Kulim Kht Prof. Benght Herbert Kasemo

Bengt Herbert Kasemo

Professor emeritus, Chemical Physics, Applied Physics

Bengt Kasemo (born 1942) is Professor of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, since 1983. He has published around 425 scientific papers, and is a frequently invited international conference speaker (ca.10 per year). His papers are cited around 14 000 times to date.


He is now professor emeritus after heading a research group of 40 people active in Surface Science, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Biomedical Materials, Catalysis for automotive emission leaning, and Sustainable Energy Technology - solar cells, hydrogen production and storage, fuel cells,..). He is still active in the same group.


He is the co-founder of the internationally recognized Competence Center for Catalysis at Chalmers, primarily active in the area of Automotive Catalytic Emission Cleaning. The center is joining academic and industrial research, and has member companies like Volvo AB, Volvo Personal Cars (Ford), Saab AB (GM), Scania AB and Haldor Topsoe A/S.


He has new grants to build a program on Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy and Environment at Chalmers, involving e.g. solar cells, hydrogen technology, photocatalysis for environmental cleaning and more.


He has been directing/co-ordinating several large national programs on biomaterials and biointerfaces and was coordinator of the EU FP 6 STREP program Nanocues. He is currently involved in 2 EU projects.


He serves on the editorial boards of several international scientific journals. He has been serving on several national science policy and research funding boards, including the Swedish Government's Advisory Board for Research.


He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) and of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), and has served one period as vice president for the latter. At both academies he is a member of their energy and environment committees, and is currently chairing a joint project between the two academies on communicating energy issues to society including a new book – Aspects on Energy (in Swedish) – and education of middle-high schools teachers in that area.


He has received several prices and awards e.g. the Gold Medal Large Size from IVA (2007), the George Winter award from the European Society for Biomaterials (1999) and the Akzo-Nobel Prize from the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (2001). He was in 2005 appointed Doctor Technices Honoris Causa at the Danish Technical University, Lyngby.


He has about 15 patents and has co-founded four start-up companies of which two, Q-Sense AB (the QCM-D technique) and Insplorion AB (nanopalsmonic sensing), are still active. He has served on the Board of Directors of the listed company Biolin AB, and has previously served on the BoDs for Gyros AB, Quartz Pro AB and Q-Sense AB (chairman). He is currently chairman of the new start up company Insplorion AB He is a member of the American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, American Vacuum Society, and the Biomaterials Society.


He is a member of the Millenium Prize committee in Finland. He is on the scientific advisory boards of the Fritz Haber Institute (a Max Planck Institute) in Berlin; Materials Science Department at ETH Zurich; Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale (HFNL) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; CASE center at DTU Copenhagen; Nanotechnology Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain; and the COMP CoE at Helsinki University .


During 2006 he was chairing a Norwegian committee to formulate a National Strategy for Nanotechnology in Norway, where energy technology is one of the highest priority areas (published Nov 2006).


Since ten years he is Chairman of the Scientific Board of the Volvo Research and Education Foundation, funding world-wide projects on urban transport systems.

Cortest Kulim KHT TCFC in Malaysia

THIN CHANNEL CORROSION FLOW CELL (TCFC) 

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

The technology facilitates a convenient and accurate system for in situ

observation of a corrosion process in a single phase flow. The method is

based on the flow dynamics between two parallel flat plates, and provides a

mechanism to study corrosion in flowing systems. It eliminates the effect of

centrifugal force encountered in the rotating cylinder electrode system,

which is currently the most used method for small scale analysis of flowing

systems. TCFC is ideal for the study of initiationand propagation of

localized corrosion, providing an easy method to control and observe the

mechanical and chemical effects on corrosion product films. It can be

coupled with multiple measurement techniques such a s electrical resistance,

linear polarization resistance, weight loss and quartz crystal microbalance

 to provide in situ information of a corrosion process.

