Next Issue
Volume 4, April
Previous Issue
Volume 4, February
 
 
materials-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Materials, Volume 4, Issue 3 (March 2011) – 9 articles , Pages 457-600

  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
  • You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.
Order results
Result details
Section
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
727 KiB  
Article
Bond Behavior of Historical Clay Bricks Strengthened with Steel Reinforced Polymers (SRP)
by Ernesto Grande, Maura Imbimbo and Elio Sacco
Materials 2011, 4(3), 585-600; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030585 - 21 Mar 2011
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 7693
Abstract
In the strengthening interventions of past and historical masonry constructions, the non-standardized manufacture processes, the ageing and the damage of masonry units, could significantly affect the properties of the surfaces where strengthening materials are applied. This aspect requires particular care in evaluating the [...] Read more.
In the strengthening interventions of past and historical masonry constructions, the non-standardized manufacture processes, the ageing and the damage of masonry units, could significantly affect the properties of the surfaces where strengthening materials are applied. This aspect requires particular care in evaluating the performance of externally bonded strengthening layers, especially with reference to the detachment mechanism. The bond response of old masonries could be very different from that occurring in new masonry units which are the ones generally considered in most of the bond tests available in technical literature. The aim of the present paper is the study of the bond behavior of historical clay bricks strengthened with steel reinforced polymers (SRP) materials. In particular, the results of an experimental study concerning new manufactured clay bricks and old bricks extracted from different historical masonry buildings are presented. The obtained results, particularly in terms of bond resistance, detachment mechanism and strain distributions, are discussed for the purpose of analyzing the peculiarities of the historical bricks in comparison with new manufactured ones. Some considerations on the efficacy of the theoretical formulations of the recent Italian code are also carried out. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials in Civil Constructions)
Show Figures

Figure 1

732 KiB  
Communication
Using Converter Dust to Produce Low Cost Cementitious Composites by in situ Carbon Nanotube and Nanofiber Synthesis
by Péter Ludvig, José M. Calixto, Luiz O. Ladeira and Ivan C.P. Gaspar
Materials 2011, 4(3), 575-584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030575 - 18 Mar 2011
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 9127
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized on clinker and silica fume particles in order to create a low cost cementitious nanostructured material. The synthesis was carried out by an in situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process using converter dust, an industrial [...] Read more.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized on clinker and silica fume particles in order to create a low cost cementitious nanostructured material. The synthesis was carried out by an in situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process using converter dust, an industrial byproduct, as iron precursor. The use of these materials reduces the cost, with the objective of application in large-scale nanostructured cement production. The resulting products were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and were found to be polydisperse in size and to have defective microstructure. Some enhancement in the mechanical behavior of cement mortars was observed due to the addition of these nano-size materials. The contribution of these CNTs/CNFs to the mechanical strength of mortar specimens is similar to that of high quality CNTs incorporated in mortars by physical mixture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Materials in Civil Constructions)
Show Figures

Figure 1

245 KiB  
Article
Synthesis, Characterization and Photophysical Properties of Pyridine-Carbazole Acrylonitrile Derivatives
by Enrique Pérez-Gutiérrez, M. Judith Percino, Víctor M. Chapela, Margarita Cerón, José Luis Maldonado and Gabriel Ramos-Ortiz
Materials 2011, 4(3), 562-574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030562 - 11 Mar 2011
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 9494
Abstract
We synthesized three novel highly fluorescent compounds, 2-(2’-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile, 2-(3”-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile, and 2-(4-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile by Knoevenagel condensation. The first two were synthesized without solvent in the presence of piperidine as a catalyst; the third was synthesized without a catalyst and with N,N-dimethylformamide as a solvent. In [...] Read more.
We synthesized three novel highly fluorescent compounds, 2-(2’-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile, 2-(3”-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile, and 2-(4-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile by Knoevenagel condensation. The first two were synthesized without solvent in the presence of piperidine as a catalyst; the third was synthesized without a catalyst and with N,N-dimethylformamide as a solvent. In solution, the molar absorption coefficients showed absorptions at 380, 378, and 396 nm, respectively; in solid state, absorptions were at 398, 390, and 442 nm, respectively. The fluorescence emission was at 540, 540 and 604 nm, respectively, the 2-(4-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile showed a red shift in the emission of 64 nm compared to the other two compounds. The fluorescence quantum yield for the compounds in powder form showed values of 0.05, 0.14, and 0.006, respectively; compared with the value measured for the Alq3 reference, 2-(3”-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile had a lightly higher value. The third harmonic generation measurement for 2-(2’-pyridyl)-3-(N-ethyl-(3’-carbazolyl))acrylonitrile yielded a χ(3) value of 5.5 × 10−12 esu, similar to that reported for commercial polymers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conjugated Polymers)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

