• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2016

Although the time dependences of the electrocatalytic activities of Pt and Pd nanoparticles during electrochemical operations have been widely studied, the time dependences under nonpolarized conditions have never been investigated in depth. This study reports the changes in the electrocatalytic activities of Pt and Pd nanoparticles with aging in air and in solution. Pt (or Pd) nanoparticle-modified electrodes are obtained by adsorbing citrate-stabilized Pt (or Pd) nanoparticles on amine-modified indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, or by electrodeposition of Pt (or Pd) nanoparticles on ITO electrodes. The electrocatalytic activities of freshly prepared Pt and Pd nanoparticles in the oxygen reduction reaction slowly decrease with aging. The electrocatalytic activities decrease more slowly in solution than in air. An increase in surface contamination may cause electrocatalytic deactivation during aging. The electrocatalytic activities of long-aged Pt (or Pd) nanoparticles are significantly enhanced and recovered by NaBH₄ treatment.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2020

This study used cerium iron hydroxide nanoparticle with HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), the cross-linker EGDMA (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), NVP (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and the initiator AIBN (azobisisobutyronitrile) for copolymerization. Also, the physical properties of the prepared lenses were compared, and their applicability as polymers for ophthalmic materials was experimented. The results of the measurement showed that the UV blocking rate and the wettability increased with the cerium iron hydroxide nanoparticles addition ratio, and the refractive index and water content were not affected. Thus, the produced copolymer is expected to be useful as a functional contact lens material while satisfying the basic physical properties of the hydrogel contact lens.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.187-195
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• 2018

Nano-delivery systems, such as nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and nanoliposomes, are carriers that have been used to enhance the chemical as well as physical stability and bioavailability of bioactive compound. Food-grade nano-delivery system can be produced with edible biopolymers including proteins and carbohydrates. In addition to the low-toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of these biopolymers, their functional characteristics, such as their ability to bind hydrophobic bioactive compounds and form a gel, make them potential and ideal candidates for the fortification of bioactive compounds in functional dairy foods. This review focuses on different types of nano-delivery systems and edible biopolymers as delivery materials. In addition, the applications of food-grade nano-delivery systems to dairy foods are also described.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.385-391
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• 2015

In this paper, we propose a new method to infiltrate $Fe_3O_4$-nanoparticles into a porous silicon film and a monitoring technique to detect packing density of nanoparticles within the film. Recently, research to use porous silicon as a drug carrier or a new functional sensor material by infiltrating $Fe_3O_4$-nanoparticles has been extensively performed. However, it is still necessary to enhance the packing density and to develop a monitoring technique to detect the packing density in real time. In this light, we forcibly injected a nanoparticle solution into a rugate-structured free-standing porous silicon (FPS) film by applying a pressure difference between the two sides of the film. We found that the packing density by the pressure-infiltration method proposed in this paper is enhanced, relative to that by the previous diffusion method. Moreover, a continuous shift in wavelength of the rugate reflectance peak measured from the film surface was observed while the nanoparticle solution was being injected. By exploiting this phenomenon, we could qualitatively monitor the packing density of $Fe_3O_4$-nanoparticles within the FPS film with the injection volume of the nanoparticle solution.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.224-234
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• 2013

This study investigates the fabrication of core-sheath nanocomposite fibers by locating germanium (Ge) and silicon dioxide ($SiO_2$) nanoparticles selectively in the sheath layer by co-axial electrospinning. Co-axially spun fibers were prepared by electrospinning a pure PVA solution and Ge/$SiO_2$/PVA solution as the core and sheath layer, respectively. Core-sheath nanocomposite fibers were electrospun under a variety of conditions that include various feed rates for the core and sheath solutions, voltages, and concentric needle diameters, in order to find an optimum spinning condition. Ge/$SiO_2$ nanocomposite fibers were also prepared by uniaxial electrospinning to compare fiber morphology and nanoparticle distribution with core-sheath nanofibers. Using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, it was demonstrated that the co-axial approach resulted in the presence of nanoparticles near the surface region of the fibers compared to the overall distribution obtained for uni-axial fibers. The co-axially electrospun Ge/$SiO_2$/PVA nanofiber webs have possible uses in high efficiency functional textiles in which the nanoparticles located in the sheath region provide enhanced functionality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.598-598
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• 2013