POTENTIAL FIELDS OF USE

TCFC provides a solution to observe and monitor internal corrosion in oil and gas production, and

transportation facilities. Corrosion is a major factor for degradation in the life-span of metallic an

d non-metallic fluid carrying pipes. Latest market studie

s by C Technologies show the increasing cost of corrosion in the Energy and Petroleum (E&P) sector.On an annual basis, direct corrosion costs incurred

by the US exceed $1.4 billion in oil and gas exploration and production,

 3.7 billion in petroleum refining,

$7.0 billion in gas and liquid transmission pipelines, and $5.0 billion in gas distribution.

 In addition tothis, more than $100 million is spent by oil corporations and environmental 

agencies to combat the effects of oil spills due to corroded pipes.

BENEFIT ANALYSIS

TCFC provides a superior mechanism for studying corrosion effects in flowing systems:

•Reduces the cost of operation as compared to large scale

equipment used to observe corrosion.

•Facilitates the comparison of the system with pipe flow as flow

conditions of thin channels are well known.

•Facilitates a given analysis through several parame ters such as

controlling the temperature, volumetric flow rate,and pressure

inside the channel flow cell.

•Enhances the accurate measurement of corrosion process in a

channel using a wide range of measurement devices and techniques.

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

The technology is at advanced stage of development,

having successfully formulated a quantitative too to

measure various parameters required to compute corrosion in a flowing system. 

The hydraulic diameter of a duct is used to assess the flow through it. 3D an

alysis tools have been used to verify test results.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

The method can be customized to analyze a particular kind of flow 

without compromising on the quality and efficiency of the analysis. 

Kulim Kht 3D Topography module combined with the Optical tensiometer.

3D Topography module combined with the Theta Optical tensiometer - Step into a new level in coating and surface development.
3D Topography module combined with the Theta Optical
tensiometer is the first product which makes it possible to combine 3D surface
roughness measurements in conjunction with contact angle measurements and to
perform those measurements on the same exact sample location. OneAttension
software automatically calculates the roughness corrected contact angle and
surface free energy values from the measured data. The measurement takes only a
few seconds and it can be run and analyzed without a specialist. Understanding of
industrial development processes will be taken to a new level with the possibility
to separate the impact of surface chemistry and roughness of various coating

formulations and surface modifications.
Applications
Many surface modification and coating technologies that are
used for optimizing wetting and adhesion properties influence
both surface chemistry and roughness. Understanding the
mechanisms that impact wetting by separating these two
factors can be a useful tool in product development processes
and in quality control. Roughness correction on contact angles
also enables the calculation of fundamental surface free energy
on rough surfaces. The 3D topography module can be used
for studying microscale roughness, which is relevant in many
applications and processes.

Examples include:
Construction and building materials
Coating and surface finishing of construction and building
materials are important for enhanced appearance and durability
of the materials. Adhesion of different types of coatings,
such as paint or veneer sheeting depends on the surface.
Both surface topography and surface chemistry are known to
have an effect on adhesion and wettability. The Theta optical
tensiometer can be used for evaluating surface processing
quality and its influence on wetting ability. See more details in
application note 16 focusing on wood plastic composites from

www.attension.com/applications.

Technology and Measurements
Wettability is typically studied by a contact angle measurement
that can be defined with the well-known Young equation on
ideal surfaces. Surface free energy theories are also based
on assumptions that Young contact angles are used for
calculations. Thus, the surface is assumed to be chemically
homogenous and topographically smooth. This is, however,
not true in the case of real surfaces. It is well established that
surface roughness enhances the existing wetting behavior and
influence on adhesion. See more details in theory note 7 from
www.attension.com/applications.

