Publications by authors named "Brittany Bonnett"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how the structure of a malonamide extractant in liquid-liquid extraction affects its water extraction performance, focusing on weak interactions that make structural identification difficult.
- Using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the researchers find no major changes in structure after water is introduced, indicating that water interacts with the extractant to form simple 1:1 adducts without significant reorganization of the solution.
- Findings suggest that the extraction mechanism remains consistent across various extractant concentrations, with the process being straightforward and driven by fundamental interactions rather than complex structural changes like micellization.
Extractant aggregation in liquid-liquid extraction organic phases impacts extraction energetics and is related to the deleterious efficiency-limiting liquid-liquid phase transition known as third phase formation. Using small angle X-ray scattering, we find that structural heterogeneities across a wide range of compositions in binary mixtures of malonamide extractants and alkane diluents are well described by Ornstein-Zernike scattering. This suggests that structure in these simplified organic phases originates from the critical point associated with the liquid-liquid phase transition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe porphyrinic metal-organic framework, PCN-222, exhibits anisotropic growth behavior to form nanorods and microrods with aspect ratios 3 < < 94. Control of microrod aspect ratios has been demonstrated through the identification of several factors that dictate crystal growth, particularly the concentrations of a ligand, a modulator, and an exogenous base. An increase in the local concentration of a deprotonated ligand, which is proportional to the nucleation rate, is associated with smaller crystals, while increased modulator concentration leads to longer microrods.
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- The aspect ratio (AR) of filler particles significantly influences the mechanical properties of particle-reinforced polymer composites, but studying its effects has been difficult due to challenges in controlling AR while keeping other properties constant.
- Researchers synthesized a zirconium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) named PCN-222 with controlled ARs ranging from 3.4 to 54, allowing the exploration of its mechanical reinforcement in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites without altering chemical properties.
- The study found that while both elastic and dynamic moduli increased with higher AR and particle concentrations, there was a decrease in mechanical properties at higher loading levels, with the Halpin-Tsai model well-fitting low loading data, and also
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed nanorods of a zirconium-based metal-organic framework (MOF), PCN-222, using a method that involved competing ligands to control crystal growth for use in reverse osmosis membranes.
- They modified the MOF by binding myristic acid to change its channel dimensions, which was characterized using gas sorption and NMR techniques.
- The modified MOF was incorporated into thin-film nanocomposite membranes, resulting in a significant increase in water flux (up to 95%) while still effectively rejecting salts, attributed to optimized water transport pathways.
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to characterize the equilibrium size, shape, hydration, and self-assembly of dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) and dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM) micelles. We show that DPC molecules self-assemble to form micelles with sizes within the range reported in the experimental literature. The equilibrium shape of DPC and DDM micelles as well as associated micellar radii are in agreement with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments and theoretical packing parameters.
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