Advanced Materials Interfaces最新文献

AB-Type Diblock Copolymer for MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

This work investigates by the ROP process the chemical structure, thermal, optical and biocompatibility with living cells of the pyrene-functionalized Py(PCL), Py(PLLA) homopolymers, and Py(PCL-b-PLLA) copolymers. We thoroughly confirm their stability, great fluorescence, and capacity to support MCF-7 cell growth. It emphasizes their two purposes as biodegradable scaffolds in biomedical technologies including tissue engineering and cancer diagnosis as imaging agents. More details can be found in the Research Article by Bülend Ortaç, Ali Karatutlu, Gurkan Yesilöz, Sevil Savaskan Yılmaz, and co-workers (DOI:10.1002/admi.202500195).

Unravelling the fundamental mechanisms behind brain function is the biggest challenge of this century. This challenge is increasingly being addressed by supporting neuroscience research with novel technological developments from complimentary research fields. From the field of materials research, high aspect-ratio vertical nanostructures, such as nanopillars and nanoneedles, have emerged as useful entities in neural interfacing platforms. These nanostructures, with a finite height of a few microns and sub-micron diameters, interface with neurons in a unique way and can modulate various neural cell behaviors. Utilizing the unique features of vertical nanostructures to study neurons and neural networks promises to help uncover a number of unsolved mysteries in the field of brain research. This review provides an overview of recent developments in this cross-disciplinary field. Various characteristics of vertical nanostructures, such as material selection, fabrication methodology, and structural designs, are discussed in relation to their specific use for neuroscience applications. Further, their unique use in engineering neuronal cell growth, neurite guidance, intracellular delivery of biomolecules, and electrophysiology is discussed by highlighting examples from recent literature. Finally, a discussion on current challenges and future strategies to advance this unique and novel nano-bio interface in vivo and clinical research round off this review.

Cancer Cells on Re-Entrant Microstructures

The Research Article DOI:10.1002/admi.202500631 by Nam-Trung Nguyen, Navid Kashaninejad, and co-workers explores how re-entrant microstructured surfaces with varied cap geometries and materials influence cancer cell adhesion, morphology, and proliferation. By integrating curvature, confinement, and wettability cues, the study reveals geometry-dependent mechanosensitive responses, advancing the understanding of cell-material interactions and offering design strategies for stable, long-term biointerfaces.

Electrolyte interfaces with freshly plated lithium metal are crucial for the development of reservoir-free all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). This study provides an in-depth characterization of the polyethylene oxide (PEO) lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) interphase with lithium metal resembling reservoir-free cell conditions. Using an in situ setup in both secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the dynamic evolution of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer is investigated at 60 °C. Lithium metal plating is conducted with an electron flood gun, ensuring controlled lithium deposition and enabling direct identification of intermediate reaction products. Time-of-flight- (ToF-) and Orbitrap-SIMS are employed to provide high-resolution insights into the formation of inorganic and organic SEI components coming from PEO and LiTFSI degradation after plating. XPS further reveals chemical transformations occurring at the interface. Additionally, coulometric titration time analysis (CTTA) captures the kinetic aspect of PEO: LiTFSI reaction with lithium metal, highlighting the influence of molecular weight and salt concentration on initial reaction speed and long-term stability. By integrating high-resolution SIMS analysis with surface-sensitive XPS and electrochemical methods, a comprehensive approach is offered to better understand the dynamic behavior of the polymer electrolyte | lithium metal interphase under conditions relevant to reservoir-free battery concepts.

Tin oxide (SnO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO), and zinc stannate (ZnSnO₃, Zn₂SnO₄) thin films are synthesized via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, employing stoichiometric control to tailor Zn─Sn─O compositional matrices. Five samples are designed to transition from pure SnO₂ through intermediate Zinc stannate configurations (S25Z, S50Z, S75Z) to pure ZnO. Structural, morphological, and compositional analyses are performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), including Rietveld refinement, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Qualitative and quantitative analysis confirms the formation of ZnSnO₃ and Zn₂SnO₄ phases, along with additional Zn─Sn─O matrix compounds whose precise identification remains inconclusive. Acetone adsorption energy is calculated using DFT and compared with experimental results. Machine learning models (XGBoost regression) predict acetone sensing performance with high precision (MAE: 3.19, R²: 0.97), while SHAP analysis identifies key parameters influencing sensor response and stability. Acetone is used as the target analyte to evaluate sensing capabilities at 200 and 300 °C. Among the samples, the S50Z thin film exhibits the highest performance at 300 °C, with response/recovery times of 193/207 s, respectively, and a sensing response of 87%. These findings highlight Zn─Sn─O materials as promising candidates for selective VOC detection, with potential applications in medical diagnostics via breath analysis.

