Isotropic Morphology Research Articles

Borg5/Cdc42EP1 restricts contractility and motility in epithelial MDCK cells.

The Borg/Cdc42EP family comprises septin binding proteins, which are known to promote septin-dependent stress fibers and acto-myosin contractility. We show here that epithelial Borg5/Cdc42ep1 instead limits contractility, cell-cell adhesion tension and motility as is required for the acquisition of columnar, isotropic cell morphology in mature MDCK monolayers. Borg5 depletion inhibited the development of the lateral F-actin cortex, stimulated microtubule-dependent leading-edge lamellae as well as radial stress fibers and, independently of the basal F-actin phenotype, caused anisotropy of apical surfaces within compacted monolayers. We determined that Borg5 limits septin-colocalization with microtubules, and that like Septin 2, Borg5 interacts with the rod-domain of Myosin- IIA. The interaction of Myosin-IIA with Borg5 was reduced in the presence of septins. Because septins also mediate myosin activation, we propose that Borg5 limits contractility in MDCK cells in part by counteracting septin-associated myosin activity.

Programmable Assembly of Semiconductor Mesostructures Via Inorganic Phototropism

Plants exhibit a phototropic response and direct the addition of new biomass to optimize collection of solar insolation. Analogous inorganic phototropism growth enables the programmable assembly of complex 3D nanoarchitectures with instruction by an incoherent, unstructured, mW cm-2 intensity light beam. Inorganic phototropism has been demonstrated via the light-mediated electrochemical assembly of semiconductor deposits from solution-phase precursor ions. No structured light field (no photomask), no lithographic processes and no templating agents (ligands, surfactants, etc.) are utilized. Nevertheless, ordered nanoscale features are conformally assembled over full macroscale (cm2) areas with feature heights on the order of several um with growth times < 5 min. In-plane anisotropy is a function of the input polarization. Isotropic morphologies consisting of ordered arrays of nanoscale holes were generated using unpolarized illumination whereas linearly polarized light resulted in anisotropic lamellar structures with in-plane orientations set by the polarization direction. The structure pitch was dependent on the spectral distribution of the input light with shorter wavelengths effecting higher feature densities. The out-of-plane growth direction is related to the propagation direction of the input light. Time-varying optical inputs enable programming of 3D intricacy by evolving the in-plane structure along the out-of-plane dimension, e.g. an abrupt reduction in the input wavelength results in a concomitant increase in the interfacial density resulting in tuning fork structures. Additional morphological control has also been effected by using multiple simultaneous illumination inputs. Modeling of the growth using a combination of full-wave electromagnetic simulations of light absorption and scattering coupled with Monte Carlo simulations of mass addition successfully reproduced the experimentally observed morphologies and indicated that assembly was directed by evolution of the growth front to maximize anisotropic light collection. The assembly was observed to be a highly emergent phenomenon involving optical communication between neighboring features including cooperative scattering and synergistic absorption.

Experimental investigation on the deformation behavior of an isotropic 304L austenitic steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion with hot isostatic pressing

Post-heat treatment, such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP), is increasingly employed in laser powder bed fused (L-PBF) metallic materials to release residual stress, alleviate microstructural anisotropy, and tailor mechanical properties. Here, we systematically investigate the initial and deformed microstructures of as-received and HIPed L-PBF 304L austenitic steel using various microstructural characterizations. The results indicate that the HIP procedure can decrease the porosity and generate the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET), resulting in an isotropic microstructural morphology better suitable for practice applications. Additionally, the HIP samples have exceptional ductility when compared to as-received samples, which is associated with the sustained strain hardening rate arising from the notable deformation twinning behavior. The majority of deformation twins are preferentially emitted from the straight annealing twin boundaries and then grow within the 〈111〉 − oriented annealing twins. The principle twinning mechanism involved is the twinning partial emission from the annealing twin boundaries or high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). Moreover, the inclusions distributed near/on the annealing twin boundaries can emit partials with multiple Burgers vectors during straining, resulting in the extra random activation of partials (RAP) twinning mechanism that sustains the deformation process. These findings give helpful suggestions for HIP process designs of L-PBF austenitic steels, as well as a solid foundation for future theoretical modeling research.

