Metallic nickel nanowires with excellent physical properties have been introduced into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix to form polymer nanocomposites. Nanowires were synthesized by template-assisted electrochemical deposition. By utilizing ferromagnetic nickel nanowires, small external magnetic field can be used to control their alignment and distribution during composite synthesis. Unlike d...

Self-assembly of nanostructured materials has been proven a powerful technique in material design and synthesis. By phage display screening, M13 phage was found to strongly bind sulfur particles. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicated that the strong sulfur-binding ability of M13 phage derives from newly generated S-O and C-S bonds. Using this pha...

We have used the pH-induced self-assembly of a peptide-amphiphile to make a nanostructured fibrous scaffold reminiscent of extracellular matrix. The design of this peptide-amphiphile allows the nanofibers to be reversibly cross-linked to enhance or decrease their structural integrity. After cross-linking, the fibers are able to direct mineralization of hydroxyapatite to form a composite materia...

This paper reviews the most relevant achievements and new developments in the field of nanomaterials and their possible impact on the fabrication of a new generation of reliable and longer lasting implants for joint replacement. Special emphasis is given to the role of nanocomposites with different microstructural designs: micro-nano composites, nano-nano composites, macro-micro-nano composites...

Water dispersible nanofibrilar polyaniline (NF-PANI) provides a novel and direct route towards carbon nanotube water dispersions of high concentration. Carrying out the chemical synthesis of NF-PANI in the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) results in an entirely nanostructured nanofibrilar polyaniline/carbon nanotube (NF-PANI/CNT) composite material that contains well segregated CNTs partiall...

We study elasticity-mediated alignment of anisotropic gold colloids in liquid crystals. Colloidal gold particles of controlled shapes (spheres, rods, and polygonal platelets) and sizes are prepared using well-established biosynthesis techniques with varying solvent conditions. When introduced into liquid crystalline structured solvents, these gold particles impose tangential or vertical surface...

Nanostructured TiN/TiB2/Fe–Cr–Ni composite powder has been prepared via high energy ball milling. Ti and BN powders are reacted to form uniform mixture of TiN and TiB2 within 2 h of milling by a mechanically activated self-sustaining reaction (MSR). The crystallite sizes of TiN nd TiB2 are about 7 and 16 nm, respectively, after 32 h of milling. Through liquid phase sintering and optimizing the ...

Graphene prepared on Cu foil by chemical vapor deposition was studied as a function of post growth cooling conditions. CuO islands embedded in the graphene film were discovered and studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. It is shown that nanostructured holes can be formed within a graphene film by reduction using hydrogen cooling i...

Composite nanoarchitectures represent a class of nanostructured entities that integrates various dissimilar nanoscale building blocks including nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanofilms toward realizing multifunctional characteristics. A broad array of composite nanoarchitectures can be designed and fabricated, involving generic materials such as metal, ceramics, and polymers in nanoscale form. I...

We have synthesized optically active nanostructured composite materials by using an amphiphilic semiconducting polymer, a poly(phenylene ethynylene) (PPE), and a conventional ammonium surfactant as the structure-directing agents. The PPE consists of phenylene units para-substituted with an octyloxy chain and a charged trimethylammoniumethoxy group, resulting in a surfactant-like structure that ...