Generic nitric oxide (NO) generating surface by immobilizing organoselenium species via layer-by-layer assembly

A universal nitric oxide (NO) generating surface is assembled via Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition of sodium alginate (Alg) and organoselenium modified polyethyleneimine (SePEI) on quartz and polymeric substrates. The immobilized SePEI species is capable of catalytically decomposing S-nitrosothiol species (RSNO) to NO in the presence of thiol reducing agents (e.g., glutathione, cysteine, etc.). The stepwise buildup of the multilayer films is monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy, SEM and surface contact angle measurements. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to study the stoichiometry between the polyanion and polycation, and also the presence of Se in the catalytic LbL film. A reductive annealing process is necessary to improve the stability of freshly coated multilayer films via chain rearrangement. Chemiluminescence measurements illustrate the ability of the LbL films to generate NO from S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) in the presence of glutathione (GSH). Enhanced NO fluxes can be achieved by increasing the number of catalytic (SePEI/Alg) bilayers coated on the substrates. Nitric oxide generation is observed even after prolonged contact with sheep whole blood. Preliminary applications of this LbL on silicone rubber tubings and polyurethane catheters reveal similar NO generation behavior from these biomedical grade polymeric substrates.     

Transparent, Superhydrophobic, and Wear-Resistant Coatings on Glass and Polymer Substrates Using SiO(2), ZnO, and ITO Nanoparticles

It is of significant interest to create surfaces that simultaneously exhibit high water contact angle, low contact angle hysteresis, and high transmission of visible light, as well as mechanical wear resistance for industrial applications. The fabrication of such surfaces has often involved complex or expensive processes, required techniques that were not suitable for a variety of substrates and particles, required surface post-treatment, or lacked wear resistance. A systematic study has been performed in which transparent superhydrophobic surfaces were created on glass, polycarbonate, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates using surface-functionalized SiO(2), ZnO, and indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles. The contact angle, contact angle hysteresis, and optical transmittance were measured for samples using all particle-substrate combinations. To examine wear resistance, multiscale wear experiments were performed using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a water jet apparatus.     

Nanocrystalline TiO2/ZnO thin films: fabrication and application to dye-sensitized solar cells

Nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films composed of densely packed grains were deposited onto indium-doped tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates at room temperature using a chemical bath deposition technique. A layer-by-layer (LbL) process was utilized to obtain a 1.418-microm-thick TiO2/ZnO structure. The TiO2 surface was super-hydrophilic, but its hydrophilicity decreased considerably after ZnO deposition. Other TiO2/ZnO films were studied to assess their suitability as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).     

Reversible Layer‐by‐Layer Deposition on Solid Substrates Inspired by Mussel Byssus Cuticle

The protective coating on mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) byssus has attracted considerable research interest because of its excellent mechanical properties such as hardness and extensibility. These special properties are known to be highly related with specific interactions between mussel foot protein‐1 and metal ions. In particular, the complexation between catechols in mfp‐1 and iron(III) has been identified as a key interaction. This finding has given opportunities for pursuing promising applications. Herein, we report that emulating the properties of the mussel byssus cuticle provides an important platform for developing reversible layer‐by‐layer (LbL) deposition, an advanced technique for surface modification. LbL films were constructed on solid substrates by sequential immersion of substrates into solutions containing iron(III) and catecholic compounds. The thickness of the LbL films was effectively controlled by increasing the immersion steps, and the reversibility of the LbL deposition was demonstrated by addition of a chelating agent.     

层层组装构筑聚电解质/碳纳米管导电黏附膜

首先将聚烯丙基胺盐酸盐与碳纳米管制成复合物(PAH-CNT), 再通过层层组装技术构筑了聚丙烯酸和碳纳米管混合物(PAA-CNT)与PAH-CNT多层复合膜(PAH-CNT/PAA-CNT). PAH-CNT/PAA-CNT多层复合膜同时具有导电和黏附性能. 在玻璃和ITO基片上沉积的PAH-CNT/PAA-CNT多层复合膜的最大拉伸剪切强度接近7 MPa, 即1 cm²的黏附膜可以承受约70 kg的重物. 碳纳米管的引入使PAH-CNT/PAA-CNT多层复合膜具有更好的导电性.     

