Enhancing effect on postharvest quality of potatoes through combined treatment of edible coating with UV-C irradiation

Various edible polymers [sodium alginate, carboxyl methylcellulose, sodium oleate, liquid paraffin, pectin, pullulan, polyvinyl acetate, and shellac (SHE)] as potato-coating materials and their effect on extending the shelf life of potatoes when combined with an edible coating and UV-C irradiation treatments were evaluated. As a result of the characterization of the edible polymers, SHE was selected as the optimal coating material because it had the best moisture and light barrier properties. SHE coating successfully prevented the greening, respiration, and sprouting of potatoes caused by exposure to light and oxygen. Additionally, it reduced weight loss by inhibiting transpiration on the potato surface. While the SHE coating did not exhibit antimicrobial effects, a significant effect was observed when combined with UV-C irradiation. This study suggests the potential of combined treatment of SHE coating and UV-C irradiation in extending the postharvest quality of potatoes.

Impact of surface topography and hydrophobicity in varied precursor concentrations of tenorite (CuO) films: a study of film properties and photocatalytic efficiency

Semiconductor films are crucial in photocatalysis applications, yet their controlled production remains challenging. Previous studies have mainly focused on deposition processes, heating rates, and doping of semiconductor oxides. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for fabricating tenorite (CuO) semiconductor films with varying precursor concentrations (0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.1 g/ml) using a dip-coating technique. We explore the impact of contact angles, 3D surface topography, and film thickness on photoactivation properties, areas with limited previous research focus. The results demonstrate that higher-concentration tenorite films (0.1 g/ml) exhibit rougher surfaces (77.3 nm), increased hydrophobicity (65.61°), improved light-harvesting ability, enhanced charge separation, and higher active oxygen output. The crystal sizes were within the range of 7.3-44.1 nm. Wettability tests show a 21.47% improvement in the 0.1 g/ml film surface under indirect sunlight compared to darkness. Transmittance rates in the 600 nm range were from 0.02 to 90.94%. The direct optical band gaps were 1.21-2.74 eV, while the indirect band gaps remained unaffected (0.9-1.11 eV). Surface morphology analysis reveals an increased presence of grains with higher concentrations. Regarding photocatalysis's impact on film morphology and copper content, SEM images reveal minimal changes in film structure, while copper content remains stable with slight variations. This suggests strong adhesion of tenorite to the film after photocatalysis. Tenorite thin films display exceptional photocatalytic efficiency, making them suitable for practical applications.

Fabrication of ordered layered SnO2/TiO2 heterostructures and their photocatalytic performance for methyl blue degradation

The rapid growth in population and industrialization has given rise to serious environmental issues, especially the water pollution. Photocatalysis with the assist of semiconductor photocatalysts has been considered as an advanced oxidation technique for degrading a variety of pollutants under solar irradiation. In this work, we have fabricated SnO2-TiO2 heterostructures with different ordered layers of SnO2 and TiO2 via the sol-gel dip-coating technique and utilized in photocatalysis for degradation of methyl blue dye under UV irradiation. The influence of the layer's position on SnO2 and TiO2 properties is investigated via the various techniques. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis reveals that the as-prepared films exhibit pure anatase TiO2 and kesterite SnO2 phases. The 2SnO2/2TiO2 heterostructure exhibit the maximum crystallite size and smallest deviation from the ideal structure. Scanning electron microscopy cross-section images manifest good adhesion of the layers to each other and to the substrate. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals the characteristic vibration modes of SnO2 and TiO2 phases. UV-visible spectroscopy measurements indicate that all films exhibit high transparency (T = 80%) and the SnO2 film reveals a direct band gap of 3.6 eV, while the TiO2 film exhibits an indirect band gap of 2.9 eV. The optimal 2SnO2/2TiO2 heterostructure film revealed best photocatalytic degradation performance and the reaction rate constant for methylene blue solution under UV irradiation. This work will trigger the development of highly efficient heterostructure photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

The impact of operational factors on degradation of formaldehyde as a human carcinogen using Ag3 PO4 /TiO2 photocatalyst

