Displaying publications 201 - 220 of 375 in total

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  1. Fulltext A Surfactant Directed Microcrystalline Cellulose/Polyaniline Composite with Enhanced Electrochemical Properties
    Abdi MM, Md Tahir P, Liyana R, Javahershenas R
    Molecules, 2018 Sep 26;23(10).
    PMID: 30261640 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102470
    In this study a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), was used as a soft template for in situ chemical polymerization of aniline on the surface of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The morphology of the wire-like and porous nanostructure of the resulting composite was highly dependent on the MCC and CTAB concentrations. The effect of the MCC and CTAB concentrations on the electrochemical and morphological properties of the polyaniline (PAni) nanocomposite was studied. Cyclic voltammograms of modified PAni/MCC/CTAB electrode displayed a high current response and the effect of scan rate on the current response confirmed a diffusion controlled process on the surface of the electrode that makes it suitable for sensor applications. The overlapping characteristic peaks of pure PAni and MCC caused peak broadening at 3263 cm-1 in the IR spectra of PAni/MCC/CTAB nanocomposite that revealed the interaction between NH of PAni and OH group of MCC via electrostatic interactions. The addition of MCC to PAni through chemical polymerization decreased the thermal stability of composite compared to pure PAni. Lower crystallinity was observed in the XRD diffractogram, with 2 theta values of 22.8, 16.5, and 34.6 for PAni/MCC, confirming the formation of PAni on the MCC surface.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  2. Fulltext Removal of methyl orange dye by manganese/aluminium-layered double hydroxide
    Mamat, M., Abdullah, M.A.A., Jaafar, A.M., Soh, S.K.C., Lee, C.E.
    ASM Science Journal, 2018;11(101):105-113.
    MyJurnal
    As textile production flourishes nowadays, the amount of dyed wastewater entering the
    water body has also increased. Dyes could have serious negative impacts to the environment
    and also the human health, hence, they need to be removed from the water body. In this
    study, layered double hydroxide (LDH) of manganese/aluminium (MnAl) was synthesised
    to be used as a potential adsorbent to remove methyl orange (MO) dye due to its unique
    lamellar structure which provides LDH with high anion adsorption and exchange ability.
    MnAl was synthesized by using co-precipitation method and characterized by powder X-ray
    diffraction (PXRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Inductively coupled
    plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Sulphur
    (CHNS) elemental analysers, and Accelerated Surface Area and Porosity Analyzer (ASAP).
    Adsorption studies were conducted at different contact times and dosages of MnAl to evaluate
    the performance of MnAl in removing MO from water. Kinetic and isotherm models were
    tested using pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Langmuir isotherm and Freundlich
    isotherm. MnAl LDH was found to be perfectly fitted into pseudo-second order and Langmuir
    isotherm.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  3. Fulltext Preparation and In Vitro Evaluation of Neutron-Activated, Theranostic Samarium-153-Labeled Microspheres for Transarterial Radioembolization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Metastasis
    Wong YH, Tan HY, Kasbollah A, Abdullah BJJ, Yeong CH
    Pharmaceutics, 2019 Nov 12;11(11).
    PMID: 31718079 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11110596
    INTRODUCTION: Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) has been proven as an effective treatment for unresectable liver tumor. In this study, neutron activated, 153Sm-labeled microspheres were developed as an alternative to 90Y-labeled microspheres for hepatic radioembolization. 153Sm has a theranostic advantage as it emits both therapeutic beta and diagnostic gamma radiations simultaneously, in comparison to the pure beta emitter, 90Y.

    METHODS: Negatively charged acrylic microspheres were labeled with 152Sm ions through electrostatic interactions. In another formulation, the Sm-labeled microsphere was treated with sodium carbonate solution to form the insoluble 152Sm carbonate (152SmC) salt within the porous structures of the microspheres. Both formulations were neutron-activated in a research reactor. Physicochemical characterization, gamma spectrometry, and radiolabel stability tests were carried out to study the performance and stability of the microspheres.

