Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinzhen Lu, Yifeng Cheng, Menghao Li, Yucheng Zou, Cheng Zhen, Duojie Wu, Xianbin Wei, Xiangyan Li, Xuming Yang, Meng Gu
Summary: Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) with high energy density and intrinsic safety still suffer from poor interfacial stability. A novel polymer electrolyte with high room-temperature ionic conductivity and excellent interfacial stability is developed. The study reveals the high interfacial compatibility between Li metal anode and the polymer electrolyte, which is crucial for improving the performance of SSLMBs.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacob Smith, Zhennan Huang, Wenpei Gao, Guannan Zhang, Miaofang Chi
Summary: Cryogenic four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) imaging is a valuable technique for studying quantum materials and their interfaces at atomic scale, but its applications are restricted by the instability of cryo-stages and electronics. To address this issue, an algorithm is developed to correct complex distortions in the atomic resolution cryogenic 4D-STEM data sets. This method involves nonrigid registration and affine transformations to minimize information loss in both reciprocal and real spaces, enabling the reconstruction of sample information from 4D-STEM data sets. It is computationally inexpensive, fast, and suitable for on-the-fly data analysis in future in situ cryogenic 4D-STEM experiments.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elizaveta Tyukalova, Joseph Vimal Vas, Reinis Ignatans, Aaron David Mueller, Rohit Medwal, Masaaki Imamura, Hironori Asada, Yasuhiro Fukuma, Rajdeep Singh Rawat, Vasiliki Tileli, Martial Duchamp
Summary: This article discusses the challenges and potential applications of using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and spectroscopy at low temperatures. The study shows the potential for atomic-resolution imaging at cryogenic temperatures to be generalized to most Li-based materials. Furthermore, real-time TEM imaging in a continuous and variable temperature range has shown promise for studying the evolution of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic domain walls.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chih-Yuan Chen, Zhen-Wei Chen
Summary: Using different microstructural analysis techniques, this study investigated the impact of the soaking period before deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of Ti-Mo maraging stainless steel. It was observed that the soaking period before DCT primarily influenced the amount of lattice strain remaining within the matrix, as evidenced by scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), and Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) analyses. Mechanical tests confirmed that longer soaking times before DCT led to a reduction in yield strengths (YSs) and yield ratios.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Biology
Daan B. Boltje, Jacob P. Hoogenboom, Arjen J. Jakobi, Grant J. Jensen, Caspar T. H. Jonker, Max J. Kaag, Abraham J. Koster, Mart G. F. Last, Cecilia de Agrela Pinto, Juergen M. Plitzko, Stefan Raunser, Sebastian Tacke, Zhexin Wang, Ernest B. van der Wee, Roger Wepf, Sander den Hoedt, Suzanne R. Pfeffer
Summary: Cryo-ET combined with subtomogram averaging is a powerful technique for visualizing and determining the structure of macromolecular complexes. However, standard cryo-FIB fabrication used for sample preparation is blind to the precise location of structures or proteins of interest. In this study, a fluorescence microscopy-guided FIB fabrication method was developed to address this issue. By retrofitting a cryogenic microcooler and a fluorescence microscope onto an existing FIB scanning electron microscope, precise targeting at every milling step in the lamella fabrication process was achieved, resulting in improved success rate and throughput for high-resolution imaging.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zonglin Li, Mingxin Xie, Guozheng Nie, Junhui Wang, Lujun Huang
Summary: In this study, we developed an optical biosensor based on an all-dielectric metasurface with broken symmetry. The biosensor exhibited excellent performance, thanks to the high-Q quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBICs) and the efficient field confinement. It has potential applications in extreme biochemical sensing, such as COVID-19 detection at ultralow concentrations.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zheng Liu, Hitomi Nakamura, Tomoko Akai
