Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Devon S. Jakob, Nengxu Li, Huanping Zhou, Xiaoji G. Xu
Summary: This article introduces a novel method to generate Coulombic force in KPFM, increasing the spatial resolution to approximately 25 nm. By integrating PiFM, high spatial resolution chemical distributions and surface potential maps can be obtained concurrently. This is expected to facilitate characterizations of nanoscale electrical properties of photoactive materials, semiconductors, and ferroelectric materials.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
M. Seray Ural, Emmanuel Dartois, Jeremie Mathurin, Didier Desmaele, Philippe Collery, Alexandre Dazzi, Ariane Deniset-Besseau, Ruxandra Gref
Summary: Researchers have successfully characterized individual nanoparticles using atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and proposed a label-free quantification method to estimate drug loadings. This research is of great significance for quality control in nanomedicine.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Javier Sotres, Hannah Boyd, Juan F. Gonzalez-Martinez
Summary: Scanning probe microscopies offer a powerful tool for investigating surfaces at the nanoscale, but their full potential is hindered by the need for experienced users, data analysis challenges, and time-consuming experiments. Researchers have developed an algorithm utilizing deep learning techniques to control the operation of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), bringing SPM closer to full autonomous operation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kordula B. Schnabl, Laurens D. B. Mandemaker, Klaas G. J. Nierop, Olivier V. B. Deen, Desmond D. Eefting, Ina Vollmer, Bert M. Weckhuysen
Summary: Research shows that chitosan, a strong and workable derivative of chitin obtained from crustaceans, can be used as a renewable alternative to fossil-fuel-based polymer materials. By adding different types of green additives, chitosan-based composites with various properties, from very hard and brittle to soft and flexible, have been successfully produced. These findings open up possibilities for adjusting the properties of chitosan-based polymer materials and applying them in consumer goods.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
L. Angeloni, M. Ganjian, M. Nouri-Goushki, M. J. Mirzaali, C. W. Hagen, A. A. Zadpoor, L. E. Fratila-Apachitei, M. K. Ghatkesar
Summary: This study introduces two atomic force microscopy methods for determining the mechanical characteristics of individual micro- and nanopillars without the use of SEM. Case studies on nanopillars fabricated using additive manufacturing methods showed consistent results, confirming the efficacy of the proposed methods.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
S. Katsiaounis, N. Chourdakis, E. Michail, M. Fakis, I Polyzos, J. Parthenios, K. Papagelis
Summary: In this work, we introduce an experimental protocol to engineer nanometer scale pores in CVD graphene membranes under ambient conditions, using low power ultra-short laser pulses and overcoming the drawbacks of other perforation techniques. We visualized and quantified the nanopore network using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while Raman spectroscopy is utilized to correlate the nano-perforated area with the nanotopographic imaging. Our results suggest that Raman imaging provides the identification of nanoporous area and, in combination with AFM, we provide solid evidence for the reproducibility of the method, as nanopores of a certain size distribution are formed under these experimental conditions.
