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/npsi/ctrl?lang=en http://nparc.cisti-icist.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/npsi/ctrl?lang=fr Access and use of this website and the material on it are subject to the Terms and Conditions set forth at http://nparc.cisti-icist.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/npsi/jsp/nparc_cp.jsp?lang=en NRC Publications Archive Archives des publications du CNRCThis publication could be one of several versions: author's original, accepted manuscript or the publisher's version. / La version de cette publication peut être l'une des suivantes : la version prépublication de l'auteur, la version acceptée du manuscrit ou la version de l'éditeur. For the publisher's version, please access the DOI link below./ Pour consulter la version de l'éditeur, utilisez le lien DOI ci-dessous.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2013.06.003 Science, 445, pp. 220-227, 2013-06-13 Polyamide thin-film composite membranes based on carboxylated polysulfone microporous support membranes for forward osmosis Cho, Young Hoon; Han, Jungim; Han, Sungsoo; Guiver, Michael D.; Park, Ho Bum Journal of Membrane AbstractDue to its simple process and low energy consumption, forward osmosis (FO) has gained significant attention in the fields of emergency drinks, desalination, landfill leachate treatment, and brine concentration. However, current state-of-the-art reverse osmosis (RO) membranes show relatively low water fluxes in FO processes due to high internal concentration polarization (ICP) and high mass transfer resistance in commercially available microporous support membranes. In this study, carboxylated polysulfones (CPSFs) were synthesized via direct polysulfone (PSF) functionalization and considered as moderately hydrophilic, mechanically stable microporous support membranes. The incorporation of hydrophilic groups into hydrophobic polymer backbones often reduces mechanical strength due to excessive water swelling. However, the mechanical properties of CPSFs (degree of substitution, DS=0.45~0.85) were similar to those of pristine PSF, and they retained their hydrophilic nature. Microporous CPSF membranes were prepared in various conditions, and FO water fluxes and salt passages of polyamide thin-film/CPSF composite membranes were measured and compared with each other. CPSF-based FO membranes showed significantly higher water fluxes than PSF-based FO membranes at the same membrane formation conditions, which might be due to enhanced hydrophilicity and reduced ICP.

Enhancing the mechanical durability of antifingerprint films is critical for its industrial application on touch-screen devices to withstand friction damage from repeated rubbing in daily usage. Using reactive molecular dynamics simulations, we herein implement adhesion, mechanical, and deposition tests to investigate two durability-determining factors: intrachain and interchain strength, which affect the structural stability of the antifingerprint film (perfluoropolyether) on silica. From the intrachain perspective, it is found that the Si−C bond in the polymer chain is the weakest, and therefore prone to dissociation and potentially forming a C−O bond. This behavior is demonstrated consistently, regardless of the cross-linking density between polymer chains. For the interchain interaction, increasing the chain length enhances the mechanical properties of the film. Furthermore, the chain deposition test, mimicking the experimental coating process, demonstrates that placing shorter chains first to the surface of silica and then depositing longer chains is an ideal way to improve the interchain interaction in the film structure. The current study reveals a clear pathway to optimize the configuration of the polymer chain as well as its film structure to prolong the product life of the coated antifingerprint film.

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A novel bacterial DNA sample preparation device for molecular diagnostics has been developed. Based on optimized conditions for bacterial adhesion, surface-modified silicon pillar arrays for bacterial cell capture were fabricated and their ability to capture bacterial cells was demonstrated. The capture efficiency for bacterial cell, E. coli, in buffer solution was over 90% with a flow rate of 400 /min. Moreover, the proposed method captured E. coli cells present in 50% whole blood effectively. The captured cells from whole blood were then in-situ lyzed on the surface of the microchip and the eluted DNA was successfully amplified by qPCR. These results demonstrate that the full process of pathogen capture to DNA isolation from whole blood could be automated in a single microchip.