Facile Fabrication Research Articles

Facile Fabrication and Characterization of Amine-Functional Silica Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Aqueous Carbon Dioxide Adsorption.

Surface active amine-functionalized silica coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a simple two-step process for adsorbing CO2 gas from aqueous medium. First, oleic acid (OA) coated iron oxide magnetic particles (denoted as Fe3O4-OA) were prepared by a simple coprecipitation method. Then, the surface of the Fe3O4-OA particles was coated with silica by using tetraethyl orthosilicate. Finally, aminated Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles were concomitantly formed by the reactions of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane with silica-coated particles. The formation of materials was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. Transmission electron microscopic analysis revealed both spherical and needle-shaped morphologies of magnetic Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 particles with an average size of 15 and 68.6 nm, respectively. The saturation magnetization of Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles was found to be 33.6 emu g-1, measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer at ambient conditions. The crystallinity and average crystallite size (7.0 nm) of the Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 particles were revealed from X-ray diffraction data analyses. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited good thermal stability of the nanoadsorbent up to an elevated temperature. Zeta potential measurements revealed pH-sensitive surface activity of Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles in aqueous medium. The produced magnetic Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles also exhibited efficient proton capturing activity (92%). The particles were used for magnetically recyclable adsorption of aqueous CO2 at different pH values and temperatures. Fe3O4/SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles demonstrated the highest aqueous CO2 adsorption efficiency (90%) at 40 °C, which is clearly two times higher than that of nonfunctionalized Fe3O4-OA particles.

Facile fabrication and electrochemical studies of Bi-Al codoped MoO3 and its composite with r-GO for supercapacitor applications

The primary goal for the development of energy-storage devices is to find affordable ways to increase their efficiency, activity, and stability. In this regard, transition metal oxide mainly MoO3 enhances the electrochemical properties of the material due to various oxidation states. On the other hand, carbonaceous materials, such as reduced graphene oxide, provide a large surface area that increases the conductivity of nanomaterials. In this work, we have synthesized pristine and codoped MoO3 material using the co-precipitation route. While the r-GO based composite was prepared by a simple sonication approach. The prepared composite material showed a higher specific capacitance of 987 F/g than the pristine and codoped material. The BAMO@r-GO discharges after 346 s which was the higher time of discharge than that of pure and codoped material. Moreover, the obtained results from EIS measurement confirmed that the composite material showed less resistance than all other synthesized materials. The synergistic effect between the r-GO and BAMO materials is the reason for the higher supercapacitor performances of BAMO@r-GO. Based on these results, the fabricated BAMO@r-GO material can be effectively utilized as an electrode material in electrochemically powered energy storage devices.

Effect of post-heat treatment on the UV transmittance, hydrophobicity, and tensile properties of PVA/Uncaria gambir extract blend films

The physical and mechanical properties of biopolymers can be improved by heating technologies. In this research, we improved the properties of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Uncaria gambir extract (UGE) blend films by post-heating method. After post-heating, the blend film exhibited higher resistance to UV light and improved contact angle performance, while water vapor permeability and moisture absorption decreased. The tensile strength and toughness of the PVA/UGE blend film with a post-heating duration of 40 min were 68.8 MPa and 57.7 MPa, respectively, an increase of 131 % and 127 %, compared to films without post-heating. This facile and cost-effective fabrication method, with environmentally friendly properties, can be applied to biodegradable PVA/UGE blend films to achieve desired properties for optical devices or food packaging materials.

Boosting sunlight driven photocatalytic and catalytic performance of ZnFe2O4-ZnO nanohybrids by loading Ag nanoparticles

We report facile fabrication of magnetically separable Ag@ZnFe2O4-ZnO plasmonic hybrid nanostructures by a simple wet chemical route combined with cost-effective photodeposition. The successful formation of Ag@ZnFe2O4-ZnO hybrid nanostructures was confirmed using XRD, Raman, FESEM, TEM, HRTEM and SAED characterizations. The catalytic and photocatalytic capabilities of the synthesized magnetic Ag@ZnFe2O4-ZnO plasmonic hybrid nanostructures were evaluated with regard to 4-NP to 4-AP reduction in dark and photodecomposition of major anionic and cationic pollutants (MB, MG, MO, RhB) and emerging pollutant levofloxacin antibiotic under sunlight illumination, respectively. Results showed that Ag@ZnFe2O4-ZnO hybrid nanostructures exhibit excellent catalytic as well as photocatalytic response and reduced 98.1 % of 4-NP in only 6 min and decolorized 92.9, 93, 43.4 and 73.3 % of MB, MG, MO and RhB within only 18 min and 90.5 % of levofloxacin in 40 min of sun light irradiation, respectively. Further, the synthesized nanohybrids possess high stability and can be magnetically recovered due to its good magnetic response. In addition, the trapping experiments indicated that the main active compounds for the photodegradation of dyes are OH radicals. We demonstrate that the prepared Ag@ZnFe2O4-ZnO plasmonic hybrid nanostructures have potential application towards decomposition of organic pollutants and other emerging pollutants in wastewater for environmental remediation.

