RESUMO
Recently, there has been an active search for new modifiers to create hybrid polymeric materials for various applications, in particular, membrane technology. One of the topical modifiers is metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which can significantly alter the characteristics of obtained mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). In this work, new holmium-based MOFs (Ho-MOFs) were synthesized for polyether block amide (PEBA) modification to develop novel MMMs with improved properties. The study of Ho-MOFs, polymers and membranes was carried out by methods of X-ray phase analysis, scanning electron and atomic force microscopies, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, dynamic and kinematic viscosity, static and dynamic light scattering, gel permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis and contact angle measurements. Synthesized Ho-MOFs had different X-ray structures, particle forms and sizes depending on the ligand used. To study the effect of Ho-MOF modifier on membrane transport properties, PEBA/Ho-MOFs membrane retention capacity was evaluated in vacuum fourth-stage filtration for dye removal (Congo Red, Fuchsin, Glycine thymol blue, Methylene blue, Eriochrome Black T). Modified membranes demonstrated improved flux and rejection coefficients for dyes containing amino groups: Congo Red, Fuchsin (PEBA/Ho-1,3,5-H3btc membrane possessed optimal properties: 81% and 68% rejection coefficients for Congo Red and Fuchsin filtration, respectively, and 0.7 L/(m2s) flux).
RESUMO
The study of the aggregation of amyloid proteins is challenging. A new approach to processing dynamic light scattering data was developed and tested using aggregates of the well-known model Sup35NM amyloid. After filtering and calculating the moving averages of autocorrelation functions to reduce impacts of noise, each averaged autocorrelation function is converted to the fibril length distribution via numerical modeling. The processing results were verified using atomic force and scanning electron microscopy data. Analysis of fibril length distribution changes over time gives valuable information about the aggregation process.