Abrasion resistant inorganic/organic coating materials prepared by the sol-gel method

Novel abrasion resistant coating materials prepared by the sol-gel method have been developed and applied on the polymeric substrates bisphenol-A polycarbonate and diallyl diglycol carbonate resin (CR-39). These coatings are inorganic/organic hybrid network materials synthesized from 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized organics and metal alkoxide. The organic components are 3,3-iminobispropylamine (IMPA), resorcinol (RSOL), diethylenetriamine (DETA), poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), glycerol and a series of diols. The metal alkoxides are tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS). These materials are spin coated onto bisphenol-A polycarbonate and CR-39 sheets and thermally cured to obtain a transparent coating of a few microns in thickness. Following the curing, the abrasion resistance is measured and compared with an uncoated control. It was found that the abrasion resistance of inorganic/organic hybrid coatings in the neat form or containing metal alkoxide can be very effective to improve the abrasion resistance of polymeric substrates. The adhesion tests show that the adhesion between coating and substrate can be greatly improved by treating the polymeric substrate surface with a primer solution of isopropanol containing 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APS). The interaction between 3-APS and the polycarbonate surface was investigated by a molecular dynamics simulation. The results strongly suggest that the hydrogen bonding between the amino group of the 3-APS and ester group in the polycarbonate backbone are sufficiently strong to influence the orientation of the primer molecules. The abrasion resistance of these new coating systems is discussed in light of the structure of the organic components. All of these results show that these coating materials have excellent abrasion resistance and have potential applications as coating materials for lenses and other polymeric products.     

Redox reactions of ferricyanide ions in layer-by-layer deposited polysaccharide films: a significant effect of the type of polycation in the films

Redox reactions of ferricyanide ions, [Fe(CN)6]3-, in polysaccharide thin films that were prepared by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition on the surface of a gold electrode were studied electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry. LbL films composed of alginic acid (AGA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) were successfully prepared using poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as the cationic counterparts in the electrostatic LbL deposition. The deposition behavior of the PEI-based films significantly depended on the pH of the solutions from which the LbL films were deposited, while the effects of pH were negligibly small for the PDDA-based films due to the pH-independent positive charges on the PDDA chains. The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of [Fe(CN)6]3- ions on the LbL film-coated electrodes revealed that all the LbL films tested are permeable to [Fe(CN)6]3- ions and that the redox reactions of [Fe(CN)6]3- ions proceed smoothly in the LbL polysaccharide films. It was found that [Fe(CN)6]3- ions are concentrated in the films from the bulk solution, depending on the pH of the medium and on the type of polycations in the film. The PEI-based films concentrated [Fe(CN)6]3- ions more effectively in an acidic solution than in neutral and basic media, while the pH effect was not observed for the PDDA-based films. In addition, we found that the [Fe(CN)6]3- ions are confined in the LbL films due to a strong binding of the ions to the positively charged sites arising from the protonated amino groups in the films. The confined [Fe(CN)6]3- ions exhibited redox reactions in the films, with the redox potentials being shifted to the positive or negative direction in the PEI- or PDDA-based film, respectively, as compared to the redox potential of diffusing [Fe(CN)6]3- ions. Thus, significant effects of the type of polycation in the LbL films on the redox reactions of [Fe(CN)6]3- ions were observed.     

Nanostructured films from phthalocyanine and carbon nanotubes: surface morphology and electrical characterization

We report on the investigation of the surface morphology and DC conductivity of nanostructured layer-by-layer (LbL) films from nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (NiTsPc) alternated with either multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs/NiTsPc) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed in chitosan (MWNTs+Ch/NiTsPc). We have explored the surface morphology of the films by using fractal concepts and dynamic scale laws. The MWNTs/NiTsPc LbL films were found to have a fractal dimension of ca. 2, indicating a quasi Euclidean surface. MWNTs+Ch/NiTsPc LbL films are described by the Lai-Das Sarma-Villain (LDV) model, which predicts the deposition of particles and their subsequent relaxation. An increase in the wetting contact angle of MWNTs+Ch/NiTsPc LbL films was observed, as compared with MWNTs/NiTsPc LbL films, which presented an increase in the fractal dimension of the first system. Room temperature conductivities were found be ca. 0.45 S/cm for MWNTs/NiTsPc and 1.35 S/cm for MWNTs+Ch/NiTsPc.     

