Lawrence Arockiasamy Dass

Recent Advances in Conjugated Polymers for Light Emitting Devices

A recent advance in the field of light emitting polymers has been the discovery of electroluminescent conjugated polymers, that is, kind of fluorescent polymers that emit light when excited by the flow of an electric current. These new generation fluorescent materials may now challenge the domination by inorganic semiconductor materials of the commercial market in light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes (LED) and polymer laser devices. This review provides information on unique properties of conjugated polymers and how they have been optimized to generate these properties. The review is organized in three sections focusing on the major advances in light emitting materials, recent literature survey and understanding the desirable properties as well as modern solid state lighting and displays. Recently, developed conjugated polymers are also functioning as roll-up displays for computers and mobile phones, flexible solar panels for power portable equipment as well as organic light emitting diodes in displays, in which television screens, luminous traffic, information signs, and light-emitting wallpaper in homes are also expected to broaden the use of conjugated polymers as light emitting polymers. The purpose of this review paper is to examine conjugated polymers in light emitting diodes (LEDs) in addition to organic solid state laser. Furthermore, since conjugated polymers have been approved as light-emitting organic materials similar to inorganic semiconductors, it is clear to motivate these organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and organic lasers for modern lighting in terms of energy saving ability. In addition, future aspects of conjugated polymers in LEDs were also highlighted in this review.

Development of a nanocomposite ultrafiltration membrane based on polyphenylsulfone blended with graphene oxide

In the present study, graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated as a nanoadditive into a polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) to develop a PPSU/GO nanocomposite membrane with enhanced antifouling properties. A series of membranes containing different concentrations (0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 wt.%) of GO were fabricated via the phase inversion method, using N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent, deionized water as the non-solvent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a pore forming agent. The prepared nanocomposite membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and were also characterized with respect to contact angle, zeta potential and porosity, mean pore radius, tortuosity and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile testing were used to measure thermal and mechanical properties. The membrane performance was evaluated by volumetric flux and rejection of proteins, and antifouling properties. According to the results, the optimum addition of 0.5 wt% GO resulted in a membrane with an increased flux of 171 ± 3 Lm−2h−1 with a MWCO of ~40 kDa. In addition, the GO incorporation efficiently inhibited the interaction between proteins and the membrane surface, thereby improving the fouling resistance ability by approximately 58 ± 3%. Also, the resulting membranes showed a significant improvement in mechanical and thermal properties.

MWCNTs-Reinforced Epoxidized Linseed Oil Plasticized Polylactic Acid Nanocomposite and Its Electroactive Shape Memory Behaviour

A novel electroactive shape memory polymer nanocomposite of epoxidized linseed oil plasticized polylactic acid and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was prepared by a combination of solution blending, solvent cast technique, and hydraulic hot press moulding. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) was first plasticized by epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) in order to overcome the major limitations of PLA, such as high brittleness, low toughness, and low tensile elongation. Then, MWCNTs were incorporated into the ELO plasticized PLA matrix at three different loadings (2, 3 and 5 wt. %), with the aim of making the resulting nanocomposites electrically conductive. The addition of ELO decreased glass transition temperature, and increased the elongation and thermal degradability of PLA, as shown in the results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile test, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to observe surface morphology, topography, and the dispersion of MWCNTs in the nanocomposite. Finally, the electroactive-shape memory effect (electroactive-SME) in the resulting nanocomposite was investigated by a fold-deploy “U”-shape bending test. As per the results, the addition of both ELO and MWCNTs to PLA matrix seemed to enhance its overall properties with a great deal of potential in improved shape memory. The 3 wt. % MWCNTs-reinforced nanocomposite system, which showed 95% shape recovery within 45 s at 40 DC voltage, is expected to be used as a preferential polymeric nanocomposite material in various actuators, sensors and deployable devices.

Effects of Piper cubeba L. essential oil on methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus: an AFM and TEM study

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria is creating a real challenge for health care systems worldwide, making the development of novel antibiotics a necessity. In addition to the development of new antibiotics, there is an urgent need for in‐depth characterization of the mechanisms of bacterial resistance toward new drugs. Here, we used essential oils extracted in our laboratory from Piper cubeba against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, one of the most prominent antibiotic‐resistant bacteria. Effects of the essential oils extracted from P cubeba on bacteria were mainly evaluated using 2 powerful microscopy techniques: atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. High‐resolution atomic force microscopy images of the cells were obtained close to their native environment by immobilizing the cells on porous Polyether sulfone membranes, which were prepared in our laboratory with a wide range and distribution of pore sizes and depth. Inhibition zones (mm) and minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined. Two different concentrations of the oil were used to treat the cells: 50 μg/mL minimum inhibitory concentration and 25 μg/mL. The 50 μg/mL oil solution caused severe damage to the bacterial cells at microscopic levels while the 25 μg/mL solution showed no effects compared to the control. However, at nanoscopic levels, the 25 μg/mL oil solution caused significant changes in the cell wall, which could potentially impair bacterial activities. These results were also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy micrographs. Our results indicate that the extract has a good biological activity against methicillin‐ and oxacillin‐resistant S aureus and that it acts on the cell wall and plasma (cytoplasmic) membrane.

Removal of heavy metal ions using a carboxylated graphene oxide-incorporated polyphenylsulfone nanofiltration membrane

We investigate the removal of heavy metal ions from synthetic contaminated water on a laboratory scale using a carboxylated-graphene oxide (GO)-incorporated polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) nanofiltration membrane (the so called PPSU/carboxylated-GO nanocomposite membrane). The prepared membranes were characterized with respect to the rheology of the doping solutions and based on the morphology, topography, and charge density of the membranes. Spectroscopic analysis of the membranes was also performed. The nanofiltration performance was demonstrated by the removal of five heavy metal ions (arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, and zinc). The effects of carboxylated-GO on the membrane molecular weight cut-off, hydraulic permeability, and heavy metal ion removal performance were investigated with respect to different factors, including feed concentration from single ions, transmembrane pressure (TMP) with mixed ions, and permeate flux. The addition of carboxylated-GO produced a membrane with enhanced properties that exhibited superior performance. Increasing the feed concentration and TMP did not affect the removal of anions; however, the removal of cations slightly decreased with the resulting membrane. The maximum removal rates of heavy metal ions were >98% and ∼80% for the anions and cations, respectively, and an enhanced volumetric flux of 27 ± 3 L m−2 h−1 was observed. This result is based on the Donnan exclusion principle, which is attributable to the surface charge of −70 mV and the order of the hydrated metal radii. The prepared PPSU/carboxylated-GO nanocomposite membrane provided impressive heavy metal ion removal and showed an acceptable volumetric flux under the applied parameters; this work demonstrates very economically advantageous conditions for heavy metal ion removal.