Efficient polymer solar cells fabricated on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)-etched old indium tin oxide substrates.

In organic electronic devices, indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are the most common transparent electrode and anodic buffer layer materials, respectively. A widespread concern is that PEDOT:PSS is acidic and etches ITO. We show that this issue is not serious: only a few nanometers of ITO are etched in typical device processing conditions and storage thereafter; conductivity losses are affordable; and optical transmission gains further offset these losses. Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices fabricated on old ITO (with PEDOT:PSS history) were similar or higher in efficiency than devices on fresh ITO. Poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7) devices on old ITO showed efficiencies up to 9.24% compared to 8.72% efficient devices on fresh ITO. This reusability of ITO can be impactful for economics of organic electronics because ITO accounts for almost 90% of energy embedded in devices, such as OPVs.

Corrosion resistance, chemistry, and mechanical aspects of Nitinol surfaces formed in hydrogen peroxide solutions.

Ti oxides formed naturally on Nitinol surfaces are only a few nanometers thick. To increase their thickness, heat treatments are explored. The resulting surfaces exhibit poor resistance to pitting corrosion. As an alternative approach to accelerate surface oxidation and grow thicker oxides, the exposure of Nitinol to strong oxidizing H(2)O(2) aqueous solutions (3 and 30%) for various periods of time was used. Using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger spectroscopy, it was found that the surface layers with variable Ti (6-15 at %) and Ni (5-13 at %) contents and the thickness up to 100 nm without Ni-enriched interfaces could be formed. The response of the surface oxides to stress in superelastic regime of deformations depended on oxide thickness. In the corrosion studies performed in both strained and strain-free states using potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarizations, the surfaces treated in H(2)O(2) showed no pitting in corrosive solution that was assigned to higher chemical homogeneity of the surfaces free of secondary phases and inclusions that assist better biocompatibility of Nitinol medical devices.

Plastic-syringe induced silicone contamination in organic photovoltaic fabrication: implications for small-volume additives.

Herein, the implications of silicone contamination found in solution-processed conjugated polymer solar cells are explored. Similar to a previous work based on molecular cells, we find this contamination as a result of the use of plastic syringes during fabrication. However, in contrast to the molecular case, we find that glass-syringe fabricated devices give superior performance than plastic-syringe fabricated devices in poly(3-hexylthiophene)-based cells. We find that the unintentional silicone addition alters the solution's wettability, which translates to a thinner, less absorbent film on spinning. With many groups studying the effects of small-volume additives, this work should be closely considered as many of these additives may also directly alter the solutions' wettability, or the amount of silicone dissolved off the plastic syringes, or both. Thereby, film thickness, which generally is not reported in detail, can vary significantly from device to device.

Protein adsorption on biodegradable polyanhydride microparticles.

The in vitro adsorption of plasma proteins on polyanhydride microparticles based on sebacic acid (SA), 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH), and 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) was studied. Three model proteins from bovine serum (albumin (BSA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and fibrinogen (Fg)) were used. The adsorption was studied using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis. 2D electrophoresis was used to study the adsorption of plasma proteins from bovine serum. Differences in the amount of protein adsorbed were detected as a function of the following: (i) copolymer composition and (ii) specific protein studied. A direct correlation between polymer hydrophobicity and protein adsorbed was observed and higher quantities of Fg and IgG were absorbed. In vitro release studies were performed with ovalbumin-encapsulated microparticles that were incubated with Fg; these studies showed a reduction in the amount of ovalbumin released from the microparticles when Fg is adsorbed on the surface. An understanding of protein adsorption patterns on parenteral delivery devices is valuable in optimizing their in vivo performance.

The electrochemical characteristics of native Nitinol surfaces.