Robust multilayer thin films containing cationic thiol-functionalized gold nanorods for tunable plasmonic properties

Gold nanorods have great potential in a variety of applications because of their unique physical properties. In this article, we present the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of thin films containing positively charged gold nanorods that are covalently functionalized by cationic thiol molecules. The cationic gold nanorods are uniformly distributed in ultrathin nanocomposite LbL thin films. We studied the collective surface plasmon resonance coupling in the LbL films via UV-visible spectroscopy and evaluated their application in the surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of rhodamine 6G probe molecules. Furthermore, we successfully manufactured freestanding nanoscale thin films containing multilayers of gold nanorods with a total thickness of less than 50 nm. The surface morphology and their optical and mechanical properties were systematically investigated, and the polycationic gold nanorods were found to play an important role in manipulating the properties of the nanocomposite thin films. Our findings reveal that such nanorods are excellent building blocks for constructing functional LbL films with tunable plasmonic behavior and robust mechanical properties.     

Preparation of thick and hard coating films via sol–gel process with a low temperature treatment

SiO₂-polymer hybrid thick and hard coating films were successfully obtained via sol–gel process with a heat treatment at 200 °C. The films were achieved by control of hydrolysis and poly-condensation reaction of silica species. Key parameters were pH, water content and additional polymer in the coating solution. No-cracking and highly transparent films were formed with polymer content in a range from 28 to 42 mass% [vs. SiO₂]. Their thickness was varied from 2.6 to 3.5 μm with an increase in the polymer content. The haze values of the films after Taber abrasion were very low in a range from 1.3 to 2.7%, and the pencil hardness was over 9H. Moreover, no-damage was observed on the surface after steel wool abrasion with 4 kg loaded. These high mechanical strengths were come up to that of float glass, so that the coating films prepared by this process have a great potential for application to architectural and automotive window glass.     

pH-controlled exponential and linear growing modes of layer-by-layer assemblies of star polyelectrolytes

We report the unique layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly behavior of pH-sensitive star-shaped polyelectrolytes with both linear and exponential growth modes controlled by star architecture and assembly conditions. Cationic poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] and anionic poly(acrylic acid) stars were synthesized via "core-first" atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) based on multifunctional initiators, in addition to their linear analogues. We demonstrated the LbL growth behavior as a function of deposition pH (ranging from 5 to 7), number of layers (up to 30 bilayers), and the method of assembly (dip- vs spin-assisted LbL). The spin-assisted LbL assembly makes it possible to render smoother and thinner LbL films with parameters controlled by the shear rate and pH conditions. In contrast, for dip-assisted LbL assembly, the pH-dependent exponential growth was observed for both linear and star polyelectrolytes. In the case of linear/linear pair, the exponential buildup was accompanied with a notable surface segregation which resulted in dramatic surface nonuniformity, "wormlike" heterogeneous morphology, and dramatic surface roughening. In contrast, star/linear and star/star LbL films showed very uniform and smooth surface morphology (roughness below 2.0 nm on the scale of 10 μm × 10 μm) with much larger thickness reaching up to 1.0 μm for 30 bilayers and rich optical interference effects. Star polyelectrolytes with partially screened charges and high mobility caused by compact branched architecture appear to facilitate fast diffusion and exponential buildup of LbL films. We suggest that the fast buildup prevents long-range lateral diffusion of polyelectrolyte star components, hinders large-scale microphase separation, and thus leads to unique thick, smooth, uniform, transparent, and colorful LbL films from star polyelectrolytes in contrast to mostly heterogeneous films from traditional linear counterparts.     

Effect of the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition method on the surface morphology and wetting behavior of hydrophobically modified PEO and PAA LbL films

We demonstrate that the surface morphology and surface-wetting behavior of layer-by-layer (LbL) films can be controlled using different deposition methods. Multilayer films based upon hydrogen-bonding interactions between hydrophobically modified poly(ethylene oxide) (HM-PEO) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) have been prepared using the dip- and spin-assisted LbL methods. A three-dimensional surface structure in the dip-assisted multilayer films appeared above a critical number of layer pairs owing to the formation of micelles of HM-PEO in its aqueous dipping solution. In the case of spin-assisted HM-PEO/PAA multilayer films, no such surface morphology development was observed, regardless of the layer pair number, owing to the limited rearrangement and aggregation of HM-PEO micelles during spin deposition. The contrasting surface morphologies of the dip- and spin-assisted LbL films have a remarkable effect on the wetting behavior of water droplets. The water contact angle of the dip-assisted HM-PEO/PAA LbL films reaches a maximum at an intermediate layer pair number, coinciding with the critical number of layer pairs for surface morphology development, and then decreases rapidly as the surface structure is evolved and amplified. In contrast, spin-assisted HM-PEO/PAA LbL films yield a nearly constant water contact angle due to the surface chemical composition and roughness that is uniform independent of layer pair number. We also demonstrate that the multilayer samples prepared using both the dip- and spin-assisted LbL methods were easily peeled away from any type of substrate to yield free-standing films; spin-assisted LbL films appeared transparent, while dip-assisted LbL films were translucent.     

