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Results for “multifunctionality”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Structural basis for the interaction between DJ-1 and Bcl-XL

Highlights: • Oxidized, but not reduced, DJ-1 interacts with Bcl-X{sub L}. • C-terminal α8-helix of DJ-1 acts as a binding motif for Bcl-X{sub L}. • C-terminal α8-helix of DJ-1 binds to the BH3 peptide-binding groove in Bcl-X{sub L}. • A conserved binding mode of the Bcl-X{sub L}/DJ-1 and other Bcl-X{sub L}/BH3 peptide complexes. • Understanding of structural basis for the binding between DJ-1 and Bcl-X{sub L}. DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and tumorigenesis. In response to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation, DJ-1 is translocated into the mitochondria, and its interaction with the mitochondrial protein Bcl-X{sub L} protects cells against death. In this study, we characterized the molecular interaction between DJ-1 and Bcl-X{sub L} by NMR spectroscopy. The NMR chemical shift perturbation data demonstrated that the oxidized but not the reduced form of DJ-1 binds to the predominantly hydrophobic groove surrounded by the BH1–BH3 domains in Bcl-X{sub L}. In addition, our results showed that the C-terminal α8-helix peptide (Cpep) of DJ-1 binds to the pro-apoptotic BH3 peptide-binding hydrophobic groove in Bcl-X{sub L} and, thus, acts as a Bcl-X{sub L}-binding motif. In combination with the NMR chemical shift perturbation data, a refined structural model of the Bcl-X{sub L}/DJ-1 Cpep complex revealed that the binding mode is remarkably similar to that of other Bcl-X{sub L}/pro-apoptotic BH3 peptide complexes. Taken together, our results provide a structural basis for the binding mechanism between DJ-1 and Bcl-X{sub L}, which will contribute to molecular understanding of the role of mitochondrial DJ-1 in Bcl-X{sub L} regulation in response to oxidative stress.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy of tumor by hollow carbon nanospheres

Combined use of different therapies is conducive to improve the effectiveness of cancer therapy. The chemo-photothermal therapy is commonly used in one nanocarrier to provide an excellent synergistic effect for cancer therapy over photothermal therapy (PTT) or chemotherapy alone. In this study, biocompatible and monodisperse hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNs) were developed as a multifunctional platform for the delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and PTT of cancer simultaneously. The mesoporous HCNs have large pore volume and proper channels for loading and release of PTX. Upon near-infrared (NIR) laser illumination, the photothermal mediator of HCNs could effectively convert absorbed light into heat, which triggered rapid release of chemotherapeutic drug from HCNs through dissociating the interactions between PTX and HCNs by heat energy. A large number of tumor cells were significantly destroyed when hct116 cells treated with PTX@HCNs were irradiated, which was mainly attribute to the synergistic result of HCNs-mediated photothermal damage and cytotoxicity of light-triggered PTX release.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hepatocyte-specific clusterin overexpression attenuates diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Clusterin is a multifunctional glycoprotein that plays important roles and is up-regulated in liver diseases such as hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, little is known about the significance of clusterin in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of this study is to examine the role of clusterin in progression of steatohepatitis in mice fed a methionine and choline deficient (MCD) diet. We generated hepatocyte-specific clusterin overexpression (hCLU-tg) mice, and hCLU-tg mice showed lower levels of hepatic triglycerides, less infiltration of macrophages and reduction of TNF-α, activation of Nrf-2 than wild-type littermates fed the MCD diet. Also, sustained clusterin expression in liver ameliorated hepatic fibrogenesis by reducing the activation of hepatic stellate cells by MCD diet. Sustained expression of clusterin in liver functioned as a preconditioning stimulus and prevented MCD diet-induced severe steatohepatitis injury via Nrf2 activation. These results demonstrate a novel function of clusterin as an immune preconditioning regulator in various inflammatory diseases including steatohepatitis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

TGF beta inhibits expression of SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, but not SP-D in human alveolar type II cells