Effects of mechanical surface pre-treatment on integrity and corrosion of bare and coated AA6082 substrates

In this study, two classes of surface pre-treatment methods, namely three blast-cleaning methods with different abrasive materials (for initial preparation) and three mechanical methods (for repair applications) were applied to study their effects on surface morphology, composition, and corrosion of AA6082 substrates in artificial seawater. Coating adhesion and coating corrosion protection ability were investigated by applying a single-layer epoxy coating (250 μm dry film thickness) onto the substrates.The mechanical methods delivered cleaner surfaces with more regular surface morphologies, whereas the blast-cleaning methods revealed less clean surfaces and more irregular surface morphologies. The latter methods promoted the detrimental embedment of abrasive particles into the substrates. The corrosion performance of the pre-treated substrates was worse after blast-cleaning compared to mechanical treatments. However, all methods met the adhesion requirements for offshore applications. Regarding coating degradation, only the filiform corrosion test delivered meaningful results, whereas the duration of the cyclic corrosion test (3000 h) was too short to distinguish between the different methods because of neglectable degradation. Mechanical interlocking and isotropic surface morphologies are found to be more important for coating performance than a cleaner surface, and the remains of blasting material were neglectable too.

Effect of mechanical stretching and low amount of silica adding on gas transport properties of poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) films

This work aimed at studying the influence of a post drawing process on the morphology and the gas permeability of a PBSA (Polybutylene succinate-co-adipate) film. Two films were studied, one of neat PBSA and one filled with 1%wt of silica. The influence of silica was also studied. Reference films of PBSA and PBSA + Si presented a spherulitic morphology despite a difference of spherulites sizes and long period. After stretching, this isotropic morphology changed to an oriented one, as shown by WAXS measurements. SAXS analysis revealed that stretching led to a lamellae organization in the stretching direction, with lamellae oriented perpendicular to the stretching direction. Thermal characterizations have shown that stretching did not modified the degree of crystallinity for both systems. The helium, carbon dioxide and oxygen permeability increased with stretching, mainly due to the orientation of crystalline lamellae, decreasing the diffusion path. Moreover, for PBSA + Si stretched films, small non-percolating voids were evidenced around the silica particles which could also make gas transport easier. Thus, for both systems, this increase in gas permeability happened in a different way.

INFLUENCE OF THE REDUCING AGENTS ON MORPHOLOGY AND PROPERTIES OF SIVER STRUCTURES ON PAPER

Abstract. A paper-based SERS substrate with tunable plasmonic properties and excellent flexibility has been applied in various fields. These SERS substrates were prepared using a direct chemical reduction synthesis method for the present work. The isotropic and anisotropic morphology of silver structures on cellulose paper fiber were controlled by the types of reducing agents: (1) sodium borohydride (NaBH4), (2) ascorbic acid (L-AA), (3) glucose, (4) formaldehyde (HCHO). The plasmon characterization of silver structures on paper was systematically investigated. The fabricated paper-based SERS substrates were used to detect melamine in an aqueous solution and determine the influence of type reducing agents on the enhancement factor (EF) and signal uniformity of SERS substrates.

Photomodulated phase-separation kinetics in block copolymer melts: a DPD simulation study

ABSTRACT We study phase-separation kinetics of symmetric diblock copolymer (BCP) melt in 3 d subjected to sequential light on/off cycles. The incompatible blocks of each BCP chain are connected by a photosensitive bond, which undergoes breakage during photo-illumination (on-cycle) and recombination during the off-cycle. We set a shorter fixed time limit for each on-cycles and focus on analysing how the much longer duration of the light off-cycles affects the segregation kinetics. We explore two scenarios for each off-cycle time variation: one with equal and another with increasing durations. For both cases, we determine the rate constants for bond formation and degradation reactions and assess their influence on the dynamical scaling functions and the growth scale of evolving morphologies. The average domain size typically exhibits diffusive growth ( R ( t ) ∼ t 1 / 3 ) for a couple of cycles in the beginning. However, the domain growth nearly freezes during the rest of the cycles, resulting in bicontinuous and nearly frozen isotropic morphologies.

