Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bin Yuan, Ludovico Cademartiri
Summary: This study describes, models, and predicts the growth kinetics of amine-capped PbS colloidal nanoparticles in the absence of supersaturation. The nanoparticles grow by coalescence rather than Ostwald ripening, with low activation energy attributed to differences in particle size and suppression of collision rates between rare populations. The model successfully predicts nanoparticle growth kinetics, enabling precise control of average particle size without the need for supersaturation.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
King C. Lai, Charles T. Campbell, James W. Evans
Summary: Nanostructured systems are prone to coarsening, which can lead to deactivation when used as catalysts. The dependence of diffusivity on nanocluster size controls coarsening kinetics. Traditional mean-field theory is refined to account for different densities and hop rates on different facets, capturing the occurrence of local minima in diffusivity versus size. However, this approach has fundamental shortcomings and a beyond-mean-field treatment is needed to capture the cooperative multi-step diffusion process in faceted nanoclusters.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Rodolphe Grivet, Antoine Monier, Axel Huerre, Christophe Josserand, Thomas Seon
Summary: The freezing process of a water droplet on a cold substrate was experimentally investigated in this study. It was found that the spreading of the droplet stops due to the formation and growth of ice crystals which catch up with the advancing contact line. The study also showed that the thermal properties of the substrate play a major role in determining the frozen droplet radius.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jianfeng Hu, Zhijian Shen
Summary: Grain growth during heating treatment is crucial for the development of microstructures in polycrystalline materials. SrTiO3 ceramics sintered at different heating rates exhibit distinct grain growth behaviors and microstructures, with two different mechanisms of grain growth dominating at different heating rates. The switch of growth mechanisms is determined by the competition between the activation of grain motions and the formation of steady neck among grains.
SCRIPTA MATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Masayuki Hibino, Kei Tanaka, Makoto Ouchi, Takaya Terashima
Summary: The amphiphilic random copolymers with hydrophilic PEG chains and hydrophobic butyl groups can self-assemble in water to form micelles with controlled size and aggregation number. By utilizing these random copolymers as association segments in random-block copolymers, the size and aggregation number of the micelles can be precisely controlled, showcasing dynamic chain exchange and thermoresponsive properties.
Article
Biophysics
Philip E. Jahl, Raghuveer Parthasarathy
Summary: The viscosity of lipid membranes plays a significant role in setting the timescales of membrane-associated motions. Different measurement techniques yield varying results, but the method proposed in this study has been validated on phase-separated membranes and shown a weak dependence of viscosity on lipid size. This approach may be applicable to a variety of membrane systems, both reconstituted and cellular.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sara Nilsson, Monia R. Nielsen, Joachim Fritzsche, Christoph Langhammer, Shima Kadkhodazadeh
Summary: In this study, the oxidation of single Cu nanoparticles was investigated using environmental scanning transmission electron microscopy and in situ electron energy-loss spectroscopy. The competitive activation of different mechanisms under different conditions and their effects on the particle morphology were revealed. The plasmonic response of individual particles during oxidation was analyzed using finite-difference time-domain electrodynamic simulations.
