| 1. |
- Nyström, Lina, et al.
(författare)
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Electrostatic Swelling Transitions in Surface-Bound Microgels
- 2016
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 8:40, s. 27129-27139
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Herein, electrostatic swelling transitions of poly (ethyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) microgels covalently bound to silica surfaces are investigated. Confined at a solid surface, microgel swelling is anisotropically hindered and the structure is flattened to an extent dictated by pH and microgel composition. Microgel deformation under applied load is also shown to depend on microgel charge density, with the highest deformation observed at intermediate charge densities. Two modes of microgel deformation under load were observed, one elastic and one viscoelastic, related to polymer strand deformation and displacement of trapped water, respectively. Results on polymer strand dynamics reveal that the microgels are highly dynamic, as the number of strand-tip interaction points increases 4-fold during a 10 s contact time. Furthermore, finite element modeling captures these effects qualitatively and shows that stress propagation in the microgel network decays locally at the rim of contact with a solid interface or close to the tip probe. Taken together, the results demonstrate a delicate interplay between the surface and microgel which determines the structure and nanomechanical properties of the latter and needs to be controlled in applications of systems such as pH-responsive surface coatings in biomaterials.
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| 2. |
- Plymale, Andrew E., et al.
(författare)
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Niche Partitioning of Microbial Communities at an Ancient Vitrified Hillfort : Implications for Vitrified Radioactive Waste Disposal
- 2021
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Ingår i: Geomicrobiology Journal. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0149-0451 .- 1521-0529. ; 38:1, s. 36-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Because microbes cannot be eliminated from radioactive waste disposal facilities, the consequences of bio-colonization must be understood. At a pre-Viking era vitrified hillfort, Broborg, Sweden, anthropogenic glass has been subjected to bio-colonization for over 1,500 years. Broborg is used as a habitat analogue for disposed radioactive waste glass to inform how microbial processes might influence long-term glass durability. Electron microscopy and DNA sequencing of surficial material from the Broborg vitrified wall, adjacent soil, and general topsoil show that the ancient glass supports a niche microbial community of bacteria, fungi, and protists potentially involved in glass alteration. Communities associated with the vitrified wall are distinct and less diverse than soil communities. The vitrified niche of the wall and adjacent soil are dominated by lichens, lichen-associated microbes, and other epilithic, endolithic, and epigeic organisms. These organisms exhibit potential bio-corrosive properties, including silicate dissolution, extraction of essential elements, and secretion of geochemically reactive organic acids, that could be detrimental to glass durability. However, long-term biofilms can also possess a homeostatic function that could limit glass alteration. This study documents potential impacts that microbial colonization and niche partitioning can have on glass alteration, and subsequent release of radionuclides from a disposal facility for vitrified radioactive waste.
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