The short lifetime of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is the one of the main problems to be solved for commercializing. Especially, the weak adhesion between metal nanoparticles and supports deteriorate the performances of nanocatalysts, therefore, it is considered to be a major failure mechanism. Using force-distance spectroscopy of atomic force microscopy (AFM), we characterized the adhesion between Pt nanoparticles and carbon supports that is crucially related to the durability for membrane fuel cell (MFC) electrode. In our study, force distance curves measured with Pt coated AFM cantilever, mimicking the behavior of corresponding nanoparticles on carbon supports, leads to the adhesion between metal nanoparticles and carbon supports. We found that theadhesion between Pt and HNO3-treated carbon is enhanced by a factor of 4, compared to Pt and bare carbon support, that is consistent with the macroscopic durability test of PEMFC. The higher adhesion between Pt and HNO3-treated carbon can be explained in light of the stronger chemical interaction by C/O functional groups.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.337-346
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• 2008

Applications of nanotechnology in the medical field have provided the fundamentals of tremendous improvement in precise diagnosis and customized therapy. Recent advances in nanomedicine have led to establish a new concept of theragnosis, which utilizes nanomedicines as a therapeutic and diagnostic tool at the same time. The development of high affinity nanoparticles with large surface area and functional groups multiplies diagnostic and therapeutic capacities. Considering the specific conditions related to the disease of individual patient, customized therapy requires the identification of disease target at the cellular and molecular level for reducing side effects and enhancing therapeutic efficiency. Well-designed nanoparticles can minimize unnecessary exposure of cytotoxic drugs and maximize targeted localization of administrated drugs. This review will focus on major pharmaceutical nanomaterials and nanoparticles as key components of designing and surface engineering for targeted theragnostic drug development.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1784-1788
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• 2014

The present study suggests a novel method to produce raspberry-like microparticles containing diverse functional materials inside. The raspberry-like microparticles were produced from a random assembly of uniformly-sized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles via electrospraying. The solution containing the PMMA nanoparticles were supplied through the inner nozzle and compressed air was emitted through the outer nozzle. The air supply helped fast evaporation of acetone, so it enabled copious amount of microparticles as dry powder. The microparticles were highly porous both on the surface and interiors, hence various materials with a function of UV-blocking ($TiO_2$ nanoparticles and methoxyphenyl triazine) or anti-aging (ethyl(4-(2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-5-carboxyamido) benzoate)) were loaded in large amount (17 wt % versus PMMA). The surface and interior structures of the microparticles were dependent on the characteristics of functional materials. The results clearly suggest that the process to prepare the raspberry-like microparticles can be an excellent approach to generate functional microstructures.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.267-271
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• 2020

Cerium oxide (ceria, CeO₂) is one of the most wide-spread oxide supporting materials for the precious metal nanoparticle class of heterogeneous catalysts. Because ceria can store and release oxygen ions, it is an essential catalytic component for various oxidation reactions such as CO oxidation (2CO + O₂ 2CO₂). Moreover, reduced ceria is known to be reactive for water activation, which is a critical step for activation of water-gas shift reaction (CO + H₂O → H₂ + CO₂). Here, we apply van der Waals-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with U correction to study the mechanism of water chemisorption on CeO₂(111) surfaces. A stoichiometric CeO₂(111) and a defected CeO₂(111) surface showed different water adsorption chemistry, suggesting that defected CeO₂ surfaces with oxygen vacancies are responsible for water binding and activation. An appropriate level of water-ceria chemisorption energy is deduced by vdW-corrected non-local correlation coupled with the optB86b exchange functional, whereas the conventional PBE functional describes weaker water-ceria interactions, which are insufficient to stabilize (chemisorb) water on the ceria surfaces.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.452-458
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• 2018

This research is conducted to create a functional hydrogel ophthalmic lens containing nanoparticles. Carbon nanoparticles and PEGMEMA are used as additives for the basic combination of HEMA, MA, and MMA, and the materials are copolymerized with EGDMA as the cross-linking agent and AIBN as the thermal initiator. The hydrogel lens is produced using a cast-mold method, and the materials are thermally polymerized at $100^{\circ}C$ for an hour. The polymerized lens sample is hydrated in a 0.9 % saline solution for 24 hours before the optical and physical characteristics of the lens are measured. The refractive index, water content, contact angle, light transmittance, and tensile strength are measured to evaluate the physical and optical characteristics of the hydrogel lens. The refractive index, water content, contact angle, UV-B light transmittance, UV-A light transmittance, visible light transmittance, tensile strength and breaking strength of the hydrogel lens polymer are 1.4019~1.4281, 43.05~51.18 %, $31.95{\sim}68.61^{\circ}$, 21.69~58.11 %, 35.59~84.26 %, 45.85~88.06 %, 0.1075~0.1649 kgf and 0.1520~0.2250 kgf, respectively. The results demonstrate an increase in refractive index, tensile strength and breaking strength and a decrease in contact angle and light transmittance. Furthermore, the visible light transmissibility is significantly increased at PEG 10 %. It is clear that this material can be used for high-performance ophthalmic lenses with wettability, ultraviolet ray blocking effect, and tensile strength.