal our observations regarding the transmembrane behavior of Li+ and Mg2+ ions as a response to the changing pore solvation abilities of the covalent-organic-framework (COF) membranes. These abilities were manipulated by adjusting the lengths of the oligoether segments attached to the pore channels. Through comparative experiments, we were able to unravel the relationships between pore solvation ability and various ion transport properties, such as partitioning, conduction, and selectivity. We also emphasize the significance of the competition between Li+ and Mg2+ with the solvating segments in modulating selectivity. We found that increasing the length of the oligoether chain facilitated ion transport; however, it was the COF membrane with oligoether chains containing two ethylene oxide units that exhibited the most pronounced discrepancy in transmembrane energy barrier between Li+ and Mg2+, resulting in the highest separation factor among all the evaluated membranes. Remarkably, under electro-driven binary-salt conditions, this specific COF membrane achieved an exceptional Li+/Mg2+ selectivity of up to 1352, making it one of the most effective membranes available for Li+/Mg2+ separation. The insights gained from this study significantly contribute to advancing our understanding of selective ion transport within confined nanospaces and provide valuable design principles for developing highly selective COF membranes.

Influence of ethylene oxide monomeric units on the bonding of poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC) onto nickel‑manganese‑cobalt oxides

Polymers are very attractive materials in the field of all solid-state batteries not only because they act as binders, and even electrolytes if properly doped by salts, in electrodes but also because they can bring their unique ease of processing in large scale production by technologies such as extrusion. The issue of their adhesion, or at least wetting, onto materials such as metal oxides, is nevertheless of major importance since it plays a major role in charge transfer through interfaces. The present study shows the importance of the composition of polyethylene carbonate (PEC) that can be used as binder and solid electrolyte basis, on its bonding to NMC of the 622 type (LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2) frequently used as insertion material in positive electrodes. Indeed, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy in the vicinity of the glass transition of the polymers reveals a significant bonding for one over three different PEC used in this study. The bonding was also clearly visible on images obtained by scanning electron microscopy and indirectly confirmed by rheological measurements. A deep analysis of the structure of the polymers by 1H NMR shows a significant difference in the content of ethylene oxide units. This difference was thought to be at the origin of the bonding.

Enhanced molecular recognition with longer chain crosslinkers in molecularly imprinted polymers for an efficient separation of TR active substances.

Molecular imprinting technology has been widely studied as a technique to obtain molecular recognition by artificial means. Selecting functional monomers or polymerization conditions plays a key role to optimize molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) synthesis. To date, there have been few reports well exploiting the effect of crosslinkers. Here, in this study, we synthesized the MIPs using poly(ethyleneglycol) dimethacrylate with different units of ethylene oxide (n = 1 to 23) as crosslinkers to observe the molecular recognition abilities. The MIPs were attached to the surface of mono-dispersed polymer beads. The obtained spherical MIPs and non-imprinted polymers were filled in a column for high performance liquid chromatography. Then the retention selectivity toward TR active substances was evaluated. The result revealed that the recognition ability did not improve regardless of the amount of ethylene oxide. With the crosslinker (n = 9), extremely high retention selectivity was observed, which provides at most around ten times as large imprinting factors in comparison with other MIPs. Interestingly, we obtained the highest recognition ability at around polymerization temperature from the evaluation of the recognition ability toward temperature shift using the MIP (n = 9). In general, hydrogen bonding based on MIPs provides high recognition ability at low temperature, whereas, this study indicates that the use of flexible crosslinkers may enable the synthesis of MIPs that precisely memorize the conditions of polymerization. Lastly, we simultaneously analyzed the TR active substances using the column filled with MIPs (n = 9). The result showed relatively linear correlation between the retention strength of each substance and phycological activity toward TR obtained by yeast assay. Therefore, we can conclude that an induced fit like the receptor emerged by constructing the flexible molecular recognition field.

Effect of ethylene oxide unit number in bis-EMA on the physical properties of additive-manufactured occlusal splint material.

To investigate the effects of the number of ethylene oxide units in bis-EMA on the physical properties of additively manufactured occlusal splints. Seven experimental materials containing bis-EMAs with three and 10 ethylene oxide units (BE3 and BE10, respectively) were prepared at different BE10 content rates (BE10-0%, -20%, -30%, -40%, -50%, -60%, and -80%). Half the specimens of each material were aged in boiling water. Flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM), fracture toughness (FT), microwear depth (MD), degree of conversion (DC), water sorption (WSP), water solubility (WSL), color difference between non-aged and aged series (ΔE), and translucency (TP) were evaluated. All the evaluated properties other than FS and MD were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc analysis, while FS and MD were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis's test and Bonferroni correction (α=0.05). BE10-80% revealed the lowest FS (P < 0.01 for BE10-0%, -20%, and -30%) and FM (P < 0.01, for all), while revealing the highest DC, WSP, WSL (P < 0.01 for all) and TP (P < 0.01 for all other than BE10-60%). BE10-50% showed the highest FT (P < 0.01 for all). BE10-50%, -60%, and -80% revealed significantly lower ΔE than others (P < 0.01) and lower MD than BE10-0% (P < 0.05). Regardless of the BE10 content, FS, FM, and FT decreased with aging. The number of ethylene oxide units affects the physical properties of additively manufactured occlusal splints. The higher number of ethylene oxide units in bis-EMA enhanced the microwear resistance, DC, WSP, WSL, color stability, and translucency, whereas it deteriorated the FS and FM.