Highlights: • TGF beta inhibits expression of SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, Fatty acid synthase, and ABCA3. • TGF beta does not inhibit the expression of SP-D. • TGF beta does not induce EMT changes in highly differentiated type II cells. TGF beta is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates alveolar epithelial cells as well as immune cells and fibroblasts. TGF beta inhibits surfactant protein A, B and C expression in fetal human lung and can inhibit type II cell proliferation induced by FGF7 (KGF). However, little is known about direct effects of TGF beta on adult human type II cells. We cultured alveolar type II cells under air/liquid interface conditions to maintain their state of differentiation with or without TGF beta. TGF beta markedly decreased expression of SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, fatty acid synthase, and the phospholipid transporter ABCA3. However, TGF beta increased protein levels of SP-D with little change in mRNA levels, indicating that it is regulated independently from other components of surfactant. TGF beta is a negative regulator of both the protein and the phospholipid components of surfactant. TGF beta did not induce EMT changes in highly differentiated human type II cells. SP-D is an important host defense molecule and regulated independently from the other surfactant proteins. Taken together these data are the first report of the effect of TGF beta on highly differentiated adult human type II cells. The effects on the surfactant system are likely important in the development of fibrotic lung diseases.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

DDX1 regulates alternative splicing and insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells

DEAD-box helicase 1 (DDX1) is a multifunction protein involved in diverse cellular processes including transcription, viral replication, mRNA/miRNA processing, and tRNA splicing. Here, we report a novel function of DDX1 in mRNA alternative splicing in pancreatic β cells. By performing integrated data analysis of high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), and cross-linking and immunoprecipitation coupled with deep sequencing (CLIP-Seq), we identify hundreds of alternative splicing genes that are targeted by DDX1. These DDX1-targeted alternative splicing genes are mainly associated with calcium ion binding, high voltage-gated calcium channel, and transmembrane transporter. Functionally, silencing DDX1 impairs calcium influx and insulin secretion in the pancreatic β cells. These results reveal an important role for DDX1 in the regulation of gene alternative splicing and insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Catalase inhibition induces pexophagy through ROS accumulation

Highlights: • Catalase deficiency or its inhibition by 3 A T during serum starvation results in pexophagy. • Pexophagy mediated by catalase inhibition is accompanied by PEX5 ubiquitination. • ROS accumulation in peroxisome is the key factor to induce pexophagy. • N-acetyl-l-cysteine prevents ROS-mediated pexophagy. Peroxisomes are dynamic and multifunctional organelles involved in various cellular metabolic processes, and their numbers are tightly regulated by pexophagy, a selective degradation of peroxisomes through autophagy to maintain peroxisome homeostasis in cells. Catalase, a major peroxisome protein, plays a critical role in removing peroxisome-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by peroxisome enzymes, but the contribution of catalase to pexophagy has not been reported. Here, we investigated the role of catalase in peroxisome degradation during nutrient deprivation. Both short interfering RNA-mediated silencing of catalase and pharmacological inhibition by 3-aminotriazole (3AT) decreased the number of peroxisomes and resulted in the downregulation of peroxisomal proteins, such as PMP70 and PEX14 under serum starvation. In addition, treatment with 3AT induced NBR1-dependent autophagy and PEX5 ubiquitination in the absence of serum, which was accompanied by accumulation of ROS. Co-treatment with antioxidant agent N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) prevented ROS accumulation and pexophagy by modulating peroxisome protein levels and the association of NBR1, a pexophagy receptor with peroxisomes. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that catalase plays an important role in pexophagy during nutrient deprivation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

TGF-β plays a vital role in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) drug-resistance through regulating stemness, EMT and apoptosis

