Coatings, Volume 10, Issue 4 (April 2020) – 125 articles

This work reviews the characteristics of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in the context of protective thin films to enhance the corrosion resistance properties of aluminum alloys. A discussion is made in detail about the LDH protection mechanism and the effect of synthesis approaches on LDH structural variations and the corresponding anti-corrosion behavior. LDHs anion-exchange behavior to host inorganic/organic anions makes them a potential material to investigate for anti-corrosion film. This unique advantage and the availability of a wide range of metal oxide-based layers, interlayer anions, and self-healing properties make LDH family an attractive choice for the development of compact LDHs based smart coating systems. Full article

Surface coating modification of titanium-based alloys is an efficient way to accelerate early osseointegration in dental implant fields. Icariin (ICA) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has bone activating functions, while aspirin (ASP) is a classical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with good antipyretic and analgesic capabilities. Moreover, poly(lactic–co–glycolic acid) (PLGA) has attracted great attention due to its excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. We superimposed an ASP/PLGA coating onto ICA loaded TiO₂ nanotubes structure so as to establish an icariin/aspirin composite coating on TiO₂ nanotubes surface. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a contact angle test and a drug release test confirmed the successful preparation of the NT–ICA–ASP/PLGA substrate, with a sustained release pattern of both ICA and ASP. Compared to those cultured on the Ti surface, macrophage cells on the NT-ICA-ASP/PLGA substrate displayed decreased M1 proinflammatory and enhanced M2 proregenerative genes and proteins expression, which implied activated immunomodulatory effect. Moreover, when cultured with conditioned medium from macrophages, osteoblast cells on the NT-ICA-ASP/PLGA substrate revealed improved cell proliferation, adhesion and osteogenic genes and proteins expression, compared with those on the Ti surface. The abovementioned results suggest that the established NT-ICA-ASP/PLGA substrate is a promising candidate for functionalized coating material in Ti implant surface modification. Full article

The active controlled hydrostatic bearing is becoming more and more popular because of its accuracy, safety, as well as low vibration and noise. In this paper, we present a design approach for a hydrostatic thrust bearing system, where the analytical nonlinear state space equation of the system is established first, and then three kinds of control inputs are investigated and compared to each other. It is found that, by selecting the supply pressure as the control input, we could obtain an affine nonlinear system, which could be linearized by the feedback linearization method, and its robustness could be enhanced by the sliding mode control method. The tracking control law could be easily obtained with the linearized system. The simulation verifies the effectiveness of the nonlinear control law. The proposed nonlinear control model might have a positive effect on the improvement of the machining accuracy, safety, and vibration absorption. Full article

Inkjet-printed top-gate metal oxide (MO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with InGaSnO semiconductor layer and carbon-free aqueous gate dielectric ink are demonstrated. It is found that the InGaO semiconductor layer without Sn doping is seriously damaged after printing aqueous gate dielectric ink onto it. By doping Sn into InGaO, the acid resistance is enhanced. As a result, the printed InGaSnO semiconductor layer is almost not affected during printing the following gate dielectric layer. The TFTs based on the InGaSnO semiconductor layer exhibit higher mobility, less hysteresis, and better stability compared to those based on InGaO semiconductor layer. To the best of our knowledge, it is for the first time to investigate the interface chemical corrosivity of inkjet-printed MO-TFTs. It paves a way to overcome the solvent etching problems for the printed TFTs. Full article

To study texture of pavement surfaces and its effect on pavement friction, this article features a field experiment conducted on in-service pavements to characterize surface texture by spectral analysis to substantiate links to friction values. Pavement friction was measured using a Mu-meter and British pendulum tester whereas texture data was collected using a stationary laser profilometer. Texture spectra were analyzed and expressed in third octave bands. The correlation between texture spectral levels and friction values at different speeds are discussed in the paper. Results show that the texture level, including spectral band levels, can well represent texture characteristics, as texture spectral levels have a good correlation with friction coefficient, especially the texture level of texture wavelengths at 1.25–12.5 mm versus SFC_sl (representing the slope of the side force coefficient (SFC) versus speed), i.e., the slope of friction versus speed. This friction parameter gives better correlations with texture parameters than friction values at different speeds, which is believed to be an effect of the drainage caused by texture in that wavelength range. Full article

