Surface modification of bulk titanium substrates for biomedical applications via low-temperature microwave hydrothermal oxidation.

Micro-to-nanoscale surface topographies of orthopaedic and dental implants can affect fluid wetting and biological response. Nanoscale features can be superimposed on microscale roughness of titanium (Ti) surfaces at high temperatures, resulting in increased osteoblast differentiation. However, high temperatures can compromise mechanical properties of the bulk material.

Compartmentalisation of enzymes for cascade reactions through biomimetic layer-by-layer mineralization.

Cellular metabolic pathways are paradigms for the rapid and waste-free conversion of molecules into useful products through multiple enzyme-catalyzed steps (cascade reactions). Attempts to establish efficient cascade reactions for technological applications have focused on mimicking nature's high degree of organization by controlling the positioning of enzymes through immobilization in tailor-made compartments. The present work utilized peptide-mediated layer-by-layer mineralization as a facile and generic method for the compartmentalisation of multi-enzyme systems in nanoscale silica layers.