Highlights: • Acute epirubicin exposure induced TGF-β expression and breast cancer stemness. • Chronic epirubicin exposure established drug-resistant cell line MB-231/Epi. • MB-231/Epi enriched for TGF-β, CSC, anti-apoptosis, cycle arrest and EMT properties. • TGF-β play a vital role in regulating TNBC drug resistance. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most malignant subtype of breast cancer in which the cell surface lacks usual targets for drug to exhibit its effects. Epirubicin (Epi) is widely used for TNBC, but a substantial number of patients develop Epi resistance that is usually associated with poor prognosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine. In recent study, it appears that TGF-β influences the cancer stem cell population, thus, the drug resistance of cancer may also be affected. We used epirubicin to treat MDA-MB-231 (MB-231) cells and found that TGF-β and breast cancer stem cell markers CD44{sup +}CD24{sup −} were increased and were dose-dependent of epirubicin. We established drug-resistant cell line from parental MB-231 cells by chronic treatment with low-concentration epirubicin. The MB-231/Epi cell line showed relatively slow growth rate with varied morphology. Transwell assay and drug sensitivity assay revealed that the malignant cell behaviors in terms of migration, invasion and epirubicin-resistant properties were markedly increased in the MB-231/Epi cells. Western blot, immunofluorescence assay, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the expression levels of the breast cancer stem cell markers, CD44 and CD24. Mammospheres assay showed that the stemness of MB-231/Epi was increased compared to their parental cells. Interestingly, MB-231/Epi cells showed different expression levels of apoptosis-related markers: Bcl2, Bax; EMT-related markers E-cadherin, N-cadherin and cell cycle-related marker cyclinD1. These genes have all been shown to be regulated by the TGF-β pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest that TGF-β plays a vital role in TNBC epirubicin-resistance through regulating stemness, EMT and apoptosis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

A preliminary study of photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-mode imaging in melanoma using MAGE-targeted gold nanoparticles

Nanoprobes are small enough to circulate within the vasculature and can reach tumour tissues through the endothelial gap, providing a new strategy for accurate tumour monitoring and imaging-guided antitumour therapy at the molecular level. Both photoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging are noninvasive tools for cancer detection via the application of nanoprobes. In this study, a polymeric multifunctional nanoparticle probe loaded with gold nanorods (Au-NRs) and liquid perfluorocarbon (perfluorinated hexane/PFH) and conjugated to a monoclonal antibody (MAGE-1 antibody) to melanoma-associated antigens (MAGE) targeting melanoma was successfully prepared by the double emulsion and carbodiimide methods as a targeted photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-mode imaging contrast agent (MAGE-Au-PFH-NPs). Cell-targeting experiments in vitro showed large amounts of MAGE-Au-PFH-NPs surrounding B16 melanoma cells in the targeted group. The photoacoustic signal in the targeted group was significantly increased, and the duration was longer than that in the untargeted group in vivo. The photoacoustic signal of the nanoprobes was enhanced with increased Au-NR concentration in the photoacoustic experiment in vitro. The enhanced signal was observed by ultrasound after 808-nm laser irradiation. A cytotoxicity and biocompatibility test showed that MAGE-Au-PFH-NPs exhibited good biological safety. The MAGE-Au-PFH-NPs can be used as a photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-mode contrast agent to lay the foundation for a promising new approach for the noninvasive targeting, monitoring and treatment of tumours.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

The gene expression of two endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 isoforms is regulated by distinct posttranscriptional mechanisms

Highlights: • ERAP1 contains two isoforms that exchange 3′ untranslated regions of mRNA. • One of ERAP1 isoform is suppressed the protein expression posttranscriptionally. • We identified cis-elements that repressed the alternative splicing within ERAP1. • IFN-γ stimulation affects transcription and the alternative splicing of ERAP1. Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) is a multifunctional enzyme belonging to the M1 family of aminopeptidases and shown to be associated with various autoimmune diseases. Human ERAP1 protein has two isoforms produced by alternative splicing of the 3′ terminal exon, although their functional differences have not yet been fully clarified. In this study, we showed that the isoforms undergo different posttranscriptional regulation mechanisms via their respective 3′ untranslated regions. Using a reporter system, we identified several cis-elements that are important for the regulation of alternative splicing. Finally, we revealed a close relationship between the transcriptional induction of the ERAP1 gene by interferon-gamma and the alternative splicing. These results suggest that the two ERAP1 isoforms function under different pathophysiological conditions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Prevention of acute liver injury by suppressing plasma kallikrein-dependent activation of latent TGF-β

