Influence of thermal and mechanical fatigue on the shear bond strength of different all-ceramic systems

To evaluate the influence of thermal and mechanical fatigue on the shear bond strength of different all-ceramic cores and veneering porcelain interfaces. All-ceramic systems tested were lithium disilicate and zirconia veneered by layering technique. Sixty specimens (n=20) were subjected to shear bond strength. Ten of them were thermal and mechanical cycled. Fracture analysis was performed with stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis was performed across core/veneer interfaces. Thermal and mechanical cycling did not influence on bond strength. However, there was significant difference among systems (<0.01). CoCr group presented the highest values, followed by lithium disilicate, and zirconia. Failure modes were predominantly adhesive for CoCr, cohesive in core for lithium disilicate, and cohesive in veneer for zirconia. Energy dispersive X-ray showed interaction zone for CoCr and lithium disilicate groups and was inconclusive for zirconia. Fatigue had no influence on bond strength of groups tested. The results suggest that there is a chemical bond between core and veneer materials for CoCr and lithium disilicate groups

Metal-Free g-C3N4/Nanodiamond Heterostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic Pollutant Removal and Bacteria Photoinactivation

Heterogeneous photocatalysis has emerged as a promising alternative for both micropollutant removal and bacterial inactivation under solar irradiation. Among a variety of photocatalysts explored in the literature, graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a metal-free semiconductor with acceptable chemical stability, low toxicity, and excellent cost-effectiveness. To minimize its high charge recombination rate and increase the photocatalyst adsorption capacity whilst keeping the metal-free photocatalyst system idea, we proposed the heterojunction formation of g-C3N4 with diamond nanocrystals (DNCs), also known as nanodiamonds. Samples containing different amounts of DNCs were assessed as photocatalysts for pollutant removal from water and as light-activated antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus sureus. The sample containing 28.3 wt.% of DNCs presented the best photocatalytic efficiency against methylene blue, removing 71% of the initial dye concentration after 120 min, with a pseudo-first-order kinetic and a constant rate of 0.0104 min−1, which is nearly twice the value of pure g-C3N4 (0.0059 min−1). The best metal-free photocatalyst was able to promote an enhanced reduction in bacterial growth under illumination, demonstrating its capability of photocatalytic inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was discussed and attributed to (i) the increased adsorption capacity promoted by the presence of DNCs; (ii) the reduced charge recombination rate due to a type-II heterojunction formation; (iii) the enhanced light absorption effectiveness; and (iv) the better charge transfer resistance. These results show that g-C3N4/DNC are low-cost and metal-free photoactive catalysts for wastewater treatment and inactivation of bacteria