Resistance adsorption and

Experiments carried out on monocrystalline Au(lll) and Au(lOO) electrodes in the absence of specific adsorption did not show any fre-quency dispersion. Dispersion was observed, however, in the presence of specific adsorption of halide ions. It was attributed to slow adsorption and diffusion of these ions and phase transitions (reconstructions). In their analysis these authors expressed the electrode impedance as = R, + (jco iJ- where is a complex electrode capacitance. In the case of a simple CPE circuit, this parameter is = T(Jcaif. However, an analysis of the ac impedance spectra in the presence of specific adsorption revealed that the complex plane capacitance plots (C t vs. Cjnt) show the formation of deformed semicircles. Consequently, Pajkossy et al. proposed the electrical equivalent model shown in Fig. 29, in which instead of the CPE there is a double-layer capacitance in parallel with a series connection of the adsorption resistance and capacitance, / ad and Cad, and the semi-infinite Warburg impedance coimected with the diffusion of the adsorbing species. A comparison of the measured and calculated capacitances (using the model in Fig. 29) for Au(lll) in 0.1 M HCIO4 in ths presence of 0.15 mM NaBr is shown in Fig. 30. 

Soft contact lenses (SCLs) are one of the major products constructed from poly(HEMA) hydrogels. Since their introduction, a variety of such poly-(HEMA)-based hydrogels have been developed to improve lens properties. Both excellent protein adsorption resistance and wettability are required for SCLs, making MFC a good candidate as a suitable monomer. Biocompatible Co. has produced MFC polymer-based SCLs that contain 20% MFC, 80% HEMA, and a small amount of crosslinker (Froclear , omafilcon A), with such lenses now commercially available from CooperVision Co. The Froclear is the only contact lens for reduction of dry-eye syndrome that has been approved by the FDA in the USA. 

Fig. 8 Equivalent circuit for an electroactive SAM. Ru is the uncompensated resistance, CPE is the constant phase element, Ra is the adsorption resistance and Ca is the adsorption capacitance.

Using the MPC copolymers, improvements in biocompatibility of medical membranes such as a cellulose hemodialysis membrane (20,21), a polyolefin membrane for an oxygenator (22), and a covering membrane for an implantable biosensor are underway (25). The MPC copolymers have nonthrombogenicity, protein adsorption resistance, and good solute permeability. 

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