Anti-infective characteristics of a new Carbothane ventricular assist device driveline

Objectives

Driveline infections are a major complication of ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy. A newly introduced Carbothane driveline has preliminarily demonstrated anti-infective potential against driveline infections. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the anti-biofilm capability of the Carbothane driveline and explore its physicochemical characteristics.

Methods

We assessed the Carbothane driveline against biofilm formation of leading microorganisms causing VAD driveline infections, including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, using novel in vitro biofilm assays mimicking different infection micro-environments. The importance of physicochemical properties of the Carbothane driveline in microorganism-device interactions were analyzed, particularly focusing on the surface chemistry. The role of micro-gaps in driveline tunnels on biofilm migration was also examined.

Results

All organisms were able to attach to the smooth and velour sections of the Carbothane driveline. Early microbial adherence, at least for S. aureus and S. epidermidis, did not proceed to the formation of mature biofilms in a drip-flow biofilm reactor mimicking the driveline exit site environment. The presence of a driveline tunnel however, promoted staphylococcal biofilm formation on the Carbothane driveline. Physicochemical analysis of the Carbothane driveline revealed surface characteristics that may have contributed to its anti-biofilm activity, such as the aliphatic nature of its surface. The presence of micro-gaps in the tunnel facilitated biofilm migration of the studied bacterial species.

Conclusion

This study provides experimental evidence to support the anti-biofilm activity of the Carbothane driveline and uncovered specific physicochemical features that may explain its ability to inhibit biofilm formation.

Structural Characteristics of Low-Aromaticity Marine and Lacustrine Oil Shales and their NaOH-HCl Kerogens Determined Using 13C NMR and XPS

Few comparisons have been made between low-aromaticity marine and lacustrine oil shales and their kerogens, because the reliability of structural analyses has been limited by a reliance on only one method of kerogen isolation, HCl-HF. Therefore, a detailed analysis by 13C NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was made for Attrat marine oil shale (Jordan) and Colorado (Green River) lacustrine oil shale (USA) and their NaOH-HCl kerogens. Some differences between oil shales and their kerogens were noted, but many structural features were considered to be true characteristics of the organic matter. The results emphasise the importance of comparing the analyses of kerogens isolated by different methods to ensure that features of the organic matter are not an artefact of the method of kerogen isolation. For both oil shales, the predominantly aliphatic character of the organic part was confirmed and the long average chain length of the aliphatic hydrocarbons was established. All shales and their kerogens showed a small cluster size for the aromatic rings. The elemental analysis obtained by XPS, compared with the bulk elemental analysis, indicated major differences between the near-surface region sampled by XPS and the bulk. The organic S was determined to be aliphatic and aromatic S with possibly small amounts of sulfoxide. Most of the N was pyrrolic with smaller amounts in pyridinic or quaternary form. Nearly all of the surface organic C in both kerogens was bonded to C and H. Two major forms of organic O were distinguishable. A good correlation between the proportion of aliphatic S and pyrolysis reactivity is suggested.

Three-Dimensional Hierarchical Porous Nanotubes Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Effective design of bifunctional catalysts for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is important but remains challenging. Herein, we report a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structure composed of homogeneously distributed Ni-Fe-P nanoparticles embedded in N-doped carbons on nickel foams (denoted as Ni-Fe-P@NC/NF) as an excellent bifunctional catalyst. This catalyst was fabricated by an anion exchange method and a low-temperature phosphidation of nanotubular Prussian blue analogue (PBA). The Ni-Fe-P@NC/NF displayed exceptional catalytic activity toward both HER and OER and delivered an ultralow cell voltage of 1.47 V to obtain 10 mA cm⁻² with extremely excellent durability for 100 h when assembled as a practical electrolyser. The extraordinary performance of Ni-Fe-P@NC/NF is attributed to the abundance of unsaturated active sites, the well-defined hierarchical porous structure, and the synergistic effect between multiple components. Our work will inspire more rational designs of highly active non-noble electrocatalysts for industrial energy applications.

