The investigation of nanotribology of UHMWPE in fluid using atomic force microscopy

Nanomechanical Mapping of Three Dimensionally Printed Poly-ε-Caprolactone Single Microfibers at the Cell Scale for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

Poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) has been widely used in additive manufacturing for the construction of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. However, its use is limited by its lack of bioactivity and inability to induce cell adhesion, hence limiting bone tissue regeneration. Biomimicry is strongly influenced by the dynamics of cell-substrate interaction. Thus, characterizing scaffolds at the cell scale could help to better understand the relationship between surface mechanics and biological response. We conducted atomic force microscopy-based nanoindentation on 3D-printed PCL fibers of ~300 µm thickness and mapped the near-surface Young's modulus at loading forces below 50 nN. In this non-disruptive regime, force mapping did not show clear patterns in the spatial distribution of moduli or a relationship with the topographic asperities within a given region. Remarkably, we found that the average modulus increased linearly with the logarithm of the strain rate. Finally, a dependence of the moduli on the history of nanoindentation was demonstrated on locations of repeated nanoindentations, likely due to creep phenomena capable of hindering viscoelasticity. Our findings can contribute to the rational design of scaffolds for bone regeneration that are capable of inducing cell adhesion and proliferation. The methodologies described are potentially applicable to various tissue-engineered biopolymers.

Biological characterization of surface-treated dental implant materials in contact with mammalian host and bacterial cells: titanium versus zirconia

Early-colonizing oral bacterial adhesion and mammal cell proliferation were similar on surface-treated titanium and zirconia.

Study on the Nanomechanical and Nanotribological Behaviors of PEEK and CFRPEEK for Biomedical Applications

This study was to investigate the nanomechanical and nanotribological properties of polyether ether ketone (PEEK)-based composites for biomedical applications and to gain a fundamental understanding of the effects of carbon fibers in carbon-fiber-reinforced PEEK (CFRPEEK) on the mechanical properties and wear performance in a microscale. Nanoindentation tests with a Berkovich indenter and nanoscratch experiments with a diamond stylus were performed on PEEK and CFRPEEK samples. The nanowear features and mechanisms of the tested samples were analyzed using 3D white-light interfering profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained results indicated that the reinforced carbon fibers increased the nanohardness and elastic modulus and decreased the friction coefficient and wear rate of PEEK. Different to many existing studies where a constant load was used in a nanoscratch test and the normal load was a key factor influencing the scratch performances of the tested specimens, stick⁻slip phenomena were observed on both PEEK and CFRPEEK in the nanoscratch tests with load increasing progressively. In constant load conditions, it was found that the major nanowear mechanisms of PEEK are adhesion, abrasion, and plastic deformation, while the nanowear mechanisms of CFRPEEK are dominated by severe adhesive wear, abrasive wear and mild fatigue. CFRPEEK has demonstrated superior nanomechanical and nanotribological performances, and hence can be considered a potential candidate for biomedical applications.