When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
A team of scientists in China and the U.S. have designed a polymer structure on the nanoscale to detect indoor pollutants. As Carl reports in Chemistry World, the device could be used for a myriad of applications such as sensors, filtration, and tissue engineering.
For the time being, the device is designed to detect formaldehyde. Saxton explains why formaldehyde is of interest:
Formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of many polymers, resins and other construction materials. It is also used as an intermediate in soaps and detergents and is widely using in pharmacology and medicine. Formaldehyde is, however, a carcinogenic compound, which has a safe indoor exposure limit of between 60-80 parts per billion over a time period of 30 min. Conventional formaldehyde detection methods, such as chromatography, calorimetry, fluorescence and spectroscopy, suffer from long detection times and low sensitivity and are often expensive. Therefore there is a need for a rapid, low cost and sensitive method for formaldehyde detection.
The team of researchers, led by Bin Ding at Donghua University, Shanghai, China, dropped special polyamide membranes on a quartz crystal microbalance. The membranes, made using an electro-spinning netting technique, looked much like spider webs. Polyamides are a class of polymers that occur both naturally (wool and silk) and synthetically (nylon).
A quartz crystal microbalance, the platform on which Ding and colleagues placed their membranes, measures mass per unit area by detecting the change in frequency of a quartz crystal resonator when something either falls on or off it. The change in mass causes the change in frequency.
Ding’s team showed that the membranes had a large surface area that was riddled with holes as well as with a large stacking density and high adhesive force. Because of these properties, the device could detect very low levels of formaldehyde, as low as 50 parts per billion. The system was also found to show rapid response times with high reproducibility and selectivity.
Ding told Saxton that they were able to robustly produce the nanoscale membranes in large quantities and with a uniform size. He says the nets also have potential applications as ultra-fine filters to catch viruses and bacteria.
Saxton reports:
Bingyun Li, an expert in nano-sized sorbents at West Virginia University, US, comments: ‘The most interesting part of this work is the high sensitivity and rapid response to formaldehyde. The challenge faced by the team will be the systems’ reproducibility and multiple cycle performance.’
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