Ice templated and ice seed tailored hydrogels for highly efficient solar evaporator

In recent years, freshwater resources have become a global concern, and solar vapor generation (SVG) has garnered significant attention from researchers. Herein, a novel hydrogel solar evaporator was prepared by incorporating lignin and CuS-rGO into a chitosan-gelatin matrix. The anisotropic and isotropic morphologies of the hydrogel were prepared by pathway control on the solidification velocities of ice crystals and ice seeds. It presented that the anisotropic morphology can improve the refraction of light and increase the utilization rate of light by forming a light trap, leading to higher water evaporation rate. Additionally, ice seed was introduced during the freezing process, producing an anisotropic hydrogel with curled layer structure that endowed lower enthalpy of water evaporation and faster water transfer rate, resulting in high evaporate of 3.62 kg m−2 h−1 under one solar irradiation with photothermal conversion efficiency of 97.7 %. Finally, the gel also demonstrated good mechanical properties, long-term working stability and harsh environment tolerance, which make it ideal for outdoor applications. The hydrogel evaporator had potential to generate 25.24 kg m2 water per day that could meet the huge demand for freshwater as sources.

Phase separation of a magnetic fluid: Asymptotic states and nonequilibrium kinetics.

We study self-assembly in a colloidal suspension of magnetic particles by performing comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations of the Stockmayer (SM) model, which comprises spherical particles decorated by a magnetic moment. The SM potential incorporates dipole-dipole interactions along with the usual Lennard-Jones interaction and exhibits a gas-liquid phase coexistence observed experimentally in magnetic fluids. When this system is quenched from the high-temperature homogeneous phase to the coexistence region, the nonequilibrium evolution to the condensed phase proceeds with the development of spatial as well as magnetic order. We observe density-dependent coarsening mechanisms-a diffusive growth law ℓ(t)∼t^{1/3} in the nucleation regime and hydrodynamics-driven inertial growth law ℓ(t)∼t^{2/3} in the spinodal regimes. [ℓ(t) is the average size of the condensate at time t after the quench.] While the spatial growth is governed by the expected conserved order parameter dynamics, the growth of magnetic order in the spinodal regime exhibits unexpected nonconserved dynamics. The asymptotic morphologies have density-dependent shapes which typically include the isotropic sphere and spherical bubble morphologies in the nucleation region, and the anisotropic cylinder, planar slab, cylindrical bubble morphologies in the spinodal region. The structures are robust and nonvolatile, and exhibit characteristic magnetic properties. For example, the oppositely magnetized hemispheres in the spherical morphology impart the characteristics of a Janus particle to it. The observed structures have versatile applications in catalysis, drug delivery systems, memory devices, and magnetic photonic crystals, to name a few.

The Strain Effects and Interfacial Defects of Large ZnSe/ZnS Core/Shell Nanocrystals.

The shell growth of large ZnSe/ZnS nanocrystals( is of great importance in the pursuit of pure-blue emitters for display applications, however, suffers from the challenges of spectral blue-shifts and reduced photoluminescence quantum yields. In this work, the ZnS shell growth on different-sized ZnSe cores is investigated. By controlling the reactivity of Zn and S precursors, the ZnS shell growth can be tuned from defect-related strain-released to defect-free strained mode, corresponding to the blue- and red-shifts of resultant nanocrystals respectively. The shape of strain-released ZnSe/ZnS nanocrystals can be kept nearly spherical during the shell growth, while the shape of strained nanocrystals evolutes from spherical into island-like after the critical thickness. Furthermore, the strain between ZnSe core and ZnS shell can convert the band alignment from type-I into type-II core/shell structure, resulting in red-shifts and improved quantum yield. By correlating the strain effects with interfacial defects, a strain-released shell growth model is proposed to obtain large ZnSe/ZnS nanocrystals with isotropic shell morphology.

