Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Susrut Akkineni, Gregory S. Doerk, Chenyang Shi, Biao Jin, Shuai Zhang, Stefan Habelitz, James J. De Yoreo
Summary: The study demonstrates how the supramolecular structures of matrix proteins can be synthetically directed into predetermined patterns while retaining their functionality. They used block copolymer lamellar patterns to direct the assembly of peptide nanoribbons, which template calcium phosphate nucleation by creating a low-energy interface. The results show that the patterned nanoribbons maintain their structure and function, and successfully direct the formation of calcium phosphate with high fidelity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingde Du, Luojun Du, Nan Wei, Wei Liu, Xueyin Bai, Zhipei Sun
Summary: The research team demonstrated an electrically tunable lateral junction at atomically sharp interfaces between mono- and bilayer graphene, systematically investigating the transport properties. They found that the difference in conductivity of graphene channels at the mono-bilayer interface depends greatly on the doping level, and the existence of a gate tunable junction provides a possible path for functional applications of graphene in next-generation electronics.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Sun, Chao Jiang, Yifeng Che, Wei-Ying Chen, Yongfeng Zhang, Andrea M. Jokisaari, Larry K. Aagesen, Lin Shao, Jian Gan
Summary: Nanopatterned microstructures play a significant role in determining the physical and chemical properties of materials. In this study, the evolution of void superlattices under irradiation and the interaction between void superlattices and irradiation cascades were directly observed. It was found that heterogenous void shrinkage and mixed 1D/3D diffusion of self-interstitial atoms and injected inert gas atoms are the key factors causing the instability of void superlattices under irradiation.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bo Hu, Hao Sun, Jinpeng Tian, Jin Mo, Wantao Xie, Qiu Ming Song, Wenwei Zhang, Hui Dong
Summary: With the increasing demand for biomarker detection in wearable electronic devices, flexible biosensors have gained attention due to their high sensitivity, multifunctionality, rapid response, and low cost. Graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) have emerged as key components for constructing biosensors because of their advantages of flexible substrates. This review provides a concise summary of design strategies for flexible GFET biosensors, highlighting notable advancements in sensing applications of biomolecules and discussing future challenges and prospects in this field.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Sabine Szunerits, Teresa Rodrigues, Rupali Bagale, Henri Happy, Rabah Boukherroub, Wolfgang Knoll
Summary: Two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially graphene, have great potential as biosensing channels in field-effect transistor (FET) configuration. However, important considerations such as operation conditions and sensitivity need to be addressed for successful implementation. The configuration of the gFET and the choice of surface ligands greatly influence sensor performance. This article discusses recent efforts in gFET designs for the sensing of nucleic acids, proteins, and virus particles, focusing on strategies for selecting the right bioreceptor.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Siti Norhasanah Sanimu, Hwa-Young Yang, Jeevan Kandel, Ye-Chong Moon, Gangasagar Sharma Gaudel, Seung-Ju Yu, Yong Ju Kim, Sejung Kim, Bong-Hyun Jun, Won-Yeop Rho
Summary: Machine learning was used to predict the optimal combination of materials for PSCs, and the resulting combination was used to fabricate PCBM-PSCs. The experimental results confirmed the importance of nanopatterning depth and PCBM percentage in influencing the performance of PSCs.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lin Xu, Chenguang Qiu, Lian-mao Peng, Zhiyong Zhang
Summary: Carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNT FET) is considered a promising candidate for high-performance integrated circuits due to its ballistic transport and immunity to short channel effects. Researchers investigated how device geometry affects leakage current in CNT FETs, proposing a new structure that effectively suppresses off-state current through simulations. The proposed L-shaped-spacer CNT FET shows significantly reduced leakage current and excellent scalability, demonstrating potential for application in narrow-bandgap semiconductors.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
