Article
Chemistry, Physical
Puran Pandey, Siela Vongphachanh, Jongwon Yoon, Bokyoung Kim, Chel-Jong Choi, Jung Inn Sohn, Woong-Ki Hong
Summary: This study demonstrated the use of AgNWNF-coated stretchable PDMS substrates as SERS sensors with strong effects. The adhesion strength of AgNWNEs on UVO-treated PDMS substrates was significantly stronger than that of AgNWNFs on untreated PDMS.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuqin Chen, Yameng Zhu, Huixiang Sheng, Jin Wang, Chengyu Zhang, Yaqi Chen, Wei Huang, Gang Lu
Summary: Surface plasmons have attracted attention in chemical reactions due to their high light utilization efficiency, reaction rate, and mild conditions. This study reveals that the coadsorption of p-hydroxythiophenol (PHTP) molecules significantly enhances the plasmon-mediated decarboxylation reaction of p-mercaptobenzoic acid adsorbed on silver nanoparticles. The observed boosting effect is attributed to the matched energy distribution between the plasmon-generated hot electrons and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of the coadsorbed PHTP molecules. These findings deepen our understanding of plasmon-mediated chemical reactions and provide a convenient and cost-effective way to fabricate highly efficient plasmonic catalysts.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ce Liang, Zi-Ang Lu, Ming Zheng, Mengxin Chen, Yuanyuan Zhang, Bin Zhang, Jiaxu Zhang, Ping Xu
Summary: In this study, a band structure engineering strategy is demonstrated using two-dimensional borocarbonitride (BCN) as a metal-free and plasmon-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform. By tuning the conduction band of BCN substrate to align with the LUMO of the target molecule, remarkable SERS performance is achieved, along with fluorescence quenching.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiao-Gang Wang, Jian Wang, Zi-Jin Jiang, Dai-Wen Tao, Xu-Qiang Zhang, Cheng-Wei Wang
Summary: This study successfully fabricated SERS-active substrates with dual-bandgap photonic crystal structures, demonstrating ultra-high sensitivity and stability for trace detection of Rhodamine B, providing significant potential for applications in biomolecular detection and chemical analysis.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuenan Pan, Qi Chu, Shuang Guo, Sila Jin, Eungyeong Park, Yeonju Park, Yantao Sun, Lei Chen, Young Mee Jung
Summary: The purpose of this study is to investigate the charge transfer process and SERS enhancement mechanism in the Ag/MBA/PAN system with varying thicknesses of PAN. The results show that increasing the PAN thickness leads to higher frequency and intensity of the characteristic MBA band, as well as increased intensity of the b2 mode. The degree of CT also increases with increasing PAN thickness, due to the excited SPR from Ag. The electromagnetic enhancement mechanism at the PAN/Ag interface generates hot electrons and facilitates electron transfer in the CT process.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tomoko Inose, Shuichi Toyouchi, Shinnosuke Hara, Shoji Sugioka, Peter Walke, Rikuto Oyabu, Beatrice Fortuni, Wannes Peeters, Yuki Usami, Kenji Hirai, Steven De Feyter, Hiroshi Uji-i, Yasuhiko Fujita, Hirofumi Tanaka
Summary: Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted tremendous attention for their potential in next-generation nanoelectronic devices. The authors recently discovered that unzipping from double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) can produce crystalline single-layered GNRs (sGNRs) with high yield. By using silver nanowire-based tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), the authors analyzed the single GNRs and found heterogeneity in defect density and edge structure, which provides deeper insights into the structure and reaction mechanism of unzipped GNRs.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Runcheng Liu, Zhipeng Zha, Muhammad Shafi, Can Li, Wen Yang, Shicai Xu, Mei Liu, Shouzhen Jiang
