51 results match your criteria: "Institute of Engineering Materials and Design[Affiliation]"

The aim of the presented study was to evaluate the release of the enzymatically initiated production of hexanal from double emulsion electrospun bio-active membranes at a temperature of fruit storage. Among different formulations of water-in-oil (W1/O) primary emulsions, the emulsion composed of 12% w/v Tween20 and 0.1 M NaCl in water (W1) and 6% of poly(glycerol) poly(ricinoleate) dissolved in sunflower oil (O) using W1/O ratio of 80/20 (w/w) (Tween20-NaCl/6% PGPR) was selected, for further incorporation of enzymes, based on the lowest average droplet size (391.

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Cellulose Nanofibrils-Reinforced Pectin Membranes for the Adsorption of Cationic Dyes from a Model Solution.

Polymers (Basel)

March 2024

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

In the presented research, a facile, one-step method for the fabrication of cellulose nanofibrils/pectin (CNFs/PC) membranes is described, which were tested further for their ability to remove cationic dyes from the prepared model solutions. For this purpose, ten membranes were prepared with different quantities of CNFs and PC with/without citric acid (CA) or CaCl as mediated crosslinking agents, and they were characterised comprehensively in terms of their physical, chemical, and hydrophilic properties. All the prepared CNFs/PC membranes were hydrophilic with a Water Contact Angle (WCA) from 51.

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From Nature to Lab: Sustainable Bacterial Cellulose Production and Modification with Synthetic Biology.

Polymers (Basel)

August 2023

Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a macromolecule with versatile applications in medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology, cosmetology, food and food packaging, ecology, and electronics. Although many bacteria synthesize BC, the most efficient BC producers are certain species of the genera and . These are also food-grade bacteria, simplifying their utilization at industrial facilities.

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Cation-exchange performance of a citric-acid esterified cellulose nanofibrous membrane for highly-selective proteins' permeability and adsorption capacity.

Carbohydr Polym

October 2023

University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia. Electronic address:

The usage of low-cost, readily available, or even disposable, single-use membranes in macromolecules' purification and separation is still in the development phase. In this research, highly porous (>95 %), water- and compression stable cation-exchange membranes were prepared by freeze-casting using cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and citric acid (CA) acting as a crosslinker and source of weak anionic (carboxylic) surface groups arising from the mono-esterified CA. The membranes were characterized by different analytical techniques, and evaluated for the ionic adsorption efficacy of different proteins in dead-end filtration mode using a Tri-buffer of pH 8.

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Using Different Surface Energy Models to Assess the Interactions between Antiviral Coating Films and phi6 Model Virus.

J Funct Biomater

April 2023

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ul. 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

High molecular weight chitosan (HMWCh), quaternised cellulose nanofibrils (qCNF), and their mixture showed antiviral potential in liquid phase, while this effect decreased when applied to facial masks, as studied in our recent work. To gain more insight into material antiviral activity, spin-coated thin films were prepared from each suspension (HMWCh, qCNF) and their mixture with a 1:1 ratio. To understand their mechanism of action, the interactions between these model films with various polar and nonpolar liquids and bacteriophage phi6 (in liquid phase) as a viral surrogate were studied.

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Antibacterial and degradation properties of dialdehyded and aminohexamethylated nanocelluloses.

Carbohydr Polym

July 2023

University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address:

Dialdehyde cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and nanocrystals (CNC) were prepared via periodate oxidation (CNF/CNC-ox) and subsequently functionalized with hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) via a Schiff-base reaction, resulting in partially crosslinked micro-sized (0.5-10 μm) particles (CNF/CNC-ox-HMDA) with an aggregation and sedimentation tendency in an aqueous media, as assessed by Dynamic Light Scattering and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The antibacterial efficacy, aquatic in vivo (to Daphnia magna) and human in vitro (to A594 lung cells) toxicities, and degradation profiles in composting soil of all forms of CNF/CNC were assessed to define their safety profile.

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Cationised Fibre-Based Cellulose Multi-Layer Membranes for Sterile and High-Flow Bacteria Retention and Inactivation.

Membranes (Basel)

February 2023

Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Low-cost, readily available, or even disposable membranes in water purification or downstream biopharma processes are becoming attractive alternatives to expensive polymeric columns or filters. In this article, the potential of microfiltration membranes prepared from differently orientated viscose fibre slivers, infused with ultrafine quaternised (qCNF) and amino-hydrophobised (aCNF) cellulose nanofibrils, were investigated for capturing and deactivating the bacteria from water during vacuum filtration. The morphology and capturing mechanism of the single- and multi-layer structured membranes were evaluated using microscopic imaging and colloidal particles.