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified formaldehyde as a carcinogen in 2004, yet formaldehyde is widely used in health care settings and various industries. In recent years, photocatalytic oxidation has been developed as a potential technique for removing pollutants arising from organic chemical agents and consequently promoting the health indices. This study investigated the effect of operational factors in optimizing formaldehyde removal from the air using Ag₃ PO₄ /TiO₂ photocatalyst. Methods: An experimental study was designed to investigate the effect of operational factors on the efficiency of formaldehyde degradation. The variables investigated in this study include pollutant retention time, initial pollutant concentration and relative humidity. Sol-gel method was used to synthesize the nano-composite photocatalyst. An ideal experimental design was carried out based on Box-Behnken design (BBD) with response surface methodology (RSM). The sample size in this study includes all the glasses coated with Ag₃ PO₄ /TiO₂ photocatalyst. Results: The maximum formaldehyde degradation of 32% was obtained at the initial concentration of 2 ppm, 20% relative humidity, and 90 minutes of retention time. Based on the statistical results, the correlation coefficient of the present study for the impact of operational factors on formaldehyde degradation was 0.9635, which means that there is only 3.65% probability of error in the model. Conclusion: The operational factors examined in this study (retention time, relative humidity, and initial formaldehyde concentration) were significantly influential in the degradation efficiency of formaldehyde by the photocatalyst. Due to the high exposure of employees and clients of health and treatment centers to formaldehyde as a carcinogenic substance, the results of this study can be used in ventilation systems to remove environmental pollutants in health care centers and other occupational settings.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous membranes via green electrospinning and tannin coating for selective removal of Pb(II) ion

The conventional adsorbent fabrication methods involve complicated processes and may cause secondary contaminations. Therefore, an effective eco-friendly method is required for the fabrication of heavy metal adsorbents using inexpensive and eco-friendly materials without secondary pollution during their process. In this study, nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) were fabricated via green electrospinning of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a hydrophilic polymer, and their water resistance was improved through simple heat treatment without using additional additives. Then, nanofibrous heavy metal adsorbents were prepared by dip-coating the NFMs in an aqueous solution of tannic acid (TA), a natural polyphenol. First, the adsorption/desorption behavior of TA on PVA NFMs during the TA coating process was investigated. In addition, the effects of TA coating on the mechanical properties and heavy metal adsorption characteristics of the PVA NFMs were analyzed. The TA coating significantly increased the mechanical strength, heat resistance, and heavy metal (Pb(II)) adsorption capacity of the PVA NFM. The Pb²⁺ adsorption amount of TA-coated PVA NFMs exhibited about 5-7 times higher than those of other heavy metal ions, indicating excellent selectivity for Pb²⁺. In addition, the TA-coated PVA NFMs retained >70% of its initial adsorption capacity even after four cycles of adsorption/desorption, indicating its reusability.

HistoEnder: A 3D printer-based histological slide autostainer that retains 3D printer functions

Automated microscope slide stainers are usually very expensive and unless the laboratory performs heavy histological work it is difficult to justify buying a 2000-10000€ machine. As a result, histology and pathology labs around the world lose thousands of working hours for following procedures that could be easily automated. Herein, we propose a simple modification of an open-source 3D printer, the Creality Ender-3, into an automated microscope slide autostainer, the HistoEnder. The HistoEnder is cheap (less than 200€), modular, and easy to set up, with only two 3D-printed parts needed. Additionally, the 3D printer retains its full functionality, and it can be reverted back into 3D printing in less than 1 min. The g-code associated with the procedure is extremely simple, and can be written by anyone. The HistoEnder can also be used in chemistry and material science laboratories for automating surface modifications and dip coating.

Biopolymer based edible coating for enhancing the shelf life of horticulture products

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Silk-fibroin based edible coating to enhance the shelf-life of perishable food

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This edible coating iscost-effective, biodegradable, and non-toxic.

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Coating can be prepared in two ways: nanofiber-based coating and dip-coating.

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Coating maintainstexture,stiffness and nutrient content of food for longtime.

