Abstract: Supraparticle nanoassemblies are provided that comprise nanoparticle species and protein species, as well as methods for making such assemblies. A supraparticle may comprise a nanoparticle species with a first charge and an average particle size diameter of ?about 1 nm to ?about 100 nm. The supraparticle also comprises a protein species. The nanoparticle species and the protein species have the same charge and are assembled together without any intramolecular chemical bonding to form the supraparticle. The supraparticle may be a substantially round particle. In certain other aspects, a photoreactive supraparticle is provided, where the nanoparticle is reactive to energy or electromagnetic radiation, which in the presence of such energy or radiation enhances reactivity of the protein species in the supraparticle.

Abstract: A stiff layered polymer nanocomposite comprising a substrate adapted to receive a plurality of alternating layers of a first material and a second material; wherein the first material and second material are a polyelectrolyte, an organic polymer or an inorganic colloid and said first material and said second material have a chemical affinity for each other, said plurality of layers crosslinked using a chemical or physical crosslinking agent. Thin films that are consolidated and optionally crosslinked can be manufactured into hierarchical laminates with rigid and stress resistant properties.

Abstract: New stretchable electrically conductive composite materials comprising at least one polymer and a plurality of nanoparticles are provided, which exhibit high conductivity even at high strain levels. The composite may comprise polyurethane as the polymer and spherical gold nanoparticles. Such materials have conductivity levels as high as 11,000 Scm?1 at 0% strain and 2,400 Scm?1 at 110% strain. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the composite have a maximum tensile strain of 480% while still exhibiting conductivity of 35 Scm?1. The inventive materials are highly flexible, highly conductive and suitable for a variety of applications, especially for advanced medical devices, implants, and flexible electronics. The disclosure also provides methods of making such stretchable electrically conductive nanocomposites, including formation by layer-by-layer and vacuum assisted flocculation.

Abstract: A method for making a layered material can include providing a substrate having a surface with at least one region having a charge and forming layers by sequentially contacting the at least one region with a first solution and a second solution. The first solution comprises a first layering material in an ionic liquid and the second solution comprises a second layering material in a second ionic solution. The first and second layering materials can have a chemical affinity to each other. The first layering material and/or the second layering material can include polyelectrolytes, polymers, carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A rolling contact layer-by-layer assembly device comprises at least one roller, a cylinder substrate and a motor to rotate the cylinder substrate. The assembly device optionally includes at least one rinsing nozzle and air applicator. The rollers each provide a polyelectrolyte solution to the surface of the cylinder substrate, the polyelectrolyte solutions having an affinity for each other. Excess polyelectrolyte solution can be washed using the rinsing nozzle followed by a drying step prior to the application of the second polyelectrolyte solution. A plurality of bilayers is produced by the continuous application of polyelectrolyte solutions to form an LBL article such as a nano-composite article or film. The film is then removed from the surface of the cylinder substrate.

Abstract: Implantable electrically conductive devices are provided having a nanocomposite material coating comprising gold nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes. Such an implantable device may be a neural or other implantable prosthesis, including microelectrodes for use in vivo. The devices may have dimensions on a cellular scale. Further, the devices may be highly flexible and electrically conductive, while also having low impedance and high storage charge capacity. Layer-by-layer methods for fabricating such nanocomposite materials for implantable devices are also provided. Methods for direct-write lithography patterning of such nanocomposite material coatings are also provided.

Abstract: Dissociation of a macroscale version of an aramid fiber leads to the nanofiber form of this polymer. Indefinitely stable dispersions of uniform high-aspect-ratio aramid nanofibers (ANFs) with diameters between 3 and 30 nm controlled by the media composition and up to 10 ?m in length are obtained. ANFs can be processed in transparent thin films using layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) with superior mechanical performance.

Abstract: A method for sensing a stimulus comprising providing a sensing assembly having a first structure and a second structure, wherein the first structure is made of a material different than the second structure and each of the first structure and the second structure is nanoscale. The method further includes providing an inductive antenna operably coupled to the sensing assembly, disposing the sensing assembly upon a spatial area, exposing the sensing assembly to the stimulus thereby producing a detectable change in the sensing assembly, and wirelessly coupling a reader with the inductive antenna to obtain a signal representative of the detectable change in the sensing assembly.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides robust implantable micro-component electrodes that can be used in a variety of medical devices. The medical device may be a neural probe that can monitor or stimulate neural activity in an organism's brain, spine, nerves, or organs, for example. The micro-component electrode has a small physical profile, with ultra-thin dimensions, while having high strength and flexibility. The micro-electrode has an electrically conductive core material, e.g., carbon. The surface of the core material includes one or more electrically conductive regions coated with an electrically conductive material and one or more non-conductive regions having an electrically non-conductive biocompatible polymeric coating. Implantable devices having such micro-components are capable of implantation in an organism for very long durations.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device, preferably a contact lens, which a core material and an antimicrobial metal-containing LbL coating that is not covalently attached to the medical device and can impart to the medical device an increased hydrophilicity. The antimicrobial metal-containing coating on a contact lens of the invention has a high antimicrobial efficacy against microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial and a low toxicity, while maintaining the desired bulk properties such as oxygen permeability and ion permeability of lens material. Such lenses are useful as extended-wear contact lenses. In addition, the invention provides a method for making a medical device, preferably a contact lens, having an antimicrobial metal-containing LbL coating thereon.