Highlights: • TGF-β contributes to the pathogenesis of acute liver injury (ALI). • PLK-dependent TGF-β activation occurs in/around macrophages in ALI mice. • R58 latency associated protein-degradation products serve as an indicator for ALI. • Inhibiting PLK suppresses apoptosis and improves survival rate of ALI mice. Acute liver injury (ALI) is highly lethal acute liver failure caused by different etiologies. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine and a well-recognized inducer of apoptotic and necrotic cell death in hepatocytes. Latent TGF-β is activated partly through proteolytic cleavage by a serine protease plasma kallikrein (PLK) between the R58 and L59 residues of its propeptide region. Recently, we developed a specific monoclonal antibody to detect the N-terminal side LAP degradation products ending at residue R58 (R58 LAP-DPs) that reflect PLK-dependent TGF-β activation. This study aimed to explore the potential roles of PLK-dependent TGF-β activation in the pathogenesis of ALI. We established a mouse ALI model via the injection of anti-Fas antibodies (Jo2) and observed increases in the TGF-β1 mRNA level, Smad3 phosphorylation, TUNEL-positive apoptotic hepatocytes and R58-positive cells in the liver tissues of Jo2-treated mice. The R58 LAP-DPs were observed in/around F4/80-positive macrophages, while macrophage depletion with clodronate liposomes partly alleviated the Jo2-induced liver injury. Blocking PLK-dependent TGF-β activation using either the serine proteinase inhibitor FOY305 or the selective PLK inhibitor PKSI-527 or blocking the TGF-β receptor-mediated signaling pathway using SB431542 significantly prevented Jo2-induced hepatic apoptosis and mortality. Furthermore, similar phenomena were observed in the mouse model of ALI with the administration of acetaminophen (APAP). In summary, R58 LAP-DPs reflecting PLK-dependent TGF-β activation may serve as a biomarker for ALI, and targeting PLK-dependent TGF-β activation has potential as a therapeutic strategy for ALI.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Graphene-based materials: The missing piece in nanomedicine?

Nanomedicine utilizes biocompatible nanomaterials for therapeutic as well as imaging purposes for the treatment of various diseases including cancer, neurological disorders and wound infections. Graphene and its modified nanostructures have attracted much attention in recent years in nanomedicine owing to their scalable and cost effective preparation and physiochemical features (high specific surface area, ease in conjugation to peptides/antibodies/proteins and biocompatibility). However, the limited fabrication, functionalization, and in vivo functionalities available in literature indicate inconsistencies regarding the factors affecting in vivo metabolisms, biodistribution as well as toxicity patterns of graphene. It appears that redox signaling pathways, and their proper use to target specific diseases and to improve biocompatibility and interplay between size and optical properties are key determinants to investigate the metabolic fate of such materials. This featured letter provides key insights into the significance and multifunctional roles of redox regulated species in graphene-based materials which can be used to closely mimic therapeutic functions, navigating new paths to nanomedicine and synthetic biology. Furthermore, this letter focuses on the missing functionalities and challenges in using graphene-based materials as both nano-carriers and nano-drugs in various biomedical sectors which might be favorable for multiple payloads and drug targeting in upcoming years.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel Y-box gene from planarian Dugesia japonica

