Tunable synthesis of magnetoelectric CoFeO-BaTiO core-shell nanowires.

A template-assisted synthesis approach was employed to tune the structure and properties of CoFeO-BaTiO core-shell magnetoelectric nanowires. By adjusting the composition of the nanowires, we achieved control over the magnetic anisotropy in the CoFeO core phase. This work highlights the potential for enhanced magnetic anisotropy to improve magnetoelectric performance.

Overcoming the rise in local deposit resistance during electrophoretic deposition suspension replenishing.

Nanomaterials have unique properties, functionalities, and excellent performance, and as a result have gained significant interest across disciplines and industries. However, currently, there is a lack of techniques that can assemble as-synthesized nanomaterials in a scalable manner. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a promising method for the scalable assembly of colloidally stable nanomaterials into thick films and arrays.

PEGDA hydrogel structure from semi-dilute concentrations: insights from experiments and molecular simulations.

The efficacy of hydrogel materials used in biomedical applications is dependent on polymer network topology and the structure of water-laden pore space. Hydrogel microstructure can be tuned by adjusting synthesis parameters such as macromer molar mass and concentration. Moreover, hydrogels beyond dilute conditions are needed to produce mechanically robust and dense networks for tissue engineering and/or drug delivery systems.

Chelating Agent Functionalized Substrates for the Formation of Thick Films Electrophoretic Deposition.

Incorporating nanoparticles into devices for a wide range of applications often requires the formation of thick films, which is particularly necessary for improving magnetic power storage, microwave properties, and sensor performance. One approach to assembling nanoparticles into films is the use of electrophoretic deposition (EPD). This work seeks to develop methods to increase film thickness and stability in EPD by increasing film-substrate interactions functionalizing conductive substrates with various chelating agents.

Piezoelectric and Magnetoelectric Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration and Biomedicine: A Review.

Electric fields are ubiquitous throughout the body, playing important role in a multitude of biological processes including osteo-regeneration, cell signaling, nerve regeneration, cardiac function, and DNA replication. An increased understanding of the role of electric fields in the body has led to the development of devices for biomedical applications that incorporate electromagnetic fields as an intrinsically novel functionality (e.g.

Elucidating the role of electrophoretic mobility for increasing yield in the electrophoretic deposition of nanomaterials.

Hypothesis: Catalysts, chemical, gas, and bio- sensing devices fabricated from porous nanoparticle films show better performance and sensitivity than their bulk material counterparts because of their high specific surface area. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique is a cost-effective, fast, versatile, and easy to perform method to fabricate porous nanoparticle films. However, conventional EPD is currently limited by the fact that the deposition rate decreases with time, resulting in an eventual plateau in the deposit yield.

Sol-Gel-Based Electrospray Synthesis of Barium Titanate Nanoparticles.

Barium titanate nanoparticles are desirable for a wide range of applications, spanning electronics to biomedicine. Here, we present an electrospray-based method for the synthesis of barium titanate nanomaterials, where their morphology can be altered, forming either particles or rods. As-electrosprayed particles are amorphous and spherical, but upon calcination in the presence of sodium chloride their morphology can vary from particles to rods as the calcination time is increased.

Magnetic field sensors using arrays of electrospun magnetoelectric Janus nanowires.

The fabrication and characterization of the first magnetoelectric sensors utilizing arrays of Janus magnetoelectric composite nanowires composed of barium titanate and cobalt ferrite are presented. By utilizing magnetoelectric nanowires suspended across electrodes above the substrate, substrate clamping is reduced when compared to layered thin-film architectures; this results in enhanced magnetoelectric coupling. Janus magnetoelectric nanowires are fabricated by sol-gel electrospinning, and their length is controlled through the electrospinning and calcination conditions.

Molecular Modeling of Complex Cross-Linked Networks of PEGDA Nanogels.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based nanogels are attractive for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, versatile end group chemistry, and ability to sterically shield encapsulated drug molecules. The characteristics of a hydrogel network govern the encapsulation and efficient delivery of drug molecules for a target application. A molecular-level description of network topology can complement experimental investigations to understand its effects on the structural properties of these nanogels.

