Superwetting materials are considered to have great potential for oil-water separation in water purification, food processing, petrochemical production, etc. However, the weak demulsification ability is the key challenge in most practical applications. Here, a charged beetle-structured copper foam with excellent demulsification ability is successfully prepared for ultrafast demulsification and separation of oil-in-water emulsions, the separation efficiency for various anionic surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions is up to 99.2%, and the permeation flux driven only by gravity reaches 27,734.0 L m-2 h-1. Molecular dynamics simulation results indicated that this copper foam can provide electrostatic force and wetting drive force in different directions for the anionic surfactant and oil via surface charge and composite wettability, and achieve charge heterogeneity and severe deformation of droplets for enhanced demulsification. Therefore, this charged beetle structure provides a new perspective for developing advanced materials for demulsification and separation in the petroleum industry and water purification fields.
Insufficient vascularization is a primary cause of bone implantation failure. The management of energy metabolism is crucial for the achievement of vascularized osseointegration. In light of the bone semiconductor property and the electric property of semiconductor heterojunctions, a three-dimensional semiconductor heterojunction network (3D-NTBH) implant has been devised with the objective of regulating cellular energy metabolism, thereby driving angiogenesis for bone regeneration. The three-dimensional heterojunction interfaces facilitate electron transfer and establish internal electric fields at the nanoscale interfaces. The 3D-NTBH was found to noticeably accelerate glycolysis in endothelial cells, thereby rapidly providing energy to support cellular metabolic activities and ultimately driving angiogenesis within the bone tissue. Molecular dynamic simulations have demonstrated that the 3D-NTBH facilitates the exposure of fibronectin's Arg-Gly-Asp peptide binding site, thereby regulating the glycolysis of endothelial cells. Further evidence suggests that 3D-NTBH promotes early vascular network reconstruction and bone regeneration in vivo. The findings of this research offer a promising research perspective for the design of vascularizing implants.
Abstract The heterogeneity of extracellular matrix (ECM) topology, stiffness, and architecture is a key factor modulating cellular behavior and osteogenesis. However, the effects of heterogeneous ECM electric potential at the micro‐ and nanoscale on osteogenesis remain to be elucidated. Here, the heterogeneous distribution of surface potential is established by incorporating ferroelectric BaTiO 3 nanofibers (BTNF) into poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluoroethylene) (P(VDF‐TrFE)) matrix based on phase‐field and first‐principles simulation. By optimizing the aspect ratios of BTNF fillers, the anisotropic distribution of surface potential on BTNF/P(VDF‐TrFE) nanocomposite membranes can be achieved by strong spontaneous electric polarization of BTNF fillers. These results indicate that heterogeneous surface potential distribution leads to a meshwork pattern of fibronectin (FN) aggregation, which increased FN‐III7‐10 (FN fragment) focal flexibility and anchor points as predicted by molecular dynamics simulation. Furthermore, integrin clustering, focal adhesion formation, cell spreading, and adhesion are enhanced sequentially. Increased traction of actin fibers amplifies mechanotransduction by promoting nuclear translocation of YAP/Runx2, which enhances osteogenesis in vitro and bone regeneration in vivo. The work thus provides fundamental insights into the biological effects of surface potential heterogeneity at the micro‐ and nanoscale on osteogenesis, and also develops a new strategy to optimize the performance of electroactive biomaterials for tissue regenerative therapies.
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