The Roles of Microprobe in Localized Electrodeposition: Electrolyte Localized Transport and Force-Displacement Sensitivity.

Facing the rapid development of 6G communication, long-wave infrared metasurface and biomimetic microfluidics, the performance requirements for microsystems based on metal tiny structures are gradually increasing. As one of powerful methods for fabrication metal complex microstructures, localized electrochemical deposition microadditive manufacturing technology can fabricate copper metal micro overhanging structures without masks and supporting materials. In this study, the role of the microprobe cantilever (MC) in localized electrodeposition was studied. The MC can be used for precise deposition with electrolyte localized transport function and high accuracy force-displacement sensitivity. To prove this, the electrolyte flow was simulated when the MC was in bending or normal state. The simulation results can indicate the influence of turbulent flow on the electrolyte flow velocity and the pressure at the end of the pyramid. The results show that the internal flow velocity increased by 8.9% in the bending probe as compared with normal. Besides, this study analyzed the force-potential sensitivity characteristics of the MC. Using the deformation of the MC as an intermediate variable, the model of the probe tip displacement caused by the growth of the deposit and the voltage value displayed by the photodetector was mathematically established. In addition, the deposition of a single voxel was simulated by simulation process with the simulated height of 520 nm for one voxel, and the coincidence of simulation and experimental results was 93.1%. In conclusion, this method provides a new way for localized electrodeposition of complex microstructures.

Downregulation of lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cancer ranks the first among digestive tract tumors in China. However, there are no specific symptoms in the early stage of the tumor and the diagnosis process is complex, so more effective detection methods are very needed. In this study, a novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) was introduced as a diagnostic biomarker for gastric cancer, which brought new thinking to the exploration of its pathological mechanism and clinical prediction. METHODS: The level of lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 (EPB41L4A-AS1) in gastric cancer serum and cells was verified via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed based on the EPB41L4A-AS1 level, and the diagnostic possibility of EPB41L4A-AS was analyzed. The chi-square test evaluated the correlation between EPB41L4A-AS expression and clinical information. The cells were cultured and transfected in vitro, and the mediations of abnormal EPB41L4A-AS level on the viability and motility of gastric cancer cells were verified through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assay. Furthermore, luciferase activity assay was performed to confirm the sponge molecule microRNA-17-5p (miR-17-5p) of EPB41L4A-AS1. RESULTS: EPB41L4A-AS1 was decreased in gastric cancer, and low EPB41L4A-AS1 level indicated resultful diagnostic value. Overexpression of EPB41L4A-AS1 inhibited the activity of gastric cancer cells, while knockdown of EPB41L4A-AS1 promoted tumor deterioration. EPB41L4A-AS1 directly targeted and regulated the expression ofmiR-17-5p. CONCLUSION: This study elaborated that EPB41L4A-AS1 is lowly expressed in gastric cancer. Silencing EPB41L4A-AS1 was beneficial to cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. EPB41L4A-AS1 provides a new possibility for the diagnosis of gastric cancer patients by targeting miR-17-5p.

SBP1 promotes tumorigenesis of thyroid cancer through TXN/NIS pathway.

BACKGROUND: As the tissue with the highest selenium content in the body, the occurrence and development of thyroid cancer are closely related to selenium and selenoproteins. Selenium-binding protein 1 (SBP1) has been repeatedly implicated in several cancers, but its role and molecular mechanisms in thyroid cancer remains largely undefined. METHODS: The expression of SBP1, sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) and thioredoxin (TXN) were analyzed in clinical samples and cell lines. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and tube formation assays were used to analyze the cell viability and tube formation of cells. Immunofluorescence was used to determine the expression of the NIS. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay was carried out to verify the interaction of SBP1 with TXN. The mouse xenograft experiment was performed to investigate the growth of thyroid cancer cells with SBP1 knockdown in vivo. RESULTS: SBP1 was significantly increased in human thyroid cancer tissues and cells, especially in anaplastic thyroid cancer. Overexpression of SBP1 promoted FTC-133 cell proliferation, and the culture supernatant of SBP1-overexpression FTC-133 cells promoted tube formation of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells. Knockdown of SBP1, however, inhibited cell proliferation and tube formation. Furthermore, overexpression of SBP1 inhibited cellular differentiation of differentiated thyroid cancer cell line FTC-133, as indicated by decreased expression of thyroid stimulating hormone receptors, thyroglobulin and NIS. Knockdown of SBP1, however, promoted differentiation of BHT101 cells, an anaplastic thyroid cancer cell line. Notably, TXN, a negative regulator of NIS, was found to be significantly upregulated in human thyroid cancer tissues, and it was positively regulated by SBP1. Co-IP assay implied a direct interaction of SBP1 with TXN. Additionally, TXN overexpression reversed the effect of SBP1 knockdown on BHT101 cell viability, tube formation and cell differentiation. An in vivo study found that knockdown of SBP1 promoted the expression of thyroid stimulating hormone receptors, thyroglobulin and NIS, as well as inhibited the growth and progression of thyroid cancer tumors. CONCLUSION: SBP1 promoted tumorigenesis and dedifferentiation of thyroid cancer through positively regulating TXN.