Summary: This paper presents an in situ TEM/STEM investigation on the transformation process of YAG:Ce phosphors, revealing the dissolution of nanocrystalline CeO2 particles and formation of YAlO3 and YAG:Ce crystalline particles at different temperatures. The study also confirms that doped Ce atoms occupy the same atomic sites as Y atoms, and the obtained YAG:Ce phosphor exhibits efficient luminescent properties.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Johannes Peter, Alexander Ott, Ralf Riedel, Emanuel Ionescu, Hans-Joachim Kleebe
Summary: SiFeO(N,C)-based ceramic papers were prepared via a one-pot synthesis approach using a polymeric perhydropolysilazane precursor modified with iron(III)acetylacetonate, followed by pyrolysis at different temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the microstructure and phase composition of the ceramic papers varied depending on the pyrolysis temperature, demonstrating the feasibility of producing tailored ceramic materials with fibrous paper-like morphology through template-assisted polymer-derived ceramic route.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jin-Hu Dou, Maxx Q. Arguilla, Yi Luo, Jian Li, Weizhe Zhang, Lei Sun, Jenna L. Mancuso, Luming Yang, Tianyang Chen, Lucas R. Parent, Grigorii Skorupskii, Nicole J. Libretto, Chenyue Sun, Min Chieh Yang, Phat Vinh Dip, Edward J. Brignole, Jeffrey T. Miller, Jing Kong, Christopher H. Hendon, Junliang Sun, Mircea Dinca
Summary: Researchers have successfully grown single crystals of 2D metal-organic frameworks up to 200 µm in size by balancing in-plane and out-of-plane interactions, revealing anisotropic transport and a clear correlation between conductivity and the nature of the metal cation in the sheets.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haofei Zhao, Yuchen Zhu, Huanyu Ye, Yang He, Hao Li, Yifei Sun, Feng Yang, Rongming Wang
Summary: Nanocrystals play a crucial role in material sciences and industry. Designing nanocrystals with desired structures and properties is a major challenge that requires a deep understanding of atomic-scale dynamics. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), especially environmental TEM, has provided valuable insights into nanocrystals. This comprehensive review highlights the progress in the understanding of nanocrystal dynamics, including nucleation and growth, structure evolution, and dynamics in reaction conditions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Cheng Liu, Xiaohua Yang, Jianchao Peng, Bin Liu, Qun Luo, Qian Li, Kuo-Chih Chou
Summary: The deformation behaviors of a dual-phase Mg alloy containing α-Mg and 18R-LPSO phases were investigated in this study. The 18R phase, accounting for 11.3 vol.%, contributed to 23.0% of the overall alloy deformation. The coordinated twinning deformation of α-Mg matrix through the slip of basal dislocations and the kinking deformation of Mg slices induced by the 18R phase were observed during the early stage of deformation. At the end of deformation, a large number of T2-type stacking faults were generated, improving the ductility of the alloy. This work provides a novel strategy for designing high-strength and good ductility dual-phase Mg alloys.
SCRIPTA MATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Raveen John, Richard Lin, Krishnan Jayaraman, Debes Bhattacharyya
Summary: In the secondary/machining process of composites, it is important to compare the microstructure features of tool wear and machined surface mechanisms when machining different types of fibers. This experimental study investigated the dry-end milling of two polypropylene (PP)-based composites made of kenaf and glass fibers. Surprisingly, cutting glass fiber/PP resulted in lower tool wear but adverse machined surface finishes, indicating the need to consider the appropriate criterion for tool life determination.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mario Kurtjak, Sami Kereiche, Damir Klepac, Hrvoje Krizan, Marko Percic, Vedrana Krusic Alic, Teja Lavrin, Metka Lenassi, Karmen Wechtersbach, Nika Kojc, Marija Vukomanovic, Sinisa Zrna, Masa Biberic, Robert Domitrovic, Kristina Grabusic, Mladenka Malenica
Summary: Extracellular vesicles in biofluids have great diagnostic and prognostic potential. This study observed the morphology of EVs in human cerebrospinal fluid and identified different subpopulations with potential different biological functions.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Peter D. Dahlberg, W. E. Moerner
