This study aimed to elucidate the adhesion mechanism of siderophore-producing bacteria to goethite and boron-doped goethite. To meet the aims of the study, goethite and siderophore-producing bacteria were employed. The interaction between goethite and siderophore-producing bacteria was explored using batch adhesion experiment and DLVO theory. Results showed that the maximum adhesion amounts of P. sp. and P. chlororaphis on goethite and boron-doped goethite were 2039.39 and 1848.65, and 1566.64 and 1333.39 mg g−1, respectively, at 25 °C and pH 6. As solution pH increased, adhering amount of P. sp. and P. chlororaphis to goethite and boron-doped goethite was decreased. Electrostatic attraction force and chemical bond formation were the main mechanism of iron oxide interaction with bacteria. Boron incorporation reduced adhesion of P. sp. and P. chlororaphis to goethite surface. Results of this study may provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of siderophore-producing bacteria to transform iron elements in soil.

A recyclable and magnetic nanocomposite was fabricated from biochar of potato peel (BPP), MnFe2O4, and ZIF-8 (BET area: 174.92m2/g). The Cd2+ removal using BPP/MnFe2O4@ZIF-8 was maximized at pH 6, a temperature of 45 °C, and a time of 100 min. The capacity of Cd adsorption using BPP, BPP/MnFe2O4, and BPP/MnFe2O4@ZIF-8 was computed to be 33.76, 45.02, and 80.52 mg/g, respectively. The influence of coexistence ions on cadmium elimination by BPP/MnFe2O4@ZIF-8 was explored. Shipbuilding wastewater was treated to an acceptable level using the nanocomposite. The Cd adsorption was endothermic and followed the pseudo-second-order (R2 > 0.98). Therefore, BPP/MnFe2O4@ZIF-8 is an affordable material for treating cadmium.

Adhesive interface stiffness is capable of modulating cellular behavior and gene expression, yet the underlying mechanobiological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of interface stiffness on gene expression pathways by hydrogels with divergent stiffness. Our results reveal that adhesive interface stiffness affects cytoplasmic mechanotranduction as well as nuclear mechanics, and ultimately regulating the subcellular localization of HDAC3. Further investigation unfolds that HDAC3 directly affects global acetylation levels within nucleus. And HDAC3-induced acetylation changes are regulated by myosin contraction, thereby portraying downstream gene expression. Additionally, our study indicates that the interface stiffness-mediated regulation of HDAC3 nuclear-cytoplasmic redistribution is dependent on CRM1, and inhibition of CRM1 impedes the nuclear export of HDAC3. In summary, our work provides an overview of how the subcellular localization of HDAC3 can be manipulated through the regulation of cell adhesion interface stiffness, thereby altering upstream RNA polymerase II activity and gene expression.

Tantalum (Ta) and its alloys have attracted extensive attention in orthopedic field, while the underlying mechanism of abrasive debris effects on bone remains unveiled. Therefore, it is essential to explore the effects of Ta wear particle characteristics on macrophage, osteoblast and osteoclast response. In this study, spherical Ti and Ta particles with similar sizes were employed as material models to mimic wear debris. It was found that Ti or Ta particle surfaces were covered by a naturally formed oxide layer, with Ta particle surfaces possessing more hydroxyls and lower zeta potential. The in vitro results showed that Ta particles exhibited much milder modulatory effects on osteoblast, macrophage and osteoclast response than Ti particles. Moreover, the in vivo osteolytic effect of Ta particles was much weaker than that of Ti particles after the injection of these particles into the cranial sites of mice for 2 weeks.

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have an increasing presence in biomedical research, but it remains unclear how aspect ratio (AR) influences their subcellular distribution. Here, we quantified the cellular adsorption and internalization kinetics and correlated them with the subcellular distribution of AuNRs. It is found that the distribution ratio between internalized and surface-adsorbed AuNRs decreases with increasing AR, with modest AR of 3.2 being most favorable for long-efficient delivery into cells. Long edge and blunt tip, critical to the adsorption and internalization, are simultaneously satisfied by this modest AR. Other ARs cause obvious barriers in the intermediate steps, contributing to uneven subcellular AuNR accumulation. Additionally, internalization shifts from spontaneous wrapping to clathrin-mediated ATP-dependent endocytosis with increasing AR. Inhibition of the endocytic pathways can reduce the distribution ratio, with the magnitude of effect depending on their importance to the internalization. These findings extend our knowledge of the subcellular distribution mechanisms of non-spherical nanoparticles.

