Biomimetic Hydroxyapatite Growth on Functionalized Surfaces of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-Zr-Nb Alloys

A biomimetic approach for coating titanium-containing alloys with hydroxyapatite (HA) is reported in the article. Two types of Ti-containing alloys were chosen as an object for coating: Ti-6Al-4V (recommended for orthopedic application) and a novel highly biocompatible Ti-Zr-Nb alloy, with good mechanical compatibility due to a modulus that is more close to that of human bones (E ≈ 50 GPa instead of 110 GPa in Ti-6Al-4V). Coating process was carried out in a 10×-concentrated simulated body fluid (SBF)—synthetic analog of human body plasma. The effect of oxidized and carboxylated alloy surface on formation of biomimetic hydroxyapatite has been studied. By XRD, we found influence of thermal conditions on HA crystal formation and size. SEM images and Fourier transform infrared confirmed that hydroxyapatite with different morphology, crystallinity, and Ca/P ratio formed on metallic surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that in the Ti-6AL-4V sample the observed Ca/P ratio reach 0.97, whereas in the Ti-Zr-Nb sample the observed Ca/P ratio reach 1.15

Immobilization of boronic acid derivative onto the magnetic Gd-containing composites

Abstract Aiming to develop new magnetic materials for neutron shielding applications, B- and Gd-containing magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized. Following bottom-up synthetic approach, core-shell Fe 3 O 4/Gd 2 O 3 nanocomposite particles were synthesized at the first stage. In the next stage, magnetic core-shell particles were modified with amino groups followed by grafting onto their surface of the boronic acid derivative. Such a multifunctional material, containing both boron (B) and gadolinium (Gd) atoms is a promising candidate for developing films and membranes, strongly interacting with neutrons. Due to the presence of boronic acids and bound to the indicator (Alizarin Red S), the material can induce color changes while immersed in sugar-containing solutions. Such a feature enables a possibility to estimate the number of boron atoms left after interaction with neutrons, thus allowing to check composite neutron-capture recourse.</jats:p

Development of a conceptual scheme for the creation of environmentally friendly Gd-containing neutron-absorbing nanocomposites

The nature and properties of neutron radiation impose specific requirements onthe creation and operation of such materials. The presence of accompanying and inducedradiation, weather conditions, as well as the peculiarities of the location of functional layersrequire a hierarchical approach to the development of such neutron-absorbing materials. It wasshown that the conceptual scheme of creating Gd-containing protective materials consists intaking into account all factors of their operation. In particular, it is shown that the presence ofneutron-absorbing components is a necessary but not sufficient condition for their successfulapplication in environmental conditions. In this work, Gd-containing chitosan films wereprepared as an example of the proposed conceptual scheme for the creation of environmentallyfriendly neutron-absorbing nanocomposites. The prepared Gd films were characterized and theirneutron permeability was estimated. The approach presented in this work contributes to thedevelopment of sustainable and responsible production practices, supporting SDGs 9 and 12