Contact surfaces represent a liability for the transmission of microbial contamination, leading to high consumption of detergents and biocides for their care and further increasing the already problematic antimicrobial resistance of microorganisms. This issue could be addressed by the use of antimicrobial nanocomposite coatings. In this research, a polymer nanocomposite of inert poly(vinylidene fl

This paper comprehensively reviews recent research carried out in the field of preparation of bioactive coatings on magnesium (Mg)–aluminum (Al)–zinc (Zn) alloys by using the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) method and investigation of factors affecting it. Magnesium–aluminum–zinc alloys (AZ grades) have been developed for use as biodegradation materials because the addition of aluminum and zinc

To enhance the performances of copper (I) oxide (Cu2O)/silicon (Si) heterojunctions, it is crucial to improve their interface quality and control their surface microstructures. Here, two kinds of pyramid-textured and nanostructured copper (I) oxide/silicon heterojunctions were fabricated by adjusting the substrate bias during magnetron sputtering. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet

Silicon (Si) possesses high theoretical lithium-ion (Li+)-storage capability but is still limited to a huge volume change in the charging–discharging process and has poor conductivity, which hinders its application. Here, the authors report a novel three-dimensional (3D) continuous porous silicon/copper (Cu) composite film through non-solvent-induced phase separation and heat treatment. The composite

A well-designed procedure, including ion beam sputtering of aluminium (Al)–tungsten trioxide (WO3) composite films, annealing at an elevated temperature and dealloying of aluminium component, was carried out in sequence to fabricate porous nanocrystalline tungsten trioxide thin films. The texture, morphology and electrical and optical properties of the tungsten trioxide thin films were each characterised

Carbon- and oxygen-doped hexagonal boron nitrides (BCNOs) with good chemical stability and photoresponsiveness to visible light are found to be promising metal-free catalysts for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). By doping with heteroatoms of carbon and oxygen, insulating hexagonal boron nitride was transformed into semiconducting BCNO. The BCNO photocatalyst presents photodegradation performance towards

Based on the three-dimensional thermodynamic model, the wettability of a superhydrophobic solid surface with a circular truncated cone microstructure has been investigated. The relationship between the microstructure of the circular truncated cone surface and superhydrophobic property is established by introducing the tension of the three-phase contact line in the composite state. The results show

A novel tungsten carbide (WC)- and ceria (CeO2)-reinforced cobalt (Co) matrix composite coating was synthesized through a one-step co-electrodeposition method. The growth mechanism of the coating and the formation mechanism of the protrusion and gully structure on the coating surface were explored. Furthermore, the mechanism of the influence of ceria concentration on the deposition rate and content

In this work, a zinc (Zn) aminocaproate complex was extracted from expired aminocaproic acid injection by way of one-step facile chemical liquid-phase deposition for the first time, and the morphology, microstructure and electrochemical lithium (Li)-storage performances were also investigated. The results showed that the obtained zinc aminocaproate complex displayed a uniform mint-leaf-like flower

The inhibition performance of a mixture of an imidazoline quaternary ammonium salt (IM) and octylphenol polyoxyethene ether (OP) (IMO) toward carbon dioxide (CO2) corrosion of L245 steel in 3 wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution at 25°C was studied using electrochemical measurements. Notably, the inhibition efficiency of the IMO inhibitor stayed steadily in the long-term immersion test, and the inhibition

Titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) is proposed as a coating to decrease the reflectivity of surgical instrumentation, thereby improving the field of vision of surgeons during procedures, although the corrosion resistance of the material against repeated sterilization processes must be guaranteed. The influence of aluminum (Al) on the microstructural and electrochemical properties of low-reflectivity

Ag@AgCl composites are effective photocatalysts used for degrading organic pollutants, but the limitations of their large-scale production hinder them from having a broad scope of applications. In this study, Ag@AgCl nanoparticles (NPs) with efficient photocatalytic performance were synthesized using a simple and straightforward strategy. Excess chloride (Cl−) ions were added into a silver nitrate

As an energy-storage material, iron phosphide (FeP) has always been a research hotspot on account of its high theoretical capacity and low ion intercalation potential. However, its practical application is seriously limited by the structural damage and poor conductivity caused by the large volume expansion in the discharge process. In this work, the authors report a method combining hydrothermal synthesis

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of hydrophobicity, surface chemistry and topography on bacterial and microalgal adhesion. To this end, the effects of surface plasma treatments (...

Highly efficient, non-precious and stable electrocatalysts for both oxygen (O2) reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have drawn attention as alternatives to noble-metal cata...

Mixed supramolecular systems alkylated N-methyl-d-glucamine (Alk = C n H2n+1, n = 12, 16)/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (Ctab) (1:1) and a metallocomplex of alkylated N-methyl-d-glucamine with lan...

Herein, an approach was carried out toward in situ synthesis of chitosan-mediated silver (Ag) nanoparticles (AgNPs) on merino wool fabrics (MWFs) and its utilization as colored textile, antibacteri...

Nowadays, there is a need for a paradigm shift in material selection for surface coatings so as to meet the requirements of advanced systems. Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are three-...