Facile fabrication of hierarchical micro/nano aluminum alloy surfaces with enhanced hydrophobicity and surface quality by single point diamond cutting under a magnetic field influence

This study proposes an effective fabrication method for creating a hierarchical micro/nano structured aluminum alloy surface to enhance its hydrophobicity through single point diamond cutting using magnetophoresis. Magnetophoresis is a technique that manipulates metallic particles in metallic fluids using magnetic fields, and this study applies it to single-point diamond cutting by incorporating permanent magnets into the machining setup. The main grooves are cut to create a nano-grooved pattern on the first layer of the surface, while secondary grooves are cut on top of the first layer to form a micro pattern on the surface for two samples, one with and one without magnetophoresis. For magnetophoresis-fabricated samples, the first and second layers are cut in the presence of a magnetic field that is oriented perpendicular to the cutting direction of the first layer. Atomic force microscopy and an optical surface profiler reveal that the metallic marks appear on the surfaces that are parallel to the applied magnetic field for the magnetophoresis sample, which have been integrated with nano grooves to form a nano-textured surface on top of the microstructures. The sample fabricated under the influence of a magnetic field with magnetophoresis exhibits improved surface hydrophobicity, quality, and durability. This study highlights that magnetophoresis has the potential to fabricate metallic hydrophobic surfaces more efficiently than traditional methods for hierarchical micro/nano structured metallic surfaces, given that it does not necessitate the use of complex machining systems or advanced equipment.

Biohybrid Flexible Sperm-like Microrobot for Targeted Chemo-Photothermal Therapy.

Magnetic micro/nanorobots are promising platforms for targeted drug delivery, and their construction with soft and flexible features has received extensive attention for practical applications. Despite significant efforts in this field, facile fabrication of magnetic microrobots with flexible structures and versatility in targeted therapy remains a big challenge. Herein, we proposed a novel universal strategy to fabricate a biohybrid flexible sperm-like microrobot (BFSM) based on a Chlorella (Ch.) cell and artificial flagella, which showed great potential for targeted chemo-photothermal therapy for the first time. In this approach, microspherical Ch. cells were utilized to construct the microrobotic heads, which were intracellularly deposited with core-shell Pd@Au, extracellularly magnetized with Fe3O4, and further loaded with anticancer drug. The magnetic heads with excellent photothermal and chemotherapeutic capability were further assembled with flexible polypyrrole nanowires via biotin-streptavidin bonding to construct the BFSMs. Based on the exquisite head-to-tail structures, the BFSMs could be effectively propelled under precessing magnetic fields and move back and forth without a U-turn. Moreover, in vitro chemo-photothermal tests were conducted to verify their performance of targeted drug delivery toward localized HeLa cells. Due to this superior versatility and facile fabrication, the BFSMs demonstrated great potential for targeted anticancer therapy.

Surface segregation of rigid polyarylene ether amidoxime on polyurethane nanofiber into hierarchical membranes as substrate of flexible SERS nanosensor for sulfamethoxazole detection

Electrospun polymeric nanofibrous membranes are emerging as the promising substrates for preparation of flexible SERS nanosensors due to their intrinsic nanoscale surface roughness, easy scalability as well as rich surface reactivity. Although the nanofiber membranes prepared from high performance thermoplastics exhibit good mechanical stability, the SERS nanosensors based on these substrates normally have lower signal-to-noise ratio because of the interference from background Raman signals of aromatic moieties. Herein, we synthesized an optically transparent polyurethane (PU) and rigid polyarylene ether amidoxime (PEA), which were electrospun into core-shell nanofibers membranes with a “beads-on-web” morphology. Furthermore, the PU-PEA membranes were coated with ultra-thin silver layer and thermally annealed to prepare the flexible SERS nanosensor without any background noises. In addition, the Raman enhancement of SERS nanosensor can be readily improved by tuning of PU-PEA composition, silver thickness as well as thermal annealing temperature. Finally, the optimized SERS nanosensor enables label-free detection of sulfamethoxazole as low as 0.1 nM with a good reproducibility and detection performance in real water sample. Meanwhile, the optimized SERS nanosensor shows long term anti-biofouling capacity. Thanks to its facile fabrication, competitive analytical performance and resistance to biofouling, the current work basically open new way for design of flexible SERS nanosensors for biomedical applications.