    RESULTS: The Sm- and SmC-labeled microspheres remained spherical and smooth, with a mean size of 35 µm before and after neutron activation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated that the functional groups of the microspheres remained unaffected after neutron activation. The 153Sm- and 153SmC-labeled microspheres achieved activity of 2.53 ± 0.08 and 2.40 ± 0.13 GBq·g-1, respectively, immediate after 6 h neutron activation in the neutron flux of 2.0 × 1012 n·cm-2·s-1. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and gamma spectrometry showed that no elemental and radioactive impurities were present in the microspheres after neutron activation. The retention efficiency of 153Sm in the 153SmC-labeled microspheres was excellent (~99% in distilled water and saline; ~97% in human blood plasma), which was higher than the 153Sm-labeled microspheres (~95% and ~85%, respectively).

    CONCLUSION: 153SmC-labeled microspheres have demonstrated excellent properties for potential application as theranostic agents for hepatic radioembolization.

    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  4. Pore interconnectivity analysis of porous three dimensional scaffolds of poly (3-Hydroxybutyric Acid) (PHB) and Poly(3-Hydroxybutyric-co-3-Hydroxyvaleric Acid) (PHBV) through non-invasive color staining method
    Athanasios Mantalaris, Alexander Bismarck, Saiful Irwan Zubairi
    Sains Malaysiana, 2015;44:1351-1356.
    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) has been investigated for more than eighty years. Ever since then, the scientists are kept on synthesizing and developing new polymers and application to suit human interests nowadays. The resourcefulness of PHAs has made them a good candidates for the study of their potential in a variety of areas from biomedical/medical fields to food, packaging, textile and household material. In medical field (specifically in tissue engineering application), producing a biocompatible 3-D scaffold with adaptable physical properties are essential. However, to the best of our knowledge, scaffolds from PHB and PHBV with thickness greater than 1 mm have not been produced yet. In this work, PHB and PHBV porous 3-D scaffolds with an improved thickness greater than 4 mm was fabricated using conventional method of solvent-casting particulate-leaching (SCPL). A preliminary assessment on the improved thickness 3-D scaffolds was carried out to examine its pore interconnectivity by using non-invasive color staining method. The vertical cross sections image of the stained scaffolds was analyzed by image analyzer software. This technique was considered simple, fast and cost effective method prior to the usage of super accurate analytical instruments (micro-computed tomography). The results showed that over 80% of the pores have been interconnected with the adjacent pores. Moreover, there was a good correlation between the predicted pore interconnectivity and porosity. These results indicated how well a simple technique can do by giving an overview of the internal morphology of a porous 3-D structure material.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  5. Effects of the nitric acid concentrations on the etching process, structural and optical properties of porous zinc oxide thin films
    C.G. Ching, Leonard Lu, C.I. Ang, P.K. Ooi, S.S. Ng, Z. Hassan, et al.
    Sains Malaysiana, 2013;42:1327-1332.
    The present study reports on the fabrication of porous zinc oxide by wet chemical etching. ZnO thin films were deposited via radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on p-type silicon with (111) preferred orientation. The etchants used in the present work were 0.1% and 1.0% nitric acid (HNO3) solutions. ZnO were etched at various times and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy to allow the examination of their structural and optical properties. The XRD results revealed that the intensity of ZnO(002) decreased when the thin films were etched in varying HNO3 concentrations over different periods of time. The above observation is attributed to the dissolution of the ZnO(002). The SEM images showed that the thickness of the ZnO layers decreased over the etching time, which resulted from the isotropic etching by the HNO3 solution. The PL emission intensity initially increased with increasing etching time. However, with further etching of the samples, the PL spectra showed a decreasing trend in intensity as a result of the decrease in the surface-to-volume ratio. All results lead to the conclusion that 1.0% HNO3 has the capability to change the ZnO surface significantly.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  6. Fulltext Removal of hydrogen sulfide from a biogas mimic by using impregnated activated carbon adsorbent
    Zulkefli NN, Masdar MS, Wan Isahak WNR, Md Jahim J, Md Rejab SA, Chien Lye C
    PLoS One, 2019;14(2):e0211713.
