J. Timothy Bays

Influence of Surface Characteristics on the Stability of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts

ABSTRACT Microelectrophoresis is a common technique for probing the surface chemistry of the Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst. Results of previous studies of the electrophoretic mobility of C. parvum oocysts in which microelectrophoresis was used are incongruent. In this work we demonstrated that capillary electrophoresis may also be used to probe the surface characteristics of C. parvum oocysts, and we related the surface chemistry of C. parvum oocysts to their stability in water. Capillary electrophoresis results indicated that oocysts which were washed in a phosphate buffer solution had neutrally charged surfaces. Inactivation of oocysts with formalin did not influence their electrophoretic mobility, while oocyst populations that were washed in distilled water consisted of cells with both neutral and negative surface charges. These results indicate that washing oocysts in low-ionic-strength distilled water can impart a negative charge to a fraction of the oocysts in the sample. Rapid coagulation experiments indicated that oocysts did not aggregate in a 0.5 M NaCl solution; oocyst stability in the salt solution may have been the result of Lewis acid-base forces, steric stabilization, or some other factor. The presence of sucrose and Percoll could not be readily identified on the surface of C. parvum oocysts by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, suggesting that these purification reagents may not be responsible for the stability of the uncharged oocysts. These findings imply that precipitate enmeshment may be the optimal mechanism of coagulation for removal of oocysts in water treatment systems. The results of this work may help elucidate the causes of variation in oocyst surface characteristics, may ultimately lead to improved removal efficiencies in full-scale water treatment systems, and may improve fate and transport predictions for oocysts in natural systems.

Advancements Toward the Greener Processing of Engineered Nanomaterials—Effect of Core Size on the Dispersibility and Transport of Gold Nanocrystals in Near-Critical Solvents†

The ability to process and purify engineered nanomaterials using near critical or supercritical fluids (NcFs or ScFs) has enormous potential for the application at various stages of the development of green nanomaterials. The dispersibility of octanethiol-stabilized gold nanocrystals of different core sizes is explored, which were chosen to serve as model nanomaterials of general interest in compressed ethane and propane over a wide range of fluid conditions. Both solvents have enormous potential for the environmentally benign processing and transport of engineered nanomaterials due to their nominal toxicity and high degree of tunability and processability that can essentially eliminate solvent waste. The dispersibility is determined by measuring the absorption spectra of dispersions of various sizes of nanocrystals in NcFs. To better understand the obtained results three models, the total interaction theory, the sedimentation coefficient equation, and the Chrastil method, are discussed. Nanoparticle dispersibility versus density plots are strongly dependent on nanoparticle size and solvent conditions, with the dispersion of larger nanocrystals more dependent on changes of pressure or density at a given temperature. For the range of nanoparticle sizes studied, compressed ethane at 25 degrees C leads to a greater tunability of nanoparticle dispersion when compared with compressed propane at 65 degrees C. For equivalent pressures, compressed propane is found to provide better solubility than ethane due to its higher density. The results quantitatively demonstrate that NcFs can offer pressure-tunable, size-selective control of nanoparticle solvation and transport at easily obtainable temperature and pressure conditions. These capabilities provide clear advantages over conventional solvents and direct application to various nanomaterials processes, such as synthesis, separation, transport, and purification of nanocrystals.

Probing the molecular design of hyper-branched aryl polyesters towards lubricant applications

We report novel polymeric materials that may be used as viscosity index improvers (VII) for lubricant applications. Our efforts included probing the comb-burst hyper-branched aryl polyester architecture for beneficial viscosity and friction behavior when utilized as an additive in a group I oil. The monomer was designed as to undergo polymerization via polycondensation within the architectural construct (AB2), typical of hyperbranched polymers. The monomer design was comprised of aliphatic arms (12 or 16 methylenes) to provide the necessary lipophilicity to achieve solubility in a non-polar medium. Once polymerized, via catalyst and heat, the surface alcohols were functionalized with fatty acids (lauric and palmitic). Controlling the aliphatic nature of the internal arms and peripheral end-groups provided four unique flexible polymer designs. Changing the reaction time and concentration provided opportunities to investigate the influence of molecular weight and branching density on oil-solubility, viscosity, and friction. Oil-solubility was found to decrease with fewer internal carbons, but the number of internal carbons appears to have little influence on the bulk solution viscosity. At concentrations of 2 wt % in a group I base oil, these polymer additives demonstrated an improved viscosity index and reduced friction coefficient, validating the basic approach.