Optical sensors fabricated in zeolite nanoparticle composite films rely on changes in their optical properties (refractive index, n, and thickness, d) to produce a measurable response in the presence of a target analyte. Here, ellipsometry is used to characterize the changes in optical properties of Linde Type L (LTL) zeolite thin films in the presence of Cu²⁺ ions in solution, with a view to improving the design of optical sensors that involve the change of n and/or d due to the adsorption of Cu²⁺ ions. The suitability of two different ellipsometry techniques (single wavelength and spectroscopic) for the evaluation of changes in n and d of both undoped and zeolite-doped films during exposure to water and Cu²⁺-containing solutions was investigated. The influence of pre-immersion thermal treatment conditions on sensor response was also studied. Due to the high temporal resolution, single wavelength ellipsometry facilitated the identification of a Cu²⁺ concentration response immediately after Cu²⁺ introduction, indicating that the single wavelength technique is suitable for dynamic studies of sensor–analyte interactions over short time scales. In comparison, spectroscopic ellipsometry produced a robust analysis of absolute changes in film n and d, as well as yielding insight into the net influence of competing and simultaneous changes in n and d inside the zeolite-doped films arising due to water adsorption and the ion exchange of potassium (K⁺) cations by copper (Cu²⁺). Full article

Despite many discussions about Ti versus Zr, Ti remains the golden standard for dental implants. With the extended use of implants, their rejection in peri-implantitis due to material properties is going to be an important part of oral health problems. Extended use of implants leading to a statistical increase in implant rejection associated with peri-implantitis raises concerns in selecting better implant materials. In this context, starting in the last decade, investigation and use of TiZr alloys as alternatives for Ti in oral dentistry became increasingly more viable. Based on existing new results for Ti16Zr (Roxolid) implants and Ti50Zr alloy behaviour in oral environments, this paper presents the trends of research concerning the electrochemical stability, mechanical, and biological properties of this alloy with treated and untreated surfaces. The surface treatments were mostly performed by anodizing the alloy in various conditions as a non-sophisticated and cheap procedure, leading to nanostructures such as nanopores and nanotubes. The drug loading and release from nanostructured Ti50Zr as an important perspective in oral implant applications is discussed and promoted as well. Full article

Conjugated polyelectrolytes are commonly employed as interlayers to modify organic solar cell (OSC) electrode work functions but their use as an electron donor in water-processed OSC active layers has barely been investigated. Here, we demonstrate that poly[3-(6’-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium)-hexylthiophene] bromide (P3HTN) can be employed as an electron donor combined with a water-soluble fullerene (PEG-C₆₀) into eco-friendly active layers deposited from aqueous solutions. Spin-coating a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) layer prior to the P3HTN:PEG-C₆₀ active layer deposition considerably increases the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of the OSCs to values above 1.3 V. Along with this enhanced V_oc, the OSCs fabricated with the PEDOT:PSS interlayers exhibit 10-fold and 5-fold increases in short-circuit current density (J_sc) with respect to those employing bare indium tin oxide (ITO) and molybdenum trioxide coated ITO anodes, respectively. These findings suggest that the enhanced J_sc and V_oc in the water-processed OSCs using the PEDOT:PSS interlayer cannot be solely ascribed to a better hole collection but rather to ion exchanges taking place between PEDOT:PSS and P3HTN. We investigate the optoelectronic properties of the newly formed polyelectrolytes using absorption and photoelectron spectroscopy combined with hole transport measurements to elucidate the enhanced photovoltaic parameters obtained in the OSCs prepared with PEDOT:PSS and P3HTN. Full article