•

Nanotubular Prussian blue analogue as a precursor is synthesized by anion exchange

•

The catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity for hydrogen and oxygen production

•

The catalyst-based electrolyser has a low cell voltage of 1.47 V to obtain 10 mA cm⁻²

•

The electrolyser shows an extremely excellent durability for 100 h at 50 mA cm⁻²

Antibody-Binding, Antifouling Surface Coatings Based on Recombinant Expression of Zwitterionic EK Peptides

Development of antifouling films which selectively capture or target proteins of interest is essential for controlling interactions at the "bio/nano" interface. However, in order to synthesize biofunctional films from synthetic polymers that incorporate chemical "motifs" for surface immobilization, antifouling, and oriented biomolecule attachment, multiple reaction steps need to be carried out at the solid/liquid interface. EKx is a zwitterionic peptide that has previously been shown to have excellent antifouling properties. In this study, we recombinantly expressed EKx peptides and genetically encoded both surface attachment and antibody-binding motifs, before characterizing the resultant biopolymers by traditional methods. These peptides were then immobilized to organosilica nanoparticles for binding IgG, and subsequently capturing dengue NS1 as a model antigen from serum-containing solution. We found that a mixed layer of a short peptide (4.9 kDa) "backfilled" with a longer peptide terminated with an IgG-binding Z-domain (18 kDa) demonstrated selective capture of dengue NS1 protein down to ∼10 ng mL^-1 in either PBS or 20% serum.

Electrochemical oxidation disinfects urban stormwater: Major disinfection mechanisms and longevity tests

Although electrochemical oxidation (ECO) has shown excellent potential for disinfecting wastewater and surface waters, its application on urban stormwater has been rarely tested. In order to improve stormwater ECO design, this paper explores the major inactivation processes using Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) and titanium Dimensional Stable Anodes (DSA). Both BDD and DSA showed comparable disinfection rates. The mechanism study suggested that BDD relied on hydroxyl radical and the presence of chloride ions, while DSA disinfected stormwater mainly via the production of free‑chlorine. A deterioration study carried out at a catchment in Melbourne, showed a steady performance for BDD and revealed that DSA's performance degraded with time, likely linked to the high operational voltage required for specific chemistry of stormwater. Scanning Electron Microscopes and an Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector tests confirmed elemental losses occurred on the DSA surface, together with an aluminium/silicon coating layer potentially sourced from the stormwater clayish sediments. Furthermore, disinfection by-products in electrochemical disinfected stormwater using either BDD or DSA were at least one order of magnitude lower than the Australia Drinking Water Guidelines limits. The mechanism and long-term study demonstrated that careful anode selection is required as some anodes will deteriorate in stormwater matrices faster than others.

Effect of storage temperature on the stability of spray dried bacteriophage powders

This study aimed to assess the robustness of using a spray drying approach and formulation design in producing inhalable phage powders. Two types of Pseudomonas phages, PEV2 (Podovirus) and PEV40 (Myovirus) in two formulations containing different amounts of trehalose (70% and 60%) and leucine (30% and 40%) were studied. Most of the surface of the produced powders was found to be covered in crystalline leucine. The powders were stored at 4 °C and 20 °C under vacuum. The phage stability and in vitro aerosol performance of the phage powders were examined on the day of production and after 1, 3 and 12 months of storage. A minor titer loss during production was observed for both phages (0.2-0.8 log10 pfu/ml). The storage stability of the produced phage powders was found to be phage and formulation dependent. No further reduction in titer occurred for PEV2 powders stored at 4 °C across the study. The formulation containing 30% leucine maintained the viability of PEV2 at 20 °C, while the formulation containing 40% leucine gradually lost titer over time with a storage reduction of ∼0.9 log10 pfu/ml measured after 12 months. In comparison, the PEV40 phage powders generally had a ∼ 0.5 log10 pfu/ml loss upon storage regardless of temperature. When aerosolized, the total in vitro lung doses of PEV2 were of the order of 107 pfu, except the formulation containing 40% leucine stored at 20 °C which had a lower lung dose. The PEV40 powders also had lung doses of 106-107 pfu. The results demonstrate that spray dried Myoviridae and Podoviridae phage in a simple formulation of leucine and trehalose can be successfully stored for one year at 4 °C and 20 °C with vacuum packaging.