Article
Physics, Applied
Navdeep S. S. Dhillon, Dilipkumar Choudhary, Jayden Maree, Victor Inhelder, Jazmin Guadarrama
Summary: Nucleate boiling is a crucial phenomenon in various industries, and improving its performance parameters has practical implications for power plants and electronics thermal management. However, studying this complex phenomenon has been challenging, hindering progress in boiling heat transfer enhancement. This paper introduces a laser-based technique for controlled bubble generation, allowing accurate phenomenological studies of the boiling process. The laser-nucleated controlled single bubble closely simulates naturally occurring bubbles in nucleate pool boiling, unlike existing artificial bubble generation approaches.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Matthieu Mangeat, Heiko Rieger
Summary: This paper investigates the impact of spatial heterogeneity in intracellular transport in living cells on the mean first passage time (MFPT) for Brownian particles, comparing active transport and passive Brownian motion to determine if optimization can be achieved in a two-compartment domain. The study derives asymptotic expressions for MFPT in thin cortex and small escape region limits in two and three dimensions, confirmed by numerical calculations using the finite-element method and stochastic simulations. The analysis reveals the dependence of MFPT on diffusion constants ratio, potential barrier height, and outer shell width, with potential for a minimum value in the latter under specific conditions.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Die Hu, Fengqi Qin, Jialiang Liu, Haopeng Lai, Taixing Tan, Chengyu Li, Cheng Wang
Summary: By manipulating the growth kinetics of silver nanocrystals, the growth direction and diameter of silver nanorods/wires can be efficiently controlled, leading to the synthesis of thin nanorods/wires with outstanding performance.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hao Hu, Fenglei Shi, Peter Tieu, Benwei Fu, Peng Tao, Chengyi Song, Wen Shang, Xiaoqing Pan, Tao Deng, Jianbo Wu
Summary: Nanobubbles have gained attention in various fields due to their potential applications. Understanding the growth kinetics of different types of nanobubbles is a challenge. Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy can reveal the growth trajectory of nanobubbles in real-time.
Letter
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shengnan Yue, Wenjuan Yuan, Ziliang Deng, Wei Xi, Yongli Shen
Summary: This study used advanced in situ characterization techniques to observe the formation of atomic material transport channels during the coalescence process of metal nano particles. It revealed an atomic ordered arrangement growth mechanism after the completion of nucleation and explained the formation principle of the material transport channels using density functional theory.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mohsen Abbaspour, Hamed Akbarzadeh, Sirous Salemi, Leila Bahmanipour
Summary: Water molecules undergo property changes when exposed to external magnetic or electric fields. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study water molecules confined between surfaces or in carbon nanotubes, finding variations in shape, motion, and thermodynamic properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kangwook Kim, Yunmo Sung, Wonseok Lee, Yongju Kwon, Chungsoo Kim, Hyojin Kim, Sungjee Kim, Jiwon Bang
Summary: Utilizing alkylammonium-selenide to strip carboxylate ligands on CdSe nanocrystals activates their surface and promotes coalescence, enabling controlled coalescence and construction of heterostructures with sophisticated control of surface state. Surface-activated colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals hold promise as nanoscale building blocks for functional nanostructures, providing insights into coalescence formation mechanisms and enabling the construction of higher-order supernanostructures.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Wolfram Ponisch, Thomas C. T. Michaels, Christoph A. Weber
Summary: Biomolecular condensates in living cells can exhibit complex rheological properties, including viscoelastic and glassy behavior. This study theoretically investigates how the rheological properties of condensates can control the formation of linear aggregates. A kinetic theory for linear aggregation in coexisting phases is proposed, taking into account the aggregate size distribution and exchange between inside and outside of condensates. The results suggest that condensate rheology plays a crucial role in determining the exchange of aggregates and the number of aggregates inside and outside of condensates, and even weak variations in the rheological properties can lead to significant changes in aggregate numbers.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tomoki Sasada, Kento Yasuda, Yuto Hosaka, Shigeyuki Komura