As graphene oxide-based oligonucleotide biosensors improve, there is a growing need to explore their ability to retain high sensitivity for low target concentrations in the context of biological fluids. Therefore, we innovatively combined assay milieu factors that could influence the key performance parameters of DNA hybridization and graphene oxide (GO) colloid dispersion, verifying their suitability to enhance oligonucleotide–GO interactions and biosensor performance. As a model system, we tested single-strand (ss) DNA detection in a complex solution containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) and salts with surfactants. A fluorescein conjugated 30-mer oligonucleotide ssDNA probe was combined with its complementary cDNA target, together with solute dispersed GO and either non-ionic (Triton X-100 and Tween-20) or anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants. In this context, we compared the effect of divalent Mg²⁺ or monovalent Na⁺ salts on GO binding for the quench-based detection of specific target–probe DNA hybridization. GO biosensor strategies for quench-based DNA detection include a “turn on” enhancement of fluorescence upon target–probe interaction versus a “turn off” decreased fluorescence for the GO-bound probe. We found that the sensitive and specific detection of low concentrations of oligonucleotide target was best achieved using a strategy that involved target–probe DNA hybridization in the solution with a subsequent modified “turn-off” GO capture and the quenching of the unhybridized probe. Using carefully formulated assay procedures that prevented GO aggregation, the preferential binding and quenching of the unhybridized probe were both achieved using 0.1% BSA, 0.065% SDS and 6 mM NaCl. This resulted in the sensitive measurement of the specific target–probe complexes remaining in the solution. The fluorescein-conjugated single stranded probe (FAM–ssDNA) exhibited linearity to cDNA hybridization with concentrations in the range of 1–8 nM, with a limit of detection equivalent to 0.1 pmoles of target in 100 µL of assay mix. We highlight a general approach that may be adopted for oligonucleotide target detection within complex solutions. Full article

This Special Issue contains a series of reviews and papers representing some recent results and some exciting perspectives focused on advanced strategies in thin films growth, thin films engineering by magnetron sputtering and related techniques. Innovative fundamental and applied research studies are then reported, emphasizing correlations between structuration process parameters, new ideas and approaches for thin films engineering and resulting properties of as-deposited coatings. Full article

Highly Ti-doped ZnO films have been produced by a spin-casting sol-gel process. The spin-casted films show high in plane homogeneity and optical quality. However, when inspected in depth, the surface composition is Ti rich. We show that two possible annealing processes can be considered depending on the properties to exploit. To promote in-depth homogenization, thermal annealing processes have been applied. Meanwhile, the gradients can be exacerbated, thanks to a non-negligible surface sputtering, by applying microwave (MW) plasma treatments with Ar discharges at different pressures. The microstructural properties of the differently processed films have been obtained prior to a study by grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GI-XRF) spectroscopy, which reveals the in-depth composition trends induced by the two alternative annealing procedures. The final wetting, electrical and optical properties of the films are described in accordance with the Ti distribution pattern revealed by GI-XRF. The study underlines for the first time how MW plasma annealing processes can be used to exacerbate self-induced atomic gradients in sol-gel films with potential implications in catalytic and biomedical applications. Full article

Thermally sprayed coatings are employed for many purposes, as corrosion protection, wear resistance improvement, resistance to high temperatures, and others. The coating performance depends on its morphology, which is composed by splats, pores, oxide inclusions, and entrapped unmelted or resolidified particles. In arc spray process (ASP), the heat source is the arc electric obtained from the contact of two consumable metallic wires with different electric potentials, and the carrier gas is the compressed air. The velocity, dimensions, and thermal characteristics of the droplets sprayed are related to the morphology and properties of the coating. The main goal of this research is to evaluate how the velocity, temperature, and particle size are modified by the chemical composition of different materials (carbon steel, stainless steels, and FeMnCrSiNi alloy). The intention is to predict how the modification of the process parameters will change the particles properties. The materials had similar behavior tendencies during the flight: the velocity increased to a peak value then decreased, but this maximum value was different for materials with different particle size. The particles’ size did not present significant differences during the flight; and the particles cooled down as they moved away from the gun, except the austenitic stainless steel and the FeMnCrSiNi alloy, which increased the droplets temperature during the travel. These alloys also presented more variation in chemical composition during flight. Full article