Dimethyl sulfoxide as a gas phase charge-reducing agent for the determination of PEGylated proteins' intact mass.

Determination of PEGylated proteins' intact mass by mass spectrometry is challenging due to the molecules' large size, excessive charges, and instrument limitations. Previous efforts have been reported. However, signal variability, ion coalescence, and a generally low degree of robustness have been observed. In this work, we have explored the capabilities of post-column infusion of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) following reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RP-LCMS) to determine PEG-filgrastim' intact mass, and to characterize its PEG moiety. The method was optimized around reproducibility (six preparations, and three injection replicates) with an in-house prepared PEG-filgrastim standard. The method showed a mass accuracy of ≤1.2 Da. The average molecular weight (MWEO=483) was 40 147.9 Da. The number average molecular weight (Mn) and the weight average molecular weight (Mw) were observed to be 40 101.1 and 40 113.9 Da, respectively, both with an RSD of 0.03%. The molecular weight distribution of ethylene oxide (EO), the polydispersity index (PDI), was 1.0003 for all preparations with a minimum and maximum number of EO units of 448 ± 2 and 516 ± 2, respectively. The method was finally applied to commercially available Neulasta® lots where the Mn and Mw were 39 995.8 and 40 008.8 Da, respectively, both with an RSD of 0.1%. The minimum and maximum EO units across the lots were observed to be 444.5 ± 1.5 and 514 ± 3, respectively. The PDI for all Neulasta® lots was 1.0003. This study provides an insightful characterization of Neulasta® and describes a robust LC-MS methodology for the characterization of the PEGylated proteins.

(Invited) Exploiting Organic Materials for Next Generation Batteries

Energy storage plays, undoubtedly, a fundamental role in the process of total decarbonization of the global economy that is expected to take place in the coming decades. The energy transition to a renewable and sustainable generation will be the solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus achieve the European Commission´s goal of becoming the world´s first decarbonized economy. Our mission is therefore aligned with this goal by improving the industry competitiveness and sustainable development, from a benchmark position in energy research, generating disruptive knowledge in materials and high-tech solutions. Within the electrochemical storage area, and in particular organic hybrid materials group, we work from the synthesis and design of organic molecules and polymeric materials to the understanding of their properties and interfaces with the ultimate goal of developing next generation battery systems.In this talk, a general overview of our core research will be given with a special focus on the design of polymer electrolytes. In recent years we have explored various strategies to meet the requirements of electrolytes: high lithium cation conductivity and stability against high voltage and towards lithium metal (LiM). In this scenario we have synthesized new polymers and lithium salts. Inspired by poly(ethylene oxide), polymers containing ethylene oxide units will be presented, with decreased crystallinity to improve ionic conductivity.1 This improvement generally compromises the mechanical properties. In this respect, different strategies will be shown.2,3 However, it is difficult to design a polymer that meets all properties. In this scope, a bi-layer concept will be described and how salt migration can be addressed using a single-ion conducting polymer electrolyte (SLIC).4,5 Motivated by the bi-layer strategy, within SAFELiMOVE EU project a new solid-state-based technology have been proposed.6 The most relevant work carried out in the framework of the project will be presented.References I. Aldalur et al., J Power Sources, 347, 37–46 (2017).I. Aldalur et al., J Power Sources, 448, 227424 (2020)I. Aldalur, M. Martinez-Ibañez, M. Piszcz, H. Zhang, and M. Armand, Batter Supercaps, 1, 149–159 (2018)M. Arrese-Igor et al., ACS Energy Lett, 7, 1473–1480 (2022)M. Arrese-Igor et al., Energy Storage Mater, 45, 578–585 (2022)https://safelimove.eu/

Sustainable utilization of the vegetable oil manufacturing waste product in the formulation of eco-friendly emulsifiable cutting fluids