Highlights: • A novel gene encoding a Y-box protein named DjY2 was cloned from Dugesia japonica. • DjY2 protein was structurally different from other Y-box proteins in planarians. • The expression patterns of DjY2 transcripts are different from DjY1 and DeY1. • DjY2 gene might participate in the regeneration process in planarian. Y-box binding protein (YB protein) is an ancient conserved multifunctional DNA/RNA-binding protein. A novel YB protein DjY2 gene from planarian Dugesia japonica was cloned by RACE method and characterized. This cDNA contains 689 bp with a putative open reading frame of 197 amino acids. It has a predicted molecular mass of 22.14 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.67. Whole-mount in situ hybridization and relative quantitative real-time PCR were used to study the spatial and temporal expression pattern of DjY2 in the process of planarian regeneration. Results showed that DjY2 was expressed in many parts of the body in intact planarian, but the expression level was low in head and pharynx. The transcripts of DjY2 was significantly increased both at the head parts and the tail parts after amputation, especially at the site of cutting. The spatial expression gradually recovered to the state of intact planarian with the time of regeneration. Our results indicated that DjY2 might participate in the process of regeneration in planarian.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Leukemia inhibitory factor promotes extracellular matrix synthesis in degenerative nucleus pulposus cells via MAPK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Highlights: • LIF treatment was found to stimulate the synthesis of ECM in-vitro cultured NPCs. • LIF could activate the ERK1/2 signaling pathway to regulate ECM synthesis. • The therapeutic effect of LIF on deferring the degenerative process of disc was proved in vivo. Extracellular matrix (ECM) anabolism and catabolism imbalance is key feature of chondrocyte and intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus (NP) cell degeneration. The role of LIF as a multifunctional cytokine in the ECM metabolism of chondrocytes is controversial, but no relevant research in the ECM metabolism of NP cells. This study aimed to explore the biofunction and related mechanisms of LIF in the degenerative NP cells. We obtained an increase in the expression of LIF in the human degenerated NP specimens. The addition of recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factor (rhLIF) to the degenerated NP cells cultured in vitro was found to stimulate the synthesis of ECM, and rhLIF could activate the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. However, coculture with PD98059, a signal inhibitor of ERK1/2, blocked the effect of rhLIF on the synthesis of ECM. To furtherly clarify the role of LIF, we carried out animal experiments and found that rhLIF treatment could successfully delay the degree of degeneration of the intervertebral disc in a rabbit model; but with the addition of PD98059, the function of rhLIF for degeneration protection disappeared. In summary, this study demonstrates that LIF plays a role in promoting ECM synthesis in the degenerated NP cells as a protective role in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), which is related to the activation of ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

A histidine-rich elastin-like polypeptide functions as a quickly detectable and easily purifiable protein fusion tag

Highlights: • A HRELP fusion tag is designed and highly expressed in E. coli. • HRELP fusion tag can be specifically and quickly stained with Pauly's reagent. • HRELP fusion protein can be detected in both cell lysate and SDS-PAGE. • HRELP fusion protein can be purified by pH-triggered ITC. Although many protein fusion tags have been developed for recombinant protein production to improve protein yields or facilitate purification, determining the expression and purification of the fusion protein still remain to be a time-consuming and laborious procedure. In this work, we designed a histidine-rich elastin-like polypeptide (HRELP) fusion tag and found that it could be efficiently expressed in E. coli cells and specifically stained with Pauly's reagent in a couple of minutes post SDS-PAGE analysis. Moreover, in Pauly's reagent-stained polyacrylamide gels, only the bands of HRELP fusion proteins were yellow and could be clearly visualized with little background. Furthermore, both HRELPs and HRELP20-BMP2 fusion protein could be purified by a method of pH shift-mediated inverse transition cycling (ITC). In our opinion, the HRELP established in this study may be considered as a multifunctional protein tag which could make its fusion proteins being quickly detected by Pauly staining and simply purified by pH-triggered ITC in addition to having the potential to sustained release its fusion proteins.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Hybrid anisotropic nanostructures for dual-modal cancer imaging and image-guided chemo-thermo therapies

The multimodality theranostic system, which can integrate two or more different therapeutic modalities and multimodal imaging agents into a nanoentity, shows great promising prospects for the cancer treatment. For this, we developed an efficient and novel strategy to synthesize hybrid anisotropic nanoparticles (HANs) with intrinsic multimodal theranostic capability [chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and photoacoustic imaging (PAI)]. For the first time, under the guidance of MRI and PAI, the chemotherapy and thermotherapy induced by administration of multifunctional hybrid nanoprobes were applied simultaneously to the treatment of colon cancer-bearing mice in vivo .