The present study explored the avenues for the improvement of native Nitinol surfaces for implantation obtained using traditional procedures such as mechanical polishing, chemical etching, electropolishing and heat treatments for a better understanding of their electrochemical behavior and associated surface stability, conductivity, reactivity and biological responses. The corrosion resistance (cyclic potential polarization, open circuit potential and polarization resistance) of Nitinol disc and wire samples were evaluated for various surface states in strain-free and strained wire conditions. The surface response to tension strain was studied in situ. Surface chemistry and structure were explored using XPS and Auger spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical methods, respectively. It was found that the polarization resistance of the Nitinol surfaces varied in a range from 100 kOmega to 10 MOmega cm(2) and the open circuit potentials from -440 mV to -55 mV. The surfaces prepared in chemical solutions showed consistent corrosion resistance in strain-free and strained states, but mechanically polished and heat treated samples were prone to pitting. Nitinol surface oxides are semiconductors with the band gaps of either 3.0 eV (rutile) or 3.4 eV (amorphous). The conductivity of semiconducting Nitinol surfaces relevant to their biological performances is discussed in terms of oxide stoichiometry and variable Ni content. Such biological characteristics of Nitinol surfaces as Ni release, fibrinogen adsorption and platelets behavior are re-examined based on the analysis of the results of the present study.

The influence of surface oxides on the distribution and release of nickel from Nitinol wires.

The patterns of Ni release from Nitinol vary depending on the type of material (Ni-Ti alloys with low or no processing versus commercial wires or sheets). A thick TiO(2) layer generated on the wire surface during processing is often considered as a reliable barrier against Ni release. The present study of Nitinol wires with surface oxides resulting from production was conducted to identify the sources of Ni release and its distribution in the surface sublayers. The chemistry and topography of the surfaces of Nitinol wires drawn using different techniques were studied with XPS and SEM. The distribution of Ni into surface depth and the surface oxide thickness were evaluated using Auger spectroscopy, TEM with FIB and ELNES. Ni release was estimated using either ICPA or AAS. Potentiodynamic potential polarization of selected wires was performed in as-received state with no strain and in treated strained samples. Wire samples in the as-received state showed low breakdown potentials (200 mV); the improved corrosion resistance of these wires after treatment was not affected by strain. It is shown how processing techniques affect surface topography, chemistry and also Ni release. Nitinol wires with the thickest surface oxide TiO(2) (up to 720 nM) showed the highest Ni release, attributed to the presence of particles of essentially pure Ni whose number and size increased while approaching the interface between the surface and the bulk. The biological implications of high and lasting Ni release are also discussed.

Comparative corrosion performance of black oxide, sandblasted, and fine-drawn nitinol wires in potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests: effects of chemical etching and electropolishing.

The corrosion performance of sandblasted (SB) and smooth fine-drawn (FD) medical-use nitinol wires was compared with the performance of wires with black oxide (BO) formed in air during their manufacture. Potentiodynamic and ASTM F746 potentiostatic tests in a 0.9 % NaCl solution were conducted on wires in their as-received, chemically etched, aged in boiling water, and electropolished states. As-received wires with various surface finishes revealed breakdown potentials in the range from -100 mV to +500 mV; similar passive current density, 10(-6) A/cm(2); and a wide hysteresis on the reverse scan, demonstrating strong susceptibility to localized corrosion. Chemically etched wires with original black oxide displayed consistent corrosion performance and surpassed, in corrosion resistance, electropolished wires that showed significantly lower breakdown (400-700 mV) and localized corrosion potentials ( approximately -50 to +113 mV). Sandblasted and fine-drawn wires exhibited rather inconsistent corrosion behavior. In potentiodynamic tests these wires could perform with equal probability either on the level of pretreated BO wires or rather similar to as-received wires. Both SB and FD wires revealed low breakdown potentials in the PS regime. SEM analysis performed before tests indicated that sandblasting was not efficient for the complete removal of the original scaling, and fine drawing aggravated the situation, resulting in a persistent scaling that contributed to the inferior corrosion performance. Inclusions (oxides, carbides, and oxidized carbides) inherited from the bulk and retained on electropolished surfaces are the cause of their inferior performance compared to chemically etched surfaces. In electropolished wires corrosion was initiated around inclusions.

Complexes of 3.6 kDa maltodextrin with some metals.

Preparation of magnesium, lanthanum, and bismuth(III) complexes of 3.6 kDa maltodextrin and some properties of the resulting materials are presented. The metal derivatives contain metals bound to the oxygen atoms of the hydroxyl groups of maltodextrin. Additionally, the metal atoms are coordinated to the hydroxyl groups of the D-glucose units of the macroligand. Such coordination stabilized the metal - oxygen bond against hydrolysis, even in boiling water. The presence of magnesium and lanthanum atoms increased the thermal stability of maltodextrin, whereas bismuth atoms decreased it.