Nonwoven PTFE Membranes Fabricated by Electrospinning Method: Preparation and Characterization

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is one of the promising materials for the purposes of tissue engineering and chemical technology because of its excellent physico-chemical properties and mechanical characteristics. However, conventional methods of PTFE porous membranes production have several disadvantages which limit the number of potential application areas by reason of a insufficient surface-to-volume ratio and poor porosity at small thickness. In the paper the results of using PTFE water suspension with a solution of water-soluble polymer for preparation of porous membranes by electrospinning are reported. The physico-chemical characteristics of membranes were investigated depending on the content of PTFE dispersion in spinning solution. There were found high hydrophobicity and lyophilicity of PTFE electrospun membranes. Main reasons of poor mechanical properties of porous membranes at high content of PTFE suspension in spinning solution are discovered. The ways of mechanical properties improvement and areas of possible applications are proposed

Shape stabilization and laser triggered shape transformation of magnetic particle functionalized liquid metal motors

Liquid metal motors made from biologically benign gallium are promising candidates for various applications ranging from drug delivery to targeting and killing cancer cells directly. One of the main problems with this novel technology is the need to utilize a membrane, making it possible to maintain a defined shape in order to perform the required functions. For magnetic remote guidance, liquid metal motors can be doped with magnetic iron microparticles, forming a transition magnetic liquid. In an alternative approach liquid metal structures are coated with magnetite nanoparticles. We hereby present an approach to laminate biologically benign gallium-based magnetic liquid metal motors with a biodegradable and biocompatible macromolecular thin film to retain the initial shape. Thanks to the polymer lamination and by the help of magnetic fields, the presented liquid metal motors can be remotely guided. The shape retaining macromolecular thin film can be liquefied by photothermal effects such as laser irradiation in order to change the shape of the liquid metal motor into a droplet due to surface energy minimization, allowing for penetration of structures smaller than the initial motor size. This work uses a relatively large technical demonstrator to show the technical realization and properties of this novel system, which opens up new paths and potential applications

The fabrication of patterned metallic master by photolithography and electroplating technique for making PDMS-stamp as a tool for drug delivery system preparation

In this work, the micropatterned (Ni micropillars) masters were fabricated by combination of photolithography and electroplating technique. The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps were successfully made by casting technique on micropatterned masters and used for further preparation of polymeric microchamber arrays film considered to be a drug delivery system. Micropatterned master fabrication is more precise technique, which is necessary for defects elimination

Calcium phosphate coatings produced by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering method

Calcium phosphate coatings on titanium implants surface, produced by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method with hydroxyapatite solid target were investigated. It was found that produced coatings are calcium deficient compared to stoichiometric hydroxyapatite. The surface of the coatings is highly rough at the nanoscale and highly elastic. In vivo experiments on rats revealed that titanium implants with the calcium phosphate coatings do not cause negative tissue reaction after 6 months incubation period