Extreme high-speed laser material deposition, known by its German acronym EHLA, is a new variant of laser material deposition (LMD) with powdered additives. This variant’s process control is unlike that of LMD, where the powder melts as it contacts the melt pool. In the EHLA process, the laser beam melts the powder above the surface of the substrate to deliver a liquid to the melt pool. At a given intensity distribution in a laser beam, the heating of powder particles in the beam path depends largely on the three-dimensional powder particle density distribution (PDD) and the relative position within the laser beam caustic. As a key element of a comprehensive numerical process model for EHLA, this paper presents a statistical/numerical model of the powder-gas jet, as previously published in Experimentelle und modelltheoretische Untersuchungen zum Extremen Hochgeschwindigkeits-Laserauftragschweißen. The powder-gas jet is characterized experimentally and described with a mathematical model. This serves to map the PDD of the powder-gas flow—and particularly the particle trajectories for different grain fractions—as well as the powder mass flows and carrier and inert gas settings, to a theoretical model. The result is a numerical description of the particle trajectories that takes into account the measured particle size distribution with calculations made on the assumption of a constant particle velocity and linear trajectories of the particles. Full article

(CrTaTiVZr)N coatings were prepared on Si substrates through the reactive magnetron sputtering system to investigate the oxidation behaviors and structural evolution of the coatings at different annealing temperatures in air. The (CrTaTiVZr)N coating had a face-centered cubic structure with an oxidation temperature of up to 300 °C, but its surface changed into the amorphous oxide phase and then into the rutile TiO₂ phase when the annealing temperature was increased to 500 °C. The rutile TiO₂ phase continued to grow, and an additional solid solution phase of body-centered tetragonal I41/amd was formed at annealing temperatures beyond 600 °C. The high annealing temperature promoted the oxidation to progress along the thickness direction and synergistically developed the porosity. As a result, the hardness and the electrical performance of the coating deteriorated. The hardness decreased from 34.30 GPa to 1.52 GPa, and the electrical resistivity increased from 142 µΩ·cm to 17.5 Ω·cm. Full article

The magnitude of shear stress at the ciliated wall is considered as the measure of efficiency of cilia beatings as it describes the momentum transfer between the medium and the cilia. Under high shear rate, some non-Newtonian fluids behave as visco-inelastic fluids. We consider here a ciliated channel coated with Prandtl fluid, a visco-inelastic fluid, with Hartmann layer under momentum and thermal slip effects. The flow in the channel is produced due to beatings of cilia that obey an elliptic path of motion in the flow direction. An entropy analysis of the flow is also conducted in wave frame. After introducing lubrication approximations in the governing equation, the perturbation solutions are calculated. The data for pressure rise per metachronal wavelength and frictional force at the ciliated wall are obtained by numerical integration. The analysis reveals that the higher values of cilia length and velocity slip parameters support fluid flow near the channel wall surface. Fluid temperature is an increasing function of thermal slip but a decreasing function of cilia length and slip parameters. Entropy in the channel can be minimized with an increase in cilia length and slip effect at the boundary. The magnitude of the heat transfer coefficient decreases by taking the substantial slippage and tiny cilia in length at the microchannel wall. Full article

A polyurethane (PU)-based powder coating reinforced with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS)-functionalized ZrO₂ nanoparticles (V-ZrO₂) for thermal stability was developed. Chemical structure, microstructure and thermal degradation kinetics of the prepared coatings were investigated. The peak of aliphatic C–H vibrating bond in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of V-ZrO₂ was a signature of VTMS attachment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveled that, by increase of V-ZrO₂ content from 0.1 to 0.3 wt.% and then 0.5 wt.%, some agglomerations of nanoparticles are formed in the PU matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the PU/V-ZrO₂ powder coatings was performed at different heating rates nonisothermally to capture alteration of activation energy (E_a) of degradation of PU/V-ZrO₂ powder coatings as a function of partial mass loss by using Friedman, Kissinger–Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Ozawa–Wall–Flynn (FWO) and modified Coats–Redfern isoconversional approaches. It was observed that by addition of 1 wt.% V-ZrO₂ to PU resin the early state degradation temperature at 5% weight loss increased about 65 °C, suggesting a physical barrier effect limiting the volatility of free radicals and decomposition products. Incorporation of 5 wt.% ZrO₂ led to about 16% and 10% increase in E_a and LnA of blank PU, respectively, which was indicative of higher thermal resistance of nanocomposite powder coatings against thermal degradation. There was also obvious agreement between model outputs and experimental data. The results reveal that nanocomposite coating shows superior thermal properties compared to neat PU powder coatings, and the presence of nano ZrO₂ in sufficient amount causes retardation of the thermal decomposition process. Full article

