Ti6Al4V coatings on titanium samples by sputtering techniques: Microstructural and mechanical characterization

Although titanium is widely used as biomaterial, the control of the interface properties between its surface and the surrounding physiological environment (like bone, other tissues or biofluids) results crucial to achieve a successful osseointegration and good biomechanical and functional performance. In this work, commercially pure titanium (Grade IV) discs obtained by conventional powder metallurgy were…

Setting a comprehensive strategy to face the runback icing phenomena

The development of anti-icing robust surfaces is a hot topic nowadays and particularly crucial in the aeronautics or wind energy sectors as ice accretion can compromise safety and power generation efficiency. However, the current performance of most anti-icing strategies has been proven insufficient for such demanding applications, particularly in large unprotected zones, which located downstream…

Dielectric multilayers for broadband optical rotation enhancement

We design a simple dielectric multilayer capable of sustaining broadband superchiral surface waves. We show that the platform can produce large optical chirality enhancements in a wavelength range of hundreds of nanometers. We finally demonstrate that these properties result in the enhancement of the optical rotation signal well above two orders of magnitude, thus extending surface-enhanced chiral spectroscopies beyond the traditionally addressed circular dichroism signals.

Structure and Void Connectivity in Nanocolumnar Thin Films Grown by Magnetron Sputtering at Oblique Angles

The morphology and void connectivity of thin films grown by a magnetron sputtering deposition technique at oblique geometries were studied in this paper. A well-tested thin film growth model was employed to assess the features of these layers along with experimental data taken from the literature. A strong variation in the film morphology and pore topology was found as a function of the growth conditions, which have been linked to the different collisional transport of…

Low temperature nucleation of thermochromic VO2 crystal domains in nanocolumnar porous thin films

The low temperature formation of monoclinic VO2 crystal domains in nanocolumnar vanadium/oxygen thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering at oblique angles is analyzed. The synthesis procedure involved the deposition of amorphous nanocolumnar VO1.9 thin films at room temperature and its subsequent annealing at temperatures between 250 °C and 330 °C in an oxygen atmosphere. The thermochromic transition…

Optical monitoring of detergent pollutants in greywater

Large amount of wastewater is produced by washing machines and dishwashers, which are used in a daily basis. This domestic wastewater generated in households or office buildings (also called greywater) is drained directly to the drainpipes without differentiation from that with fecal contamination from toilets. Detergents are arguably the pollutants most frequently found in greywater…

Surface Acoustic Waves Equip Materials with Active De-Icing Functionality: Unraveled Glaze Ice De-Icing Mechanisms and Application to Centimeter-Scale Transparent Surfaces

Enabling active de-icing functionality on low heat conductive and transparent materials is a requirement for several seminal industries in critical economic sectors. However, developing efficient and environmentally friendly de-icing methods still fails because of compatibility problems with large-scale devices and real-world conditions. In this paper, de-icing several square centimeters covered with thick layers of glaze…

Strontium/zinc phytate-based self-assembled monolayers on titanium surfaces enhance osteogenesis and antibacterial performance in vitro

The accumulation of bacteria over implant surfaces is still the first cause of failure, and the development of antimicrobial surfaces constitutes a first line in implant research. Besides, the durability and mechanical performance of implants, in special in the dental area, are mainly determined by their osseointegration capacity into the maxillofacial bone and the appearance…

Advanced Cellulose-Nanocarbon Composite Films for High-Performance Triboelectric and Piezoelectric Nanogenerators

Natural polymers such as cellulose have interesting tribo- and piezoelectric properties for paper-based energy harvesters, but their low performance in providing sufficient output power is still an impediment to a wider deployment for IoT and other low-power applications. In this study, different types of celluloses were combined with nanosized carbon fillers to investigate their effect…

Microstructural Characterization and Self-Propagation Properties of Reactive Al/Ni Multilayers Deposited onto Wavelike Surface Morphologies: Influence on the Propagation Front Velocity

Reactive multilayer systems are nanostructures of great interest for various technological applications because of their high energy release rate during the self-propagating reaction of their components. Therefore, many efforts are aimed at controlling the propagation velocity of these reactions. Herein, reactive multilayer systems of Al/Ni in the shape of free-standing foils with a wavelike surface…