Laser Electrochemical Deposition Hybrid Preparation of an Oil-Water Separation Mesh with Controllable Pore Diameter Based on a BP Neural Network.

With the increasing problem of water pollution, oil-water separation technology has attracted widespread attention worldwide. In this study, we proposed laser electrochemical deposition hybrid preparation of an oil-water separation mesh and introduced a back-propagation (BP) neural network model to realize the regulation of metal filter mesh. Among them, the coating coverage and electrochemical deposition quality were improved by laser electrochemical deposition composite processing. Based on the BP neural network model, the pore size after electrochemical deposition could be obtained only by inputting the processing parameters into the model, enabling the prediction and control of the pore size of the processed stainless-steel mesh (SSM), and the maximum residual difference between the predicted value and the experimental value was 1.5%. According to the oil-water separation theory and practical requirements, the corresponding electrochemical deposition potential and electrochemical deposition time were determined by the BP neural network model, which reduced the cost and time loss. In addition, the prepared SSM was found to achieve efficient separation of oil and water mixtures, reaching 99.9% separation efficiency in a combination with oil-water separation, along with other performance tests without chemical modification. The prepared SSM showed good mechanical durability and the separation efficiency exceeded 95% after sandpaper abrasion, thus, still maintaining the separation ability of oil-water mixture. Compared to other similar preparation methods, the method proposed in this study has the advantages of controllable pore size, simplicity, convenience, environmental friendliness, and durable wear resistance, offering important application potential in the treatment of oily wastewater.

Cupping alleviates lung injury through the adenosine/A2BAR pathway.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious condition. Inflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of ALI. Cupping, as a part of traditional Chinese medicine, is still a popular complementary and alternative therapy for a variety of ailments including respiratory diseases. However, reliable scientific data about cupping therapy are scarce. Adenosine, a purine nucleoside produced under metabolic stress by the action of extracellular ectonucleotidases (i.e. CD39 and CD73), can attenuate ALI through the A2BAR receptor. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of cupping in a rat model of ALI and the role of adenosine in it. Methods: Male adult rats were subjected to ALI by intratracheal LPS instillation (0.3 mg/kg). Immediately after intratracheal LPS instillation, vacuum pressure was applied to a sanitized plastic bell cup on the back of the rat by suction for 10 min. Pulmonary injury and inflammation were assessed at 4 h after LPS challenge. The role of adenosine and A2BAR in cupping's protection after LPS instillation were evaluated. Results: Cupping alleviated LPS-induced lung injury, reduced inflammation and inhibited NF-kB activation in rats. Cupping upregulated CD39 and CD73 mRNA expression of the skin tissue at the cupping site and increased circulating levels of adenosine. Administration of PSB1115, a specific adenosine A2BAR receptor antagonist, abolished cupping's beneficial effects in LPS-induced ALI. Conclusions: Cupping attenuates lung inflammation and injury through the adenosine/A2BAR pathway. The current study provides evidence-based information about cupping therapy in ALI.

Evaluation of Three-Dimensional Surface Roughness in Microgroove Based on Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition.

Micromilling is an extremely important advanced manufacturing technology in the micromanufacturing industry. Compared with the traditional milling process, micromilling has stricter requirements on the surface roughness of the workpiece, and the roughness of the microcurved surface is not easy to measure. In order to more accurately characterize the curved surface morphology of the microgrooves obtained by micromilling, this paper proposes a method to extract the reference plane of the curved surface based on the bidimensional empirical mode decomposition algorithm and characterize the three-dimensional surface roughness of the curved surface. First, we synthesize the morphologies of the microgrooves by simulated non-Gaussian rough surfaces and models of textures. Second, the bidimensional empirical mode decomposition algorithm was used to extract the reference planes of the simulated microgrooves. Third, the three-dimensional roughness parameters suitable for the curved surfaces of microgrooves were selected to establish an evaluation system. The results show that the mean squared errors of the reference planes are below 1%, so bidimensional empirical mode decomposition can effectively extract reference planes, and the evaluation system of three-dimensional surface roughness proposed in this paper reflects morphological characteristics of the curved surfaces of microgrooves more thoroughly than that of two-dimensional surface roughness parameters.