727 KiB  
Article
A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Macro Cavities Formation on Properties of Carbon Nanotube Bucky-Paper Composites
by Ludovic Dumée, Kallista Sears, Jürg Schütz, Niall Finn, Mikel Duke and Stephen Gray
Materials 2011, 4(3), 553-561; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030553 - 10 Mar 2011
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7916
Abstract
In this study, we focus on processing and characterizing composite material structures made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and reproducibly engineering macro-pores inside their structure. Highly porous bucky-papers were fabricated from pure carbon nanotubes by dispersing and stabilizing large 1 μm polystyrene beads within [...] Read more.
In this study, we focus on processing and characterizing composite material structures made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and reproducibly engineering macro-pores inside their structure. Highly porous bucky-papers were fabricated from pure carbon nanotubes by dispersing and stabilizing large 1 μm polystyrene beads within a carbon nanotube suspension. The polystyrene beads, homogeneously dispersed across the thickness of the bucky-papers, were then either dissolved or carbonized to generate macro cavities of different shape and properties. The impact of adding these macro cavities on the porosity, specific surface area and Young’s modulus was investigated and some benefits of the macro cavities will be demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Porous Materials 2011)
Show Figures

Figure 1

379 KiB  
Article
Crosslinked Graft Copolymer of Methacrylic Acid and Gelatin as a Novel Hydrogel with pH-Responsiveness Properties
by Mohammad Sadeghi and Behrouz Heidari
Materials 2011, 4(3), 543-552; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030543 - 02 Mar 2011
Cited by 67 | Viewed by 10457
Abstract
In this paper, a novel gelatin-based hydrogel was synthesized through crosslinking graft copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) onto gelatin, using ammonium persulfate (APS) as a free radical initiator in the presence of methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker. A proposed mechanism for hydrogel formation [...] Read more.
In this paper, a novel gelatin-based hydrogel was synthesized through crosslinking graft copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) onto gelatin, using ammonium persulfate (APS) as a free radical initiator in the presence of methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker. A proposed mechanism for hydrogel formation was suggested and the structure of the product was established using FTIR spectroscopy and gravimetric analysis of the products. Moreover, morphology of the samples was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG). The effect of reaction variables such as concentration of APS and MBA were systematically optimized to achieve a hydrogel with swelling capacity as high as possible. The gelatin-g-PMAA hydrogel exhibited a pH-responsiveness character so that a swelling-deswelling pulsatile behavior was recorded at pHs 2 and 8. This on-off switching behavior makes the hydrogel as a good candidate for controlled delivery of bioactive agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Materials)
Show Figures