Article
Physics, Applied
Shiquan Lin, Zhong Lin Wang
Summary: Inspired by TENG, scanning TENG is proposed for local surface charge density measurement using atomic force microscopy. The technique taps a conductive tip above a charged dielectric surface to induce an AC, with Fourier analysis showing a linear relation to surface charge density. Results demonstrate its power in probing nanoscale charge transfer in contact-electrification.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Nemanja Mijin, Jelica Milosevic, Sanja Stevanovic, Predrag Petrovic, Aleksandar Lolic, Tomaz Urbic, Natalija Polovic
Summary: The aggregation of proteins into fibrillar, amyloid-like aggregates has positive effects on various technological properties of food products. Heavy metal ions, such as lead and cadmium, can influence this aggregation process and alter the morphology of the aggregates. This study investigated the impact of lead and cadmium ions on the aggregation of ovalbumin, a model protein, under high temperature and acidic conditions. The results demonstrated that the binding of these metal ions to ovalbumin affected the structure and morphology of the resulting amyloid-like aggregates.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Saeid Ekrami, Fabienne Quiles, Alice Schollhammer, Xavier Bellanger, Erwan Andre, Gregory Francius
Summary: In this study, the cross-linking reactions of hydrogels based on PAH and HA were examined. It was found that the choice of cross-linkers can significantly affect the mechanical and chemical properties of the hydrogels.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Lauren M. Otto, Derek Nowak, William Morrison, Sung Park, Barry C. Stipe, Aeron T. Hammack
Summary: This paper describes the progress of scanning probe microscopy characterization techniques in the 21st century and explores their application for industrial metrology purposes, particularly focusing on the advancement of heat-assisted magnetic recording heads. Through simultaneous multimethod approaches, we demonstrate the overlapping of optical and magnetic fields in fabricated heads.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ehtsham-Ul Haq, Yongliang Zhang, Noel O'Dowd, Ning Liu, Stanislav Leesment, Claude Becker, Edoardo M. M. Rossi, Marco Sebastiani, Syed A. M. Tofail, Christophe Silien
Summary: Measurement of surface free energy (SFE) allows prediction of adhesion properties, but quantifying SFE at micro and sub-micron scales remains challenging. Failure to accurately characterize adhesion may lead to defective components or costly process optimization. A method to correlate quantitative measurements of force-distance curves made with an atomic force microscope and with colloidal probes to quantitative contact angle measurements and CA-derived SFE values has been assessed and reported.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Seth Kenkel, Mark Gryka, Lin Chen, Matthew P. Confer, Anirudha Rao, Scott Robinson, Kannanganattu V. Prasanth, Rohit Bhargava
Summary: Nearfield spectroscopic imaging techniques can be a powerful tool to simultaneously map cellular ultrastructure and molecular composition, but their current capabilities are limited. This study proposes an instrument design that combines null-deflection measurements with resonance enhancement to achieve high-sensitivity nanoscale infrared imaging. Experimental results using cellular acini samples demonstrate the ability of this method to easily record high-quality chemical imaging data.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raffaella Polito, Mattia Musto, Maria Eleonora Temperini, Laura Ballerini, Michele Ortolani, Leonetta Baldassarre, Loredana Casalis, Valeria Giliberti
Summary: Extracellular vesicles, membrane-delimited structures involved in inter-cellular communication, have been identified as possible biomarkers of pathological diseases. A study was conducted using infrared nanospectroscopy to analyze microvesicles released by glial cells, revealing two main populations of vesicles with subtle differences in nucleic acid content.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Evan Angelo Quimada Mondarte, Hiroyuki Tahara, Kasinan Suthiwanich, Subin Song, Fan Wang, Tomohiro Hayashi
Summary: Scanning probe microscopy, particularly atomic force microscopy (AFM), has become a powerful analytical tool in various fields like physics, chemistry, and biology for visualizing the nanoscale structure of materials. In nano-bioscience, AFM has been used to explore molecular processes, such as surface force measurements revealing mechanisms behind protein and cell resistance, and single-molecule force spectroscopy enabling researchers to understand complex biomolecule interactions at a microscopic level. These findings not only enhance our fundamental understanding of biomolecular processes but also contribute to the development of new nano-biodevices.