Migration and division in cell monolayers on substrates with topological defects

Collective movement and organization of cell monolayers are important for wound healing and tissue development. Recent experiments highlighted the importance of liquid crystal order within these layers, suggesting that +1 topological defects have a role in organizing tissue morphogenesis. We study fibroblast organization, motion, and proliferation on a substrate with micron-sized ridges that induce +1 and -1 topological defects using simulation and experiment. We model cells as self-propelled deformable ellipses that interact via a Gay-Berne potential. Unlike earlier work on other cell types, we see that density variation near defects is not explained by collective migration. We propose instead that fibroblasts have different division rates depending on their area and aspect ratio. This model captures key features of our previous experiments: the alignment quality worsens at high cell density and, at the center of the +1 defects, cells can adopt either highly anisotropic or primarily isotropic morphologies. Experiments performed with different ridge heights confirm a prediction of this model: Suppressing migration across ridges promotes higher cell density at the +1 defect. Our work enables a mechanism for tissue patterning using topological defects without relying on cell migration.

Elastomer Nanocomposites: Effect of Filler-Matrix and Filler-Filler Interactions.

The reinforcement of elastomers is essential in the rubber industry in order to obtain the properties required for commercial applications. The addition of active fillers in an elastomer usually leads to an improvement in the mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus and the rupture properties. Filled rubbers are also characterized by two specific behaviors related to energy dissipation known as the Payne and the Mullins effects. The Payne effect is related to non-linear viscoelastic behavior of the storage modulus while the Mullins or stress-softening effect is characterized by a lowering in the stress when the vulcanizate is extended a second time. Both effects are shown to strongly depend on the interfacial adhesion and filler dispersion. The basic mechanisms of reinforcement are first discussed in the case of conventional rubber composites filled with carbon black or silica usually present in the host matrix in the form of aggregates and agglomerates. The use of nanoscale fillers with isotropic or anisotropic morphologies is expected to yield much more improvement than that imparted by micron-scale fillers owing to the very large polymer-filler interface. This work reports some results obtained with three types of nanoparticles that can reinforce rubbery matrices: spherical, rod-shaped and layered fillers. Each type of particle is shown to impart to the host medium a specific reinforcement on account of its own structure and geometry. The novelty of this work is to emphasize the particular mechanical behavior of some systems filled with nanospherical particles such as in situ silica-filled poly(dimethylsiloxane) networks that display a strong polymer-filler interface and whose mechanical response is typical of double network elastomers. Additionally, the potential of carbon dots as a reinforcing filler for elastomeric materials is highlighted. Different results are reported on the reinforcement imparted by carbon nanotubes and graphenic materials that is far below their expected capability despite the development of various techniques intended to reduce particle aggregation and improve interfacial bonding with the host matrix.

Comparison of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nano topographic surfaces of titanium alloys on pre-osteoblastic cell interaction

This work aimed to assess the influence of different structured substrates with hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties on micro and nano topographies developed on titanium alloys over pre-osteoblastic cell behavior. Nano topography influences small dimension levels of cell morphology by inducing filopodia formation in cell membranes, irrespectively to the wettability behavior of the surface. Therefore, micro and nanostructured surfaces of titanium-based samples using different techniques of surface modification processing, such as chemical treatments, micro-arc anodic oxidation (MAO), and MAO combined to laser irradiation were developed. Isotropic and anisotropic texture morphologies, wettability, topological parameters and compositional alterations were measured after the surface treatments. Finally, cell viability, adhesion and morphological responses were assessed to investigate the influence of distinct topologies on osteoblastic cells aiming to encounter the conditions to better promote mineralization events. Our study demonstrated that the hydrophilic behavior improves cell adhesion, amplified when effective surface area increases. Surfaces presenting nano topography have a direct influence on cell morphology and play a key role for filopodia formation.

A Novel Ultra-Wideband Electromagnetic-Wave-Absorbing Metastructure Inspired by Bionic Gyroid Structures.