As per the report of the United Nations, half of the fruits and vegetables loses annually. Industries are trying to reduce the postharvest loss by using coatings. Wax coating is the most preferred way to preserve fruits and veggies. Sometimes wax is mixed with some chemical compounds that are known to be carcinogenic. Recently many edible films have been developed using natural polymers to enhance the shelf life of food. The edible films act as a barrier between the food and the external environment to prevent the direct interaction of food with atmospheric gases and microbes, which reduce the rate of respiration, keeping the food fresh for an extended period. But, the cost of edible biofilms is high and restricted at the industrial level; the local fruits and vegetable vendors are not able to buy such costly biofilms. We have developed the solution for dip-coating and nanofiber coating using a blend of silk fibroin, PVA, honey and curcumin, which is a cost-effective method for fruits and vegetable vendors. The material used for coating is FDA approved. The techniques utilized for synthesizing the biofilm are electrospinning and dip-coating. Coating found to increase the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables.

Preparation of TiO2/SiO2 ceramic membranes via dip coating for the treatment of produced water

Produced water, a by-product generated from the oil and gas extraction processes, represents a major challenge in the oil and gas industry as it is generally characterized with a very high salinity and oil content. Currently used ceramic membranes for oil-water separation suffer from the low water flux in spite of their several distinctive advantages. To overcome this limitation and to increase the water flux and oil rejection, commercial ceramic TiO₂ membranes were dip coated with silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles at different concentrations of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 wt %. Coated membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray sSpectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopy and contact angle. Results showed that SiO₂ nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the surface of the ceramic membranes confirming the dip coating approach. Furthermore, water flux of 817, 2724, 3636, 627, and 1292 L m^-2 h^-1 (LMH) was reported at control, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 wt%; respectively. Also, contact angle reported 75°, 50°, 40°, 24°, 0° at control, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 wt%; respectively. Finally, total organic carbon (TOC) in the treated water samples reported 100, 28, 11, 9, 10, 13 mg L^-1 at control, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 wt%, respectively. This study can be a preliminary to further studies that accommodate industry-like conditions to help decrease the gap between ideal laboratory setups and harsh real life conditions to fully optimize and exploit the advantages of ceramic membranes in oil-water separation.

High-resolution combinatorial 3D printing of gelatin-based biomimetic triple-layered conduits for nerve tissue engineering

Peripheral nerve injury is a common clinical problem often requiring surgical nerve reconstruction. To this end, tissue-engineered conduit has been proved to be crucial for nerve reconstruction. Despite its progress in recent years, the design and fabrication of translational biomimetic nerve conduits is highly challenging. Therefore, this study aims to design and fabricate mechanically-tunable nerve conduits with biomimetic structural features of the human nerve suitable for nerve tissue engineering. Herein, we employed combinatorial approach comprising of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing, dip-coating, and electrospinning techniques for fabricating triple-layered conduits. The intricate structural details were achieved via high-resolution EHD jet printed PCL filaments with tunable directionality, as the innermost layer; followed by dip coating of gelatin hydrogels to form the middle layer, and lastly, wrapped with electrospun PCL nanofibers as an outer layer of the conduits. The mechanical properties, porosity, and biocompatibility of the fabricated conduits were studied and compared with control. The results of this study confirmed that the combinatorial approach has greater potential to fabricate mechanically-tunable triple-layered conduits with favorable neuronal precursor and vascular cell compatibility.

Surface modification of corneal prosthesis with nano-hydroxyapatite to enhance in vivo biointegration

