Article
Chemistry, Physical
Johann Steinhauer, Philipp Bachmann, Udo Bauer, Fabian Duell, Hans-Peter Steinrueck, Christian Papp
Summary: N-heterocyclic compounds have been proposed as suitable liquid organic hydrogen carriers for chemical hydrogen storage. The adsorption and reaction mechanisms of hydrogen-rich 2,2'-bipiperidine and hydrogen-lean 2,2'-bipyridine on Ni(111) were studied using synchrotron-based XPS, NEXAFS, and TPD experiments. The temperature-induced dehydrogenation and decomposition processes of these compounds were observed, providing insights into their behavior as potential hydrogen storage materials.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Julia M. Dressel, Emma N. Cook, Shelby L. Hooe, Juan J. Moreno, Diane A. Dickie, Charles W. Machan
Summary: In the face of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) continues to attract attention as a method for generating a carbon-neutral energy source. This study reports the electrochemical analysis of a molecular nickel(ii) complex, which acts as an efficient electrocatalyst for the HER with high faradaic efficiency and turnover frequencies. Computational studies suggest that non-covalent interactions between the proton donor and ligand heteroatoms play a crucial role in the electrocatalytic HER mechanism.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Huimiao Zhang, Patrick H. Toy
Summary: A halogen bond donor based on a 2,2'-bipyridine framework has been synthesized and used to catalyze Friedel-Crafts reactions of furans, yielding good reaction yields with moderate catalyst loading at low temperatures. The catalyst design allows for the potential development of an enantioselective version for stereo-selective catalysis.
ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Lenka Kresakova, Anna Mino, Mariia Holub, Juraj Kuchar, Alvaro Werner, Milagros Tomas, Erik Cizmar, Larry R. Falvello, Juraj Cernak
Summary: Seven complexes have been synthesized from the Ni(II) - HBz - bpy system under various experimental conditions and were characterized chemically and spectroscopically. X-ray structure analysis revealed hexacoordinated Ni(II) atoms in all complexes. Magnetic studies showed single-ion anisotropy in complex 1, with theoretical calculations confirming the influence of rhombic anisotropy.
INORGANICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yujie Chen, Rui Sun, Wenhui Zhu, Zhen Zhang, Yali Chen, Shuo Wang, Qiliang Deng
Summary: COFs with predesigned bipyridine recognition sites (BPD-COFs) were compared with a small molecule model compound (BPDB) for Ni2+ detection, showing that BPD-COFs had a higher fluorescence quenching degree and wider detection range. These results indicate that BPD-COFs have potential as a fluorescence sensing platform for selective detection of Ni2+ in complex systems.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bingnan Du, Chun-Ming Chan, Pui-Yiu Lee, Leong-Hung Cheung, Xin Xu, Zhenyang Lin, Wing-Yiu Yu
Summary: The authors developed diverse 2,2-difluorovinyl benzoates as versatile building blocks for modular synthesis of gem-difluoroenol ethers and gem-difluoroalkenes using nickel-catalyzed cross coupling. The method allows for late-stage functionalization of multifunctionalized bioactive molecules due to the diversity of the building blocks and excellent functional group tolerance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Nicolas Vogt, Aaron Sandleben, Lukas Kletsch, Sascha Schaefer, Mason T. Chin, David A. Vicic, Gerald Hoerner, Axel Klein
Summary: In this study, the effect of varying coligand X on the electronic structures and catalytic activity of organonickel complexes was investigated. It was found that different types of coligands X significantly influenced the electronic structures and catalytic activity of the complexes.