Laser-Induced Slippery Liquid-Infused Surfaces with Anticorrosion and Wear Resistance Properties on Aluminum Alloy Substrates.

Slippery liquid-infused surfaces (SLISs) are developed as a potential alternative to superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) to resolve the issues of poor durability in corrosion protection and wear resistance. In this work, we used a simple laser processing technology to prepare a SLIS on the aluminum alloy (7075) surface. The superhydrophobicities of the modified surface and the oil film formed by liquid injection make the corrosive medium difficult to directly contact the surface and thus have a significant effect on corrosion resistance. The water and oil repellent SLIS exhibits durable corrosion resistance and excellent tribological properties compared with the SHS. The anticorrosion and wear resistance performances provided by the composite film have been assessed by multiple methods including the electrochemical test, immersion test, and friction wear test. The results indicate that compared to the bare surface, laser-ablated surface (LAS), and fluoroalkyl silane-modified SHS, the SLIS composite coating has better corrosion resistance and wear resistance, which is of great significance to expand the potential applications of 7075 aluminum alloys. The work provides a research basis for expanding the practical application of SLISs in complex environments.

Preparation of Micro-Pit-Textured PCD Tools and Micro-Turning Experiment on SiCp/Al Composites.

Serious tool wear occurs very often during machining due to the reinforcing phases in the workpiece. In this study, micro-pit-textures were prepared on the surfaces of PCD tools with a nanosecond laser to improve their cutting performance on SiCp/Al composites. The micro-pits were designed with rounded corners to improve the chip flow. The location and size of the texture were determined by analyzing the tool-chip contact area of the non-textured tool. The cutting performance of these textured PCD tools was investigated through orthogonal cutting experiments. It was found that the optimal cutting performance of the textured tools was achieved with the proper distance of the texture from the main cutting edge (35 µm) and the pit spacing (60 µm), aa a result of which the main cutting force reduced by about 14%, and the tool wear and surface adhesion significantly reduced. This texture was then applied in the micro-turning experiments of the PCD tool on the SiCp/Al composites. The cutting force in this experiment reduced by 22%, and the textured tool provided better chip transfer and tool anti-tipping. In this study, the role of SiC particles as a third body between the tool and the chip surface is discussed.

Fabrication of durable underoil superhydrophobic surfaces with self-cleaning and oil-water separation properties.

In this study, a simple method without any additional chemical modification is proposed to fabricate underoil superhydrophobic surfaces with micro- and nano-hierarchical structures using a nanosecond laser system. The fabricated surfaces exhibited extreme superhydrophobicity and underoil superhydrophobicity with high contact angles of 153.8 ± 1.5° and 161.3 ± 1.1°, respectively. The results show that even after 20 abrasion cycles, the fabricated surfaces retained water repellency and self-cleaning performance under oil, while the superhydrophobicity in air was not resistant to wear. In addition, the fabricated brass meshes can also be used to separate oil in an oil-water mixture based on the prewetting induced underoil superhydrophobicity after being damaged. The separation efficiency was as high as 97.8%, which made them more appropriate for the oil-water separation than those based on superhydrophobicity. The proposed fabrication method is suitable for large-scale and mass production and provides a new avenue and possibility for further development of robust functional interface materials.

Study on In-Situ Tool Wear Detection during Micro End Milling Based on Machine Vision.

Most in situ tool wear monitoring methods during micro end milling rely on signals captured from the machining process to evaluate tool wear behavior; accurate positioning in the tool wear region and direct measurement of the level of wear are difficult to achieve. In this paper, an in situ monitoring system based on machine vision is designed and established to monitor tool wear behavior in micro end milling of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. Meanwhile, types of tool wear zones during micro end milling are discussed and analyzed to obtain indicators for evaluating wear behavior. Aiming to measure such indicators, this study proposes image processing algorithms. Furthermore, the accuracy and reliability of these algorithms are verified by processing the template image of tool wear gathered during the experiment. Finally, a micro end milling experiment is performed with the verified micro end milling tool and the main wear type of the tool is understood via in-situ tool wear detection. Analyzing the measurement results of evaluation indicators of wear behavior shows the relationship between the level of wear and varying cutting time; it also gives the main influencing reasons that cause the change in each wear evaluation indicator.

