Alkaline phosphatase and pepsin immobilized in gels

Imogolite Reinforced Nanocomposites: Multifaceted Green Materials

This paper presents an overview on recent developments of imogolite reinforced nanocomposites, including fundamental structure, synthesis/purification of imogolite, physicochemical properties of nanocomposites and potential applications in industry. The naturally derived nanotubular material of imogolite represents a distinctive class of nanofiller for industrially significant polymer. The incompatibility between the surface properties of inorganic nanofiller and organic matrix has prompted the need to surface modify the imogolite. Early problems in increasing the binding properties of surface modifier to imogolite have been overcome by using a phosphonic acid group. Different approaches have been used to gain better control over the dispersal of nanofiller and to further improve the physicochemical properties of nanocomposites. Among these, polymer grafting, in situ synthesis of imogolite in polymer matrix, and spin-assembly are some of the promising methods that will be described herein. This imogolite reinforced nanocomposite of enhanced optical and mechanical properties, and with unique biological and electronic properties, is expected to become an important category of hybrid material that shows potential for industrial applications.

SEM ultrastructure studies of N-acyl- and N-benzylidene-chitosan and chitosan membranes

Fine ultrastructures of the cross sections of membranes, which are derived from chitosan and utilizable as artificial kidney, are examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three types of unique ultrastructure of the membrane cross sections are present: N-acylchitosan membranes [N-acetyl (1), N-propionyl (2), N-butyryl (3), N-pentanoyl (4), N-hexanoyl (5), N-octanoyl (6), and N-benzoyl (7)], N-benzylidenechitosan membranes (8) and chitosan membranes (9). The vertical cross sections of membranes 1-7 consist of orderly arranged layers that are formed by an assembly of particle units of fibrils. Neither fibrils nor layers are present and a smooth surface is characteristic of the cross sections of (8). On the other hand, the particle units of fibrils are absent and a nappy rough surface is characteristic of the cross sections of (9). N-Acetylation of (9) affords the article units of fibrils that are disorderly oriented. Low- and middle-molecular compounds (MW less than 2000) pass through small pores among these fibrils present in orderly arranged layers of the membranes. Properties of these N-acyl-chitosan membranes well meet the requirements of artificial kidney membranes.

Permeability properties of gels and membranes derived from chitosan

A series of membranes was prepared by air-drying the thin layers of N-acyl- and N-arylidene-chitosan gels. Their flow rates of water and permeabilities of various compounds were examined. N-Acylchitosan membranes were stable in both dilute acid and alkali, but N-arylidene-chitosan membranes were unstable in dilute acid. N-Acetylchitosan membranes were stable in formic acid at room temperature for up to 7 hr. The flow rates of water through N-acetylchitosan membranes were 10.0--23.6 X 10(-3) ml/cm2min under a pressure of 3 kg/cm2, and were unchanged by the membrane thickness (12--60 micrometers). The increase of carbon numbers for N-acyl groups caused a slight decrease in the flow rates, and the flow rates were decreased by partial O-acetylation of N-acetylchitosan membranes. The flow rate of water through chitosan membranes (thickness 30--35 micrometers) was 7.1 X 10(-4) ml/cm2min, which was decreased by an increase in the membranes thickness. Low-molecular-weight compounds (MW less than 2900) passed through these membranes, but high molecular-weight compounds (MW greater than 13,000) did not pass through.