Effect of Bovine Serum Albumin Treatment on the Aging and Activity of Antibodies in Paper Diagnostics

Paper and cellulosic films are used in many designs of low-cost diagnostics such as paper-based blood grouping devices. A major issue limiting their commercialization is the short stability of the functional biomolecules. To address this problem, the effect of relative humidity (RH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the antibody bioactivity and the surface chemical composition of a paper blood typing biodiagnostic were studied. An IgM blood typing antibody was physisorbed from solution onto paper - with or without BSA pretreatment, and aged for periods up to 9 weeks under various conditions with a series of RH. The blood typing efficiency of the antibodies and the substrate surface chemical composition were analyzed by image analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. This study tests two hypotheses. The first is that the hydroxyl groups in paper promote antibody denaturation on paper; the second hypothesis is that proteins such as BSA can partially block the hydroxyl groups within paper, thus preserving antibody bioactivity. Results show that high RH is detrimental to antibody longevity on paper, while BSA can block hydroxyl groups and prolong antibody longevity by almost an order of magnitude—regardless of humidity. This study opens up new engineering concepts to develop robust and marketable paper diagnostics. The simplest is to store paper and antibody based diagnostics in moisture proof packages.

Unique hybrid Ni2P/MoO2@MoS2 nanomaterials as bifunctional non-noble-metal electro-catalysts for water splitting

We successfully synthesized a novel electro-catalyst with a unique structure of Ni₂P nanoparticles decorating the surface of MoO₂@MoS₂ sub-microwires on titanium foil (denote as NiMoO-SP/Ti) via a facile temperature-programmed sulfuration-phosphorization from its nickel molybdate precursor. The metallic MoO₂ core facilitates electron transfer, and the interfaces between MoS₂ nanosheets and Ni₂P nanoparticles enhance catalytic activity both for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Due to this unique structure, the obtained NiMoO-SP/Ti showed an enhanced OER performance in alkaline solution with a small Tafel slope of 85 mV dec^-1 and a low overpotential of 280 and 360 mV to achieve 10 and 100 mA cm^-2 in 1.0 M KOH, respectively. The catalyst also exhibited an excellent stability in 1.0 M KOH, with just 12 mV shift after electrolysis at 10 mA cm^-2 for 16 h and 27 mV shift after electrolysis at 20 mA cm^-2 for another 24 h. In addition, the NiMoO-SP/Ti also displayed high catalytic properties towards HER with a small Tafel slope of 77 mV dec^-1 and a low overpotential of 159 mV to obtain 10 mA cm^-2 in 1.0 M KOH. After electrolysis at -10 mA cm^-2 for 40 h, the overpotential increased by just 25 mV, which demonstrated its high stability for HER in 1.0 M KOH. This work provides an effective route to designing a high-performance catalyst with a favorable structure for the development of electro-catalysts for water splitting.

Tunable Biogenic Manganese Oxides

Influence of the conditions for aerobic oxidation of Mn2+(aq) catalysed by the MnxEFG protein complex on the morphology, structure and reactivity of the resulting biogenic manganese oxides (MnO_x ) is explored. Physical characterisation of MnO_x includes scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron and K-edge Mn, Fe X-ray absorption spectroscopy. This characterisation reveals that the MnO_x materials share the structural features of birnessite, yet differ in the degree of structural disorder. Importantly, these biogenic products exhibit strikingly different morphologies that can be easily controlled. Changing the substrate-to-protein ratio produces MnO_x either as nm-thin sheets, or rods with diameters below 20 nm, or a combination of the two. Mineralisation in solutions that contain Fe2+(aq) makes solids with significant disorder in the structure, while the presence of Ca2+(aq) facilitates formation of more ordered materials. The (photo)oxidation and (photo)electrocatalytic capacity of the MnO_x minerals is examined and correlated with their structural properties.

The role of polyaminoamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE) on antibody longevity in bioactive paper

Paper has been used to engineer many types of bio-diagnostics. A major issue to most paper-based bio-diagnostics is the biomolecule instability causing the short shelf-life of the diagnostics. Commercial papers contain various polymeric additives. Polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE), a polyelectrolyte typically used as wet-strength agent, is commonly used in filter papers and paper towels, which are often used as substrate in bioactive paper. However, the effect of cellulose or polymeric additives on antibody bioactivity is unknown. This limits paper optimization for diagnostic applications. In this study, model papers were made with and without PAE addition. IgM Anti-A blood typing antibody was physisorbed and dried on paper, aged for up to 9 weeks at different relative humidity (RH) conditions and the antibody activity was measured. The antibody bioactivity was represented as blood typing efficiency measured by image analysis. The surface chemical composition was measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Antibody bioactivity loss was promoted by elevated RH, corresponding to increased paper water content. PAE significantly reduces the paper water content under ambient environment. Antibody bioactivity is higher on paper made with PAE under the high humidity conditions (57.6%-84.3% RH). However, under conditions of humidity saturation (100%RH), PAE shows little effect on reducing paper water content nor on protecting antibody bioactivity. These results demonstrate the water content of paper to be associated with antibody bioactivity loss.