EPMA-World Congress 2015: Bonn, Germany. 3-5 September 2015

Table of contents A1 Predictive and prognostic biomarker panel for targeted application of radioembolisation improving individual outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma Jella-Andrea Abraham, Olga Golubnitschaja A2 Integrated market access approach amplifying value of “Rx-CDx” Ildar Akhmetov A3 Disaster response: an opportunity to improve global healthcare Russell J. Andrews, Leonidas Quintana A4 USA PPPM: proscriptive, profligate, profiteering medicine-good for 1 % wealthy, not for 99 % unhealthy Russell J. Andrews A5 The role of IDO in a murine model of gingivitis: predictive and therapeutic potentials Babak Baban, Jun Yao Liu, Xu Qin, Tailing Wang, Mahmood S. Mozaffari A6 Specific diets for personalised treatment of diabetes type 2 Viktoriia V. Bati, Tamara V. Meleshko, Olga B. Levchuk, Nadiya V. Boyko A7 Towards personalized physiotherapeutic approach Joanna Bauer, Ewa Boerner, Halina Podbielska A8 Cells, animal, SHIME and in silico models for detection and verification of specific biomarkers of non-communicable chronic diseases Alojz Bomba, Viktor O. Petrov, Volodymyr G. Drobnych, Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Oksana M. Bykova, Nadiya V. Boyko A9 INTERACT-chronic care model: Self-treatment by patients with decision support e-Health solution Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca, Lutz Fleischhacker, Olga Golubnitschaja, Frank Heemskerk, Thomas Helms, Tiny Jaarsma, Judita Kinkorova, Jan Ramaekers, Peter Ruff, Ivana Schnur, Emilio Vanoli, Jose Verdu A10 PPPM in cardiovascular medicine in 2015 Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca A11 Magnetic resonance imaging of nanoparticles in mice, potential for theranostic and contrast media development – pilot results Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Sergiy A. Grabovetskyi, Olena M. Mykhalchenko, Natalia O. Tymoshok, Oleksandr B. Shcherbakov, Igor P. Semeniv, Mykola Y. Spivak A12 Ultrasound diagnosis for diabetic neuropathy - comparative study Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Tetyana V. Ostapenko A13 Ultrasound for stratification patients with diabetic foot ulcers for prevention and personalized treatment - pilot results Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Nazarii M. Kobyliak, Nadiya M. Zholobak, Mykola Ya. Spivak A14 Project ImaGenX – designing and executing a questionnaire on environment and lifestyle risk of breast cancer John Paul Cauchi A15 Genomics – a new structural brand of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine or the new driver as well? Dmitrii Cherepakhin, Marina Bakay, Artem Borovikov, Sergey Suchkov A16 Survey of questionnaires for evaluation of the quality of life in various medical fields Barbara Cieślik, Agnieszka Migasiewicz, Maria-Luiza Podbielska, Markus Pelleter, Agnieszka Giemza, Halina Podbielska A17 Personalized molecular treatment for muscular dystrophies Sebahattin Cirak A18 Secondary mutations in circulating tumour DNA for acquired drug resistance in patients with advanced ALK + NSCLC Marzia Del Re, Paola Bordi, Valentina Citi, Marta Palombi, Carmine Pinto, Marcello Tiseo, Romano Danesi A19 Recombinant species-specific FcεRI alpha proteins for diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergies in dogs, cats and horses Lukas Einhorn, Judit Fazekas, Martina Muhr, Alexandra Schoos, Lucia Panakova, Ina Herrmann, Krisztina Manzano-Szalai, Kumiko Oida, Edda Fiebiger, Josef Singer, Erika Jensen-Jarolim A20 Global methodology for developmental neurotoxicity testing in humans and animals early and chronically exposed to chemical contaminants Arpiné A. Elnar, Nadia Ouamara, Nadiya Boyko, Xavier Coumoul, Jean-Philippe Antignac, Bruno Le Bizec, Gauthier Eppe, Jenny Renaut, Torsten Bonn, Cédric Guignard, Margherita Ferrante, Maria Liusa Chiusano, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Gerard O'Keeffe, John Cryan, Michelle Bisson, Amina Barakat, Ihsane Hmamouchi, Nasser Zawia, Anumantha Kanthasamy, Glen E. Kisby, Rui Alves, Oscar Villacañas Pérez, Kim Burgard, Peter Spencer, Norbert Bomba, Martin Haranta, Nina Zaitseva, Irina May, Stéphanie