Acetylenic diol surfactants, named after the carbon–carbon triple bond known as the acetylene bond, exhibit good dynamic surface tension and foam-free properties. They are widely used as wetting agents and molecular defoamers in industry and research. Although the role of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties of these surfactants are well characterized, the effect of the acetylene bond on their surface activity has not yet been elucidated. To this end, herein, the chemical structure, equilibrium surface tension, dynamic surface tension, and foam properties of an alkyne free diol, SC14 diol, were analyzed and compared with those of an acetylenic diol, Surfynol 104. An increase in the rate of diffusion of the surfactant from water–air surfaces was observed when the acetylene bond existed. The performance of both diols as surfactants was discussed. The unique performance of SC14 diol surfactant enhances its potential applicability value in the field of ink and paint manufacturing.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are rod-shaped nanomaterials with the same chemical composition as plant cellulose and can be extracted by physical, chemical, or biological pretreatment from raw materials. To modify the properties of CNCs, esterification, oxidation, and etherification can be further applied to modify the surface of CNCs. In addition to surface modification, graft modification is an approach to significantly alter the properties of CNCs via covalently conjugating cellulose with other polymers with distinct features. After modification, the adsorption performance of CNCs for heavy metal ions (e.g. Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+), organic dyes (e.g. methylene blue, crystal violet), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be greatly improved. This review focuses on the preparation and modification methods of CNCs, as well as the adsorption performance of CNCs and CNC composites.

In this study, MgAl layered double hydroxides (Mg-Al/LDH)-decorated invasive plant (Praxelis clematidea)-derived biochar (MgAl/LDH-PBC) were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The characterization results revealed that the modified biochar surface offered more active adsorption sites, facilitating the Cr (VI) adsorption. MgAl/LDH-PBC showed an excellent adsorption capacity of 177.88 mg/g in a monolayer, with a rapid uptake equilibrium within 180 min. In addition, even after five cycles, the desorption rates remained at about 85%, and the Cr (VI) adsorption was quite stable despite the presence of a number of other ions. Moreover, MgAl/LDH-PBC bonded efficiently with Cr (VI) via electrostatic interaction, oxidation-reduction reaction, ion-exchange reaction, complexation, and co-precipitation. Based on these findings, MgAl/LDH-PBC may be used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr (VI) from sewage and the management of invasive plant species.

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) feature size-dependent photoluminescence, with an extremely high photostability and a large Stokes shift. However, they can have limited colloidal stability and low luminescence quantum yields that hinder promising application in bioimaging, sensing and catalysis. Here we report the encapsulation of AuNCs with 25 gold atoms stabilized with 6-mercaptohexanoic acid ligands (Au25(MHA)18) into methacrylate polymer nanoparticles (PNPs) with c.a. 50 nm diameter. The time evolution of these structures in aqueous dispersion shows the formation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with c.a. 4 nm diameter, leading to a 2-fold emission amplification (EA) of the AuNCs due to the field enhancement effect of the plasmon. The EA can be controlled by the annealing time of the PNPs in dispersion, the temperature and irradiation time. The optical properties of the PNPs are frozen upon drying because the diffusion of AuNCs inside the PNPs is negligible in the absence of solvent.

Silver nanowires transparent conductive films (AgNWs-TCFs) prepared by traditional rotary coating method, which will cause the failure of conductive channels of AgNWs-TCFs under current load because of their AgNWs distributing randomly, were restricted its industrial application of flexible electronic devices. In this paper, the aligned AgNWs-TCFs were deposited by using the shear force from the high-speed rotating concentrated nanowire solution. Based on the rheological performance test results, the preparation conditions were set at nanowire solution of 2.0 mg/mL and the substrate immersed in PEI of 0.5 mg/mL for 10 min. The aligned AgNWs-TCFs with one-layer structure (1 L-Aligned AgNWs-TCFs) and with perpendicular two-layer structure (2 L-Aligned AgNWs-TCFs) were obtained by shear rate of 400 rpm. It was found that the resistance of 1 L-Aligned AgNWs-TCFs showed a high degree of anisotropy, with a ratio of longitudinal and lateral resistance values of 3.60, while the resistance of 2 L-Aligned AgNWs-TCFs is isotropic similarly to randomly distribution AgNWs-TCFs. However, the current-loading stability of 2 L-Aligned AgNWs-TCFs is significantly improved. The failure voltage of 2 L-Aligned AgNWs-TCFs is 13 V, but that of randomly distributed AgNWs-TCFs is only 9 V. Compared to other aligned AgNWs-TCFs preparation methods, our method enables controllable preparation and industrial development of aligned AgNWs-TCFs.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used as conduction materials for cathodes or anodes of secondary batteries. The dispersibility of CNTs in a solvent is a crucial property for producing high-efficiency CNT-based batteries because the battery performance depends on the CNT density in the electrodes. Measuring small changes in the dispersion state of CNTs in solution, depending on the dispersion method, is essential to obtain highly stable CNT dispersions. The multiple light scattering can effectively characterize the CNT dispersibility, taking advantage of its ultrahigh-resolution light detection and time-dependent measurement abilities. Although some studies of CNT dispersibility using the multiple light scattering have been reported, a comprehensive review of these results is still lacking. This mini-review introduces the fundamental principles of the multiple light scattering. We summarize research trends on measuring CNT dispersibility using this method, focusing on the strategies used for preparing stable CNT dispersions.