Protection of hydrophobic amino acids against moisture-induced deterioration in the aerosolization performance of highly hygroscopic spray-dried powders

BACKGROUND

Inhalable particles containing amorphous form of drugs or excipients may absorb atmospheric moisture, causing powder aggregation and recrystallization, adversely affecting powder dispersion and lung deposition. The present study aims to explore hydrophobic amino acids for protection against moisture in spray-dried amorphous powders, using disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) as a model drug.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DSCG powders were produced by co-spray drying with isoleucine (Ile), valine (Val) and methionine (Met) in various concentrations (10, 20 and 40%w/w). Particle size distribution and morphology were measured by laser diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Physiochemical properties of the powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS). Particle surface chemistry was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). In vitro aerosolization performance was evaluated by a next generation impactor (NGI) after the powders were stored at 60% or 75% relative humidity (RH) for one month and three months.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Ile, Val and Met significantly reduced the deleterious effect of moisture on aerosol performance, depending on the amount of amino acids in the formulation. Formulations containing 10% or 20% of Ile, Val and Met showed notable deterioration in aerosol performance, with fine particle fraction (FPF) reduced by 6-15% after one-month storage at both 60% and 75% RH. However, 40% Ile was able to maintain the aerosol performance of DSCG stored at 75% RH for one month, while the FPF dropped by 7.5% after three months of storage. In contrast, 40% Val or Met were able to maintain the aerosol performance at 60% RH storage but not at 75% RH. At 40%w/w ratio, these formulations had particle surface coverage of 94.5% (molar percent) of Ile, 87.1% of Val and 84.6% of Met, respectively, which may explain their moisture protection effects.

CONCLUSION

Ile, Val and Met showed promising moisture protection effect on aerosol performance. The results broaden the understanding on the use of hydrophobic amino acids as an excipient for long-term storage of inhalation powders formulations that are hygroscopic.

How Much Surface Coating of Hydrophobic Azithromycin Is Sufficient to Prevent Moisture-Induced Decrease in Aerosolisation of Hygroscopic Amorphous Colistin Powder?

Aerosolisation performance of hygroscopic particles of colistin could be compromised at elevated humidity due to increased capillary forces. Co-spray drying colistin with a hydrophobic drug is known to provide a protective coating on the composite particle surfaces against moisture-induced reduction in aerosolisation performance; however, the effects of component ratio on surface coating quality and powder aerosolisation at elevated relative humidities are unknown. In this study, we have systematically examined the effects of mass ratio of hydrophobic azithromycin on surface coating quality and aerosolisation performance of the co-spray dried composite particles. Four combination formulations with varying drug ratios were prepared by co-spray drying drug solutions. Both of the drugs in each combination formulation had similar in vitro deposition profiles, suggesting that each composite particle comprises two drugs in the designed mass ratio, which is supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) data. XPS and ToF-SIMS measurements also revealed that 50% by weight (or 35% by molecular fraction) of azithromycin in the formulation provided a near complete coating of 96.5% (molar fraction) on the composite particle surface, which is sufficient to prevent moisture-induced reduction in fine particle fraction (FPF)recovered and FPFemitted. Higher azithromycin content did not increase coating coverage, while contents of azithromycin lower than 20% w/w did not totally prevent the negative effects of humidity on aerosolisation performance. This study has highlighted that a critical amount of azithromycin is required to sufficiently coat the colistin particles for short-term protection against moisture.

Applying surface energy derived cohesive-adhesive balance model in predicting the mixing, flow and compaction behaviour of interactive mixtures

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated the applicability of cohesive-adhesive balance (CAB) model to predict the interactive mixing behaviour of small excipient particles. Further, we also investigated the application of this CAB model to predict the flow and compactibility of resultant blends.

METHODS

Excipients created by co-spraying polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP, a model pharmaceutical binder) with various l-leucine concentrations were used for this study. Paracetamol was used as model active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The surface energy was used to derive the work of cohesion (wco) and work of adhesion (wad) to predict the interactive mixing behaviour of the excipients with paracetamol. The blends were visualised under a scanning electron microscopy microscope to assess the interactive mixing behaviour. In addition, the flow performance and tabletting behaviour of various blends were characterised.