Grojean, Mathilde Body-Malapel, Florencia Harari, Raul Harari, Kristina Yeghiazaryan, Olga Golubnitschaja, Vittorio Calabrese, Christophe Nemos, Rachid Soulimani A21 Mental indicators at young people with attributes hypertension and pre-hypertension Maria E. Evsevyeva, Elena A. Mishenko, Zurida V. Kumukova, Evgeniy V. Chudnovsky, Tatyana A. Smirnova A22 On the approaches to the early diagnosis of stress-induced hypertension in young employees of State law enforcement agencies Maria E. Evsevyeva, Ludmila V. Ivanova, Michail V. Eremin, Maria V. Rostovtseva A23 Сentral aortic pressure and indexes of augmentation in young persons in view of risk factors Maria E. Evsevyeva, Michail V. Eremin, Vladimir I. Koshel, Oksana V. Sergeeva, Nadesgda M. Konovalova A24 Breast cancer prediction and prevention: Are reliable biomarkers in horizon? Shantanu Girotra, Olga Golubnitschaja A25 Flammer Syndrome and potential formation of pre-metastatic niches: A multi-centred study on phenotyping, patient stratification, prediction and potential prevention of aggressive breast cancer and metastatic disease Olga Golubnitschaja, Manuel Debald, Walther Kuhn, Kristina Yeghiazaryan, Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Vadym M. Goncharenko, Ulyana Lushchyk, Godfrey Grech, Katarzyna Konieczka A26 Innovative tools for prenatal diagnostics and monitoring: improving individual pregnancy outcomes and health-economy in EU Olga Golubnitschaja, Jan Jaap Erwich, Vincenzo Costigliola, Kristina Yeghiazaryan, Ulrich Gembruch A27 Immunohistochemical assessment of APUD cells in endometriosis Vadym M. Goncharenko, Vasyl O. Beniuk, Olga V. Kalenska, Rostyslav V. Bubnov A28 Updating personalized management algorithm of endometrial hyperplasia in pre-menopause women Vadym M. Goncharenko, Vasyl O. Beniuk, Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Olga Melnychuk A29 The personified treatment approach of polimorbid patients with periodontal inflammatory diseases Irina A. Gorbacheva, Lyudmila Y. Orekhova, Vadim V. Tachalov A30 Ukrainian experience in hybrid war – the challenge to update algorithms for personalized care and early prevention of different military injuries Olena I. Grechanyk, Rizvan Ya. Abdullaiev, Rostyslav V. Bubnov A31 Tear fluid biomarkers: a comparison of tear fluid sampling and storage protocols Suzanne Hagan, Eilidh Martin, Ian Pearce, Katherine Oliver A32 The correlation of dietary habits with gingival problems during menstruation Cenk Haytac, Fariz Salimov, Servin Yoksul, Anatoly A. Kunin, Natalia S. Moiseeva A33 Genomic medicine in a contemporary Spanish population of prostate cancer: our experience Bernardo Herrera-Imbroda, Sergio del Río-González, Maria Fernanda Lara, Antonia Angulo, Francisco Javier Machuca Santa-Cruz A34 Challenges, opportunities and collaborations for personalized medicine applicability in uro-oncological disease Bernardo Herrera-Imbroda, Sergio del Río-González, Maria Fernanda Lara A35 Metabolic hallmarks of cancer as targets for a personalized therapy John Ionescu A36 Influence of genetic polymorphism as a predictor of the development of periodontal disease in patients with gastric ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer Alfiya Z. Isamulaeva, Anatoly A. Kunin, Shamil Sh. Magomedov, Aida I. Isamulaeva A37 Challenges in diabetic macular edema Tatjana Josifova A38 Overview of the EPMA strategies in laboratory medicine relevant for PPPM Marko Kapalla, Juraj Kubáň, Olga Golubnitschaja, Vincenzo Costigliola A39 EPMA initiative for effective organization of medical travel: European concepts and criteria Vincenzo Costigliola, Marko Kapalla, Juraj Kubáň, Olga Golubnitschaja A40 Design and innovation in e-textiles: implications for PPPM Anthony Kent, Tom Fisher, Tilak Dias A41 Biobank in Pilsen as a member of national node BBMRI_CZ Judita Kinkorová, Ondřej Topolčan A42 Big data in personalized medicine: hype and hope Matthias Kohl A43 The 3P approach as the platform of the European Dentistry Department (DPPPD) Anatoly A. Kunin, Natalia S. Moiseeva A44 The endometrium cytokine patterns for predictive diagnosis of proliferation severity and cancer prevention Andrii I. Kurchenko, Vasyl