CORA
Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) is UCC’s Open Access institutional repository which enables UCC researchers to make their research outputs freely available and accessible.
UCC Research Communities
Recent Submissions
Aqueous amination of track-etched polycarbonate membranes for tuneable nanochannel surface charge density
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2025-12-05) Ashokan, Anjali; Rahme, Kamil; Biswas, Subhajit; Holmes, Justin D.; Irish Government; Bernal Institute, University of Limerick; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, 964251; Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland, DAFM, 2019PROG704
Track-etched polycarbonate (PC) membranes with nanochannels are versatile materials for electrochemical, energy-harvesting, and separation applications. Precise control over their surface charge is critical, as it governs ion selectivity, electroosmotic flow, and overall ionic transport behaviour in confined nanochannels. However, environmentally friendly and scalable strategies to precisely tune their surface charge remain limited. Amination is a practical approach for PC membrane functionalisation, as it introduces protonatable amine groups that enhance the positive surface charge and enable further chemical modifications via mild, aqueous reactions. Here, we report a simple aqueous amination method that enables systematic control of surface charge density in PC membranes between 0.0015–0.0034 C cm−2. Commercial PC membranes with nominal pore sizes of 0.015, 0.05, and 0.1 µm were functionalised with a series of amines, hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), polyethyleneimine (PEI), and glycine (Gly), through urethane-bond formation with surface carbonyl groups under mild aqueous conditions. Elemental and spectroscopic analyses confirmed efficient functionalisation and tuneable nitrogen content (9.7–22.6 at%), related to variable surface charge density, achieved by varying reaction parameters such as concentration, time, temperature, and amine type. The highest surface charge density of 0.0034 C cm−2was achieved using 5% w/v TETA on PC membranes with 0.1 µm diameter. This scalable, low-energy pathway for PC membrane functionalisation is even compatible with ultrasmall pores, down to ∼15 nm. The charge densities achieved through this green aqueous functionalisation are the highest among other surface charge-tuning methods, such as plasma, ultraviolet, or polymer-grafting methods. Aqueous amination-based functionalisation is suitable for fabricating charge-tuneable, ion-selective membranes for nanofluidic energy conversion, electrochemical sensing, and other surface-charge-governed applications.
Nature, connection, and wellbeing in later life: A qualitative study of group nature-based volunteering
(Academic Press, 2026-10-05) Healy, Nessa; Cassarino, Marica
Loneliness in later life represents a significant public health challenge, yet the processes through which community-based activities in natural environments support social connection and wellbeing remain less well understood. This qualitative study examined older adults’ experiences of group nature-based volunteering and its mechanisms of influence on psychological and social outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 volunteers aged 65–76, alongside focused ethnographic observation across two volunteering groups in South-West Ireland (rural conservation and urban environmental initiatives). Data was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three themes were developed: (1) Freedom and acceptance through culture and place, (2) Belonging and connection through group volunteering, and (3) Redefining life after retirement. Findings indicate that the natural environment functioned as an active facilitator of participation and social interaction. Environmental affordances such as open space, sensory stimuli and opportunities for movement enabled flexible, low-pressure engagement, reducing social demands and supporting self-regulation. Shared conservation tasks created forms of practical interdependence that fostered connection without requiring explicit self-disclosure, while routine activities (e.g. tea breaks) structured opportunities for social bonding. Participation contributed to multiple dimensions of wellbeing, particularly eudaimonic and social wellbeing, by supporting belonging, purpose and identity in the context of retirement. The findings extend environmental psychology perspectives by demonstrating how nature-based settings shape social processes through affordances and restorative qualities, enabling inclusive and sustainable forms of engagement. Nature-based volunteering is therefore conceptualised as a socially embedded practice that supports connection and wellbeing in later life, with implications for community interventions targeting loneliness.
Ecological sensitivity analysis of the western Irish Sea to inform future designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
(Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Government of Ireland, 2023-05-01) Crowe, Tasman P.; Allcock, A. Louise; Breen, Patricia; Conway, Andrew; Doyle, Thomas; Gillen, Domonique; Haberlin, Damien; Heney, Kelllie; Johnson, Mark P.; Kamjou, Elgar; Morris, Caoimhe; Nolan, Cormac; Orrell, Danielle; O'Sullivan, Denise; Tully, Oliver; Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
In January 2023 an independent advisory group was established by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to conduct an ecological sensitivity analysis of the western Irish Sea to inform future potential designation of MPAs (Marine Protection Areas) in the region. This report is a significant milestone as we look to manage the Irish Sea in a coherent and sustainable way, enabling and supporting the future designation of Marine Protected areas, and integrating MPAs with the maritime sectors of shipping and fishing and Renewable Offshore Energy. Further work under the forthcoming MPA legislation will enable potential MPA network solutions to be refined on the basis of national policy, analyses involving additional evidence and the participation and input of stakeho
Analysis of national drug and alcohol data by regional health area
(Health Research Board, 2023) O'Neill, Derek; Condron, Ita; Kelleher, Cathy; Lyons, Suzi; Mongan, Deirdre; Millar, Seán R.
This article presents the most recently available drug and alcohol data on treatment demand, general population prevalence, and opioid prevalence analysed by regional health area in Ireland.
Book review: The Migrant’s Paradox
(Society for the Anthropology of Work, 2022-08-06) MacQuarie, Julius-Cezar
Book review of Suzanne M. Hall's (2021) The Migrant's Paradox: Street Livelihoods and Marginal Citizenship in Britain.