Investigation of 9 True Weevil ( Latreille, 1802) Species for Chitin Extraction.

Chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose, is an important resource for biosourced materials. The global demand for chitin is rapidly increasing, however, the majority of industrial chitin is sourced from crustacean shells, which may be less accessible in regions without seafood waste. Therefore, it is crucial to explore alternative chitin sources, such as those derived from beetles and other arthropods.

Investigation on novel chitin and chitosan from dung beetle Heteronitis castelnaui (Harold, 1865) and its potential application for organic dyes removal from aqueous solution.

Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, has attracted considerable attention as an environmentally friendly and highly efficient adsorbent for dye removal. It is usually produced by deacetylation or partial deacetylation of chitin. However, conventional sources of chitin and chitosan are limited, prompting the need for alternative sources with improved adsorption capabilities.

Unconstrained dynamic gel swelling generates transient surface deformations.

Polymer gels are comprised of a three-dimensional, cross-linked network that can typically withstand the mechanical deformation associated with both swelling and de-swelling. Thus, gels can be designed with smart behaviors that require both stress generation and dissipation, making them well-suited to many applications including membrane technology, water capture devices, and drug delivery systems. In contrast to the fully swelled equilibrium state, limited research characterizes the unsteady-state swelling regime prior to equilibrium.

Interfacial energy as an approach to designing amphipathic surfaces during photopolymerization curing.

Photopolymerization induced phase separation (PIPS) is a platform capable of creating heterogeneous materials from initially miscible resin solutions, where both the reaction's governing thermodynamics and kinetics significantly influence the resulting phase composition and morphology. Here, PIPS is used to develop materials in a single photopolymerization step that are hydrophobic on one face and hydrophilic on the other. These two faces possess a water contact angle difference of 50°, bridged by a bulk-scale chemical gradient.

The Synergistic Effect of Polystyrene/Modified Boron Nitride Composites for Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal and Conductive Properties.

Thermal conductivity (TC) and thermal stability are the basic requirements and highly desirable properties in thermal management, heat storage and heat transfer applications. This work is regarding the fabrication of polystyrene/boron nitride composites and melt extruded to produce good thermal stability, increased thermal conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties. Our strategy is potentially applicable to produce thermally conductive composites of low cost over large scale.

Inspired by the Nature: A Post-printed Strategy to Efficiently Elaborate Parahydrophobic Surfaces.

The lack of drinkable water is one of the most significant risks for the future of the humanity. Estimates show that in the near future, this risk will become the origin of massive migrations leading to humanitarian disaster. As consequence, the development of solutions to provide water is becoming ever more critical, and a significant effort is devoted to identifying new sources of water.

Polystyrene-Sepiolite Clay Nanocomposites with Enhanced Mechanical and Thermal Properties.

Polystyrene (PS)/sepiolite clay nanocomposites were prepared via the melt extrusion technique using vinyl tri-ethoxy silane (VTES) as the compatibilizer and cross-linking agent. Mechanical, thermal, and flame-retardant properties of the newly developed polystyrene-based nanocomposites were determined. Surface morphology was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), examining the distribution of the filler in various compositions of fabricated composites.

Hybrid Free-Radical/Cationic Phase-Separated UV-Curable System: Impact of Photoinitiator Content and Monomer Fraction on Surface Morphologies and Gloss Appearance.

Simultaneous photopolymerization of radical and cationic systems is one strategy to generate polymer network architectures named interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs). In these hybrid systems, phase separation and final polymer morphology are ultimately governed by thermodynamic incompatibility and polymerization kinetics. This behavior is quite complex, as numerous factors can affect polymerization kinetics including monomer/oligomer viscosity and structure, light intensity, photoinitiator content and absorbance, cross-linking, vitrification, etc.

Synthesis of Magnetic FeO Nano Hollow Spheres for Industrial TNT Wastewater Treatment.

The aim of the present work was to synthesize magnetite (Fe3O4) nano hollow spheres (NHS) via simple, one-pot, template-free, hydrothermal method. The structural, morphological, and surface analysis of Fe3O4 NHS were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction technique (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR and burner-Emmett-teller (BET). The as obtained magnetic (Fe3O4) NHS were used as an adsorbent for treating industrial trinitrotoluene (TNT) wastewater to reduce its Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values.

Investigation on dung beetle's (Heliocopris Hope, 1838) chitosan valorisation for hydrogel 3D printing.

Biopolymers and their derivatives are materials with increasing interest for industry and especially for sustainable engineering development. Among such kind of materials, carbohydrate polymer like highly deacetylated chitin (chitosan) is widely used for a wide range of applications, including material and biomedical developments. The majority of industrially produced chitosan is based on chitin extracted from crustacean exoskeleton.

Bioinspired and Post-Functionalized 3D-Printed Surfaces with Parahydrophobic Properties.

Desertification is a growing risk for humanity. Studies show that water access will be the leading cause of massive migration in the future. For this reason, significant research efforts are devoted to identifying new sources of water.

Structure-Property Relationship of Cellulose Nanocrystal-Polyvinyl Alcohol Thin Films for High Barrier Coating Applications.

CO and O gas permeability are paramount concerns in food packaging. Here, the permeability of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coatings was explored as it relates to varied CNC content. Specifically, this work focuses on the role of PVA in rheology and barrier performance of the CNC films.

Micellar formation by soft template electropolymerization in organic solvents.

Hypothesis: The formation of porous nanostructures on surfaces and the control of their size and shape is fundamental for various applications. The creation of nanotubes is particularly difficult to implement without the aid of hard and rigid templates. Recently, methods that form nanotubular structures in a straightforward manner and without direct templating, e.