In this study, a double-network hydrogel coating with silver loading was developed for antibacterial catheters using an in-situ photoinitiation method, a stepwise immersion process, and ion exchange. The silver-loading capacity, release kinetics, and in vitro antibacterial performance of the coatings were assessed. Furthermore, a silver-loaded coating was prepared on commercially available endotracheal tubes and its anti-infection capabilities were investigated using a rabbit tracheal intubation model. The results showed that Coating@Ag+ exhibited a uniform and stable dispersion of silver ions (Ag+), controllable silver loading capacity, and effective Ag+ release. The coating also exhibited excellent in vitro antibacterial performance against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). In vivo studies demonstrated a significant reduction in tracheal intubation-related pulmonary infections. Silver-loaded hydrogel coatings have potential applications in the development of antibacterial catheters for preventing healthcare-associated infections.

In this paper, a new cross-linked chitosan by G1 dendrimer from melamine terminated by citric acid groups to support Cu(II) nanoparticles (CS@CA-Me-CA@Cu) was designed and prepared. Subsequently, the prepared nanocomposite was characterized using different spectroscopic, microscopic and analytical techniques such as FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TGA and EDX. The supramolecular CS@CA-Me-CA@Cu demonstrates higher thermal and chemical stability than its components. In addition, in order to investigate the catalytic performance of the CS@CA-Me-CA@Cu bio-based nanocomposite it was used, as a Lewis acidic and green heterogeneous catalyst, for the preparation of 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives under green conditions. Also, other advantages of this new bio-based nanocomposite include easy preparation, high catalytic activity, recyclability, and reuse with a gradual decreasing in its catalytic activity.

Hydrogels have drawn widespread attentions in various fields for their superior properties, for example, high water content, transparency, good biocompatibility, variable mechanical strength and facile preparation. Surface properties of hydrogels, especially surface wettability, exhibit significant influences on their applications. In recent years, few strategies have been developed to tailor the surface wettability of hydrogels. It is meaningful to summarize the various reports published over the years, in which the importance of both chemistry and topography is described in terms of the surface wettability of hydrogels. This review will first summarize the basic theory of wettability, and then outline the strategies to modulate the surface wettability of hydrogels. Finally, current problems and challenges on tailoring the surface wettability of hydrogels will also be discussed. This review is supposed to be appealing to scientists interested in functional hydrogels and other novel engineered materials.

Poor osteointegration and implant infection are two of the main causes that hinder the success of clinical implants. In order to enhance the osteogenesis and antibacterial activity of titanium, BFP-1 and GL13K peptides were immobilized on the surface of micro/nanostructured titanium using dopamine as a coupling mechanism. Successful construction of BFP-1 and GL13K peptides on the micro/nanostructured titanium surfaces was demonstrated by several material characterization methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), water contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The micro/nanostructured titanium modified with BFP-1 and GL13K peptides promoted osteoblast differentiation as demonstrated by cell staining, cell viability, alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralization detection and qRT-PCR of osteogenesis-related genes. The in vitro study exhibited antibacterial properties after culturing S. aureus and E. coli on micro/nanostructured titanium modified with BFP-1 and GL13K peptides for 6 h and 24 h. This study demonstrates that surface-modified titanium implants can simultaneously promote bone growth and provide antibacterial capabilities.