Figure 1

588 KiB  
Article
Dual-Scale Polymeric Constructs as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
by Carlos Mota, Dario Puppi, Dinuccio Dinucci, Cesare Errico, Paulo Bártolo and Federica Chiellini
Materials 2011, 4(3), 527-542; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030527 - 01 Mar 2011
Cited by 59 | Viewed by 11543
Abstract
This research activity was aimed at the development of dual-scale scaffolds consisting of three-dimensional constructs of aligned poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfilaments and electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibers. PCL constructs composed by layers of parallel microsized filaments (0/90° lay-down pattern), with a diameter [...] Read more.
This research activity was aimed at the development of dual-scale scaffolds consisting of three-dimensional constructs of aligned poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfilaments and electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibers. PCL constructs composed by layers of parallel microsized filaments (0/90° lay-down pattern), with a diameter of around 365 μm and interfilament distance of around 191 μm, were produced using a melt extrusion-based additive manufacturing technique. PLGA electrospun fibers with a diameter of around 1 μm were collected on top of the PCL constructs with different thicknesses, showing a certain degree of alignment. Cell culture experiments employing the MC3T3 murine preosteoblast cell line showed good cell viability and adhesion on the dual-scale scaffolds. In particular, the influence of electrospun fibers on cell morphology and behavior was evident, as well as in creating a structural bridging for cell colonization in the interfilament gap. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tissue Engineering Scaffolds)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

1365 KiB  
Review
Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development
by Gerrard Eddy Jai Poinern, Nurshahidah Ali and Derek Fawcett
Materials 2011, 4(3), 487-526; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030487 - 25 Feb 2011
Cited by 317 | Viewed by 30911
Abstract
The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore [...] Read more.
The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

1809 KiB  
Article
Sol-Gel Entrapped Levonorgestrel Antibodies: Activity and Structural Changes as a Function of Different Polymer Formats
by Moran Shalev and Altstein Miriam
Materials 2011, 4(3), 469-486; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030469 - 25 Feb 2011
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7878
Abstract
The paper describes development of a sol-gel based immunoaffinity method for the steroid hormone levonorgestrel (LNG) and the effects of changes in the sol-gel matrix format on the activity of the entrapped antibodies (Abs) and on matrix structure. The best sol-gel format for [...] Read more.
The paper describes development of a sol-gel based immunoaffinity method for the steroid hormone levonorgestrel (LNG) and the effects of changes in the sol-gel matrix format on the activity of the entrapped antibodies (Abs) and on matrix structure. The best sol-gel format for Ab entrapment was found to be a tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) based matrix at a TMOS:water ratio of 1:8, containing 10% polyethylene glycol (PEG) of MW 0.4 kDa. Addition of higher percentages of PEG or a higher MW PEG did not improve activity. No activity was obtained with a TMOS:water ratio of 1:12, most likely because of the very dense polymer that resulted from these polymerization conditions. Only minor differences in the non-specific binding were obtained with the various formats. TMOS was found to be more effective than tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl)orthosilicate (THEOS) for entrapment of anti-levonorgestrel (LNG) Abs. However, aging the THEOS-based sol-gel for a few weeks at 4 °C stabilized the entrapped Abs and increased its binding capacity. Confocal fluorescent microscopy with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled immunoglobulines (IgGs) entrapped in the sol-gel matrix showed that the entrapped Abs were distributed homogenously within the gel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images have shown the diverse structures of the various sol-gel formats and precursors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sol-Gel Technique)
Show Figures

Figure 1

669 KiB  
Article
Durability of Starch Based Biodegradable Plastics Reinforced with Manila Hemp Fibers
by Shinji Ochi
Materials 2011, 4(3), 457-468; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma4030457 - 25 Feb 2011
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 11875
Abstract
The biodegradability of Manila hemp fiber reinforced biodegradable plastics was studied for 240 days in a natural soil and 30 days in a compost soil. After biodegradability tests, weights were measured and both tensile strength tests and microscopic observation were performed to evaluate [...] Read more.
The biodegradability of Manila hemp fiber reinforced biodegradable plastics was studied for 240 days in a natural soil and 30 days in a compost soil. After biodegradability tests, weights were measured and both tensile strength tests and microscopic observation were performed to evaluate the biodegradation behavior of the composites. The results indicate that the tensile strength of the composites displays a sharp decrease for up to five days, followed by a gradual decrease. The weight loss and the reduction in tensile strength of biodegradable composite materials in the compost soil are both significantly greater than those buried in natural soil. The biodegradability of these composites is enhanced along the lower portion because this area is more easily attacked by microorganisms. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Previous Issue
Next Issue
Back to TopTop