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Recently emerged metallic zinc (Zn) is a new generation of promising candidates for bioresorbable medical implants thanks to its essential physiological relevance, mechanical strength, and more matched degradation pace to that of tissue healing. Zn‐based metals exhibit excellent biocompatibility in various animal models. However, direct culture of cells on Zn metals yields surprisingly low viability, indicating high cytotoxicity of Zn. This contradicting phenomenon should result from the different degradation mechanisms between in vitro and in vivo. To solve this puzzle, the roles of all major players, i.e., zinc phosphate (ZnP), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2), pH, and Zn2+, which are involved in the degradation process are examined. Data shows that ZnP, not ZnO or Zn(OH)2, significantly enhances its biocompatibility. The mild pH change during degradation also has no significant impact on cell viability. Collectively, ZnP appears to be the key to controlling the biocompatibility of Zn implants and could be applied as a novel surface coating to improve biocompatibility of different implants. Spontaneously formed interfacial zinc phosphate (ZnP), instead of zinc oxide (ZnO) or zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2), is the key to controlling the biocompatibility of Zn‐based metals. The ZnO–Zn(OH)2 layer shows a high cytotoxicity while the dense and uniform ZnP interfacial layer enhances biocompatibility and promotes tissue integration.

Mechanical properties of plasma-irradiated and surface-coated wood plastic composites (WPCs) have been investigated in this paper. WPCs were developed by injection molding technique using wood fiber (WF) as reinforcement and polypropylene (PP) as matrix. The short, discontinuous WF was compounded with thermoplastic PP at varying weight fractions of 0 wt%, 25 wt% (WP25), and 50 wt% (WP50) to yield tensile test specimens in accordance with JIS K7139-A32 standards. Subsequently, plasma treatment was performed on the test-pieces, followed by surface coating by immersion in acrylic resin liquid containing homogeneously dispersed TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNF). The results indicate an increase in surface roughness after plasma irradiation, but surface coating of the specimens with acrylic paint and CNF decreased their surface roughness by ∼50% in comparison to the untreated specimens. Plasma treatment and surface coating also increased the tensile strength of neat PP, WP25 and WP50 specimens by 5.4–7.1%, 3.5–3.7% and 3.0–3.6%, respectively, whereas their fracture strains tended to decrease. Compared to the untreated specimens, the surface-coated specimens generally displayed higher tensile strength. This finding is a corroboration that the observed increase in strength is highly contingent on the adhesion between the specimen surface and the coating layer than on the improvement in surface roughness. Thus, it is inferable that surface coating could be of great importance in enhancing the mechanical performance of WPCs.

Magnesium (Mg) alloy has attracted significant attention as a bioresorbable scaffold for use as a next-generation stent because of its mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, Mg alloy quickly degrades in the physiological environment. In this study, we investigated whether applying a parylene C coating can improve the corrosion resistance of a Mg alloy stent, which is made of ‘Original ZM10’, free of aluminum and rare earth elements. The coating exhibited a smooth surface with no large cracks, even after balloon expansion of the stent, and improved the corrosion resistance of the stent in cell culture medium. In particular, the parylene C coating of a hydrofluoric acid-treated Mg alloy stent led to excellent corrosion resistance. In addition, the parylene C coating did not affect a polymer layer consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(D,L-lactic acid) applied as an additional coating for the drug release to suppress restenosis. Parylene C is a promising surface coating for bioresorbable Mg alloy stents for clinical applications.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are promising vehicles for targeted therapeutic delivery, but strategies for their surface functionalization remain limited. Here, we present a reliable and simple genetic approach that enables customized modification of sEV surfaces and supports enhanced sEV uptake by recipient cells. This strategy is based on the fusion of targeting moieties to the C‐terminal fragment of syndecan‐1 (SDC1‐CTF), a peptide naturally enriched in sEVs. Combining various analytical approaches including single‐vesicle analysis, we establish that this strategy enables decoration of up to 20% of secreted sEVs with Nanobodies (Nbs). In quantitative bioluminescence assays, using concentrated conditioned media, we demonstrate that sEV‐coating with anti‐EGFR Nb supports enhanced sEV uptake by EGFR‐expressing cells. This new strategy thus offers a robust and modular solution for endowing sEV surfaces with defined targeting properties to support further sEV‐based therapeutic applications.

In the present study, vinyltrimethoxysilane was used to modify high-ortho novolac resin (NR) to obtain a vinyl silicone-modified phenolic oligomer (Si-mod NR). Subsequently, this oligomer is polymerized with methyl methacrylate. The mid-products (NR and Si-mod NR) and synthesized silicone-modified phenolic/acrylic resin (Ac/Si-mod NR) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal properties were investigated by using thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. In addition, the surface coating properties, including drying, hardness, adhesion, impact resistance, gloss, acid, alkaline, water, and solvent resistance of the films prepared from these products, were comparatively investigated. The results showed that the modification reactions yield a novel resin (Ac/Si-mod NR), which can be easily used as a surface coating material with high thermal resistance, flexibility, and excellent film properties.

