High sensitivity detection of nanoparticles permeation through polymer membranes: A physico-chemical and nuclear imaging measurement approach.

Diffusion cells are devices made of donor and acceptor compartments (DC and AC), separated by a membrane. They are widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, toxicology, and protective equipment tests (e.g.

High-Sensitivity Permeation Analysis of Ultrasmall Nanoparticles Across the Skin by Positron Emission Tomography.

Ultrasmall nanoparticles (US-NPs; <20 nm in hydrodynamic size) are now included in a variety of pharmacological and cosmetic products, and new technologies are needed to detect at high sensitivity the passage of small doses of these products across biological barriers such as the skin. In this work, a diffusion cell adapted to positron emission tomography (PET), a highly sensitive imaging technology, was developed to measure the passage of gold NPs (AuNPs) in skin samples in continuous mode. US-AuNPs (3.

Robust Superhydrophobic Cotton Fibers Prepared by Simple Dip-Coating Approach Using Chemical and Plasma-Etching Pretreatments.

The preparation of superhydrophobic textiles with high mechanical and chemical durability is challenging. Here, facile and fluorine-free methods, using alkali and plasma-etching treatments, followed by the addition of silica nanoparticles and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), were used to prepare superhydrophobic cotton surfaces. With different input variables and etching techniques, superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with high chemical and mechanical durability were successfully prepared, with contact angles up to 173°.

Filtering performances of 20 protective fabrics against solid aerosols.

Workers can be exposed to solid airborne particles in some occupational environments, and they might be required to wear chemical protective clothing to prevent skin exposure. Dedicated standards exist to certify the protective value of such clothing, but they are not informative enough to identify the main pathways of entry for solid particles nor to compare performances between different chemical protective clothing. In this work, 20 non-woven fabrics used to make chemical protective clothing for solid particle protection were selected to be examined for both filtration and comfort performances.