Integrating Fluorescent Nanodiamonds into Polymeric Microstructures Fabricated by Two-Photon Polymerization.

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) and other color centers in diamond have attracted much attention as non-photobleaching quantum emitters and quantum sensors. Since microfabrication in bulk diamonds is technically difficult, embedding nanodiamonds with color centers into designed structures is a way to integrate these quantum emitters into photonic devices. In this study, we demonstrate a method to incorporate fluorescent nanodiamonds into engineered microstructures using two-photon polymerization (2PP). We studied the optimal concentration of nanodiamonds in the photoresist to achieve structures with at least one fluorescent NV center and good structural and optical quality. Fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy measurements were used to confirm the presence and location of the nanodiamonds, while absorbance measurements assessed scattering losses at higher concentrations. Our results show the feasibility of fabricating microstructures embedded within fluorescent nanodiamonds via 2PP for photonics and quantum technology applications.

Mechanical and morphological responses of osteoblast-like cells to two-photon polymerized microgrooved surfaces.

Microgrooved surfaces are recognized as an important strategy of tissue engineering to promote the alignment of bone cells. In this work, we have investigated the mechanical and morphological aspects of osteoblasts cells after interaction with different micro-structured polymeric surfaces. Femtosecond laser writing technique was used for the construction of circular and parallel microgrooved patterns in biocompatible polymeric surfaces based on pentaerythritol triacrylate. Additionally, we have studied the influence of the biocompatible TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs) related to the cell behavior, when incorporated to the photoresin. The atomic force microscopy technique was used to investigate the biomechanical reaction of the human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells for the different microgroove. It was demonstrated that osteoblasts grown on circular microgrooved surfaces exhibited significantly larger Young's modulus compared to cells sown on flat films. Furthermore, we could observe that TiO2 NCs improved the circular microgrooves effects, resulting in more populated sites, 34% more elongated cells, and increasing the cell stiffness by almost 160%. These results can guide the design and construction of effective scaffold surfaces with circular microgrooves for tissue engineering and bone regeneration.

Two-Photon Polymerization: Functionalized Microstructures, Micro-Resonators, and Bio-Scaffolds.

The direct laser writing technique based on two-photon polymerization (TPP) has evolved considerably over the past two decades. Its remarkable characteristics, such as 3D capability, sub-diffraction resolution, material flexibility, and gentle processing conditions, have made it suitable for several applications in photonics and biosciences. In this review, we present an overview of the progress of TPP towards the fabrication of functionalized microstructures, whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonators, and microenvironments for culturing microorganisms. We also describe the key physical-chemical fundamentals underlying the technique, the typical experimental setups, and the different materials employed for TPP.

Direct laser writing by two-photon polymerization as a tool for developing microenvironments for evaluation of bacterial growth.

Monitoring bacteria growth and motion in environments is fundamental to understand, for instance, how they proliferate and contaminate organism. Therefore, techniques to fabricate microenvironments for in situ and in vivo studies are interesting for that purpose. In this work we used two-photon polymerization to fabricate microenvironments and, as a proof of principle, we demonstrated the development of the bacteria ATCC 25922 Escherichia coli (E. coli) into the microstructure surroundings. Two varieties of polymeric microenvironments are presented: (i) a microenvironment doped at specific site with ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic typically used in the treatment of diseases caused by E. coli and (ii) micro-fences, which serve as traps for bacteria. These microenvironments, fabricated by two-photon polymerization, may be a potential platform for drug delivery system, by promoting or inhibiting the growth of bacteria in specific biological or synthetic sites.