The majority of clinical corneal prostheses (KPros) adopt a core-skirt configuration. This configuration is favored owing to the optic core (generally a cylindrical, acrylic-based material, such as PMMA), that not only provides a clear window for the patients' vision, but also confers resistance to biodegradability. The surrounding skirt (typically a biological material, such as corneal tissue) allows for host tissue integration. However, due to poor biointegration between the dissimilar core and skirt materials, it results in a weak adhesion at the interface, giving rise to clinical complications, such as bacterial infections in the tissue-PMMA interface and device extrusion. Here, we physically immobilized nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) on a PMMA cylinder via a dip-coating technique, to create a bioactive surface that improved biointegration in vivo. We established that the nHAp coating was safe and stable in the rabbit cornea over five weeks. More importantly, we found that apoptotic, wound healing and inflammatory responses to nHAp-coated PMMA were substantially milder than to non-coated PMMA. More mature collagen, similar to the non-operated cornea, was maintained in the corneal stroma adjacent to the nHAp-coated implant edge. However, around the non-coated cylinder, an abundant new and loose connective tissue formed, similar to bone tissue response to bioinert scaffolds. As a result of superior biointegration, tissue adhesion with nHAp-coated PMMA cylinders was also significantly enhanced compared to non-coated cylinders. This study set a precedent for the future application of the nHAp coating on clinical KPros. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Currently, all clinical corneal prostheses utilize as-manufactured, non-surface modified PMMA optic cylinder. The bioinert cylinder, however, has poor biointegration and adhesion with the surrounding biological tissue, which can give rise to postoperative complications, such as microbial invasion in the tissue-PMMA loose interface and PMMA optic cylinder extrusion. In the current study, we showed that surface modification of the PMMA cylinder with bioactive nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) significantly enhanced its biointegration with corneal stromal tissue in vivo. The superior biointegration of the nHAp-coated PMMA was signified by a more attenuated corneal wound healing, inflammatory and fibrotic response, and better tissue apposition, as well as a significantly improved corneal stromal tissue adhesion when compared to the non-coated PMMA.

Random array of inorganic nanoparticles on polymer surface for anti-biofouling property through cost-effective and high-performance dip-coating

Anti-biofouling treatment is required in various fields such as biomedical application, construction, civil engineering, and so on. Currently available techniques such as lithography and replica methods have several limitations in application and accessibility. We introduced a simple, biocompatible, and cost-effective anti-biofouling dip-coating method with polyurethane-inorganic (anisotropic montmorillonite and spherical TiO₂) hybrid coating agent. Layer thickness of coating was as thin as 5 μm. It was cross-confirmed with thickness gauge and cross-section scanning electron microscopy. Through atomic force microscopy, inorganic nanoparticles were observed to be randomly arrayed with particles partially embedded in the polyurethane network. The calculated surface roughness of inorganic-polyurethane hybrid coating was five times larger than the neat substrate film and three times larger than coating without inorganic nanoparticles. Surface energy of the inorganic-polyurethane film decreased with increasing surface roughness as random pattern of inorganic particle reduced van der Waals interaction. Biofouling efficacy was evaluated by mucin adsorption and consecutive alcian blue assay. Results showed that coated film decreased biofouling 81% compared to bare film.

Mitigating biofouling with a vanillin coating on thin film composite reverse osmosis membranes

Several methods, such as pretreatment, membrane surface modification, feed water chlorination, and chemical cleaning, have recently been applied to control biofouling on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes-with limited success. As an alternative, compounds that inhibit bacterial quorum sensing can be used to disrupt formation of bacterial colonies. In this study, anti-biofouling using vanillin, which is a natural substance among quorum sensing inhibitor compounds, was trialed, by modifying RO membrane surfaces with vanillin, at various concentrations. We then reviewed consequential changes to membrane surface characteristics and vanillin anti-biofouling properties. A long-term RO membrane simulator was used to analyze permeability, contact angle was measured for hydrophilicity evaluation, and membrane surface morphology was analyzed, through atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A quorum quenching effect was confirmed by utilizing Petrifilm to count bacteria on the surface of a modified membrane. As a result, the permeability of the surface modified membranes was slightly decreased compared to the pristine membrane, but the hydrophilicity was increased, and the number of colonies decreased remarkably, the membrane modified with 0.5 M vanillin outperforming that modified with 0.25 M vanillin.

