Search Results
Non-touching plasma–liquid interaction – where is aqueous nitric oxide generated?
2018, Jablonowski, Helena, Schmidt-Bleker, Ansgar, Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter, von Woedtke, Thomas, Wende, Kristian
Mass transport through graphene is receiving increasing attention due to the potential for molecular sieving. Experimental studies are mostly limited to the translocation of protons, ions, and water molecules, and results for larger molecules through graphene are rare. Here, we perform controlled radical polymerization with surface-anchored self-assembled initiator monolayer in a monomer solution with single-layer graphene separating the initiator from the monomer. We demonstrate that neutral monomers are able to pass through the graphene (via native defects) and increase the graphene defects ratio (Raman ID/IG) from ca. 0.09 to 0.22. The translocations of anionic and cationic monomers through graphene are significantly slower due to chemical interactions of monomers with the graphene defects. Interestingly, if micropatterned initiator-monolayers are used, the translocations of anionic monomers apparently cut the graphene sheet into congruent microscopic structures. The varied interactions between monomers and graphene defects are further investigated by quantum molecular dynamics simulations.
Bioactive glass–ceramics containing fluorapatite, xonotlite, cuspidine and wollastonite form apatite faster than their corresponding glasses
2024, Kirste, Gloria, Contreras Jaimes, Altair, de Pablos-Martín, Araceli, de Souza e Silva, Juliana Martins, Massera, Jonathan, Hill, Robert G., Brauer, Delia S.
Crystallisation of bioactive glasses has been claimed to negatively affect the ion release from bioactive glasses. Here, we compare ion release and mineralisation in Tris–HCl buffer solution for a series of glass–ceramics and their parent glasses in the system SiO2–CaO–P2O5–CaF2. Time-resolved X-ray diffraction analysis of glass–ceramic degradation, including quantification of crystal fractions by full pattern refinement, show that the glass–ceramics precipitated apatite faster than the corresponding glasses, in agreement with faster ion release from the glass–ceramics. Imaging by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray nano-computed tomography suggest that this accelerated degradation may be caused by the presence of nano-sized channels along the internal crystal/glassy matrix interfaces. In addition, the presence of crystalline fluorapatite in the glass–ceramics facilitated apatite nucleation and crystallisation during immersion. These results suggest that the popular view of bioactive glass crystallisation being a disadvantage for degradation, apatite formation and, subsequently, bioactivity may depend on the actual system study and, thus, has to be reconsidered.