Summary: The proposed HMM/Ag NPs platform allows for the excitation and utilization of BPP for SERS applications, with the Ag NPs providing strong plasmonic properties and acting as a light-matter coupler. Additionally, the platform successfully decouples BPP into localized surface plasmon using the nano antenna structure of Ag NPs, showing potential for surface-enhanced spectroscopy applications.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lin Zhu, Zhen Meng, Saizhen Hu, Tiancong Zhao, Bing Zhao
Summary: The study focuses on the plasmonic coupling between noble-metal and semiconductor nanostructures, and reveals the enhanced charge transfer and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals in a designed W18O49/Ag heterostructure. A new coupled-plasmon-induced charge transfer mechanism is proposed, providing insight for further studies on plasmonic effects and interfacial charge transfer in metal/semiconductor heterostructures.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lin Zhu, Zhen Meng, Saizhen Hu, Tiancong Zhao, Bing Zhao
Summary: In this study, we for the first time observed and considered the plasmonic coupling between noble-metal and semiconductor nanostructures in metal/semiconductor heterostructures, using a W18O49/Ag heterostructure composed of Ag nanoparticles and W18O49 nanowires. The heterogeneous structure exhibited a broad and strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption in the visible wavelength range. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was used to investigate the interactions between metal SPR, semiconductor SPR, and the heterostructure's charge transfer process, revealing that the coupled SPR enhanced the heterostructure's internal charge transfer and SERS signals. A new coupled-plasmon-induced charge transfer mechanism was proposed to explain the improved charge transfer efficiency. This work provides insights for further studies on plasmonic effects and interfacial charge transfer in metal/semiconductor heterostructures.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Haining Li, Bing Yang, Biao Yu, Nan Huang, Lusheng Liu, Jiaqi Lu, Xin Jiang
Summary: Treatment of hydrogen plasma on silicon nanowires, followed by coatings of nanocrystalline diamond and multilayer graphene, enables enhanced Raman signals with reduced fluorescent background. The graphene-coated nanowires show lower fluorescent background than diamond-coated ones, with a minimum detection limit of 10(7) mol/L and an enhancement factor exceeding 10(4). The stable Raman enhancement is attributed to hydrogen-terminated graphene and the nanowire structure, independent of graphene layers and maintaining stability after exposure to the atmosphere for a month.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hyun Jeong, Hyeong Chan Suh, Ga Hyun Cho, Rafael Salas-Montiel, Hayoung Ko, Ki Kang Kim, Mun Seok Jeong
Summary: In this study, a potential platform to enhance Raman scattering and increase the number of observable Raman modes in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) was proposed. The platform consisted of large-scale arrays of gold micropillars (MPs), which were able to enhance the Raman intensity of TMDs and make difficult-to-detect Raman modes observable. The platform showed great industrial advantages and wide applicability due to its low cost, simple process, large controllable area, and short process time.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Miao Yu, Qihang Tian, Guangyuan He, Kaimin Cui, Jihong Zhang
Summary: Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a novel method for low concentration molecular detection, and tapered fiber SERS probes based on silver nanocubes exhibit high sensitivity. These probes can be used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis, with an optimal cone angle of 8.3 degrees.
ADVANCED FIBER MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Qiyuan Dai, Yong Wei, Weiqi Ma, Li Li, Huan Pei
Summary: This study systematically investigates the influence of thin 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of a silver (Ag) nanocavity. The results show that the presence of MoS2 film enhances the plasmonic coupling between the nanocavity and the substrate, leading to significant SERS enhancement. Thinner MoS2 film and shorter nanocavity-film distance further improve the enhancement. Additionally, the spatial resolution of Raman spectroscopy can be improved by reducing the nanocavity radius.
OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Savitha Nalini, Subin Thomas, K. S. Anju, M. K. Jayaraj, K. Rajeev Kumar
Summary: This study demonstrates how chemical vapor deposited monolayer graphene enhances the SERS activity in a conventional plasmonic substrate, and presents the superior performance of the graphene-mediated SERS platform.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yanzhao Pang, Mingliang Jin
Summary: A highly aligned AgNW array film was prepared using a self-assembly method, which showed excellent signal reproducibility and detection ability at low concentrations. The uniform distribution of hot spots inside the AgNW substrate amplified the SERS signal.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Min Tu, Flip de Jong, Cristina Martin, Helge Reinsch, Sabina Rodriguez-Hermida, Arne Meulemans, Eduard Fron, Daniel Escudero, Mark Van der Auweraer, Johan Hofkens, Rob Ameloot
Summary: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are used to confine guest molecules and control their emissions. This study explores the encapsulation of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the MOF ZIF-8, which allows for tunable luminescence color and excellent thermal stability. The variations in luminescence are attributed to guest arrangements and host-guest interactions within the nanocompartments.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Fernando de Lera-Garrido, Rocio Dominguez, M. Paz Fernandez-Liencres, Cristina Martin, Juan Tolosa, Eva M. Garcia-Frutos, Josefina Perles, Johan Hofkens, Joaquin C. Garcia-Martinez, Andres Garzon-Ruiz, Amparo Navarro
Summary: The impact of substituting n-alkyl and n-alkoxy side chains with bulkier side groups on the photophysics of model fluorophores was analyzed. The bulky side groups were found to significantly influence the non-radiative deactivation. Aggregation-induced enhanced emission was attributed to the blocking of photoisomerization and restriction of intramolecular vibrations. In solid state, the bulky side groups played a determining role in the supramolecular structure and photophysical properties, particularly in tetra(styryl)benzene derivatives. Incorporating bulky side groups in oligo(styryl)benzenes improved device performance by reducing electromer formation. Tetra(styryl)benzenes, especially the tert-butyl derivative, exhibited better device performance with lower turn-on voltage, higher current density, and electroluminescent intensity.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Hajime Ishihara, Keiji Sasaki, Johan Hofkens, Kohei Imura, Shoji Ishizaka
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C-PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacek Waluk
Summary: The fluorescence quantum yields of porphycenes can vary greatly due to factors such as hydrogen bonding strength, proton delocalization, and molecular distortion. By studying over 20 different substituted porphycenes, a strong correlation was found between fluorescence quantum yield and the distance between the H-bonded nitrogen atoms.
PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ivan Maslov, Oleksandr Volkov, Polina Khorn, Philipp Orekhov, Anastasiia Gusach, Pavel Kuzmichev, Andrey Gerasimov, Aleksandra Luginina, Quinten Coucke, Andrey Bogorodskiy, Valentin Gordeliy, Simon Wanninger, Anders Barth, Alexey Mishin, Johan Hofkens, Vadim Cherezov, Thomas Gensch, Jelle Hendrix, Valentin Borshchevskiy
Summary: Single-molecule FRET experiments with human A2A adenosine receptor in lipid nanodiscs reveal its conformational dynamics and activation. This study establishes a general smFRET platform for GPCR investigations, which has potential applications in drug screening and mechanism-of-action studies.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Donato Valli, Martin Ottesen, Martin Bremholm, Steffen Wiedmann, Paul Tinnemans, Joris van de Vondel, Maarten Roeffaers, Elke Debroye, Johan Hofkens, Masoumeh Keshavarz
Summary: Hybrid metal halide perovskites show excellent photoelectric properties and tunability. This study provides an in-depth characterization of the structural and optoelectronic properties of 2D (NH4)(3)Sb2I9 perovskite single crystals and reveals an increase in photoluminescence intensity as temperature decreases.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara Golec, Joanna Buczynska, Krzysztof Nawara, Aleksander Gorski, Jacek Waluk
Summary: Comparison of photostability between degassed and aerated toluene solutions is investigated for 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin, 5,10,15-tri(p-tolyl)porphyrin, and their zinc analogues. Degassed solutions show higher quantum yields of photodegradation but lower photodecomposition rates due to longer triplet lifetimes. Zinc porphyrins in degassed solutions form dehydrated zinc biladienones, which are relatively stable in toluene but readily demetallate in dichloromethane. Complexation with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) enhances photostability in both degassed and non-degassed solvents.
