Science and Technology of Advanced Materials

We report on the effects of low energy ion implantation on thin films of pentacene, carried out to investigate the efficacy of this process in the fabrication of organic electronic devices. Two different ions, Ne and N, have been implanted and compared, to assess the effects of different reactivity within the hydrocarbon matrix. Strong modification of the electrical conductivity, stable in time, is observed following ion implantation. This effect is significantly larger for N implants (up to six orders of magnitude), which are shown to introduce stable charged species within the hydrocarbon matrix, not only damage as is the case for Ne implants. Fully operational pentacene thin film transistors have also been implanted and we show how a controlled N ion implantation process can induce stable modifications in the threshold voltage, without affecting the device performance.

Laser remelting has been performed on Ni-30 wt.% Sn hypoeutectic alloy. An anomalous eutectic formed at the bottom of the molten pool when the sample was remelted thoroughly. 3D morphologies of the α-Ni and Ni₃Sn phases in the anomalous eutectic region were obtained and investigated using serial sectioning reconstruction technology. It is found that the Ni₃Sn phase has a continuous interconnected network structure and the α-Ni phase is distributed as separate particles in the anomalous eutectic, which is consistent with the electron backscatter diffraction pattern examinations. The α-Ni particles in the anomalous eutectic are supersaturated with Sn element as compared with the equilibrium phase diagram. Meanwhile, small wavy lamella eutectics coexist with anomalous eutectics. The Trivedi–Magnin–Kurz model was used to estimate undercooling with lamellar spacing. The results suggest that the critical undercooling found in undercooling solidification is not a sufficient condition for anomalous eutectic formation. Besides, α-Ni particles in the anomalous eutectic do not exhibit a completely random misorientation and some neighboring α-Ni particles have the same orientation. It is shown that both the coupled and decoupled growth of the eutectic two phases can generate the α-Ni + Ni₃Sn anomalous eutectic structure.

During the last decade, nanomaterials (NM) were extensively tested for potential harmful effects towards humans and environmental organisms. However, a sound hazard assessment was so far hampered by uncertainties and a low comparability of test results. The reason for the low comparability is a high variation in the (1) type of NM tested with regard to raw material, size and shape and (2) procedures before and during the toxicity testing. This calls for tailored, nanomaterial-specific protocols. Here, a structured approach is proposed, intended to lead to test protocols not only tailored to specific types of nanomaterials, but also to respective test system for toxicity testing. There are existing standards on single procedures involving nanomaterials, however, not all relevant procedures are covered by standards. Hence, our approach offers a detailed way of weighting several plausible alternatives for e.g. sample preparation, in order to decide on the procedure most meaningful for a specific nanomaterial and toxicity test. A framework of several decision trees (DT) and flow charts to support testing of NM is proposed as a basis for further refinement and in-depth elaboration. DT and flow charts were drafted for (1) general procedure—physicochemical characterisation, (2) choice of test media, (3) decision on test scenario and application of NM to liquid media, (4) application of NM to the gas phase, (5) application of NM to soil and sediments, (6) dose metrics, (S1) definition of a nanomaterial, and (S2) dissolution. The applicability of the proposed approach was surveyed by using experimental data retrieved from studies on nanoscale CuO. This survey demonstrated the DT and flow charts to be a convenient tool to systematically decide upon test procedures and processes, and hence pose an important step towards harmonisation of NM testing.

We have investigated the adsorption of some amino acids and an oligopeptide by fullerene (C₆₀) and fullerene nanowhiskers (FNWs). C₆₀ and FNWs hardly adsorbed amino acids. Most of the amino acids used have a hydrophobic side chain. Ala and Val, with an alkyl chain, were not adsorbed by the C₆₀ or FNWs. Trp, Phe and Pro, with a cyclic structure, were not adsorbed by them either. The aromatic group of C₆₀ did not interact with the side chain. The carboxyl or amino group, with the frame structure of an amino acid, has a positive or negative charge in solution. It is likely that the C₆₀ and FNWs would not prefer the charged carboxyl or amino group. Tri-Ala was adsorbed slightly by the C₆₀ and FNWs. The carboxyl or amino group is not close to the center of the methyl group of Tri-Ala. One of the methyl groups in Tri-Ala would interact with the aromatic structure of the C₆₀ and FNWs. We compared our results with the theoretical interaction of 20 bio-amino acids with C₆₀. The theoretical simulations showed the bonding distance between C₆₀ and an amino acid and the dissociation energy. The dissociation energy was shown to increase in the order, Val < Phe < Pro < Asp < Ala < Trp < Tyr < Arg < Leu. However, the simulation was not consistent with our experimental results. The adsorption of albumin (a protein) by C₆₀ showed the effect on the side chains of Try and Trp. The structure of albumin was changed a little by C₆₀. In our study Try and Tyr were hardly adsorbed by C₆₀ and FNWs. These amino acids did not show a different adsorption behavior compared with other amino acids. The adsorptive behavior of mono-amino acids might be different from that of polypeptides.

