Browsing by Author "Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Alumoxane/ferroxane nanoparticles for the removal of viral pathogens: the importance of surface functionality to nanoparticle activity
    (The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012) Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Liga, Michael V.; Li, Qilin; Barron, Andrew R.; Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology
    A bi-functional nano-composite coating has been created on a porous Nomex fabric support as a trap for aspirated virus contaminated water. Nomex fabric was successively dip-coated in solutions containing cysteic acid functionalized alumina (alumoxane) nanoparticles and cysteic acid functionalized iron oxide (ferroxane) nanoparticles to form a nanoparticle coated Nomex (NPN) fabric. From SEM and EDX the nanoparticle coating of the Nomex fibers is uniform, continuous, and conformal. The NPN was used as a filter for aspirated bacteriophage MS2 viruses using end-on filtration. All measurements were repeated to give statistical reliability. The NPN fabrics show a large decrease as compared to Nomex alone or alumoxane coated Nomex . An increase in the ferroxane content results in an equivalent increase in virus retention. This suggests that it is the ferroxane that has an active role in deactivating and/or binding the virus. Heating the NPN to 160 C results in the loss of cysteic acid functional groups (without loss of the iron nanoparticleﾒs core structure) and the resulting fabric behaves similar to that of untreated Nomex , showing that the surface functionalization of the nanoparticles is vital for the surface collapse of aspirated water droplets and the absorption and immobilization of the MS2 viruses. Thus, for virus immobilization, it is not sufficient to have iron oxide nanoparticles per se, but the surface functionality of a nanoparticle is vitally important in ensuring efficacy.
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    Analyzing the transport of plasmonic particles through mineral formations
    (2013-11-05) Barron, Andrew R.; Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Orbaek, Alvin White; Rice University; United States Patent and Trademark Office
    A transport of plasmonic particles through a mineral formation is analyzed by flowing a plasmonic particles solution through an immobile phase (e.g., a mineral formation), determining an absorbance of the plasmonic particles solution subsequent to flowing the plasmonic particles solution through the immobile phase, comparing the determined absorbance of the plasmonic particles solution with an absorbance of the plasmonic particles solution determined previous to flowing the plasmonic particles solution through the immobile phase, and determining an absorbance of the plasmonic particles to the immobile phase as a function of the comparison. The plasmonic particles solution may be produced by dissolving or suspending plasmonic particles in a mobile phase. Flowing the plasmonic particles solution through the immobile phase may include injecting the plasmonic particles solution into the immobile phase, and then flushing the plasmonic particles solution through the immobile phase.
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    Fabrication of petrochemical and viral resistant membranes
    (2012) Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Barron, Andrew R.
    Physical interaction between two bulk media occurs mainly at the surface interface. The surface properties of materials therefore dictate how a system will respond to different influences, while being just a fraction of the entire volume. Alteration of a surface can therefore have a significant effect on a system. In this thesis the functionalization of surfaces via covalent attachment of short chained molecules was undertaken to manipulate surface-surface interactions for different outcomes. The separation and purification of bulk media of impurities has always been undertaken. Many different processes exist, however the removal of impurities from dynamic or open systems remains a problem. The use of filtration technologies remains the best option in this type of system. In filtration technology membranes are employed to selectively remove one or more elements from another generally under a driving force. The selectivity of a membrane has either traditionally relied on either physical attributes such as pore size or chemical attributes such as charge, van der Waals etc. In this thesis we propose the use of organically functionalized ceramic nanoparticles alumoxanes to act as a coating of the side walls of the fibers of a base bulk fabric material Nomex © . The side chain of cysteic acid has been found to be extremely hydrophilic due in part to its Zwitter ionic properties. The use of hydrophilic cysteic acid alumoxane was used as part of a composite membrane to screening hydrocarbons. Doping of this membrane with cysteic acid ferroxane the iron analogue of alumoxane was used as a membrane to screen MS2 bacteriophage.