Electrospun frogspawn structured membrane for gravity-driven oil-water separation

The aim of this study is to prepare a fibrous membrane scaffold that possesses a frogspawn structure for high-efficiency oil-water separation. Polyamic acid was first electrospun onto a rotating wheel-collector to obtain the fibrous membrane. Subsequently, post-processing by immersion in a polydimethylsiloxane solution and a silica nanoparticles suspension, followed by a thermal treatment generated a frogspawn-structured fibrous membrane. The obtained membrane achieved superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity, with the water contact angle as high as 155.75° and the oil contact angle lower than 10°. The separation efficiencies of the membrane were higher than 99.55% and the permeate flux was maintained at greater than 4400 L/m²∙h after 20 separation cycles. Additionally, the wettability studies suggested the membrane exhibits high stability because it can resist damages due to high temperature (150 °C), acid/basic conditions and organic/inorganic solvents. These findings indicated that this composite membrane has great potential for use in gravity-driven oil-water separation and can extend the range of its application for treatments of oil spills incident, oily wastewater and spent liquor.

Modification of hemp shiv properties using water-repellent sol-gel coatings

For the first time, the hydrophilicity of hemp shiv was modified without the compromise of its hygroscopic properties. This research focused on the use of sol-gel method in preparation of coatings on the natural plant material, hemp shiv, that has growing potential in the construction industry as a thermal insulator. The sol-gel coatings were produced by cohydrolysis and polycondensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) using an acidic catalyst. Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) was added as the hydrophobic precursor to provide water resistance to the bio-based material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) have been used to determine the morphological changes on the surface as well as within the hemp shiv. It was found that the sol-gel coatings caused a reduction in water uptake but did not strongly influence the moisture sorption behaviour of hemp shiv. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy shows that the coating layer on hemp shiv acts a shield, thereby lowering peak intensity in the wavelength range 1200-1800 cm^-1. The sol-gel coating affected pore size distribution and cumulative pore volume of the shiv resulting in tailored porosity. The overall porosity of shiv decreased with a refinement in diameter of the larger pores. Thermal analysis was performed using TGA and stability of coated and uncoated hemp shiv have been evaluated. Hemp shiv modified with sol-gel coating can potentially develop sustainable heat insulating composites with better hygrothermal properties.

Facile method to immobilize ZnO particles on glass spheres for the photocatalytic treatment of tannery wastewater

In order to apply the photocatalytic processes on a real scale for the treatment of industrial wastewaters, the use of slurry reactors employing suspended photocatalysts is not suitable due to the need for an uncomfortable and expensive separation phase of photocatalyst. To overcome this disadvantage, the photocatalyst particles must be immobilized on a transparent support: our work proposes, for this reason, a simple and cost effective method for the deposition of ZnO photocatalyst on glass spheres in order to formulate a structured photocatalyst effective in the treatment of aqueous solutions containing various organic dyes, commonly used in the tannery industries and in the treatment of a real wastewater at high COD content (11 g/L) coming from the refining unit of the tanning process. In particular, ZnO was immobilized on glass spheres (ZnO/GS) with a simple dip coating method, starting from zinc acetate aqueous solution, without using complexing agent and strong basic compounds. The optimization of ZnO amount on glass spheres was evaluated employing Acid Blue 7 dye, as model pollutant. In particular, it was found that best performances in terms of discoloration and mineralization of the target dye were obtained using the photocatalyst with a ZnO loading equal to 0.19 wt% (ZnO_ac1), prepared through only one dip-coating step. Moreover, the ZnO_ac1 photocatalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture, maintaining excellent photocatalytic activity and durability even after several reuse cycles. Finally, ZnO_ac1 showed a high photocatalytic activity in the treatment of the real wastewater, obtaining a COD removal equal to 70% after 180 min of UV light irradiation.

A novel and facile strategy for highly flame retardant polymer foam composite materials: Transforming silicone resin coating into silica self-extinguishing layer

In this study, a novel strategy was developed to fabricate highly flame retardant polymer foam composite materials coated by synthesized silicone resin (SiR) polymer via a facile dip-coating processing. Applying the SiR polymer coating, the mechanical property and thermal stability of SiR-coated polymer foam (PSiR) composites are greatly enhanced without significantly altering their structure and morphology. The minimum oxygen concentration to support the combustion of foam materials is greatly increased, i.e. from LOI 14.6% for pure foam to LOI 26-29% for the PSiR composites studied. Especially, adjusting pendant group to SiOSi group ratio (R/Si ratio) of SiRs produces highly flame retardant PSiR composites with low smoke toxicity. Cone calorimetry results demonstrate that 44-68% reduction in the peak heat release rate for the PSiR composites containing different R/Si ratios over pure foam is achieved by the presence of appropriate SiR coating. Digital and SEM images of post-burn chars indicate that the SiR polymer coating can be transformed into silica self-extinguishing porous layer as effective inorganic barrier effect, thus preserving the polymer foam structure from fire. Our results show that the SiR dip-coating technique is a promising strategy for producing flame retardant polymer foam composite materials with improved mechanical properties.

