An atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus and method employing argon as a plasma gas in the absence of helium, including nanosecond pulse-powered electrodes having planar surfaces, and grounded electrodes having planar surfaces parallel to the surfaces of the powered electrodes and spaced-apart a chosen distance therefrom, forming plasma regions, are described. The absence of helium from the plasma discharge has been found not to affect the quality of the resulting plasma-polymerized coatings of the processed substrates.

A method of producing a functionalized material that extracts metal ions from solution, the method comprising: (i) providing a precursor material having nitrile groups appended to its surface; and (ii) reacting said nitrile groups with hydroxylamine or a derivative thereof in the presence of a polar aprotic solvent at a temperature of 60-80° C. for at least 1 hour, to convert at least a portion of said nitrile groups to amidoxime and imide dioxime groups, followed by reaction with a base capable of hydrolyzing any remaining nitrile groups to carboxylic acid groups; wherein said functionalized material has a higher uranium absorption capacity than a functionalized material produced under same conditions except that the nitrile groups are reacted with hydroxylamine in only a protic solvent. The invention is also directed to functionalized materials produced by the above-described method, and methods for using the functionalized material for extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

A functionalized nonwoven substrate and methods for preparing the same are described. The functionalized substrates are useful in selectively filtering and removing biological materials, such as biocontaminates, from biological samples.

A functionalized nonwoven substrate and methods for preparing the same are described. The functionalized substrates are useful in selectively filtering and removing biological materials, such as biocontaminates, from biological samples.

A method of producing a functionalized material that extracts metal ions from solution, the method comprising: (i) providing a precursor material having nitrile groups appended to its surface; and (ii) reacting said nitrile groups with hydroxylamine or a derivative thereof in the presence of a polar aprotic solvent at a temperature of 60-80° C. for at least 1 hour, to convert at least a portion of said nitrile groups to amidoxime and imide dioxime groups, followed by reaction with a base capable of hydrolyzing any remaining nitrile groups to carboxylic acid groups; wherein said functionalized material has a higher uranium absorption capacity than a functionalized material produced under same conditions except that the nitrile groups are reacted with hydroxylamine in only a protic solvent. The invention is also directed to functionalized materials produced by the above-described method, and methods for using the functionalized material for extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

A method of producing a functionalized material that extracts metal ions from solution, the method comprising: (i) providing a precursor material having nitrile groups appended to its surface; and (ii) reacting said nitrile groups with hydroxylamine or a derivative thereof in the presence of a polar aprotic solvent at a temperature of 60-80° C. for at least 1 hour, to convert at least a portion of said nitrile groups to amidoxime and imide dioxime groups, followed by reaction with a base capable of hydrolyzing any remaining nitrile groups to carboxylic acid groups; wherein said functionalized material has a higher uranium absorption capacity than a functionalized material produced under same conditions except that the nitrile groups are reacted with hydroxylamine in only a protic solvent. The invention is also directed to functionalized materials produced by the above-described method, and methods for using the functionalized material for extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

Systems, methods, and compositions for producing liquid repellant materials include a first support configured to support a spool of flexible substrate, a second support configured to support a plurality of compressing rollers configured to apply a force to a segment of the flexible substrate that extends from the roll. The segment is located within a zone between the compressing rollers. The system, in an embodiment, has a plurality of gas directors, wherein each one of the gas directors is configured to direct a stream of gas that flows at least partially around one of the compressing rollers. The streams cause an air pressure reduction in the zone. Also, the system has a precursor supply configured to expose the substrate to a precursor (e.g., a siloxane precursor), resulting in a coated material or protected material.

A metal-supported nonwoven fabric is provided which enables effective synthesis of a target product when used as a catalyst in a flow reaction. The metal-supported nonwoven fabric comprises a nonwoven fabric containing polyolefin fibers or PET fibers, and metal particles. The nonwoven fabric has grafted side chains bound thereto formed of polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid, or a polymer containing functional groups with unshared electron pairs. The metal particles are supported by the grafted side chains via pyrrolidone groups of the polyvinylpyrrolidone, carboxy groups of the polyacrylic acid, or the functional groups with unshared electron pairs.

A metal-supported nonwoven fabric is provided which enables effective synthesis of a target product when used as a catalyst in a flow reaction. The metal-supported nonwoven fabric comprises a nonwoven fabric containing polyolefin fibers or PET fibers, and metal particles. The nonwoven fabric has grafted side chains bound thereto formed of polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid, or a polymer containing functional groups with unshared electron pairs. The metal particles are supported by the grafted side chains via pyrrolidone groups of the polyvinylpyrrolidone, carboxy groups of the polyacrylic acid, or the functional groups with unshared electron pairs.

The invention provides polymer-grafted and functionalized nonwoven membranes adapted for use in bioseparation processes, the membranes including a nonwoven web of polyester fibers having an average fiber diameter of less than about 1.5 microns, each of the plurality of polyester fibers having grafted thereon a plurality of polymer segments constructed of a methacrylate polymer, each polymer segment carrying a functional group adapted for binding to a target molecule. The invention also provides a method of bioseparation comprising passing a solution comprising the target molecule, such as a protein, through the nonwoven membrane of the invention such that at least a portion of the target molecule in the solution binds to the nonwoven membrane. A method for preparing a polymer-grafted and functionalized nonwoven membrane adapted for use in bioseparation processes is also provided.