Modifications of Parylene by Microstructures and Selenium Nanoparticles: Evaluation of Bacterial and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Viability

Parylene-based implants or coatings introduce surfaces suffering from bacteria colonization. Here, we synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone-stabilized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) as the antibacterial agent, and various approaches are studied for their reproducible adsorption, and thus the modification of parylene-C–coated glass substrate. The nanoparticle deposition process is optimized in the nanoparticle concentration to obtain evenly distributed NPs on the flat parylene-C surface. Moreover, the array of parylene-C micropillars is fabricated by the plasma etching of parylene-C on a silicon wafer, and the surface is modified with SeNPs. All designed surfaces are tested against two bacterial pathogens, Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). The results show no antibacterial effect toward S. aureus, while some bacteriostatic effect is observed for E. coli on the flat and microstructured parylene. However, SeNPs did not enhance the antibacterial effect against both bacteria. Additionally, all designed surfaces show cytotoxic effects toward mesenchymal stem cells at high SeNP deposition. These results provide valuable information about the potential antibacterial treatment of widely used parylene-C in biomedicine.

Methanation of CO2 Using MIL-53-Based Catalysts: Ni/MIL-53–Al2O3 versus Ni/MIL-53

MIL-53 and the MIL-53–Al2O3 composite synthesized by a solvothermal procedure, with water as the only solvent besides CrCl3 and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (BDC), were used as catalytic supports to obtain the novel MIL-53-based catalysts Ni(10 wt.%)/MIL-53 and Ni(10 wt.%)/MIL-53–Al2O3. Ni nanoparticle deposition by an adapted double-solvent method leads to the uniform distribution of metallic particles, both smaller (≤10 nm) and larger ones (10–30 nm). MIL-53–Al2O3 and Ni/MIL-53–Al2O3 show superior thermal stability to MIL-53 and Ni/MIL-53, while MIL-53–Al2O3 samples combine the features of both MIL-53 and alumina in terms of porosity. The investigation of temperature’s effect on the catalytic performance in the methanation process (CO2:H2 = 1:5.2, GHSV = 4650 h−1) revealed that Ni/MIL-53 is more active at temperatures below 300 °C, and Ni/MIL-53–Al2O3 above 300 °C. Both catalysts show maximum CO2 conversion at 350 °C: 75.5% for Ni/MIL-53 (methane selectivity of 93%) and 88.8% for Ni/MIL-53–Al2O3 (methane selectivity of 98%). Stability tests performed at 280 °C prove that Ni/MIL-53–Al2O3 is a possible candidate for the CO2 methanation process due to its high CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity, corroborated by the preservation of the structure and crystallinity of MIL-53 after prolonged exposure in the reaction medium.

Effect of Nanoparticle Deposition on the Thermal Performance of Evaporator in Thermosyphons

Rapid advancements in technology have led to the miniaturization of electronic devices which typically dissipate heat fluxes in the order of 100 W/cm2. This has brought about an unprecedented challenge to develop efficient and reliable thermal management systems. Novel cooling technologies such as Two-Phase Thermosyphons that make use of nanofluids provide a promising alternative to the use of conventional systems. This article analytically estimates the effects caused by nanoparticles that deposit on the evaporator surface and their effect on the heat transfer process.

Facile In Situ Synthesis of ZnO Flower-like Hierarchical Nanostructures by the Microwave Irradiation Method for Multifunctional Textile Coatings

ZnO nanoparticle-based multifunctional coatings were prepared by a simple, time-saving microwave method. Arginine and ammonia were used as precipitation agents, and zinc acetate dehydrate was used as a zinc precursor. Under the optimized conditions, flower-like morphologies of ZnO aggregates were obtained. The prepared nanopowders were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV/Visible spectroscopy. The developed in situ synthesis with microwave irradiation enabled significant ZnO nanoparticle deposition on cotton fabrics, without additional steps. The functionalized textiles were tested as a photocatalyst in methylene blue (MB) photodegradation and showed good self-cleaning and UV-blocking properties. The coated cotton fabrics exhibited good antibacterial properties against common microbial trains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans), together with self-cleaning and photocatalytic efficiency in organic dye degradation. The proposed microwave-assisted in situ synthesis of ZnO nanocoatings on textiles shows high potential as a rapid, efficient, environmentally friendly, and scalable method to fabricate functional fabrics.

Optimising processing conditions for the functionalisation of photocatalytic glazes by ZnO nanoparticle deposition

ZnO nanospheres were synthesised and then deposited by both single- and double-fire fast processes on as-prepared ceramic substrates. The photocatalytic degradation of resazurin ink was tested under UV light. The single-fired samples did not show any evidence of photocatalytic activity because the nanoparticles melted during sintering at 1210°C. The double-fire ZnO spray-coating method successfully produced glazed materials with an active ZnO surface layer despite the high sintering temperature. The influence of experimental parameters, including the ZnO nanoparticle loading (0.03 to 1 mg/cm2) and firing temperature (650 to 800°C), were also investigated. Samples with a ZnO loading of 1 g/cm2 fired at 650°C showed the best photocatalytic activity. Increasing the temperature to 700 and 800°C led to the coalescence of ZnO nanoparticles, which reduced the photocatalytic activity.

A Stochastic Model for Nanoparticle Deposits Growth

Natural events and human activities are responsible for the generation and transport of large amounts of micro-sized particles, which could contaminate several engineering devices like solar panels, wind turbines, and aero-engines. In industrial processes, systems as heat exchangers, fans, and dust collectors are continuously affected by nanoparticles' interaction. For several applications, the adhesion of such nanoparticles is detrimental, generating safety and performance issues. Particle-to-particle and particle-to-surface interactions are well known, even if a general explanation of nanoparticle deposit growth is still unknown. In the present paper, an interpretation of deposit growth due to nanoparticle deposition can predict particle adhesion, and layer accretion is proposed. A statistical model and a set of coefficients are used to generalize nanoparticle deposits' growth by an S-shaped function. In particular, the nanoparticle deposits grow analogously to a typical autonomous population settlement in a virgin area following statistical rule, which includes the initial growth, the successive stable condition (development), and catastrophic events able to destroy the layer. This approach generalizes nanoparticle adhesion/deposition behavior, overpassing the constraints reported in common deposition models, mainly focused on the mechanical aspect of the nanoparticle impact event. The catastrophic events, such as layer detachment, are modeled with a Poisson's distribution, related to material characteristics and impact conditions. This innovative approach, analogies, and coefficients applied to common engineering applications may be the starting point for improving the prediction capability of nanoparticle deposition.