Kulim Kht UM LB Aiternate Training 3

Kulim Kht UM LB Training 2

Kulim Kht University Malaya LB Alternate Training 1

KULIM KHT OPTICAL TENSIOMETER new 2013

Kulim Kht Bionavis Easy to Operate SPR Navi 200

KULIM KHT BIONAVIS SPR Introduction to PhD life

Kulim Kht Optical Contact Angle Measurements Demonstration

KULIM KHT CORTEST TCFC EXTRA TRAINING

KULIM KHT CORTEST TCFC TRAINING

Kulim KHT MIMOS Dip Coater 2

Kulim Kht MIMOS Dip Coater Large

Kulim Kht ACM POT16 Potentiostatic & Galvanostatic Testing

DESCRIPTION 
Fixed potentials for parallel potentiostatic tests. 
This instrument provides 16 potentiostats for long term testing of electrodes at a fixed potential. Each channel has a fixed current measurement range, selected on purchase for the type of testing to be performed.  The standard range is 350 mA with a resolution of 5 micro Amps. Up to 4 fixed potentials may be ordered and allocated between the 16 channels at no extra cost.  For example channels 1 to 8 could be set to -1.5 V, channels 9 to 11 set to -3 V, channel 12 to 14 set to - 3.5 V and 15 to 16 set at -4 V.  These potentials are set on internal 25 turn trimming potentiometers and may be changed by the operator if the need arises. Measurement of the current flowing from each potentiostat and the voltage between RE and WE (as a check on operation) is performed by a pair of 24 bit converters, running at a maximum read rate of 4 channels per second. The software supplied allows for simple set up of data filename and read rate and displays the latest data recorded.  The data is stored on the PC's hard disc as the test progresses.  In the event of a power cut the data will be added to the earlier data on resumption of the power supply. An example of the use of a Pot 16 is in performing tests on coated steel to study the likelihood of cathodic disbondend at a fixed potential. 
A dedicated and powerful instrument offering very cost effective fixed potentiostats for long term measurement, each potentiostat is built to the same specification as supplied in the Gill AC.

APPLICATIONS 
• Cathodic Protection • Coating Disbondment • Cracking • Metal Leaching • Quality Control • Standard Tests

 

FEATURES 
• 16 Potentiostats • 500 mA per Channel • High Impedance RE • Fixed Potentials • Very Stable • Measure Current • Measure RE

Kulim Kht SPR BioNavis reflectometer for liquids

Surface plasmon resonance instrument as a refractometer for liquids and ultrathin films

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) setup in Kretschmann configuration is being utilized as a refractometer for both liquids as well as ultrathin films. The SPR signal detection technology used is based on a goniometer approach providing a wide angular scan range which facilitates highly accurate liquid and gas phase measurements.

Attention was paid to improve sample handling and preparation. In order to avoid cross-contamination between measurements an easily removable and exchangeable molded PDMS flow cell was used during the measurements. By careful choice of components for liquid handling the dead volume of the system could be reduced down to some microliters.

The angular change and thus the refractive index for sucrose, ethylene glycol (EG) and ethanol solutions with different concentrations, the thickness and refractive index of deposited Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, and the interaction kinetics between a biotin containing self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and streptavidin were determined. The measured refractive indices of sucrose, EG and ethanol solutions corresponded well with literature values. LB films were characterized by measuring the complete SPR curve in an angular scan range from 40 to 78[degree sign]. A two-color SPR approach combined with two-media measurements was successfully employed for simultaneous and unambiguous determination of both refractive index and thickness of stearic acid monolayers. The thickness obtained for the stearic acid monolayer was 2.66 nm, and the refractive indices at 635 and 670 nm were 1.5800 and 1.4138, respectively. The developed sensor-plate holder enabled functionalization of the SPR gold chip outside the instrument, therefore making the sample handling more flexible. The affinity constant obtained for the streptavidin-biotin interaction was 1.01 x 10-8 M. The total angle SPR method used in this study clearly shows its potential to be used as a refractometer for both liquids and ultrathin films, as well as for traditional liquid phase biomolecular kinetic studies.

"BioNavis' SPR Navi system allows unique configurations for multiple concurrent research projects"

Prof. Orlando Rojas
North Carolina State University in Raleigh
United States

Kulim Kht SPR BioNavis CMC

Modification of cellulose films by adsorption of CMC and chitosan for controlled attachment of biomolecules

