Declan Devine

Technological University of the Shannon

The use of computer vision in the industry has become fundamental, playing an essential role in areas such as quality control and inspection, object recognition/tracking, and automation. Despite this constant growth, robotic cell systems employing computer vision encounter significant challenges, such as a lack of flexibility to adapt to different...

Bone has the ability to heal itself; however, bone defects fail to heal once the damage exceeds a critical size. Bone regeneration remains a significant clinical challenge, with autograft considered the ideal bone graft material due to its sufficient porosity, osteogenic cells, and biological growth factors. However, limitations to bone grafting, s...

A digital twin (DT) is a virtual/digital model of any physical object (physical twin), interconnected through data exchange. In the context of Industry 4.0, DTs are integral to intelligent automation driving innovation at scale by providing significant improvements in precision, flexibility, and real-time responsiveness. A critical challenge in dev...

This research details the optimisation of the wettability of additively manufactured surfaces for reusable packaging applications. The work presented highlights how the hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of additively manufactured surface patterns was maximised via fine-tuning surface feature geometry. Results showed that through the application of a...

The aim of this study was to develop a novel biomimetic in vitro extraluminal migration model to observe the migration of bacteria along indwelling urinary catheters within the urethra and assess the efficacy of a prototype chlorhexidine diacetate (CHX) coating to prevent this migration. The in vitro urethra model utilised chromogenic agar. A cathe...

This study investigates the effect of extrusion screw speed and carbon nanotube (CNT) concentration on the thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) properties of Polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and its polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) by means of design of experiments (DoE) approac...

Upper limb amputations are frequently the result of traumatic events, often associated with car accidents or incidents involving industrial machinery. The development of prosthetic technologies is essential to provide physical assistance to amputees and offer psychological support. In such circumstances, cosmetic gloves can be utilized to improve p...

Polymeric microfibers are very interesting materials that can be associated with other nanomaterials aiming to obtain specific properties and be used in a wide range of applications. In this study, we prepared different formulations of polyamide 6 (PA6) containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and produced microfibers by solution blow spinning techn...

Injection moulding (IM) is a manufacturing technique used to produce intricately detailed plastic components with various surface finishes, enabling the production of high-tolerance functional parts at scale. Conversely, stereolithography (SLA) three-dimensional (3D) printing offers an alternative method for fabricating moulds with shorter lead tim...

The outlook for space exploration, and the long-term sustainable presence of humans in space, rely upon the advancement of in-situ manufacturing capabilities. In-space additive manufacturing (AM) has gained significant attention due to its potential to produce spare parts in-situ and facilitate repairs for extending space missions. However, to date...

In the biomedical industry, research and application of shape memory polymers (SMP) have mainly been focused on drug-delivery implants, stents, orthopaedic devices, tissue engineering, and wound closure. Little focus has been given to using SMP as delivery catheters or access devices, which can benefit from greater flexibility and larger deformatio...

Metal-reinforced polymer composites are suitable materials for applications requiring special thermal, electrical or magnetic properties. Three-dimensional printing technologies enable these materials to be quickly shaped in any design directly and without the need for expensive moulds. However, processing data correlating specific information on h...

In industry, several materials applications require bespoke characteristics such as mechanical strength, light weight and improved thermal conductivity, which cannot be simultaneously achieved by metals or ceramics alone. Polymer-metal composites are an engineering solution with potential to fill that gap. This study describes the development of an...

In this study, a 3D-printed photocurable resin was developed by incorporating graphene nanoplatelets functionalised with melamine to investigate the thermal, mechanical, fracture and shape memory behaviours. The objective of this work was to produce a printed functionally graded nanocomposite material that has a smart temperature-responsive structu...

Nanotechnology offers new possibilities in molecular diagnostics, with nanoparticles gaining attention as biosensor upgrades. This study evaluates gold-coated silver nanoplates coated with PEG for enhanced protection, aiming to detect Spike protein with higher sensitivity, and emphasizes the importance of considering complex environments and approp...

Triangular silver nanoplates (TSNPs) exhibit unique optical and antimicrobial properties due to their shape, sharp edges, and vertices. In this study, TSNPs were incorporated into biopolymer blends (bacterial cellulose (BC) with polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)). Antimicrobial activity of materials was te...

Biodegradable polyesters are a popular choice for both packaging and medical device manufacture owing to their ability to break down into harmless components once they have completed their function. However, commonly used polyesters such as poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and polycaprolactone (PCL), while readily available and...

The field of bone tissue engineering has shown a great variety of bone graft substitute materials under development to date, with the aim to reconstruct new bone tissue while maintaining characteristics close to the native bone. Currently, insufficient scaffold degradation remains the critical limitation for the success of tailoring the bone format...

