Molecular crystal lithography: a facile and low-cost approach to fabricate nanogap electrodes

A novel cost-efficient and facile technique, molecular crystal lithography, to fabricate nanogap electrodes efficiently is reported. The gap width of the electrodes can be tuned from ～9 nm to several micrometers. Organic field-effect transistors based on the nanogap electrodes all exhibit a high performance, indicating the effectiveness and practicability of molecular crystal lithography for mass production of nanogap electrodes.     

A facile approach to fabricate Ni inverse opals at controlled thickness

A vertical electrophoretic deposition method was employed to fabricate polystyrene (PS) colloidal crystals with negligible defects and considerable surface uniformity. Subsequently, the interstitial voids within the colloidal crystals were electroplated with Ni, followed by selective removal of the PS microspheres. With careful adjustment in the processing parameters, we were able to obtain Ni inverse opals at predetermined thickness in relatively short time. The inverse opals revealed superb structural stability and surface uniformity. Because the electrophoresis and electrodeposition were both carried out in a solution state, this fabrication scheme enables facile construction of inverse opals on conductive substrates over conventional approaches.     

A facile method to fabricate a series of micrometer scale hollow silica spheres

Hollow silica spheres (HSS) with the controllable diameters of 1.0 to 5.0 μm were successfully synthesized by adjusting the initial doubly distilled water volume in mixed ethanol-water solvent based on a complex approach that dispersion polymerization coexisted with a sol-gel process. The size of the HSS was uniform and the surface of the shell was smooth as observed by SEM. The FT-IR spectrum indicated that the inside core was completely removed. The thermal property and the compositions of core-shell spheres were investigated by TG-DSC.     

Self-assembly of LaBO3:Eu twin microspheres synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process and their tunable luminescence properties

The LaBO₃:Eu twin microspheres, composed of nanorods with high crystallinity, were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process. Tunable luminescence property, which was observed by varying the excitation wavelength of the samples, was studied. Near white light can be generated for exciting at ～370 and 390 nm. Because of surface defect, the LaBO₃ twin microspheres present blue emission under the excitation wavelength of ～330 nm.     

A facile approach to fabricate few-layer chemically modified and reduced graphene oxide sheets: Combination of stitching,reduction and functionaliztion

A facile strategy for the preparation of few-layer chemically stitched and reduced graphene oxide (FL-CMRG) in water using various linear diaminoalkanes with the general formula H₂N(CH₂)_nNH₂ (n = 4, 6, 8) is proposed, and the resulting FL-CMRG was characterized by means of AFM, TEM, XPS, UV-vis, TGA and XRD. Interlayer spacing between bridged FL-CMRG sheets can reach 1.038 nm when the size of the intercalant to (n = 6) H₂N (CH₂)₆ NH₂. A mechanism for forming the FL-CMRG via removal of epoxide and hydroxyl groups from GO and stitching of the GO sheets by various linear diaminoalkanes in water solution has been proposed.     

Subcritical CO2 sintering of microspheres of different polymeric materials to fabricate scaffolds for tissue engineering

The aim of this study was to use CO₂ at sub-critical pressures as a tool to sinter 3D, macroporous, microsphere-based scaffolds for bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Porous scaffolds composed of ~ 200 μm microspheres of either poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) or polycaprolactone (PCL) were prepared using dense phase CO₂ sintering, which were seeded with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (rBMSCs), and exposed to either osteogenic (PLGA, PCL) or chondrogenic (PLGA) conditions for 6 weeks. Under osteogenic conditions, the PLGA constructs produced over an order of magnitude more calcium than the PCL constructs, whereas the PCL constructs had far superior mechanical and structural integrity (125 times stiffer than PLGA constructs) at week 6, along with twice the cell content of the PLGA constructs. Chondrogenic cell performance was limited in PLGA constructs, perhaps as a result of the polymer degradation rate being too high. The current study represents the first long-term culture of CO₂-sintered microsphere-based scaffolds, and has established important thermodynamic differences in sintering between the selected formulations of PLGA and PCL, with the former requiring adjustment of pressure only, and the latter requiring the adjustment of both pressure and temperature. Based on more straightforward sintering conditions and more favorable cell performance, PLGA may be the material of choice for microspheres in a CO₂ sintering application, although a different PLGA formulation with the encapsulation of growth factors, extracellular matrix-derived nanoparticles, and/or buffers in the microspheres may be advantageous for achieving a more superior cell performance than observed here.     