Investigation on Mecynorhina torquata Drury, 1782 (Coleoptera, Cetoniidae, Goliathini) cuticle: Surface properties, chitin and chitosan extraction.

Naturally derived polymers, such as cellulose or chitin, are materials with increasing interest for a sustainable future. Considering the pollution associated with plastics recycling, natural and fully biocompatible materials like cellulose and chitin are becoming increasingly more relevant for sustainable engineering applications. Chitin and highly deacetylated chitin (chitosan) are already implemented in a wide range of materials applications, especially in biomedical fields.

Chitosan Extraction from Moser, 1909: Characterization and Comparison with Commercially Available Chitosan.

Chitosan is a polymer obtained by deacetylation of chitin, and chitin is one of the major components of the arthropod cuticle. Chitin and chitosan are both polysaccharides and are considered to be an interesting class of biosourced materials. This is evident as chitosan has already demonstrated utility in various applications in both industrial and biomedical domains.

A bioinspired strategy for designing well-ordered nanotubular structures by templateless electropolymerization of thieno[3,4-]thiophene-based monomers.

Here, a bioinspired strategy is used to prepare well-ordered nanotubular structures, as observed in animals and plants, such as gecko toe pads or corals. The nanotubes are obtained by templateless electropolymerization of thieno[3,4-]thiophene-based monomers with various aromatic groups in an organic solvent (dichloromethane). The most interesting and robust structures were obtained with carbazole and pyrene substituents to the base monomer structure, since these groups participate significantly in the polymerization and also have strong -stacking interactions.

Designing Nanoporous Membranes through Templateless Electropolymerization of Thieno[3,4-]thiophene Derivatives with High Water Content.

In this work, we present the synthesis of original thieno[3,4-]thiophene monomers with rigid substituents (e.g., perfluorinated chains, and aromatic groups) and demonstrate the ability to prepare nanotubular and nanoporous structures via templateless, surfactant-free electropolymerization in organic solvents (dichloromethane).

Variation of (Moser, 1909) Elytra Nanostructurations and Their Impact on Wettability.

Among the different species of flower beetles, there is one of particular notoriety: the Goliath beetle. This large insect can grow up to 11 cm long and is well-known for its distinctive black and white shield. In this paper, we focus on a particular species: (Moser, 1909).

Micro- and nanoscopic observations of sexual dimorphisms in Mecynorhina polyphemus confluens (Kraatz, 1890) (Coleoptera, Cetoniidae, Goliathini) and consequences for surface wettability.

In the animal kingdom, macroscopic variations in size, color, and even hairiness are frequently observed between male and female, making the sex of various species easy to discern. In the case of insects, similar variances also exist. While direct observation is a quick and efficient way to differentiate between sexes, there are also variations which are unseen to the naked eye and occur on a micro- or nanoscopic scale.

Recent advances in the study and design of parahydrophobic surfaces: From natural examples to synthetic approaches.

Parahydrophobic surfaces are an interesting class of materials that combines both high contact angles and very strong adhesion with wetting fluids, most commonly water. This unique set of properties makes parahydrophobic surfaces attractive for a variety of applications, including water harvesting and collection, guided fluid transport, and membrane development, amongst many others. Taking inspiration from natural surfaces that display this same behavior such as rose petals and gecko feet, synthetic approaches aim to incorporate the nano- and micro-scale topography as well as the low surface energy chemistry found on these interfaces.

Spontaneous, Phase-Separation Induced Surface Roughness: A New Method to Design Parahydrophobic Polymer Coatings with Rose Petal-like Morphology.

While the development of polymer coatings with controlled surface topography is a growing research topic, a fabrication method that does not rely on lengthy processing times, bulk solvent solution, or secondary functionalization has yet to be identified. This study presents a facile, rapid, in situ method to develop parahydrophobic coatings based on phase separation during photopolymerization. A comonomer resin of ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate (PFDA) is modified with a thermoplastic additive (PVDF) to induce phase separation during polymerization.

Modification of linear prepolymers to tailor heterogeneous network formation through photo-initiated Polymerization-Induced Phase Separation.

Polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) was studied in ambient photopolymerizations of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) modified by poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The molecular weight of PMMA and the rate of network formation (through incident UV-irradiation) were varied to influence both the promotion of phase separation through increases in overall free energy, as well as the extent to which phase development occurs during polymerization through diffusion prior to network gelation. The overall free energy of the polymerizing system increases with PMMA molecular weight, such that PIPS is promoted thermodynamically at low loading levels (5 wt%) of a higher molecular weight PMMA (120 kDa), while a higher loading level (20 wt%) is needed to induce PIPS with lower PMMA molecular weight (11 kDa), and phase separation was not promoted at any loading level tested of the lowest molecular weight PMMA (1 kDa).

Accessing photo-based morphological control in phase-separated, cross-linked networks through delayed gelation.

This work presents an approach to extend the period for phase separation, independent of temperature, in ambient phase-separating photopolymerizations based on the copolymerization of structurally similar mono- and di-vinyl monomers. Copolymer resins composed of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (EGMEMA) were modified with a thermoplastic prepolymer, poly(butyl methacrylate). With increasing EGMEMA modification into the bulk TEGDMA resin, there is a decrease in the initial reaction rate, which increases the time for development of compositionally different phases prior to network gelation.

Stress reduction in phase-separated, cross-linked networks: influence of phase structure and kinetics of reaction.

A mechanism for polymerization shrinkage and stress reduction was developed for heterogeneous networks formed via ambient, photo-initiated polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS). The material system used consists of a bulk homopolymer matrix of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) modified with one of three non-reactive, linear prepolymers (poly-methyl, ethyl and butyl methacrylate). At higher prepolymer loading levels (10-20 wt%) an enhanced reduction in both shrinkage and polymerization stress is observed.