    PMID: 30753209 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211713
    Adsorption technology has led to the development of promising techniques to purify biogas, i.e., biomethane or biohydrogen. Such techniques mainly depend on the adsorbent ability and operating parameters. This research focused on adsorption technology for upgrading biogas technique by developing a novel adsorbent. The commercial coconut shell activated carbon (CAC) and two types of gases (H2S/N2 and H2S/N2/CO2) were used. CAC was modified by copper sulfate (CuSO4), zinc acetate (ZnAc2), potassium hydroxide (KOH), potassium iodide (KI), and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) on their surface to increase the selectivity of H2S removal. Commercial H2S adsorbents were soaked in 7 wt.% of impregnated solution for 30 min before drying at 120°C for 24 h. The synthesized adsorbent's physical and chemical properties, including surface morphology, porosity, and structures, were characterized by SEM-EDX, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and BET analyses. For real applications, the modified adsorbents were used in a real-time 0.85 L single-column adsorber unit. The operating parameters for the H2S adsorption in the adsorber unit varied in L/D ratio (0.5-2.5) and feed flow rate (1.5-5.5 L/min) where, also equivalent with a gas hourly space velocity, GHSV (212.4-780.0 hour-1) used. The performances of H2S adsorption were then compared with those of the best adsorbent that can be used for further investigation. Characterization results revealed that the impregnated solution homogeneously covered the adsorbent surface, morphology, and properties (i.e., crystallinity and surface area). BET analysis further shows that the modified adsorbents surface area decreased by up to 96%. Hence, ZnAc2-CAC clarify as the best adsorption capacity ranging within 1.3-1.7 mg H2S/g, whereby the studied extended to adsorption-desorption cycle.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  7. Effect of annealing temperatures on TiO2 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis deposition method
    Fazli FIM, Nayan N, Ahmad MK, Mohd Napi Ml, Hamed NKA, Khalid NS
    Sains Malaysiana, 2016;45:1197-1200.
    Titanium dioxide (TiO2
    ) nanoparticles thin film has been successfully synthesized by a spray pyrolysis deposition method
    by using an air compressor on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and was annealed at different temperature. TiO2
    is the most common oxide as an electrode in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) which still has chances of improvements to
    increase its efficiency as an electrode. The efficiency of a DSSC was relatively low but modifications on every part of a
    DSSC were currently in research progress and an increase in adsorbed dye molecules was considered a potential. Thus,
    the influences of annealing temperature on structural and morphological properties of TiO2
    have been studied using
    X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively, while the efficiency of
    the films in a solar cell was studied by a solar simulator. The FESEM result showed several degrees of porosity obtained
    by varying the annealing temperature. The crystallinity of TiO2 investigated by XRD showed that the crystallinity of the
    TiO2
    thin films was generally unaffected by the annealing temperature. The relationship between the properties and the
    efficiency of the films as an electrode was also studied
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  8. Effect of space holders on fabrication of porous titanium alloy-hydroxyapatite composite through powder injection molding
    Farrahshaida Mohd Salleh, Abu Bakar Sulong, Muhammad Rafi Raza, Norhamidi Muhamad, Lim TF
    Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:1651-1657.
    owder injection molding (PIM) is able to produce porous titanium alloy/hydroxyapatite composite through the space holder technique. Thermal debinding and sintering processes were the main challenges due to different properties of metal and ceramic in producing such composite. This study focused on the effect of different space holders on the physical and mechanical properties of debound and sintered porous titanium aloi/hydroxyapatite composite. The feedstock is containing of 80 wt. % of titanium alloy/hydroxyapatite with 20 wt. % of space holders such as sodium chloride (NaCl) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), respectively. The binders were then removed from the injected samples by two stages of debinding; solvent and thermal debinding. The sintering was performed at three different temperatures 1100oC, 1200oC and 1300oC at a heating rate of 10oC /min and holding time of 5 h. It was found that the samples containing PMMA space holder was fractured after sintering. While, the samples containing NaCl space holder successfully formed pores and not fractured. At sintering temperature of 1300oC, the density, compressive strength and porosity volume percentages for the sintered sample containing NaCl space holder were 3.05 g/cm3, 91.7 MPa. and 11.9 vol%, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  9. Fulltext Enhanced mechanical, thermal and biocompatible nature of dual component electrospun nanocomposite for bone tissue engineering
    Li G, Li P, Chen Q, Mani MP, Jaganathan SK
    PeerJ, 2019;7:e6986.
