Mojhdeh Baghbanbashi

Bio: Mojhdeh Baghbanbashi is an academic researcher from Amirkabir University of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Solubility & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 8 publications receiving 38 citations.

Polymersomes: Soft Nanoparticles from Miktoarm Stars for Applications in Drug Delivery.

Abstract: Self-assembly of amphiphilic macromolecules has provided an advantageous platform to address significant issues in a variety of areas, including biology. Such soft nanoparticles with a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona, referred to as micelles, have been extensively investigated for delivering lipophilic therapeutics by physical encapsulation. Polymeric vesicles or polymersomes with similarities in morphology to liposomes continue to play an essential role in understanding the behavior of cell membranes and, in addition, have offered opportunities in designing smart nanoformulations. With the evolution in synthetic methodologies to macromolecular precursors, the construction of such assemblies can now be modulated to tailor their properties to match desired needs. This review brings into focus the current state-of-the-art in the design of polymersomes using amphiphilic miktoarm star polymers through a detailed analysis of the synthesis of miktoarm star polymers with tuned lengths of varied polymeric arms, their self-assembly, and applications in drug delivery.

Application of SAFT‐VR Equation of State for Prediction of Thermophysical Properties of Sugar Solutions

Abstract: The thermodynamic properties of sugar solutions, which are important solutions in food industries, have been calculated. Because of the large molecules and hydrogen bonding in the water/sugar solutions, the statistical association fluid theory of variable ranged (SAFT-VR) equation of state was used to calculate the thermodynamic properties such as water activity, solubility, vapor pressure and boiling temperature of the aqueous sugar solutions, including glucose, sucrose and fructose. The SAFT-VR parameters were calculated using vapor pressure and density data for water and water activity data for sugars. The total average absolute deviation percentage (AAD%) for all the calculated properties was 1.93%. The results showed that the model can accurately predict the properties of the sugar solution. Practical Applications Sugar solutions have important roles and uses in different industries such as food production, food preservation industries, chemical feed stock, pharmaceutical industries, metabolic reactions, industrial operations and chemical processes, such as crystallization, evaporation and selective separation. For example, water activity in a solution can be used to stop deteriorative reactions. The density of the solution is important in separation processes and mixing equipment. Solubility of sugar in water is another important property in food preservation and processes such as gasification and separation. The boiling temperature of the solution is an important thermodynamic property in different industrial processes such as purification and separation processes.

Model development and energy and exergy analysis of the biomass gasification process (based on the various biomass sources).

Abstract: Worldwide growing demand for energy consumption in recent years arising from industrialization development and increasing earth population has caused more environmental concerns to emerge. On the other hand, specific issues related to the use of fossil fuels as a nonrenewable source of energy has been caused alternative fuels like biomass to be investigated with more concern. Generally, gasification is a process which converts organic matter to gas and tar. Also, through the gasification, biomass as a fuel is converted to the combustible gas (syngas). In this study, modeling and simulation of the biomass gasification process is investigated and analyzed considering 23 different kinds of the biomass sources. The proposed model is based on the Gibbs free energy minimization and the restricted equilibrium method is used for calibration. The process operating performance is analyzed thermodynamically based on the hydrogen production yield. In this regard, effective parameters like temperature of the gasification, air-fuel ratio, steam-biomass ratio and temperature of the air and steam streams are investigated. Gasification temperature and steam-biomass ratio affect the syngas compositions and the heating value significantly. Biomass moisture has the most significant impact on the syngas production efficiency. Also, other parameters which are not very intensive but still have an effect on the syngas production efficiency, are examined. Finally, the process performance is analyzed based on the energy and exergy analysis methods. The obtained results show that, exergy efficiency of drying stage is the highest (about 90.0%) in all cases. Nonetheless, exergy destruction rate for this stage is a great value against the others. Among the selected biomasses, Rice husk type has the greatest exergy destruction rate which is related to the tar combustion and decomposition reactors; respectively.

Aqueous charge injection: solvation bonding dynamics, molecular nonbond interactions, and extraordinary solute capabilities

Abstract: Aqueous charge injection in forms of electrons, protons, lone pairs, ions, and molecular dipoles by solvation is ubiquitously important to our health and life. Pursuing fine-resolution detection an...

Chapter 4 – Water and phase transitions

Abstract: Water is a unique material in all systems including food materials. The properties of water have a significant impact on food properties, processing needs and stability. Its phase and state transitions are extraordinary. Food solids have interactions with water and water sorption characteristics govern food stability. Water is also a plasticizer of food solids. Water sorption and water plasticization models as well as state diagrams have proved invaluable in the description of food materials behavior in processing and storage of food materials.

Flexible heuristic algorithm for automatic molecule fragmentation: application to the UNIFAC group contribution model

Abstract: A priori calculation of thermophysical properties and predictive thermodynamic models can be very helpful for developing new industrial processes. Group contribution methods link the target property to contributions based on chemical groups or other molecular subunits of a given molecule. However, the fragmentation of the molecule into its subunits is usually done manually impeding the fast testing and development of new group contribution methods based on large databases of molecules. The aim of this work is to develop strategies to overcome the challenges that arise when attempting to fragment molecules automatically while keeping the definition of the groups as simple as possible. Furthermore, these strategies are implemented in two fragmentation algorithms. The first algorithm finds only one solution while the second algorithm finds all possible fragmentations. Both algorithms are tested to fragment a database of 20,000+ molecules for use with the group contribution model Universal Quasichemical Functional Group Activity Coefficients (UNIFAC). Comparison of the results with a reference database shows that both algorithms are capable of successfully fragmenting all the molecules automatically. Furthermore, when applying them on a larger database it is shown, that the newly developed algorithms are capable of fragmenting structures previously thought not possible to fragment.