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Probiotic Lactobacillus paragasseri K7 Nanofiber Encapsulation Using Nozzle-Free Electrospinning.

Appl Biochem Biotechnol

November 2023

Laboratory for Characterization and Processing of Polymers, Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can have beneficial effects on humans. Encapsulation offers them a better chance of survival. Therefore, nozzle-free electrospinning was introduced for their embedding in nanofibrous material.

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Cotton Woven Fabrics as Protective Polymer Materials against Solar Radiation in the Range of 210-1200 nm.

Polymers (Basel)

March 2023

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

The proposed paper describes the influence of woven fabric constructional parameters (type of weave, relative fabric density) and colouration (obtained by eco-friendly dyeing) on the solar transmittance of cotton woven fabrics in the range of 210-1200 nm. The cotton woven fabrics in their raw state were prepared according to Kienbaum's setting theory, at three levels of relative fabric density and three levels of the weave factor, and then exposed to the dyeing process with natural dyestuffs (beetroot, walnut leaves). After ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared (UV/VIS/IRA) solar transmittance and reflection in the range of 210-1200 nm were recorded, the influence of the fabric construction and colouration were analysed.

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Dopamine-Assisted Modification of Polypropylene Film to Attain Hydrophilic Mineral-Rich Surfaces.

Polymers (Basel)

February 2023

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

The presented study focuses on the modification of polypropylene (PP) film with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) under heterogeneous conditions via polydopamine/polyethylene imine (PDA/PEI) chemistry using a facile dip-coating procedure to attain hydrophilic mineral-rich surfaces. Thus, the resulting PP-based films were further immersed in ion-rich simulated body fluid (SBF) to deposit Ca-based minerals onto the film's surfaces efficiently. In addition, the chemical reaction mechanism on PP film was proposed, and mineralisation potential inspected by determination of functional groups of deposits, zeta potential, hydrophilicity and surface morphology/topography using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, streaming potential, water contact angle (WCA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

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This paper presents the results of research on the preparation and properties of GO/BC nanocomposite from bacterial cellulose (BC) modified with graphene oxide (GO) using the in situ method. Two bacterial strains were used for the biosynthesis of the BC: LMG 18909 and LMG 18788. A simple biosynthesis method was developed, where GO water dispersion was added to reinforced acetic acid-ethanol (RAE) medium at concentrations of 10 ppm, 25 ppm, and 50 ppm at 24 h and 48 h intervals.

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Argon plasma-modified bacterial cellulose filters for protection against respiratory pathogens.

Carbohydr Polym

February 2023

Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Piastów 45, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland. Electronic address:

In this work, we present novel, sustainable filters based on bacterial cellulose (BC) functionalized with low-pressure argon plasma (LPP-Ar). The "green" production process involved BC biosynthesis by Komagataeibacter xylinus, followed by simple purification, homogenization, lyophilization, and finally LPP-Ar treatment. The obtained LPP-Ar-functionalized BC-based material (LPP-Ar-BC-bM) showed excellent antimicrobial and antiviral properties against both Gram-positive (S.

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Proteins at polysaccharide-based biointerfaces: A comparative study of QCM-D and electrokinetic measurements.

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces

January 2023

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

Controlling protein adsorption on biomaterial surfaces requires a thorough understanding of interfacial phenomena. Proteins adhering after implantation influence successful biointegration. Deciphering adsorption mechanisms at biointerfaces is crucial and of high interest.

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Editorial: Up to date developments of nanocellulose towards materials with medical benefits.

Front Bioeng Biotechnol

September 2022

Institute of Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland.

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This study aimed to obtain functional viscose textiles based on chitosan coatings with improved antibacterial properties and washing durability. For that reason, before functionalization with chitosan/zinc nanoparticles (NCH+Zn), the viscose fabric was modified by nonthermal gas plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to introduce into its structure functional groups suitable for attachment of NCH+Zn. NCH+Zn were characterized by measurements of hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential and AFM.

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Economical Chemical Recycling of Complex PET Waste in the Form of Active Packaging Material.

Polymers (Basel)

August 2022

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

Since millions of tons of packaging material cannot be recycled in conventional ways, most of it ends up in landfills or even dumped into the natural environment. The researched methods of chemical depolymerization therefore open a new perspective for the recycling of various PET materials, which are especially important for packaging. Food preservative packaging materials made from PET plastics are complex, and their wastes are often contaminated, so there are no sophisticated solutions for them in the recycling industry.