Traditional honeycomb-like structural electromagnetic (EM)-wave-absorbing materials have been widely used in various equipment as multifunctional materials. However, current EM-wave-absorbing materials are limited by narrow absorption bandwidths and incidence angles because of their anisotropic structural morphology. The work presented here proposes a novel EM-wave-absorbing metastructure with an isotropic morphology inspired by the gyroid microstructures seen in Parides sesostris butterfly wings. A matching redesign methodology between the material and subwavelength scale properties of the gyroid microstructure is proposed, inspired by the interaction mechanism between the microstructure and the material properties on the EM-wave-absorption performance of the prepared metastructure. The bioinspired metastructure is fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) and subsequent coating through dipping processes, filled with dielectric lossy materials. Based on simulations and experiments, the metastructure designed in this work exhibits an ultrawide absorption bandwidth covering the frequency range of 2-40GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 180% at normal incidence. Moreover, the metastructure has a stable frequency response when the incident angle is 60° under transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. Finally, the synergistic mechanism between the microstructure and the material is elucidated, which provides a new paradigm for the design of novel ultra-broadband EM-absorbing materials.

Enhanced optoelectronic and supercapacitive performance of electrodeposited Mn3O4 thin film prepared from two-electrode: An effect of Zn-ion incorporation

Here in, we report electrodeposited Mn3O4 thin film doped with various level of Zn dopant (0≤x≤5.0,%), on a layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) on glass substrate. The deposition route involves the use of two-electrode electrochemical cell system comprising graphite and the substrate as counter and working electrodes, respectively. Some surface properties such as those of morphological, crystal structure, optical, electrical and electrochemical were studied to evaluate the films’ potentials in energy conversion and storage devices. Microstructural studies revealed the films grew with isotropic morphology of good tetragonal shaped crystal structure with even distribution and possessing required surface area on the substrate surfaces. Raman prominent peak at 659 cm −1 wave number indicates a typical A1g Raman vibrating mode of Mn2+ in a Mn3O4 spinel structure. The crystallite size and microstrain values were found varying from 38 to 43 nm and 5.6 × 10−3 to 3.2 × 10−3, with respect to increase in dopant content, respectively. Energy band gap and Urbach energy were varied from 3.28 to 2.68 eV and 1.59 to 2.17 eV with increasing level of dopant content, accordingly. Electrochemical charge storage area capacitance (12.62 to 21.35 mF cm −2)/capacity (5.1 to 8.1μAh cm −2) and rate capability of Mn3O4 electrode were found to improve with Zn dopant. The work therefore discusses the tailoring of band absorption and supercapacitive characteristic of electrodeposited Mn3O4 thin film with Zn-doping for enhanced energy application.

Modulation of myoblast differentiation by electroactive scaffold morphology and biochemical stimuli

The physico-chemical properties of the scaffold materials used for tissue regeneration strategies have a direct impact on cell shape, adhesion, proliferation, phenotypic and differentiation. Herewith, biophysical and biochemical cues have been widely used to design and develop biomaterial systems for specific tissue engineering strategies. In this context, the patterning of piezoelectric polymers that can provide electroactive stimuli represents a suitable strategy for skeletal muscle tissue engineering applications once it has been demonstrated that mechanoelectrical stimuli promote C2C12 myoblast differentiation. In this sense, this works reports on how C2C12 myoblast cells detect and react to physical and biochemical stimuli based on micropatterned poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) electroactive scaffolds produced by soft lithography in the form of arrays of lines and hexagons (anisotropic and isotropic morphology, respectively) combined with differentiation medium. The scaffolds were evaluated for the proliferation and differentiation of C2C12 myoblast cell line and it is demonstrated that anisotropic microstructures promote muscle differentiation which is further reinforced with the introduction of biochemical stimulus. However, when the physical stimulus is not adequate to the tissue, e.g. isotropic microstructure, the biochemical stimulus has the opposite effect, hindering the differentiation process. Therefore, the proper morphological design of the scaffold combined with biochemical stimulus allows to enhance skeletal muscle differentiation and allows the development of advanced strategies for effective muscle tissue engineering.