A facile way to fabricate graphene sheets on TiO2 nanotube arrays for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

Large-area graphene sheets on TiO₂ nanotube arrays (RGO/TNAs) were fabricated using a simple electrochemical method. The RGO content loaded on the arrays was controlled by changing the electrochemical reaction time. The microstructures and properties of RGO/TNAs were characterized and measured using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction pattern, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR spectra, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The results indicated that an appropriate reaction time clearly enhances photoelectrochemical properties, while excessive RGO loading significantly lowers their performance. Remarkably, in sharp contrast to the dye-sensitized solar cells prepared by TNAs as photoanode, the RGO/TNAs showed a significantly enhanced power conversion efficiency of 4.46 %. The improvement of light harvesting is due to the excellent property of RGO and the special structure of the composite.     

Electrospray deposition as a method to fabricate functionally active protein films

Electrospray ionization is a routine method in MS analysis of proteins and other biopolymers. Deposition of the electrospray products onto a conductive electrode is suggested here as a means to manufacture functionally active protein films. Recovery of the specific hydrolytic activity of the electrosprayed alkaline phosphatase (AP) was used as a probe for preservation of protein intactness in the electrospray deposition (ESD). It was shown that protein inactivation upon ESD is highly dependent on voltage and current used. Humidity and the presence of protective substances in solution also affect the process. Complete preservation of the enzyme activity was observed when the ESD was performed at low current and humidity in the presence of disaccharides.     

A novel cost-effective approach to fabricate diopside bioceramics: A promising ceramics for orthopedic applications

The objective of the present study is to prepare low temperature diopside (CaMgSi₂O₆) ceramics from natural waste (Rice husk ash & eggshells) and study the physico-mechanical and in vitro biological properties. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) were used to assess the crystalline phase, thermal behavior, microstructure, functional groups and composition, respectively. Degradation as well as mechanical stability was studied by testing the weight loss and compressive strength in dynamic mode of simulated body fluid (SBF) according to ISO 10993-14. The bioactivity of diopside samples was tested by means of ability and rate of apatite mineralization on the surface in static mode of SBF. Cytocompatibility by human osteoblast-like cells and their proliferation were studied using MTT assay. Results revealed that the pure phase of diopside was successfully attained at significantly low temperature (800 °C) with good mechanical properties, which were nearly similar to that of human cortical bone, and with enhanced mechanical stability. Diopside ceramics possessed apatite growth on its surface in SBF and exhibits excellent biocompatibility with MG-63 cells. These results suggested that prepared diopside can be a cost-effective bioceramics for potential orthopedic applications.     

A novel approach to fabricate Zn coating on Mg foam through a modified thermal evaporation technique

Zn enriched coatings with distinct microstructures and properties were fabricated on Mg foams by a modified thermal evaporation technique using a tubular resistance furnace. As the temperature and kinetic energy of Zn vapor varied along the tubular system, a spatial variation of preparation conditions was created and the obtained coatings were found to follow two growth mechanisms: a thermal diffusion pattern in high-temperature zone and the a relatively low-temperature deposition model. AZn-based deposition coating with dense texture and nearly uniform structure was acquired while Mg foam was placed 20 cm far from the evaporation source, where the Zn vapor deposition model dominated the coating growth.Mechanical properties and bio-corrosion behaviors of the samples were investigated. Results showed that the Zn coatings brought dramatic improvements in compression strength, but exhibited differently in biodegradation performance. It was confirmed that the diffusion layer accelerated corrosion of Mg foam due to the galvanic effect, while the Zn-based deposition coating displayed excellent anti-corrosion performance, showing great potential as bone implant materials. This technique provides a novel and convenient approach to tailor the biodegradability of Mg foams for biomedical applications.     

The indentation of pressurized elastic shells: from polymeric capsules to yeast cells

Pressurized elastic capsules arise at scales ranging from the 10 m diameter pressure vessels used to store propane at oil refineries to the microscopic polymeric capsules that may be used in drug delivery. Nature also makes extensive use of pressurized elastic capsules: plant cells, bacteria and fungi have stiff walls, which are subject to an internal turgor pressure. Here, we present theoretical, numerical and experimental investigations of the indentation of a linearly elastic shell subject to a constant internal pressure. We show that, unlike unpressurized shells, the relationship between force and displacement demonstrates two linear regimes. We determine analytical expressions for the effective stiffness in each of these regimes in terms of the material properties of the shell and the pressure difference. As a consequence, a single indentation experiment over a range of displacements may be used as a simple assay to determine both the internal pressure and elastic properties of capsules. Our results are relevant for determining the internal pressure in bacterial, fungal or plant cells. As an illustration of this, we apply our results to recent measurements of the stiffness of baker''s yeast and infer from these experiments that the internal osmotic pressure of yeast cells may be regulated in response to changes in the osmotic pressure of the external medium.     