The adsorption of human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) on cellulose supports were investigated. The dynamics and extent of related adsorption processes were monitored by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Amine groups were installed on the cellulose substrate by adsorption of chitosan from aqueous solution, which allowed for hIgG to physisorb from acid media and produced a functionalized substrate with high surface density (10 mg/m2). hIgG adsorption from neutral and alkaline conditions was found to yield lower adsorbed amounts. The installation of the carboxyl groups on cellulose substrate via carboxymethylated cellulose (CMC) adsorption from aqueous solution enhanced the physisorption of hIgG at acidic (adsorbed amount of 5.6 mg/m2) and neutral conditions. hIgG adsorption from alkaline conditions reduced the surface density. BSA was used to examine protein attachment on cellulose after modification with chitosan or carboxymethyl cellulose. At the isoelectric point of BSA (pI 5) both of the surface modifications enhanced the adsorption of this protein, when compared to that on unmodified cellulose (a two-fold increase from 1.7 to 3.5 mg/m2). At pH 4 the electrostatic interactions favored the adsorption of BSA on the CMC-modified cellulose, revealing the affinity of the system and the possibility of tailoring biomolecule binding and regeneration by choice of the surface modifier and pH of the medium.

info(a)bionavis.com.

SPR Kulim Kht Bionavis surface plasmon resonance

Langmuir-Blodgett film characterization in
air using surface plasmon resonance.



Introduction

The ability to assemble ordered molecular films with tailored
functionality over macroscopic lateral dimensions provides
exciting and unique opportunities in many practical and
commercial applications. Sensors, detectors, displays and
electronic circuit components are just a few examples. This
well known technique is referred to as Langmuir-Blodgett
(LB) deposition, where films of functional molecules,
nanoparticles, nanowires or microparticles are spread at the
air-water interface, compressed and transferred to a solid
substrate. Compared to other organic thin film deposition
techniques, such as thermal evaporation, sputtering,
electrodeposition, molecular beam epitaxy, layer-by-layer
or self-assembly, LB is much less limited by the molecular
structure of the functional molecule. This means that it
is often the only technique that can be used for bottom up
assembly in nanotechnology and functional materials
 The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, used to deposit single and multiple
 layers of molecules on a solid substrate.
applications. The aim of this note is to demonstrate that
SPR-Navi from BioNavis is ideal for the ex situ
investigation in air of mono- and multilayer films of stearic
acid deposited on a gold surface.
Experimental
The gold-coated glass slides used in the SPR
measurements were cleaned by immersion in a boiling
1:1:5 NH3OH:H2O2:H2O for ten minutes, flushed thoroughly
with ion exchanged water and blown dry with nitrogen.
Monolayers and multilayers of Cadmium Stearate (SACd,
(C17H35COO)2Cd) were deposited via the LB technique
(KSVNIMA LBtrough System 2) on cleaned gold slides,
. Complete SPR curves were
measured after depositing one, three and five layers of
SACd on separate gold slides.

Results
 illustrates SPR intensity versus angle curves for
the clean gold surface, and for surfaces with one, three and
five deposited layers of SACd. There are some differences
in the absolute minimum value in the SPR curves between
different samples. This difference stems from the use of
separate gold slides, and does not affect the validity of the
measurement.Fitting the experimental data with a theoretical model (solid
curves,  allows determination of the layer thickness
of the deposited LB layers (WinSPALL Software, Wolfgang
Knoll, MPI, Germany).  thickness increases linearly with layer number, as expected for this
system. Meanwhile, the slope of the thickness vs. layer
number plot is 2.45 nm/deposited layer, which is in very
good agreement

Kulim KHT - Cortest THIN CHANNEL CORROSION FLOW CELL (TCFC)

THIN CHANNEL CORROSION FLOW CELL (TCFC) 

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

The technology facilitates a convenient and accurate system for in situ

observation of a corrosion process in a single phase flow. The method is

based on the flow dynamics between two parallel flat plates, and provides a

mechanism to study corrosion in flowing systems. It eliminates the effect of

centrifugal force encountered in the rotating cylinder electrode system,

which is currently the most used method for small scale analysis of flowing

systems. TCFC is ideal for the study of initiationand propagation of

localized corrosion, providing an easy method to control and observe the

mechanical and chemical effects on corrosion product films. It can be

coupled with multiple measurement techniques such a s electrical resistance,

linear polarization resistance, weight loss and quartz crystal microbalance

 to provide in situ information of a corrosion process.

