Colloid and Polymer Science最新文献

To address the adverse effects of high-salinity environments on the performance of coalbed methane (CBM) fracturing fluids, the development of salt-tolerant fracturing fluids is imperative. A novel zwitterionic copolymer, PAAHD, was synthesized via solution polymerization from AM, AMPS, 3-hydroxypropyl (allyl) dimethylammonium bromide (HADB), and dodecyl (allyl) dimethylammonium bromide (DADB). It leverages synergistic charge shielding, hydrophobic association, and steric hindrance for enhanced salt tolerance. With optimal synthesis conditions, PAAHD achieved a viscosity-average molecular weight of 7.01 × 10⁶ g/mol. It exhibited outstanding salt resistance, maintaining stable apparent viscosity (50.6–100.1 mPa·s) under high salinity (TDS up to 173,670 mg/L), temperature (100 °C), and shear (170 s⁻¹). The fluid demonstrated elastic-dominated rheology (tan δ < 1), high drag reduction (> 75%), effective proppant suspension (< 1.8 × 10⁻³ m/s), and easy breakability with low residual viscosity (< 2 mPa·s) and minimal formation damage (< 10%). These results validate PAAHD as a high-performance fracturing fluid for deep CBM reservoirs, combining environmental benefits (produced water reuse) with superior thermal-shear stability and proppant transport.

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A detailed morphological analysis of colloidal particles from micrographs is a process that necessitates the identification and measurement of numerous features. The automation of image processing while maintaining a high level of accuracy is imperative for the advancement of colloid and materials science. Automated workflows should enable the analysis of large datasets, thereby enhancing the statistical significance and reliability of particle characterization. Pattern recognition and image segmentation are key in isolating features within micrographs, thereby enabling their subsequent classification. The process of semantic segmentation organizes pixel regions into meaningful classes, thereby distinguishing particles from the background and enabling the differentiation between different types of particles. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly through machine learning (ML), neural networks (NN), and deep learning (DL) is currently changing the field of microscopy analysis and enhances analytical capabilities in image analysis. This is accomplished by enabling adaptive and accurate decision-making during data processing. The Segment Anything Model (SAM) from MetaAI allows one to study large collections of nanoparticles without additional manual labor. This allows for rapid processing and analysis. Regarding complex particles composed of individual domains, the SAM model automates the segmentation of nanoparticles into distinct groups, enabling the identification of specific particle types. In the course of this development, it is to be expected that the analysis of colloidal particles is becoming more precise, efficient, and robust. This, in turn, is expected to stimulate innovation in diverse areas, including microscopy, colloid science, materials research, and other related disciplines.

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To investigate the regulatory mechanism of hydrophobic chain length on the swelling properties of hydrogels, this study designed and synthesized a series of reactive quaternary ammonium salt surfactants (St-PKO-n) with varying hydrophobic chain segment lengths. These surfactants were created using chloromethylvinyl benzene (CSt) and tertiary amines containing amine groups (PKO) as starting materials and were employed as functional monomers to modify PAA-based hydrogels. The structures of the surfactants and hydrogels were characterized using FT-IR and ¹H-NMR techniques. The microstructure of the hydrogels was examined by SEM, and their mechanical properties, swelling behavior, and water retention capacity were evaluated. The findings indicate that as the length of the hydrophobic carbon chain in St-PKO-n increases, the crosslinking density of the hydrogel markedly rises, and the pore structure transitions from large pores to a dense lamellar honeycomb structure. Consequently, the tensile strength increases, but the elongation at break decreases. Although the swelling capacity diminishes, the water retention capacity significantly improves, particularly exhibiting enhanced salt resistance in salt solutions. This research offers a robust theoretical foundation and experimental reference for optimizing the swelling properties of hydrogels by adjusting the length of the alkyl hydrophobic carbon chain.

Based on aqueous Cl ion transport and storage, the Chloride ion battery (CIB) has recently been considered as one of advanced energy storage technologies with the advantages of low cost, abundant resources, safety and high theoretical volume density. But the suitable anode materials with excellent non-faradaic/faradaic Cl ion properties still need to be explored and investigated to achieve excellent electrochemical performance in CIB. Herein, polypyrrole (PPy) nanobelts with different Cl^- doping contents (Cl-PNbs) have been successfully synthesized through adjusting hydrochloric acid concentration as the dopant to achieve good electrochemical performance for aqueous Cl ion storage. With the increase of dopant concentration, the ionic and electron conductivity of Cl-PNbs raises first and then reduces. That is contributed to the introduction of more electron holes into PPy framework at low dopant concentration, but the reduction of Cl^- and PPy-Cl^- content at high concentration. The synergistic effect of Cl doping and nanostructure construction of the Cl-PNbs electrode materials results in high capacity, good rate and cycling performance. This work puts forward a simple and effective strategy to obtain desirable conductive polymers-based anode materials for good-performance Cl ion storage.

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The increasing demand for sustainable and biodegradable materials has driven research into natural fiber–reinforced polymer composites. This study investigates the mechanical and physical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) composites reinforced with 30 wt% okra fiber and varying amounts (1–3 wt%) of jujube fruit seed particles. Compared with neat PLA (tensile 50 MPa, flexural 110 MPa, impact 4 kJ/m², hardness 70 Shore D), the hybrid reinforcement achieved significant improvements: at 2 wt% jujube, tensile strength rose to 67 MPa (+ 34%), flexural strength to 145 MPa (+ 32%), impact strength to 8 kJ/m² (+ 100%), and hardness to 79 Shore D (+ 13%). Density decreased, yielding lighter composites, but void content increased from 1.61% to 4.55%. Water absorption peaked at 28% at 1 wt% jujube but dropped to 21% at 3 wt%, indicating improved filler–matrix interaction at higher loading. Comparative analysis confirmed the superior performance of the PLA/okra/jujube system relative to other natural-fiber composites. These outcomes express the prospective of okra along with jujube seed particles as effective, eco-friendly reinforcements for high-performance biodegradable composites.