A large bone defect is defined as a defect that exceeds the regenerative capacity of the bone. Nowadays, autologous bone grafting is still the gold standard treatment. In this study, a hybrid bone tissue engineering scaffold (BTE) was designed with biocompatibility, biodegradability and adequate mechanical strength as the primary objectives. Chitos...

The influence of functionalised graphene nanoplatelets with melamine on the thermal and mechanical properties of a 3D-printed photopolymerisable resin is investigated. In this work, a liquid-based 3D printer and stereolithography were employed to fabricate the 3D-printed parts, and a commercial dimethacrylate-based resin was used. The 3D-printed pa...

The present study investigates the feasibility of utilizing polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA-based natural fiber-reinforced composites (NFRCs) in mechanical recycling. A conical twin screw extrusion (CTSE) process was utilized to recycle PLA and PLA-based NFRCs consisting of 90 wt.% PLA and a 10 wt.% proportion of either basalt fibers (BFs) or halloys...

Diseases caused by infections are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used become less effective. A combination of strategies to develop active biomaterials that enhance antibacterial effects are desirable, especially ones that cause fewer side effects and promote healing properties. The combination of nanotechnology with substances that ha...

The Digital Twin (DT) in the manufacturing domain is already the everyday tool for visualizing the various industrial systems, equipment, and produced products. When designing a new manufacturing unit or enlarging an existing factory, it is important to do so without affecting the manufacturing process flow itself. There are opportunities through s...

Conceptualization of the Smart Factory started with introducing the Industry 4.0 paradigm and its nine pillars, which it stands. The paradigm itself is automation and robot-centric focused, which means less and less involvement of the humans on the manufacturing shop floor. However, even robots and simulation aspects of the factories are the most c...

Citation: Alsaadi, M.; Hinchy, E.P.; McCarthy, C.T.; Moritz, V.F.; Zhuo, S.; Fuenmayor, E.; Devine, D.M. Liquid-Based 4D Printing of Shape Memory Nanocomposites: A Review. Abstract: Significant advances have been made in recent years in the materials development of liquid-based 4D printing. Nevertheless, employing additive materials such as nanopar...

Despite bone's inherent ability to heal, large bone defects remain a major clinical concern. This study proposes an off-the-shelf treatment combining chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HAp) scaffolds , covalently linked with either bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or its related peptide P28 via a UV crosslinking process. Although covalently binding th...

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has become popular in several applications due to their bactericidal properties. In this sense, it is ideal that the AgNPs are incorporated into a matrix in order to minimize their release to the environment and to maintain their high reactivity. In view of these facts, the main goal of this work was to synth...

In the cellular environment, high noise levels, such as fluctuations in biochemical reactions, protein variability, molecular diffusion, cell-to-cell contact, and pH, can both mediate and interfere with cellular functions. In this work, gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoparticles (AuTSNP) were validated as a promising new tool to indicate prot...

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is an ongoing field of research based on clinical needs to treat delayed and non-union long bone fractures. An ideal tissue engineering scaffold should have a biodegradability property matching the rate of new bone turnover, be non-toxic, have good mechanical properties, and mimic the natural extracellular matrix to in...

Curcumin and triangular silver nanoplates (TSNP)-incorporated bacterial cellulose (BC) films present an ideal antimicrobial material for biomedical applications as they afford a complete set of requirements, including a broad range of long-lasting potency and superior efficacy antimicrobial activity, combined with low toxicity. Here, BC was produce...

The industrial use of additive manufacturing continues to rapidly increase as new technology developments become available. The Arburg plastic freeforming (APF) process is designed to utilize standard polymeric granules in order to print parts with properties similar to those of molded parts. Despite the emerging industrial importance of APF, the c...

Injection moulding is a polymer processing method of choice for making plastic parts on industrial scale, but its traditional mould is made from tooling steel with time-consuming and costly production. Additive manufacturing technologies arise as an alternative for creating mould inserts at lower costs and shorter lead times. In this context, this...

Ever since its discovery, the applications of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) can be found across a range of application domains, from structural design to medical technology. This is based upon the unique and inherent characteristics such as thermal Shape Memory Effect (SME) and Superelasticity (or Pseudoelasticity). While thermal SME is used for shape...

On the journey of true autonomous robotics, applying deep reinforcement learning (DRL) techniques to solve complex robotics tasks has been a growing interest in academics and the industry. Currently, numerous simulation frameworks exist for evaluating DRL algorithms with robots, and they usually come with prebuilt tasks or provide tools to create c...

One of the most promising technologies that is driving digitalization in several industries is Digital Twin (DT). DT refers to the digital replica or model of any physical object (physical twin). What differentiates DT from simulation and other digital or CAD models is the automatic bidirectional exchange of data between digital and physical twins...