Improved explosive collection and detection with rationally assembled surface sampling materials

Sampling and detection of trace explosives are critical steps in the analytical process necessary for modern transportation safety. In this work we have explored some of the fundamental aspects that influence collection and detection of trace levels of explosive residues from surfaces. We compared the analyte-release performance of standard muslin sampling swipes to that of rationally assembled fiberglass cloth, and used thermal-desorption ion mobility spectroscopy for detection. This collection–detection system is widely used for analyzing the trace chemical residues. The fiberglass cloth was chemically modified by covalently bonding phenyl-functional groups to the surface. The rationally assembled sampling materials provide significantly performance improvements over standard muslin sampling materials for detection of TNT, NG, RDX, TATP, and PETN. The phenyl-functionalized fiberglass swipes showed over 10 times greater TNT release, compared to muslin sampling swipes, as well as improved response and repeatability after multiple uses of the same swipe. The improved TNT release from the functionalized-fiberglass swipes resulted in significantly improved detection limits over muslin. To better understand the improvement offered by the phenyl-functionalized fiberglass, several commercially available fiberglass materials, each offering specific characteristics, were also compared, allowing several physical and chemical properties to be systematically explored to determine their influence on performance. These results are relevant to improving the detection of other explosive compounds, and potentially to a wider range of chemical sampling from surfaces.

Photoswitching a molecular catalyst to regulate CO2 hydrogenation

Inspired by natures ability to regulate catalysis using physiological stimuli, azobenzene was incorporated into Rh(bis)diphosphine CO2 hydrogenation catalysts to photoinitiate structural changes to modulate the resulting catalytic activity. The rhodium bound diphosphine ligands (P(Ph2)-CH2-N(R)-CH2-P(Ph2)) contain the terminal amine of a non-natural amino acid, with the R-group being either β-alanine (β-Ala) or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). For both β-Ala and GABA containing complexes, the carboxylic acids of the amino acids were coupled to the amines of diaminoazobenzene, creating a complex consisting of a rhodium bound to a photo-responsive tetradentate ligand. The photo-induced cis-trans isomerization of the azobenzene-containing complexes imposes structural changes on these complexes, as evidenced by NMR studies. We found that the CO2 hydrogenation activity for the β-Ala bound rhodium complex is 40% faster at 27 °C with the light on, i.e. azobenzene in the cis-conformation (TOF = 16 s(-1)) than when the complex was in the dark and the azobenzene in the trans-conformation (TOF = 11 s(-1)). In contrast the γ-aminobutyric acid containing rhodium complex has the same rate (TOF ∼17 s(-1)) with the azobenzene in either the cis or the trans-conformation at 27 °C. The corresponding (bis)diphosphine complexes without the attached azobenzene were also prepared, characterized, and catalytically tested for comparison, and have TOFs of 30 s(-1). Computational studies were undertaken to evaluate if the difference in rate between the cis- and trans-azobenzene isomers for the β-Ala bound rhodium complex were due to structural differences. These computational investigations revealed major structural changes between all cis- and trans-azobenzene structures, but only minor structural changes that would be unique to the β-Ala bound rhodium complex. We postulate that the different rates between the cis- and trans-azobenzene β-Ala bound containing rhodium complexes are due to subtle changes in the bite angle arising from steric strain due to the azobenzene-containing tetradentate ligand. This strain alters the hydricity of the subsequent rhodium hydride and consequently the rate.