The iron doped tungsten-oxide (Fe and WO₃) thin film with different morphology and crystalline structures were obtained for different substrate temperatures at the oxygen pressure of 14.66 Pa. The Fe-doped WO₃ films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The influence of the substrate temperature on the surface and on the crystalline phases of the films was studied. The XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis indicates the changing in the crystalline phases from γ-monoclinic to a mixture of γ-monoclinic and hexagonal phases dependent on the temperature of annealing and as-grown films. Related to the as-grown and annealing films conditions, the SEM (scanning electron microscopy) shows a change in the image surface from nanoneedles, to nanoporous, and further to long nanowires and broad nanobands. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) shows the elemental composition of the Fe-doped WO₃ film as-grown and after annealing treatment. Raman spectroscopy presented the main vibration mode of the Fe-doped WO₃ thin film. The optical energy bandgap of the films is decreasing as the substrate temperature increases. Full article

Aluminum nitride nanoparticles (AlN-NPs) were fabricated by a RF magnetron sputtering and inert gas condensation technique. By keeping the source parameters and sputtering time of 4 h fixed, it was possible to produce AlN-NPs with a size in the range of 2–3 nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption were used to characterize the obtained AlN-NPs. AFM topography images showed quazi-sphere nanoparticles with a size ranging from 2 to 3 nm. The XRD measurements confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of AlN nanoparticles. Furthermore, the optical band gap was determined by the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The Raman spectroscopy results showed vibration transverse-optical modes A₁(TO), E₁(TO), as well as longitudinal-optical modes E₁(LO), A₁(LO). Full article

Photovoltaic characteristics of solar cell devices in which ethylammonium (EA) and formamidinium (FA) were added to CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite photoactive layers were investigated. The thin films for the devices were deposited by an ordinary spin-coating technique in ambient air, and the X-ray diffraction analysis revealed changes of the lattice constants, crystallite sizes and crystal orientations. By adding FA and EA, surface defects of the perovskite layer decreased, and the photoelectric parameters were improved. In addition, the highly (100) crystal orientations and device stabilities were improved by the EA and FA addition. Full article

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is a new terrorist explosive, and most nitrogen-based sensors fail to detect TATP. Herein, a sea urchin-like TiO₂-covered TiO₂ nanoarray is constructed as a TATP-sensitive homojunction (HJ) by one step hydrothermal method. By taking fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and indium tin oxide (ITO) conducting glass as the substrate, the conducting glass is horizontally and vertically put in the reactor to epitaxially grow TiO₂–FTO, TiO₂–ITO, TiO₂–FTO–HJ and TiO₂–ITO–HJ. TiO₂–FTO–HJ shows a broad absorption band edge in the visible region and high sensitivity to TATP under the simulating natural light compared with TiO₂–FTO, TiO₂–ITO, and TiO₂–ITO–HJ. E-field intensity distribution simulation reveals that constructing homojunctions between the urchin-shaped TiO₂ nanosphere and TiO₂ nanoarrays can enhance the localized electromagnetic field intensity at the interface of junctions, which may provide photocatalysis active sites to reduce TATP molecules by promoting charge separation. Moreover, the TiO₂–FTO–HJ shows high selectivity to TATP among ammonium nitrate, urea and sulfur, which are common homemade explosive raw materials. Full article

SiC coatings were successfully synthesized on Nextel^TM440 fibers by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using methyltrichlorosilane as the original SiC source at 1373 K. After deposited, the fibers were fully surrounded by uniform coatings with some bulges. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) results indicated that the coatings were composed of β-SiC and free carbon. Moreover, thickness control of the coatings could be carried out by adjusting the deposition time. The coating thickness rose exponentially, and the exterior of the coatings became looser as the deposition time increased. The thickness of about 1.5 µm was obtained after depositing for 4 h. The coating thickness was also theoretically calculated, and the result agreed well with the measured thickness. Finally, the related deposition mechanism is discussed and a deposition model is built. Full article

The operation of numerous safety-critical components in industries around the world relies on protective coatings. These coatings often allow process equipment to be purposeful in environments well beyond the operational limit of the uncoated components. Durability, ease of application, repairability, reliability and long-term performance of such coatings are vital to their application. Therefore, this Special Issue of Coatings, “Coatings for Harsh Environments”, is devoted to research and review articles on the metallic, non-metallic and composite coatings used in aggressive environments. Full article

