Work

Mucus-inspired organogel as an efficient absorbent and retention agent for volatile organic compounds

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Nasal mucus plays a key role in the sense of smell by absorbing and transporting chemicals to olfactory receptors. Inspired by the physical properties of mucus that enable it to transport molecules despite its high viscosity, we developed a polymeric organogel with similar viscosity and analyzed its general performance. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, we confirmed that the matrix viscosity mainly affects the absorption and retention of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and not their diffusion inside the matrix. Additionally, the vapor pressure of VOCs influences the absorption and retention efficiencies of the matrix. Finally, a detailed understanding of the properties of mucus along with the use of sol-gel transition enabled us to create an efficient VOC absorbent and retention agent.

Source: Nanoscale

DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05522h

Authors: Jihoon Han, Jemin Lee, Seonghyeon Kim, Anna Lee, Hyung Gyu Park, Youn Soo Kim

Institution: Pohang University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Research Foundation, National Research Foundation of Korea, Institute for Basic Science, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea