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Andreas Voigt

Publications and source records attributed to Andreas Voigt.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Coarsening of axial segregation patterns of slurries in a horizontally rotating drum.

Segregation structures of granular mixtures in rotating drums represent classical examples of pattern formation in granular material. We investigate the coarsening of axial segregation patterns of slurries in a long horizontally rotating cylinder. The dynamics and the three-dimensional geometry of the segregation structures are analyzed with optical methods and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Previous studies have mainly considered global statistical features of the pattern dynamics. In order to get insight into driving mechanisms for the coarsening process, we focus on the details of the dissolution of individual bands. We treat the coarsening as a consequence of interactions of adjacent bands in the pattern, which are determined by their geometrical relations. In addition to initially homogeneous mixtures, which evolve to spontaneously formed patterns, we study the evolution of specially prepared simple initial states. The role of the three-dimensional geometry of the axial core in the dissolution process of segregation bands is demonstrated. Relations between geometry and dynamic processes are established, which may help to find the correct microscopic models for the coarsening mechanism.

Journal Article↗

Hollow polymer shells from biological templates: fabrication and potential applications.

Three-dimensional ultrathin polymer shells have been produced by a combination of step-by-step adsorption of polyelectrolytes on glutaraldehyde-treated human erythrocytes and subsequent solubilization of the cytoplasmatic constituents by means of a deproteinizing agent. The obtained hollow films preserve both the size and shape of the templating cells. This opens a pathway for the fabrication of polymeric capsules within a wide range of size and shape by using various biological templates. They may have exciting potential applications, such as templates for nanocomposites, as containers for a large class of materials, or as cages for chemical reactions. The thickness of the films can be adjusted over a large range: from a few nm up to several tens of nm. The polymer shells are permeable to small molecules and ions but not to macromolecules. An increase in the ionic strength of the solution up to 100 mmol make the capsules permeable for proteins. Permeability and conductivity studies have provided evidence that the adsorption of lipids on polyelectrolyte layers is a means of producing capsules with controlled permeability properties. 6-Carboxyfluorescein and Rhodamin 6G were precipitated within the capsules.

Biotechnology↗

Polyelectrolyte complexes and layer-by-layer capsules from chitosan/chitosan sulfate.

Polyelectrolyte complex formation of chitosans of varying average molecular weight and degree of acetylation with chitosan sulfate or poly(styrene sulfonate) was studied by static light scattering in dilute solution at various ionic strengths. Unlike the molecular weight, the degree of acetylation was found to have a significant effect on the resultant structural densities of the complexes. The same system was applied to the preparation of micrometer-sized hollow shells by means of a layer-by-layer technique (in total eight layers). Their behavior toward fluorescent probes such as fluorescein and rhodamin 6G or fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled dextrans at various ionic strengths and pH (observed by confocal laser light scanning microscopy) could be understood through a discussion of electrostatic forces between the highly charged shells and the probes to be dominant. At an ionic strength of 0.1 M and above, charge effects are largely suppressed (screening effect) and a size-dependent "cutoff" for the permeation of the macromolecular fluorophore was observed.

Acetylation↗