RESULTS

The surface-energy derived work of adhesion (wad) between excipient and paracetamol particles increased, while the corresponding work of cohesion (wco) between excipient particles decreased, with increasing l-leucine concentrations. In blends for which the work of cohesion was higher than the work of adhesion (wco>wad), small excipient particles were apparent as agglomerates. For excipients with 5% and higher l-leucine concentrations, the work of adhesion between excipient and paracetamol particles was higher than or equivalent to the work of cohesion between excipient particles (wad⩾wco) and agglomerates were less apparent. This is an indicator of formation of homogeneous interactive mixtures. At 5% (w/w) excipient proportions, blends for which wad⩾wco demonstrated higher compactibility than other blends. Furthermore, at 10% (w/w) and higher excipient proportions, these blends also demonstrated better flow performance than other blends.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate that surface-energy derived CAB data effectively predict the interactive mixing behaviour of small excipient particles. Furthermore, at certain proportions of small excipient particles the CAB model also predicts the flow and compaction behaviour of the API/excipient blends.

L-Leucine as an excipient against moisture on in vitro aerosolization performances of highly hygroscopic spray-dried powders

L-Leucine (LL) has been widely used to enhance the dispersion performance of powders for inhalation. LL can also protect powders against moisture, but this effect is much less studied. The aim of this study was to investigate whether LL could prevent moisture-induced deterioration in in vitro aerosolization performances of highly hygroscopic spray-dried powders. Disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) was chosen as a model drug and different amounts of LL (2-40% w/w) were added to the formulation, with the aim to explore the relationship between powder dispersion, moisture protection and physicochemical properties of the powders. The powder formulations were prepared by spray drying of aqueous solutions containing known concentrations of DSCG and LL. The particle sizes were measured by laser diffraction. The physicochemical properties of fine particles were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS). The surface morphology and chemistry of fine particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). In vitro aerosolization performances were evaluated by a next generation impactor (NGI) after the powders were stored at 60% or 75% relative humidity (RH), and 25°C for 24h. Spray-dried (SD) DSCG powders were amorphous and absorbed 30-45% (w/w) water at 70-80% RH, resulting in deterioration in the aerosolization performance of the powders. LL did not decrease the water uptake of DSCG powders, but it could significantly reduce the effect of moisture on aerosolization performances. This is due to enrichment of crystalline LL on the surface of the composite particles. The effect was directly related to the percentage of LL coverage on the surface of particles. Formulations having 61-73% (molar percent) of LL on the particle surface (which correspond to 10-20% (w/w) of LL in the bulk powders) could minimize moisture-induced deterioration in the aerosol performance. In conclusion, particle surface coverage of LL can offer short-term protection against moisture on dispersion of hygroscopic powders.

The impact of atomization on the surface composition of spray-dried milk droplets

The dominant presence of fat at the surface of spray-dried milk powders has been widely reported in the literature and described as resulting in unfavourable powder properties. The mechanism(s) causing this phenomenon are yet to be clearly identified. A systematic investigation of the component distribution in atomized droplets and spray-dried particles consisting of model milk systems with different fat contents demonstrated that atomization strongly influences the final surface composition. Cryogenic flash-freezing of uniform droplets from a microfluidic jet nozzle directly after atomization helped to distinguish the influence of the atomization stage from the drying stage. It was confirmed that the overrepresentation of fat on the surface is independent of the atomization technique, including a pressure-swirl single-fluid spray nozzle and a pilot-scale rotary disk spray dryer commonly used in industry. It is proposed that during the atomization stage a disintegration mechanism along the oil-water interface of the fat globules causes the surface predominance of fat. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements detected the outermost fat layer and some adjacent protein present on both atomized droplets and spray-dried particles. Confocal laser scanning microscopy gave a qualitative insight into the protein and fat distribution throughout the cross-sections, and confirmed the presence of a fat film along the particle surface. The film remained on the surface in the subsequent drying stage, while protein accumulated underneath, driven by diffusion. The results demonstrated that atomization induces component segregation and fat-rich surfaces in spray-dried milk powders, and thus these cannot be prevented by adjusting the spray drying conditions.

Stifling magnesium corrosion via a novel anodic coating

The use of light-weight magnesium (Mg) alloys as engineering materials has been hampered in part due to their poor corrosion performance. An effective novel sacrificial coating is presented herein.