A. Beniuk, Vadym M. Goncharenko, Rostyslav V. Bubnov, Nadiya V. Boyko, Andriy M. Strokan A45 A monocyte-based in-vitro system for testing individual responses to the implanted material: future for personalized implant construction Julia Kzhyshkowska, Alexandru Gudima, Ksenia S. Stankevich, Victor D. Filimonov4, Harald Klüter, Evgeniya M. Mamontova, Sergei I. Tverdokhlebov A46 Prediction and prevention of adverse health effects by meteorological factors: Biomarker patterns and creation of a device for self-monitoring and integrated care Ulyana B. Lushchyk, Viktor V. Novytskyy, Igor P. Babii, Nadiya G. Lushchyk, Lyudmyla S. Riabets, Ivanna I. Legka A47 Targeting "disease signatures" towards personalized healthcare Mira Marcus-Kalish, Alexis Mitelpunkt, Tal Galili, Neta Shachar, Yoav Benjamini A48 Influence of the skin imperfection on the personal quality of life and possible tools for objective diagnosis Agnieszka Migasiewicz, Markus Pelleter, Joanna Bauer, Ewelina Dereń, Halina Podbielska A49 The new direction in caries prevention based on the ultrastructure of dental hard tissues and filling materials Natalia S. Moiseeva, Anatoly A. Kunin, Dmitry A. Kunin A50 The use of LED radiation in prevention of dental diseases Natalia S. Moiseeva, Yury A. Ippolitov, Dmitry A. Kunin, Alexei N. Morozov, Natalia V. Chirkova, Nakhid T. Aliev A51 Status of endothelial progenitor cells in diabetic nephropathy: predictive and preventive potentials Mahmood S. Mozaffari, Jun Yao Liu, Babak Baban A52 The status of glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein in salivary gland in Sjögren’s syndrome: predictive and personalized treatment potentials Mahmood S. Mozaffari, Jun Yao Liu, Rafik Abdelsayed, Xing-Ming Shi, Babak Baban A53 Maximal aerobic capacity - important quality marker of health Jaroslav Novák, Milan Štork, Václav Zeman A54 The EMPOWER project: laboratory medicine and Horizon 2020 Wytze P. Oosterhuis, Elvar Theodorsson A55 Personality profile manifestations in patient’s attitude to oral care and adherence to doctor’s prescriptions Lyudmila Y. Orekhova, Tatyana V. Kudryavtseva, Elena R. Isaeva, Vadim V. Tachalov, Ekaterina S. Loboda A56 Results of an European survey on personalized medicine addressed to directions of laboratory medicine Mario Pazzagli, Francesca Malentacchi, Irene Mancini, Ivan Brandslund, Pieter Vermeersch, Matthias Schwab, Janja Marc, Ron H.N. van Schaik, Gerard Siest, Elvar Theodorsson, Chiara Di Resta A57 MCI or early dementia predictive speech based diagnosis techniques Matus Pleva, Jozef Juhar A58 Personalized speech based mobile application for eHealth Matus Pleva, Jozef Juhar A59 Circulating tumor cell-free DNA as the biomarker in the management of cancer patients Jiří Polívka jr., Filip Janků, Martin Pešta, Jan Doležal, Milena Králíčková, Jiří Polívka A60 Complex stroke care – educational programme in Stroke Centre University Hospital Plzen Jiří Polívka, Alena Lukešová, Nina Müllerová, Petr Ševčík, Vladimír Rohan A61 Sleep apnea and sleep fragmentation contribute to brain aging Kneginja Richter, Lence Miloseva, Günter Niklewski A62 Personalised approach for sleep disturbances in shift workers Kneginja Richter, Jens Acker, Guenter Niklewski A63 Medical travel and innovative PPPM clusters: new concept of integration Olga Safonicheva, Vincenzo Costigliola A64 Medical travel and women health Olga Safonicheva A65 Continuity of generations in the training of specialists in the field of reconstructive microsurgery Maxim Sautin, Janna Sinelnikova, Sergey Suchkov A66 Telemonitoring of stroke patients – empirical evidence of individual risk management results from an observational study in Germany Songül Secer, Stephan von Bandemer A67 Women’s increasing breast cancer risk with n-6 fatty acid intake explained by estrogen-fatty acid interactive effect on DNA damage: implications for gender-specific nutrition within personalized medicine Niva Shapira A68 Cytobacterioscopy of the gingival crevicular fluid as a method for preventive diagnosis of periodontal diseases Aleksandr Shcherbakov, Anatoly A. Kunin, Natalia S. Moiseeva A69 Use of specially treated composites in dentistry to avoid violations of