Guide column array: a versatile approach to aligning and patterning ceramic nanofibers.

Ceramic fibers have been manufactured via electrospinning for a variety of applications, including microelectronics, gas sensing, and memory systems. Preferentially ordering ceramic fibers as uniaxially aligned mats, as layered arrays, or as patterned structures has enormous potential to enhance current applications and add utility to electrospun ceramic fibers. Here, we developed a versatile guide column array-based method for manufacturing uniaxially aligned and patterned arrays of ceramic fibers.

Thermal Decomposition Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Diminished Magnetic Dead Layer by Controlled Addition of Oxygen.

Decades of research focused on size and shape control of iron oxide nanoparticles have led to methods of synthesis that afford excellent control over physical size and shape but comparatively poor control over magnetic properties. Popular synthesis methods based on thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors in the absence of oxygen have yielded particles with mixed iron oxide phases, crystal defects, and poorer than expected magnetic properties, including the existence of a thick "magnetically dead layer" experimentally evidenced by a magnetic diameter significantly smaller than the physical diameter. Here, we show how single-crystalline iron oxide nanoparticles with few defects and similar physical and magetic diameter distributions can be obtained by introducing molecular oxygen as one of the reactive species in the thermal decomposition synthesis.

Size Control of Porous Silicon-Based Nanoparticles via Pore-Wall Thinning.

Photoluminescent silicon nanocrystals are very attractive for biomedical and electronic applications. Here a new process is presented to synthesize photoluminescent silicon nanocrystals with diameters smaller than 6 nm from a porous silicon template. These nanoparticles are formed using a pore-wall thinning approach, where the as-etched porous silicon layer is partially oxidized to silica, which is dissolved by a hydrofluoric acid solution, decreasing the pore-wall thickness.

Matrix metalloproteinase-sensitive hydrogel microparticles for pulmonary drug delivery of small molecule drugs or proteins.

Hydrogel microparticles are particularly attractive for pulmonary drug delivery. Their size can be engineered for efficient delivery into the bronchi, where they subsequently swell, avoiding macrophage uptake. In this study, enzyme-responsive peptide functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based hydrogel microparticles were synthesized by an emulsion polymerization.

Enzyme-responsive hydrogel microparticles for pulmonary drug delivery.

Poly(ethylene glycol) based hydrogel microparticles were developed for pulmonary drug delivery. Hydrogels are particularly attractive for pulmonary delivery because they can be size engineered for delivery into the bronchi, yet also swell upon reaching their destination to avoid uptake and clearance by alveolar macrophages. To develop enzyme-responsive hydrogel microparticles for pulmonary delivery a new synthesis method based on a solution polymerization was developed.

Janus-type bi-phasic functional nanofibers.

Multiferroic materials hold enormous potential for a variety of applications, including tunable microelectronics and multiphase memories. This paper describes a new type of multiferroic materials with a Janus-type architecture prepared by co-electrospinning sol-gel precursors of barium titanate and cobalt ferrite.

Suitability of porous silicon microparticles for the long-term delivery of redox-active therapeutics.

Thermal oxidation of porous Si microparticles provides an inert carrier for the long-term release of the anthracycline drug daunorubicin. Without prior oxidation, porous Si undergoes an undesirable side reaction with this redox active drug.

Sustained Release of a Monoclonal Antibody from Electrochemically Prepared Mesoporous Silicon Oxide.

Nanostructured mesoporous silica (SiO(2)) films are used to load and release the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin) in vitro. A biocompatible and biodegradable form of mesoporous SiO(2) is prepared by electrochemical etching of single crystalline Si, followed by thermal oxidation in air at 800 °C. Porous SiO(2) exhibits a negative surface charge at physiological pH (7.

Real-time monitoring of sustained drug release using the optical properties of porous silicon photonic crystal particles.

A controlled and observable drug delivery system that enables long-term local drug administration is reported. Biodegradable and biocompatible drug-loaded porous Si microparticles were prepared from silicon wafers, resulting in a porous 1-dimensional photonic crystal (rugate filter) approx. 12 μm thick and 35 μm across.