Photo-assisted electrodeposition of manganese oxide on TaON anodes: effect on water photooxidation capacity under visible light irradiation

Photo-assisted deposition of MnO_xon the TaON anodes enhances activity and stability during water photooxidation.

Catalytic Activity and Impedance Behavior of Screen-Printed Nickel Oxide as Efficient Water Oxidation Catalysts

We report that films screen printed from nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles and microballs are efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation under near-neutral and alkaline conditions. Investigations of the composition and structure of the screen-printed films by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the material was present as the cubic NiO phase. Comparison of the catalytic activity of the microball films to that of films fabricated by using NiO nanoparticles, under similar experimental conditions, revealed that the microball films outperform nanoparticle films of similar thickness owing to a more porous structure and higher surface area. A thinner, less-resistive NiO nanoparticle film, however, was found to have higher activity per Ni atom. Anodization in borate buffer significantly improved the activity of all three films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that during anodization, a mixed nickel oxyhydroxide phase formed on the surface of all films, which could account for the improved activity. Impedance spectroscopy revealed that surface traps contribute significantly to the resistance of the NiO films. On anodization, the trap state resistance of all films was reduced, which led to significant improvements in activity. In 1.00 m NaOH, both the microball and nanoparticle films exhibit high long-term stability and produce a stable current density of approximately 30 mA cm(-2) at 600 mV overpotential.

Scalable Synthesis of Efficient Water Oxidation Catalysts: Insights into the Activity of Flame-Made Manganese Oxide Nanocrystals

Chemical energy storage by water splitting is a promising solution for the utilization of renewable energy in numerous currently impracticable needs, such as transportation and high temperature processing. Here, the synthesis of efficient ultra-fine Mn3O4 water oxidation catalysts with tunable specific surface area is demonstrated by a scalable one-step flame-synthesis process. The water oxidation performance of these flame-made structures is compared with pure Mn2O3 and Mn5O8, obtained by post-calcination of as-prepared Mn3O4 (115 m(2)  g(-1)), and commercial iso-structural polymorphs, probing the effect of the manganese oxidation state and synthetic route. The structural properties of the manganese oxide nanoparticles were investigated by XRD, FTIR, high-resolution TEM, and XPS. It is found that these flame-made nanostructures have substantially higher activity, reaching up to 350 % higher surface-specific turnover frequency (0.07 μmolO2  m(-2)  s(-1)) than commercial nanocrystals (0.02 μmolO2  m(-2)  s(-1)), and production of up to 0.33 mmolO2  molMn (-1)  s(-1). Electrochemical characterization confirmed the high water oxidation activity of these catalysts with an initial current density of 10 mA cm(-2) achieved with overpotentials between 0.35 and 0.50 V in 1 m NaOH electrolyte.

Relationship between surface concentration of L-leucine and bulk powder properties in spray dried formulations

The amino acid L-leucine has been demonstrated to act as a lubricant and improve the dispersibility of otherwise cohesive fine particles. It was hypothesized that optimum surface L-leucine concentration is necessary to achieve optimal surface and bulk powder properties. Polyvinylpyrrolidone was spray dried with different concentration of L-leucine and the change in surface composition of the formulations was determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The formulations were also subjected to powder X-ray diffraction analysis in order to understand the relationship between surface concentration and solid-state properties of L-leucine. In addition, the morphology, surface energy and bulk cohesion of spray dried formulations were also assessed to understand the relation between surface L-leucine concentration and surface and bulk properties. The surface concentration of L-leucine increased with higher feed concentrations and plateaued at about 10% L-leucine. Higher surface L-leucine concentration also resulted in the formation of larger L-leucine crystals and not much change in crystal size was noted above 10% L-leucine. A change in surface morphology of particles from spherical to increasingly corrugated was also observed with increasing surface l-leucine concentration. Specific collapsed/folded over particles were only seen in formulations with 10% or higher l-leucine feed concentration suggesting a change in particle surface formation process. In addition, bulk cohesion also reduced and approached a minimum with 10% L-leucine concentration. Thus, the surface concentration of L-leucine governs particle formation and optimum surface L-leucine concentration results in optimum surface and bulk powder properties.

