Supagorn Rugmai

Micropower energy harvesting using poly(vinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene)

This work explores applications for poly(vinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene) or P(VDF-HFP). The P(VDF-HFP) with a 10 wt. % HFP can be prepared to exhibit the piezoelectricity and energy conversion ability. This was achieved by determining the nanostructural parameters by the Small Angle X-Ray Scattering. The unpoled sample gained linear crystallinity with drawing rate. The optimal conditions for poling process were 60 MV/m at 90 °C. The piezoelectric coefficient d31 of 28.7 pC/N and FoM of 8.8 × 10−12 m2/N were obtained from the poled sample drawn at 45 mm/min. The piezoelectric P(VDF-HFP) was proven to deliver a microwatt energy essential for powering small-scale electronics.

Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Study on PVA/Fe3O4 Magnetic Hydrogels

A synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study on PVA/Fe3O4 magnetic hydrogels has been performed to investigate the effect of clustering on their magnetic properties. The hydrogels were prepared through freezing–thawing (F–T) processes. The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer, respectively. In this study, SAXS data were used to reveal the structural dimensions of the magnetite and its distribution in the polymer-rich PVA and magnetic hydrogels. As calculated using the Beaucage and Teubner–Strey models, the average of the structural dimensions of the PVA hydrogels was 3.9nm (crystallites), while the average distance between crystallites was approximately 18nm. Further analysis by applying a two-lognormal distribution showed that the magnetite NPs comprised secondary particles with a diameter of 9.6nm that were structured by primary particles (∼3.2nm). A two-lognormal distribution function has also been used in describing the size distributions of magnetite NPs in magnetic hydrogels. The clusters of magnetite NPs in the magnetic hydrogels are significantly reduced from 30.4nm to 12.8nm with decreasing concentration of the NPs magnetite from 15wt.% to 1wt.%. The saturation magnetization values of the magnetite NPs, the 15% and 1% magnetic hydrogels were 34.67emu/g, 6.52emu/g and 0.37emu/g, respectively.

Gallic acid conjugated with gold nanoparticles: antibacterial activity and mechanism of action on foodborne pathogens.

Foodborne pathogens, including Plesiomonas shigelloides and Shigella flexneri B, are the major cause of diarrheal endemics worldwide. Antibiotic drug resistance is increasing. Therefore, bioactive compounds with antibacterial activity, such as gallic acid (GA), are needed. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used as drug delivery agents. This study aimed to conjugate and characterize AuNP–GA and to evaluate the antibacterial activity. AuNP was conjugated with GA, and the core–shell structures were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Antibacterial activity of AuNP–GA against P. shigelloides and S. flexneri B was evaluated by well diffusion method. AuNP–GA bactericidal mechanism was elucidated by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopic analysis. The results of small-angle X-ray scattering showed that AuNP–GA conjugation was successful. Antibacterial activity of GA against both bacteria was improved by conjugation with AuNP because the minimum inhibitory concentration value of AuNP–GA was significantly decreased (P<0.0001) compared to that of GA. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed that AuNP–GA resulted in alterations of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids at the bacterial cell membrane. Our findings show that AuNP–GA has potential for further application in biomedical sciences.

SAXS/WAXS Capability and Absolute Intensity Measurement Study at the SAXS Beamline of the Siam Photon Laboratory

A Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) beamline has been constructed at the Siam Photon Laboratory of the Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI), Thailand. The beamline was commissioned and opened for users in March 2011. In order to maximize the photon flux, a Double Multilayer Monochromator was adopted to monochromatize synchrotron x-rays within the energy range of 6-9 keV. The experimental station is equipped with a CCD detector for SAXS measurements and an Image Plate for wide angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. Apparatus for in-situ measurements have been developed to enable studies of nano structural changes during temperature and tensile variation. Capability for scattering measurements in absolute unit has been investigated. This work reports the current status of the beamline and results from dispersed Au nanoparticles measurements.