We report herein the use of an exonuclease III and G-quadruplex probe to construct a G-quadruplex-based luminescence detection platform for Hg²⁺. Unlike common DNA-based Hg²⁺ detection methods, when using the dsDNA probe to monitor the hairpin formation, the intercalation of the dsDNA probe may be influenced by the distortion of dsDNA. This 'mix-and-detect' methodology utilized the G-quadruplex probe as the signal transducer and is simple, rapid, convenient to use and can detect down to 20 nM of Hg²⁺.

Mesoporous solids, which were prepared from inorganic-surfactant mesostructured materials, have been investigated due to their very large surface area and high porosity, pore size uniformity and variation, periodic pore arrangement and possible pore surface modification. Morphosyntheses from macroscopic morphologies such as bulk monolith and films, to nanoscopic ones, nanoparticles and their stable suspension, make mesoporous materials more attractive for applications and detailed characterization. This class of materials has been studied for such applications as adsorbents and catalysts, and later on, for optical, electronic, environmental and bio-related ones. This review summarizes the studies on the chemistry of mesoporous silica and functional guest species (host–guest chemistry) to highlight the present status and future applications of the host–guest hybrids.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted considerable attention for various applications due to their tunable structure, porosity and functionality. In general, MOFs have been synthesized from isolated metal ions and organic linkers under hydrothermal or solvothermal conditions via one-spot reactions. The emerging precursor approach and kinetically tuned dimensional augmentation strategy add more diversity to this field. In addition, to speed up the crystallization process and create uniform crystals with reduced size, many alternative synthesis routes have been explored. Recent advances in microwave-assisted synthesis and electrochemical synthesis are presented in this review. In recent years, post-synthetic approaches have been shown to be powerful tools to synthesize MOFs with modified functionality, which cannot be attained via de novo synthesis. In this review, some current accomplishments of post-synthetic modification (PSM) based on covalent transformations and coordinative interactions as well as post-synthetic exchange (PSE) in robust MOFs are provided.

Due to their excellent biodegradability characteristics, Mg and Mg-based alloys have become an emerging material in biomedical implants, notably for repair of bone as well as coronary arterial stents. However, the main problem with Mg-based alloys is their rapid corrosion in aggressive environments such as human bodily fluids. Previously, many approaches such as control of alloying materials, composition and surface treatments, have been attempted to regulate the corrosion rate. This article presents a comprehensive review of recent research focusing on surface treatment techniques utilised to control the corrosion rate and surface integrity of Mg-based alloys in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Surface treatments generally involve the controlled deposition of thin film coatings using various coating processes, and mechanical surfacing such as machining, deep rolling or low plasticity burnishing. The aim is to either make a protective thin layer of a material or to change the micro-structure and mechanical properties at the surface and sub-surface levels, which will prevent rapid corrosion and thus delay the degradation of the alloys. We have organised the review of past works on coatings by categorising the coatings into two classes—conversion and deposition coatings—while works on mechanical treatments are reviewed based on the tool-based processes which affect the sub-surface microstructure and mechanical properties of the material. Various types of coatings and their processing techniques under two classes of coating and mechanical treatment approaches have been analysed and discussed to investigate their impact on the corrosion performance, biomechanical integrity, biocompatibility and cell viability. Potential challenges and future directions in designing and developing the improved biodegradable Mg/Mg-based alloy implants were addressed and discussed. The literature reveals that no solutions are yet complete and hence new and innovative approaches are required to leverage the benefit of Mg-based alloys. Hybrid treatments combining innovative biomimetic coating and mechanical processing would be regarded as a potentially promising way to tackle the corrosion problem. Synergetic cutting-burnishing integrated with cryogenic cooling may be another encouraging approach in this regard. More studies focusing on rigorous testing, evaluation and characterisation are needed to assess the efficacy of the methods.

This article reviews the history of piezoelectric perovskites and forecasts future development trends, including Uchino's discoveries such as the Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–PbTiO₃ electrostrictor, Pb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–PbTiO₃ single crystal, (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O₃ photostriction, and Pb(Zr, Ti)O₃–Terfenol magnetoelectric composites. We discuss five key trends in the development of piezomaterials: performance to reliability, hard to soft, macro to nano, homo to hetero, and single to multi-functional.

We review the technology of Ge_1−xSn_x-related group-IV semiconductor materials for developing Si-based nanoelectronics. Ge_1−xSn_x-related materials provide novel engineering of the crystal growth, strain structure, and energy band alignment for realising various applications not only in electronics, but also in optoelectronics. We introduce our recent achievements in the crystal growth of Ge_1−xSn_x-related material thin films and the studies of the electronic properties of thin films, metals/Ge_1−xSn_x, and insulators/Ge_1−xSn_x interfaces. We also review recent studies related to the crystal growth, energy band engineering, and device applications of Ge_1−xSn_x-related materials, as well as the reported performances of electronic devices using Ge_1−xSn_x related materials.