Enhanced cell-material interactions on medium-pressure plasma-treated polyhydroxybutyrate/polyhydroxyvalerate.

In this article, a medium-pressure DBD plasma treatment is used to improve the cell-material interaction of a polyhydroxybutyrate/polyhydroxyvalerate (PHB/PHV) film. PHB/PHV is a biodegradable natural polyester, used for different biomedical applications, including sutures, repair devices, and bone marrow scaffolds. The cell adhesion onto PHB/PHV is far less than optimal due to inadequate surface properties, and a surface modification is usually necessary to be able to use the full potential.

Plasma surface modification of polylactic acid to promote interaction with fibroblasts.

In this work, medium pressure plasma treatment of polylactic acid (PLA) is investigated. PLA is a biocompatible aliphatic polymer, which can be used for bone fixation devices and tissue engineering scaffolds. Due to inadequate surface properties, cell adhesion and proliferation are far less than optimal and a surface modification is required for most biomedical applications.

Highly controlled synthesis of nanometric gold particles by citrate reduction using the short mixing, heating and quenching times achievable in a microfluidic device.

Homodispersed 1.8 nm gold nanoparticles were obtained reproducibly in high yields using the classical Turkevich protocol at a high concentration in a continuous flow capillary reactor. The microfluidic reactor made from commercially available items permitted short mixing, heating and quenching times which are the key parameters of this synthesis.

Amorphous oxide as a novel efficient catalyst for direct selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane.

We report for the first time the use of an amorphous oxide catalyst for the selective oxidation of methanol in the gas phase, leading at 553 K to the production of dimethoxymethane with a selectivity as high as 90% at high methanol conversion (68%).

Synthesis and structural characterization of a new nanoporous-like Keggin heteropolyanion salt: K3(H2O)4[H2SiVW11O40](H2O)8+x.

Single crystals of the potassium salt K3(H2O)4[H2SiVW11O40](H2O)8+x of the vanadium monosubstituted alpha-Keggin dodecatunsgstosilicate were grown from an aqueous solution and analyzed by EDS, XRD, vibration and electronic spectroscopy, and 1H, 51V, and 29Si solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Results indicate the formation of a nanoporous-like compound of hexagonal symmetry (space group P62) with large, water-filled channels running along the c axis. A uniform distribution of vanadium over the 12 metal sites of the alpha-Keggin anion is observed by XRD.

A well-defined silica-supported dinuclear tungsten(III) amido species: synthesis, characterization and reactivity.

Grafting of [W(2)(NMe(2))(6)] onto dehydroxylated silica affords the well-defined surface species [([triple bond, length as m-dash]Si-O)W(2)(NMe(2))(5)], characterized by elemental analysis, and infrared, Raman and NMR spectroscopies, and the catalytic reactivity of this supported tungsten(III) d(3)-d(3) dimer and of its alkoxide derivatives towards alkynes has been probed.

Peptide immobilization on amine-terminated boron-doped diamond surfaces.

This paper reports on the formation and characterization of semicarbazide termination on aminated boron-doped diamond (BDD) surfaces, and further preparation of peptide microarray through site-specific alpha-oxo semicarbazone ligation. Hydrogen-terminated BDD electrodes were first aminated using NH3 plasma treatment and then reacted with triphosgene and Fmoc-protected hydrazine to yield a protected semicarbazide termination. Subsequent deprotection and chemical reaction with glyoxylyl peptides led to the covalent immobilization of the peptides on the surface through site-specific ligation.

Preparation of superhydrophobic silicon oxide nanowire surfaces.

The paper reports on the preparation of superhydrophobic amorphous silicon oxide nanowires (a-SiONWs) on silicon substrates with a contact angle greater than 150 degrees by means of surface roughness and self-assembly. Nanowires with an average mean diameter in the range 20-150 nm and 15-20 microm in length were obtained by the so-called solid-liquid-solid (SLS) technique. The porous nature and the high roughness of the resulting surfaces were confirmed by AFM imaging.

Preparation and characterization of 6-molybdocobaltate and 6-molybdoaluminate cobalt salts. Evidence of a new heteropolymolybdate structure.

Molybdenum and cobalt based heteropolyanions (HPAs) could be used as an alternative to the conventional ammonium heptamolybdate and cobalt nitrate starting materials for friendly environmental preparation of Co-Mo/Al2O3 hydrotreating catalysts. In this aim, cobalt salts of molybdocobaltate and molydboaluminate Anderson HPAs have been synthesized and characterized by TGA, XRD, XAS, and vibrational spectroscopies. The crystal structure refinement provided evidence for the formation of a new heteropolyoxomolybdate derived from the well-known Anderson structure.

Hydrogen activation on Mo-based sulfide catalysts, a periodic DFT study.

Hydrogen adsorption on Mo[bond]S, Co[bond]Mo[bond]S, and Ni[bond]Mo[bond]S (10 1 macro 0) surfaces has been modeled by means of periodic DFT calculations taking into account the gaseous surrounding of these catalysts in working conditions. On the stable Mo[bond]S surface, only six-fold coordinated Mo cations are present, whereas substitution by Co or Ni leads to the creation of stable coordinatively unsaturated sites. On the stable MoS(2) surface, hydrogen dissociation is always endothermic and presents a high activation barrier.