Fenbendazole or methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)carbamate is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic [1] with limited application in oral pharmaceutical dosage forms due to its low aqueous solubility [2]. Hot-melt extrusion is one of the most common techniques to improve the solubility of poorly-water soluble drugs. In this case the polymer...

The photocatalytic behaviours of semiconductive ceramic nanoparticles such as TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, and Fe3O4, have been extensively studied in photocatalysis and photopolymerization, due to their ability to produce radical species under ultraviolet visible light, and even in dark conditions. In addition, in the form of microparticles, TiO2 and its Mag...

Blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) (70/30 wt%) were prepared, and the effects of multiple mechanical recycling up to 5 times on the rheology–morphology relationships, thermal, and mechanical properties were investigated. Rheological and morphological investigations indicated a degree of immiscibility of two combined pol...

This poster explains the investigation on the osteogenic capacity of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and the scaffolds containing these APIs towards C2C12 myoblast cell lines in vitro. This osteogenicity was assessed through Alizarin red staining as well as the cetyl peridium chloride (CPC) assay. This poster was nominated as the best pos...

Hot melt extrusion offers an efficient way of increasing the solubility of a poorly soluble drug. Shellac has potential as a pharmaceutical matrix polymer that can be used in this extrusion process, with further advantages for use in enteric drug delivery systems. The rheological property of a material affects the extrusion process conditions. Howe...

Scientific moulding, also known as decoupled injection moulding, is a production methodology used to develop and determine robust moulding processes resilient to fluctuations caused by variation in temperature and viscosity. Scientific moulding relies on the meticulous collection of data from the manufacturing process, especially inputs of time (fi...

In the context of Industry 4.0 and digital factory, digital twin technology is emerging as a key enabling technology to simulate, optimize, maintain, and predict processes and production systems. Digital Twin (DT) refers to the virtual copy or model of any physical entity (physical twin), both interconnected via real-time data exchange. Conceptuall...

Injection moulding (IM) is a largely employed processing technique for manufacturing high volumes of plastic parts on an industrial scale due to its easiness of use for several resins and good economical feasibility. However, moulds are expensive and are only economical for large production batches. On the other hand, additive manufacturing (AM), a...

This work investigates peripheral nerve regeneration using membranes consisting of pure chitosan, which was further blended with nanofibrillated cellulose, with citric acid as crosslinker, with posterior addition of polyvinyl alcohol, with subsequent freeze thawing. Nanocellulose improves the mechanical and thermal resistance, as well as flexibilit...

Environmental industries are expanding their activities due to the current demand for preservation and remediation of human impact on ecological fields. These industries focus on the production of necessary goods by following the green chemistry principles, such as using renewable sources and reducing hazardous chemicals usage. Therefore, consideri...

Wound infections are the main complication when treating skin wounds. This work reports a novel antimicrobial material using green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) incorporated in polymeric fibers for wound healing purposes. ZnONPs are a promising antimicrobial nanomaterial with high activity against a range of microorganisms, includin...

Digital Twin (DT) refers to the virtual copy or model of any physical entity (physical twin) both of which are interconnected via exchange of data in real time. Conceptually, a DT mimics the state of its physical twin in real time and vice versa. Application of DT includes real-time monitoring, designing/planning, optimization, maintenance, remote...

Poly (lactic acid)/halloysite nanotube (PLA/HNT) nanocomposites have been studied extensively over the past few years owing to the interesting properties of the polymer, PLA, and the nanoclay, HNT, individually and as composites. In this paper, the influence of the screw speed during extrusion was investigated and was found to have a significant im...

An innovative antimicrobial technology for plastic surfaces is presented. We report the synthesis and scale-up of triangular silver nanoplates (TSNPs) and their integration into polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) polymers through a solvent-casting technique. The TSNPs have a high geometric aspect ratio and strong local surface plasmon...

Injection moulding is a widely-used industrial-scale manufacturing method for plastic parts high volumes due to its high-scale economy and manufacture ease for several resins. Moulds are expensive and are only economical for large production batches. Additive manufacturing offers the ability to produce complex designs without moulds; but it isn’t e...

Poster presented in the Bio Innovation of a Circular Economy for Plastics (BioICEP) event. Briefly relating the use of the new Arburg Freeformer in different fields of customized 3D printing.

Research advancements in the field of urinary stents have mainly been in the selection of materials and coatings to address commonly faced problems of encrustation and bacterial adhesion. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) and polypropylene (PP) were evaluated with zinc oxide (ZnO) coating to assess its ability to reduce or eliminate the problems...

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) was produced using Ilex paraguariensis (mate) leaves extract using a green synthesis process. The influence of ethanolic and aqueous plant extract and zinc source on the green synthesis of ZnONPs was studied. Cyclic voltammetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used for the assessment of the m...