The structure of ultrathin Langmuir-Blodgett films of cadmium behenate.
Grazing incidence x-ray-diffraction investigations of the structures of Langmuir-Blodgett films of cadmium behenate with 1, 2, 3, 5, and 21 monolayers are reported. The single monolayer film, deposited on a hydrophilic substrate, showed a hexagonal structure, whereas the bilayer film, deposited on a hydrophobic substrate, had a rectangular structure with herringbone orientation of the acyl chains. With multilayer films formed on a hydrophilic substrate, it was possible to detect that the hexagonal structure of the first layer was retained when additional layers were deposited and that the additional layers had the same rectangular structure as the bilayer.
Thickness and temperature dependent structure of Cd arachidate Langmuir-Blodgett films
Abstract The structure of monolayers of Cd arachidate on water and on solid support, and the thickness dependent changes when building up a multilayer via the LB technique are studied by means of grazing incidence diffraction of X-ray. In monolayers the perpendicularly oriented amphiphilic molecules are arranged in a hexagonal lattice, whereas for thicker layers (even for three layers) they crystallize in an orthorhombic unit cell with a reduced molecular are ( A = 18.2 A 2 ) compared to that of the monolayer ( A = 19.7 A 2 ). In-plane diffraction measurements with wave vector transfer perpendicular to the surface (rod scans) could prove for multilayers a maximum tilt angle of 2°. The data prove orientational as well as positional correlation between adjacent monolayers. For multilayers, a thermally induced phase transition accompanied by an expansion of the lattice from an orthorhombic ( A = 18.2 A 2 ) to a hexagonal ( A = 19.7 A 2 ) lattice is found. This structural change is reversible below 110 °C.
Engineering bio-inks for 3D bioprinting cell mechanical microenvironment
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has become a promising approach to construct­ing functional biomimetic tissues for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In 3D bioprinting, bio-inks are essential for the construction of cell microenviron­ment, thus affecting the biomimetic design and regenerative efficiency. Mechanical properties are one of the essential aspects of microenvironment, which can be char­acterized by matrix stiffness, viscoelasticity, topography, and dynamic mechanical stimulation. With the recent advances in functional biomaterials, various engineered bio-inks have realized the possibility of engineering cell mechanical microenviron­ment in vivo. In this review, we summarize the critical mechanical cues of cell micro­environments, review the engineered bio-inks while focusing on the selection princi­ples for constructing cell mechanical microenvironments, and discuss the challenges facing this field and the possible solutions for them.