Facile fabrication of multifunctional aramid fibers for excellent UV resistance in extreme environments

Aramid fibers (AFs) are widely applied as structural material, cordage, and versatile protection in many harsh environments, including space and deep sea. However, intense ultraviolet (UV)/ irradiation, high/low temperatures, and/or chemical solvent with strong acid/alkali/corrosion feature seriously affect their mechanical properties, thus severely shorten the life cycle of AF-based products. Inspiration by the principle of multiple refractions and partly reflections, an innovative strategy by depositing of laminated Al2O3/TiO2 composite onto the surface of poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) via atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique was presented. The tenacity of ALD-coated PMIA only decreases by ∼ 8 %, and the yellowness index (YI) only increasing to 129.24 %, far lower than 321.63 % of pristine PMIA fabric under the combination of intense UV irradiation (4260 W/m2) and high temperature (200 °C + ) for 6 h, which equals to continuous strong sunlight exposure for approximately 7.5 years. Meanwhile, ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) value increased to 126.4, which is double that of the pristine PMIA fabric, exhibiting an impressive UV-resistance property. Furthermore, the ALD-coated PMIAs also shows a significant enhancement in both chemical and thermal stabilities. In all, this work not only forge a new route for the functionalization of fibrous materials, but also exhibits great promise for next generation advanced composite material and cutting-edge equipment in harsh environment.

Facile fabrication of CeO2/L-Bi2O2CO3 composite photocatalyst for removal of ciprofloxacin under visible light irradiation

The application of semiconductor photocatalytic technology to degrade antibiotics in water has been proved to be a promising technology CeO2/L-Bi2O2CO3 composite photocatalyst was efficiently prepared by a facile room temperature precipitation technique and employed in the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). When the concentration of ciprofloxacin was 20 mg/L and the dosage of catalyst was 1.0 g/L, the degradation rate of CIP was 89.96 % after 120 min reaction with optimal catalyst. The addition of L-cysteine not only changed the crystallinity of Bi2O2CO3, but also broadened its visible light absorption range. Additionally, the combination of CeO2 and L-Bi2O2CO3 creates a heterojunction interface accelerates the electron transfer, thereby improving the photocatalytic activity. The degradation process was confirmed to involve the significant participation of O2– and h+ through free radical capture experiments. HPLC-MS analysis detected the intermediates of CIP degradation, leading to the proposition of two potential degradation pathways. Moreover, an electron transfer mechanism was suggested by analyzing the Mott-Schottky (M−S) curve and Taut-plot curves. This work provides new paradigm for the rational design of modified Bi2O2CO3-based photocatalysts and the treatment of contain CIP wastewater.

Electrocatalytic sensing of propyl gallate in real-time food samples using a synergistic Sm-MOF@GCN composite modified glassy carbon electrode

A novel electrochemical sensor has been developed using the sonochemically synthesized samarium metal–organic framework (Sm-MOF) and the graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) composite for the selective determination of propyl gallate (PG). The as-synthesized Sm-MOF@GCN composite was characterized by XRD, XPS, and FESEM. The morphological studies of the prepared Sm-MOF@GCN composite revealed the bar-shaped Sm-MOF and porous sheet-like morphology of GCN. The combined effect of the Sm-MOF and GCN enhance the current density response and lowers the oxidation potential, which was beneficial for the electrochemical sensing of PG. Moreover, the high electrochemical active surface area (EASA) (0.0649 cm2) and the rate constant value (Ko) of 1.44x10-5 cm s−1 confirm the faster electron transfer kinetics at the interface of Sm-MOF@GCN composite. However, the developed Sm-MOF@GCN composite possesses linear range from 0.02 to 60 µM with a nanomolar detection level (2.05 nM), high sensitivity (0.1914 μA μM−1 cm−2), excellent reproducibility, repeatability, and stability for up to 30 days towards the PG detection. Finally, the Sm-MOF@GCN composite-modified electrocatalyst was utilized for the quantification of PG in foodstuffs such as instant noodles, cookies, cakes, and oils. The result of the study, the Sm-MOF@GCN composite displayed good recovery results, making it a promising candidate for detecting PG in real-world samples in view of its binder-free approach and facile fabrication process.

