Electrical Conductivity

Epoxy resin will continue to be in the forefront of many thermoset applications due to its versatile properties. However, with advancement in manufacturing, changing societal outlook for the chemical industries and emerging technologies that disrupt conventional approaches to thermoset fabrication, there is a need for a multifunctional epoxy resin that is able to adapt to newer and robust requirements. Epoxy resins that behave both like a thermoplastic and a thermoset resin with better properties are now the norm in research and development. In this paper, we viewed multifunctionality in epoxy resins in terms of other desirable properties such as its toughness and flexibility, rapid curing potential, self-healing ability, reprocessability and recyclability, high temperature stability and conductivity, which other authors failed to recognize. These aspects, when considered in the synthesis and formulation of epoxy resins will be a radical advance for thermosetting polymers, with a lot of applications. Therefore, we present an overview of the recent finding as to pave the way for varied approaches towards multifunctional epoxy resins.

Rapid advances in biosensors have recently been reported. This has been possible due to rapid growth in the development of new biomaterials such as conducting polymers, copolymers and sol gels etc and the reported improvements in sensing techniques. Biosensors are miniaturized devices employing biochemical molecular recognition as the basis for a selective analysis. The response generated as a result of biochemical reaction is detected by a transducer to give a signal (optical/electrical/thermal) that can be used with or without amplification for the estimation of the concentration of an analyte in a given test sample. Among the various biosensors, electrochemical sensors, especially amperometric biosensors presently hold a leading position.Due to specificity, portability, simplicity, high sensitivity, potential ability for real-time and on-site analysis coupled with the speed and low cost, biosensors have been projected to have applications in food analysis, environment control, clinical detection, drug and agriculture industries etc. Besides this, biosensors offer exciting opportunities for numerous decentralized clinical applications, ranging from emergency room screening, home self testing and alternative site testing, continuous and real-time in vivo monitoring. New generation of biosensors combining new bioreceptors with the ever-growing number of transducers is emerging. The present paper highlights some of the recent advances in the area of biosensors contributed by our laboratory.

Ana Silvaa,b, Laura Quintanaa, Matıas Galeanoa & Pablo Errandoneaa aDepartamento de Neurofisiologıa, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable; Unidad Asociada de Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Avda. Italia 3318, 11600 ...

This research investigates a capacitive deionization method for salinity reduction in a batch reactor as a new approach for desalination. Reductions of cost and energy compared with conventional desalination methods are the significant advantages of this approach. In this research, experiments were performed with a pair of graphite bipolar electrodes that were coated with a one-gram activated carbon solution. After completing preliminary tests, the impacts of four parameters on electrical conductivity reduction, including (1) the initial concentration of feed solution, (2) the duration of the tests, (3) the applied voltage, and (4) the pH of the solution, were examined. The results show that the maximum efficiency of electrical conductivity reduction in this laboratory-scale reactor is about 55%. Furthermore, the effects of the initial concentration of feed solution are more significant than the other parameters. Thus, using the capacitive deionization method for water desalination with low and moderate salt concentrations (i.e., brackish water) is proposed as an affordable method. Compared with conventional desalination methods, capacitive deionization is not only more efficient but also potentially more environmentally friendly.