The conventional Metal cutting fluids (MCFs) used are mineral-based petroleum oils that perform well but are toxic and difficult to dispose of; therefore, these are hazardous to human health as well as the environment. This issue can be solved by using natural vegetable oil-based MCF, which are readily available, environment and human-friendly, and renewable. Therefore, we synthesized various types of emulsifiers (anionic, and nonionic with different ethylene oxide units as well as mono and gemini cationic surfactants as corrosion inhibitors and biocides) based on recycled vegetable oil (RO) from spent bleaching earth (SBE), and elucidated their chemical structures by different spectroscopic techniques. The individually synthesized emulsifiers (anionic, and nonionic with different ethylene oxide units) at different ratios (8–15 by wt.%) and mixed emulsifiers (anionic/nonionic, nonionic/nonionic with different degrees of ethylene oxide) at different ratios (8–12 by wt.%) were utilized as additives in the preparation of different vegetable residual oil-based MCF formulations. The mixed emulsifiers at different ratios of nonionic/nonionic with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value 10 (Formulas I, II, III, and IV), and anionic/nonionic (Formula V, and VI) exhibited stable emulsions compared to individual emulsifiers. Formulas (I and VI) displayed good protection effectiveness in corrosion tests. Formula VI had better wettability (25.22 on CS, 23.68 on Al, and 22.28 on WC) and a smaller particle size (63.97 nm). Tribological properties of Formula VI were also performed. The results exhibit that Formula VI is consistent with the commercial sample. As a result, this study contributed to the resolution of one of the industry's problems

Hydrophobic Porous Liquids with Controlled Cavity Size and Physico-Chemical Properties.

Developing greener hydrometallurgical processes implies offering alternatives to conventional solvents used for liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) of metals. In this context, it is proposed to substitute the organic phase by a hydrophobic silica-based porous liquid (PL). Two different sulfonated hollow silica particles (HSPs) are modified with various polyethoxylated fatty amines (EthAs) forming a canopy that provides both the targeted hydrophobicity and liquefying properties. This study shows that these properties can be tuned by varying the number of ethylene oxide units in the EthA: middle-range molecular weight EthAs allow obtaining a liquid at room temperature, while too short or too long EthA leads to solid particles. Viscosity is also impacted by the density and size of the silica spheres: less viscous PLs are obtained with small low-density spheres, while for larger spheres (c.a. 200nm) the density has a less significant impact on viscosity. According to this approach, hydrophobic PLs are successfully synthesized. When contacted with an aqueous phase, the most hydrophobic PLs obtained allow a subsequent phase separation. Preliminary extraction tests on three rare earth elements have further shown that functionalization of the PL is necessary to observe metal extraction.

The Synthesis and Application of Novel, Star-Shaped Surfactants for the Destabilization of Water in Arabian Heavy Crude Oil Emulsions

Water in heavy crude oil (W/O) emulsions, which are stubborn mixtures of immiscible heavy crude oil and brine, are a ubiquitous challenge in the petroleum industry. They cause serious corrosion problems, increase the viscosity of petroleum and make the production cost very high. This phenomenon appears during the production of crude oil and should be treated to maximize the overall profitability of oil production and meet transportation requirement. Surfactants are some of the most useful demulsifiers and play a pivotal role in breaking brine/oil emulsions. Herein, we aimed to combine ethyleneamine units and ethyleneoxide units to prepare star-shaped surfactants and test the effect of this combination on the demulsification performance. First, diethylenetriamine reacted with glycidyl 4-nonyl ether (GNE) through an epoxy ring opening to prepare trinonyl phenoxy diethylenetriamine (TNDT). Then, ethylene oxide units were introduced via the interaction of hydroxyl groups with 2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethanol to form ethoxylated trinonyl phenoxy diethylenetriamine (ETNDT). The chemical structures of the surfactants were verified via FTIR and NMR characteristic techniques. The surfactants were applied as demulsifiers for W/O emulsions. It was found that the introduction of the ethyleneoxide units enhanced the solubility of the water and the demulsification performance of the prepared surfactants. The demulsification efficiency was enhanced via ethoxylation and reached 100% for ETNDT for most of the W/O emulsions.

Antibacterial Polyketides Isolated from the Marine-Derived Fungus Fusarium solani 8388.

Seven new polyketides named fusarisolins F-K (1-6) and fusarin I (7) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Fusarium solani 8388, together with the known anhydrojavanicin (8), 5-deoxybostry coidin (9), and scytalol A (10). Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic data analyses, and by comparison of the 1H and 13C NMR data with those reported in literature. Fusarisolin F (1) contained both a dichlorobenzene group and an ethylene oxide unit, which was rare in nature. In the bioassays, fusarisolin I (4), fusarisolin J (5), and 5-deoxybostry coidin (9) exhibited obvious antibacterial activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus n315 with MIC values of 3, 3, and 6 μg/mL, respectively. Fusarisolin H (3) and fusarisolin J (5) showed inhibitory effects against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 10442 with the same MIC value of 6 μg/mL. With the exception of 5, all other compounds did not show or showed weak cytotoxicities against HeLa, A549, and KB cells; while fusarisolin J (5) demonstrated moderate cytotoxicities against the three human cancer cell lines with CC50 values between 9.21 and 14.02 μM.