Polycaprolactone/cress seed mucilage based bilayer antibacterial films containing ZnO nanoparticles with superabsorbent property for the treatment of exuding wounds.

In this research, a novel double-layer film based on polycaprolactone and cress seed mucilage containing zinc oxide nanoparticles (0.5-2 %) was synthesized using solution casting technique, as an interactive multi-functional wound dressing. The bilayer films were characterized by measuring moisture content, contact angle parameter, porosity, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), color attributes and opacity, swelling, degradation, mechanical properties, cell viability, and antimicrobial activity, as well as using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that the film containing 1.5 % zinc oxide nanoparticles had the best performance, with high swelling ability (3600 %) and 25 % degradation within 24 h of placement in a wound simulator solution. Its mechanical properties, including tensile strength and elongation at break, were 9 MPa and 5.53 %, respectively. In investigating the antimicrobial activity of the optimal film against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the diameter of the inhibition zone was observed to be 39.33 and 42 mm, respectively. Moreover, increasing the number of ZnO-NPs hindered the growth of NIH/3T3 cells, but the 1.5 % ZnO-NP loaded film showed a high percentage of cell viability in 1 day (90 %) and 3 days (93 %), which is suitable for biomedical applications.

Effect of Nanofillers on Properties and Pervaporation Performance of Nanocomposite Membranes: A Review.

In recent years, a well-known membrane-based process called pervaporation (PV), has attracted remarkable attention due to its advantages for selective separation of a wide variety of liquid mixtures. However, some restrictions of polymeric membranes have led to research studies on developing membranes for efficient separation in the PV process. Recent studies have focused on preparation of nanocomposite membranes as an effective method to improve both selectivity and permeability of polymeric membranes. The present study provides a review of PV nanocomposite membranes for various applications. In this review, recent developments in the field of nanocomposite membranes, including the fabrication methods, characterization, and PV performance, are summarized.

Effective Parameters on Fabrication and Modification of Braid Hollow Fiber Membranes: A Review.

Hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) possess desired properties such as high surface area, desirable filtration efficiency, high packing density relative to other configurations. Nevertheless, they are often possible to break or damage during the high-pressure cleaning and aeration process. Recently, using the braid reinforcing as support is recommended to improve the mechanical strength of HFMs. The braid hollow fiber membrane (BHFM) is capable apply under higher pressure conditions. This review investigates the fabrication parameters and the methods for the improvement of BHFM performance.

Preparation of hydrophilic nanofiltration membranes for removal of pharmaceuticals from water.

Asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) nanofiltration membranes were prepared via phase inversion technique. PES polymer, Brij 58 as surfactant additive, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as pore former and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent were used in preparation of the casting solutions. Distillated water was used as the gelation media. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and measurements of contact angle (CA) and zeta potential were used to characterize the prepared membranes. Also performance of the membranes was examined by determining the pure water flux (PWF) and pharmaceuticals rejection. The addition of Brij 58 to the casting solution resulted in formation of the membranes with higher thickness and more porous structure in the sublayer in comparison with the net PES membrane. The surface hydrophilicity of the membranes was remarkably enhanced via the presence of Brij 58 in the casting solution, so that, the contact angel diminished from 74.7° to 28.3° with adding 6 wt. % of Brij 58 to the casting solution. The addition of Brij 58 to the casting solution resulted in formation of the membranes with superior PWF and higher rejection of amoxicillin and ceftriaxone in comparison with the pure PES membrane.