As an important research area, the development of antibacterial materials has attracted extensive interest from researchers. Typical antibacterial materials involve the use of biocides and antibacterial metallic ions, such as Ag + , as well as killing by highly reactive species, such as hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide produced by the photocatalysis of TiO 2 . However, the intensive usage of biocides has a growing concern in the increase of bacterial resistance and cross-resistance to antibiotics and antibacterial Ag + depending on its dissolution property may have potential implications on human health and environment. Currently TiO 2 is mainly activated with UVA light and research on visible light photocatalysis is still under development. Recently, a new scheme using superhydrophobicity has raised more attention and interests especially for its ability in reducing bacterial adhesion. This paper provides a detailed review on the basics, recent developments, existing challenges and future perspectives of superhydrophobic surfaces especially in reducing bacterial adhesion.

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Oxide glasses are an integral part of the modern world, but their usefulness can be limited by their characteristic brittleness at room temperature. We show that amorphous aluminum oxide can permanently deform without fracture at room temperature and high strain rate by a viscous creep mechanism. These thin-films can reach flow stress at room temperature and can flow plastically up to a total elongation of 100%, provided that the material is dense and free of geometrical flaws. Our study demonstrates a much higher ductility for an amorphous oxide at low temperature than previous observations. This discovery may facilitate the realization of damage-tolerant glass materials that contribute in new ways, with the potential to improve the mechanical resistance and reliability of applications such as electronic devices and batteries.

Sol-gel-derived SiO2 and CaO-P2O5-SiO2 have been shown to be bioactive and bone bonding. In this study bioactive sol-gel-derived SiO2 and CaO-P2O5-SiO2 systems were tested for in in vitro bioactivity. The calcined ceramic monoliths were immersed in a simulated body fluid and analyzed to follow the hydroxyapatite formation on the ceramic surface. Apatite-forming ability was investigated in terms of structural changes by changing the composition and the preparation method. The role of Ca and P dopants in the substrate structure is complicated, and careful characterization is needed. The composition and structure together determine the in vitro bioactivity. The pore structure was analyzed using N2-adsorption/desorption isotherms. The results indicate that a great mesopore volume and a wide mesopore size distribution favor hydroxycarbonate apatite nucleation and a great surface area is not needed. The performed preparation process for silica in a basic environment provides a convenient way to prepare a mesoporous material.

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