Dynamic Color Tuning with Electrochemically Actuated TiO Metasurfaces.

Dynamic tuning of metamaterials is a critical step toward advanced functionality and improved bandwidth. In the visible spectrum, full spectral color tuning is inhibited by the large absorption that accompanies index changes, particularly at blue wavelengths. Here, we show that the electrochemical lithiation of anatase TiO to LiTiO (LTO) results in an index change of 0.

Poly(glycidol) Coating on Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene for Reduced Biofilm Growth.

Semibranched poly(glycidol) (PG-OH) and poly(glycidol allylglycidyl ether) (PG-Allyl) coatings were formed on ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UMWPE) in a unique two-step process which included radiation of UHMWPE followed by grafting of PG-OH or PG-Allyl to the surface via free radical cross-linking. Resulting surfaces were extensively characterized by FTIR-ATR, XPS, fluorescent microscopy, and contact goniometry. The performance was evaluated using the most prominent biofilm-forming bacteria Staphylococcus aureus for 24 and 48 h.

Characterization of blue light irradiation effects on pathogenic and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli.

Blue light irradiation (BLI) is an FDA-approved method for treating certain types of infections, like acne, and is becoming increasingly attractive as an antimicrobial strategy as the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" rises. However, no study has delineated the effectiveness of BLI throughout different bacterial growth phases, especially in more BLI-tolerant organisms such as Escherichia coli. While the vast majority of E.

Oxidation and degradation of polypropylene transvaginal mesh.

Polypropylene (PP) transvaginal mesh (TVM) repair for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) has shown promising short-term objective cure rates. However, life-altering complications have been associated with the placement of PP mesh for SUI repair. PP degradation as a result of the foreign body reaction (FBR) has been proposed as a contributing factor to mesh complications.

The UbiI (VisC) Aerobic Ubiquinone Synthase Is Required for Expression of Type 1 Pili, Biofilm Formation, and Pathogenesis in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Unlabelled: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which causes the majority of urinary tract infections (UTI), uses pilus-mediated adherence to initiate biofilm formation in the urinary tract. Oxygen gradients within E. coli biofilms regulate expression and localization of adhesive type 1 pili.

Influence of Ionizing Radiation and the Role of Thiol Ligands on the Reversible Photodarkening of CdTe/CdS Quantum Dots.

We investigate the influence of high energy photons and thiol ligands on the photophysical properties of sub-monolayer CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) immobilized in porous silica (PSiO2) scaffolds. The highly disperse, uniform distributions of QDs in a three-dimensional PSiO2 framework ensure uniform interaction of not only radiation but also subsequent surface repassivation solutions to all immobilized QDs. The high optical densities of QDs achieved using PSiO2 enable straightforward monitoring of the QD photoluminescence intensities and carrier lifetimes.

Amplification of surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 5-(perfluoro-n-alkyl)norbornenes by macroinitiation.

This article reports the enhanced rate of the surface-initiated polymerization (SIP) of 5-(perfluoro-n-alkyl)norbornenes (NBFn) by combining two SIP techniques, namely surface-initiated atom-transfer polymerization (SI-ATRP) to grow a macroinitiator and surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (SI-ROMP) to produce the final coating. This polymerization approach promotes the rapid growth of dense partially fluorinated coatings that are highly hydrophobic and oleophobic and yield thicknesses from 4-12 μm. Specifically, the growth rate and the limiting thickness of pNBFn with different side chain lengths (n = 4, 6, 8, and 10) at various monomer concentrations and temperatures are evaluated through two approaches: growing the polymer from an initiator-terminated monolayer (control) or from a modified poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) macroinitiator.

Graphene: corrosion-inhibiting coating.

We report the use of atomically thin layers of graphene as a protective coating that inhibits corrosion of underlying metals. Here, we employ electrochemical methods to study the corrosion inhibition of copper and nickel by either growing graphene on these metals, or by mechanically transferring multilayer graphene onto them. Cyclic voltammetry measurements reveal that the graphene coating effectively suppresses metal oxidation and oxygen reduction.

Transferable graphene oxide films with tunable microstructures.

This report describes methods to produce large-area films of graphene oxide from aqueous suspensions using electrophoretic deposition. By selecting the appropriate suspension pH and deposition voltage, films of the negatively charged graphene oxide sheets can be produced with either a smooth "rug" microstructure on the anode or a porous "brick" microstructure on the cathode. Cathodic deposition occurs in the low pH suspension with the application of a relatively high voltage, which facilitates a gradual change in the colloids' charge from negative to positive as they adsorb protons released by the electrolysis of water.

Surface-initiated polymerization of superhydrophobic polymethylene.

We report a new surface-initiated polymerization strategy that yields superhydrophobic polymethylene (PM) films from initially smooth substrates of gold and silicon. The films are prepared by assembling a vinyl-terminated self-assembled monolayer, followed by exposure of the surface to a 0.1 M solution of borane, and polymerizing from the borane sites upon exposure to a solution of diazomethane at -17 degrees C.