Surface properties of the material can affect the efficiency and behavior of the material when in service. Modifying and tuning these surface properties to meet the specific demand for better performance is feasible and has been vastly employed in a different aspect of life. This can be achieved by coating the surface via deposition of the thin film. This study provides a review of the existing literature of different deposition techniques used for surface modification and coating. The two major areas of interest discussed are physical and chemical vapor deposition techniques, and the area of applications of surface coating was briefly highlighted in this report.

Introduction: Halting ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is implemented to operate in a less bleeding setting. It sustains a better visualization of the operation area and helps to perform the operation much more comfortably. On the other hand, it may lead to a series of postoperative lung complications such as atelectasis and pleural effusion. In this study, we investigated the effects of low tidal volume ventilation on inflammatory cytokines during CPB. Methods: Twenty-eight patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery were included in the study. Operation standards and ventilation protocols were determined and patients were divided into two groups: patients ventilated with low tidal volume and non-ventilated patients. Plasma samples were taken from patients preoperatively, perioperatively from the coronary sinus and postoperatively after CPB. IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and C5a levels in serum samples were studied with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results: C5a, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were similar when compared to the low tidal volume ventilated and non-ventilated groups (P>0.05) Comparing the groups by variables, IL-6 levels were increased during CPB in both groups (P=0.021 and P=0.001), and IL-8 levels decreased in the ventilation group during CPB (P=0.018). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that low tidal volume ventilation may reduce the inflammatory response during CPB. Although the benefit of low tidal volume ventilation in CPB has been shown to decrease postoperative lung complications such as pleural effusion, atelectasis and pneumonia, we still lack more definitive and clear proofs of inflammatory cytokines encountered during CPB.

Silicon anodes, which exhibit high theoretical capacity and very low operating potential, are promising as anode candidates that can satisfy the conditions currently required for secondary batteries. However, the low conductivity of silicon and the alloying/dealloying phenomena that occur during charging and discharging cause sizeable volume expansion with side reactions; moreover, various electrochemical issues result in inferior cycling performance. Therefore, many strategies have been proposed to mitigate these problems, with the most commonly used method being the use of nanosized silicon. However, this approach leads to another electrochemical limitation—that is, an increase in side reactions due to the large surface area. These problems can effectively be resolved using coating strategies. Therefore, to address the issues faced by silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries, this review comprehensively discusses various coating materials and the related synthesis methods. In this review, the electrochemical properties of silicon-based anodes are outlined according to the application of various coating materials such as carbon, inorganic (including metal-, metal oxide-, and nitride-based) materials, and polymer. Additionally, double shells introduced using two materials for double coatings exhibit more complementary electrochemical properties than those of their single-layer counterparts. The strategy involving the application of a coating is expected to have a positive effect on the commercialization of silicon-based anodes.

Ammonium dinitramide (ADN), which has the advantages of high energy density, no halogen and low characteristic signal, is not only considered as a new high-energy oxidizer that is expected to replace the traditional oxidizer ammonium perchlorate (AP) in solid propellants, but also a good performance explosive in itself. However, due to the strong hygroscopicity of ADN, its application in solid propellants and explosives is greatly limited. Solving the hygroscopicity of ADN is the key to realize the wide application of ADN. In this paper, we systematically review the research progress of anti-hygroscopic strategies of ADN coating. The surface coating methods are focusing on solvent volatilization, solvent-non-solvent, melt crystallization and atomic layer deposition technology. The characteristics of the different methods are compared and analyzed, and the basis for the classification and selection of the coating materials are introduced in detail. In addition, the feasibility of material for surface coating of ADN is evaluated by several compatibility analysis methods. It is highly expected that the liquid phase method (solvent volatilization method, solvent-non-solvent method) would be the promising method for future ADN coating because of its effective, safety and facile operation. Furthermore, polymer materials, are the preferred coating materials due to their high viscosity, easy adhesion, good anti-hygroscopic effect, and heat resistance, which make ADN weak hygroscopicity, less sensitive, easier to preserve and good compatibility.

Conducting polymers (CPs) such as polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy), and polythiophene (PTh) are used for the corrosion protection of metals and metal alloys. Several groups have reported diverse views about the corrosion protection by CPs and hence various mechanisms have been suggested to explain anticorrosion properties of CPs. These include anodic protection, controlled inhibitor release as well as barrier protection mechanisms. Different approaches have been developed for the use of CPs in protective coatings (dopants, composites, blends). A judicious choice of synthesis parameters leads to an improvement in the anticorrosion properties of the coatings prepared by CPs for metals and their alloys. This article is prepared as a review of the application of CPs for corrosion protection of metal alloys.