Low-Temperature Plasma-Constructed Ni-Doped WO Nanorod Arrays for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution and Urea Oxidation.

Surface engineering by doping and amorphization is receiving widespread attention from the perspective of the regulation of the electrocatalytic activities of electrocatalysts. However, the effective modulation of active sites on catalysts is still challenging. Herein, a straightforward and efficient method combining hydrothermal treatment with low-temperature plasma processing is presented to synthesize Ni-doped WO nanorod arrays on carbon cloth with abundant oxygen vacancies (CC/WO-Ni-).

Co single atom coupled oxygen vacancy on WO nanowires surface to construct asymmetric active site enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation.

Enhancing the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) is essential for generating more reactive oxygen species in advanced oxidation process (AOPs). Nevertheless, improving PMS adsorption and expediting interfacial electron transfer to enhance reaction kinetics pose significant challenges. Herein, we construct confined WO nanowires with asymmetric active centers containing Co-Vo-W (Vo: oxygen vacancy).

Nanostructured Conductive Polypyrrole for Antibacterial Components in Flexible Wearable Devices.

The power generated by flexible wearable devices (FWDs) is normally insufficient to eradicate bacteria, and many conventional antibacterial strategies are also not suitable for flexible and wearable applications because of the strict mechanical and electrical requirements. Here, polypyrrole (PPy), a conductive polymer with a high mass density, is used to form a nanostructured surface on FWDs for antibacterial purposes. The conductive films with PPy nanorods (PNRs) are found to sterilize 98.

Correction: Tuning the arrangement of lamellar nanostructures: achieving the dual function of physically killing bacteria and promoting osteogenesis.

Correction for 'Tuning the arrangement of lamellar nanostructures: achieving the dual function of physically killing bacteria and promoting osteogenesis' by Shi Mo , , 2023, , 881-888, https://doi.org/10.1039/d2mh01147f.

Tuning the arrangement of lamellar nanostructures: achieving the dual function of physically killing bacteria and promoting osteogenesis.

Bacteria killing behavior based on physical effects is preferred for biomedical implants because of the negligible associated side effects. However, our current understanding of the antibacterial activity of nanostructures remains limited and, in practice, nanoarchitectures that are created on orthopedics should also promote osteogenesis simultaneously. In this study, tilted and vertical nanolamellar structures are fabricated on semi-crystalline polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) argon plasma treatment with or without pre-annealing.

Balancing the biocompatibility and bacterial resistance of polypyrrole by optimized silver incorporation.

Polypyrrole (PPy) which is a conductive polymer with excellent biocompatibility has enormous potential in implantable electronics. However, pristine PPy does not have sufficient bacterial resistance and hence, bacterial infection poses serious threats in vivo. Silver is an excellent antibacterial agent but the optimal concentration is critical because excessive silver is detrimental to human health.

Plasma Engineering of Basal Sulfur Sites on MoS @Ni S Nanorods for the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Inexpensive and efficient catalysts are crucial to industrial adoption of the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to produce hydrogen. Although two-dimensional (2D) MoS materials have large specific surface areas, the catalytic efficiency is normally low. In this work, Ag and other dopants are plasma-implanted into MoS to tailor the surface and interface to enhance the HER activity.

A lithium-doped surface inspires immunomodulatory functions for enhanced osteointegration through PI3K/AKT signaling axis regulation.

The response of immune systems is crucial to the success of biomedical implants and in particular, orthopedic implants must possess appropriate immunomodulatory functions to allow sufficient osteointegration. In this work, lithium (Li) is incorporated into titanium (Ti) implants by plasma electrolytic oxidation to realize slow and sustained release of Li ions. cellular behaviors of mice bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs), including gene expression, cytokine secretion, and surface marker analysis suggest that a low dose of Li incorporation could enhance the recruitment of BMDMs, restrict pro-inflammatory polarization (M1 phenotype), and promote anti-inflammatory polarization (M2 phenotype).

Corrosion Behavior and Biocompatibility of Diamond-like Carbon-Coated Zinc: An In Vitro Study.

Owing to the desirable degradation rate and good biocompatibility, zinc (Zn) and Zn alloys are promising biodegradable implant metals in orthopedic and cardiovascular applications. Surface modification, such as deposition of coatings, is frequently implemented to further enhance their biological properties. In this study, diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are deposited on Zn by magnetron sputtering.

Plasma-activated interfaces for biomedical engineering.

As an important phenomenon to monitor disease development, cell signaling usually takes place at the interface between organisms/cells or between organisms/cells and abiotic materials. Therefore, finding a strategy to build the specific biomedical interfaces will help regulate information transmission and produce better therapeutic results to benefit patients. In the past decades, plasmas containing energetic and active species have been employed to construct various interfaces to meet biomedical demands such as bacteria inactivation, tissue regeneration, cancer therapy, and so on.

Effects of Ion Energy and Density on the Plasma Etching-Induced Surface Area, Edge Electrical Field, and Multivacancies in MoSe Nanosheets for Enhancement of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Plasma functionalization can increase the efficiency of MoSe in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by providing multiple species but the interactions between the plasma and catalyst are not well understood. In this work, the effects of the ion energy and plasma density on the catalytic properties of MoSe nanosheets are studied. The through-holes resulting from plasma etching and multi-vacancies induced by plasma-induced damage enhance the HER efficiency as exemplified by a small overpotential of 148 mV at 10 mA cm and Tafel slope of 51.

Improvement of the Laser-Welded Lap Joint of Dissimilar Mg Alloy and Cu by Incorporation of a Zn Interlayer.

During pulsed laser welding of AZ 31B magnesium (Mg) alloy and T2 pure copper (Cu), CuMg and MgCu are generated, but the bonding ability of the two compounds is usually weak, resulting in low strength. In order to improve the joint of two dissimilar metals, a zinc interlayer was inserted between the Mg alloy and Cu, and the effects of the thickness of the Zn interlayer on the microstructure and properties of the joint were studied. The fused zone consisted of CuMg and MgZn, and, according to first-principles calculation, in the same energy range, the area enclosed by the density of the state curve of MgZn was larger than that of CuMg.

Nonleaching Antibacterial Concept Demonstrated by In Situ Construction of 2D Nanoflakes on Magnesium.

In bone implants, antibacterial biomaterials with nonleaching surfaces are superior to ones based on abrupt release because systemic side effects arising from the latter can be avoided. In this work, a nonleaching antibacterial concept is demonstrated by fabricating 2D nanoflakes in situ on magnesium (Mg). Different from the conventional antibacterial mechanisms that depend on Mg release and pH increase, the nanoflakes exert mechanical tension onto the bacteria membranes to destroy microorganisms on contact and produce intracellular stress via physical interactions, which is also revealed by computational simulations.

Atomic-Scale Intercalation of Graphene Layers into MoSe Nanoflower Sheets as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

MoSe is an efficient catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and can potentially replace conventional catalysts composed of noble metals such as Pt. The HER activity of MoSe originates mainly from the edge sites of Se atoms, but the low concentration of Se exposed to the electrolyte hampers the performance. Hence, activating a larger portion of the basal plane of Se atoms is an effective way to improve the HER properties.