The adsorption processes of glyphosate, diuron and atrazine on SWCNT were carried out using the PM3 semi-empirical method. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation using temperatures of 303.15, 313.15 and 323.15 K was applied to the analysis of the individual adsorption on the SWCNT, where a slight loss of Gibbs free energy and a positive heat of formation were appreciated, which were attributed to the non-planar geometry of the molecules and the sp. and sp2 hybridizations. On the other hand, the dipole moments decreased due to the influence of temperature on the electronic density and the distribution of charges. The formation of active sites allowed the increase of the surface area and volume. FTIR spectroscopy showed shifts in the pesticide/SWCNT crosslinking vibrations, attributed to the excitation of the electrons with increasing temperature.

Droplet impact on curved solid surfaces is a widely observed phenomenon. Curved surfaces with large object-to-droplet ratios, termed size factor, are expected to impose influence on the droplet post-impact dynamics. In this work, droplet impact on curved surfaces with a range of size factors is simulated. The simulation results show that both the size factor and initial impact velocity can significantly affect the post-impact dynamics of the droplet. Three post-impact dynamics states, stick state, bounce state, and shatter state are identified and found to highly depend on the size factor and impact velocity. Besides, the spreading dynamics, contact time for bouncing droplets, and the detachment velocity also depend on the size factor and initial impact velocity to some degree. Splashing of droplet at higher impact velocity is also discussed. The current study could inspire the design of functional surfaces with water-resistant and anti-icing properties in relevant applications.

A new nanobubble generation method was proposed to dramatically increase bubble concentration and size uniformity through mega-hertz ultrasonic cavitation and atomization. The megasonic transducer generated fine droplets, including high-density bubble nuclei, from liquid surfaces into the air via capillary waves and acoustic cavitation. The atomization-assisted ultrasonic method achieved a 100-fold increase in nanobubble density with the highest 2.25×109/ml through 1.7 MHz ultrasound, which has not been reported in the literature. Our results also showed that the nanobubble concentration increased with increasing ultrasound power and sonication time and reached maximum concentration, which occurred earlier at higher ultrasonic power. The average bubble diameter increased slightly with increasing frequency, and the dependence of ultrasound power and sonication time on mean diameter was small. The atomized droplets dramatically increased the density and size uniformity of bulk nanobubbles in water; hence, overcoming the inherent limitation of low bubble density by mega-hertz acoustic cavitation.

In the present work, a 3D marigold-like direct Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst of In2O3/CdS was fabricated through in-situ growth technology. Both characterization and experiment results show that the as-synthetised In2O3/CdS possesses outstanding reusability and stability, and high separation rates of photogenerated e−/h+ pairs. The catalyst of In2O3/CdS has a satisfactory degradation efficiency of 84.8% for doxycycline hydrochloride and 79.0% for levofloxacin within 60 min. Doxycycline hydrochloride and levofloxacin are eventually destroyed and decomposed by •O2−, •OH and h+ radicals resulted from In2O3/CdS under vis-light. And the contribution of free radicals follow the order of •O2− > •OH > h+. The transfer path of e−/h+ and the generation of •O2−and •OH in the In2O3/CdS are attributed to the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction. Generally, the heterojunction formation between In2O3 and CdS is more conducive to the improvement of photocatalytic performance. The as-synthetised heterojunction In2O3/CdS is a quite promising photocatalyst in water pollution controlling.

Bacterial fouling is a multiscale, multistage process responsible for surface contamination and bacterial-related infections and illnesses. The formation of biofilms leading to infections has a significant global impact, afflicting millions of patients and resulting in an approximate 1.6 million fatalities each year. Furthermore, the economic ramifications of such infections are considerable, with industries incurring billions of dollars in costs on an annual basis. Given that bacteria tend to proliferate in a community-based and surface-bound fashion, many studies have recently focused on the development of coatings that inhibit bacterial adhesion. Earlier designs were primarily monofunctional and relied on either antibacterial effect that inactivates bacteria; antifouling effect that repels bacteria; or anticontact effect that restricts the wetting of planktonic bacteria. However, these strategies can individually suffer from some drawbacks that restrict their broader utility. To advance the state-of-art of coatings against bacterial contamination and fouling, emerging trends have focused on synergistic combination of antibacterial, antifouling, and anticontact effect in the form of multifunctional coatings or interfacial materials. Herein, we critically review the recent developments in this area within the past half a decade, discuss their materials and surfaces chemistry, mode and mechanism of actions, and performance against bacterial adhesion and growth.