Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gianmarco Munao, Dino Costa, Gianpietro Malescio, Jean-Marc Bomont, Santi Prestipino
Summary: In this study, a novel mechanism for the formation of striped structures has been proposed. By introducing a long-range attraction between like particles in a binary mixture of hard spheres, stripes can be formed. This finding opens up new possibilities for synthesizing colloidal particles with stripe-modulated structures.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Haohan Tan, Yuguang Qiu, Liujun Xu, Jiping Huang
Summary: Research shows that thermal conduction force can exist in dielectric crystals even without a temperature gradient. By analyzing the momentum conservation law for phonon gases, the direction of the force can be tunable, which affects the behavior of thermal conduction. These findings provide valuable insights into understanding thermal conduction force in environments with temperature fluctuations and have the potential for practical applications in manipulating the local thermal conductivity of crystals.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
T. R. O. Nogueira, Jose Rafael Bordin
Summary: In this paper, the phase diagram of a dumbbell model composed of two hard-core soft-corona beads is investigated through simulations. The transition between different stripe patterns is explored, and the significant role played by the anisotropic geometry of the dumbbell structure is demonstrated. The diffusion and density in the nematic fluid phase exhibit a water-like anomalous increase under compression.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Haohan Tan, Yuguang Qiu, Liujun Xu, Jiping Huang
Summary: Thermal conduction force plays an important role in various fields, but regulating its effect is challenging due to two restrictions. This study demonstrates that thermal conduction force can exist unexpectedly at a zero average temperature gradient in dielectric crystals. The force direction can be highly tunable, providing valuable insights into thermal conduction force and potential applications in manipulating local thermal conductivity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Philip H. Handle, Emanuela Zaccarelli, Nicoletta Gnan
Summary: In this study, effective colloidal interactions from binary co-solute mixtures of hard spheres and patchy particles were investigated. The resulting effective potential was found to be additive, but a breakdown of the additivity occurred near the onset of a demixing transition. These results contribute to the understanding and prediction of colloidal behavior in complex environments and the design of targeted colloidal superstructures.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Muhammed M. Rasi, S. Archana, Ravi Kumar Pujala, Surajit Dhara
Summary: Short track speed skating is one of the most visually appealing sports in ice speed events, where athletes compete at high speeds on an oval ice track, seamlessly blending speed and body control. During the competition, athletes need to constantly adjust their body weight and posture to achieve the best skating speed.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fabian A. Garcia Daza, Antonio M. Puertas, Alejandro Cuetos, Alessandro Patti
Summary: This study investigates particle tracking in soft materials using Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations and microrheology techniques. The effects of size and ordering on the system relaxation are evaluated under different structural properties. The results reveal that the size of the tracer and the background ordering have a direct influence on the observed microrheology phenomena.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kun Wang, Behrouz Behdani, Carlos A. Silvera Batista
Summary: This study presents an experimental investigation of the dynamics of charged colloids under direct currents and gradients of chemical species, showing significant pH gradients induced by current passing through water and the resulting impact on the behavior of charged colloids.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Roohollah Aliabadi, Soudabe Nasirimoghadam, Henricus Herman Wensink
Summary: This study uses the Parsons-Lee modification of Onsager's second virial theory and the restricted orientation (Zwanzig) approximation to analyze the phase behavior of hard cylindrical rods confined in narrow pores. The study predicts various surface-induced nematic phases and discovers different types of transitions and transition patterns.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alvaro Rodriguez-Rivas, Alessandro Patti, Alejandro Cuetos