    PMID: 31179183 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6986
    Traditionally, in the Asian continent, oils are a widely accepted choice for alleviating bone-related disorders. The design of scaffolds resembling the extracellular matrix (ECM) is of great significance in bone tissue engineering. In this study, a multicomponent polyurethane (PU), canola oil (CO) and neem oil (NO) scaffold was developed using the electrospinning technique. The fabricated nanofibers were subjected to various physicochemical and biological testing to validate its suitability for bone tissue engineering. Morphological analysis of the multicomponent scaffold showed a reduction in fiber diameter (PU/CO-853 ± 141.27 nm and PU/CO/NO-633 ± 137.54 nm) compared to PU (890 ± 116.911 nm). The existence of CO and NO in PU matrix was confirmed by an infrared spectrum (IR) with the formation of hydrogen bond. PU/CO displayed a mean contact angle of 108.7° ± 0.58 while the PU/CO/NO exhibited hydrophilic nature with an angle of 62.33° ± 2.52. The developed multicomponent also exhibited higher thermal stability and increased mechanical strength compared to the pristine PU. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis depicted lower surface roughness for the nanocomposites (PU/CO-389 nm and PU/CO/NO-323 nm) than the pristine PU (576 nm). Blood compatibility investigation displayed the anticoagulant nature of the composites. Cytocompatibility studies revealed the non-toxic nature of the developed composites with human fibroblast cells (HDF) cells. The newly developed porous PU nanocomposite scaffold comprising CO and NO may serve as a potential candidate for bone tissue engineering.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  10. Fulltext Ultrathin Assembles of Porous Array for Enhanced H2 Evolution
    Islam A, Hwa Teo S, Awual MR, Taufiq-Yap YH
    Sci Rep, 2020 Feb 11;10(1):2324.
    PMID: 32047187 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59325-4
    Since the complexity of photocatalyst synthesis process and high cost of noble cocatalyst leftovers a major hurdle to producing hydrogen (H2) from water, a noble metal-free Ni-Si/MgO photocatalyst was realized for the first time to generate H2 effectively under illumination with visible light. The catalyst was produced by means of simple one-pot solid reaction using self-designed metal reactor. The physiochemical properties of photocatalyst were identified by XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, EDX, UV-visible, XPS, GC and PL. The photocatalytic activities of Ni-Si/MgO photocatalyst at different nickel concentrations were evaluated without adjusting pH, applied voltage, sacrificial agent or electron donor. The ultrathin-nanosheet with hierarchically porous structure of catalyst was found to exhibit higher photocatalytic H2 production than hexagonal nanorods structured catalyst, which suggests that the randomly branched nanosheets are more active surface to increase the light-harvesting efficiency due to its short electron diffusion path. The catalyst exhibited remarkable performance reaching up to 714 µmolh-1 which is higher among the predominant semiconductor catalyst. The results demonstrated that the photocatalytic reaction irradiated under visible light illumination through the production of hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals on metals. The outcome indicates an important step forward one-pot facile approach to prepare noble ultrathin photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  11. Fulltext Morphological Change of Heat Treated Bovine Bone: A Comparative Study
    Pramanik S, Hanif ASM, Pingguan-Murphy B, Abu Osman NA
    Materials (Basel), 2012 Dec 21;6(1):65-75.
    PMID: 28809294 DOI: 10.3390/ma6010065
    In this work, untreated bovine cortical bones (BCBs) were exposed to a range of heat treatments in order to determine at which temperature the apatite develops an optimum morphology comprising porous nano hydroxyapatite (nanoHAp) crystals. Rectangular specimens (10 mm × 10 mm × 3-5 mm) of BCB were prepared, being excised in normal to longitudinal and transverse directions. Specimens were sintered at up to 900 °C under ambient pressure in order to produce apatites by two steps sintering. The samples were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) attached to an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector. For the first time, morphology of the HAp particles was predicted by XRD, and it was verified by SEM. The results show that an equiaxed polycrystalline HAp particle with uniform porosity was produced at 900 °C. It indicates that a porous nanoHAp achieved by sintering at 900 °C can be an ideal candidate as an in situ scaffold for load-bearing tissue applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  12. Fulltext Base Catalytic Approach: A Promising Technique for the Activation of Biochar for Equilibrium Sorption Studies of Copper, Cu(II) Ions in Single Solute System
    Hamid SBA, Chowdhury ZZ, Zain SM
    Materials (Basel), 2014 Apr 09;7(4):2815-2832.