Hot melt granulation: a facile approach for monolithic osmotic release tablets

The aim of this work was to develop and evaluate an extended release matrix tablet of glipizide (GP), an oral hypoglycemic agent. Matrices of GP were prepared using microcrystalline cellulose Avicel(?) PH 112, sodium chloride (SC) and polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG). The content of Kollidon SR (KR), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K4M premium CR grade (HM) and polyethylene oxide WSR 303 (PO) and/or magnesium hydroxide (MH) was varied in different formulations. All the formulations were processed by hot melt granulation technique. GP release was observed to be influenced by the amount of SC and MH present in the core formulation. The matrix tablets were coated with a solution containing combination of cellulose acetate 398.10 (CA) and PEG. The release of GP was observed to be inversely proportional to the weight of the coating membrane. Matrices containing PO in combination with SC and MH (14.28:8.56) showed significantly higher degree of hydration and swelling that was evident in the surface texture as visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results of SEM studies confirmed the presence of pores in the semi-permeable coating membrane from where the GP release would have occurred. The release of GP from this formulation was similar to that of the marketed extended release tablet as judged from similarity factor (f2) analysis, which yielded a value of 74.7. The optimized formulation was found to be stable when tested according to long term and accelerated storage conditions of ICH guidelines upto 3 months.     

Investigating a new approach to film casting for enhanced drug content uniformity in polymeric films

Films prepared by conventional casting onto trays such as teflon-coated perspex trays (TCPTs) suffer from poor drug content uniformity. The aim of this study was to prepare a silicone-molded tray (SMT) with individual wells for film casting and to evaluate it in terms of enhancing drug content uniformity. Films were prepared by solvent evaporation or emulsification and cast onto TCPT and SMT. Preparation of films by the SMT method was superior in terms of meeting drug content uniformity requirements. As compared with the TCPT method, the SMT casting method also reduced the variability in mucoadhesivity, drug release, and film thickness. Reproducibility of the SMT method was demonstrated in terms of drug content, mucoadhesion, and drug release.     

Using polypyrrole as the contrast pH detector to fabricate a whole solid-state pH sensing device

In this paper, we use the extended gate field effect transistor (EGFET) and the coated wire electrode (CWE) to design a differential pH-sensing device. The SnO/sub 2//ITO glass structure is the EGFET used as the pH sensor because of its excellent pH sensitivity of about 57.10 mV/pH. The contrast pH sensor is the polypyrrole/SnO/sub 2//ITO glass structure CWE, which has the lower pH sensitivity of about 27.81 mV/pH, and we use the third SnO/sub 2//ITO glass structure as the reference electrode to serve the base potential of the electrolyte solution. The pH sensitivity of this differential pH-sensing device is about 30.14 mV/pH and it is linear. Hence, this device is a good pH sensor. By using this technology, the differential pH-sensing device has a lot of advantages, such as simple fabrication, solid-state electrodes, easy packaging, low cost, etc.     

Comparison of the top-down and bottom-up approach to fabricate nanowire-based silicon/germanium heterostructures

Silicon nanowires (NWs) and vertical nanowire-based Si/Ge heterostructures are expected to be building blocks for future devices, e.g. field-effect transistors or thermoelectric elements. In principle two approaches can be applied to synthesise these NWs: the ‘bottom-up’ and the ‘top-down’ approach. The most common method for the former is the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism which can also be applied to grow NWs by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Although MBE allows a precise growth control under highly reproducible conditions, the general nature of the growth process via a eutectic droplet prevents the synthesis of heterostructures with sharp interfaces and high Ge concentrations. We compare the VLS NW growth with two different top-down methods: The first is a combination of colloidal lithography and metal-assisted wet chemical etching, which is an inexpensive and fast method and results in large arrays of homogenous Si NWs with adjustable diameters down to 50 nm. The second top-down method combines the growth of Si/Ge superlattices by MBE with electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. Again, large and homogeneous arrays of NWs were created, this time with a diameter of 40 nm and the Si/Ge superlattice inside.     