Summary: We investigate the mechanical properties of layered materials with interlayer friction and propose a model that includes lateral elasticity and interlayer friction. Our results show an apparent phase difference in the transmission of internal deformations and reveal an intermediate power-law behavior in the low-frequency regime of the effective complex modulus. These findings are important for estimating internal deformations in layered materials at different scales.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bin Zheng, Fangfu Ye, Shigeyuki Komura, Masao Doi
Summary: We analyze the translocation process of a spherical vesicle through a hole smaller than its size, driven by pressure difference ΔP. We show that the vesicle exhibits certain universal characteristics independent of membrane elasticity: (i) a critical pressure ΔPc below which no translocation occurs; (ii) ΔPc approaches zero as the vesicle radius R0 approaches the hole radius a, following the scaling relation ΔPc (R0 - a)3/2; and (iii) the translocation time τ diverges as ΔP decreases to ΔPc, following the scaling relation τ (ΔP - ΔPc)-1/2.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tomohiro Higashi, Kazuhiko Seki, Yutaka Sasaki, Yuriy Pihosh, Vikas Nandal, Mamiko Nakabayashi, Naoya Shibata, Kazunari Domen
Summary: This study investigated the HER of Rh nanoparticles coated with an ultrathin layer of Cr-oxides as a model electrode for the Cr2O3/Rh-metal core-shell-type cocatalyst system. The CrOx layer on RhNP facilitated the electron transfer process, leading to increased current density for the HER. It was found that the CrOx layer promoted proton transfer to the RhNP surface and restricted electron transfer from the FTO to the electrolyte and/or RhNP, resulting in efficient photocatalytic water splitting.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuto Hosaka, David Andelman, Shigeyuki Komura
Summary: We discuss the lateral dynamics of two active force dipoles in a thin fluid layer that is active and chiral. The fluid layer is modeled as a two-dimensional compressible fluid with an odd viscosity, while the force dipole induces a dipolar flow. We analytically obtain the mobility tensor, which includes nonreciprocal hydrodynamic interactions and depends on the odd viscosity.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kazuhiko Seki, Naoya Muramatsu, Tomoaki Miura, Tadaaki Ikoma
Summary: The time-of-flight method is used to characterize the transport properties of semiconductors. In this study, the effects of in-depth carrier injection on transient currents and optical absorption under pulsed-light excitation were investigated. The results provide insights into the interpretation of power-law exponent in the photocurrent decay.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kazuhiko Seki, Tomoaki Miura, Tadaaki Ikoma
Summary: Triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) is a process that combines low electronic energies in two molecules to form high electronic energy in one molecule, enabling high-efficiency conversion using low-intensity light. This process has been observed in solutions, but the complexity of TTA kinetics in solid matrixes has not been fully understood.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Akira Kobayashi, Kento Yasuda, Li-Shing Lin, Isamu Sou, Yuto Hosaka, Shigeyuki Komura
Summary: This article presents numerical simulations of odd microswimmers composed of three spheres and two odd springs. The hydrodynamic interaction is described using both Oseen-type and Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa (RPY)-type mobilities. The results show that the Oseen-type mobility reproduces the average velocity accurately, while the RPY-type mobility leads to a smaller average velocity, especially for larger spheres. Simulations with different sphere sizes also demonstrate that the average velocity decreases compared to the equal-sized case, with the size of the middle sphere being crucial in determining the average velocity.
JOURNAL OF THE PHYSICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Li-Shing Lin, Kento Yasuda, Kenta Ishimoto, Yuto Hosaka, Shigeyuki Komura
Summary: Using Onsager's variational principle, we derive dynamical equations for a nonequilibrium active system with odd elasticity. The elimination of the extra variable that is coupled to the nonequilibrium driving force leads to the nonreciprocal set of equations for the material coordinates. The obtained nonreciprocal equations manifest the physical origin of the odd elastic moduli that are proportional to the nonequilibrium force and the friction coefficients. Our approach offers a systematic and consistent way to derive nonreciprocal equations for active matter in which the time-reversal symmetry is broken.