Next generation covered stents made from nanocomposite materials: A complete assessment of uniformity, integrity and biomechanical properties

Covered stents are stents wrapped with a thin polymeric membrane, and are typically used to treat vessel aneurysms and seal perforated arteries. Current covered stents suffer from restenosis due to limitations in material and fabrication methods which leaves metallic struts directly exposed to blood. We have developed a biocompatible and haemocompatible nanocomposite polymer, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea) urethane (POSS-PCU). We devised a novel combination of ultrasonic spray atomisation system and dip-coating process to produce small calibre covered stents with metal struts fully embedded within the membrane, which also yields greater coating uniformity. Stent-polymer bonding was enhanced via silanisation and coating of reactive pre-polymer. Platelet studies supported the non-thrombogenicity of POSS-PCU. Biomechanical performances including diametrical compliance, bending strength, radial strength and recoil were evaluated and optimised. This proof-of-principle manufacturing technique could lead to the development of next-generation small calibre adult and paediatric covered stents. These stents are currently undergoing preclinical trial. From the Clinical Editor: The use of stents to treat vascular diseases is now the standard of care in the clinical setting. Nonetheless, a major problem of the current stents is the risk of restenosis and thrombosis. The authors developed a nanocomposite material using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and poly(carbonate-urea) urethane (POSS-PCU) and incorporated into metallic stents. Preliminary data have already shown promising results. It is envisaged that this would further lead to better stent technology in the future.

Optical Sensitivity Gain in Silica-Coated Plasmonic Nanostructures

Ultrathin films of silica realized by sol-gel synthesis and dip-coating techniques were successfully applied to predefined metal/polymer plasmonic nanostructures to spectrally tune their resonance modes and to increase their sensitivity to local refractive index changes. Plasmon resonance spectral shifts up to 100 nm with slope efficiencies of ∼8 nm/nm for increasing layer thickness were attained. In the ultrathin layer regime (<10 nm), which could be reached by suitable dilution of the silica precursors and optimization of the deposition speed, the sensitivity of the main plasmonic resonance to refractive index changes in aqueous solution could be increased by over 50% with respect to the bare plasmonic chip. Numerical simulations supported experimental data and unveiled the mechanism responsible for the optical sensitivity gain, proving an effective tool in the design of high-performance plasmonic sensors.

Calcination-free micropatterning of rare-earth-ion-doped nanoparticle films on wettability-patterned surfaces of plastic sheets

We demonstrate a patterning technique of rare-earth-ion-doped (RE) nanoparticle films directly on wettability-patterned surfaces fabricated on plastic sheets in one step. Self-assembled monolayers consisting of silane-coupling agent with hydrophobic groups were fabricated on plastic sheets. UV-ozone treatments were performed through a metal mask to selectively remove the self-assembled monolayers in a patterned manner, resulting in the formation of wettability-patterned surfaces on plastic sheets. Using a water dispersion of Er(3+) and Yb(3+)-codoped Y2O3 nanoparticles at a diameter of 100 nm, RE-nanoparticle films were fabricated on the wettability-patterned surfaces by a dip-coating technique. By adjusting the concentration of RE-nanoparticle dispersion, withdrawal speed, and withdrawal angle, amount of RE-nanoparticles, we were able to control the structures of the RE-nanoparticle films. Fluorescence microscope observations demonstrate that visible upconversion luminescence and near-infrared fluorescence were emitted from the RE-nanoparticle films on the wettability-patterned surfaces. This technique allows for the fabrication of flexible emitting devices with long-operating life time with minimized material consumption and few fabrication steps, and for the application to sensors, emitting devices, and displays in electronics, photonics, and bionics in the future.