    PMID: 28788595 DOI: 10.3390/ma7042815
    This study examines the feasibility of catalytically pretreated biochar derived from the dried exocarp or fruit peel of mangostene with Group I alkali metal hydroxide (KOH). The pretreated char was activated in the presence of carbon dioxide gas flow at high temperature to upgrade its physiochemical properties for the removal of copper, Cu(II) cations in single solute system. The effect of three independent variables, including temperature, agitation time and concentration, on sorption performance were carried out. Reaction kinetics parameters were determined by using linear regression analysis of the pseudo first, pseudo second, Elovich and intra-particle diffusion models. The regression co-efficient, R² values were best for the pseudo second order kinetic model for all the concentration ranges under investigation. This implied that Cu(II) cations were adsorbed mainly by chemical interactions with the surface active sites of the activated biochar. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models were used to interpret the equilibrium data at different temperature. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the sorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The surface area of the activated sample was 367.10 m²/g, whereas before base activation, it was only 1.22 m²/g. The results elucidated that the base pretreatment was efficient enough to yield porous carbon with an enlarged surface area, which can successfully eliminate Cu(II) cations from waste water.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  13. Fulltext On the Utilization of Pozzolanic Wastes as an Alternative Resource of Cement
    Karim MR, Hossain MM, Khan MNN, Zain MFM, Jamil M, Lai FC
    Materials (Basel), 2014 Dec 05;7(12):7809-7827.
    PMID: 28788277 DOI: 10.3390/ma7127809
    Recently, as a supplement of cement, the utilization of pozzolanic materials in cement and concrete manufacturing has increased significantly. This study investigates the scope to use pozzolanic wastes (slag, palm oil fuel ash and rice husk ash) as an alkali activated binder (AAB) that can be used as an alternative to cement. To activate these materials, sodium hydroxide solution was used at 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 molar concentration added into the mortar, separately. The required solution was used to maintain the flow of mortar at 110% ± 5%. The consistency and setting time of the AAB-paste were determined. Mortar was tested for its flow, compressive strength, porosity, water absorption and thermal resistance (heating at 700 °C) and investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results reveal that AAB-mortar exhibits less flow than that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Surprisingly, AAB-mortars (with 2.5 molar solution) achieved a compressive strength of 34.3 MPa at 28 days, while OPC shows that of 43.9 MPa under the same conditions. Although water absorption and porosity of the AAB-mortar are slightly high, it shows excellent thermal resistance compared to OPC. Therefore, based on the test results, it can be concluded that in the presence of a chemical activator, the aforementioned pozzolans can be used as an alternative material for cement.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  14. Fulltext Characterization and Separation Performance of a Novel Polyethersulfone Membrane Blended with Acacia Gum
    Manawi Y, Kochkodan V, Mahmoudi E, Johnson DJ, Mohammad AW, Atieh MA
    Sci Rep, 2017 Nov 20;7(1):15831.
    PMID: 29158521 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14735-9
    Novel polyethersulfone (PES) membranes blended with 0.1-3.0 wt. % of Acacia gum (AG) as a pore-former and antifouling agent were fabricated using phase inversion technique. The effect of AG on the pore-size, porosity, surface morphology, surface charge, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties of PES/AG membranes was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, contact angle and zeta potential measurements. The antifouling -properties of PES/AG membranes were evaluated using Escherichia coli bacteria and bovine serum albumine (BSA). The use of AG as an additive to PES membranes was found to increase the surface charge, hydrophilicity (by 20%), porosity (by 77%) and permeate flux (by about 130%). Moreover, PES/AG membranes demonstrated higher antifouling and tensile stress (by 31%) when compared to pure PES membranes. It was shown that the prepared PES/AG membranes efficiently removed lead ions from aqueous solutions. Both the sieving mechanism of the membrane and chelation of lead with AG macromolecules incorporated in the membrane matrix contributed to lead removal. The obtained results indicated that AG can be used as a novel pore-former, hydrophilizing and antifouling agent, as well as an enhancer to the mechanical and rejection properties of the PES membranes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  15. Fulltext Experimental study on electromagnetic-assisted ZnO nanofluid flooding for enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
    Adil M, Lee K, Mohd Zaid H, Ahmad Latiff NR, Alnarabiji MS
    PLoS One, 2018;13(2):e0193518.