Summary: srCryoCLEM is an emerging method that combines the advantages of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and cryogenic electron tomography, providing higher resolution and more informative data. The method is still in its infancy with many technical challenges to be overcome.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL 72
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kunyen Liao, Kiyou Shibata, Teruyasu Mizoguchi
Summary: Grain boundaries significantly affect the coefficient of thermal expansion in polycrystals. This study used EELS to directly measure CTE in different types of grain boundaries, revealing variations in thermodynamic properties and demonstrating the potential of EELS for probing local thermal properties at nanometer-scale resolution.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Olha Aftenieva, Julius Brunner, Mohammad Adnan, Swagato Sarkar, Andreas Fery, Yana Vaynzof, Tobias A. F. Koenig
Summary: We use a simple grating configuration to direct and amplify the omnidirectional emission of perovskite nanocrystals. By using a soft lithographic printing process, we can reliably structure perovskite nanocrystals into light-emitting metasurfaces with high contrast on a large area. Our self-assembly process allows for scalable fabrication of gratings with predefined periodicities and tunable optical properties.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mirjam Hofmaier, Mikhail Malanin, Eva Bittrich, Sarah Lentz, Birgit Urban, Thomas Scheibel, Andreas Fery, Martin Mueller
Summary: By studying blend films of silk proteins, researchers investigated the molecular folding process and revealed the formation and orientation of filament-like structures in these films. They also compared the similarities between silk proteins and spider silk proteins.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Daniel Schletz, Morten Breidung, Andreas Fery
Summary: Controlling the synthesis of gold nanoparticles is crucial for their optimal optical and processing properties, but the complex and interdependent nature of the synthesis process makes it challenging. Machine learning algorithms were applied to analyze the correlation between synthesis parameters, optical spectra, and size in the seed-mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The Random Forest model was selected as it could successfully reproduce the synthesis outcome, and further analysis revealed chemical relationships derived solely from data analysis using SHAP.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Quinn A. Besford, Christian Rossner, Andreas Fery
Summary: Identifying changes in the nanoscopic domain is a key challenge in the physicochemical sciences. Recently, new systems that leverage established concepts with fluorescence- and plasmonic-based sensing have been devised, which has reinvigorated the domain. The role of specific functional polymer architectures for the realization of nano-to-macro sensing of subtle nano-messengers is discussed.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anik Kumar Ghosh, Swagato Sarkar, Takuya Tsuda, Soosang Chae, Andre Knapp, Mirko Nitschke, Amit Das, Sven Wiessner, Tobias A. F. Koenig, Andreas Fery
Summary: Metal-semiconductor nanostructures are widely used in photodetection, photocatalysis, and photovoltaics. In photodetection, the resistance typically decreases with the generation of charge carriers upon illumination, but an opposite response, an increase in resistance, is observed in interconnected metal-semiconductor gratings. This study presents a fabrication method using wrinkle structuring and oblique angle material deposition to create photoresistors with large-area periodic structures and cracks that serve as connections for two-point contact measurements. It is also found that an additional deposition of an amorphous titania layer further enhances the current reduction on photoexcitation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Niclas Weigel, Yue Li, Andreas Fery, Julian Thiele
Summary: Over the past two decades, microfluidics has played a significant role in the design and fabrication of nano-, micro-, and mesoscale materials such as nanoparticles, micelles, vesicles, emulsion droplets, and microgels. Microfluidics offers precise control over material parameters and has contributed to understanding the early stages of material design, nucleation, and growth processes. Recent advancements in microfluidic techniques have expanded hydrogel design to incorporate multiple functions and produce hierarchical structures, enabling applications in sensing, 3D bioprinting, continuous fabrication, and shaping via microchannels.
