A conceptual change in crystallisation mechanisms of oxide materials from solutions in closed systems.

Atomic and molecular level interactions in solutions dictate the structural and functional attributes of crystals. These features clearly dictate the properties of materials and their applicability in technologies. However, the microscopic phenomena of particle formation-nucleation and growth-in real systems are still not fully understood.

Photocatalytic Properties of g-C₃N₄-TiO₂ Heterojunctions under UV and Visible Light Conditions.

Graphitic carbon nitride (-C₃N₄) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were chosen as a model system to investigate photocatalytic abilities of heterojunction system under UV and visible light conditions. The use of -C₃N₄ has been shown to be effective in the reduction in recombination through the interaction between the two interfaces of TiO₂ and -C₃N₄. A simple method of preparing -C₃N₄ through the pyrolysis of melamine was employed, which was then added to undoped TiO₂ material to form the -C₃N₄-TiO₂ system.

Antibacterial properties of F-doped ZnO visible light photocatalyst.

Nanocrystalline ZnO photocatalysts were prepared by a sol-gel method and modified with fluorine to improve their photocatalytic anti-bacterial activity in visible light. Pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) were employed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of synthesized materials. The interaction with biological systems was assessed by analysis of the antibacterial properties of bacteria suspended in 2% (w/w) powder solutions.

Dual-action hygienic coatings: benefits of hydrophobicity and silver ion release for protection of environmental and clinical surfaces.

Coatings that demonstrate reduced attachment of crystalline precipitates and the medical device colonising Staphylococcus epidermidis were prepared by the immobilisation of silver doped perfluoropolyether-urethane siloxane thin films on glass substrates. The presence of stratified hydrophobic perfluoropolyether groups protects the coating surface from the attachment of crystalline hydrophilic species such as chlorides and phosphates, whilst silver ion release inhibited attachment of S. epidermidis and subsequent biofilm formation in vitro.

Silver doped perfluoropolyether-urethane coatings: antibacterial activity and surface analysis.

The colonisation of clinical and industrial surfaces with pathogenic microorganisms has prompted increased research into the development of effective antibacterial and antifouling coatings. There is evidence that implanted biomedical surfaces coated with metallic silver can be inactivated by physiological fluids, thus reducing the bioactivity of the coating. In this work, we report the biofilm inhibition of Staphylococcus epidermidis using a room temperature processed silver doped perfluoropolyether-urethane coating.

Prevention of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation using a low-temperature processed silver-doped phenyltriethoxysilane sol-gel coating.

Sol-gel coatings which elute bioactive silver ions are presented as a potential solution to the problem of biofilm formation on indwelling surfaces. There is evidence that high-temperature processing of such materials can lead to diffusion of silver away from the coating surface, reducing the amount of available silver. In this study, we report the biofilm inhibition of a Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm using a low-temperature processed silver-doped phenyltriethoxysilane sol-gel coating.