层-层自组装构建固相可降解基因传递体系的研究

近年来,随着人类对基因研究的深入,基因治疗作为一种新的手段,受到人们的广泛重视．在组织工程材料、介入医用材料和医用植入体的应用中,与传统的溶液给药方式不同,基因技术需要一种可直接作用于材料表面贴壁细胞的长效、高转染固相基因传递体系．目前,国内外研究者将蛋白质药     

纳米多孔金薄膜的表面等离子体共振传感特性

对淀积在玻璃衬底上厚度约60 nm的金银合金溅射薄膜进行硝酸腐蚀脱银处理, 得到纳米多孔金薄膜. 利用自建的波长检测型表面等离子体共振(SPR)传感装置研究了腐蚀时间对纳米多孔金薄膜SPR特性的影响, 结果发现纳米多孔金薄膜与水溶液接触后在400-900 nm光谱范围内不具有SPR效应, 而当薄膜置于空气中时会产生明显的传播等离子体共振吸收峰, 其共振波长随腐蚀时间增加逐渐红移. 纳米多孔金薄膜在空气气氛中的SPR效应使其能够用于原位监测气相分子在孔内的吸附, 还可对在液相中吸附的生化分子进行离位测试. 本文对L-谷胱甘肽、L-半胱氨酸、2-氨基乙硫醇三种含巯基的生化小分子在纳米多孔金薄膜内的吸附进行了离位分析, 结果表明与传统的致密金薄膜SPR芯片比较, 纳米多孔金薄膜对这些分子显示出更高的灵敏度和更低的检测下限, 这归功于多孔金的大比表面积使其能够吸附大量的生化小分子. 实验还对乙醇蒸气在纳米多孔金薄膜内的吸附进行了原位监测, 发现吸附平衡所用时间较长, 约为160 min.     

UV Curable Hard Transparent Hybrid Coating Materials on Polycarbonate Prepared by the Sol-Gel Method

UV curable, hard, transparent inorganic/organic composites with covalent links between the inorganic and the organic networks were prepared by the sol-gel method. These hybrid coating materials were synthesized using a commercially available, acrylate end-capped polyester or polyurethane oligomeric resin (EBC80, EBC284), hexanedioldiacrylate (HDDA) as a reactive solvent, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propoxymethacrylate (TMSPM) as a coupling agent between the organic and inorganic phase, and a metal alkoxide, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). The materials were applied on primer or oxygen plasma pretreated polycarbonate sheets and UV cured, followed by a thermal treatment to give a transparent coating with a good adhesion and abrasion resistance. The high transmission and the thermogravimetric behavior indicate the presence of a nanoscale hybrid composite, as is confirmed by SAXS and TEM measurements. In a Taber Abrasion Test, uncoated polycarbonate sheets exhibit a 48% decrease in light transmittance at 600 nm after 300 wear cycles, whereas the EBC80 hybrid coating system containing 9 wt% SiO₂ (EBC80/25Si) shows only 28% decrease in light transmittance. A maximal improvement of the abrasion resistance is achieved when 23 wt% SiO₂ is incorporated (EBC80/60Si, EBC284/60Si) with only 20% decrease in light transmittance. The abrasion resistance of glass is not yet encountered. For optimal results, it is essential that the rate of condensation of the silanol groups is sufficiently high to form a dense three-dimensional network.     

Effect of thickness on the thermal properties of hydrogen-bonded LbL assemblies

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assemblies have attracted much attention for their functional versatility and ease of fabrication. However, characterizing their thermal properties in relation to the film thickness has remained a challenging topic. We have investigated the role of film thickness on the glass transition temperature (T(g)) and coeffecient of thermal expansion for poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(acrylic acid) (PEO/PAA) and PEO/poly(methacrylic acid) (PEO/PMAA) hydrogen-bonded LbL assemblies in both bulk and ultrathin films using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (modulated DSC) and temperature-controlled ellipsometry. In PEO/PAA LbL films, a single, well-defined T(g) was observed regardless of film thickness. The T(g) increased by 9 °C relative to the bulk T(g) as film thickness decreased to 30 nm because of interactions between the film and its substrate. In contrast, PEO/PMAA LbL films show a single glass transition only after a thermal cross-linking step, which results in anhydride bonds between PMAA groups. The T(g), within error, was unaffected by film thickness, but PEO/PMAA LbL films of thicknesses below ~2.7 μm exhibited a small amount of PEO crystallization and phase separation for the thermally cross-linked films. The coefficients of thermal expansion of both types of film increased with decreasing film thickness.     