JOURNAL OF THE PHYSICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuriy Pihosh, Vikas Nandal, Ryota Shoji, Raman Bekarevich, Tomohiro Higashi, Valeria Nicolosi, Hiroyuki Matsuzaki, Kazuhiko Seki, Kazunari Domen
Summary: The development of high-performance solar-water-splitting technologies is limited by poor solar light absorption and charge separation. In this study, we overcome these challenges by developing photoanodes made from polycrystalline tantalum nitride nanorods (Ta3N5 NRs). Optimized morphology and crystalline properties of Ta3N5 NRs result in a significant increase in photocurrent for water oxidation activity. Factors such as charge carrier lifetime and diffusion length contribute to the enhanced performance. This research highlights the importance of designing narrow-energy band-gap photoanodes for efficient solar-water-splitting devices.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lixian Jiang, Shohei Horike, Masakazu Mukaida, Kazuhiro Kirihara, Kazuhiko Seki, Qingshuo Wei
Summary: An isotropic thermo-electrochemical cell with a high Seebeck coefficient (S-e) of 3.3 mV K-1 using a ferricyanide/ferrocyanide/guanidinium-based agar-gelated electrolyte is introduced. It achieves a power density of about 20 mu W cm(-2) at a temperature difference of about 10 K, regardless of the heat source position. The novel system represents a significant advancement in harvesting low-temperature heat due to its large S-e value and isotropic properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hiroaki Yoshida, Zhenhua Pan, Ryota Shoji, Vikas Nandal, Hiroyuki Matsuzaki, Kazuhiko Seki, Lihua Lin, Masanori Kaneko, Tsuyoshi Fukui, Koichi Yamashita, Tsuyoshi Takata, Takashi Hisatomi, Kazunari Domen
Summary: This study successfully synthesized a highly efficient Gd2Ti2O5S2 photocatalyst capable of driving photocatalytic reactions, and improved the production efficiency of hydrogen and oxygen by loading ultrafine Pt-IrO2 cocatalyst particles. The material exhibited remarkable apparent quantum efficiency within the visible light absorption range and showed good stability during oxygen evolution. These results demonstrate the potential application of this narrow-band gap oxysulfide photocatalyst in practical solar hydrogen production.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lihua Lin, Pongpen Kaewdee, Vikas Nandal, Ryota Shoji, Hiroyuki Matsuzaki, Kazuhiko Seki, Mamiko Nakabayashi, Naoya Shibata, Xiaoping Tao, Xizhuang Liang, Yiwen Ma, Takashi Hisatomi, Tsuyoshi Takata, Kazunari Domen
Summary: In this study, a flux-assisted technique was used to synthesize YTOS particles, which significantly reduced the preparation time by enhancing mass transfer efficiency. The resulting YTOS exhibited improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen and oxygen evolution when loaded with Rh and Co3O4 co-catalysts, respectively.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Akira Kobayashi, Kento Yasuda, Kenta Ishimoto, Li-Shing Lin, Isamu Sou, Yuto Hosaka, Shigeyuki Komura
Summary: We conducted numerical simulations on a model micromachine driven by catalytic chemical reactions. The model reveals a mechano-chemical coupling and calculates time-correlation functions of the structural variables, analyzing them using odd Langevin dynamics. Our findings include the effective odd elastic constant showing the broken time-reversal symmetry of a catalytic micromachine. We also estimate the nonreciprocality and demonstrate its similarity to odd elasticity. This approach offers a new method to assess the nonequilibrium properties of a micromachine solely through measuring its structural dynamics.
JOURNAL OF THE PHYSICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dharmapura H. K. Murthy, Vikas Nandal, Akihiro Furube, Kazuhiko Seki, Ryuzi Katoh, Hao Lyu, Takashi Hisatomi, Kazunari Domen, Hiroyuki Matsuzaki
Summary: The charge carrier dynamics of aluminum-doped SrTiO3 (Al:SrTiO3) were investigated, revealing that Al doping significantly prolongs carrier lifetime and the crucial electron extraction process by the Rh cocatalyst occurs before carrier decay. In contrast, electron extraction in SrTiO3 is slower than carrier lifetime, reducing the photocatalytic efficiency. In situ charge carrier dynamics at the water interface provide mechanistic insights into the enhancement of overall water splitting activity induced by Al doping.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuriy Pihosh, Vikas Nandal, Tomohiro Higashi, Ryota Shoji, Raman Bekarevich, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Taro Yamada, Valeria Nicolosi, Takashi Hisatomi, Hiroyuki Matsuzaki, Kazuhiko Seki, Kazunari Domen
Summary: Designing photoanode semiconducting materials with visible-light absorption and minimal charge-carrier recombination for achieving efficient solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion is challenging. Hybrid Ta3N5 nanorods and thin films are developed on transparent GaN/Al2O3 substrates to overcome these challenges and achieve high-performance STH energy conversion.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