David A. Katzmarek, Andrea Mancini, Stefan A. Maier, Francesca Iacopi
Summary: This article presents a simple method for the direct synthesis of transfer-free, nanopatterned epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide on silicon substrates. By using common lithography and lift-off techniques, a catalytic alloy tailored for optimal SiC graphitization is patterned to form planar graphene structures on top of an unpatterned SiC layer. The method is compatible with both electron-beam lithography and UV-lithography, enabling the realization of graphene gratings with a minimum width/space of at least 100 nm at the wafer scale. The resolution is limited by the flow of the metal catalyst during the liquid-phase graphitization process, but it can be further improved through optimization of the metal deposition method and lift-off process.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jingwei Li, Abhishek Tyagi, Ting Huang, Hongwei Liu, Honglin Sun, Jiawen You, Md Masruck Alam, Xiangrong Li, Zhaoli Gao
Summary: All-electronic chemical sensors based on field-effect transistors have the potential for sensitive detection of arsenic in groundwater. However, their sensitivity is limited by a chemical gating mechanism. We have developed a highly sensitive aptasensor based on scalable graphene FETs, which detects arsenite through the conformational change of the aptamer, providing a wide analytical range and low detection limit. This work offers an accurate chemical sensing platform for rapid detection of arsenic in drinking water.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chen Zhang, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Jie Cui, Jiangwei Liu, Tianbo Duan, Baoqing Zhang, Zihao Zhang, Syed Hassan Mujtaba Jafri, Raffaello Papadakis, Zhao Qian, Hu Li, Klaus Leifer
Summary: This paper reports a method for directly writing semiconducting and photoluminescent fluorinated graphene (C4F) patterns on graphene, and successful preparation is demonstrated through various characterization techniques. The prepared C4F exhibits desirable semiconducting characteristics with a bandgap, making it suitable for electronic and optoelectronic applications of graphene devices.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nguyen T. T. Binh, Cuong Q. Nguyen, Tuan V. Vu, Chuong Nguyen
Summary: In this study, ultra-thin van der Waals heterostructures were constructed between graphene and a new 2D Janus MoGeSiN4 material to investigate their interfacial electronic properties and tunable Schottky barriers. The results showed that the graphene/MoGeSiN4 heterostructures have high carrier mobility, making them suitable for high-speed nanoelectronic devices. Depending on the stacking patterns, either an n-type or a p-type Schottky contact is formed at the interface, which can be transformed under strain engineering and electric field.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hua Kang, Xuejun Wang, Mingquan Guo, Changhao Dai, Renzhong Chen, Lei Yang, Yanling Wu, Tianlei Ying, Zhaoqin Zhu, Dapeng Wei, Yunqi Liu, Dacheng Wei
Summary: The development of a graphene field-effect transistor (g-FET) biosensor has enabled ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with rapid and precise diagnosis capabilities. This technology holds great promise in future prevention and control of other epidemic outbreaks.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yifei Wang, Vinh X. Ho, Prashant Pradhan, Michael P. Cooney, Nguyen Q. Vinh
Summary: A method has been developed to achieve high-performance photodetectors based on graphene with high responsivity and fast response time by growing an absorber layer directly on graphene. These photodetectors exhibit high responsivity and fast response time, providing promising applications under low incident intensity.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yang Sun, Shicai Xu, Tiying Zhu, Jiajun Lu, Shuo Chen, Maomao Liu, Guangcan Wang, Baoyuan Man, Huamin Li, Cheng Yang
Summary: In this study, a photocurrent-modulated FET sensor for DNA hybridization detection was proposed, achieving a detection limit down to attomolar concentrations. The sensor significantly enhances the response signal compared to traditional FET sensors, opening new avenues for further development in biosensing applications.