CURRENT OPINION IN COLLOID & INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andriy Horechyy, Olha Aftenieva, Mona Mittal, Sunita Sanwaria, Rajiv K. Srivastava, Tobias A. F. Koenig, Andreas Fery, Sajan Singh, Labeesh Kumar, Bhanu Nandan
Summary: In this study, well-defined core-satellite nanostructures consisting of block copolymer micelles with a single gold nanoparticle in the core and multiple photoluminescent cadmium selenide quantum dots attached to the micelle's coronal chains were fabricated and characterized. The use of different alcoholic solvents during the development of these nanostructures allowed for solvent-selective swelling, which tuned the distance between the quantum dots and gold nanoparticles and modulated their Förster resonance energy transfer behavior. These core-satellite nanostructures hold promising potential in photonics, optoelectronics, and sensors that utilize the Förster resonance energy transfer process.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marisa Hoffmann, Christine Alexandra Schedel, Martin Mayer, Christian Rossner, Marcus Scheele, Andreas Fery
Summary: Metal nanoparticles are increasingly used in advanced electronic systems and devices. Gold-nanorod lines with small widths and good conductivity can be created using template-assisted self-assembly. However, the consistency of charge transport properties between individual lines is a concern. Conductance testing reveals that multiple parallel lines are necessary to achieve predictable conductivity properties.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Upenyu L. Muza, Lisa Ehrlich, Doris Pospiech, Albena Lederer
Summary: In this study, a novel photoreduction-based protocol was developed to functionalize imidazolium-containingionic polymers with gold nanoparticles. The characterization and analysis of the modified nanostructures were achieved using three-dimensional correlation thermal field-flow fractionation. The results demonstrated the suitability of this method for monitoring the thermostability and dynamics of metallic nanostructures.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dmitrii Sychev, Simon Schubotz, Quinn A. Besford, Andreas Fery, Guenter K. Auernhammer
Summary: In this study, the adhesion behavior of PNIPAM polymer brushes in different states was analyzed using SCP AFM combined with RICM. It was found that the adhesion force in the swollen state showed strong time dependence and the pull-off force method exhibited rate dependence, indicating a non-equilibrium process. The contact radius method was found to be more reliable for determining the equilibrium work of adhesion. This work highlights the important benefits of using optical measurements when deriving the works of adhesion between colloidal probes and polymer brush surfaces.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Annette Jones, Emily K. Searles, Martin Mayer, Marisa Hoffmann, Niklas Gross, Hyuncheol Oh, Andreas Fery, Stephan Link, Christy F. Landes
Summary: By eliminating contributions from heterogeneous line width broadening and refractive index changes, efficient resonance energy transfer (RET) between AuNRs and PANI is revealed in AuNR-PANI hybrid systems, which dominates the optical response during the dynamic tuning of the spectral overlap.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kamal Kumar Meena, Injamamul Arief, Anik Kumar Ghosh, Hans Liebscher, Sakrit Hait, Juergen Nagel, Gert Heinrich, Andreas Fery, Amit Das
Summary: An affordable and promising device called TENG has attracted attention for harvesting energy from mechanical forces. However, its output power is often insufficient for long-term use. In this study, a new fabrication method using 3D printing and transfer printing was proposed to create a hybrid BTO/PDMS film with adjustable piezoceramic layer thickness. The resulting hybrid sensor showed higher charge separation and better impedance matching, leading to improved power density and reproducibility. It also demonstrated high precision in tire wear monitoring and force/pressure sensing.
Article
Polymer Science
Upenyu L. Muza, Chelsea D. Williams, Albena Lederer
Summary: For the first time, the amphiphilic block copolymer polystyrene-polyethylene oxide (PS-PEO) has been shown to transform into thermo-responsive single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs). The formation of SCNP-shells, stabilized by PS shells, is influenced by solvophobic interactions at different temperatures. Below a critical temperature threshold of 20°C, the SCNP-shell nanostructures collate into larger multiple-chain nanoparticles (MCNPs) with various morphologies. In-depth characterization of the conformational evolutions from SCNP-shell nanostructures to MCNPs is conducted regarding size, shape, morphology, molar mass, and their respective distributions.
Article
Polymer Science
Zahn Stanvliet, Yiyi Deng, Dietmar Appelhans, Silvia Moreno, Susanne Boye, Jens Gaitzsch, Albena Lederer
Summary: This study investigates the temperature sensitivity of polymeric nanoparticles based on tertiary amine methacrylate block copolymers. The research shows that these nanoparticles can undergo a reversible morphological transformation in response to changes in pH and temperature. The findings also demonstrate the ability to lock their intermediate self-assembly structures through cross-linking and validate the morphology transition using analytical tools, which opens up new possibilities for responsive nanocarriers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shamila Firdaus, Susanne Boye, Andreas Janke, Peter Friedel, Anna Janaszewska, Dietmar Appelhans, Martin Mueller, Barbara Klajnert-Maculewicz, Brigitte Voit, Albena Lederer
Summary: This study evaluates the effect of dendritic topology on the antiamyloidogenic activity of macromolecules. The compactness, position of surface units, and size of glyco-architectures are found to influence their activity against amyloid plaques. The study introduces asymmetric flow field flow fractionation as a suitable method for quantification of complex aggregates. The second-generation glyco-pseudodendrimer shows the best antiamyloidogenic properties, confirming the importance of macromolecular conformation and optimal functional group distribution.