Polymers containing poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate and 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate have been synthesized by Cu(0)-mediated radical polymerisation for use as thermoresponsive water-dispersants for carbon nanotubes.

After the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, large volumes of crude oil were washed onto and embedded in the sandy beaches and sublittoral sands of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Some of this oil was mechanically or chemically dispersed before reaching the shore. With a set of laboratory-column experiments we show that the addition of chemical dispersants (Corexit 9500A) increases the mo...

The GuLF STUDY is a cohort study investigating the health of workers who responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The objective of this effort was to develop an ordinal job-exposure matrix (JEM) of airborne total hydrocarbons (THC), dispersants, and particulates to estimate study participants' exposures. Information was collected on participants' spill-related...

While aromatic chemicals are applied to petroleum oil systems to thermodynamically prevent asphaltene precipitation, amphiphilic dispersants can truncate the precipitation process and create stable suspensions of asphaltene colloids in the submicrometer size range. Bulk sedimentation and dynamic light scattering have shown that stabilizing dispersants inhibit colloidal asphaltene aggregation at...

Post modification of biodegradable polyesters as dispersants.

In the recent years, great interest has been devoted to the unique properties of nanofluids. The dispersion process and the nanoparticle suspension stability have been found to be critical points in the development of these new fluids. For this reason, an experimental study on the stability of water-based dispersions containing different nanoparticles, i.e. single wall carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs)...

We investigate the stability of aqueous barium titanate suspensions as a function of dispersant architecture, ionic strength, counterion valency, and particle size. Both pure polyelectrolytes, poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), and comb polymer dispersants composed of a PMAA backbone with methoxy-poly(ethylene oxide) (mPEO) teeth of varying molecular weights are studied. Whil...

Increasing occurrence of intrinsically antimicrobial-resistant, human pathogens and the protective biofilm-mode in which they grow, dictates a need for alternative control infectious biofilms. Biofilm bacteria utilize dispersal mechanisms to detach parts biofilm as part life-cycle during times nutrient scarcity or overpopulation. We here identify recent advances future challenges development di...

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are a fascinating class of materials that have gained considerable interest in recent years. Their favourable biocompatibility, combined with unique chemical and mechanical properties, has attracted scientists from various disciplines. A significant hurdle their deployment biomedical applications is hydrophobicity pristine form. This review surveys discusses existing...