For marine antifouling coatings to be practically useful, resistance to both marine fouling organisms and inorganic marine sediments is essential. Amphiphilic copolymer coatings, which integrate hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, are known to impart such dual antifouling properties to solid substrates. In these systems, the hydrophilic component functions as a physical barrier to inhibit biological fouling, while the hydrophobic component prevents the adsorption of marine sediments. Based on this principle, various amphiphilic copolymers have been developed for marine antifouling applications. To effectively minimize both biological adhesion and sediment accumulation, in addition to selecting appropriate hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers, optimizing their relative composition is crucial. In this study, amphiphilic copolymer coatings composed of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) and isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA) are synthesized via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Through a systematic investigation, the optimal SBMA-to-IBMA ratio is determined to achieve a balanced antifouling performance. Notably, coatings prepared with an SBMA:IBMA feed molar ratio of 1:1 effectively suppress both marine diatom adhesion and sediment adsorption. Surface free energy analysis reveals that superior antifouling performance correlates with a lower surface free energy. These findings underscore the design parameters that should be considered in the development of high-performance amphiphilic copolymer coatings for marine antifouling applications.

Epitaxial thin films of the heavy fermion compound YbRh₂Si₂ have opened new possibilities in the investigation of the enigmatic strange metal state, including terahertz transmission spectroscopy and shot noise. For experiments at lower temperatures and energies, further advances in film quality are desirable. In this work, The focus is on the enhancement of crystallinity and surface smoothness of YbRh₂Si₂ thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy using Knudsen cells and electron-beam evaporation sources. The morphology is influenced by the Yb flux and provides insight into the crystal quality of the thin films confirmed by in-plane and out-of-plane diffraction techniques. Changes in the surface morphology affect the physical characteristics of the film. A nucleation study is performed with the assistance of ab initio calculations of the binding energy of each element, i.e., Yb, Rh, and Si, with the substrate and permits to further reduce the surface roughness of the films and refinement of crystal quality, as evidenced by sharper peaks in X-ray diffraction scans. The residual resistance ratio depends linearly on the lattice mismatch. At low temperatures, the electrical resistivity of the best epitaxial thin films exhibits a linear-in-temperature dependence characteristic of strange metals.

Counterfeiting continues to generate significant criminal profits while causing substantial harm to both the economy and society. To stay ahead of counterfeiters, industries must continuously innovate and update their security technologies. In that frame, this study presents a novel patterning solution based on photoluminescent nanoparticles embedded in a widely available and cost-effective polymer matrix: PolyMethylMethAcrylate (PMMA). These nanocomposites are sensitive to UV radiation and can be micropatterned within seconds, directly on the surface of objects of interest using industrial laser writing systems, thus enabling the creation of secured micromarkers. A key innovation of this work is the activation of UV-induced polymerization in PMMA without the use of photoinitiators achieved here by modifying the mixing solvent. Applied on various substrate types, the resulting micromarkers demonstrate strong potential for traceability and authentication applications, owing to their scalability, versatility, and robustness in real-world environmental conditions.

The development of precise, rapid, and scalable fabrication methods for patterned electrochromic nanostructures represents a critical challenge in advancing next-generation optoelectronic devices. This study presents an innovative hybrid approach that integrates a modified 3-dimensional (3D) printing platform with high-speed breakdown anodization (1 mm s⁻¹) in chloride-based aqueous electrolytes to achieve direct patterning of TiO₂ nanotube bundles on Ti substrates. Systematic optimization reveals that anodization voltages of 15–60 V produce well-defined nanotube bundles with diameters of 20–40 nm within seconds, demonstrating significant advantages over traditional fluoride-based systems through lower operational voltages and faster processing times. These high-surface-area nanotube bundle platforms provide effective scaffolds for subsequent viologen functionalization, resulting in dramatic enhancement of electrochromic properties with viologen-anchored TiO₂ nanotube bundles exhibiting remarkable reflectance modulation (ΔR) of 56.2% compared to pristine TiO₂ (ΔR: 12.7%) and enhanced charge density (20.5 to 40.9 mC cm⁻²) and excellent cycling stability (88.5% retention after 100 cycles). This integrated, programmable anodization strategy offers a versatile and scalable pathway for fabricating advanced electrochromic devices with promising applications in adaptive displays, smart windows, and next-generation optoelectronic systems.

A solvent-free approach to the formation of freestanding photonic material from amphiphilic polystyrene-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PHEMA) is reported, where the application of shear force and pressure induces phase separation. This work demonstrates access to high molecular weight (HMW; >100 kg mol⁻¹) PS-b-PHEMA with PHEMA contents up to 62 vol% using sequential anionic polymerization. By exploring hot pressing, the dependency of microstructure formation on temperature, pressure, and time is demonstrated using transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. Within 30 min, phase-separated block copolymer (BCP) films are obtained. Although no highly ordered equilibrium structures are formed, photonic properties are observed for PS-b-PHEMA films with molecular weights higher than 140 kg mol⁻¹ and PHEMA contents between 20 and 51 vol%. The photonic properties are investigated by ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as confocal fluorescence microscopy. The BCP films exhibit tailored transmittance that is dependent on molecular weight and microstructure, making them suitable for UV and blue light filter applications. Also, structure-dependent reflection and fluorescence are demonstrated. Finally, the application in the field of sensors is addressed by demonstrating a reversible color change of BCP films with a co-continuous microstructure, achieved through polar solvent infiltration and evaporation.