Concentrations Of Glycol Research Articles

Properties of SiO2-Al2O3 refractories based on silica glass binder suspension and investigation of their printability using the Direct Ink Writing method

The SiO2-Al2O3 refractories and corresponding inks for 3D printing were prepared from silica glass binder suspensions and fused alumina with grain sizes of 75 and 240 μm. Phase analysis (XRD) and morphological studies (SEM) were conducted to investigate the influence of sintering temperature and Al2O3 content on the strength, porosity, and density of the refractories. Rheological studies (rotational viscometry) were carried out determine the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) content on the flow behavior of the inks. It was established that firing refractories based on fused silica and fused alumina at 1500 and 1600 °C led to the formation of mullite and aluminosilicate melt on the surface of Al2O3 grains, enhancing the strength of the synthesized materials. Addition of PEG and HPMC to the ink composition was found to improve their rheological properties by increasing yield strength and promoting plastic flow. The ink demonstrated high printability and they are suitable for producing refractories using the Direct Ink Writing method.

Development of active edible films from coffee pulp pectin, propolis, and honey with improved mechanical, functional, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties

This study examined the impact of propolis and honey on the physicochemical, structural, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of coffee pulp pectin-based edible films. The films were made from pure pectin (P) and mixtures of pectin-glycerol (PG), pectin-propolis-glycerol (PPG), and pectin-honey (PH). Pectin solutions were prepared by varying the pectin-to-water ratio between 1 % and 5 % (wpectin/vwater). Propolis, glycerol, and honey were then added to the solution, with the ratio of these ingredients to pectin ranging from 0 % to 60 %. The films were characterized for their physicochemical, structural, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. The results showed that films made from 2 % pectin (P), 2 % pectin with 20 % propolis and 20 % glycerol (PPG), 2 % pectin with 20 % honey (PH), and 2 % pectin with 20 % glycerol (PG) exhibited higher elongation at break and better tensile strength. Higher pectin, honey, and glycol concentrations increase the film thickness. Similarly, Young's modulus increased with rising pectin concentration. The tensile strength of the films increased with glycerol concentration up to 20 %, after which it decreased. Young's modulus decreased with increasing glycerol concentration. Tensile strength and elongation at break improved with honey-to-pectin ratios up to 20 %, then declined with further increases. The water vapor permeability (WVP) values of the edible films ranged from 3.154 to 3.437 × 10−10 g/m·s·Pa. The films were fully degraded in soil within 9 days. The results suggest that adding honey and propolis enhanced the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the films.

Enhancing drought resistance in Pinus tabuliformis seedlings through root symbiotic fungi inoculation.

Drought constitutes a major abiotic stress factor adversely affecting plant growth and productivity. Plant-microbe symbiotic associations have evolved regulatory mechanisms to adapt to environmental stress conditions. However, the interactive effects of different fungi on host growth and stress tolerance under drought conditions remain unclear. This study explored the effects of varying polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) concentrations (0%, 15%, 25%, and 35%) on the growth and physiological responses of two ectomycorrhizal fungi (Suillus granulatus (Sg) and Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt)) and two dark septate endophytes (Pleotrichocladium opacum (Po) and Pseudopyrenochaeta sp. (Ps)) isolated from the root system of Pinus tabuliformis. Specifically, the study aimed to evaluate six inoculation treatments, including no inoculation (CK), single inoculations with Sg, Pt, Po, Ps, and a mixed inoculation (Sg: Pt : Po: Ps = 1:1:1:1), on the growth and physiological characteristics of P. tabuliformis seedlings under different water regimes: well-watered at 70% ± 5%, light drought at 50% ± 5%, and severe drought at 30% ± 5% of the maximum field water holding capacity. All four fungi exhibited the capacity to cope with drought stress by enhancing antioxidant activities and regulating osmotic balance. Upon successful root colonization, they increased plant height, shoot biomass, root biomass, total biomass, and mycorrhizal growth response in P. tabuliformis seedlings. Under drought stress conditions, fungal inoculation improved seedling drought resistance by increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, free proline and soluble protein contents, and promoting nitrogen and phosphorus uptake. Notably, mixed inoculation treatments significantly enhanced antioxidant capacity, osmotic adjustment, and nutrient acquisition abilities, leading to superior growth promotion effects under drought stress compared to single inoculation treatments. All four fungi tolerated PEG-induced drought stress, with increased antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic adjustment substances and they promoted the growth and enhanced drought resistance of P. tabuliformis seedlings.