POTENTIAL FIELDS OF USE

TCFC provides a solution to observe and monitor internal corrosion in oil and gas production, and

transportation facilities. Corrosion is a major factor for degradation in the life-span of metallic an

d non-metallic fluid carrying pipes. Latest market studie

s by C Technologies show the increasing cost of corrosion in the Energy and Petroleum (E&P) sector.On an annual basis, direct corrosion costs incurred

by the US exceed $1.4 billion in oil and gas exploration and production,

 3.7 billion in petroleum refining,

$7.0 billion in gas and liquid transmission pipelines, and $5.0 billion in gas distribution.

 In addition tothis, more than $100 million is spent by oil corporations and environmental 

agencies to combat the effects of oil spills due to corroded pipes.

BENEFIT ANALYSIS

TCFC provides a superior mechanism for studying corrosion effects in flowing systems:

•Reduces the cost of operation as compared to large scale

equipment used to observe corrosion.

•Facilitates the comparison of the system with pipe flow as flow

conditions of thin channels are well known.

•Facilitates a given analysis through several parame ters such as

controlling the temperature, volumetric flow rate,and pressure

inside the channel flow cell.

•Enhances the accurate measurement of corrosion process in a

channel using a wide range of measurement devices and techniques.

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

The technology is at advanced stage of development,

having successfully formulated a quantitative too to

measure various parameters required to compute corrosion in a flowing system. 

The hydraulic diameter of a duct is used to assess the flow through it. 3D an

alysis tools have been used to verify test results.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

The method can be customized to analyze a particular kind of flow 

without compromising on the quality and efficiency of the analysis. 

Kulim Kht Washburn Method

Washburn Method
This method is chosen when the solid sample to be tested contains a porous architecture which leads to
absorption of the wetting liquid. The solid is brought into contact with the testing liquid and the mass of
liquid absorbed into the solid is measured as a function of time. The amount absorbed is a function of the
viscosity, density and surface tension of the liquid, the material constant of the solid , and the contact angle
of the interaction. If the viscosity, density and surface tension of the liquid are known the material constant
and contact angle can be solved for. KSV instruments produces two instruments capable of finding contact
angles via the Washburn technique, the Sigma 70 and LPR 902. See Application Note #104 for details.

Utilization of Contact Angle Data:
The primary focus of contact angle studies is in assessing the wetting characteristics of solid/liquid
interactions. Contact angle is commonly used as the most direct measure of wetting. Other experimental
parameters may be derived directly from contact angle and surface tension results. Some examples are:
Work of Adhesion: defined as the work required to separate the liquid
and solid phases, or the negative free energy associated with the
adhesion of the solid and liquid phases. Used to express the strength
of the interaction between the two phases. It is given by the Young
-Dupre equation as:
Wa = (1+ cos )
Work of Cohesion: defined as the work required to separate a liquid into
two parts, it is a measure of the strength of molecular interactions
within the liquid. It is given by;
Wc = 2
Work of Spreading: the negative free energy associated with spreading
liquid over solid surface. Also referred to as Spreading Coefficient
it is given as:
Ws = (cos - 1)
Wetting Tension: a measurement of force/length defined as:
= Fw / P = lv cos

Kulim Kht Semi Auto Tensiometer

Kulim Kht Surface Tension & Contact angle

How come contact angle and surface tension are so important ? Molecules inside (bulk) a liquid/solid are in every direction affected by equal attraction forces, whereas the molecules at the surface lack a neighbor towards the air phase and therefore they have larger attraction forces towards the liquid/solid than air (see figure below). This leads to a situation where the interface has excess free energy. This excess free energy is characteristic for any liquid or solid. For liquids a spontaneous contraction of the surface will take place due to this free energy and the Surface Tension of a liquid is a direct measure of it. In the case of solids a contraction is hardly ever seen, but still this free energy is present at the interface of a solid. However, now it is called Surface Free Energy (instead of Surface Tension as for liquids) and can be accessed by measuring the contact angle of a series known liquids placed on the solid surface. The dimension of Surface Tension and Surface Free Energy is mN/m.