The Effect of Temperature on Dealloying Mechanisms in Molten Salt Corrosion

The mechanism of molten salt corrosion of Ni− and Fe-based model alloys is studied at different homologous temperatures relevant to molten salt nuclear reactor application. Dealloying of Fe and Cr occurs in molten chloride salts in the range of 350 °C–700 °C and the dealloying parting limit depends on temperature. At 350 °C, molten salt dealloying is similar to aqueous systems; surface diffusion of elemental Ni at the solid/electrolyte interface is the governing transport mechanism, and the microporous ligaments have an isotropic morphology. The high surface mobility of Ni blurs the ordinary parting limit concept, but such a limit is still present. Above 500 °C, grain boundary dealloying is prevalent; the governing mechanism is interface-controlled, but a transitional morphology evolves, signaling a role of lattice diffusion. When the temperature exceeds 600 °C, the crystal orientation of dealloyed substrates is no longer that of their parent grain, and the fairly isotropic nature of dealloying shifts to a more one-dimensional corrosion ahead of the dealloying front that indicates some kind of hybrid mechanism. At 700 °C, the dealloying threshold approaches below 22 at%, accompanied by rapid coarsening and densification of the dealloyed material due to strong influence of lattice diffusion of alloying elements.

Electron mobility anisotropy in (Al,Ga)Sb/InAs two-dimensional electron gases epitaxied on GaAs (001) substrates

The electron mobility anisotropy in (Al,Ga)Sb/InAs two-dimensional electron gases with different surface morphology has been investigated. Large electron mobility anisotropy is found for the sample with anisotropic morphology, which is mainly induced by the threading dislocations in the InAs layer. For the samples with isotropic morphology, the electron mobility is also anisotropic and could be attributed to the piezoelectric scattering. At low temperature (below transition temperature), the piezoelectric scattering is enhanced with the increase of temperature, leading to the increase of electron mobility anisotropy. At high temperature (above transition temperature), the phonon scattering becomes dominant. Because the phonon scattering is isotropic, the electron mobility anisotropy in all the samples would be reduced. Our results provide useful information for the comprehensive understanding of electron mobility anisotropy in the (Al,Ga)Sb/InAs system.

Probing the Role of Multi-scale Heterogeneity in Graphite Electrodes for Extreme Fast Charging.

Electrode-scale heterogeneity can combine with complex electrochemical interactions to impede lithium-ion battery performance, particularly during fast charging. This study investigates the influence of electrode heterogeneity at different scales on the lithium-ion battery electrochemical performance under operational extremes. We employ image-based mesoscale simulation in conjunction with a three-dimensional electrochemical model to predict performance variability in 14 graphite electrode X-ray computed tomography data sets. Our analysis reveals that the tortuous anisotropy stemming from the variable particle morphology has a dominating influence on the overall cell performance. Cells with platelet morphology achieve lower capacity, higher heat generation rates, and severe plating under extreme fast charge conditions. On the contrary, the heterogeneity due to the active material clustering alone has minimal impact. Our work suggests that manufacturing electrodes with more homogeneous and isotropic particle morphology will improve electrochemical performance and improve safety, enabling electromobility.

Synthesis, thermal stabilities and solid state analysis of few selected tetrahydro-7H-indeno[2,1-c]quinoline derivatives

A series of tetrahydro-7H-indeno[2,1-c]quinoline derivatives 5a-e were efficiently obtained using a two-step synthetic pathway, based on the cationic Povarov reaction, with moderate and high global yields (36–88%). Considering the remarkable importance of the indeno[2,1-c]quinoline compounds as precursors of potential anticancer agents, the solid state forms of these structures were studied. In general, and despite the presence of methoxy and fluorine substituent groups in two compounds, the supramolecular assemblies are mainly directed by weak interactions. All molecules have isotropic crystal morphologies excepting 2-ethyl-5,6,6a,11b-tetrahydro-7H-indeno[2,1-c]quinoline (5c) with preference to grows along 〈211〉 directions, leaving a (020) preferred orientation in bulk samples as was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction. Quinolone derivatives showed high thermal stabilities from TGA/DSC experiments, with fusion temperatures between 80 and 110 °C and decompositions around ~280 °C. Fusion and decomposition enthalpies were measured, having values between 19 and 20 kJ/mol and 67–80 kJ/mol, respectively. Total packing energies, determined by force-field-based intermolecular energy calculations, support the measured enthalpies and explain the weak intermolecular interactions along [010] direction that induces the (020) preferred orientation in 5c. The B3LYP calculated band gap diagrams show that electron-withdrawing groups (OCH3 and F) induce a softer character with decreasing energy of LUMO orbitals.