This research studied the comprehensive dielectric properties of copper (Cu)/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and copper/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite films under the influence of copper...

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted tremendous attention due to their rapid growth in efficiency and low cost. In this work, an effective perovskite material was developed by the interacti...

Modern dentistry is directed toward overcoming dental caries progression in the early stages with the aid of remineralizing agents. Long-established remineralizing agents have very slow kinetics to...

Lithium-ion batteries have become one of the most popular energy sources for portable devices, cordless tools, electric vehicles and so on. Their operating parameters are mostly determined by the properties of the anode material and, to a greater extent, the cathode material. Even the most promising electrode materials have disadvantages, such as large changes in the unit cell volume during the charge–discharge

The authors used three different methods of statistical data analysis to establish correlations between the water contact angle (CA) on ductile iron and composition, roughness (grit size), elapsed time between sample preparation and CA measurement and droplet size. The three methods are linear regression analysis (LRA), artificial neural network (ANN) model and multivariate polynomial regression analysis

The article is devoted to the comprehensive studies of high-entropy CoCuTiZrHf coating obtained by high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) in a protective atmosphere. The authors examined the metallophysical properties of the coating (using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis) in order to obtain new information about its structure, mechanical properties and phase composition. Functional properties

This paper discusses the technology, structure and functional–mechanical properties of surface layers made of high-entropy materials with a high-temperature shape memory effect, nickel (Ni)–cobalt (Co)–titanium (Ti)–zirconium (Zr)–hafnium (Hf), nickel–copper (Cu)–titanium–zirconium–hafnium and titanium–nickel–zirconium–hafnium–cobalt–copper. The developed technology and equipment for the formation

Using sol–gel auto-combustion combined with calcination, spinel zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) and monoclinic bismuth vanadate (m-BiVO4) nanopowder were synthesised. On this basis, novel heterojunction-structure monoclinic bismuth vanadate/spinel ferrite ZnFe2O4 (BZF) composites were prepared, for the first time, using sol–gel combined with in situ loading. The characteristics of as-prepared materials were

Density functional theory calculations are carried out to explore the adsorption behaviour of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on pristine and fluorinated graphene. Then, the effects of different degrees of fluorination of graphene on the adsorption of PFOS are systematically investigated by analysis of the adsorption energy (E ads), electron transfer and partial density of states. Finally, the unique

The formation of membrane fouling in the process of wastewater treatment is a significant challenge. Here, the authors present a novel strategy to design a filtration membrane with efficient antifouling property by one-pot electrospinning of silver chloride (AgCl) and dimethylformamide (AgCl2 −/DMF) solution. The silver chloride in the porous polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) fiber was partly reduced

In this study, spray deposition technology was used for in situ preparation of silver (Ag) particles on additively manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces. An amount of silver particles (200 nm) was uniformly achieved on pristine or acid-etched titanium (Ti) alloy surfaces by designing the spraying passes. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to confirm their composition

Similar to titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta) has good mechanical properties, processability and corrosion resistance, which make it a suitable material for medical implants. However, tantalum lacks biological activity and cannot induce bone tissue growth. In this study, microarc oxidation was used to prepare a silicon (Si)-containing oxide coating on the surface of tantalum. Scanning electron microscopy

In the past decade, polymeric magnetic membranes have been used to investigate mechanical stimuli on adherent cells and cellular mechanotransduction. However, the homogeneity of these particles inside these membranes is often overlooked. In this study, magnetic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes were prepared by using magnetite (Fe3O4) particles effectively dispersed inside PDMS for the assessment

In this study, spray deposition technology was used for in situ preparation of silver (Ag) particles on additively manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces. An amount of silver particles (200 nm) was un...

This paper discusses the technology, structure and functional–mechanical properties of surface layers made of high-entropy materials with a high-temperature shape memory effect, nickel (Ni)–cobalt ...

The formation of membrane fouling in the process of wastewater treatment is a significant challenge. Here, the authors present a novel strategy to design a filtration membrane with efficient antifo...

Density functional theory calculations are carried out to explore the adsorption behaviour of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on pristine and fluorinated graphene. Then, the effects of different d...

Lithium-ion batteries have become one of the most popular energy sources for portable devices, cordless tools, electric vehicles and so on. Their operating parameters are mostly determined by the p...

Similar to titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta) has good mechanical properties, processability and corrosion resistance, which make it a suitable material for medical implants. However, tantalum lacks biol...

Using sol–gel auto-combustion combined with calcination, zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) spinel ferrite and monoclinic bismuth vanadate (m-BiVO4) nanopowder were synthesised. On this basis, novel heterojunc...

The authors used three different methods of statistical data analysis to establish correlations between the water contact angle (CA) on ductile iron and composition, roughness (grit size), elapsed ...

The article is devoted to the comprehensive studies of high-entropy CoCuTiZrHf coating obtained by high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) in a protective atmosphere. The authors examined the metallophysi...

