5 research outputs found
On diamond surface properties and interactions with neurons
No full textIn this paper we report about the role the diamond surface morphology and atomic termination plays in the survival and viability of neuronal cells, which represent an appropriate experimental model for the development of cell-based biosensors. The samples we have investigated were both CVD homoepitaxial diamond films and nanocrystalline diamond layers deposited on quartz substrates. Different surface terminations were induced through exposure to atomic hydrogen and to intense UV irradiation. GT1-7 cells, a neuronal line of hypothalamic origin, were plated directly onto the diamond surfaces without exogenous adhesion molecules, in order to correlate the surface topography and chemistry to cell growth and viability. The cell density on nanocrystalline diamonds after 48h from plating was approximately 55% of the control on plastic dishes, whatever is the atomic termination of the surface, whereas the performances of homoepitaxial samples in terms of cell growth depend on surface termination and were significantly lower, 30%.-
Effect of thermal treatments on sputtered silver nanocluster/ silica composite coatings on soda-lime glasses: ionic exchange and antibacterial activity
No full textSilver nanocluster/silica composite coatings were deposited on both soda-lime and silica glasses by radio frequency (RF) co-sputtering. The effect of thermal treatments on the microstructure in the range of 150–450 °C were examined by UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Time of Flight-Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis. Sodium/silver ionic exchange was evidenced for coatings sputtered on soda-lime substrates after heating at 450 °C; presence of silver ions and/or silver nanoclusters, nanocluster size and their position inside the sputtered layers will be discussed for as-deposited and heated coatings on both substrates. The antibacterial activity of all coatings was determined against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans by disk diffusion method and colonies forming units count; in agreement with microstructural results, the antibacterial activity present on all coatings was slightly reduced after heating at 450 °C. All coatings have been submitted to humidity plus UV ageing and sterilization by autoclave, gamma ray and ethylene oxide gas. Tape resistance (ASTM D3359-97) tests have been done on each coating before and after ageing and sterilizations, revealing a good adhesion on soda-lime substrates, except for those aged in humidity plus UV and sterilized by autoclave. Scratch tests and nanoindentation tests have been done on each coating, as-deposited and after heating at 450 °C. The coating hardness was improved by heating only when coatings were deposited on silica. The heating of coatings deposited on soda-lime substrates gave opposite effect on their hardness
Investigation on Microvoids in Pecvd a-Si:H
No full textThe effect of microvoids on optical properties of a-Si:H deposited by PECVD of SiH4 has been investigated in the deposition temperature range between 143°C and 266°C. Microvoids seem not to affect the density up to H concentrations CH of 15%. The density is decreased only by H incorporation, which, at the same time, influences directly the optical energy gap Eg Above CH=15%, microvoids can easily accommodate H and no further variation either of Eg or the index of refraction n can be appreciated. Microvoids are proven to be affected not only by deposition temperature, but also by deposition time and by a further annealing step, even if at a relative extent.</jats:p
