Response of Osteoblasts on Amine-Based Nanocoatings Correlates with the Amino Group Density.

Increased life expectancy in industrialized countries is causing an increased incidence of osteoporosis and the need for bioactive bone implants. The integration of implants can be improved physically, but mainly by chemical modifications of the material surface. It was recognized that amino-group-containing coatings improved cell attachment and intracellular signaling.

Cupric Oxide Nanostructures from Plasma Surface Modification of Copper.

Taking inspiration from the hydrophilic and superhydrophilic properties observed from the nanostructures present on the leaves of plants such as , , and , we were able to synthesize cupric oxide (CuO) nanostructures from the plasma surface modification of copper (Cu) that exhibits hydrophilic and superhydrophilic properties. The Cu sheets were exposed to oxygen plasma produced from the P300 plasma device (Alliance Concept, Cran-Gevrier, France) at varying power, irradiation times, gas flow rates, and pulsing duty cycles. The untreated and plasma-treated Cu sheets were characterized by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the changes in the surface of Cu before and after plasma treatment.

Irradiation of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces by CF4 plasma to achieve robust superhydrophobic and enhanced oleophilic properties for biological applications.

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) was irradiated by CF4 plasma produced in the gas discharge ion source facility to produce stable and robust superhydrophobic surfaces and to enhance the materials' oleophilic property for biological applications. The characterizations employed on the samples are contact angle measurements, analysis of the surface morphology (scanning electron microscopy), surface roughness measurements (atomic force microscopy) and analysis of the surface chemistry (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). Superhydrophobic behavior with water contact angles as high as 156° was observed.

Stability of the hydrophilic and superhydrophobic properties of oxygen plasma-treated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces.

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) materials were exposed to low and high-energy oxygen plasma, and the stability of the materials' surface was evaluated using contact angle, surface roughness, and surface chemistry characterizations. Lower-energy oxygen plasma treatments exhibited hydrophilic behavior with contact angles as low as 87°, and the higher-energy oxygen plasma treatments exhibited superhydrophobic behavior with contact angles as high as 151°. The wettability of all the treated samples as stored in air and in water was found to be stable in time as evidenced by the statistically insignificant differences in the advancing, receding, and hysteresis contact angles.