Article
Biophysics
Chishu Homma, Mirano Tsukiiwa, Hironaga Noguchi, Masayoshi Tanaka, Mina Okochi, Hideyuki Tomizawa, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Atsunobu Isobayashi, Yuhei Hayamizu
Summary: Gas sensing using graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) has attracted much attention for its high sensitivity. To further advance gas sensing with GFETs, the detection of various odor molecules is necessary for applications in environmental monitoring, healthcare, food, and cosmetic industries. In this study, three new peptides were designed and self-assembled into a molecular thin film on GFETs based on a motif sequence in olfactory receptors. The conductivity change of GFETs and the dynamic response demonstrated the ability of the designed peptides to sense different odor molecules with distinct signatures.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Cihan Kuru, Mirac Alaf, Yunus E. Simsek
Summary: In this study, it was found that the addition of Ni can significantly enhance the catalytic activity of MoS2 thin film in hydrogen evolution reaction, by altering the morphology and electronic structure of MoS2 thin film to improve H+ ion adsorption, reduce charge transfer resistance, and increase electrochemical surface area.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Cihan Kuru
Summary: This study investigates the PEC performance of Co-Mo-Se ternary chalcogenide thin film coated Si photocathodes in water splitting, and finds that the Co-Mo-Se (3:10)/p-Si photocathode surpasses the MoSe2/p-Si in performance due to its high catalytic activity and efficient charge carrier collection, showing promising potential for hydrogen production.
FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Cihan Kuru, Mirac Alaf, Yunus E. Simsek, Ubeyd Tocoglu
Summary: Sulfurized Co-Mo alloy thin film electrodes with different compositions were successfully fabricated and studied for their catalytic properties in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The alloy films exhibited enhanced HER activity compared to MoS2, especially at a higher Co concentration. The best performing electrode showed a significantly lower overpotential and a smaller Tafel slope, with good stability, making them promising catalysts for the electrocatalytic HER in acidic solution.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lin Yang, Yi Tao, Yanglin Zhu, Manira Akter, Ke Wang, Zhiliang Pan, Yang Zhao, Qian Zhang, Ya-Qiong Xu, Renkun Chen, Terry T. Xu, Yunfei Chen, Zhiqiang Mao, Deyu Li
Summary: This study observed length-dependent thermal conductivity in ultrathin van der Waals crystal NbSe3 nanowires, providing experimental evidence for superdiffusive phonon transport. Contrary to the classical size effect due to phonon-boundary scattering, the observed thermal conductivity showed an enhancement as the characteristic size of the nanowires decreased.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Andrew J. Wright, Qingyang Wang, Chongze Hu, Yi-Ting Yeh, Renkun Chen, Jian Luo
Summary: A series of duodenary high-entropy oxides containing eleven metal cations have been investigated in this study, showing single high-entropy phases with order-disorder transitions and reduced thermal conductivity as composition changes. The study suggests a new route to tailor high-entropy ceramics by controlling cation ordering vs. disordering, with abrupt increases in Young's modulus at low mixing concentrations near endmembers.
Article
Thermodynamics
Rui Kou, Ying Zhong, Qingyang Wang, Jeongmin Kim, Renkun Chen, Yu Qiao
Summary: Polymer-air multilayer (PAM) is developed to reduce heat loss through windowpanes by utilizing polymer films separated by air gaps. With excellent optical properties, PAM has high visible transmittance and low haze. It not only reduces conductive and convective heat transfer, but also obstructs radiative heat transfer, making it ideal for window retrofitting applications.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Shumon Koga, Mitsutoshi Makihata, Renkun Chen, Miroslav Krstic, Albert P. Pisano
Summary: This article introduces a novel control algorithm for a thermal phase-change process using paraffin as the phase-change material, with successful experimental verification. The algorithm involves designing boundary feedback control for stabilizing the liquid-solid phase interface position, with continuous-time full-state feedback control and observer-based output feedback. The experiment demonstrates successful convergence of the phase interface to the set point.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Andrew Z. Zhao, Matthew C. Wingert, Renkun Chen, Javier E. Garay