Summary: Biaxial nematic (NB) liquid crystals are promising candidates for next-generation displays. Experimental evidence supported by theory and simulation has proven that suitable colloidal particles can form NB fluids. However, there has been less attention given to the study of their transport properties. This study investigates the equilibrium dynamics of field-induced NB phases using Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations, focusing on the diffusion coefficients of monodisperse hard cuboids. The results show that the diffusion of prolate cuboids is significantly faster in biaxial nematics compared to less ordered fluids, but no such increase is observed for oblate cuboids at high packing fractions.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Dipanjan Mandal, Geet Rakala, Kedar Damle, Deepak Dhar, R. Rajesh
Summary: We study the phase diagram of a lattice gas of 2 x 2 x 1 hard plates on the three-dimensional cubic lattice. Each plate covers an elementary plaquette of the cubic lattice, with the constraint that a site can belong to utmost one plate. We show, using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, that the system undergoes two phase transitions when the density of plates is increased: the first from a disordered fluid phase to a layered phase, and the second from the layered phase to a sublattice-ordered phase.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fergus J. Moore, C. Patrick Royall, Tanniemola B. Liverpool, John Russo
Summary: Crystallisation and polymorph selection in active Brownian particles are affected by Péclet number, with the activity suppressing crystallisation and causing it to occur at higher densities as activity increases. Activity also causes a preference for FCC polymorphs.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E
(2021)
Article
Optics
D. M. Calvo-Velasco, Feng Wu
Summary: In this work, a numerical study of 2D photonic crystals made of square metallic shields embedded in air is presented. The modification of the photonic band structure with the decrease in the width of the shield walls is observed, showing redistribution of bands around the surface plasmon frequency. High intensity values in the metallic region and strong localization of the electric field in the inner hole of the shield are observed, which have implications for technological applications involving electric field confinement.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shuyang Qin, Longge Yan, Xinfang Zhang
Summary: The research found that the chain-like PPBs could be quickly dissolved by pulsed electric current treatment at 800 degrees Celsius, as high current density regions mainly formed at the gaps, thus promoting the dissolution of chain-like PPBs.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Antara Pal, Carlo Andrea De Filippo, Thiago Ito, Md Arif Kamal, Andrei Petukhov, Cristiano De Michele, Peter Schurtenberger
Summary: Our study investigates the influence of an external magnetic field on the self-assembly of hematite-silica core-shell prolate colloids, revealing a counterintuitive phenomenon where prolate colloids self-assemble into oblate liquid crystalline phases. We found that the formation of this unusual sequence of field-induced structures is dictated not only by the aspect ratio, but also by subtle deviations from the ideal ellipsoidal shape. This study demonstrates the importance of particle shape in the field-directed self-assembly of colloidal structures.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jessi E. S. van der Hoeven, Jelena Jelic, Liselotte A. Olthof, Giorgio Totarella, Relinde J. A. van Dijk-Moes, Jean-Marc Krafft, Catherine Louis, Felix Studt, Alfons van Blaaderen, Petra E. de Jongh
Summary: The study investigates the performance of an Au-Pd core-shell catalyst in the selective hydrogenation of butadiene, showing shell-thickness-dependent catalytic activity, high selectivity, and activity up to 50 times greater than that of alloyed counterparts.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tom A. J. Welling, Kanako Watanabe, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Joost de Graaf, Daisuke Nagao, Arnout Imhof, Marijn A. van Huis, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: The core position of yolk-shell or rattle-type particles can be tuned by adding salt in dilute solutions, and the stability of core-shell interactions is affected by salt concentration and the use of deionized water. The liquid-cell electron microscopy technique provides high spatial resolution for studying nanoparticle interactions, making rattle particles a powerful experimental model system.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wiebke Albrecht, Ece Arslan Irmak, Thomas Altantzis, Adrian Pedrazo-Tardajos, Alexander Skorikov, Tian-Song Deng, Jessi E. S. van der Hoeven, Alfons van Blaaderen, Sandra Van Aert, Sara Bals
Summary: The article discusses the atomic rearrangements on the surface of gold nanoparticles under laser irradiation, revealing the mechanisms behind shape changes and defect generation.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiadong Xiao, Kang Cheng, Xiaobin Xie, Mengheng Wang, Shiyou Xing, Yuanshuai Liu, Thomas Hartman, Donglong Fu, Koen Bossers, Marijn A. van Huis, Alfons van Blaaderen, Ye Wang, Bert M. Weckhuysen
