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- Rovera, C., et al.
(author)
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Mechanical behavior of biopolymer composite coatings on plastic films by depth-sensing indentation – A nanoscale study
- 2018
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In: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. - : Academic Press. - 0021-9797 .- 1095-7103. ; 512, s. 638-646
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fundamental physical behaviors of materials at the nanoscale level are crucial when local aspects govern the macroscale performance of nanocomposites, e.g., interface and surface phenomena. Because of the increasing interest in biopolymer nanocomposite coatings for many different applications (e.g., optical devices, displays/screens, and packaging), this work investigates the potential of nanoindentation as a method for clarifying the interplay between distinct phases (i.e., organic and inorganic) at local level in thin biopolymer films loaded with nanoparticles. The nanomechanical features of pullulan nanocomposite coatings laid on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were quantified in terms of elastic modulus (E), hardness (H), and creep (C) through an instrumented indentation test composed of a loading-holding-unloading cycle. Colloidal silica (CS) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were used as spherical and rod-like nanoparticles, respectively. An overall reinforcing effect was shown for all nanocomposite coatings over the pristine (unfilled) pullulan coating. A size effect was also disclosed for the CS-loaded surfaces, with the highest E value recorded for the largest particles (8.19 ± 0.35 GPa) and the highest H value belonging to the smallest ones (395.41 ± 25.22 MPa). Comparing CS and CNCs, the addition of spherical nanoparticles had a greater effect on the surface hardness than cellulose nanowhiskers (353.50 ± 83.52 MPa and 321.36 ± 43.26 MPa, respectively). As for the elastic modulus, the addition of CS did not provide any improvement over both the bare and CNC-loaded pullulan coatings, whereas the coating including CNCs exhibited higher E values (p <. 05). Finally, CS-loaded pullulan coatings were the best performing in terms of C properties, with an average indentation depth of 16.5 ± 1.85 nm under a load of ∼190 μN. These results are discussed in terms of local distribution gradients, surface chemistry of nanoparticles, and how nanoparticle aggregation occurred in the dry nanocomposite coatings.
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2. |
- Ghaani, M., et al.
(author)
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Determination of 2,4-diaminotoluene by a bionanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode
- 2018
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In: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0925-4005 .- 1873-3077. ; 277, s. 477-483
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This work describes the development of a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the selective determination of 2,4-diaminotoluene (TDA), a primary aromatic amines (PAAs) that can be formed in food packaging materials including aromatic polyurethane (PU) adhesives. The electrode's surface was modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), MWCNTs in chitosan (CS), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The highest current response was achieved with AuNPs/MWCNTs-CS/GC electrodes, which exhibited an oxidation peak of 9.87 μA by cyclic voltammetry (CV), compared with 1.39 μA of the bare GCE. A detection limit of 35 nM was estimated by amperometry experiments. The oxidation of TDA was strongly dependent on the pH of the medium, having maximum sensitivity at pH ∼ 7. From a mechanistic point of view, the diffusion coefficient of TDA (D = 6.47 × 10−4 cm2 s−1) and the number of electrons (n ≈ 2) involved in the catalytic oxidation of TDA at the surface of the AuNPs/MWCNTs-CS/GCE were determined. The practical utility of this nanocomposite modified electrode was demonstrated by migration studies from conventional food packaging materials.
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