Effect of solvent and additives on the electrospinnability of BSA solutions.

Electrospun nanofibrous membranes have attracted the interest of the scientific community over the past decades due to their unique properties (e.g., high surface area, enzyme encapsulation high efficiency in filtering).

Development of superabsorbent soy protein-based bioplastic matrices with incorporated zinc for horticulture.

Background: The use of superabsorbent materials in horticulture has spread recently. These materials, which can retain water and release it as crops need it, have strong advantages such as the efficient use of water in periods of drought. However, these materials are made of synthetic polymers, which present problems of degradability and, sometimes, toxicity.

Development of crayfish bio-based plastic materials processed by small-scale injection moulding.

Background: Protein has been investigated as a source for biodegradable polymeric materials. This work evaluates the development of plastic materials based on crayfish and glycerol blends, processed by injection moulding, as a fully biodegradable alternative to conventional polymer-based plastics. The effect of different additives, namely sodium sulfite or bisulfite as reducing agents, urea as denaturing agent and L-cysteine as cross-linking agent, is also analysed.

Interfacial and oil/water emulsions characterization of potato protein isolates.

Interfacial and emulsifying properties of potato protein isolate (PPI) have been studied to evaluate its potential application to stabilize oil/water emulsions at two pH values (2 and 8). The amount, type, and solubility of proteins and the size of aggregates have been determined in aqueous dispersion. Air-water and oil-water interfacial properties (adsorption, spreading, and viscoelastic properties) have been determined as a function of concentration and pH using soluble phases of PPI.

Water-ethylene glycol cationic dimeric micellar solutions: aggregation, micellar growth, and characteristics as reaction media.

Effects of ethylene glycol (EG) addition on the micellization and on the micellar growth in two aqueous didodecyl dicationic dibromide surfactant, 12-s-12,2Br- (s=2, 6) solutions, with the weight percentage of EG up to 50%, have been investigated. An increment in the amount of EG makes the aggregation process less spontaneous due to the water-EG mixtures being better solvents for the cationic dimeric surfactant molecules than pure water (solvophobic effect). Results show that C*, the surfactant concentration where the sphere-to-rod transition occurs, increases when EG content in the bulk phase increases.