Recent discoveries have shown that nanopatterns with feature sizes ≤100 nm could direct stem cell fate or kill bacteria. These effects could be used to develop orthopedic implants with improved osseointegration and decreased chance of implant-associated infections. The quest for osteogenic and bactericidal nanopatterns is ongoing but no controlled nanopatterns with dual osteogenic and bactericidal functionalities have been found yet. In this study, electron beam induced deposition (EBID) was used for accurate and reproducible decoration of silicon surfaces with four different types of nanopatterns. The features used in the first two nanopatterns (OST1 and OST2) were derived from osteogenic nanopatterns known to induce osteogenic differentiation of stem cells in the absence of osteogenic supplements. Two modifications of these nanopatterns were also included (OST2-SQ, OST2-H90) to study the effects of controlled disorder and lower nanopillar heights. An E. coli K-12 strain was used for probing the response of bacteria to the nanopatterns. Three nanopatterns (OST2, OST2-SQ, and OST2-H90) exhibited clear bactericidal behavior as evidenced by severely damaged cells and disrupted formation of extracellular polymeric substance. These findings indicate that controlled nanopatterns with features derived from osteogenic ones can have bactericidal activity and that EBID represents an enabling nanotechnology to achieve (multi)functional nanopatterns for bone implants.

Lattice structures are used in the design of metamaterials to achieve unusual physical, mechanical, or biological properties. The properties of such metamaterials result from the topology of the lattice structures, which are usually three-dimensionally (3D) printed. To incorporate advanced functionalities into metamaterials, the surface of the lattice structures may need to be ornamented with functionality-inducing features, such as nanopatterns or electronic devices. Given our limited access to the internal surfaces of lattice structures, free-form ornamentation is currently impossible. We present lattice structures that are folded from initially flat states and show that they could bear arbitrarily complex surface ornaments at different scales. We identify three categories of space-filling polyhedra as the basic unit cells of the cellular structures and, for each of those, propose a folding pattern. We also demonstrate “sequential self-folding” of flat constructs to 3D lattices. Furthermore, we folded auxetic mechanical metamaterials from flat sheets and measured the deformation-driven change in their negative Poisson’s ratio. Finally, we show how free-form 3D ornaments could be applied on the surface of flat sheets with nanometer resolution. Together, these folding patterns and experimental techniques present a unique platform for the fabrication of metamaterials with unprecedented combination of physical properties and surface-driven functionalities