SAXS and ATR-FTIR studies on EBT–TSX mixtures in their sol–gel phases

Our previous study demonstrated that mixtures of tamarind seed xyloglucan (TSX) with appropriate concentrations of eriochrome black T (EBT) produced a gel that could be of benefit for medical use. Here, the sol-gel systems of various fresh and aged mixtures were further investigated using rheological measurements. The nanostructural changes of EBT-TSX sol-gel phases were analyzed using SAXS. The interactions between EBT and TSX in the sol and gel states were examined using ATR-FTIR. SAXS data analysis demonstrated that the mixture containing lower concentration of EBT formed rod-like structures and that with higher concentrations of EBT produced flat particles. The sizes of the TSX structures from the aged mixtures in the gel stage were larger than those from the same mixtures in the sol state. ATR-FTIR spectral changes revealed that the azo and sulfonic acid groups of EBT interacted with the TSX, and the characteristic spectrum of the sulfonic acid group of EBT could discriminate between the sol and gel state of the EBT-TSX systems. The interactions between EBT and TSX may cause conformational changes to TSX and facilitate the sol-gel transition or formation of a gel.

Effect of Cobalt Fillers on Polyurethane Segmentations Investigated by Synchrotron Small Angle X-Ray Scattering

The segmentation between rigid and rubbery chains in polyurethanes (PUs) influences polymeric properties and implementations. Several models have successfully been proposed to visualize the configuration between the hard segment (HS) and soft segment (SS). For particulate PU composites, the arrangement of HS and SS is more complicated because the fillers tend to disrupt the chain formation and segmentation. In this work, the effect of ferromagnetic cobalt (Co) powders (average diameter 2 μm) on PU synthesized from a reaction between polyether polyol (soft segment) and diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (hard segment) was studied with varying loadings (0, 20, 40, and 60 wt.%). The 300 μm thick PU/Co samples were tape-casted and then received heat treatment at 80°C for 180 min. From synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the plot of the X-ray scattering intensity (I) against the scattering vector (q) exhibited a typical single peak of PU whose intensity was reduced by the increase in the Co loading. Characteristic SAXS peaks in the case of 0-20 wt.% Co agreed well with the scattering by globular hard segment domains according to Zernike-Prins and Percus-Yevick models. The higher Co loadings led to larger deviations from all theoretical models.

Synchrotron Small Angle X-ray Scattering Spectra Of Iron-based Magnetic Fluids

Magnetic fluid is a special class of materials which possesses the advantages of a liquid state of the carrier and a magnetic state of the particles. In addition to the conventional uses in mechanical engineering, magnetic fluids containing magnetite (Fe3O4) superparamagnetic nanoparticles are under research and development for drug delivery, hyperthermia and MRI contrast agents. On the other hand, iron-platinum (FePt) is investigated as materials for ultrahigh density recording. Before their assembly into patterned media, the as-synthesized FePt nanoparticles in superparamagnetic state are commonly stored in forms of magnetic fluids. In this work, iron-platinum (FePt) nanoparticles with their surface modified by oleic acid and oleyleamine were synthesized from the polyol process. The starting material was an environmental friendly iron(III) acetylacetonate and the products were dispersed in n-hexane. In small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements at the Synchrotron Light Research Institute, Thailand, each magnetic fluid was injected into a sample cell with aluminum foil windows and the X-ray of wavelength 1.55 Å from BL2.2 was used. The measured SAXS intensity profiles as a function of the scattering vector from 0.27 to 2.30 nm-1 were fitted and compared between two different reactions. Nanoparticles synthesized by using a higher amount of Fe(acac)3 were matched with monodisperse spheres of radius 2.4±0.3 nm. The other reaction with a reducing agent gave rise to smaller nanoparticles of two size distributions. From this work, the potential of synchrotron radiation to complement conventional characterization techniques in the investigation of nanoparticles for high density recording and biomedical applications is underlined.