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Bromelain and Nisin: The Natural Antimicrobials with High Potential in Biomedicine.

Pharmaceutics

December 2021

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

Infectious diseases along with various cancer types are among the most significant public health problems and the leading cause of death worldwide. The situation has become even more complex with the rapid development of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. New drugs are urgently needed to curb the increasing spread of diseases in humans and livestock.

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One-Step Fabrication of Hollow Spherical Cellulose Beads: Application in pH-Responsive Therapeutic Delivery.

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

January 2022

Institute for Chemistry and Technology of Biobased Systems (IBioSys), Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, 8010 Graz, Austria.

The path to greater sustainability and the development of polymeric drug delivery systems requires innovative approaches. The adaptation and use of biobased materials for applications such as targeted therapeutic delivery is, therefore, in high demand. A crucial part of this relates to the development of porous and hollow structures that are biocompatible, pH-responsive, deliver active substances, and contribute to pain relief, wound healing, tissue regeneration, and so forth.

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Study Regarding the Kinematic 3D Human-Body Model Intended for Simulation of Personalized Clothes for a Sitting Posture.

Materials (Basel)

September 2021

Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

This study deals with the development of a kinematic 3D human-body model with an improved armature in the pelvic region, intended for a sitting posture (SIT), using Blender software. It is based on the scanned female body in a standing posture (STA) and SIT. Real and virtual measures of females' lower-body circumferences for both postures were examined.

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The Influence of Iron Ions on Optical Brighteners and Their Application to Cotton Fabrics.

Materials (Basel)

September 2021

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

The influence of iron ions at concentrations of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.

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Polysaccharide-Based Bilayer Coatings for Biofilm-Inhibiting Surfaces of Medical Devices.

Materials (Basel)

August 2021

Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.

Chitosan (Chi) and 77KS, a lysine-derived surfactant, form polyelectrolyte complexes that reverse their charge from positive to negative at higher 77KS concentrations, forming aggregates that have been embedded with amoxicillin (AMOX). Dispersion of this complex was used to coat polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films, with an additional layer of anionic and hydrophilic hyaluronic acid (HA) as an outer adsorbate layer to enhance protein repulsion in addition to antimicrobial activity by forming a highly hydrated layer in combination with steric hindrance. The formed polysaccharide-based bilayer on PDMS was analyzed by water contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and surface zeta ()-potential.

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This research proposed two pretreatments of viscose fabrics: oxidation with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy radical (TEMPO) and coating with TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCN), to introduce functional groups (COOH and CHO) suitable for irreversible binding of chitosan nanoparticles without and with embedded zinc (NCS and NCS + Zn, respectively) and consequently achieving washing durable antibacterial properties of the chitosan nanoparticles functionalized fabrics. The characterizations of pretreated and chitosan nanoparticles functionalized fabrics were performed by FTIR and XPS spectroscopy, elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, zeta potential measurements, scanning electron microscopy, determination of COOH and CHO groups content, and antimicrobial activity under dynamic contact conditions. Influence of pretreatments on NCS and NCS + Zn adsorption, chemical, electrokinetic, and antibacterial properties as well as morphology, and washing durability of NCS and NCS + Zn functionalized fabrics were studied and compared.

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Medical implant-associated infections resulting from biofilm formation triggered by unspecific protein adsorption are the prevailing cause of implant failure. However, implant surfaces rendered with multifunctional bioactive nanocoatings offer a promising alternative to prevent the initial attachment of bacteria and effectively interrupt biofilm formation. The need to research and develop novel and stable bioactive nanocoatings for medical implants and a comprehensive understanding of their properties in contact with the complex biological environment are crucial.

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Consolidation of cellulose nanofibrils with lignosulphonate bio-waste into excellent flame retardant and UV blocking membranes.

Carbohydr Polym

January 2021

University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering Materials and Design, Smetanova ulica 17, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia; University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Institute of Automation, Koroška cesta 46, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia. Electronic address:

The use of biomass to produce value-adding materials is a core objective of the circular economy, which has attracted great research interest in recent decades. In this context, we present here a simple dispersion-casting process for consolidation of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), lignosulphonate (LS)-rich bio-waste and CaCl in composite membranes. The addition of CaCl to CNF and LS dispersions reduces the ζ potential, due to an electrostatic screening, which promotes the aggregation of CNF, increases its moisture content and promotes LS deposition on CNFs already in the dispersion phase.

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