A bioactive composite of nano calcium-deficient apatite (n-CDAP) with an atom molar ratio of calcium to phosphate (Ca/P) of 1.50 and poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL) was synthesized, and a composite scaffold was fabricated. The composite scaffolds with 40 wt% n-CDAP contained well interconnected macropores around 400 μm, and exhibited a porosity of 7...

Electrodeposited nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) is more similar to biological apatite in terms of microstructure and dimension than apatites prepared by other processes. Reinforcement with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhances its mechanical properties and increases adhesion of osteoblasts. Here, we carefully studied nHAp deposited onto vertically aligned multi-walled CNT (VAMWCNT) scaffolds by electrod...

Improving the specific capacity and electronic conductivity of TiO2 can boost its practical application as a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries. In this work, a three-dimensional networking oxygen-deficient nano TiO2-x/carbon fibre membrane was achieved by combining the electrospinning process with a hot-press sintering method and directly used as a self-standing anode. With the...

The polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/Fe 3+ -TiO2 catalytic membrane was prepared by sol-gel method. It was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR spectrum (FT-IR), mechanics capability, water flux, pepsin retention, porosity and contact angle etc. The catalytic activity of PVDF/Fe 3+ -TiO2 catalytic membrane was evaluated by the degradation of refracto...

To determine the optimal ratio of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) to polylactic acid (PLLA) in the novel three-dimensional porous PLLA/n-HA composite scaffolds, low-temperature rapid prototyping technology was employed to fabricate the composite materials with different n-HA contents. Mechanical properties and degradation behaviors of the composites were examined, and the scaffold microstructure and...

A simple model of a raft made of spaced nano-cylinders is formulated and discussed, in order to improve the understanding of load-carrying capacity of insects and miniature devices that float on liquids. It is shown that mostly the outer cylinders of the raft determine the load-carrying capacity. Therefore, the raft porosity (spacing of the cylinders) is instrumental mainly in increasing the lo...

We present a method for direct three-dimensional (3D) patterning of porous nanomaterials through the application of a premastered and reusable gray-scale stamp. Four classes of 3D nanostructures are demonstrated for the first time in porous media: gradient profiles, digital patterns, curves and lens shapes, and sharp features including v-grooves, nano-pits, and 'cookie-cutter' particles. Furthe...

The squid pen (gladius) from the Loligo vulgaris was used for preparation of β-chitin materials characterized by different chemical, micro- and nano-structural properties that preserved, almost completely the macrostructural and the mechanical ones. The β-chitin materials obtained by alkaline treatment showed porosity, wettability and swelling that are a function of the duration of the treatmen...

A novel route is presented enabling minimization of feature sizes via laser ablative micro-patterning in highly porous silica aerogel monoliths and subsequent viscous sintering. Vitrification yields isotropically contracted silica solids preserving their original stereometric forms. The contraction depends on aerogel structure and porosity and we demonstrate here the first realization of a 3:1 ...

A novel approach for the preparation of nano- and microcapsules in aqueous solutions by using thermoresponsive polymer (TRP) templates (mesoglobules) is described. The method comprised three steps: formation of mesoglobules, coating the templates by seeded radical copolymerization, followed by core dissolution and core removal upon cooling. When mesoglobule entraps biomacromolecules during the ...