Robustness of a biomolecular oscillator to pulse perturbations

Biomolecular oscillators can function robustly in the presence of environmental perturbations, which can either be static or dynamic. While the effect of different circuit parameters and mechanisms on the robustness to steady perturbations has been investigated, the scenario for dynamic perturbations is relatively unclear. To address this, the authors use a benchmark three protein oscillator design – the repressilator – and investigate its robustness to pulse perturbations, computationally as well as use analytical tools of Floquet theory. They found that the metric provided by direct computations of the time it takes for the oscillator to settle after pulse perturbation is applied, correlates well with the metric provided by Floquet theory. They investigated the parametric dependence of the Floquet metric, finding that the parameters that increase the effective delay enhance robustness to pulse perturbation. They found that the structural changes such as increasing the number of proteins in a ring oscillator as well as adding positive feedback, both of which increase effective delay, facilitates such robustness. These results highlight such design principles, especially the role of delay, for designing an oscillator that is robust to pulse perturbation.Inspec keywords: proteins, oscillators, biomolecular electronics, biotechnologyOther keywords: biomolecular oscillator, environmental perturbations, circuit parameters, steady perturbations, dynamic perturbations, benchmark three protein oscillator design, Floquet theory, pulse perturbation, Floquet metric, ring oscillator, effective delay, repressilator, analytical tools, parametric dependence, positive feedback     

A facile and general approach to polynary semiconductor nanocrystals via a modified two-phase method

Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanocrystals were synthesized through a modified two-phase method and characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. Inorganic metal salts were dissolved in the polar solvent triethylene glycol (TEG) and then transferred into the non-polar solvent 1-octadecene (ODE) by forming metal complexes between metal ions and octadecylamine (ODA). Since nucleation and growth occur in the single phase of the ODE solution, nanocrystals could be produced with qualities similar to those obtained through the hot-injection route. Balancing the reactivity of the metal precursors is a key factor in producing nanocrystals of a single crystalline phase. We found that increasing the reaction temperature increases the reactivity of each of the metal precursors by differing amounts, thus providing the necessary flexibility for obtaining a balanced reactivity that produces the desired product. The versatility of this synthesis strategy was demonstrated by extending it to the production of other polynary nanocrystals such as binary (CuS), ternary (CuInS(2)) and pentanary (Cu(2 - x)Ag(x)ZnSnS(4)) nanocrystals. This method is considered as a green synthesis route due to the use of inorganic metal salts as precursors, smaller amounts of coordinating solvent, shorter reaction time and simpler post-reaction treatment.     

A facile and green approach for the fabrication of ZnO nanorods using bamboo charcoal as the template

A green synthetic approach was presented for the fabrication of ZnO nanorods via the bamboo charcoal-assisted impregnation route with ZnC₂O₄ colloid in ethanol as the inorganic precursor, followed by calcination at 800 °C for 7 h in air. These ZnO samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is shown that wurtzite hexagonal structured ZnO nanorods were fabricated, with an average diameter of about 300 nm and a length up to several micrometers. Bamboo charcoal played a key role in the formation of ZnO nanorods. The possible formation mechanism for ZnO nanorods was proposed.     

Effect of temperature and α-irradiation on gas permeability for polymeric membrane

In the present study the polyethersulphone (PES) membranes of thickness (35 ±2) μm were prepared by solution cast method. The permeability of these membranes was calculated by varying the temperature and by irradiation of α ions. For the variation of temperature, the gas permeation cell was dipped in a constant temperature water bath in the temperature range from 303–373 K, which is well below the glass transition temperature (498 K). The permeability of H₂ and CO₂ increased with increasing temperature. The PES membrane was exposed by a-source (₉₅Am₂₄₁) of strength (1 μ Ci) in vacuum of the order of 10⁻⁶ torr, with fluence 2.7 × 10⁷ ions/cm². The permeability of H₂ and CO₂ has been observed for irradiated membrane with increasing etching time. The permeability increases with increasing etching time for both gases. There was a sudden change in permeability for both the gases when observed at 18 min etching. At this stage the tracks are visible with optical instrument, which confirms that the pores are generated. Most of pores seen in the micrograph are circular cross-section ones.