Bifunctional electroactive nanostructured membranes

The advent of techniques based upon the spontaneous assembly of different materials with control over molecular architecture has afforded the fabrication of composite thin films for many nanotechnological applications. The layer-by-layer technique (LbL), in particular, has largely been used in the molecular level processing of nanohybrid systems in the form of multilayers, owing to its low cost and experimental simplicity. In this study we describe the fabrication of a novel, bifunctional film containing platinum nanoparticles/polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. Pt nanoparticles were chemically synthesized/stabilized in the presence of PAMAM dendrimers and incorporated in LbL films in conjunction with nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (NiTsPc). A metallophthalocyanine was chosen because of its well-defined redox activity. Indium tin oxide (ITO)-covered glass plates were used as substrates for film deposition. The nanocomposites displayed high electrocatalytic activity toward dopamine and hydrogen peroxide molecules, two compounds with dissimilar chemical properties.     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies of organic-solvent-induced permeability changes in nanoporous films derived from a cylinder-forming diblock copolymer

In this paper we report electrochemical investigations of the influence of organic solvents dissolved in aqueous solution on the permeability of nanoporous films derived from a cylinder-forming polystyrene-poly(methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer (CF-PS-b-PMMA). The nanoporous films (ca. 30 nm in pore diameter) were prepared on planar gold electrodes via UV-based degradation of the cylindrical PMMA domains of annealed CF-PS-b-PMMA films (30-45 nm thick). The permeability of the electrode-supported nanoporous films was assessed using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The faradic current of Fe(CN)(6)(3-/4-) decreased upon immersion in aqueous solutions saturated with toluene or methylene chloride (5.8 mM and 0.20 M, respectively). EIS data indicated that the decrease in faradic current mainly reflected an increase in the pore resistance (R(pore)). In contrast, R(pore) did not change in a saturated n-heptane solution, 0.17 M ethanol, or 5.8 mM aqueous solutions of methylene chloride, diethyl ether, methyl ethyl ketone, or ethanol. Atomic force microscopy images of a nanoporous film in aqueous solution with and without 5.8 mM toluene showed a reversible change in the surface morphology, which was consistent with a toluene-induced change in R(pore). The solvent-induced increase in R(pore) was attributed to the swelling of the nanoporous films by the organic solvents, which decreased the effective pore diameter. The reversible permeability changes suggest that the surface of CF-PS-b-PMMA-derived nanoporous films can be functionalized in organic environments without destroying the nanoporous structure. In addition, the solvent-induced swelling may provide a simple means for controlling the permeability of such nanoporous films.     

Free-standing highly conductive transparent ultrathin single-walled carbon nanotube films

Transparent and conductive single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films are of great importance to a number of applications such as optical and electronic devices. Here, we describe a simple approach for preparing free-standing highly conductive transparent SWNT films with a 20-150 nm thickness by spray coating from surfactant-dispersed aqueous solutions of SWNTs synthesized by an improved floating-catalyst growth method. After the HNO(3) treatment, dipping the SWNT films supporting on glass substrates in water resulted in a quick and nondestructive self-release to form free-standing ultrathin SWNT films on the water surface. The obtained films have sufficiently high transmittance (i.e., 95%), a very low sheet resistance (i.e., ～120 Ω/sq), and a small average surface roughness (i.e., ～3.5 nm for a displayed 10 × 10 μm area). Furthermore, the floating SWNT films on the water surface were easily transferred to any substrates of interest, without intense mechanical and chemical treatments, to preserve their original sizes and network structures. For example, the transferred SWNT films on poly(ethylene terephthalate) films are mechanically flexible, which is a great advantage over conventional indium-tin oxide (ITO) and therefore strongly promise to be "post ITO" for many applications.     

The effects of hydrothermal aging on properties and structure of bisphenol A polycarbonate

The properties and structure of Bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) under hydrothermal aging were investigated. The results of mechanical testing indicate that there is obvious elongation at break on the curve of PC samples before hydrothermal aging and no elongation at break after aging. After aging, the bending strength and the tensile strength of PC increase. According to scanning electron microscopy photographs of fracture surfaces, after hydrothermal aging, there are many fragments linked to the fracture surface and the length of deformation at break disappears. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis shows that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of polycarbonate increases after hydrothermal aging. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows hydrolytic degradation after hydrothermal aging.