Implementation of PLGA-based Nanoparticles for Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

: Colorectal cancer is more prevalent in females than males. There are many anticancer drugs accessible for use, but their therapeutic importance is constrained by factors including poor solubility, low absorption, and multi-drug resistance. This review highlights how PLGA may be used to develop polymeric- targeted drug delivery systems that specifically target colorectal cancer. The PLGA polymer, which is disseminated in the colon together with drugs in a regulated and targeted manner, has the distinct characteristics of smart degradation in a biological system. Its degradability is dependent on multiple glycolide units; therefore, a lower glycol concentration improves degradability and vice versa. Also, PLGA facilitates drug delivery in colorectal cancer, enhances the efficacy of the drug, improves the sustained release profile of a drug, improves bioavailability due to prolonged retention time in the colon, enhances solubility, etc. To develop the formulation for improving the cytotoxic impact of various anticancer drugs, the surface modification of PLGA can be carried out by introducing a copolymer. By emphasizing their crucial characterization to demonstrate their therapeutic potential, this literature work has also shed light on recent patents and advancements in PLGA application.

Electrochemical Investigation of Ethylene Glycol as Corrosion Inhibitor of Al 5052

Nowadays, electric cars use Al 5052 in the cooling pad of the battery coolant system. Corrosion behavior study of Al 5052 by coolant is essential in the automotive industry. Ethylene glycol is the main compound of the battery coolant system that can inhibit the corrosion process of aluminum alloys. The corrosion inhibition performance of ethylene glycol (EG) for Al 5052 surface in 3.5% NaCl solution has been studied using electrochemical measurements such as potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in various concentrations of EG up to 50% and a temperature range from 30oC to 60oC. Based on results, EG can inhibit the corrosion process of Al 5052. The corrosion rate (CR) of coolant containing EG decreases with increasing that concentration in various temperatures, and the CR of the coolant rises with the increased temperatures. The inhibition efficiency of coolant boosts with the increase in EG concentration in each operational temperature and the highest up to 75% at 60oC with 50% of EG concentration.

Isolation of Haustorium Protoplasts Optimized by Orthogonal Design for Transient Gene Expression in Phelipanche aegyptiaca.

The efficient protoplast transient transformation system in plants is an important tool to study gene expression, metabolic pathways, and various mutagenic parameters, but it has not been established in Phelipanche aegyptiaca. As a root parasitic weed that endangers the growth of 29 species of plants in 12 families around the world, there is still no good control method for P. aegyptiaca. Even the parasitic mechanisms of P. aegyptiaca and the related genes regulating parasitism are not yet understood. In this study, by comparing the factors related to protoplast isolation and transfection, we developed the optimal protocol for protoplast isolation and transfection in Phelipanche aegyptiaca haustorium. The optimal protoplast yield and activity were 6.2 × 106 protoplasts/g fresh weight [FW] and 87.85%, respectively, by using 0.5 mol/L mannitol, enzyme concentrations of 2.5% cellulase R-10 and 0.8% Macerozyme R-10 at 24 °C for 4 h. At the same time, transfection efficiency of protoplasts was up to 78.49% when using 30 μg plasmid, 40% polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration, 24 °C incubation temperature, and 20 min transfection time. This is the first efficient protoplasts' isolation and transient transformation system of Phelipanche aegyptiaca haustorium, laying a foundation for future studies on the gene function and mechanisms of haustorium formation in parasitic plants.