aesthetics Bogdan R. Shumilovich, Zhanna Lipkind, Yulia Vorobieva, Dmitry A. Kunin, Anastasiia V. Sudareva A70 National eHealth system – platform for preventive, predictive and personalized diabetes care Ivica Smokovski, Tatjana Milenkovic A72 The common energy levels of Prof. Szent-Györgyi, the intrinsic chemistry of melanin, and the muscle physiopathology. Implications in the context of Preventive, Predictive, and Personalized Medicine Arturo Solís-Herrera, María del Carmen Arias-Esparza, Sergey Suchkov A73 Plurality and individuality of hepatocellular carcinoma: PPPM perspectives Krishna Chander Sridhar, Olga Golubnitschaja A74 Strategic aspects of higher medical education reforms to secure newer educational platforms for getting biopharma professionals matures Maria Studneva, Sihong Song, James Creeden, Мark Мandrik, Sergey Suchkov A75 Overview of the strategies and activities of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, (EFLM) Elvar Theodorsson, EFLM A76 New spectroscopic techniques for point of care label free diagnostics Syed A. M. Tofail A77 Tumor markers for personalized medicine and oncology - the role of Laboratory Medicine Ondřej Topolčan, Judita Kinkorová, Ondřej Fiala, Marie Karlíková, Šárka Svobodová, Radek Kučera, Radka Fuchsová, Vladislav Třeška, Václav Šimánek, Ladislav Pecen, Jan Šoupal, Štěpán Svačina2 A78 Modern medical terminology (MMT) as a driver of the global educational reforms Evgeniya Tretyak, Maria Studneva, Sergey Suchkov A79 Juvenile hypertension; the relevance of novel predictive, preventive and personalized assessment of its determinants Francesca M. Trovato, G. Fabio Martines, Daniela Brischetto, Daniela Catalano, Giuseppe Musumeci, Guglielmo M. Trovato A80 Proteomarkers Biotech George Th. Tsangaris, Athanasios K. Anagnostopoulos A81 Proteomics and mass spectrometry based non-invasive prenatal testing of fetal health and pregnancy complications George Th. Tsangaris, Athanasios K. Anagnostopoulos A82 Integrated Ecosystem for an Integrated Care model for Heart Failure (HF) patients including related comorbidities (ZENITH) José Verdú, German Gutiérrez, Jordi Rovira, Marta Martinez, Lutz Fleischhacker, Donna Green, Arthur Garson, Elena Tamburini, Stefano Cuomo, Juan Martinez-Leon, Teresa Abrisqueta, Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca, Tiny Jaarsma, Teresa Arredondo, Cecilia Vera, Giuseppe Fico, Olga Golubnitschaja, Fernando Arribas, Martina Onderco, Isabel Vara, on behalf of ZENITH consortium A83 Predictive, preventive and personalized medicine in diabetes onset and complication (MOSAIC project) José Verdú, Francesco Sambo, Barbara Di Camillo, Claudio Cobelli, Andrea Facchinetti, Giuseppe Fico, Riccardo Bellazzi, Lucia Sacchi, Arianna Dagliati, Daniele Segnani, Valentina Tibollo, Manuel Ottaviano, Rafael Gabriel, Leif Groop, Jacqueline Postma, Antonio Martinez, Liisa Hakaste, Tiinamaija Tuomi, Konstantia Zarkogianni, on behalf of MOSAIC consortium A84 Possibilities for personalized therapy of diabetes using in vitro screening of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents Igor Volchek, Nina Pototskaya, Andrey Petrov A85 The innovative technology for personalized therapy of human diseases based on in vitro drug screening Igor Volchek, Nadezhda Pototskaya, Andrey Petrov A86 Bone destruction and temporomandibular joint: predictive markers, pathogenetic aspects and quality of life Ülle Voog-Oras, Oksana Jagur, Edvitar Leibur, Priit Niibo, Triin Jagomägi, Minh Son Nguyen, Chris Pruunsild, Dagmar Piikov, Mare Saag A87 Sub-optimal health management – global vision for concepts in medical travel Wei Wang A88 Sub-optimal health management: synergic PPPM-TCAM approach Wei Wang A89 Innovative technologies for minimal invasive diagnostics Andreas Weinhäusel, Walter Pulverer, Matthias Wielscher, Manuela Hofner, Christa Noehammer, Regina Soldo, Peter Hettegger, Istvan Gyurjan, Ronald Kulovics, Silvia Schönthaler, Gabriel Beikircher, Albert Kriegner, Stephan Pabinger, Klemens Vierlinger A90 Rare disease diobanks for personalized medicine Ayşe Yüzbaşıoğlu, Meral Özgüç, Member of EuroBioBank - European Network of DNA, Cell and Tissue Banks for Rare Disease