A "flexible" carborane-cored luminogen: variable emission behaviours in aggregates.

The performance of tunable emissions in aggregates is highly desirable but challenging owing to the restricted molecular conformations of luminogens. Herein, we designed and synthesized a new "flexible" luminogen, a carborane-cored compound NAPH, which exhibits variable photophysical behaviours in aggregates, such as aggregation-induced emission, crystallization-induced emission, polymorph-dependent emission, and mechanochromic luminescence. Moreover, the two polymorphs with different emission colors show opposite mechano-responsive luminescence, which is rarely observed for single-component luminescent materials. Both theoretical calculations and photophysical experiments reveal that the carborane-cored luminogen could afford variable conformations. This endows the whole molecule with multiple conformations in aggregates, thus leading to variable emission behaviours. Therefore, the present work provides new access to the construction of multifunctional single-component solid-state luminescent materials.

Reversible Wettability between Underwater Superoleophobicity and Superhydrophobicity of Stainless Steel Mesh for Efficient Oil-Water Separation.

Design and fabrication of smart materials with reversible wettability for oil-water separation have attracted worldwide attention due to the increasingly serious water pollution problem. In this study, a rough oxide coating with micro/nanoscale structures is developed on the 304 stainless steel mesh (SSM) by laser ablation. The smart surface with ethanol immersion and natural drying treatments shows the wetting conversion between underwater superoleophobicity and superhydrophobicity. Based on the wettability transition behavior, both light and heavy oil-water mixtures can be separated with the high separation efficiency. Moreover, after being exposed to various corrosive solutions and high temperatures, the smart surface still shows prominent environmental stability. Switchable surface with excellent properties should be an optimal choice to solve the environmental conditions that need to be addressed urgently.

Circ_PSD3 promotes the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma via the miR-637/HEMGN axis.

AIMS: In the present study, we aimed to uncover the potential functions of circular RNA (circRNA) pleckstrin and Sec7 domain containing 3 (circ_PSD3) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) development. MAIN METHODS: The abundance of circ_PSD3, PSD3 messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA-637 (miR-637) and hemogen (HEMGN; EDAG-1) mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Flow cytometry was employed to measure cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis. Western blot assay was used to examine protein expression. The proliferation ability and motility of PTC cells were analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and transwell assays, respectively. The interaction between miR-637 and circ_PSD3 or HEMGN was tested by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Animal experiments were used to explore the role of circ_PSD3 in PTC progression in vivo. KEY FINDINGS: Circ_PSD3 was aberrantly up-regulated in PTC tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Circ_PSD3 and HEMGN promoted the cell cycle progression, proliferation and metastasis and impeded the apoptosis of PTC cells. MiR-637 was a direct target of circ_PSD3, and miR-637 directly interacted with HEMGN mRNA in PTC cells. Circ_PSD3 silencing-induced effects in PTC cells were partly attenuated by the addition of anti-miR-637 or HEMGN overexpression plasmid. Circ_PSD3/miR-637/HEMGN regulated the activity of PI3K/Akt signal pathway in PTC cells. Circ_PSD3 silencing inhibited the tumor growth in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE: Circ_PSD3 promoted the progression of PTC through regulating miR-637/HEMGN axis and activating PI3K/Akt signaling. Circ_PSD3/miR-637/HEMGN signaling axis might be a potential target for PTC therapy.

Suppression of long noncoding RNA LINC00324 restricts cell proliferation and invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma through downregulation of TRIM29 via upregulating microRNA-195-5p.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are identified as novel regulators of carcinogenesis. To date, the precise functions of lncRNAs in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains poorly understood. The purposes of this work were to explore the potential relevance of lncRNA 00324 (LINC00324) in PTC. Levels of LINC00324 were markedly up-regulated in PTC. Silencing of LINC00324 significantly repressed the proliferation and invasion of PTC cells. LINC00324 was documented as a sponge of microRNA-195-5p (miR-195-5p). Decreased levels of miR-195-5p were detected in PTC. The up-regulation of miR-195-5p suppressed PTC cellular proliferation and invasion. Suppression of miR-195-5p partially reversed the LINC00324-knockdown-mediated effects in PTC cells. We identified tripartite motif-containing 29 (TRIM29) as a target gene of miR-195-5p. TRIM29 overexpression partially reversed the LINC00324-knockdown- or miR-195-5p-overexpression-mediated effects in PTC cells. In short, this work demonstrates that LINC00324 knockdown inhibits the proliferation and invasion of PTC cells by decreasing TRIM29 expression via up-regulating miR-195-5p expression.

