• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2007

Polyimide (PI) surface modification was carried out by ion-beam treatment and silane-imidazole coupling agent to improve the adhesion between polyimide film and copper. Silane-imidazole coupling agent contains imidazole functional groups for the formation of a complex with copper metal through a coordination bonding and methoxy silane groups for the formation of siloxane polymers. The PI film surface was first treated by argon (Ar)/oxygen ($O_2$) ion-beam, followed by dipping it into a modified silane-imidazole coupling agent solution. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra revealed that the $Ar/O_2$ plasma treatment formed oxygen functional groups such as hydroxyl and carbonyl groups on the polyimide film surface and confirmed that the PI surface was modified by a coupling reaction with imidazole-silane coupling agent. Adhesion between copper and the treated PI film by ion-beam and coupling agent was superior to that with untreated PI film. In addition, adhesion of PI film treated by an $Ar/O_2$ plasma to copper was better than that of PI film treated by a coupling agent. The peeled-off layers from the copper-PI film joint were completely different in chemical composition each other. The layer of PI film side showed similar C1s, N1s, O1s spectra to the original Upilex-S and no Si and Cu atoms appeared. On the other hand the layer of copper side showed different C1s and N1s spectra from the original PI film and many Si and Cu atoms appeared. This indicates that the failure occurs at an interface between the imidazole-silane and PI film layers rather than within the PI layers.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2009

Carbon felt surface was modified by heat or acid treatment in order to use for the electrode of a redox-flow battery. Polymers on the surface of carbon felt was removed and oxygen-containing functional group was attached after the thermal treatment of carbon felt. Thermal treatment was better for the stability of the carbon structure than the acid treatment. Oxygen-containing functional group on the thermally treated carbon felt at 500$^{\circ}C$ was confirmed by XPS and elementary analysis. BET surface area was increased from nearly zero to 96 $m^2/g$. Thermally treated carbon felt at 500$^{\circ}C$ showed lower activation polarization than the thermally treated carbon felt at 400$^{\circ}C$ and the acid-treated carbon felt in the cyclicvoltammetry and polarization experiments. The thermally treated carbon felts at 400$^{\circ}C$ and 500$^{\circ}C$ and the acid-treated carbon felt was applied for the electrode to prepare vanadium redox flow battery. Voltage efficiencies of charge/discharge were 86.6%, 89.6%, and 96.9% for the thermally treated carbon felts at 400$^{\circ}C$ and 500$^{\circ}C$ and the acid-treated carbon felt, respectively.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2016

Background: Panax ginseng cannot be cultivated on the same land consecutively for an extended period, and the underlying mechanism regarding microorganisms is still being explored. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and BIO-LOG methods were used to evaluate the microbial genetic and functional diversity associated with the P. ginseng rhizosphere soil in various cultivation ages and modes. Results: The analysis of microbial diversity using PCR-DGGE showed that microbial communities were significantly variable in composition, of which six bacterial phyla and seven fungal classes were detected in P. ginseng soil. Among them, Proteobacteria and Hypocreales dominated. Fusarium oxysporum, a soilborne pathogen, was found in all P. ginseng soil samples except R0. The results from functional diversity suggested that the microbial metabolic diversity of fallow soil abandoned in 2003was the maximum and transplanted soil was higher than direct-seeding soil and the forest soil uncultivated P. ginseng, whereas the increase in cultivation ages in the same mode led to decreases in microbial diversity in P. ginseng soil. Carbohydrates, amino acids, and polymers were the main carbon sources utilized. Furthermore, the microbial diversity index and multivariate comparisons indicated that the augmentation of P. ginseng cultivation ages resulted in decreased bacterial diversity and increased fungal diversity, whereas microbial diversity was improved strikingly in transplanted soil and fallow soil abandoned for at least one decade. Conclusion: The key factors for discontinuous P. ginseng cultivation were the lack of balance in rhizosphere microbial communities and the outbreak of soilborne diseases caused by the accumulation of its root exudates.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2011

Poly[2,3-dimethyl-5,8-dithiophene-2-yl-quinoxaline-alt-9,9-dihexyl-9H-fluorene] (PFTQT) and poly[2,3-dimethyl-5,8-dithiophen-2-yl-quinoxaline-alt-10-hexyl-10H-phenothiazine (PPTTQT) based on 2,3-dimethyl-5,8-dithiophen-2-yl-quinoxaline weresynthesized by Suzuki coupling reaction. All polymers were soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and toluene. The maximum absorption wavelength and band gap of PFTQT were 440 nm and 2.30 eV, and PPTTQT were 445 nm and 2.23 eV, respectively. The HOMO and LUMO energy level of PFTQT were -6.05 and -3.75 eV, and PPTTQT were -5,89 and -3.66 eV, respectively. The organic photovoltaic devices based on the blend of polymer and PCBM (1 : 2 by weight ratio) were fabricated. Efficiencies of devices were 0.24% (PFTQT) and 0.16% (PPTTQT), respectively. The short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$), fill factor (FF), and open circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) of the device with PFTQT were $0.97mA/cm^2$, 29% and 0.86 V, and the device based on PPTTQT were $0.80mA/cm^2$, 28% and 0.71 V, 31% and 0.71 V, respectively, under air mass (AM) 1.5 G and 1 sun condition ($100mA/cm^2$).

