Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) offers the ability to tailor the chemistry of films with polymeric structure. In particular, HFCVD allows for more control over precursor fragmentation pathways than conventional plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD). HFCVD uses thermal activation in the gas phase to generate reactive species, and allows independent control of the substrate temperature to be...

Neural prostheses are a promising technology in the treatment of lost neural function. However, poor biocompatibility of these devices inhibits the formation of a robust neuro-electrode interface. Several factors including mechanical mismatch between the device and tissue, inflammation at the implantation site, and possible electrical damage contribute to this response. Many researchers are inv...

High performance functional coatings, based on hybrid organic/inorganic materials, are being developed to combine the polymer flexibility and ease of processing with the mechanical properties and versatility of inorganic materials. By incorporating silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) in the polymeric matrices, it is possible to obtain hybrid polymer films with increased tensile strength and impact res...

An in vitro method for the time-resolved quantification of acid-mediated tooth demineralisation has been developed and evaluated against putative non-permanent protective formulations based on a series of poly(alkyl methacrylate)s. Using a thermostatted carousel, dentally relevant substrates consisting of hydroxyapatite discs or sections of bovine teeth have been exposed to aqueous citric acid ...

With increasing interest in the development of new composite systems for a variety of applications which require easily processible materials and adequate structural properties with high energy densities, we have pursued the chemical functionalization of oxide passivated aluminum nanoparticles (nAl) using three acrylic monomers, 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MPS), 2‐carboxyethyl acryl...

The synergistic combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is likely to become the next generation of dual-modality scanners in medical imaging. These instruments will provide us with accurate diagnoses thanks to the sensitive and quantifiable signal of PET and the high soft-tissue resolution of MRI. Furthermore, patients will receive less radiation d...

Surface coatings of the albumin-heparin conjugates were developed to improve the blood compatibility of polymeric materials. Glass, PVC, Biomer and cellulose acetate were coated with albumin-heparin conjugate and its adsorption and desorption behavior on glass in particular was studied using 3H and 51Cr radiolabeled conjugates. Precoated materials showed a significant prolongation of the Lee-Wh...

This work reports on recent advances in the deposition of non-wettable coatings with high water contact angles (WCAs). We propose a simple and easily-controlled method for fabricating different types of nanoestructured films of Al2O3 with hydrophobic properties by Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD). The films have been deposited over three types of hydrophilic substrates with very different value...

The use of biomaterials for gene delivery can potentially avoid many of the safety concerns with viral gene delivery. However, the efficacy of polymeric gene delivery methods is low, particularly in vivo. One significant concern is that the interior and exterior composition of polymeric gene delivery nanoparticles are often coupled, with a single polymer backbone governing all functions from bi...

Composite materials can be prepared by the combination of at least two different phases, a continuous and a dispersed one. If one of these phases is on the nanometer scale, than the material is called a nanocomposite. In this context organic-inorganic hybrids stand for a new class of materials formed by two distinct compounds, the polymeric and ceramic, resulting in a crosslinked amorphous nano...