Die-sinking electric discharge machining (EDM) is an indispensable technological operation, especially in the production of molds and all internal and external shapes and cavities. For this reason, the effect of machine parameter settings (open-voltage, pulse current, pulse on time, and pulse off time) on the machining of two types of steels, 1.2363 and 1.2343ESR, was carefully investigated using graphite or copper electrodes in 10 mm × 10 mm or 100 mm × 100 mm shapes. For this purpose, a two-level half factor experiment was performed with one replication at the corner points and two replications at the central points, with a total of 80 rounds. The subject of the evaluation was the topography and morphology of machined surfaces including a detailed analysis of surface and subsurface defects in the form of cracks including the creation of regression equations describing the probability of crack occurrence. Furthermore, a study of the local hardness change in the subsurface area was performed, and lamellas were also made and studied by transmission electron microscopy. It has been found that by using die-sinking EDM, it is possible to effectively predict the probability of cracking on machined surfaces and also on machine 1.2363 and 1.2343ESR steels with a very good surface quality of Ra 1.9 and 2.1 µm using graphite electrodes. These findings will ensure the production of parts with the required surface quality without cracks, which is a crucial aspect for maintaining the required functionality and service life of the parts. Full article

Because of the low viscosity of high-water-based fluids, the intense wear and leakage of key friction pairs represent a bottleneck to the wide application of the high-water-based hydraulic motor in engineering machinery. In this work, based on the common characteristics of plane friction pairs, the friction experiments of a 316L stainless steel (316L)–polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) friction pair under various working condition were carried out by a self-designed friction experimental system with fluid lubrication. The influence of lubrication pressure and surface morphology on the 316L–PTFE friction pair was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental and numerical results indicated that increasing lubrication pressure reduced the surface wear of PTFE sample, but the leakage of 316L–PTFE friction pair also increased. It could not form an effective fluid lubrication film in the 316L–PTFE friction pair under low lubrication pressure, which caused the severe wear in friction pair interface. The smooth 316L surface could be conducive to the formation of high-water-based fluid lubrication film in 316L–PTFE friction interface. The pressure distribution of high-water-based fluid lubrication film in 316L–PTFE friction pair was also obtained in fluent. The PTFE surface was easily worn when the lubrication film in the friction pair was too thin or uneven. The friction and wear were obviously improved when the normal load was balanced by the bearing capacity of the high-water-based fluid lubrication film. Full article

Optogenetics is a new neuroscience technology, consisting of biological technology that activates a nerve by light and engineering technology that transmits light to the nerve. In order to transmit light to the target nerve, fiber optics or light-emitting devices have been inserted into the living body, while the motions or emotions of freely moving animals can be controlled using a wirelessly operated optoelectronic device. However, in order to keep optoelectronic devices small in size and operational for a long time in vivo, the need for a thin but robust protective layer has emerged. In this paper, we developed a protective layer, consisting of Parylene and silicone that can protect soft optoelectronic devices inside saline solution for a long time. A chemical vapor deposited Parylene C film between the polydimethylsiloxane layers showed promising optical, mechanical, and water-barrier properties. We expect that these protective layers can be used as an encapsulation film on bio-implantable devices, including wireless optogenetic applications. Full article

Protein tyrosine sulfation is a common post-translational modification that stimulates intercellular or extracellular protein-protein interactions and is responsible for various important biological processes, including coagulation, inflammation, and virus infections. Recently, human P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) has been shown to serve as a functional receptor for enterovirus 71 (EV71). It has been proposed that the capsid viral protein VP1 of EV71 is directly involved in this specific interaction with sulfated or mutated PSGL-1. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is used to distinguish PSGL-1 and VP1 interactions on an Au nanoporous substrate and identify specific VP1 interaction positions of tyrosine residue sites (46, 48, and 51). The three tyrosine sites in PSGL-1 were replaced by phenylalanine (F), as determined using SERS. A strong phenylalanine SERS signal was obtained in three regions of the mutated protein on the nanoporous substrate. The mutated protein positions at (51F) and (48F, 51F) produced a strong SERS peak at 1599–1666 cm⁻¹, which could be related to a binding with the mutated protein and anti-sulfotyrosine interactions on the nanoporous substrate. A strong SERS effect of the mutated protein and VP1 interactions appeared at (48F), (51F), and (46F, 48F). In these positions, there was less interaction with VP1, as indicated by a strong phenylalanine signal from the mutated protein. Full article