Influence of Different Dosage Forms on Pharmacokinetics of 6 Alkaloids in Raw Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix (Caowu) and Chebulae Fructus- (Hezi-) Processed Caowu by UPLC-MS/MS.

PURPOSE: To study the pharmacokinetics of the 6 alkaloids (aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypaconine) in raw Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix (Caowu) (RC) and Chebulae Fructus- (Hezi-) processed Caowu (HC) in the rats being, respectively, administrated with RC and HC in the dosage forms of powder and decoction and to demonstrate the mechanism of detoxification of HC. METHODS: The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and, respectively, given RC powder, HC powder, RC decoction, and HC decoction by intragastric administration. The contents of the 6 alkaloids in the plasma of the rats were detected at different time points by the UPLC-MS/MS method, and DAS 3.2.7 software was used to calculate, compare, and analyze the detected pharmacokinetic parameters. RESULTS: Compared with those of the RC powder, the values of AUC0-t and C max of the HC powder were all reduced, whereas the values of t 1/2z and T max were mostly increased. Compared with those of the RC powder, the values of AUC0-t , C max, and t 1/2z of the RC decoction were decreased and the value of T max of the RC decoction was increased. Compared with those of the RC decoction, the values of AUC0-t , t 1/2z , and C max of the diester diterpenoid alkaloids of the HC decoction were all increased. However, there was no marked difference between the pharmacokinetic parameters of the HC powder and the HC decoction. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in the level of absorption and in the rate of elimination of the alkaloids can be detected when HC is administrated in the dosage form of the powder, explaining that in traditional Mongolian medicine (TMM), the purpose of using HC in the dosage forms of pills and powder is for decreasing the toxicity and prolonging the efficacy duration of HC. Decocting can greatly decrease the plasma concentration of the diester diterpenoid alkaloids in RC and increase their rate of elimination. The influence of decocting on RC is greater than that on HC, explaining the rationality of the steaming and boiling methods for processing Caowu and the rationality of boiling Caowu for a longer time beforehand in preparing an herb decoction containing Caowu in TCM.

Bio-Inspired Design of Bi/Tridirectionally Anisotropic Sliding Superhydrophobic Titanium Alloy Surfaces.

Many biological surfaces with the multi-scale microstructure show obvious anisotropic wetting characteristics, which have many potential applications in microfluidic systems, biomedicine, and biological excitation systems. However, it is still a challenge to accurately prepare a metal microstructured surface with multidirectional anisotropy using a simple but effective method. In this paper, inspired by the microstructures of rice leaves and butterfly wings, wire electrical discharge machining was used to build dual-level (submillimeter/micrometer) periodic groove structures on the surface of titanium alloy, and then a nanometer structure was obtained after alkali-hydrothermal reaction, forming a three-level (submillimeter/micrometer/nanometer) structure. The surface shows the obvious difference of bidirectional superhydrophobic and tridirectional anisotropic sliding after modification, and the special wettability is easily adjusted by changing the spacing and angle of the inclined groove. In addition, the results indicate that the ability of water droplets to spread along parallel and perpendicular directions on the submillimeter groove structure and the different resistances generated by the inclined groove surface are the main reasons for the multi-anisotropic wettability. The research gives insights into the potential applications of metal materials with multidirectional anisotropic wetting properties.

Modeling and Experimental Study of the Localized Electrochemical Micro Additive Manufacturing Technology Based on the FluidFM.