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    Methods, systems and membranes for separation of organic compounds from liquid samples
    (2016-01-26) Barron, Andrew R.; Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Rice University; United States Patent and Trademark Office
    Various aspects of the present invention pertain to porous membranes that comprise: (1) a plurality of pores with pore sizes of more than about 0.1 μm in diameter; and (2) a plurality of hydrophilic molecules. Additional aspects of the present invention pertain to methods of separating organic compounds from a liquid sample by: (1) providing the porous membrane; and (2) flowing the liquid sample through the porous membrane in order to retain organic compounds on the porous membrane. Further aspects of the present invention pertain to systems for separating organic compounds from a liquid sample. Such systems comprises: (1) the porous membrane; and (2) a flowing unit that enables the liquid sample to flow through the porous membrane. Additional aspects of the present invention pertain to methods of making the above-described porous membranes by: (1) coating a surface of a porous membrane containing 0.1 μm pores with a ceramic material; and (2) associating the coated surface of the porous membrane with hydrophilic molecules.
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    Superhydrophilic Functionalization of Microfiltration Ceramic Membranes Enables Separation of Hydrocarbons from Frac and Produced Water
    (Springer Nature, 2017) Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Huseman, Joseph E.; Ainscough, Thomas J.; Oatley-Radcliffe, Darren L.; Alabdulkarem, Abdullah A.; Al-Mojil, Sattam Fahad; Barron, Andrew R.
    The environmental impact of shale oil and gas production by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is of increasing concern. The biggest potential source of environmental contamination is flowback and produced water, which is highly contaminated with hydrocarbons, bacteria and particulates, meaning that traditional membranes are readily fouled. We show the chemical functionalisation of alumina ceramic microfiltration membranes (0.22 μm pore size) with cysteic acid creates a superhydrophilic surface, allowing for separation of hydrocarbons from frac and produced waters without fouling. The single pass rejection coefficients was >90% for all samples. The separation of hydrocarbons from water when the former have hydrodynamic diameters smaller than the pore size of the membrane is due to the zwitter ionically charged superhydrophilic pore surface. Membrane fouling is essentially eliminated, while a specific flux is obtained at a lower pressure (<2 bar) than that required achieving the same flux for the untreated membrane (4–8 bar).
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    Temperature dependence on the mass susceptibility and mass magnetization of superparamagnetic Mn–Zn–ferrite nanoparticles as contrast agents for magnetic imaging of oil and gas reservoirs
    (Taylor & Francis, 2018) Morrow, Lauren; Snow, Brendan; Ali, Arfan; Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Almutairi, Zeyad; Potter, David K.; Barron, Andrew R.
    The mass susceptibility (χmass) and mass magnetization (Mmass) were determined for a series of ternary manganese and zinc ferrite nanoparticles (Mn–Zn ferrite NPs, MnxZn1−xFe2O4) with different Mn:Zn ratios (0.08 ≤ x ≤ 4.67), prepared by the thermal decomposition reaction of the appropriate metal acetylacetonate complexes, and for the binary homologs (MxFe3−xO4, where M = Mn or Zn). Alteration of the Mn:Zn ratio in Mn–Zn ferrite NPs does not significantly affect the particle size. At room temperature and low applied field strength the mass susceptibility increases sharply as the Mn:Zn ratio increases, but above a ratio of 0.4 further increase in the amount of manganese results in the mass susceptibility decreasing slightly, reaching a plateau above Mn:Zn ≈ 2. The compositional dependence of the mass magnetization shows less of a variation at room temperature and high applied fields. The temperature dependence of the mass magnetization of Mn–Zn ferrite NPs is significantly less for Mn-rich compositions making them more suitable for downhole imaging at higher temperatures (>100 °C). For non-shale reservoirs, replacement of nMag by Mn-rich Mn–Zn ferrites will allow for significant signal-to-noise enhancement of 6.5× over NP magnetite.
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    Water purification and monitoring
    (2014-03-11) Maguire-Boyle, Samuel J.; Barron, Andrew R.; Marti, Angel A.; Li, Qilin
    The purification of water for the next century is paramount. As global demand for energy increases new ways of generating energy have been discovered and exploited. However, with the diversification of energy sources one thing remains constant, the water energy nexus. The water energy nexus is the intimate connection of water generation to energy generation and visa-versa. In other words, to have energy clean water is needed and to have clean water energy is needed. Because of this, new methods of water purification and monitoring have been investigated and developed.Herein the author describes new water purification methods using zwitterionic surfaces which have been used to purify various types of water including to date the most difficult waters such as ‘oilfield brines’. The author also describes techniques developed to monitor the chemical content of the oilfield brine which may be adapted for use at on-site wells as well as techniques which may be utilized to monitor for aquifer contamination by oilfield operations via nanoparticle sensors.