Facile fabrication of MOF-based composite membranes with liquid crystal ordered microstructure for effective dyes separation

High-performance membranes for effective dye/water separation are urgently desired in chemical industrial manufacture, and Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with abundant microporous structures are considered suitable candidates for fabricating separation membranes. However, for MOF-based membranes, maintaining superior separation efficiency while ensuring high water flux remains a challenge. In this study, a series of novel MOF-based composite materials (TFNs) and membranes oriented by electric fields (fio-TFNs) were fabricated using NH2-MIL-53(Fe), a thermotropic liquid crystal, poly (styrene-4-sulfonic acid), and polytetrafluoroethylene. The fio-TFN membranes exhibited characteristics of orientation and uniform distribution, and showed higher water flux and dye rejection compared with ordinary TFN membranes. This highlights the significant role played by the ordered orientation of liquid crystal molecules induced by the electric field in effective dye/water separation. High porosity is the basis of dye absorption, and the electrostatic interaction among structural charges and dyes is the dominant driving forces in these dye/water separation systems. The prepared fio-TFN membranes exhibited excellent performance in effective dye separation. For instance, the fio-TFN-1 membrane demonstrated high water flux (up to 255.9 L·m−2 h−1 bar−1) and excellent dye rejection rates (≥97 %, 92 %, and 82 % for methyl blue, congo red, and rhodamine B, respectively). Moreover, these prepared membranes exhibited excellent long-term stability, reusability, and flexibility, indicating their potential as high-performance separation membranes for wastewater treatment.

Facile fabrication of Au nanoparticles loaded Ce doped ZnO nanorods for efficient catalytic and photocatalytic decomposition of toxic pollutants in water

Plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) have been deposited onto Ce doped ZnO nanorods prepared through wet chemical route to enhance their photodecomposition performance. The catalytic and photocatalytic performances were evaluated using a series of model pollutants such as 4-nitrophenol, antibiotic levofloxacin, cationic and anionic dyes under sunlight illumination. Various characterization tools such as XRD, Raman, FESEM, TEM, SAED, EDX, XPS, PL and UV–vis spectroscopy were used to examine the structure and physico-chemical properties of the fabricated photocatalysts. XRD, TEM, SAED, EDX, XPS and Raman analyses confirmed the existence of Ce doped ZnO and Au nanostructures while UV–visible absorption studies revealed the presence of SPR of Au NPs in the visible region. The results illustrated that decoration of Au NPs on Ce doped ZnO nanorods makes them outstanding catalyst as well as photocatalyst compared to pure Ce doped ZnO nanorods. The plasmonic nanohybrids with higher Au concentration exhibited superior degradation capability towards reduction and detoxification of 4-NP, decomposition of antibiotic levofloxacin and synthetic dyes, respectively. In addition, detailed study of possible mechanisms behind 4-NP reduction and photodegradation process have been explored. Furthermore, the quenching experiments elucidating ·O2- radicals as the main active species in the degradation mechanism have also been discussed. Moreover, the prepared Ce doped ZnO-Au hybrid plasmonic nanorods maintained high stability and stunning photoactivity even after four cycles which highlights it as a promising material for wastewater treatment.

Facile fabrication of nanocellulose-supported membrane composited with modified carbon nitride and HKUST-1 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde

As a cellulose-derived material, nanocellulose possesses unique properties that make it an ideal substrate for various functional composite materials. In this study, we developed a novel composite membrane material capable of adsorbing and photo-catalyzing formaldehyde by immobilizing HKUST-1 (copper open framework composed of 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) onto NFC (Nano-fibrillated cellulose) membranes and subsequently loading modified carbon nitride. The synthesized CNx@HN composite membrane (consisting of NFC membrane with anchored HKUST-1 and modified g-C3Nx nanosheets) was thoroughly characterized, and its photocatalytic degradation performance towards low concentrations of formaldehyde (3.0 mg/m3) was investigated. The results demonstrated that HKUST-1's porous nature exhibited a concentrated adsorption capacity for formaldehyde, while the modified CNx (Modified g-C3Nx nanosheets) displayed robust photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde. The synergistic effect of HKUST-1 and modified CNx on the NFC membrane significantly enhanced the efficiency of formaldehyde degradation. Under xenon lamp irradiation, CNx@HN-5 achieved a total removal efficiency of 86.9 % for formaldehyde, with a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 48.45 %, showcasing its exceptional ability in both adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde. Furthermore, after 10 cycles of recycling, the composite membrane exhibited excellent stability for the photocatalytic degradation process. Therefore, this study presents a green and facile strategy to fabricate nanocellulose-supported composite membranes with great potential for practical applications in formaldehyde degradation.