PHOTOCHEMICAL & PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wannes Peeters, Shuichi Toyouchi, Yasuhiko Fujita, Mathias Wolf, Beatrice Fortuni, Eduard Fron, Tomoko Inose, Johan Hofkens, Takahiko Endo, Yasumitsu Miyata, Hiroshi Uji-i
Summary: Tip-enhanced photoluminescence (TEPL) microscopy overcomes the diffraction-limited background signal by using remote excitation, achieving higher spatial resolution. Two probe designs were evaluated, and spatial heterogeneity was successfully demonstrated on a MoSe2/WSe2 lateral heterostructure.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Linrong Zhang, Soukaina Khayour, Guozhang Ren, Shunhao He, Junjie Wang, Liuyingzi Yu, Yaxin Song, Chengcheng Zhu, Xing Kang, Yulong Zhang, Zhongyan Gong, Kun Gao, Jin Wang, Huixiang Sheng, Gang Lu, Hai-Dong Yu
Summary: By introducing the proton penetrable polymer Nafion into the semiconductor layers of OECTs, the transconductance of the OECTs is significantly enhanced, resulting in improved performance for chemical and biological detections.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Guozhang Ren, Hua Fan, Linrong Zhang, Shunhao He, Chengcheng Zhu, Kun Gao, Yulong Zhang, Junjie Wang, Xing Kang, Yaxin Song, Zhongyan Gong, Gongqiang Li, Gang Lu, Hai-Dong Yu
Summary: Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have gained significant interest in health monitoring and early diagnosis due to their high sensitivity, easy integration, flexibility, and light weight. This study presents the design and fabrication of an all-carbon OECT by using laser-induced graphene (LIG) as the electrode, which exhibits high output performance and improved flexibility and cost efficiency. The LIG-based OECT shows sensitive detection of glucose in artificial sweat and on human skin, illustrating its potential for advancing the development of flexible bioelectronics.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Handong Jin, Amitrajit Mukherjee, Lata Chouhan, Julian A. Steele, Flip de Jong, Yujie Gao, Maarten B. J. Roeffaers, Johan Hofkens, Elke Debroye
Summary: Surface passivation of lead halide perovskite materials with methylammonium chloride (MACl) is a promising strategy to improve the efficiency of solar cells. However, traditional MACl post-treatment methods often create unwanted defects that hinder the performance of the device. In this study, we propose a novel chloride post-treatment approach using a mixed ethanol/toluene solvent, which results in improved crystal structure, composition, and optical properties of methylammonium lead iodide nano/microcrystals and related photodetector devices. Our results show that an optimized Cl content enhances photoluminescence intensity, prolongs the lifetime of emitted light, and reduces photodegradation, ultimately leading to more stable and higher photocurrent.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chunhua Wang, Yang Ding, Biao Liu, Bo Weng, Johan Hofkens, Maarten B. J. Roeffaers
Summary: By theoretically and experimentally engineering the crystal structure of Cs3BiBr6 and Cs3Bi2Br9, their photocatalytic performance can be modulated. This study provides insights into the structure-photoactivity relationships of metal halide perovskites (MHPs) and offers a guideline for exploiting MHPs for efficient photocatalytic organic synthesis.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Karuppasamy Kohila Rani, Qiong Yang, Yuan-Hui Xiao, Rajkumar Devasenathipathy, Zhihao Lu, Xinya Chen, Lu Jiang, Zemin Li, Qinghua Liu, Haonan Chen, Liuyingzi Yu, Zhuoyao Li, Soukaina Khayour, Junjie Wang, Kaili Wang, Gongqiang Li, De-Yin Wu, Gang Lu
Summary: This study introduces a molecular cocatalyst, p-hydroxythiophenol (PHTP), to significantly enhance the reaction efficacy in plasmon-mediated electrochemical oxidation. The presence of PHTP improves the hot hole-mediated electrochemical oxidation by trapping plasmon-mediated hot electrons, leading to a 2-fold increase in reaction efficiency. The selectivity of the oxidation reaction can also be modulated by the introduction of PHTP.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Quinten Coucke, Nagma Parveen, Guillermo Solis Fernandez, Chen Qian, Johan Hofkens, Zeger Debyser, Jelle Hendrix
Summary: Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a popular method to create additional contrast in fluorescence images. This article investigates the use of an object localization strategy and the phasor approach to FLIM for FRET analyses of single particles. Simulations show that a sufficient number of photons per pixel can determine a correct phasor signature. Experimental results validate that particle-based phasor-FLIM-FRET can accurately estimate fluorescence lifetimes and FRET in single molecules. This approach is also applied to study protein-protein interactions in subdiffraction HIV-1 viral particles.
BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Johannes L. Teunissen, Tom Braeckevelt, Irina Skvortsova, Jinhui Guo, Bapi Pradhan, Elke Debroye, Maarten B. J. Roeffaers, Johan Hofkens, Sandra Van Aert, Sara Bals, Sven M. J. Rogge, Veronique Van Speybroeck
Summary: This study combines machine learning potential-based molecular dynamics simulations with an in silico strain engineering approach to accurately quantify strained large-scale atomic structures. The researchers demonstrate that the magnitude of the induced strain fields decays exponentially with distance from the strain source, and the total strain field induced by multiple strain sources can be predicted by summing the strain fields of each individual source. This additive character allows for understanding complex strain behavior in perovskites and designing strain for enhanced phase stability at the atomic level.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