SENSORS AND MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Michael Dapolito, Makoto Tsuneto, Wenjun Zheng, Lukas Wehmeier, Suheng Xu, Xinzhong Chen, Jiacheng Sun, Zengyi Du, Yinming Shao, Ran Jing, Shuai Zhang, Adrien Bercher, Yinan Dong, Dorri Halbertal, Vibhu Ravindran, Zijian Zhou, Mila Petrovic, Adrian Gozar, G. L. Carr, Qiang Li, Alexey B. Kuzmenko, Michael M. Fogler, D. N. Basov, Xu Du, Mengkun Liu
Summary: Magnetic fields can significantly affect electron motion in quantum materials. We have visualized the magnetic-field-tunable dispersion of propagating magnetoexciton polaritons in near-charge-neutral graphene. By imaging these collective modes and their associated nano-electro-optical responses, we have identified pronounced optical and photo-thermal electric effects at the sample edges, particularly near charge neutrality. Our nano-magneto-optics approach allows us to explore and manipulate magnetopolaritons in specimens with low carrier doping by utilizing high magnetic fields. The dispersion of Dirac magnetoexcitons in charge-neutral graphene has been directly imaged up to 7 T using a magneto cryogenic near-field microscope.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Hui Ying Lai, Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati, Abdul Rahim Ferhan, Shiva Kamini Divakarla, Huei Min Chua, Nam-Joon Cho, Wojciech Chrzanowski, Kee Woei Ng
Summary: Human hair keratins have been successfully self-assembled into nanofibrous networks in vitro, demonstrating high stability for up to 5 days and compatibility with primary human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. These results enhance the versatility of human hair keratins for applications where structured assembly is beneficial.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicholas J. Hunt, Glen P. Lockwood, Sun W. S. Kang, Lara J. Westwood, Christina Limantoro, Wojciech Chrzanowski, Peter A. G. McCourt, Zdenka Kuncic, David G. Le Couteur, Victoria C. Cogger
Summary: Orally administered Ag2S quantum dots (QDs) quickly penetrate the small intestine and are absorbed by the liver. By targeting metabolic and aging processes within the liver, QD-conjugated metformin and NMN demonstrate improved bioavailability and potency compared to unconjugated formulations, providing therapeutic benefits in aging mice.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Shiva Kamini Divakarla, Theerthankar Das, Chandralekha Chatterjee, Mihail Ionescu, Zeljko Pastuovic, Jun-Hyeog Jang, Hala Al-khoury, Harald Loppnow, Seiji Yamaguchi, Thomas Groth, Wojciech Chrzanowski
Summary: Emerging and re-emerging infections pose a global threat, driven by antimicrobial resistance and poor infection control practices. This study combines gallium (Ga) and defensin (De) to enhance antimicrobial activity and reduce inflammation in polymer-based implantable devices. The treated surfaces effectively kill bacteria and reduce inflammation, making them promising for implantable device integration.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Thanh Huyen Phan, Sally Yunsun Kim, Christopher Rudge, Wojciech Chrzanowski
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a next-generation medicine that can deliver biomolecules to specific target cells, making them valuable in regenerative medicine, disease detection, and drug delivery. This review discusses the progress and application of EV-based medicine, focusing on tissue repair and disease detection, and compares the advantages of EVs over traditional medicine.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yue Cui, Weng-Hang Leong, Chu-Feng Liu, Kangwei Xia, Xi Feng, Csilla Gergely, Ren-Bao Liu, Quan Li
Summary: By using nitrogen-vacancy centers in nano-diamonds, nonlocal deformation sensing on biorelevant soft matters during AFM indentation is demonstrated, providing data for studying elasticity and capillarity without requiring detailed knowledge about the local contact.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiang-Peng Wang, Dan-Ni Lan, Guo-Yin Chen, Xi-Tao Hu, Chao Lin, Quan Li
Summary: This study demonstrates a 3D porous network based on carbon fiber with stable lithiophilic sites during cycling. The introduced zinc species are redistributed throughout the network and function as lithiophilic sites for uniform lithium nucleation and growth. The 3D network also has a multi-scale porous structure that improves the space utilization of the electrode. The symmetric cells based on this 3D anode exhibit excellent cycling performance, especially at high rates.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yuwei Zhu, Bingyang Dai, Xu Li, Wei Liu, Jiangpeng Wang, Jiankun Xu, Shunxiang Xu, Xuan He, Shian Zhang, Quan Li, Ling Qin, To Ngai
Summary: The developed biphasic GBR membrane in this study can accelerate calvarial defect repair and has a favorable effect on bone regeneration.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yuwei Zhu, Jianpeng Zhou, Bingyang Dai, Wei Liu, Jiangpeng Wang, Quan Li, Jun Wang, Lei Zhao, To Ngai