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.137-144
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• 2012

Chemical functionalization of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) is generally carried out for increasing interfacial adhesion between filler and polymer matrix for CNM-polymer nanocomposites. The chemically functionalized CNTs can produce strong interfacial bonds with many polymers, allowing CNT based nanocomposites to possess high mechanical and functional properties. Hence, increased surface adhesion can be measured indirectly by observing increased mechanical properties. However, there is a more direct way to observe interfacial bonds between polymer and CNM by measuring piezoresistivity behavior so that we can imagine the behavior of CNM particles in polymer matrix under deflection. Fuctionalization of MWCNT and rGO was carried out by oxidization reaction of MWCNT and rGO with $H_2SO_4/HNO_3$ solution. Electrical resistivities of MWCNT-PMMA and rGO-PMMA composites were decreased after functionalization because of the destructive fuctionalization process. Meanwhile, piezoresistivities of functionalized CNM-PMMA composites showed more sensitive behavior under the same deflection as compared to pristine CNM-PMMA composites. Therefore, mobility of CNM in polymer matrix was found to be improved with chemical functionalization.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combined use of several types of silicone polymers on the physical properties of the dental polyvinylsiloxane impression materials (PVS). Four types of silicone prepolymers having different molecular weight and vinyl group position, and two types of cross-linkers having differently located silyl hydride functional groups were used in various combinations for the formulation. The samples containing bimodal or trimodal prepolymers showed higher tensile strength, elongation at break, and elastic deformation than those containing only one type of prepolymer. The samples using CR210 cross-linker which has side- and terminal-silyl hydride groups showed higher elastic deformation and elongation at break than those using CR101 cross-liker which has side-only silyl hydride group. High vinyl content prepolymer having side vinyl group delayed setting even though it enhanced tensile strength. Further studies are needed to clarify the specific role of this component on setting time and to find appropriate controlling methods for making improved PVS with optimum workability.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.285-288
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• 2020

The demand for coating technology on electric power equipment that has arisen from such issues regarding the attaching of illegal advertisements and posters to electric power distribution boxes such as TR, SW, etc. in down town areas seeks to produce functional coating surfaces using polymers and nano-materials that will result in improvements in self-cleaning performance and greater stability even under harsh environmental conditions. KEPCO-coatings consist of copolymerized acrylic resin and methacryl-modified reactive silicone that are able to chemically combine, which results in performance improvement without any leakage of of silicone, thus contributing to its properties of high-stability. Thus, the research team has also started long-term on-site testing on 9 electric power distribution spots around a city center in cooperation with the KEPCO Daeduck-yusung branch. The KEPCO-coating technology could advance the best coating materials and processes to meet appropriate circumstances for a variety of outdoor damage environment. It is also predicted that KEPCO could be possible to expand international electric maintenance markets and to arrange business platforms if KEPCO would achieve its original technology (IPs) by the means of upgrading in self-cleaning coating technology and obtaining long-term on-site test records from nationwide electric facilities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.552-558
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• 2023

Levulinic acid (LA) is a valuable chemical used in fuel additives, fragrances, and polymers. In this study, we proposed possible biosynthetic pathways for LA production from lignin and poly(ethylene terephthalate). We also created a genetically encoded biosensor responsive to LA, which can be used for screening and evolving the LA biosynthesis pathway genes, by employing an LvaR transcriptional regulator of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to express a fluorescent reporter gene. The LvaR regulator senses LA as a cognate ligand. The LA biosensor was first examined in an Escherichia coli strain and was found to be non-functional. When the host of the LA biosensor was switched from E. coli to P. putida KT2440, the LA biosensor showed a linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and LA concentration in the range of 0.156-10 mM LA. In addition, we determined that 0.156 mM LA was the limit of LA detection in P. putida KT2440 harboring an LA-responsive biosensor. The maximal fluorescence increase was 12.3-fold in the presence of 10 mM LA compared to that in the absence of LA. The individual cell responses to LA concentrations reflected the population-averaged responses, which enabled high-throughput screening of enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in LA biosynthesis and sustainable production of LA in engineered microbes.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2005

The characteristics of cell growth and medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (MCL-PHA) biosynthesis of Pseudomonas chlororaphis HS21 were investigated using plant oils as the carbon substrate. The organism was efficiently capable of utilizing plant oils, such as palm oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil, as the sole carbon source for growth and MCL-PHA production. When palm oil (5 g/L) was used as the carbon source, the cell growth and MCL-PHA accumulation of this organism occurred simultaneously, and a high dry cell weight (2.4 g/L) and MCL-PHA ($40.2\;mol{\%}$ of dry cell weight) was achieved after 30 hr of batch-fermentation. The repeating unit in the MCL-PHA produced from palm oil composed of 3-hydroxyhexanoate ($7.0\;mol{\%}$), 3-hydroxyoctanoate ($45.3\;mol{\%}$), 3-hydroxydecanoate ($39.0\;mol{\%}$), 3-hydroxydodecanoate ($6.8\;mol{\%}$), and 3-hydroxytetradecanoate ($1.9\;mol{\%}$), as determined by GC/MS. Even though glucose was a carbon substrate that support cell growth but not PHA production, the conversion rate of palm oil to PHA was significantly increased when glucose was fed as a cosubstrate, suggesting that bioconversion of some functionalized carbon substrates to related polymers in P chlororaphis HS21 could be enhanced by the co-feed of good carbon substrates for cell growth. In addition, the change of compositions of repeating units in MCL-PHAs synthesized from the plant oils was markedly affected by the supplementation of acrylic acid, an inhibitor of fatty acid ${\beta}-oxidation$. The addition of acrylic acid resulted in the increase of longer chain-length repeating units, such as 3-hydroxydodecanoate and 3-hydroxytetradecanoate, in the MCL-PHAs produced. Particularly, MCI-PHAs containing high amounts of unsaturated repeating units could be produced when sunflower oil and corn oil were used as the carbon substrate. These results suggested that the alteration of PHA synthesis pathway by acrylic acid addition can offer the opportunity to design new functional MCL-PHAs and other unusual polyesters that have unique physico-chemical properties.