Ultrasonically tuned surface tension and nano-film formation of aqueous ZnO nanofluids

Nanofluids' thermophysical properties and heat transfer performance has been investigated for many years, while research on their surface tension (ST) and wetting behavior is very limited. To assess nanofluids potential as industrial products, a complete picture is required to prove their performance in a specific application. Boiling heat transfer, microfluidics and drug development are among the applications where ST is a variable. ST of water-based ZnO nanofluids were measured in the presence and absence of direct ultrasonication. The experiments covered variation of ST with ZnO concentration (0.05-0.4 vol%), ultrasonication amplitude (40% and 100%) and duration. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of ST- ultrasonication process relation for a nanofluid. Results showed that after direct ultrasonication, nanofluids ST is strongly affected by the temperature raise, and in those cases relative ST may provide a clearer picture. A nano-film over individual and agglomerated nanoparticles spotted via TEM imaging was affected from the ultrasonication. Such a nano-film can play a key role in the anomalous thermal transport and wettability of nanofluids. Statistical analyses revealed that changes in ultrasonication amplitude resulted in a statistically significance difference on nanofluid ST and relative ST. Changes in nanoparticle concentration caused a significant difference on the nanofluid ST while the difference in relative ST was insignificant. Variation of ultrasonication duration caused significant variations on the relative ST while the difference in nanofluid ST was not significant. This work highlights that based on specific applications ST and other related features of any nanofluid can be adjusted employing proper ultrasonication conditions.

Applying graphene oxide nano-film over a polycarbonate nanoporous membrane to monitor E. coli by infrared spectroscopy

Nano-biosensors are excellent monitoring tools for rapid, specific, sensitive, inexpensive, in-field, on-line, and/or real-time detection of pathogens in foods, soil, air, and water samples. A variety of nano-materials (metallic, polymeric, and/or carbon-based) were employed to enhance the efficacy, efficiency, and sensitivity of these nano-biosensors, including graphene-based materials, especially graphene oxide (GO)-based materials. GO bears many oxygen-bearing groups, enabling ligand conjugation at the high density critical for sensitive detection. We have fabricated GO-modified nano-porous polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) membranes that were conjugated to an Escherichia coli-specific antibody (Ab) and used to detect E. coli. The random distribution of nanopores on the PCTE membrane surface and the bright coating of the GO onto the membrane were confirmed by scanning electron microscope. Anti-E. coli β-gal Abs were conjugated to the GO surface via 1-ethyl-3,3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide hydrochloride-N-hydroxysuccinimide chemistry; antibody coating was confirmed by the presence of a characteristic IR peak near 1600cm(-1). A non-corresponding Ab (anti-Pseudomonas) was used as a negative control under identical conditions. When E. coli interacted anti-E.coli β-gal with Ab-coated GO-nano-biosensor units, we observed a clear shift in the IR peak from 3373.14 to 3315cm(-1); in contrast, we did not observe any shift in IR peaks when the GO unit was coated with the non-corresponding Ab (anti-Pseudomonas). Therefore, the detection of E. coli using the described GO-nano-sensor unit is highly specific, is highly selective and can be applied for real-time monitoring of E. coli with a detection limit between 100μg/mL and 10μg/mL, similar to existing detection systems.

Biodegradable nano-films for capture and non-invasive release of circulating tumor cells

Selective isolation and purification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood is an important capability for both clinical medicine and biological research. Current techniques to perform this task place the isolated cells under excessive stresses that reduce cell viability, and potentially induce phenotype change, therefore losing valuable information about the isolated cells. We present a biodegradable nano-film coating on the surface of a microfluidic chip, which can be used to effectively capture as well as non-invasively release cancer cell lines such as PC-3, LNCaP, DU 145, H1650 and H1975. We have applied layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly to create a library of ultrathin coatings using a broad range of materials through complementary interactions. By developing an LbL nano-film coating with an affinity-based cell-capture surface that is capable of selectively isolating cancer cells from whole blood, and that can be rapidly degraded on command, we are able to gently isolate cancer cells and recover them without compromising cell viability or proliferative potential. Our approach has the capability to overcome practical hurdles and provide viable cancer cells for downstream analyses, such as live cell imaging, single cell genomics, and in vitro cell culture of recovered cells. Furthermore, CTCs from cancer patients were also captured, identified, and successfully released using the LbL-modified microchips.