Polypyrrole nanowires have been electrosynthesized by direct oxidation of 0.1 mol l(-1) pyrrole in a medium of 75% isopropyl alcohol + 20% boron trifluoride diethyl etherate + 5% poly (ethylene glycol) (by volume) using porous alumina membranes as the templates. The as-prepared nanowires had a smooth surface and uniform diameter and were arranged in an orderly manner in a high density. The conductivity of a single nanowire was measured by the four-electrode technique to be 23.4 S cm(-1) at room temperature. The field emission devices based on the nanowire array were fabricated and their operations were explored. The experimental results indicated that the field emission characteristics of the devices fitted well to the Fowler-Nordheim model of emission. The turn-on electric field was only 1.2 V microm(-1) and the current density reached 200 microA cm(-2) at 2.6 V microm(-1).

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Osteoblast behavior playing an important role in the biointegration of the Ti implant with host bone in vivo can be regulated by surface properties and magnetic field. In order to endow the Ti surface with good osteogenesis activity, Si monosubstituted and Fe and Si cosubstituted hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanorods were fabricated on microporous TiO2 by microarc oxidation (MAO) followed with hydrothermal treatment (HT). The surface properties including microstructure, microroughness, hydrophilicity, ion release, magnetic property, cytocompatibility, and biointegration of substituted HAp nanorods were observed and evaluated, together with pure HAp nanorods and microarc oxidated (MAOed) TiO2 as controls. After being doped with Fe, MAOed TiO2 has no changes in phase composition and microroughness, whereas it displays weakly ferromagnetic behavior and can enhance osteoblast differentiation in vitro and formation of new bone in vivo, compared with the undoped one. The substituted HAp nanorods adhere firmly to TiO2 and have almost the same wettability and microroughness but additional Si, Fe, and/or Ca released into the medium, compared with pure HAp nanorods. Moreover, the cosubstituted HAp has a small ferromagnetic signal, while its saturation magnetization value is less than that of the MAOed doped with Fe. Compared to pure HA nanorods, the substituted HAp nanorods not only improve cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro, but also enhance the ability of bone integration in vivo, especially for the cosubstituted one, which should be ascribed to the combined effect of microstructure, magnetic property, and released ions.

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Titanium is widely utilized for manufacturing medical implants due to its inherent mechanical strength and biocompatibility. Recent studies have focused on developing coatings to impart unique properties to Ti implants, such as antimicrobial behavior, enhanced cell adhesion, and osteointegration. Ca- and Si-based ceramic (CS) coatings can enhance bone integration through the release of Ca and Si ions. However, high degradation rates of CS ceramics create a basic environment that reduces cell viability. Polymeric or protein-based coatings may be employed to modulate CS degradation. However, it is challenging to ensure coating stability over extended periods of time without compromising biocompatibility. In this study, we employed a fluorous-cured collagen shell as a drug-loadable scaffold around CS nanorod coatings on Ti implants. Fluorous-cured collagen coatings have enhanced mechanical and enzymatic stability and are able to regulate the release of Ca and Si ions. Furthermore, the collagen scaffold was loaded with antimicrobial peptides to impart antimicrobial activity while promoting cell adhesion. These multifunctional collagen coatings simultaneously regulate the degradation of CS ceramics and enhance antimicrobial activity, while maintaining biocompatibility.

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An intrinsically magnetic field induced by ferromagnetic TiO2 doped with 4.65 wt% Fe clearly enhances proliferation, osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts.

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