Design, fabrication and experimental analysis of piezoresistive bidirectional acoustic sensor

PurposeIdentification of the direction of the sound source is very important for human–machine interfacing in the applications such as target detection on military applications and wildlife conservation. Considering its vast applications, this study aims to design, simulate, fabricate and test a bidirectional acoustic sensor having two cantilever structures coated with piezoresistive material for sensing has been designed, simulated, fabricated and tested.Design/methodology/approachThe structure is a piezoresistive acoustic pressure sensor, which consists of two Kapton diaphragms with four piezoresistors arranged in Wheatstone bridge arrangement. The applied acoustic pressure causes diaphragm deflection and stress in diaphragm hinge, which is sensed by the piezoresistors positioned on the diaphragm. The piezoresistive material such as carbon or graphene is deposited at maximum stress area. Furthermore, the Wheatstone bridge arrangement has been formed to sense the change in resistance resulting into imbalanced bridge and two cantilever structures add directional properties to the acoustic sensor. The structure is designed, fabricated and tested and the dimensions of the structure are chosen to enable ease of fabrication without clean room facilities. This structure is tested with static and dynamic calibration for variation in resistance leading to bridge output voltage variation and directional properties.FindingsThis paper provides the experimental results that indicate sensor output variation in terms of a Wheatstone bridge output voltage from 0.45 V to 1.618 V for a variation in pressure from 0.59 mbar to 100 mbar. The device is also tested for directionality using vibration source and was found to respond as per the design.Research limitations/implicationsThe fabricated devices could not be tested for practical acoustic sources due to lack of facilities. They have been tested for a vibration source in place of acoustic source.Practical implicationsThe piezoresistive bidirectional sensor can be used for detection of direction of the sound source.Social implicationsIn defense applications, it is important to detect the direction of the acoustic signal. This sensor is suited for such applications.Originality/valueThe present paper discusses a novel yet simple design of a cantilever beam-based bidirectional acoustic pressure sensor. This sensor fabrication does not require sophisticated cleanroom for fabrication and characterization facility for testing. The fabricated device has good repeatability and is able to detect the direction of the acoustic source in external environment.

Facile fabrication of binder-free carbon nanotube–carbon nanocoil hybrid films for anodes of lithium-ion batteries

Facile fabrication of binder-free carbon nanotube–carbon nanocoil hybrid films for anodes of lithium-ion batteries

Facile fabrication of regenerated cellulose-based separators for high-performance lithium-ion batteries by regulating degrees of polymerization

Cellulose-based separators have great application prospects in the field of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their excellent wettability and thermal stability. However, most current cellulose-based separators come from high-cost nanocellulose and bacterial cellulose. Herein, regenerated cellulose (RC) separators were prepared from dissolving pulp with different degrees of polymerization (DPs) by using the NaOH/urea/thiourea dissolution system as well as a nonsolvent-induced phase separation method. The results showed that the DP of cellulose had a significant influence on the mechanical properties, pore structure, and electrochemical properties of the resultant RC separator. An appropriate increase in the DP could improve the mechanical strength, porosity, and ionic conductivity of the separator. The RC separator with a DP of 599 exhibited the best performance with a porosity of 56.1 %, an average pore size of 305 nm, an electrolyte uptake of 339 %, a tensile strength of 38.3 MPa, and an ionic conductivity of 1.88 mS·cm−1. The lithium-ion battery prepared with the optimal RC separator had a specific capacity of 156.55 mAh/g for 100 cycles at a current density of 0.5 C and a coulombic efficiency of more than 96 %, which was a clear advantage over the commercially available Celgard2400 and cellulose separators. This work makes contributions to the development of high-performance LIBs separators from cellulose.