Single proton anti-freezing hydrogel electrolyte with enhanced ion migration number enabling high-performance supercapacitor

Compared with traditional binary ion electrolytes, single-ion electrolytes have higher ion migration number and can avoid concentration polarization. In this work, single proton hydrogel electrolytes were prepared by one-step free radical polymerization of acrylamide and 2-acrylaminoamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid in ethylene glycol (EG)/water binary solvent. The electrolyte possesses good mechanical strength and excellent anti-freezing ability. A high conductivity of 1.28 mS cm−1 at −40 °C is achieved by adjusting monomer ratio and EG content. The proton hopping along the ion channel formed by the anionic polymer chain and the Grotthuss transport are responsible for the high conductivity. An extremely high ion migration number of 0.87 is obtained. The fixed anionic group endows the hydrogel electrolyte with good anticorrosion ability. The hydrogel electrolyte assembled supercapacitor (SC) exhibits excellent electrochemical performance in a wide temperature range from −40 °C to 60 °C and can be stored at −30 °C for 10 months without capacitance attenuation. The capacitance retention rate of the SC is as high as 92% after 15,000 cycles at both room temperature and − 40 °C. The single proton hydrogel electrolyte provides a new route for the further development of storage device based proton transport.

Triply periodic minimal surfaces structured biphasic calcium phosphate bio-scaffolds with controllable porous struts from digital light processing of Pickering emulsion

Hierarchically porous biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramics with triply periodic minimal surface structure and porous framework have been fabricated by digital light processing (DLP) using dual-phase Pickering emulsion as the paste. The pristine hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate particles were separately modified by dispersant firstly to obtain photosensitive Pickering emulsion with suitable rheological properties and stability for DLP printing. The porous structure has been well regulated by dispersant content, and ethylene glycol content. The resulting BCP ceramics exhibited a hierarchical pore structure consisting of interconnected micropores ranging from 1.13 μm to 8.98 μm and model-designed pores of nearly 500 μm, demonstrating excellent compressive strength of 4.83 MPa at a porosity of 60 %. In vitro biological experiments revealed that rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exhibited good proliferation and adhesion ability on the BCP bio-scaffolds, thereby enhancing their application potential in bone regenerative medicine.

Sample suitability and stability in different blood collection tubes for methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone and glycols analysis

AimTo systematically examine the sample suitability and stability for volatile alcohols (methanol, ethanol and isopropanol with its metabolite acetone) and glycols (ethylene/propylene glycols, EG/PG) in different collection tubes.MethodTwo pools of...

New thermal insulating polyurethane biofoams based on cherry seed oil

AbstractCherry fruits were used in clean technologies for preparation of hydroxyl components applied in polyurethane foams. Polyphenols from cherry fruits helped to obtain a stable suspension of nanosilver particles dispersed in diethylene glycol, while cherry seeds constituted a renewable source of oil, which was transesterified into biopolyol. Such biocomponents containing nanosilver particles were applied to obtain open cell heat insulating polyurethane foams resistant to a fungus strain Candida albicans. The influence of nanosilver concentration in diethylene glycol, reaction temperature, and catalyst concentration on the biopolyols and the properties of the final foams were subjected to a statistical analysis. It was found that the following process conditions were crucial in obtaining the most desired foams (in terms of their physical and mechanical properties): the catalyst content—0.225%, the concentration of DEG with nanoAg—25%, temperature—188 °C. Such an approach allowed us to obtain open cell polyurethane foams in line with Green Chemistry rules. Graphical abstract

Effect of Changing the Concentration of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on the Viscosity of the Polyacrylamide / Polyethylene Glycol Solutions

In this work, Polyacrylamide/ Polyethylene glycol solutions of different molecular weights for Polyethylene glycol and different concentrations (17, 29, 38, 45, and 57 %) of ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by dissolving 0.5g of Polyethylene glycol in 20mL Polyacrylamide, then adding different concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles. Relative viscosity values are calculated by using the efflux time of the solutions, the viscosities(relative viscosity (ƞr), specific viscosity (ƞsp), reduced viscosity (ƞred) and inherent viscosity (ƞint) were calculated for all solutions, where measurements indicated an increase in these properties with increased concentration of ZnO nanoparticles and increased molecular weight of Polyethylene glycol. Viscosity is a significant parameter during the electrospinning process, and if the molecular weight increases, the viscosity of the solutions increases, making subsequent synthesis and purification more difficult. the constants KH and KK were calculated from the slopes of the viscosity values related to the Huggins and Kramer equations. These results can be used in many applications and scientific studies.

