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Composite membranes were fabricated consisting of aligned domains of Nafion® 1100 surrounded by a supporting matrix of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-b-polystyrene (SEBS). The structure of the composite was controlled via the application of an electric field during solvent casting. Nafion® domains were aligned across the membrane thickness to provide paths for proton conduction. The surrounding SEBS domain limits methanol permeability. Compared to randomly structured Nafion®/SEBS composites, the membranes with field-aligned domains display significantly enhanced performance in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The membranes with field-aligned domains display DMFC performance better than commercial Nafion® 117 membranes under high methanol fuel concentration.

Hollow biodegradable poly(DL-lactide) (PLA) particles with porous shell walls were prepared by freeze drying small droplets of PLA solution formed by emulsification or spraying. The hollow freeze-dried particles were dispersed in water, and the resulting aqueous suspensions were exposed to plasticizing solvents, either dichloromethane or compressed carbon dioxide. The plasticizing solvent causes the pores in the shell wall to close, forming microcapsules surrounding an aqueous core. A water soluble drug, procaine hydrochloride, was successfully encapsulated in the microcapsule core. The encapsulation efficiency is affected by the hollow particle morphology, amount of solvent used, solvent exposure time, surfactant, and method of dispersing the freeze-dried particles in water. The encapsulation process is explained in terms of interfacial free energy of the hollow particles and mobility of the plasticized polymer. Controlled release of procaine hydrochloride from the microcapsules into phosphate buffer solution was observed. The microcapsules had a small burst release, with the remainder of encapsulated drug slowly released over 9 days. The novel hollow PLA particles produced by emulsification/freeze drying and spray/freeze drying can potentially be used as vehicles for controlled release.

The etching of copper was studied using an aqueous chemical etchant dispersed in water-in-oil microemulsions droplets. The aqueous phase consisted of an equimolar copper chloride/potassium chloride solution, a typical copper etchant. The phase behavior, conductivity, copper etching rate, and surface roughness after etching were studied using microemulsions formed with ionic, nonionic, and mixed ionic/nonionic surfactants. The composition of each microemulsion was fixed, and the conductivities and copper etching rate were measured as a function of temperature. The conductivity offers a route to probe ion exchange between microemulsion droplets, while the etching rate is related to the interaction of the droplets with the solid surface. The data show a correlation between etching rate and electrical conductivity of the microemulsion. For a given microemulsion, the etching rate increases as the conductivity increases. Atomic force microscopy showed that the copper surface roughness after etching with the microemulsion was lower than the surface roughness when etched without the microemulsion. The results demonstrate that it is possible to adjust the etching rate and surface roughness by changing the microemulsion composition and temperature. Confinement in water-in-oil microemulsion droplets significantly alters the transport of the etchant to the surface and may find use in nanoscale metal patterning.