Abstract: A method for making a layered material can include providing a substrate having a surface with at least one region having a charge and forming layers by sequentially contacting the at least one region with a first solution and a second solution. The first solution comprises a first layering material in an ionic liquid and the second solution comprises a second layering material in a second ionic solution. The first and second layering materials can have a chemical affinity to each other. The first layering material and/or the second layering material can include polyelectrolytes, polymers, carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The present teachings relate to the application of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to demonstrate the multifunctionality of carbon nanocomposite thin films under various types of environmental stimuli. Carbon nanotube (CNT) thin films are fabricated by a layer-by-layer (LbL) technique or other techniques and mounted with electrodes along their boundaries. The response of the thin films to various stimuli determined by relying on electric current excitation and corresponding boundary potential measurements. The spatial conductivity variations are reconstructed based on a mathematical model for the EIT technique. Here, the ability of the EIT method to provide two-dimensional mapping of the conductivity of CNT thin films is validated by (1) electrically imaging intentional structural defects in the thin films and (2) mapping the film's response to various pH environments.

Abstract: A nanoscale sensing device from different types of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanowires (NWs) connected by molecular springs. The distance between the nanoscale colloids reversibly changes depending on conditions or analyte concentration and can be evaluated by fluorescence measurements.

Abstract: A stiff layered polymer nanocomposite comprising a substrate adapted to receive a plurality of alternating layers of a first material and a second material; wherein the first material and second material are a polyelectrolyte, an organic polymer or an inorganic colloid and said first material and said second material have a chemical affinity for each other, said plurality of layers crosslinked using a chemical or physical crosslinking agent. Thin films that are consolidated and optionally crosslinked can be manufactured into hierarchical laminates with rigid and stress resistant properties.

Abstract: A film composite having generally parallel riblets reduces drag on the flow of fluid over a surface and may either be directly applied onto a substrate or secondarily bonded as an appliqué. The film composite is formed on a substrate layer by layer by sequentially assembling layers of a binder and an inorganic filler.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite material, preferably an ophthalmic device, more preferably a contact lens, which comprises a vesicle-containing coating including at least one layer of a vesicle and one layer of a polyionic material having charges opposite the charges of the vesicle. Such composite material can find use in biomedical applications, for example, a device for localized drug delivery and an in vivo analyte sensor such as glucose sensing contact lens. By lifting off the vesicle-containing coating from a substrate, a self-standing membrane (film) capable of encapsulating a wide variety of guest materials can be prepared. In addition, the invention provides methods for making vesicle-containing composite and film materials of the present invention.

Abstract: A conductive wire includes an aramid fiber and at least one layer attached about the aramid fiber, the at least one layer including at least one of aligned carbon nanotubes and graphene platelets.

Abstract: A conductive wire includes an aramid fiber and at least one layer attached about the aramid fiber, the at least one layer including at least one of aligned carbon nanotubes and graphene platelets.

Abstract: A new class of biosensors and methods for making and using same are disclosed. The biosensors are multi-layered membrane composites, where at least one layer is prepared by the layer-by-layer process and at least one layer is responsive to changes is a property of a biological system such as changes in the concentration of an atom, ion, molecule or molecular assembly. Because the biosensors are multi-layered, a single biosensor is capable monitor a number of different properties of a biological system simultaneously. The biosensors are monitored by systems that impinge an excitation waveform on the biosensors and analyze a reflected and/or a transmitted resultant waveform. Additionally, the biosensors can be associated with field activated electronic components so that implantable, self-contained analytical devices can be constructed and monitored by field generators, where data is transmitted to an analyzer after field activation.

Abstract: A three dimensional inverted colloidal crystal scaffold is described which comprises a substrate having at least one well. The scaffold also includes a three dimensional matrix comprising a transparent biocompatible polymeric network containing microspherical voids. The microspherical voids are each connected to at least one other void through inter-connecting pores. Additionally, an apparatus for producing such a colloidal crystal scaffold is described. Methods for making the inverted colloidal crystal scaffold, for using the scaffold and for identifying the effects of a drug, pharmaceutical or toxin on a living cell using the inverted colloidal crystal scaffold are also disclosed.