Formulation Development of Meloxicam Binary Ethosomal Hydrogel for Topical Delivery: In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment.

The article aimed to formulate an MLX binary ethosome hydrogel for topical delivery to escalate MLX solubility, facilitate dermal permeation, avoid systemic adverse events, and compare the permeation flux and efficacy with the classical type. MLX ethosomes were prepared using the hot method according to the Box-Behnken experimental design. The formulation was implemented according to 16 design formulas with four center points. Independent variables were (soya lecithin, ethanol, and propylene glycol concentrations) and dependent variables (vesicle size, dispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, and zeta potential). The design suggested the optimized formula (MLX-Ethos-OF) with the highest desirability to perform the best responses formulated and validated. It demonstrates a 169 nm vesicle size, 0.2 dispersity index, 83.1 EE%, and -42.76 mV good zeta potential. MLX-Ethos-OF shows an amorphous form in PXRD and a high in vitro drug release of >90% over 7 h by diffusion and erosion mechanism. MLX-Ethos-OF hyaluronic acid hydrogel was fabricated and assessed. It shows an elegant physical appearance, shear thinning system rheological behavior, good spreadability, and skin-applicable pH value. The ex vivo permeation profile shows a flux rate of 70.45 μg/cm2/h over 12 h. The in vivo anti-inflammatory effect was 53.2% ± 1.3 over 5 h. compared with a 10.42 flux rate and 43% inflammatory inhibition of the classical ethosomal type. The conclusion is that binary ethosome is highly efficient for MLX local delivery rather than classical type.

Optimized Partial Freezing Protocol Enables 10-Day Storage of Rat Livers.

Preserving organs at subzero temperatures with halted metabolic activity holds the potential to prolong preservation and expand the donor organ pool for transplant. Our group recently introduced partial freezing, a novel approach in high-subzero storage at -15°C, enabling 5 days storage of rodent livers through precise control over ice nucleation and unfrozen fraction. However, increased vascular resistance and tissue edema suggested a need for improvements to extend viable preservation. Here, we describe an optimized partial freezing protocol with key optimizations including increased concentration of propylene glycol to reduce ice recrystallization and maintained osmotic balance through an increase in bovine serum albumin, all while minimizing sheer stress during cryoprotectant unloading with an acclimation period. These approaches ensured the viability during preservation and recovery processes, promoting liver function and ensuring optimal preservation. This was evidenced by increased oxygen consumption, decreased vascular resistance and edema. Ultimately, we show that using the optimized protocol, livers can be stored for 10 days with comparable vascular resistance and lactate levels to 5 days, outperforming the viability of time-matched cold stored livers as the current gold standard. This study represents a significant advancement in expanding organ availability through prolonged preservation and thereby revolutionizing transplant medicine.

Preparation and performance of quaternary ammonium salt‐containing methacrylate copolymer‐based ultrafiltration membranes

AbstractUltrafiltration (UF) membranes with excellent dye removal and antibacterial activity are highly desired in dye wastewater treatment, and more importantly environmental protection puts high demands on polymeric membrane materials. In this work, three methacrylate copolymers containing quaternary ammonium salt were synthesized to cast UF membranes. The physicochemical property, structural evolution, dye separation, and antibacterial activity of as‐prepared membranes were systematically investigated. With increased content of the hydrophilic monomer allyl polypropylene glycol (APPG) in the feed, the wettability and positive charge of the resultant membranes were enhanced. Remarkably, the supporting layer of membranes changed from finger‐like pore structure to sponge‐like pore structure by increasing APPG content, and the sponge‐like membranes showed higher retention rates for dyes (99.78% for victoria blue B, 90.49% for methylene blue, and 97.43% for methyl blue) compared with the finger‐like membranes. Besides, the sponge‐like membranes exhibited high rejection for vctoria blue B (>99%) in dye/salt mixture and simultaneously low rejection for salts (<10%), indicating effective selective separation to dye/salt mixture, and also achieved easy regeneration. It was also found that increased hydrophilicity and positive charge endowed membranes with better antibacterial activity. This work will provide an alternative for dye/salt selective separation in dye effluent treatment.

In Situ Observation and Electrical Signal Analysis of Different Bubble Detachment Modes on Microelectrode Surface

The deactivation of the reaction surface caused by bubble covering is an important factor that causes the decrease in the efficiency of water electrolysis. By combining an electrochemical workstation with a high-speed camera, the evolutionary properties of hydrogen bubble and potential were obtained on a horizontal microelectrode with a diameter of 100 μm. During the electrolysis, individual bubbles evolved periodically on the electrode surface. Under the influence of electrode adsorption, the detachment diameter of the bubble is independent of current density, but with the increase of current density, the bubble detachment frequency increases. With the increase of ethylene glycol (EG) concentration, the bubble detachment frequency increased. When the concentration of EG is greater than 7.5 g l−1, the surface tension of the solution is lower than that of water, at which time the detachment mode of the bubble changes. Separating the resistance caused by the bubbles from the total resistance, it was found that the additional resistance caused by the bubbles rapidly became smaller as the EG concentration increased until the EG concentration reached 7.5 g l−1. The total resistance decreases first and then increases when the EG concentration is greater than 3 g l−1.

Fabrication and evaluation of a plasmonic biosensor based on silica-coated gold nanorods for highly-sensitive detection of anti-Müllerian hormone

Anti-müllerian hormone is a crucial biomarker for reproductive potential, but current detection methods are not cost-effective or time-efficient. In this study, we set out to develop a biosensor using gold nanorods (Au-NRs) coated with a functionalized silica network. The biosensor structure was completed by covalently binding the anti-Müllerian hormone antibody to SiO2@Au-NRs. We confirmed the proper coating of the gold nanorods using HR-TEM, EDS/EDAX, zeta potential, and FT-IR analysis. To assess the sensitivity of SiO2@Au-NRs, we analyzed the LSPR peak position redshift in different concentrations of ethylene glycol. The biosensor was then used to recognize the AMH antigen and determine the limit of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ) for the biosensor. Our research has shown that the SiO2@Au-NRs have a suitable thickness. The SiO2@Au-NRs demonstrated impressive sensitivity as a nano biosensor. The AMH antigen identification results indicated that the nano biosensor was highly sensitive. The LoD and LoQ values were 0.086 and 0.262 ng ml−1, respectively, very close to the values obtained by the ELISA kit. Furthermore, LSPR biosensors have reduced detection costs and measurement time. Their high sensitivity makes them excellent candidates for use in diagnostic kits.

Digital Light Processing to Afford High Resolution and Degradable CO2‐Derived Copolymer Elastomers

AbstractVat photopolymerization 3D printing has proven very successful for the rapid additive manufacturing (AM) of polymeric parts at high resolution. However, the range of materials that can be printed and their resulting properties remains narrow. Herein, we report the successful AM of a series of poly(carbonate‐b‐ester‐b‐carbonate) elastomers, derived from carbon dioxide and bio‐derived ϵ‐decalactone. By employing a highly active and selective Co(II)Mg(II) polymerization catalyst, an ABA triblock copolymer (Mn=6.3 kg mol−1, ÐM=1.26) was synthesized, formulated into resins which were 3D printed using digital light processing (DLP) and a thiol‐ene‐based crosslinking system. A series of elastomeric and degradable thermosets were produced, with varying thiol cross‐linker length and poly(ethylene glycol) content, to produce complex triply periodic geometries at high resolution. Thermomechanical characterization of the materials reveals printing‐induced microphase separation and tunable hydrophilicity. These findings highlight how utilizing DLP can produce sustainable materials from low molar mass polyols quickly and at high resolution. The 3D printing of these functional materials may help to expedite the production of sustainable plastics and elastomers with potential to replace conventional petrochemical‐based options.