Facile and rapid fabrication of a novel 3D-printable, visible light-crosslinkable and bioactive polythiourethane for large-to-massive rotator cuff tendon repair

Facile and rapid 3D fabrication of strong, bioactive materials can address challenges that impede repair of large-to-massive rotator cuff tears including personalized grafts, limited mechanical support, and inadequate tissue regeneration. Herein, we developed a facile and rapid methodology that generates visible light-crosslinkable polythiourethane (PHT) pre-polymer resin (∼30 min at room temperature), yielding 3D-printable scaffolds with tendon-like mechanical attributes capable of delivering tenogenic bioactive factors. Ex vivo characterization confirmed successful fabrication, robust human supraspinatus tendon (SST)-like tensile properties (strength: 23 MPa, modulus: 459 MPa, at least 10,000 physiological loading cycles without failure), excellent suture retention (8.62-fold lower than acellular dermal matrix (ADM)-based clinical graft), slow degradation, and controlled release of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3). In vitro studies showed cytocompatibility and growth factor-mediated tenogenic-like differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. In vivo studies demonstrated biocompatibility (3-week mouse subcutaneous implantation) and ability of growth factor-containing scaffolds to notably regenerate at least 1-cm of tendon with native-like biomechanical attributes as uninjured shoulder (8-week, large-to-massive 1-cm gap rabbit rotator cuff injury). This study demonstrates use of a 3D-printable, strong, and bioactive material to provide mechanical support and pro-regenerative cues for challenging injuries such as large-to-massive rotator cuff tears.

Facile fabrication and characteristics of enzymatically crosslinked injectable tyramine-substituted egg white hydrogels

Protein-based materials have always been preferred because they can be engineered into a wide range of biomaterials with multiple excellent properties including low immunogenicity, tunable mechanical properties and promotion of cell adhesion and proliferation. Spectacularly, chicken egg white (EW) has drawn particular attention in the biomaterial field due to its high bioactivity, low production costs and easy handling. In this study, EW was firstly modified with tyramine (TA) and then enzymatically crosslinked to form injectable EW-TA hydrogels through horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The prepared EW-TA hydrogels demonstrated adjustable mechanical properties and degradation behavior. When co-cultured with NIH-3 T3 cells, the EW-TA hydrogels exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Based on the above results, the fabricated EW hydrogel, which has excellent performance, possesses promosing prospect for biomedical applications.

Skin‐Mount Textile‐Based Flexible Strain Sensors for Physiotherapy

Tremendous development in intelligent wearable gadgets creates opportunities for flexible strain sensors. Comfortable and safe flexible strain sensors have high demand in wearable applications and therefore the textile‐based strain sensors are desired. Achieving attributes like easy fabrication, cost‐effectiveness, high sensitivity, good stability, and portability is still a challenge to overcome. In this regard, textile‐based flexible strain sensors, one on jeans fabric and other on cotton fabric, are presented. A conventional interdigitated electrode structure is adopted and sensors are prepared by facile and economical fabrication process. Both sensors own high sensitivity factors, i.e., gauge factor >200 and stability of ≈10 000 cycles. The anticipated works show a linear response R2 = 0.99, low hysteresis <5%, and minimum resolution <7°. The intended sensors are implemented for real‐time application, i.e., the physiotherapy of the knee and neck. The jeans‐fabric‐based sensor is used for knee therapy and the cotton for neck. The daily therapy sessions are recorded and examined. The sensors respond well to the applied strain during therapy sessions, proving to be an outstanding choice for integration into biomedical wearable devices for therapeutic purposes. The proposed sensors can also be auspicious candidates for targeting many other wearable applications.

Electrophoretic Deposition of 58S Bioactive Glass- Polymer Composite Coatings on 316L Stainless Steel: An Optimization for Corrosion, Bioactivity, and Cytocompatibility.

This study presents a facile fabrication of 58S bioactive glass (BG)-polymer composite coatings on a 316L stainless steel (SS) substrate using the electrophoretic deposition technique. The suspension characteristics and deposition kinetics of BG, along with three different polymers, namely ethylcellulose (EC), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), have been utilized to fabricate the coatings. Among all coatings, 58S BG and EC polymers are selected as the final composite coating (EC6) owing to their homogeneity and good adhesion. EC6 coating exhibits a thickness of ∼18 μm and an average roughness of ∼2.5 μm. Herein, EC6 demonstrates better hydroxyapatite formation compared to PAA and PVP coatings in simulated body fluid-based mineralization studies for a period of 28 days. Corrosion studies of EC6 in phosphate-buffered saline further confirm the higher corrosion resistance properties after 14 days. In vitro cytocompatibility studies using human placental mesenchymal stem cells demonstrate an increase in cellular viability, attachment, and higher proliferation compared to the bare SS substrate. EC6 coatings promote osteogenic differentiation, which is confirmed via the upregulation of the OPN and OCN genes. Moreover, the EC6 sample exhibits improved antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus compared to the uncoated ones. The findings of this work emphasize the potential of electrophoretically fabricated BG-EC composite coatings on SS substrates for orthopedic applications.