Synergistic antibiotic combination powders of colistin and rifampicin provide high aerosolization efficiency and moisture protection

For many respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, colistin is the only effective antibiotic despite its nephrotoxicity. A novel inhaled combination formulation of colistin with a synergistic antimicrobial component of rifampicin was prepared via co-spray drying, aiming to deliver the drug directly to the respiratory tract and minimize drug resistance and adverse effects. Synergistic antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumannii was demonstrated for the combination formulation with high emitted doses (96%) and fine particle fraction total (FPFtotal; 92%). Storage of the spray-dried colistin alone formulation in the elevated relative humidity (RH) of 75% resulted in a substantial deterioration in the aerosolization performance because the amorphous colistin powders absorbed significant amount of water up to 30% by weight. In contrast, the FPFtotal values of the combination formulation stored at various RH were unchanged, which was similar to the aerosolization behavior of the spray-dried rifampicin-alone formulation. Advanced surface chemistry measurements by XPS and ToF-SIMS demonstrated a dominance of rifampicin on the combination particle surfaces, which contributed to the moisture protection at the elevated RH. This study shows a novel inhalable powder formulation of antibiotic combination with the combined beneficial properties of synergistic antibacterial activity, high aerosolization efficiency, and moisture protection.

Effect of surface coating with magnesium stearate via mechanical dry powder coating approach on the aerosol performance of micronized drug powders from dry powder inhalers

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of particle surface coating with magnesium stearate on the aerosolization of dry powder inhaler formulations. Micronized salbutamol sulphate as a model drug was dry coated with magnesium stearate using a mechanofusion technique. The coating quality was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Powder bulk and flow properties were assessed by bulk densities and shear cell measurements. The aerosol performance was studied by laser diffraction and supported by a twin-stage impinger. High degrees of coating coverage were achieved after mechanofusion, as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Concomitant significant increases occurred in powder bulk densities and in aerosol performance after coating. The apparent optimum performance corresponded with using 2% w/w magnesium stearate. In contrast, traditional blending resulted in no significant changes in either bulk or aerosolization behaviour compared to the untreated sample. It is believed that conventional low-shear blending provides insufficient energy levels to expose host micronized particle surfaces from agglomerates and to distribute guest coating material effectively for coating. A simple ultra-high-shear mechanical dry powder coating step was shown as highly effective in producing ultra-thin coatings on micronized powders and to substantially improve the powder aerosolization efficiency.

Localized deoxygenation and direct patterning of graphene oxide films by focused ion beams

Exposure to controlled doses (~4.65 × 10(-3) to 2.79 × 10(-2) nC/μm(2) ion fluence) of Ga ions via a focused ion beam (FIB) deoxygenates graphene oxide (GO) and increases the electrical conductivity in 100 × 100 μm(2) patches by several orders of magnitude compared to that in unexposed GO. Raman spectra and the carbon/oxygen ratio in exposed areas are indicative of chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO). This novel FIB-induced conversion technique is harnessed for the direct imprinting of complex micrometer-scale shapes and sub-20-nm lines of rGO in insulating films and flakes of GO establishing the capability of generating features varying in size from approximately tens of nanometers to approximately hundreds of micrometers in a maskless, efficient manner.

An X-ray and neutron reflectometry study of 'PEG-like' plasma polymer films

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapour-deposited films of di(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether were analysed by a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), X-ray and neutron reflectometry (NR). The combination of these techniques enabled a systematic study of the impact of plasma deposition conditions upon resulting film chemistry (empirical formula), mass densities, structure and water solvation, which has been correlated with the films' efficacy against protein fouling. All films were shown to contain substantially less hydrogen than the original monomer and absorb a vast amount of water, which correlated with their mass density profiles. A proportion of the plasma polymer hydrogen atoms were shown to be exchangeable, while QCM-D measurements were inaccurate in detecting associated water in lower power films that contained loosely bound material. The higher protein resistance of the films deposited at a low load power was attributed to its greater chemical and structural similarity to that of poly(ethylene glycol) graft surfaces. These studies demonstrate the utility of using X-ray and NR analysis techniques in furthering the understanding of the chemistry of these films and their interaction with water and proteins.

Interactions of lens care with silicone hydrogel lenses and effect on comfort

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lens care products on short-term subjective and physiological performance silicone hydrogel lenses.