Article
Spectroscopy
Jose Geraldo M. Castro Junior, Willian R. Rocha
Summary: In this article, Density Functional Theory based calculations were used to investigate the photophysics of the [Ru(bpy)(2)(HAT)](2+) complex in water, as well as the thermodynamics of its reactions with oxygen, nitric oxide, and GMP nucleotide. The results showed that the excited state reactions and electron transfers are highly favorable, indicating that the complex can be involved in the photooxidation of DNA and act as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy. The study also suggests the potential use of the complex for the generation of singlet nitroxyl and its impact on physiological studies involving HNO.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rocco Davi, Giovanni Carraro, Marija Stojkovska, Marco Smerieri, Letizia Savio, Jean-Jacques Gallet, Fabrice Bournel, Mario Rocca, Luca Vattuone
Summary: We investigated the influence of vacancies on graphene exposed to CO using synchrotron radiation-induced core level photoemission spectroscopy. CO reacted with graphene to produce additional carbon atoms and CO2. CO intercalates and CO2 molecules bind to vacancies, forming covalently bonded species containing C and O, repairing the defects.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Basma A. Ismail, Zeinab H. Abd H. El-Wahab, Omyma A. M. Ali, Doaa A. Nassar
Summary: The study investigated the chemistry and antimicrobial activity of four new mononuclear mixed ligand Fe(III), Co(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) complexes constructed from furfural-type imine ligand (L) and 2,2'-bipyridine as a co-ligand. Various spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the structure of the complexes. The results showed that the ligand (L) acted as a neutral ONNO tetradentate and the co-ligand acted as a neutral NN bidentate. The complexes exhibited octahedral geometry around the metal ions. Conductivity data showed electrolytic nature of the complexes. The [CdL(bpy)](NO3)(2) complex exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity compared to the parent ligands.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Cungang Xu, Rong Luo, Chenze Xie, Chuanbin Fan, Yuhua Fan, Xia Zhang
Summary: Two Ni(II)-based monomeric complexes were successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions, and their high-dimensional networks were formed through intermolecular hydrogen bonds, π-π stacking interactions, and weak intermolecular interactions. As novel photocatalyst materials, they exhibited active performance towards the degradation of methyl violet, and the second complex showed stability and reusability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenxu Zhong, Hui Qiang, Jin Jiang, Yu Wu, Yogita Padwal, Suresh W. Gosavi, Ratna Chauhan, Hiroshi Sakiyama, Mohd Afzal, Abdullah Alarifi
Summary: Three new complexes containing Ni(II) and Zn(II) metal centers were synthesized through a mixed ligand strategy. These complexes were used as photocatalysts for the photodegradation of methyl violet (MV) dye, and the results showed that complex 2 exhibited the best photocatalytic performance by degrading 92.8% of MV in 100 minutes. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed based on trapping experiments and density of states calculations.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Zhou Rong, Li Yu-qin, Ding Yan-li, Qin Xiao-li, Sha Jing, Li Ping, Jin Lu, Wang Huan-huan
Summary: A tandem system using Ni/5-bromo-2,2'-dipyridine catalyst was developed for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzo[b]furans from 2-halophenols and aryl acetylenes. The system proved to be effective for one-pot cascade coupling cyclization reaction, yielding benzo[b]furan compounds, with heteroaryl substrates also compatible and giving products in 20-70% yields.
LETTERS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jia-Hui Zheng, Yu-Han Zhang, Yue Shen, Fei-Yue Chen, Bin-Qiu Liu, Ju-Wen Zhang
Summary: A series of zero-dimensional heterometallic complexes were synthesized and characterized, showing isostructural features and the ability to form a two-dimensional supramolecular network. The structures and magnetic properties of these complexes were extensively studied.
Article
Polymer Science
Shaghayegh Vakili, Gholam Ali Koohmareh, Akbar Malekpour
Summary: The new poly(amic-acid)s sorbents with bipyridine chelating groups showed improved thermal stability and high adsorption efficiency for Ni(II), with optimal conditions at 25 degrees C, pH = 4, and after 75 minutes.
HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Oscar Telschow, Miguel Albaladejo-Siguan, Lena Merten, Alexander D. Taylor, Katelyn P. Goetz, Tim Schramm, Oleg Konovalov, Maciej Jankowski, Alexander Hinderhofer, Fabian Paulus, Frank Schreiber, Yana Vaynzof
Summary: Applying antisolvent via carrier-gas free spraying helps to better preserve the stoichiometry of lead halide perovskite layers. The photovoltaic performance of triple cation photovoltaic devices fabricated in an inverted architecture is enhanced using sprayed antisolvent, resulting in power conversion efficiencies as high as 21% and improved stability compared to devices fabricated by pipetting the antisolvent.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roman Volkov, Nikolai Borgardt, Oleg Konovalov, Sergio Fernandez-Garrido, Oliver Brandt, Vladimir M. Kaganer
Summary: The study of GaN nanowires by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering reveals that the cross-sectional shape of the nanowires evolves differently along the length, with {1100} side facets at the top and roundish shapes at the bottom. This is attributed to the different growth environments at the top and bottom of the nanowires, where axial growth and annealing processes occur, respectively. Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering independently confirms these trends in the shape evolution of the sidewall facets.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kentaro Hayashi, Mami Matsuda, Nodoka Mitake, Masaki Nakahata, Natalie Munding, Akira Harada, Stefan Kaufmann, Yoshinori Takashima, Motomu Tanaka
Summary: This study developed a hydrogel with fine-adjustable and switchable elasticity to mimic the mechanical microenvironments of biological cells. It enables the direct and reversible mechanical stimulation of cells without the need for tedious surface functionalization with adhesion ligands.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Kentaro Hayashi, Mami Matsuda, Masaki Nakahata, Yoshinori Takashima, Motomu Tanaka
Summary: In this study, nanofibers with gelatin and supramolecular crosslinks were fabricated to emulate the dynamic cellular microenvironment. These nanofibers promote cell adhesion and their Young's modulus can be controlled by changing the concentration of soluble guest molecules, making them suitable for various biomedical applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Natalie Munding, Magdalena Fladung, Yi Chen, Marc Hippler, Anthony D. Ho, Martin Wegener, Martin Bastmeyer, Motomu Tanaka
Summary: Cell behaviors depend on the elastic properties of the microenvironments, which differ from polymer-based substrates. Metamaterials, with adjustable elastic properties, offer a promising way to mechanically control stem cells. By designing microstructured bio-metamaterials based on a silicon elastomer-like photoresist and two-photon laser printing, the differential responses of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) correlate with the calculated elastic properties of the bio-metamaterials, suggesting the potential of using bio-metamaterials for cell behavior regulation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ippei Furikado, Taichi Habe, Shigeto Inoue, Motomu Tanaka
Summary: In this study, the effects of a mixture of cationic surfactants and aromatic alcohols on LPSs purified from Escherichia coli were investigated using ITC, surface tension measurements, and QCM-D. The results showed that the interaction between cationic surfactants and LPSs involved electrostatic binding and hydrophobic interaction, while the interaction between aromatic alcohols and LPSs exhibited negatively synergistic effects. Interestingly, the combination of cationic surfactants and aromatic alcohols made the LPS membrane highly susceptible in the absence of Ca2+ ions.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Maciej Jankowski, Valentina Belova, Yuriy Chushkin, Federico Zontone, Matteo Levantino, Theyencheri Narayanan, Oleg Konovalov, Annalisa Pastore
Summary: The Complex System and Biomedical Sciences (CBS) group at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble specializes in studying various materials and systems, including soft and hard condensed matter, nanomaterials, and biological materials. They use scattering techniques such as X-ray diffraction and reflectivity to explore the structure and dynamics of different systems. With the recent upgrade of the ESRF storage ring, the facility has become the world's first high-energy synchrotron of the 4th generation, offering new experimental opportunities for nanoscale research. This contribution discusses the impact of the upgrade on selected beamlines in the CBS group and presents recent scientific activities after the facility reopening.