Electrospun VDF-TeFE Scaffolds Modified by Copper and Titanium in Magnetron Plasma and Their Antibacterial Activity against MRSA

Copolymer solution of vinylidene fluoride with tetrafluoroethylene (VDF-TeFE) was used for electrospinning of fluoropolymer scaffolds. Magnetron co-sputtering of titanium and copper targets in the argon atmosphere was used for VDF-TeFE scaffolds modification. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that scaffolds have a nonwoven structure with mean fiber diameter 0.77 ± 0.40 μm, mean porosity 58 ± 7%. The wetting angle of the original (unmodified) hydrophobic fluoropolymer scaffold after modification by titanium begins to possess hydrophilic properties. VDF-TeFE scaffold modification by titanium/copper leads to the appearance of strong antibacterial properties. The obtained fluoropolymer samples can be successfully used in tissue engineering

Polyether Ether Ketone Coated with Ultra-Thin Films of Titanium Oxide and Zirconium Oxide Fabricated by DC Magnetron Sputtering for Biomedical Application

Recently, polyether ether ketone has raised increasing interest in research and industry as an alternative material for bone implants. This polymer also has some shortcomings, as it is bioinert and its surface is relatively hydrophobic, causing poor cell adhesion and therefore slow integration with bone tissue. In order to improve biocompatibility, the surface of polyether ether ketone-based implants should be modified. Therefore, polished disc-shaped polyether ether ketone samples were surface-modified by direct current magnetron sputtering with ultrathin titanium and zirconium coatings (thickness < 100 nm). The investigation results show a uniform distribution of both types of coatings on the sample surfaces, where the coatings mostly consist of titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the crystalline structure of the polyether ether ketone substrates was not changed by the coating deposition. Both coatings are amorphous, as shown by X-ray diffraction investigations. The roughness of both coating types increases with increasing coating thickness, which is beneficial for cell colonization. The coatings presented and investigated in this study improve wettability, increasing surface energies, in particular the polar component of the surface energies, which, in turn, are important for cell adhesion

Improvement of the Surface Properties of Polyether Ether Ketone via Arc Evaporation for Biomedical Applications

Polyether ether ketone is a bioinert polymer, that is of high interest in research and medicine as an alternative material for the replacement of bone implants made of metal. The biggest deficit of this polymer is its hydrophobic surface, which is rather unfavorable for cell adhesion and thus leads to slow osseointegration. In order to address this drawback, 3D-printed and polymer extruded polyether ether ketone disc samples that were surface-modified with titanium thin films of four different thicknesses via arc evaporation were investigated and compared with non-modified disc samples. Depending on the modification time, the thickness of the coatings ranged from 40 nm to 450 nm. The 3D-printing process does not affect the surface or bulk properties of polyether ether ketone. It turned out that the chemical composition of the coatings obtained did not depend on the type of substrate. Titanium coatings contain titanium oxide and have an amorphous structure. Microdroplets formed on the sample surfaces during treatment with an arc evaporator contain a rutile phase in their composition. Surface modification of the samples via arc evaporation resulted in an increase in the arithmetic mean roughness from 20 nm to 40 nm for the extruded samples and from 40 nm to 100 nm for the 3D-printed samples, with the mean height difference increasing from 100 nm to 250 nm and from 140 nm to 450 nm. Despite the fact that the hardness and reduced elastic modulus of the unmodified 3D-printed samples (0.33 GPa and 5.80 GPa) are higher than those of the unmodified extruded samples (0.22 GPa and 3.40 GPa), the surface properties of the samples after modification are approximately the same. The water contact angles of the polyether ether ketone sample surfaces decrease from 70° to 10° for the extruded samples and from 80° to 6° for the 3D-printed samples as the thickness of the titanium coating increases, making this type of coating promising for biomedical applications

Propulsion Mechanisms of Light‐Driven Plasmonic Colloidal Micromotors

Colloidal micromotors are important candidates for a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from medicine to environmental remediation. Thus far, the propulsion force determination has been obtained from the colloidal motor motion speed and surrounding viscosity via the Stokes drag. Herein, a precise force measurement method and detailed analysis of the fundamental propulsion mechanisms of colloidal Janus micromotors propelled by thermophoretic and steam bubble force vectors, revealing findings uninvestigated to date, are presented. Optical tweezers provide fast and high-precision force measurements in all three orthogonal dimensions simultaneously. Colloidal Janus micromotors are compared with isotropic hot Brownian reference microparticles, which have no defined force vector that propels them perpendicular to the direction of the laser beam. Janus micromotors display a defined laser power intensity-dependent thermophoretic propulsion, as well as bubble force-based propulsion, after surpassing the threshold value for the water boiling. The steam bubble propulsion force vector and the thermophorethic force vectors sum up for the Janus micromotor propulsion direction. On the contrary, the bubble force counteracts photophoretic force in propagation direction of light. Moreover, the thermal-based reduction of viscosity around the Janus colloidal motor contributes significantly to its speed and guidance abilities