Optical interferometry of a thin film array of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes allows the label-free sensing of rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG). A protein A capture probe is used, which is immobilized on the inner pore walls of the nanotubes by electrostatic adsorption. Control experiments using IgG from chicken (which does not bind to protein A) confirms the specificity of the protein A-modified TiO2 nanotube array sensor. The aqueous stability of the TiO2 nanotube array was examined and compared with porous silica (SiO2), a more extensively studied thin film optical biosensor. The TiO2 nanotube array is stable in the pH range 2 to 12, whereas the porous SiO2 sensor displays significant degradation at pH > 8.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

TiO2 nanofibers have high chemical stability and high strength and are applied to many fields such as air pollution sensors and air pollutant removal filters. ZnO nanofibers also have very high absorptivity in that air and are used as germicides and ceramic brighteners. TiO2/ZnO nanofibers, which have a composite form of TiO2 and ZnO, were fabricated and show higher photocatalytic properties than existing TiO2. The precursor, including zinc nitrate hexahydrate, polyvinyl acetate, and titanium isopropoxide, was used as a spinning solution for TiO2/ZnO nanofibers. Electrospun TiO2/ZnO nanofibers were calcined at 600 °C and analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average diameter of TiO2/ZnO nanofibers was controlled in the range of 189 nm to 1025 nm. XRD pattern in TiO2/ZnO nanofibers have a TiO2 anatase, ZnO, Ti2O3, and ZnTiO3 structure. TiO2/ZnO nanofibers with a diameter of 400 nm have the best photocatalytic performance in the methylene blue degradation experiments and an absorbance decrease of 96.4% was observed after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of 12 h.

No abstract

To increase the stability of orthodontic miniscrews, TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated on the surface of Ti miniscrews and the effect of those arrays on the osseointegration of miniscrews was evaluated. Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were grown on the surface of orthodontic miniscrews. Ethylene glycol based electrolyte was used in the anodic oxidation process. Two-step anodic oxidation was conducted to obtain clean and open windows in TiO2 nanotube arrays. The diameter and length of the TiO2 nanotube arrays were ~ 70 nm and ~ 5 μm, respectively. The miniscrews with TiO2 nanotube arrays were implanted in the legs of New Zealand white rabbits for 8 weeks. Histological osseointegration was assessed by bone-to-implant contact ratio, and three-dimensional bone volume ratio was measured by micro-computed tomography analysis. The miniscrews with TiO2 nanotube arrays had a greater mean bone-to-implant contact ratio of 52.8 % than the control, 29.3 %. Mean bone volume ratio (BV/TV) was also higher in the miniscrews with TiO2 nanotube arrays, at 81.2 % than those in the control via micro-CT analysis. Our findings support that TiO2 nanotube arrays on the surface of miniscrews enhance osseointegration and improve the stability of the miniscrew.