    PMID: 29489897 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193518
    Recently, nano-EOR has emerged as a new frontier for improved and enhanced oil recovery (IOR & EOR). Despite their benefits, the nanoparticles tend to agglomerate at reservoir conditions which cause their detachment from the oil/water interface, and are consequently retained rather than transported through a porous medium. Dielectric nanoparticles including ZnO have been proposed to be a good replacement for EOR due to their high melting point and thermal properties. But more importantly, these particles can be polarized under electromagnetic (EM) irradiation, which provides an innovative smart Nano-EOR process denoted as EM-Assisted Nano-EOR. In this study, parameters involved in the oil recovery mechanism under EM waves, such as reducing mobility ratio, lowering interfacial tensions (IFT) and altering wettability were investigated. Two-phase displacement experiments were performed in sandpacks under the water-wet condition at 95°C, with permeability in the range of 265-300 mD. A crude oil from Tapis oil field was employed; while ZnO nanofluids of two different particle sizes (55.7 and 117.1 nm) were prepared using 0.1 wt. % nanoparticles that dispersed into brine (3 wt. % NaCl) along with SDBS as a dispersant. In each flooding scheme, three injection sequential scenarios have been conducted: (i) brine flooding as a secondary process, (ii) surfactant/nano/EM-assisted nano flooding, and (iii) second brine flooding to flush nanoparticles. Compare with surfactant flooding (2% original oil in place/OOIP) as tertiary recovery, nano flooding almost reaches 8.5-10.2% of OOIP. On the other hand, EM-assisted nano flooding provides an incremental oil recovery of approximately 9-10.4% of OOIP. By evaluating the contact angle and interfacial tension, it was established that the degree of IFT reduction plays a governing role in the oil displacement mechanism via nano-EOR, compare to mobility ratio. These results reveal a promising way to employ water-based ZnO nanofluid for enhanced oil recovery purposes at a relatively high reservoir temperature.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  16. Potential of porous Co3O4 nanorods as cathode catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells
    Kumar R, Singh L, Zularisam AW, Hai FI
    Bioresour Technol, 2016 Nov;220:537-542.
    PMID: 27614156 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.003
    This study aims to investigate the potential of porous Co3O4 nanorods as the cathode catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in aqueous air cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The porous Co3O4 nanorods were synthesized by a facile and cost-effective hydrothermal method. Three different concentrations (0.5mg/cm(2), 1mg/cm(2), and 2mg/cm(2)) of Co3O4 nanorods coated on graphite electrodes were used to test its performance in MFCs. The results showed that the addition of porous Co3O4 nanorods enhanced the electrocatalytic activity and ORR kinetics significantly and the overall resistance of the system was greatly reduced. Moreover, the MFC with a higher concentration of the catalyst achieved a maximum power density of 503±16mW/m(2), which was approximately five times higher than the bare graphite electrode. The improved catalytic activity of the cathodes could be due to the porous properties of Co3O4 nanorods that provided the higher number of active sites for oxygen.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  17. Fulltext Hydrolysis of native and annealed tapioca and sweet potato starches at subgelatinization temperature using a mixture of amylolytic enzymes
    Shariffa, Y.N., Uthumporn, U., Karim, A.A., Zaibunnisa, A.H
    International Food Research Journal, 2017;24(5):1925-1933.
    MyJurnal
    This study investigated the effect of annealing treatment (at 50°C for 72 h) on hydrolysis of tapioca and sweet potato starches using a raw starch hydrolyzing enzyme namely STARGEN 001 (a blend from fungal α-amylase and glucoamylase) at sub-gelatinization temperature (35°C) for 24 h. The degree of hydrolysis of the starches was evaluated based on the dextrose equivalent (DE) value. The hydrolyzed starches were then characterized in terms of its morphology, swelling power and solubility, gelatinization and pasting properties, amylose content and x-ray diffraction pattern. After 24 h of hydrolysis, annealed starches were hydrolyzed to a greater degree with higher DE value compared to native starches (40% vs 33% for tapioca; and 29% vs 24% for sweet potato starch). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed a more porous granules and rougher surface in annealed starches than their native counterparts. The swelling power and solubility of annealed starches decreased significantly. Annealing was found to affect the pasting properties of the starches appreciably and increase the starch gelatinization temperature. The amylose content in hydrolyzed annealed tapioca and sweet potato starches increased while no significant changes observed in the X-ray diffraction of those starches. This study shows that the annealing treatment can be used as a way to increase the degree of hydrolysis of tapioca and sweet potato starches at sub-gelatinization temperature using a raw starch hydrolyzing enzyme.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  18. Physico-Mechanical Properties of HA/TCP Pellets and Their Three-Dimensional Biological Evaluation In Vitro
    Kamalaldin N', Jaafar M, Zubairi SI, Yahaya BH
    Adv Exp Med Biol, 2019;1084:1-15.
