Polyquaternium-11 Enables High-Power Bioanodes for Microbial Fuel Cells
Chen, Xuepeng, et al. Journal of Power Sources 480 (2020): 228789.
Challenge: Low-efficiency microbial fuel cell (MFC) suffers from bacterial detachment and insufficient biofilm growth on untreated carbon anodes.
Solution: Polyquaternium-11 (PQ-11) was engineered as a key component in a β-cyclodextrin composite coating for carbon cloth anodes. The cationic polymer enhanced surface biocompatibility for accelerated electroactive biofilm formation, improved wettability and roughness for microbial colonization,and synergized with β-CD to create charge-storing microenvironments.
Anode Modification Protocol: Pre-treated carbon cloth (2x2 cm) with acetone/ethanol, Immersed in β-CD solution (400mg/100mL H2O, 3h), coated with PQ-11 solution (20mL/100mL H2O, 3h), and dried at 60°C to form CC-CD-PQ-11 composite.
Key Results:
· Power Output: CC-CD-PQ-11 achieved 1,754 mW/m2--5.2× higher than unmodified carbon cloth (340 mW/m2) and 1.4× higher than β-CD alone (1,270 mW/m2).
· Capacitance: The composite anode stored 6.54 C/m2 during a 5-minute pause, indicating enhanced charge buffering.
· Biofilm Formation: Microscopy and biomass assays showed denser, more electroactive biofilm on CC-CD-PQ-11, attributable to improved surface properties.
Polyquaternium-11, the Copolymer with Conditioner Abilities Ideal for Hair Styling Products
Musa, Osama M., et al. Polymers for personal care and cosmetics. American Chemical Society, 2013. 233-284.
Polyquaternium-11 is a copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) and quaternized dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Hair styling formulations, such as gels, mousses and creams, have to provide hold as well as conditioning, because styling polymers generally make the hair feel hard or sticky and conditioners, by themselves, have no control ability. Polyquaternium-11 is the copolymer that has an excellent balance of styling control with soft, manageable hair.
Characteristics and Uses of Polyquaternium-11
· A medium charge density (0.95-1.0 meq/g) and relatively high molecular weight.
· Excellent for wet and dry combing, giving a smooth result.
· Since it is a copolymer of VP and an acrylate, it is less sensitive to humidity than a VP homopolymer. It is possible that this polyquat will be more sensitive to humidity problems than Polyquaternium-4 because of the VP in the chain.
· Recommended for mousses and creams as it gives moisture and styling help. While this polyquat is water soluble, it can build up over time if a clarifying shampoo is not used regularly.
· The ester group present in the quat-side chain limits the pH range to 3-7 as the cationic part of the polymer will slowly degrade above this range.