Digital Light Processing to Afford High Resolution and Degradable CO2-Derived Copolymer Elastomers.

Vat photopolymerization 3D printing has proven very successful for the rapid additive manufacturing (AM) of polymeric parts at high resolution. However, the range of materials that can be printed and their resulting properties remains narrow. Herein, we report the successful AM of a series of poly(carbonate-b-ester-b-carbonate) elastomers, derived from carbon dioxide and bio-derived ϵ-decalactone. By employing a highly active and selective Co(II)Mg(II) polymerization catalyst, an ABA triblock copolymer (Mn=6.3 kg mol-1, ÐM=1.26) was synthesized, formulated into resins which were 3D printed using digital light processing (DLP) and a thiol-ene-based crosslinking system. A series of elastomeric and degradable thermosets were produced, with varying thiol cross-linker length and poly(ethylene glycol) content, to produce complex triply periodic geometries at high resolution. Thermomechanical characterization of the materials reveals printing-induced microphase separation and tunable hydrophilicity. These findings highlight how utilizing DLP can produce sustainable materials from low molar mass polyols quickly and at high resolution. The 3D printing of these functional materials may help to expedite the production of sustainable plastics and elastomers with potential to replace conventional petrochemical-based options.

Preparation and overall water-splitting performance study of amorphous nickel-copper-phosphide

Hydrogen energy is one of the most important vehicles for energy development in China. One of the effective hydrogen production pathways is overall water-splitting, which is considered as one of the most promising technologies for large-scale hydrogen production. However, its stability, activity, and selectivity still need to be improved. Therefore, in this article, amorphous nickel-copper phosphide was prepared by solvothermal method. Increasing the concentration of ethylene glycol in the solvent makes the solution viscosity increase, which inhibits the nucleation process of the crystal and causes structural distortion, leading to complete amorphization of the nickel-copper phosphide. After the analysis of physical phase and electrocatalytic properties, it can be concluded that the performance of the catalyst is optimal when completely amorphous. When the current density is 10 mA·cm−2, the overpotential of HER and OER are 140.5 and 232.65 mV respectively, and the overall water-splitting overpotential is 1.6404 V. Theoretical calculations indicate that the amorphous phase can optimize the electronic structure, thereby endowing the catalyst with excellent overall water-splitting catalytic activity and stability. This article demonstrates that the formation of an amorphous phase increases the number of active sites on the catalyst, enhancing its catalytic activity, and provides an explanation for the mechanism behind the catalytic performance. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the development of hydrogen production through electrochemical water splitting and expands the design strategies for catalysts.

Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Response of Seed Germination of Peganum harmala to Drought Stress.

Peganum harmala L. is a perennial herbaceous plant that plays critical roles in protecting the ecological environment in arid, semi-arid, and desert areas. Although the seed germination characteristics of P. harmala in response to environmental factors (i.e., drought, temperature, and salt) have been investigated, the response mechanism of seed germination to drought conditions has not yet been revealed. In this study, the changes in the physiological characteristics and transcriptional profiles in seed germination were examined under different polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations (0-25%). The results show that the seed germination rate was significantly inhibited with an increase in the PEG concentration. Totals of 3726 and 10,481 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were, respectively, generated at 5% and 25% PEG vs. the control (C), with 1642 co-expressed DEGs, such as drought stress (15), stress response (175), and primary metabolism (261). The relative expression levels (RELs) of the key genes regulating seed germination in response to drought stress were in accordance with the physiological changes. These findings will pave the way to increase the seed germination rate of P. harmala in drought conditions.