    PMID: 29299875 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2017_130
    The use of bioceramics, especially the combination of hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), as a three-dimensional scaffold in bone engineering is essential because together these elements constitute 60% of the bone content. Different ratios of HA and β-TCP were previously tested for their ability to produce suitable bioceramic scaffolds, which must be able to withstand high mechanical load. In this study, two ratios of HA/TCP (20:80 and 70:30) were used to create pellets, which then were evaluated in vitro to identify any adverse effects of using the material in bone grafting. Diametral tensile strength (DTS) and density testing was conducted to assess the mechanical strength and porosity of the pellets. The pellets then were tested for their toxicity to normal human fibroblast cells. In the toxicity assay, cells were incubated with the pellets for 3 days. At the end of the experiment, cell morphological changes were assessed, and the absorbance was read using PrestoBlue Cell Viability Reagent™. An inversely proportional relationship between DTS and porosity percentage was detected. Fibroblasts showed normal cell morphology in both treatments, which suggests that the HA/TCP pellets were not toxic. In the osteoblast cell attachment assay, cells were able to attach to the surface of both ratios, but cells were also able to penetrate inside the scaffold of the 70:30 pellets. This finding suggests that the 70:30 ratio had better osteoconduction properties than the 20:80 ratio.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  19. Development of various composition multicomponent chitosan/fish collagen/glycerin 3D porous scaffolds: Effect on morphology, mechanical strength, biostability and cytocompatibility
    Ullah S, Zainol I, Chowdhury SR, Fauzi MB
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2018 May;111:158-168.
    PMID: 29305219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.12.136
    The various composition multicomponent chitosan/fish collagen/glycerin 3D porous scaffolds were developed and investigated the effect of various composition chitosan/fish collagen/glycerin on scaffolds morphology, mechanical strength, biostability and cytocompatibility. The scaffolds were fabricated via freeze-drying technique. The effects of various compositions consisting in 3D scaffolds were investigated via FT-IR analysis, porosity, swelling and mechanical tests, and effect on the morphology of scaffolds investigated microscopically. The biostability and cytocompatibility tests were used to explore the ability of scaffolds to use for tissue engineering application. The average pore sizes of scaffolds were in range of 100.73±27.62-116.01±52.06, porosity 71.72±3.46-91.17±2.42%, tensile modulus in dry environment 1.47±0.08-0.17±0.03MPa, tensile modulus in wet environment 0.32±0.03-0.14±0.04MPa and biodegradation rate (at day 30) 60.38±0.70-83.48±0.28%. In vitro culture of human fibroblasts and keratinocytes showed that the various composition multicomponent 3D scaffolds were good cytocompatibility however, the scaffolds contained high amount of fish collagen excellently facilitated cell proliferation and adhesion. It was found that the high amount fish collagen and glycerin scaffolds have high porosity, enough mechanical strength and biostability, and excellent cytocompatibility.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
  20. Materials and Techniques for Implantable Nutrient Sensing Using Flexible Sensors Integrated with Metal-Organic Frameworks
    Ling W, Liew G, Li Y, Hao Y, Pan H, Wang H, et al.
    Adv Mater, 2018 Jun;30(23):e1800917.
    PMID: 29633379 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201800917
    The combination of novel materials with flexible electronic technology may yield new concepts of flexible electronic devices that effectively detect various biological chemicals to facilitate understanding of biological processes and conduct health monitoring. This paper demonstrates single- or multichannel implantable flexible sensors that are surface modified with conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) such as copper-MOF and cobalt-MOF with large surface area, high porosity, and tunable catalysis capability. The sensors can monitor important nutriments such as ascorbicacid, glycine, l-tryptophan (l-Trp), and glucose with detection resolutions of 14.97, 0.71, 4.14, and 54.60 × 10-6 m, respectively. In addition, they offer sensing capability even under extreme deformation and complex surrounding environment with continuous monitoring capability for 20 d due to minimized use of biological active chemicals. Experiments using live cells and animals indicate that the MOF-modified sensors are biologically safe to cells, and can detect l-Trp in blood and interstitial fluid. This work represents the first effort in integrating MOFs with flexible sensors to achieve highly specific and sensitive implantable electrochemical detection and may inspire appearance of more flexible electronic devices with enhanced capability in sensing, energy storage, and catalysis using various properties of MOFs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Porosity
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