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To enhance emulsifying ability in the encapsulation process, synergistic macromolecules have been proposed by fabricating co-stabilized cellulose nanocrystals with sodium alginate and lecithin to create efficient delivery systems for bio-based ionic liquids (ILs). Accordingly, we selected hydrophobic compounds, which exhibited low bioavailability, to develop drug delivery systems. The vitamin B3 and curcumin-based ILs, cholinium nicotinate [Ch][B3] and cholinium curcuminate [Ch][Cur], were achieved by a simple metathesis reaction and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflection and performed to enhance their biological activity (antioxidant activity of 86.8 ± 0.13%) and water solubility over 15 times for curcumin. Exploring the potential use of such hydrophilic active ingredients, the Pickering double emulsions (W/O/W) were formed using cellulose nanocrystals to interact with a gel network of sodium alginate and lecithin for ILs encapsulation. The emulsion loaded with ILs exhibited good shear-thinning properties. The creaming index and visual appearance of curcumin-based ionic liquids as double emulsions ([Ch][Cur]-CAL-C) revealed good stability of 30-day storage at 4 °C and the release kinetics of 79.15 ± 3.89% over 24 h with high encapsulation efficiency (96.87 ± 0.00%). A promising synergistic impact on curcumin delivery to improve bioavailability and maintain molecular stability was successfully achieved in Pickering double emulsion and potentially used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical applications.

Traditional chemotherapy treatments have caused unavoidable damage to healthy tissues, which calls for the development of a therapeutic system capable of safely administering, distributing, metabolizing, and excreting drugs from the human body without harming healthy cells. Nowadays, a therapeutic system that delivers a drug precisely to the right place is desperately needed.Innovative chitosan-based polymeric nanoparticles were designed in this study by incorporation of N-methyl-N-vinyl acetamide and N-isopropyl acrylamide. The existence of distinctive functional groups was verified by FTIR analysis, including –NH₂ (1538 cm⁻¹), OH⁻ (3271 cm⁻¹), and C = O (1623 cm⁻¹). The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited an average particle size of 177.5 nm, as determined by SEM imaging. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed amorphous structure, and TGA confirmed integrity up to 100 °C, with a negligible loss of 2.67%. Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) demonstrated efficient encapsulation of doxorubicin at 87% (4.38 mg/5 mg). The cumulative release profile of doxorubicin at pH levels of 7.4, 6.5, and 5.3 by the CS-MVA-NIPAAm-based PNPs was determined as 9, 14, and 18% at 37 °C, 21, 26, and 29% at 38 °C, 23, 31, and 49% at 39 °C, and 29, 65, and 90% at 40 °C respectively, in 48 to 96 h. At pH 5.3, a notable 90% release (3.96 mg/4.38 mg) was observed by loaded PNPs at 40 °C in 48 to 96 h. The utilization of PNPs with varying N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide (MVA) concentrations has the potential to efficiently deliver chemotherapeutic drugs.

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Porous viscoelastic materials are widely utilized in materials engineering, and their imbibition behavior is influenced by multiple factors, such as the preparation method and the physicochemical properties of the liquid. This study systematically investigates the imbibition behavior of polydimethylsiloxane-based porous silicone rubber. PDMS sponges prepared with varying mixing ratios were tested using different liquids. Their surface morphology and morphological quantification parameters were comparatively analyzed through advanced characterization techniques. The results reveal that both the surface morphology and absorptivity of PDMS sponges are significantly affected by the properties of the liquid before and after imbibition. Based on the quantified imbibition parameters, the imbibition process can be divided into four distinct phases. Furthermore, the imbibition characteristics of PDMS sponges vary under different compositional conditions, and the imbibition properties are also strongly dependent on the type of liquid. Notably, for silicone and non-silicone Aliquids, the effect of surface tension on imbibition properties is entirely opposite.

Graphical Abstract

The suspension stability and rheological properties of high-density oil-based drilling fluids present significant challenges under high-temperature conditions. To mitigate these issues, researchers indicate that the selection and treatment of weighting materials play a pivotal role in stabilizing such fluids under extreme conditions. Accordingly, to optimize the weighting materials dispersion and thermal stability, a novel wettability modifier (MSP) was synthesized to enhance oil-phase compatibility. The surface properties, particle size distribution, and charge characteristics of four weighting materials were characterized using FTIR, particle size distribution analysis, zeta-potential measurements, and microstructure examination. Experiments assessing suspension stability (static/dynamic sag) and rheological properties were conducted at 160 °C. The results demonstrated that MSP significantly improved weighting material dispersion, particularly after high-temperature aging. The suspension volume of manganese ore fine in diesel oil approaches 100% after standing for 24 h. Based on these findings, a blended weighting material consisting of micronized barite and manganese ore fines (at a 1:3 mass ratio) was formulated, producing fluids with densities ranging from 2.2 to 2.5 g/cm³. After aging at 160 °C for 16 h, the resulting fluids exhibited a sag factor is equal to 0.5, the flow behavior index (n) less than 1, indicating exceptional sag stability and maintained acceptable rheological properties.

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