The vapor phase polymerization (VPP) method is a conventional strategy for synthesizing conducting polymers (CPs) on the surfaces of various materials. However, the current VPP method performed on a metal surface usually requires harsh reaction conditions, such as high temperature and low vacuum. In this paper, a polypyrrole (PPy) and vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) composite film was synthesized on the surface of Mg using a mild VPP method. Here, V₂O₅ was used as an oxidant, and it was found that the oxidation of pyrrole (Py) vapor on the surface of V₂O₅, which had been previously coated on the surface of Mg, could be performed at room temperature under normal atmospheric pressure. The formation of the PPy/V₂O₅ composite was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. A thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of the composite. Subsequent corrosion tests showed that the PPy/V₂O₅ composite film could slow down the corrosion of Mg in 3.5 wt% NaCl. It is expected that the mild VPP method may find great potential in the fields of synthesis of CPs and the corrosion protection of reactive metals. Full article

This article studies the chemical interaction between ZnO and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite for as grown and thermally treated samples. In-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ex-situ Raman spectroscopy confirm that graphite is affected by these processes, becoming oxidized and defective only in the presence of ZnO clusters that become recrystallized upon thermal re-oxidation processes performed at 400 °C. By comparing these results with other identical experiments performed with ZnO clusters grown on graphene and even with CoO clusters grown on graphite, the present results show how the interaction of the ZnO clusters with graphitic substrates depend on two factors—firstly, the mode of growth and corresponding morphology, and secondly, the reactivity of the graphitic substrates, either graphene or graphite. The results presented here will help us understand the fundamental interactions in ZnO/graphitic heterostructures and to define their operating limits. Full article

Flexible conductive films were prepared via a convenient blending method with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as matrix and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) modified chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO/NCC) as the conductive fillers. The relationships between the electrical and thermal properties as well as the tensile strength and electrothermal response performance of the composite film and the mass content of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and the initial TPU concentration were systematically investigated. The experimental results show that the resistivity of the composite film with the mass content of RGO/NCC of 7 wt% and an initial TPU concentration of 20 wt% is the minimum of 8.1 Ω·mm. However, the thermal conductivity of composite film with mass content of RGO/NCC of 5 wt% and the initial TPU concentration of 30 wt% reaches a maximum of 0.3464 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, which is an increase of 56% compared with pure TPU. The tensile strength of the composite films with mass contents of RGO of 3 wt% prepared with the initial TPU concentrations of 20 wt% reaches the maximum of 43.2 MPa, which increases by a factor of 1.5 (the tensile strength of the pure TPU is 28.9 MPa). The composite conductive film has a fast electrothermal response. Furthermore, superhydrophobic composite conductive films were prepared by immersing the composite conductive film into fluorinated decyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (F-POSS) ethanol solution. The water contact angle of the superhydrophobic composite conductive film reaches 158.19° and the resistivity of the superhydrophobic composite film slightly increases and still has good conductivity. Full article

High-quality SnO₂:Si films and SnO₂:10 at.% Ga films were prepared by the solution method. The roughness of films is below 1.08 nm, and possess exceptional transparency (>75%) and decent semiconductor properties. Based on this, the SnO₂:Si/SnO₂: Ga homojunctions with different Si doping concentrations were prepared. It is found that the conductivity of the SnO₂:Si thin film gradually increases, and the rectification characteristics of the homojunction are optimized with increasing Si doping content. The SnO₂:15 at.% Si/SnO₂:10 at.% Ga homogeneous junction has the best performance, the turn-on voltage is as low as 5.6 V, and it also exhibits good unidirectional conductivity. The photoresponse of the SnO₂:15 at.% Si/SnO₂:10 at.% Ga homojunction under the lights of red, yellow, and purple was explored respectively. The result shows that the device responds strongly to purple light. Compared with the test results in the dark environment, the device current increases by two orders, which is expected to be applied in the field of near-ultraviolet detection. Full article