Obtaining and Characterizing Poly(Acid Acrylic-co-Acrylamide) Hydrogels Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals from L. Willd (Huizache).

In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were obtained from the wood of L. Willd (Huizache) via acid hydrolysis; then, they were used to reinforce polyacrylic acid-co-acrylamide (AAc/AAm) hydrogels synthesized in a solution process via in situ free radical photopolymerization. The nanomaterials were characterized using atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and the residual charge on the CNCs; the nanohydrogels were characterized using infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, swelling kinetics, and Young's modulus.

Thermoplastic Starch Biocomposite Films Reinforced with Nanocellulose from Weber var. Azul Bagasse.

In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), bleached cellulose nanofibers (bCNFs), and unbleached cellulose nanofibers (ubCNFs) isolated by acid hydrolysis from Weber var. Azul bagasse, an agro-waste from the tequila industry, were used as reinforcements in a thermoplastic starch matrix to obtain environmentally friendly materials that can substitute contaminant polymers. A robust characterization of starting materials and biocomposites was carried out.

Structural Behavior of Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymer P104/Water System.

A detailed study of the different structural transitions of the triblock copolymer PEO-PPO-PEO (P104) in water, in the dilute and semi-dilute regions, is addressed here as a function of temperature and P104 concentration (C) by mean of complimentary methods: viscosimetry, densimetry, dynamic light scattering, turbidimetry, polarized microscopy, and rheometry. The hydration profile was calculated through density and sound velocity measurements. It was possible to identify the regions where monomers exist, spherical micelle formation, elongated cylindrical micelles formation, clouding points, and liquid crystalline behavior.

Optimization of the Obtaining of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Weber Var. Azul Bagasse by Acid Hydrolysis.

A multilevel factorial design of 2 with 12 experiments was developed for the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from Weber var. Azul bagasse, an agro-industrial waste from tequila production. The studied parameters were acid type (HSO and HCl), acid concentration (60 and 65 wt% for HSO, 2 and 8N for HCl) temperature (40 and 60 °C for HSO, 50 and 90 °C for HCl), and hydrolysis time (40, 55 and 70 min for HSO; and 30, 115 and 200 min for HCl).

Adsorption and Interaction of Bovine Serum Albumin and Pluronic P103 Triblock Copolymer on a Gold Electrode: Double-Layer Capacitance Measurements.

The interactions of proteins and other molecules and their adsorption onto substrates is a fascinating topic that has been applied to surface technologies, biosensors, corrosion studies, biotechnologies, and other fields. The success of these applications requires a previous characterization using some analytical techniques that, ordinarily, are not electrochemical. This work proposes analyzing the variation of the double-layer capacitance obtained through impedance electrochemical spectroscopy as an alternative strategy to show evidence of the interactions between proteins and triblock copolymers.

Rheological characterization of new thermosensitive hydrogels formed by chitosan, glycerophosphate, and phosphorylated β-cyclodextrin.

A novel thermosensitive hydrogel consisting of phosphorylated β-cyclodextrin (βCD-PH), β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and chitosan was prepared by embedding βCD and βCD-PH, into the well-studied chitosan/αβ-glycerophosphate system (CS/αβGP). The relevance of this work is the use of βCD-PH to partially substitute αβGP as the gelling agent. The role of βCD and βCD-PH on the rheological properties of hydrogels, gelation time, and gelation temperature were investigated.