Among biological approaches to the removal of aromatic amines and phenols from wastewater, the so-called enzyme-catalyzed polymerization and precipitation (ECPP) process relies on the use of oxidoreductases acting via radical mechanisms and characterized by a rather relaxed substrate specificity, such as laccase, tyrosinase and peroxidases. The main technical constraints of ECPP processes are d...

Superabsorbent polymer was prepared by graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto the chain of carboxymethyl cellulose. This superabsorbent polymer was further treated by the solvent precipitation method. We found that the water absorption rate of the treated polymer was greatly increased and the microstructure of the treated polymer was changed from close-grained structures to loose macropores....

Silicate hydration is prevalent in natural and technological processes, such as, mineral weathering, glass alteration, zeolite syntheses and cement hydration. Tricalcium silicate (Ca3SiO5), the main constituent of Portland cement, is amongst the most reactive silicates in water. Despite its widespread industrial use, the reaction of Ca3SiO5 with water to form calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-S-H) s...

Robust biomarker quantification is essential for the accurate diagnosis of diseases and is of great value in cancer management. In this paper, an innovative diagnostic platform is presented which provides automated molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for biomarker determination using ProGastrin Releasing Peptide (ProGR...

The synthesis of polymeric nanocapsules in the approximate diameter range 40-100 nm (TEM/SEM) using catanionic surfactant vesicle templates stabilized by subcritical CO2 is demonstrated. Near equimolar aqueous solutions of the surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) experienced immediate vesicle destabilization and precipitation in the absence of CO2...

Dynamic instability of microtubules is considered using frameworks of non-linear thermodynamics and non-equilibrium reaction-diffusion systems. Stochastic assembly/disassembly phases in the polymerization dynamics of microtubules are treated as a result of collective clusterization of microdefects (holes in structure). The model explains experimentally observed power law dependence of catastrop...

Core-shell microgels containing sensors/dyes in a matrix were fabricated by two-stage free radical precipitation polymerization method for ratiometric sensing/imaging. The microgels composing of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) shell exhibits a low critical solution temperature (LCST), underwent an entropically driven transition from a swollen state to a deswollen state, which exhibit a hyd...

Thermo-responsive polymer "nanogels" (crosslinked hydrogel particles with sub-100 nm diameters) are intriguing for many potential applications in biotechnology and medicine. There have been relatively few reports of electrostatically neutral, thermosensitive nanogels comprising a high fraction of hydrophilic co-monomer. Here we demonstrate the syntheses and characterization of novel, non-ionic ...

The preparation, properties, and application in adriamycin delivery ofbiocompatible and biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) nanoparticles are discussed. PLGA-PEG copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of the dl-lactide and glycolide in the presence of PEG1000. 1H-NMR and FT-IR spectrum were consistent with the structure of PLGA-PEG copolym...