METHODS

Ten subjects wore either lotrafilcon B or galyfilcon A silicone hydrogel contact lenses soaked in a lens care product containing either Polyquad/Aldox or PHMB or control lenses inserted directly from the pack. Subjects wore the lenses for 6 h. Ocular comfort (graded on a 1 to 10 scale) and ocular physiology were assessed. Unworn but soaked lenses were analyzed for metrological changes, release of excipients into phosphate buffered saline, and changes to their surface chemical composition.

RESULTS

None of the lens metrology measures or clinically observed conjunctival or limbal redness changed. Corneal staining was significantly (p < 0.008) raised, albeit to low levels, after 6 h wear for either lens type when soaked in the PHMB solution compared with the control lens (lotrafilcon B 0.4 to 0.9 ± 0.7 to 0.4 vs. 0.1 to 0.4 ± 0.3 to 0.5; galyfilcon A 0.2 to 0.3 ± 0.2 to 0.4 vs. 0.0 ± 0.0). For lotrafilcon B lenses, there were decreases in comfort (p = 0.002), increases in burning/stinging (p = 0.002) after 1 h of wear, and increases in lens awareness on lens insertion (p = 0.0001) when soaked in PHMB. However, lotrafilcon B lenses soaked in Polyquad/Aldox showed increases in burning/stinging after 1 and 6 h (p < 0.008) of lens wear. For galyfilcon A lenses, most significant (p ≤ 0.002) changes to symptomatology occurred after soaking in Polyquad/Aldox solution. More PHMB was released from lotrafilcon B lenses, and more MPDS material was released from galyfilcon A lenses. The surface of galyfilcon A lenses changed but irrespective of lens solution type, whereas the changes to the lens surface was dependent on solution type for lotrafilcon B lenses.

CONCLUSIONS

Lens care products can change corneal staining and comfort responses during wear. These changes may be associated with release of material soaked into lenses or changes to the lens surface composition.

End terminal, poly(ethylene oxide) graft layers: surface forces and protein adsorption

Covalently grafted poly(ethylene oxide) coatings have been widely studied for use in biomedical applications, particularly for the reduction of protein and other biomolecule adsorption. However, many of these studies have not characterized the hydrated structure of the coatings. This new study uses a combination of silica colloid probe interaction force measurements using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in order to determine the grafting density and hydrated layer structure of monomethoxy poly(ethylene oxide) aldehyde layers, covalently grafted onto amine plasma polymer surfaces, and their interactions with silica surfaces. For high grafting densities, purely repulsive interactions were measured as expected for densely grafted polymer brushes. These interactions could be described by theoretical expectations for compression of one polymer brush layer. However, at lower grafting densities, attractive interactions were observed at larger separation distances, originating from bridging interactions due to adsorption of the PEO chains on the surface of the silica colloid probe. This is a new finding indicating that the coupled PEO molecules have sufficient conformational freedom to interact strongly with an adjacent surface or, for example, protein molecules for which there is an affinity. The attractive interactions could be removed by grafting an additional PEO layer onto the silica colloid probe. Protein adsorption measurements confirmed that at high grafting densities, the amount of adsorbed protein on the PEO grafted surfaces was greatly reduced, to the order of the detection limit for the XPS technique.

Immobilization and surface characterization of NeutrAvidin biotin-binding protein on different hydrogel interlayers

For a number of potential applications, it is desirable to immobilize avidin class molecules onto solid supports and exploit their ability to bind biotinylated molecules with high affinity. NeutrAvidin molecules were surface immobilized in various ways. In this study, NeutrAvidin was covalently attached by carbodiimide chemistry onto carboxyl groups of polyacrylic acid and carboxymethyl-dextran hydrogel interlayers. A third strategy involved the affinity "docking" of NeutrAvidin onto a biotinylated poly(ethylene glycol) interlayer. These three interlayers were selected for their low nonspecific binding of proteins, which was expected to minimize surface binding of NeutrAvidin by nonspecific interfacial adsorption. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses allowed detailed characterization of the multilayer fabrication steps. An ELISA assay was used to measure NeutrAvidin activity, which varied with the surface immobilization route. Atomic force microcopy (AFM) force measurements showed that the hydrogel interlayer contributed to a repulsive force and verified the specific interaction between biotinylated AFM tips and the NeutrAvidin surfaces. When a solution of free biotin was injected into the AFM liquid cell, the force curve changed substantially and became identical to that recorded between surfaces carrying no NeutrAvidin, indicating that the free solution biotin had displaced NeutrAvidin proteins off the PEG-biotin layer.