Summary: Guided bone regeneration (GBR) therapy has shown significant curative effects on craniomaxillofacial (CMF) bone defects. A bilayer struvite-doped membrane was developed for GBR treatment, which exhibited a well-developed heterogeneous architecture, satisfactory mechanical performance, and long-lasting characteristics. In vitro evaluations revealed that the membrane not only acted as a strong barrier but also actively promoted cellular adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the struvite-doped membrane significantly improved the healing outcomes of critical-sized calvarial defects in rats, leading to enhanced osteogenesis and new bone formation. These promising preclinical results suggest the great potential of the bilayer struvite-doped membrane as a GBR device for large-area CMF bone reconstruction.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gang-Qin Liu, Ren-Bao Liu, Quan Li
Summary: Nanothermometry is in high demand for various research fields. The ideal thermometer should have reliable temperature interpretation, high sensitivity, fast response, and applicability in various environments. Diamond with NV centers shows promise for nanothermometry due to its sharp resonances and multimodal sensing capabilities. However, the sensitivity and temperature range of NV-based nanothermometry still need improvement. This Account focuses on enhancing the sensitivity and working temperature range of diamond-based nanothermometry through transducer-based concepts and hybrid structures.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ruqiang Dou, Guoli Zhu, Weng-Hang Leong, Xi Feng, Zan Li, Chao Lin, Shuo Wang, Quan Li
Summary: In this study, the researchers used fluorescent nanodiamond (ND) to monitor temperature at the nanoscale during a zinc electroplating process in a working device. They discovered a significant difference in temperature measurements between the nanoscale ND sensors and the millimeter-scale resistance temperature detector, and identified the temperature fluctuation resulting from zinc dendrite-growth induced internal short circuit. They also found spatial temperature non-uniformity throughout the entire electroplating process and established a correlation with current fluctuations. This work represents an important advancement in spatially resolved nanothermometry and precise evaluation of local temperature in a working electrochemical device.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christina Limantoro, Theerthankar Das, Meng He, Dmitry Dirin, Jim Manos, Maksym V. Kovalenko, Wojciech Chrzanowski
Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a global public health problem that requires the development of new alternative treatments. Metallic nanoparticles, with their unique properties and mechanisms, are an attractive option. This study tested the effects of gallium nanoparticles on clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and found that they had an effect on biofilm formation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Paris Jeffcoat, Shiva Kamini Divakarla, Elizabeth J. New, Wojciech Chrzanowski
Summary: This study investigates the nature and biological interactions of titanium dioxide nanoparticles commonly found in consumer products and food chains. The results show that these nanoparticles can induce autophagy in cells and dysregulate cellular homeostasis, particularly with regards to zinc levels. The study also highlights contradictions in cytotoxicity methodologies and emphasizes the importance of further understanding the mechanism of nanoparticle toxicity for informing regulatory approaches.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xitao Hu, Yao Gao, Biao Zhang, Le Shi, Quan Li
Summary: This study demonstrates that the crystallographic orientation of Li metal foil plays a crucial role in determining the cycle performance of Li metal batteries. Li foil with {110} texturing shows superior cycling stability compared to Li {100} or pristine Li foils without specific texturing. The enhanced cycle performance of Li {110} is attributed to its low-surface energy/surface diffusion barrier, resulting in dense Li plating and uniform stripping during cycling.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chao Lin, Danni Lan, Jiangpeng Wang, Qidong Li, Quan Li
Summary: Cu4SnP10 nanowires, a potential anode material for sodium-ion batteries, exhibit poor cycling stability. By using transmission electron microscopy-based techniques, this study reveals that phase segregation-driven active material loss is the main cause of the cycle-dependent capacity decay in Cu4SnP10 nanowire electrodes.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Ning Wang, Chu-Feng Liu, Jing-Wei Fan, Xi Feng, Weng-Hang Leong, Amit Finkler, Andrej Denisenko, Joerg Wrachtrup, Quan Li, Ren-Bao Liu
Summary: The study demonstrates that the relatively strong hyperfine coupling from a first-shell C-13 nuclear spin provides an effective bias field to achieve zero-field magnetometry and suppress charge noises in shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers. The hyperfine bias greatly enhances magnetic sensitivity and allows simultaneous measurement of magnetic noises at two different frequencies, providing spectral information of high-frequency noises.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
