RESUMO
Simultaneous interrogation of pump and probe beams interacting in ZnO nanostructures of a two-wave mixing is proposed for dual-path data processing of optical signals by nonlinear optical effects. An enhancement in third-order nonlinear optical properties was exhibited by Al-doped ZnO thin films. Multiphoton absorption and nonlinear refraction were explored by the z-scan technique at 532 nm with nanosecond pulses. The evolution of the optical Kerr effect in the ZnO thin films was analyzed as a function of the incorporation of Al in the sample by a vectorial two-wave mixing method. Electrical and photoconductive effects were evaluated to further characterize the influence of Al in the ZnO solid samples. Potential applications of nonlinear optical parameters for encoding and encrypting information in light can be envisioned.
RESUMO
Hyaluronan (HA) is a natural biodegradable biopolymer; its biological functions include cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and differentiation as well as decreasing inflammation, angiogenesis, and regeneration of damaged tissue. This makes it a suitable candidate for fabricating nanomaterials with potential use in tissue engineering. However, HA nanofiber production is restricted due to the high viscosity, low evaporation rate, and high surface tension of HA solutions. Here, hybrids in the form of continuous and randomly aligned polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-(HA)-siloxane nanofibers were obtained using an electrospinning process. PVA-HA fibers were crosslinked by a 3D siloxane organic-inorganic matrix via sol-gel that restricts natural hydrophilicity and stiffens the structure. The hybrid nanofiber mats were characterized by FT-IR, micro-Raman spectroscopy, SEM, and biological properties. The PVA/HA ratio influenced the morphology of the hybrid nanofibers. Nanofibers with high PVA content (10PVA-8 and 10PVA-10) form mats with few beaded nanofibers, while those with high HA content (5PVA-8 and 5PVA-10) exhibit mats with mound patterns formed by "ribbon-like" nanofibers. The hybrid nanofibers were used as mats to support osteoblast growth, and they showed outstanding biological properties supporting cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation. Importantly, the 5PVA-8 mats show 3D spherical osteoblast morphology; this suggests the formation of tissue growth. These novel HA-based nanomaterials represent a relevant advance in designing nanofibers with unique properties for potential tissue regeneration.
RESUMO
The evolution of the optical absorptive effects exhibited by plasmonic nanoparticles was systematically analyzed by electronic signals modulated by a Rössler attractor system. A sol-gel approach was employed for the preparation of the studied Au nanoparticles embedded in a TiO2 thin solid film. The inclusion of the nanoparticles in an inhomogeneous biological sample integrated by human cells deposited in an ITO glass substrate was evaluated with a high level of sensitivity using an opto-electronic chaotic circuit. The optical response of the nanoparticles was determined using nanosecond laser pulses in order to guarantee the sensing performance of the system. It was shown that high-intensity irradiances at a wavelength of 532 nm could promote a change in the absorption band of the localized surface plasmon resonance associated with an increase in the nanoparticle density of the film. Moreover, it was revealed that interferometrically-controlled energy transfer mechanisms can be useful for thermo-plasmonic functions and sharp selective optical damage induced by the vectorial nature of light. Immediate applications of two-wave mixing techniques, together with chaotic effects, can be contemplated in the development of nanostructured sensors and laser-induced controlled explosions, with potential applications for biomedical photo-thermal processes.