Preparation of affinity membranes using polymer phase separation and azido-containing surfactants

Bioinspired Formation of Anti-Ultraviolet Micro-Goose Bump PDMAEMA/PS Coatings

In this paper, inspired by the human-giving goosebumps process, we demonstrated a rapid, versatile, and simple method to prepare anti-UV microstructures polymer blend films with good morphology based on phase separation. Through the results of characterizations, it is proved that the microstructures are formed by polymer phase separation. Then the formation possibility of microstructures is proved by thermodynamic analysis. Moreover, the phase-field model is used to simulate the formation of microstructures by the finite element method, which can illustrate the evolution process of the microstructures. Besides, the microstructures were prepared on different substrates through the simple phase separation method, which can verify the versatility of this method. In addition, the anti-UV performance of the micro-structure films was evaluated. This work proposed a simple and versatile route to prepare microstructures coating in different substrates, which exhibit well anti-UV performance, and this work has the application potential for preventing material aging caused by UV radiation.

Clickable polymer scaffolds enable Ce recovery with peptide ligands

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a vital part of many technologies with particular importance to the renewable energy sector and there is a pressing need for environmentally friendly and sustainable processes to recover and recycle them from waste streams. Functionalized polymer scaffolds are a promising means to recover REEs due to the ability to engineer both transport properties of the porous material and specificity for target ions. In this work, REE adsorbing polymer scaffolds were synthesized by first introducing poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (GMA) brushes onto porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) surface through activator generated electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP). Azide moieties were then introduced through a ring opening reaction of GMA. Subsequently, REE-binding peptides were conjugated to the polymer surface through copper catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click chemistry. The presence of GMA, azide, and peptide was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Polymer scaffolds functionalized with the REE-binding peptide bound cerium, while polymer scaffolds functionalized with a scrambled control peptide bound significantly less cerium. Importantly, this study shows that the REE binding peptide retains its functionality when bound to a polymer surface. The conjugation strategy employed in this work can be used to introduce peptides onto other polymeric surfaces and tailor surface specificity for a wide variety of ions and small molecules.

Molecularly Imprinted Affinity Membrane: A Review

A molecularly imprinted affinity membrane (MIAM) can perform separation with high selectivity due to its unique molecular recognition introduced from the molecular-printing technique. In this way, a MIAM is able to separate a specific or targeted molecule from a mixture. In addition, it is possible to achieve high selectivity while maintaining membrane permeability. Various methods have been developed to produce a MIAM with high selectivity and productivity, with their respective advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, the MIAM is reviewed comprehensively, from the fundamentals of the affinity membrane to its applications. First, the development of a MIAM and various preparation methods are presented. Then, applications of MIAMs in sensor, metal ion separation, and organic compound separation are discussed. The last part of the review discusses the outlook of MIAMs for future development.

Recent Developments of Liquid Chromatography Stationary Phases for Compound Separation: From Proteins to Small Organic Compounds

Compound separation plays a key role in producing and analyzing chemical compounds. Various methods are offered to obtain high-quality separation results. Liquid chromatography is one of the most common tools used in compound separation across length scales, from larger biomacromolecules to smaller organic compounds. Liquid chromatography also allows ease of modification, the ability to combine compatible mobile and stationary phases, the ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses, and the ability to concentrate samples. Notably, the main feature of a liquid chromatography setup is the stationary phase. The stationary phase directly interacts with the samples via various basic mode of interactions based on affinity, size, and electrostatic interactions. Different interactions between compounds and the stationary phase will eventually result in compound separation. Recent years have witnessed the development of stationary phases to increase binding selectivity, tunability, and reusability. To demonstrate the use of liquid chromatography across length scales of target molecules, this review discusses the recent development of stationary phases for separating macromolecule proteins and small organic compounds, such as small chiral molecules and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).