High-Resolution Structuring of Silica-Based Nanocomposites for the Fabrication of Transparent Multicomponent Glasses with Adjustable Properties.

Silicate-based multicomponent glasses are of high interest for technical applications due to their tailored properties, such as an adaptable refractive index or coefficient of thermal expansion. However, the production of complex structured parts is associated with high effort, since glass components are usually shaped from high-temperature melts with subsequent mechanical or chemical postprocessing. Here for the first time the fabrication of binary and ternary multicomponent glasses using doped nanocomposites based on silica nanoparticles and photocurable metal oxide precursors as part of the binder matrix is presented.

Sub-Micron Replication of Fused Silica Glass and Amorphous Metals for Tool-Based Manufacturing.

The growing importance of submicrometer-structured surfaces across a variety of different fields has driven progress in light manipulation, color diversity, water-repellency, and functional enhancements. To enable mass production, processes like hot-embossing (HE), roll-to-roll replication (R2R), and injection molding (IM) are essential due to their precision and material flexibility. However, these processes are tool-based manufacturing (TBM) techniques requiring metal molds, which are time-consuming and expensive to manufacture, as they mostly rely on galvanoforming using templates made via precision microlithography or two-photon-polymerization (2PP).

Two-Photon Polymerization of Nanocomposites for Additive Manufacturing of Transparent Magnesium Aluminate Spinel Ceramics.

Transparent polycrystalline magnesium aluminate (MAS) spinel ceramics are of great interest for industry and academia due to their excellent optical and mechanical properties. However, shaping of MAS is notoriously challenging especially on the microscale requiring hazardous etching methods. Therefore, a photochemically curable nanocomposite is demonstrated that can be structured using high-resolution two-photon lithography.

Tungsten Oxide Coated Liquid Metal Electrodes via Galvanic Replacement as Heavy Metal Ion Sensors.

Gallium liquid metals (LMs) like Galinstan and eutectic Gallium-Indium (EGaIn) have seen increasing applications in heavy metal ion (HMI) sensing, because of their ability to amalgamate with HMIs like lead, their high hydrogen potential, and their stable electrochemical window. Furthermore, coating LM droplets with nanopowders of tungsten oxide (WO) has shown enhancement in HMI sensing owing to intense electrical fields at the nanopowder-liquid-metal interface. However, most LM HMI sensors are droplet based, which show limitations in scalability and the homogeneity of the surface.

Injection Molding of Magnesium Aluminate Spinel Nanocomposites for High-Throughput Manufacturing of Transparent Ceramics.

Transparent ceramics like magnesium aluminate spinel (MAS) are considered the next step in material evolution showing unmatched mechanical, chemical and physical resistance combined with high optical transparency. Unfortunately, transparent ceramics are notoriously difficult to shape, especially on the microscale. Therefore, a thermoplastic MAS nanocomposite is developed that can be shaped by polymer injection molding at high speed and precision.

Stimulus-Responsive Polyelectrolyte Surfaces: Switching Surface Properties from Polycationic/Antimicrobial to Polyzwitterionic/Protein-Repellent.

Surfaces coated with polyzwitterions are most well-known for their ability to resist protein adsorption. In this article, a surface-attached hydrophobically modified poly(carboxybetaine) is presented. When protonated by changes of the pH of the surrounding medium, this protein-repellent polyzwitterion switches to a polycationic state in which it is antimicrobially active and protein-adhesive.

First experimental evidence for the elusive tetrahedral cations [EP] (E = S, Se, Te) in the condensed phase.

Condensed phase access to the unprecedented tetrahedral cations [EP] (E = S, Se, Te) was achieved through the reaction of ECl[WCA] with white phosphorus ([WCA] = [Al(OR)] and [F(Al(OR))]; -R = -C(CF)). Previously, [EP] was only known from gas phase MS investigations. By contrast, the reaction of ECl[A] with the known P synthon Na[Nb(ODipp)(P)] (enabling AsP synthesis), led to formation of P.