Stable Protein Device Platform Based on Pyridine Dicarboxylic Acid-Bound Cubic-Nanostructured Mesoporous Titania Films

Here we shortly report a protein device platform that is extremely stable in a buffer condition similar to human bodies. The protein device platform was fabricated by covalently attaching cytochrome c (cyt c) protein molecules to organic coupler molecules (pyridine dicarboxylic acid, PDA) that were already covalently bound to an electron-transporting substrate. A cubic nanostructured mesoporous titania film was chosen as an electron-transporting substrate because of its large-sized cubic holes (∼7 nm) and highly crystalline cubic titania walls (∼0.4 nm lattice). Binding of PDA molecules to the mesoporous titania surface was achieved by esterification reaction between carboxylic acid groups (PDA) and hydroxyl groups (titania) in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) mediator, whereas the immobilization of cyt c to the PDA coupler was carried out by the EDC-mediated amidation reaction between carboxylic acid groups (PDA) and amine groups (cyt c). Results showed that the 2,4-position isomer among several PDAs exhibited the highest oxidation and reduction peak currents. The cyt c-immobilized PDA-bound titania substrates showed stable and durable electrochemical performances upon continuous current-voltage cycling for 240 times (the final current change was less than 3%) and could detect superoxide that is a core indicator for various diseases including cancers. © 2013 American Chemical Society.FALS

Thermal characterization of commercially pure titanium for dental applications

Thermal characterization of commercially pure titanium was carried out in dry air to investigate the oxidation kinetics, the oxide structures and their properties. Oxidation kinetics were performed by thermogravimetry in isothermal conditions between 300 and 750 °C for 48 hours and the oxide structures were studied by differential thermal analyses and X ray diffraction between room temperature and 1000 °C. The oxidation kinetic increases with temperature and is very fast in the initial period of oxidation, decreasing rapidly with time, especially up to 600 °C. Kinetic laws varied between the inverse logarithmic for the lower temperatures (300 and 400 °C) and the parabolic for the higher temperatures (650, 700 and 750 °C). Evidences from X ray diffraction and differential thermal analyses showed that crystallization of the passive oxide film, formed at room temperature, into anatase occurs at about 276 °C. The crystallized oxide structure is composed of anatase between 276 and 457 °C, anatase and rutile sublayers between 457 and 718 °C, and a pure layer of rutile after 718 °C. Rockwell-C adhesion tests reveled that the oxide films formed up to 600 °C have a good adhesion. Vickers indentations on the oxidized surfaces showed that the hardness of the oxide film, measured at 600 and 650 °C, is approximately 9500 MPa. At these temperatures the surface roughness varied between 0.90 and 1.30 mm