Summary: Developing predictive thermal property models for liquids based on microscopic principles has been challenging, but recent advances suggest that a model combining solid-state physics and liquid theory can accurately predict the heat capacity of liquids. The liquid phonon gas model, which considers high-frequency vibrational modes conducting heat in liquids, shows promise in calculating thermal conductivity across varying intermolecular interaction energies. The model's accuracy improves as intermolecular interaction energy and density increase, with experimental results for Coulombic-bound molten sodium nitrate and hydrogen-bonded water showing minimal deviation from calculated values.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gunwoo Kim, Kyuin Park, Kyung-Jun Hwang, Sungho Jin
Summary: Radiative cooling in textiles is crucial for thermal comfort of the human body, especially under intense sunlight environments. This study shows that nanoscale geometric control of textile structure can achieve desirable NIR and IR optical properties without the need for specialty polymer materials. By using a nanomesh textile made of PVDF electrospun fibers, significant radiative cooling performance with high solar and NIR reflectance and moderate IR transmittance was achieved, showcasing a potential for energy-saving cooling in both outdoor and indoor settings.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Andrew J. Wright, Qingyang Wang, Yi-Ting Yeh, Dawei Zhang, Michelle Everett, Joerg Neuefeind, Renkun Chen, Jian Luo
Summary: Rare-earth niobates and tantalates possess low thermal conductivities, which can be further reduced in high-entropy compositions. The correlation between thermal conductivity and averaged radius ratio of cations is investigated, and short-range weberite-type order is found to be related to the reduced thermal conductivity. Diffuse scattering in X-ray diffraction and neutron total scattering confirms the presence of this order.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ka Man Chung, Renkun Chen
Summary: In this work, a facile and scalable method was demonstrated to convert low-cost quartz sand into a direct solar-absorbing heat transfer fluid (HTF) and thermal energy storage (TES) material. The coating process using a thin silica shell containing black spinel nanoparticles greatly enhanced the solar absorptance of the sand, while maintaining its stability and optical properties. The coated quartz sand exhibited a comparable thermal conductivity to currently used Carbo ceramic particle beds in CSP plants, making it a cost-effective and high-performance option for future CSP systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jian Zeng, Xintong Zhang, Ka Man Chung, Tianshi Feng, Haowen Zhang, Ravi S. Prasher, Renkun Chen
Summary: A moisture thermal battery (MTB) is developed to passively cool high-power electronics by utilizing the latent heat and high thermal conductance of water evaporation. During on-peak hours, it provides efficient cooling, while it autonomously harvests atmospheric moisture and stores water during off hours. The MTB significantly suppresses temperature fluctuation of high-power electronics between on-and off-peak hours.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sanghun Park, Sudip Kumar Pal, Tohid Otoufat, Gunwoo Kim
Summary: Radiative cooling attracts significant interest due to its potential to save energy consumption in HVAC systems and tackle global warming. However, the focus has mainly been on optimizing the geometries for selective wavelength absorption, rather than investigating and optimizing the polymer material itself. In this study, the authors investigate the infrared absorption coefficient of different polymer types and introduce a new concept of radiative-cooling composites. By dispersing an IR scattering medium in a polymer matrix, the authors demonstrate effective scattering and attenuation of infrared radiation, leading to improved cooling performance in a window film. This composite offers a promising approach to enhance radiative cooling properties in various polymer materials.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sudip Kumar Pal, Dong Yun Choi, Gunwoo Kim
Summary: This study demonstrates the design and experimental verification of a radiative cooling polymer-based composite material (PCM) face mask to enhance user comfort and protection, particularly in outdoor sunlight environments. With a single layer of silver nanoparticle coating, the PCM face mask has high efficiency in blocking sunlight and emitting radiation through higher IR emissivity. Outdoor measurements with simulated solar exposure showed a significant 4°C cooling impact compared to a bare mask.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sanghun Park, Sudip Kumar Pal, Tohid Otoufat, Gunwoo Kim
Summary: This study investigates the infrared absorption coefficient of various polymer types and introduces a new concept of radiative-cooling composites. By dispersing an infrared scattering medium in a polymer matrix, the infrared radiation can be effectively scattered and attenuated. This composite provides a new approach to enhance the radiative-cooling property of different polymer materials.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