In this work, the localized electrochemical micro additive manufacturing technology based on the FluidFM (fluidic force microscope) has been introduced to fabricate micro three-dimensional overhang metal structures at sub-micron resolution. It breaks through the localized deposition previously achieved by micro-anode precision movement, and the micro-injection of the electrolyte is achieved in a stable electric field distribution. The structure of electrochemical facilities has been designed and optimized. More importantly, the local electrochemical deposition process has been analyzed with positive source diffusion, and the mathematical modeling has been revealed in the particle conversion process. A mathematical model is proposed for the species flux under the action of pulsed pressure in an innovatively localized liquid feeding process. Besides, the linear structure, bulk structure, complex structure, and large-area structure of the additive manufacturing are analyzed separately. The experimental diameter of the deposited cylinder structure is linearly fitted. The aspect ratio of the structure is greater than 20, the surface roughness value is between 0.1-0.2 µm at the surface of bulk structures, and the abilities are verified for deposition of overhang, hollow complex structures. Moreover, this work verifies the feasibility of 3D overhang array submicron structure additive manufacturing, with the application of pulsed pressure. Furthermore, this technology opens new avenues for the direct fabrication of nano circuit interconnection, tiny sensors, and micro antennas.

Slippery liquid infused porous surfaces with corrosion resistance potential on aluminum alloy.

The slippery liquid infused porous surface has developed into a potential technology to solve the problem of poor durability in corrosion resistance. Herein, a kind of slippery liquid infused porous surface is created on 7075 aluminum alloy by wire electrical discharge machining for corrosion resistant applications. The hardness of the constructed porous microstructure is similar to the aluminum alloy substrate material, which ensures the stability of the slippery liquid infused porous surface. The modification of low surface energy substance fluorosilane avoids the direct contact between corrosive liquid and porous surface, and improves the lyophobic performance of the porous microstructure surface. The corrosion resistance of the porous microstructure surface is enhanced by the injection of perfluorinated lubricating oil. The experimental results show that the created slippery liquid infused porous surface can display super-slippery properties and durable corrosion resistance. The average sliding velocity of a water droplet is 0.48 ± 0.05 mm s-1 at a sliding angle of 5°. The corrosion current density of the surface is 3.116 × 10-6 A cm-2, which is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the polished surface. And the impedance radius reaches 90 kΩ cm2, which is about 20 times that of the polished surface.

Microstructure control of the wettability and adhesion of Al alloy surfaces.

This article provides a simple and fast method to adjust the wettability and adhesion of aluminum (Al) alloy surfaces after electric discharge machining (EDM). For an Al alloy plate after EDM, without any grinding and polishing, laser treatment was directly performed on the surface to prepare the Al alloy surface with different wettability and adhesion behaviors. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the surface morphologies of the smooth surface, wire-cut surface, and the surface treated with different laser parameters after wire-cut. Then, the chemical composition, contact angle (CA) stability, adhesion and surface bounce behavior of the surfaces processed via different treatment steps were tested and analyzed. The results indicated that the crater structure was distributed randomly on the EDM-processed surface, with a static CA of 129 ± 1.2°. After laser engraving, the surface generates a regular arrangement of micron-level grooves/pits. Meanwhile, the molten Al alloy spattered at high temperatures and instantly solidified to produce sub-micron-sized metal particles attached to the pit/bottom of the trench and the unprocessed area, naturally forming a dual-scale structure. This naturally formed dual-scale structure makes the surface static CA up to 154.6 ± 1.2°. This technology realized that only laser treatment is used to control the wettability and adhesion of the Al alloy surface after EDM treatment and expected to provide a simple and low-cost method for the practical application of large-area superhydrophobic surfaces.

Bioinspired Reversible Switch between Underwater Superoleophobicity/Superaerophobicity and Oleophilicity/Aerophilicity and Improved Antireflective Property on the Nanosecond Laser-Ablated Superhydrophobic Titanium Surfaces.

In this work, the bioinspired reversible switch between underwater superoleophobicity/superaerophobicity and oleophilicity/aerophilicity and improved antireflective property were successfully demonstrated on the nanosecond laser-structured titanium surfaces. Titanium materials were first transformed to be superhydrophobic after nanosecond laser ablation and low-temperature annealing treatments, showing oleophilicity/aerophilicity in water. If the surfaces were prewetted with absolute ethanol and then immersed into water, the surfaces showed superoleophobicity/superaerophobicity. More importantly, the underwater oleophilicity/aerophilicity of the surfaces could be easily recovered by natural drying, and the switch between the underwater superoleophobicity/superaerophobicity and oleophilicity/aerophilicity could be repeated many cycles. Moreover, based on the original antireflective performance of the surface of the laser-ablated micro/nanoscale structures, we demonstrated that the inspired improved antireflective property could be skillfully realized by the prewetting treatment. The developed bioinspired multifunctional materials provide a versatile platform for the potential applications, such as controlling oil droplets, bubbles, and optical behavior.