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advancing Ethanol-to-Jet cost Effectiveness via direct conversion to n -Butene-Rich olefins and Co-Product Valorization

Ethanol is a promising feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel production; however, conventional routes face significant energy and cost challenges, particularly due to the ethanol dehydration step to ethylene. Here, this study leverages breakthrough experimental data to perform comprehensive techno-economic and life-cycle assessments of an innovative ethanol-to-jet process. The process employs a single-step catalytic conversion, enabled by multifunctional Cu-ZrO 2 /SBA-16 catalyst, to directly upgrade ethanol into a mixed olefin stream rich in n-butene. The single-step conversion eliminates the costly ethanol dehydration step in the conventional process. High selectivity toward n-butene offers key advantages: it simplifies downstream oligomerization into jet-range hydrocarbons and enables the co-production of renewable n-butene alongside sustainable aviation fuel. The analysis estimates a minimum fuel selling price as low as $\$$2.50 per gallon, whether using corn ethanol or cellulosic ethanol from corn stover. Life cycle CO 2 equivalent emissions are projected to be as low as 10.6 g CO 2 eq/MJ sustainable aviation fuel, representing over 70% reduction compared to conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. This one-step ethanol upgrading approach not only facilitates SAF and n-butene co-production but also provides operational flexibility. The ability to tailor product outputs allows the ethanol-to-jet process to adapt to varying feedstocks, incentive programs, and market dynamics, ultimately enhancing the economic viability of sustainable aviation fuel production.

Xu, Yiling [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Highly insulating ferromagnetic cobaltite heterostructures

Ferromagnetic insulators are rather rare but possess great technological potential in, for example, spintronics. Individual control of ferromagnetic properties and electronic transport provides a useful design concept of multifunctional oxide heterostructures. We studied the close correlation among the magnetism, atomic structure, and electronic structure of oxide heterostructures composed of the ferromagnetic perovskite LaCoO 3 and the antiferromagnetic brownmillerite SrCoO 2.5 epitaxial thin film layers. By reversing the stacking sequence of the two layers, we could individually modify the electric resistance and saturation magnetic moment. Lastly, the ferromagnetic insulating behavior in the heterostructures was understood in terms of the electronic reconstruction at the oxide surface/interfaces and crystalline quality of the constituent layers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Multiscale metrologies for process optimization of carbon nanotube polymer composites

Carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer nanocomposites are attractive multifunctional materials with a growing range of commercial applications. With the increasing demand for these materials, it is imperative to develop and validate methods for on-line quality control and process monitoring during production. In this work, a novel combination of characterization techniques is utilized, that facilitates the non-invasive assessment of CNT dispersion in epoxy produced by the scalable process of calendering. First, the structural parameters of these nanocomposites are evaluated across multiple length scales (10 -10 m to 10 -3 m) using scanning gallium-ion microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and small-angle neutron scattering. Then, a non-contact resonant microwave cavity perturbation (RCP) technique is employed to accurately measure the AC electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites. Quantitative correlations between the conductivity and structural parameters find the RCP measurements to be sensitive to CNT mass fraction, spatial organization and, therefore, the processing parameters. These results, and the non-contact nature and speed of RCP measurements identify this technique as being ideally suited for quality control of CNT nanocomposites in a nanomanufacturing environment. In conclusion, when validated by the multiscale characterization suite, RCP may be broadly applicable in the production of hybrid functional materials, such as graphene, gold nanorod, and carbon black nanocomposites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