Large-scale arrayed ZnO crystals with a series of novel morphologies, including tower-like, flower-like, and tube-like samples, have been successfully fabricated by a simple aqueous solution route. The morphology and orientation of the obtained ZnO crystal arrays can be conveniently tailored by changing the reactants and experimental conditions. For example, the tower-like ZnO crystal arrays were obtained in a reaction solution system including zinc salt, ammonia, ammonium salt, and thiourea, and the orientation of these tower-like crystals could be controlled by the contents of these reactants. Flower-like ZnO arrays were obtained at lower temperatures, and tube-like ZnO arrays were obtained by ultrasonic pretreatment of the reaction system. The growth mechanism of the tower-like and tube-like ZnO crystals was investigated by FESEM. The results show that tower-like crystals grow layer by layer, while tube-like crystals grow from active nanowires. Ultrasonic pretreatment is proved to be effective in promoting the formation of active nuclei, which have important effects on the formation of the tube-like ZnO crystals. In addition, large-scale arrays of these ZnO crystals can be successfully synthesized onto various substrates such as amorphous glass, crystalline quartz, and PET. This implies this chemical method has a wide application in the fabrication of nano-/microscale devices.

On the basis of Kirkendall Effect, high symmetric 18-facet polyhedral nanocrystals of Cu7S4 with a hollow nanocage could be converted from cubic nanocrystals of Cu2O in an aqueous media. The presence of organic additives makes the surface energy of {110} smaller than those of {100} and {111}. The growth of nanocrystals along the normal direction of highest energy surface {100} leads to the formation of a 18-facet polyhedron.

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Single-crystalline, hexagonal covellite (CuS) nanoplatelets were successfully synthesized through a facile, inexpensive, reproducible, and improved solvothermal process in toluene at 120 degrees C for 24 h with hexadecylamine as a capping agent and copper acetate and carbon disulfide as precursors. These nanoplatelets are about 26+/-1.5 nm in diameter and 8+/-1.2 nm thick, and have a tendency to self-assemble into pillarlike nanostructures with face-to-face stacks, raftlike nanostructures with side-by-side arrays, and stratiform nanostructures with layer-by-layer self-assembly. The crystal shape, morphology, and crystallographic orientation of the covellite obtained were investigated by means of XRD, TEM, and high-resolution TEM, and a potential self-assembly mechanism was proposed.

A unique size-dependent strain hardening mechanism, that achieves both high strength and ductility, is demonstrated for penta-twinned Ag nanowires (NWs) through a combined experimental-computational approach. Thin Ag NWs are found to deform via the surface nucleation of stacking fault decahedrons (SFDs) in multiple plastic zones distributed along the NW. Twin boundaries lead to the formation of SFD chains that locally harden the NW and promote subsequent nucleation of SFDs at other locations. Due to surface undulations, chain reactions of SFD arrays are activated at stress concentrations and terminated as local stress decreases, revealing insensitivity to defects imparted by the twin structures. Thick NWs exhibit lower flow stress and number of distributed plastic zones due to the onset of necking accompanied by more complex dislocation structures.

Alignment of bone cells and collagen matrix is closely related to the anisotropic mechanical properties of bone. Intact scaffolds that promote osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in the preferred direction offer promise in the generation of biomimetic bone tissue. In this study, we examined the alignment of osteoblast-like cells and collagen fibers guided by nanogrooves. Nanoscale groove-ridge patterns (approximately 300 nm in periodicity, 60-70 nm in depth) on the surface of polystyrene (PS) were made by polarized Nd:YAG laser irradiation, at a wavelength of 266 nm. The influence of such "nanoscale features" on the orientation and alignment of cells and their mineralized collagen matrix was investigated, using rabbit mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived osteoblast-like cells. The cells and actin stress fibers were aligned and elongated along the direction of the nanogrooves. In addition, the alignment of collagen matrix was also influenced by underlying nanogrooves. The results suggested that nanoscale fibrous cues in the longitudinal direction might contribute to the aligned formation of bone tissue. This may provide an effective approach for constructing biomimetic bone tissue.

Organosoluble polyimide/silica hybrid materials were prepared using the sol-gel process. The organosoluble polyimide was based on pyromellitic anhydride (PMDA) and 4,4Ј-diamino-3,3Ј-dimethyldiphenylmethane (MMDA). The silica particle size in the hybrid is increased from 100 -200 nm for the hybrid containing 5 wt % silica to 1-2 m for the hybrid containing 20 wt % silica. The strength and the toughness of the hybrids are improved simultaneously when the silica content is below 10 wt %. As the silica content is increased, the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the hybrids is increased slightly. The thermal stability of the hybrids is improved obviously and their coefficients of thermal expansion are reduced. The hybrids are soluble in strong polar aprotic organic solvents when the silica content is below 5 wt %.