Nowadays, there is a need for a paradigm shift in material selection for surface coatings so as to meet the requirements of advanced systems. Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are three-dimensional networks with a silica-like core covered by an organic shell, a promising nanosized structure for organic coatings. The use of POSS structures in coating materials has experienced an almost erratic

This research studied the comprehensive dielectric properties of copper (Cu)/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and copper/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite films under the influence of copper nanoparticle (CuNP) sputtering time. Copper thin film was grown on flexible PET and PTFE using the ion beam sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction confirmed that CuNPs had been successfully synthesized

Herein, an approach was carried out toward in situ synthesis of chitosan-mediated silver (Ag) nanoparticles (AgNPs) on merino wool fabrics (MWFs) and its utilization as colored textile, antibacterial material and removable substrate after toxic dye reduction. The investigation on the as-produced products (AgNPs@MWFs) indicates that AgNPs were successfully assembled on the MWF surface through efficient

Highly efficient, non-precious and stable electrocatalysts for both oxygen (O2) reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have drawn attention as alternatives to noble-metal catalysts. The rational construction of dual-functional catalysts is meaningful because most nanomaterials can perform only a single electrocatalytic activity. Herein, nitrogen (N)-doped carbon (C) nanotubes

Modern dentistry is directed toward overcoming dental caries progression in the early stages with the aid of remineralizing agents. Long-established remineralizing agents have very slow kinetics to be applicable, and the need for an external cofactor is a must. In the present work, the authors improved the kinetics of dentin/enamel remineralization by magnetic field exposure whereby calcium (Ca2+)

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted tremendous attention due to their rapid growth in efficiency and low cost. In this work, an effective perovskite material was developed by the interaction of chloride (Cl−) ions and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Crystal nucleus formation was enhanced, and the crystallization was delayed by adding a moderate amount of chloride ions to the (FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbBr3)0

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of hydrophobicity, surface chemistry and topography on bacterial and microalgal adhesion. To this end, the effects of surface plasma treatments (argon (Ar) and tetrafluorocarbon (CF4)) of polycarbonate substrates on bioadhesion were investigated in vitro. Surfaces were characterized by goniometry, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Mixed supramolecular systems alkylated N-methyl-d-glucamine (Alk = C n H2n+1, n = 12, 16)/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (Ctab) (1:1) and a metallocomplex of alkylated N-methyl-d-glucamine with lanthanum (III) nitrate (La(NO3)3)/Ctab (1:1) were fabricated. Their aggregation behavior and functional activity (solubilization and biological properties) were studied. The aggregation parameters (critical

This paper comprehensively comprises recent research carried out in the field of preparation of bioactive coatings on Mg–Al–Zn alloys by plasma electrolytic oxidation method and investigation of fa...

In the present study, phytic acid was used as an environmentally sustainable phosphorus-containing flame retardant (FR) to improve the flammability of cotton fabrics. The facile preparation approac...

As one common industrial waste liquid, waste copper (Cu) etchant can seriously pollute the environment if it is unreasonably managed. Herein, tetrahedron-like copper (I) chloride (CuCl) crystals we...

A tungsten (W)-doped microarc oxidation (MAO) coating on a TC4 titanium (Ti) alloy drill pipe was prepared by adding sodium tungstate (Na2WO4) into electrolytes. The effects of adding different con...

In this study, atmospheric plasma spraying was used for the preparation of a CoNiCrAlY bonding layer on a nickel (Ni)-based superalloy with different laser shock times designed for surface modifica...

Bismuth (III) (Bi3+) and chloride (Cl−) ion co-doped Li3V1·97Bi0·03(PO4)3−x Cl x /carbon (C) compounds (x = 0·03, 0·05, 0·07, 0·09) were prepared by way of a simple sol–gel method. The X-ray diffra...

In the present work, α-bismuth (III) oxide (α-Bi2O3) photocatalysts with a porous and nanosheet structure were prepared by using the biomimetic-synthesis-assisted hydrothermal method. l-Arginine (C...

Aluminum (Al) alloys are used widely in the automotive and aerospace industries, but their corrosion resistance is insufficient in long-term service, particularly in a high-salinity environment. Th...

The aim of this work was to achieve improved dispersibility of hydrophobic dry lubricants in aqueous media through plasma activation. As a result, the use of wet-chemical environmentally questionab...

A well designed procedure, including ion beam sputtering of Al-WO3 composite films, annealing at an elevated temperature and dealloying of Al component, was carried out in sequence to fabricate por...

Aluminum (Al) alloys are used widely in the automotive and aerospace industries, but their corrosion resistance is insufficient in long-term service, particularly in a high-salinity environment. The incorporation of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) particles into plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings formed on an aluminum alloy was investigated in this work. After oxidation, the coatings were investigated

As one common industrial waste liquid, waste copper (Cu) etchant can seriously pollute the environment if it is unreasonably managed. Herein, tetrahedron-like copper (I) chloride (CuCl) crystals were extracted from waste copper etchant by way of facile electrodeposition, and the effect of the electrodeposition time on the lithium (Li)-storage capacity of the copper (I) chloride crystal was further