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Valentina Belova, Maciej Jankowski, Mehdi Saedi, Irene M. N. Groot, Gilles Renaud, Oleg V. Konovalov
Summary: This study demonstrates the possibility of using X-ray reflectivity to visualize the surface with a heterogeneous electron density due to a partial coverage by another nanometrically thin material with μm spatial resolution. The sample needs to be convexly bent to reflect the collimated incident beam onto a magnified image recorded by a position-sensitive detector. By utilizing small, intense, and parallel beams, spatially resolved X-ray reflectivity can be recorded with a frame rate of 0.1-1 kHz. The application of this method for in situ characterization of single-layer graphene domains during their chemical vapor deposition on a naturally curved surface of a liquid copper drop is also demonstrated.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vladimir M. Kaganer, Oleg Konovalov, Gabriele Calabrese, David van Treeck, Albert Kwasniewski, Carsten Richter, Sergio Fernandez-Garrido, Oliver Brandt
Summary: GaN nanowires grown on Ti films sputtered on Al2O3 were studied using X-ray diffraction and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. Different crystallites, including Ti, TiN, Ti3O, Ti3Al, and Ga2O3, were observed in the Ti film. The GaN nanowires exhibited a high degree of epitaxial orientation with the substrate due to the topotaxial crystallites in the Ti film. The size distributions and relative fractions of different side facets of the nanowires were determined using the Monte Carlo method and GISAXS.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariam Veschgini, Ryo Suzuki, Svenja Kling, Hendrik O. Petersen, Bruno Gideon Bergheim, Wasim Abuillan, Philipp Linke, Stefan Kaufmann, Manfred Burghammer, Ulrike Engel, Frank Stein, Suat Oezbek, Thomas W. Holstein, Motomu Tanaka
Summary: This study found that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling induces extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling during Hydra axis formation. The arrangement of type I collagen in the ECM along Hydra's body axis was determined using high-resolution microscopy and X-ray scattering. Elasticity mapping of the ECM showed distinctive patterns along the body axis, which correlated with a gradient-like distribution of metalloproteases. Activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway altered these patterns, resulting in low ECM elasticity. This study suggests that the spatiotemporal coordination of biochemical and biomechanical cues in ECM formation is a central evolutionary innovation for animal tissue morphogenesis.
Article
Developmental Biology
Motomu Tanaka, Judith Thoma, Laura Poisa-Beiro, Patrick Wuchter, Volker Eckstein, Sascha Dietrich, Caroline Pabst, Carsten Mueller-Tidow, Takao Ohta, Anthony D. Ho
Summary: Adhesion between hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and the bone marrow niche is crucial for the maintenance of primitive HSPCs. The interactions between HSPCs and the bone marrow niche are clinically relevant in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as adherent leukemia-initiating cells are protected from chemotherapy, and mobilization of HSPCs from healthy donors is essential for stem cell transplantation.
CELLS & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Linus Pithan, Vladimir Starostin, David Marecek, Lukas Petersdorf, Constantin Voelter, Valentin Munteanu, Maciej Jankowski, Oleg Konovalov, Alexander Gerlach, Alexander Hinderhofer, Bridget Murphy, Stefan Kowarik, Frank Schreiber
Summary: Recently, there has been a growing interest in applying machine-learning techniques to automated analysis of X-ray scattering experiments. This study describes the incorporation of a combined one-dimensional convolutional neural network and multilayer perceptron for extracting physical thin-film parameters and taking prior knowledge into account. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and stability of this method.
JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Motomu Tanaka, Marie Pierre Krafft, Andreea Pasc
Summary: Surfactants with fluorocarbon chains can form unique patterns at the air/water interface, which are different from their hydrocarbon counterparts. This review discusses the relationship between line tension and dipole interaction, which governs the pattern formation of two-dimensional self-assemblies. It also explores experimental and analytical techniques for characterizing hierarchical self-assemblies on water surfaces and highlights biomedical applications of fluorinated self-assemblies in materials science.
NPG ASIA MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Felix Weissenfeld, Lucia Wesenberg, Masaki Nakahata, Marcus Mueller, Motomu Tanaka
Summary: The interactions between vesicle and substrate were investigated using simulation and experiment. Polyacrylic acid brushes with cysteine side chains were grafted onto planar lipid membranes. The addition of Cd2+ ions compacted the polymer brushes and influenced the adhesion of lipid vesicles. Wetting of the vesicles occurred at [CdCl2] = 0.25 mM. The shape and adhesion of vesicles were quantitatively evaluated, and simulations revealed that wetting sensitivity was dependent on the interaction range.
Article
Polymer Science
Roberta Ruffino, Maciej Jankowski, Oleg Konovalov, Francesco Punzo, Nunzio Tuccitto, Giovanni Li-Destri
Summary: We investigated the effect of nanoscale curvature on the structure of thermally equilibrated P3HT ultrathin films using GIXRD and AFM. The results demonstrate that nanoscale curvature reduces the polymer crystalline fraction and the crystal length, and the crystal anisotropy shows a marked dependence on the substrate curvature.
