The combination of titania nanofilms and silver nanoparticles (NPs) is a very promising material, with antibacterial and osseointegration-induced properties for titanium implant coatings. In this work, we successfully prepared TiO₂ nanolayer/Ag NP structures on titanium disks using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements, and SEM-EDS. Antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus. The in vitro cytological response of MG-63 osteosarcoma and human fetal mesenchymal stem cells (FetMSCs) was examined using SEM study of their morphology, MTT test of viability and differentiation using alkaline phosphatase and osteopontin with and without medium-induced differentiation in the osteogenic direction. The samples with TiO₂ nanolayers, Ag NPs, and a TiO₂/Ag combination showed high antibacterial activity, differentiation in the osteogenic direction, and non-cytotoxicity. The medium for differentiation significantly improved osteogenic differentiation, but the ALD coatings also stimulated differentiation in the absence of the medium. The TiO₂/Ag samples showed the best antibacterial ability and differentiation in the osteogenic direction, indicating the success of the combining of TiO₂ and Ag to produce a multifunctional biocompatible and bactericidal material.

Nanostructured metal oxides (MOs) demonstrate good electrochemical properties and are regarded as promising anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The capacity of nickel-cobalt oxides-based materials is among the highest for binary transition metals oxide (TMOs). In the present paper, we report the investigation of Ni-Co-O (NCO) thin films obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using nickel and cobalt metallocenes in a combination with oxygen plasma. The formation of NCO films with different ratios of Ni and Co was provided by ALD cycles leading to the formation of nickel oxide (a) and cobalt oxide (b) in one supercycle (linear combination of a and b cycles). The film thickness was set by the number of supercycles. The synthesized films had a uniform chemical composition over the depth with an admixture of metallic nickel and carbon up to 4 at.%. All samples were characterized by a single NixCo1-xO phase with a cubic face-centered lattice and a uniform density. The surface of the NCO films was uniform, with rare inclusions of nanoparticles 15–30 nm in diameter. The growth rates of all films on steel were higher than those on silicon substrates, and this difference increased with increasing cobalt concentration in the films. In this paper, we propose a method for processing cyclic voltammetry curves for revealing the influence of individual components (nickel oxide, cobalt oxide and solid electrolyte interface—SEI) on the electrochemical capacity. The initial capacity of NCO films was augmented with an increase of nickel oxide content.

In this work, we proposed a method for creating an Ag/Si composite structure consisting of an array of vertical silicon nanowires (SiNWs) decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). A two-stage metal-assisted chemical etching of Si was used to obtain the SiNW array, and atomic layer deposition was used to fabricate the AgNPs. A uniform distribution of AgNPs along the SiNW height was achieved. The measured characteristics by spectroscopic ellipsometry directly established the presence of AgNPs deposited on the SiNWs. The height of the sublayers and the fractions of Si and Ag in them were determined using the multilayer model and the effective Bruggeman medium approximation in the interpretation of the experimental data. For AgNP layers deposited on an Si wafer surface, the thickness (from 2.3 to 7.8 nm) and complex dielectric functions were verified within the framework of the Drude–Lorentz model. The optical properties of Ag/SiNW structures with complex spatial geometry were simulated in the COMSOL Multiphysics software. The expected localization of the electric field on the surface and near the AgNP was observed as a result of the plasmon resonance excitation. The calculated enhancement factor reached 10¹⁰, which indicates the possibility of using such structures as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Titanium oxide nanocoatings were synthesized on the surface of monocrystalline silicon and ultra-fine-grained titanium by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) and titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP). The morphology of the samples was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structure and composition were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The cytological response of osteosarcoma MG-63 and human fetal mesenchymal stem cells (FetMSCs) were studied by analyzing their morphology, viability, and alkaline phosphatase activity with and without the use of medium-induced differentiation in the osteogenic direction. A significant influence of the precursor type and ALD temperature on the crystal structure, morphology, composition, and surface free energy of TiO₂ nanocoatings was found. The biocompatibility of amorphous non-stoichiometric and partially crystalline stoichiometric TiO₂ coatings was compared. Both types of cells showed faster adhesion and improved spreading on the surface for the samples from TTIP compared to those from TiCl₄ at the early stages of cultivation (2 h) due to the difference in composition and higher surface free energy. No cytotoxic effect was found on both types of coatings, nor was there a noticeable difference in cell differentiation. All ALD coatings provided excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductive properties.

The paper presents a study of a large-area field emitter based on a composite of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes covered with a continuous and conformal layer of nickel oxide by the atomic layer deposition method. The arrays of carbon nanotubes were grown by direct current plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on a pure Si substrate using a nickel oxide catalyst which was also deposited by atomic layer deposition. The emission characteristics of an array of pure vertically oriented carbon nanotubes with a structure identical in morphology, covered with a layer of thin nickel oxide, are compared using the data from a unique computerized field emission projector. The deposition of an oxide coating favorably affected the emission current fluctuations, reducing them from 40% to 15% for a pristine carbon nanotube and carbon nanotube/nickel oxide, respectively. However, the 7.5 nm nickel oxide layer coating leads to an increase in the turn-on field from 6.2 to 9.7 V/µm.