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Emergence of dark ZnO nanorods by hydrogen plasma treatment
Remeš, Zdeněk ; Buryi, Maksym ; Sharma, Dhananjay K. ; Artemenko, Anna ; Mičová, J. ; Rezek, B. ; Poruba, A. ; Hsu, H.S. ; Potocký, Štěpán ; Babin, Vladimir
We employed a custom-built inductively coupled plasma (ICP) 13.56 MHz reactor with up to 300 W RF discharge power. Hydrothermally grown ZnO nanorods were exposed to the ICP plasma with a mixture of hydrogen and argon for up to 30 min, followed in-situ by plasma oxidation. Plasma properties were monitored by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and by measuring the self-bias potential of the stainless steel sample holder separated from the ground by a blocking capacitor. The exciton-related UV photoluminescence of ZnO nanorods and optical absorption increases significantly after the plasma treatment. We attribute it to the complex changes of ZnO surface electronic states that also give rise to its black color visually.
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Microscopic study of multifunctional drug molecule adhesion to electronic biosensors coated with diamond and gold nanoparticles
Finsterle, T. ; Pilarčíková, I. ; Bláhová, I.A. ; Potocký, Štěpán ; Kromka, Alexander ; Ukraintsev, Egor ; Nepovimová, E. ; Musílek, K. ; Kuča, K. ; Rezek, B.
The easy and fast detection of drug content and concentration levels is demanded in biological research as well as in clinical practice. Here we study on microscopic level how nanodiamonds and gold nanoparticles interact with a multifunctional drug molecule directly on a biosensor surface. The sensors are made of interdigitated Au electrodes coated by 5 nm hydrogenated or oxidized nanodiamonds and further combined with Au colloidal nanoparticles (size 20 nm) providing nanoscale composite (spacing 100 nm). Atomic force microscopy is employed to measure local tip-surface adhesion forces and surface topography. AFM adhesion maps show that the drug binds to all types of nanoparticles and the adhesion is also significantly influenced by the substrates on which the nanoparticles are deposited. Role of local AFM tip interaction with nanostructured surface is also discussed.\n
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Plasma treatment impact on physical and chemical properties of polymeric fibers
Hlůžek, R. ; Prošek, Z. ; Trejbal, J. ; Fládr, J. ; Potocký, Štěpán
Presented work focuses on chemical and physical properties of plasma modified polymeric macro-fibers. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) fibers having approx. 300 mu m in diameter were modified using cold oxygen plasma in order to achieve their surface changes needed for durable bond and adhesion with cement matrixes. A duration of plasma modification differed between 5 to 480 seconds, where an effect of the treatment was examined. Fiber surfaces chemical changes were researched via wettability measurement with demineralized water (the measurement was repeated immediately and after 1, 7 and 30 days to find out the changes stability). Physical changes were studied by means of weight balance (determination of weight loss) and tensile strength tests. It was found that wettability was enhanced significantly - up to two times, while mechanical properties of treated fibers decreased only slightly.\n
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The hydrogen plasma doping of ZnO thin films and nanoparticles
Remeš, Zdeněk ; Neykova, Neda ; Potocký, Štěpán ; Chang, Yu-Ying ; Hsu, H.S.
The optical absorptance and photoluminescence studies has been applied on the hydrogen and oxygen plasma treated, nominally undoped ZnO thin films and aligned nanocolumns grown on the nucleated glass substrate by the hydrothermal process in an oil bath containing a flask with ZnO nutrient solution. The localized defect states at 2.3 eV below the optical absorption edge were detected by photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) in a broad spectral range from near UV to near IR. The optical absorptance spectroscopy shows that hydrogen doping increases free electron concentration changing ZnO to be electrically conductive (hydrogen doping).\n
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Wettability enhancement of polymeric and glass micro fiber reinforcement by plasma treatment
Trejbal, J. ; Šmilauer, V. ; Kromka, Alexander ; Potocký, Štěpán ; Kopecký, L.
Plasma treatments were used to modify surface properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and glass micro fibers, to improve their wettability. PET fibers, having diameter of 400 μm, and glass fibers (14 μm) were exposed to low pressure oxygen plasma. A direct horizontal optical method was used for contact angle measurements on fiber surfaces submerged into distilled water. Surface morphology changes before and after treatment were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Finally, cement paste specimens reinforced with PET and lime-based mortars reinforced with glass fibers were made and after 28 days of mixture curing tested by four-point bending tests. After oxygen plasma treatment contact angles decreased by 60 % on PET fibers and by 25 % on glass fibers in comparison with untreated fibers. Next, SEM images revealed the significant surface damages of PET fibers and minor damages of glass fibers. Both four-point tested samples reinforced with treated fibers exhibited the maximum bending strength loss about to 10 to 20 percent compared to samples with untreated reinforcement.
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Polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds reinforced with diamond and ceramic nanoparticles for bone tissue engineering
Bačáková, Lucie ; Pařízek, Martin ; Staňková, Ľubica ; Novotná, Katarína ; Douglas, T.E.L. ; Brady, M. A. ; Kromka, Alexander ; Potocký, Štěpán ; Stránská, D.
Three types of nanofibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospining: (1) poly(lactide-co-glycoside) (PLGA) scaffolds reinforced with 23 wt.% of diamond nanoparticles (DNPs), (2) poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds with DNPs in concentration ranging from from 0.4 wt.% to 12.3 wt.%, and (3) PLLA scaffolds with 5 wt.% or 15 wt.% of hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles. The diameter of the nanofibers ranged between 160 and 729 nm. The nanofibers with nanoparticles were thicker and the void spaces among them were smaller. Mechanical properties of the nanoparticle-loaded scaffolds were better, as demonstrated by a rupture test in scaffolds with DNPs and by a creep behavior test in scaffolds with HAp. On PLGA scaffolds with DNPs, the human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells adhered in similar numbers and grew with similar kinetics as on pure PLGA scaffolds. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells grew faster and reached higher population densities on PLGA-DNP scaffolds. However, on PLLA-based scaffolds, the activity of mitochondrial enzymes and concentration of osteocalcin in MG-63 cells decreased with increasing DNP concentration. On the other hand, the metabolic activity of MG-63 cells and content of osteocalcin in these cells were positively correlated with the HAp concentration in PLLA scaffolds. Thus, PLGA nanofibers with 23 wt% of DNPs and PLLA nanofibers with 5 and particularly 15 wt.% of HAp seem to be promising for bone tissue engineering.
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In situ XPS characterization of diamond films after AR.sup.+./sup. cluster ion beam sputtering
Artemenko, Anna ; Babchenko, Oleg ; Kozak, Halyna ; Ukraintsev, Egor ; Ižák, Tibor ; Romanyuk, Olexandr ; Potocký, Štěpán ; Kromka, Alexander
In this work, in situ XPS analysis of chemical composition of H- and O-terminated nano- and microcrystalline diamond (NCD and MCD) films before and after their sputtering by the Ar+ cluster ion beam was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed sputtering of all diamond surfaces with a rate about 0.5 nm/min. Raman spectroscopy and XPS revealed surface graphitization of diamond surface induced by sputtering. Moreover, XPS data showed the presence of about 0.7 % of Ar atoms on the investigated diamond surface after 66 min of sputtering. Also, oxygen residuals were still presented on the H-NCD surface after 66 min of sputtering. In contrast, no oxygen was found on the H-MCD surface just after 2 min of sputtering. Surface composition is discussed in respect to the diamond films growth parameters and surface structure.
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