Summary: A new synthesis method for metal oxide-zeolite double-shelled hollow spheres is proposed, demonstrating superior catalytic performance in producing a variety of products without the need for separating or purifying intermediates. This research is expected to advance the rational synthesis and study of hierarchically hollow, core-shell, multifunctional catalyst materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Seyed Naveed Hosseini, Xiaodan Chen, Patrick J. Baesjou, Arnout Imhof, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: The study successfully synthesized highly crystalline, organic-solvent-dispersible TiO2 nanorods through a modified nonhydrolytic sol-gel route, with some semi-spherical titania nanocrystals removed. The nanorods were predominantly anatase, while the semi-spherical crystals also contained the TiO2(B) phase.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jessi E. S. van der Hoeven, Harith Gurunarayanan, Maarten Bransen, D. A. Matthijs de Winter, Petra E. de Jongh, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: The study introduces a new type of functional assembly called supraparticles, which are formed by the solvent-driven assembly of silica-coated gold nanorods into spherical ensembles. The plasmonic coupling and mass transport are controlled by adjusting the thickness and porosity of the silica shells. These novel materials have the potential to play an important role in sensing applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Christopher Harrison, Matthew Sullivan, Elizabeth Elizabeth J. Smythe, Oliver C. Mullins
Summary: This article reviews the integration of scientific findings into a downhole prototype for measuring hydrocarbon phase behavior. By developing new science and understanding, the measurement time was reduced to minutes and the workflow was automated. The article also provides field examples of optimizing sampling and validating quality in real time.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Da Wang, Michiel Hermes, Stan Najmr, Nikos Tasios, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Yang Liu, Sara Bals, Marjolein Dijkstra, Christopher B. Murray, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: In this study, the structure of supraparticles self-assembled from nanoplatelets in slowly drying emulsion droplets was explored using experiments, advanced electron tomography, and computer simulations. The researchers demonstrated that the rich phase behavior of nanoplatelets and their sensitivity to subtle changes in shape and interaction potential can be utilized to guide the self-assembly into various structures, providing precise control over the orientation and position order of the nanoplatelets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tom A. J. Welling, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Kanako Watanabe, Daisuke Nagao, Joost de Graaf, Marijn A. van Huis, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: This study investigates the frequency-dependent dynamic electrophoretic mobility of charged core particles within charged, porous shells in AC electric fields. Experimental results reveal three regimes of field-driven motion of the core particles, which can be explained by the matching between the time required to establish ionic gradients in the shell and the period of the AC field. The porosity of the shell, ionic strength, and inner-shell radius also affect the behavior of the core particles.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Letter
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pauline J. Kolbeck, Mihir Dass, Irina V. Martynenko, Relinde J. A. van Dijk-Moes, Kelly J. H. Brouwer, Alfons van Blaaderen, Willem Vanderlinden, Tim Liedl, Jan Lipfert
Summary: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique for high-resolution imaging of molecules, macromolecular complexes, and nanoparticles. However, the shape of the AFM tip can distort the images. In this study, we use a 3D DNA origami structure as a fiducial for tip reconstruction and image correction. The fiducial has sharp steps at different heights, allowing reliable tip reconstruction with as few as ten fiducials. This fiducial enables accurate and precise AFM imaging for a wide range of applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ramakrishna Kotni, Albert Grau-Carbonell, Massimiliano Chiappini, Marjolein Dijkstra, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: Liquid crystal phases are in-between solids and liquids, exhibiting long-range orientational order and flow properties, making them fundamental for optical applications. Researchers have discovered a previously elusive splay-bend nematic liquid crystal phase in a colloidal system of bent silica rods.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Albert Grau-Carbonell, Fabian Hagemans, Maarten Bransen, Nina A. Elbers, Relinde J. A. van Dijk-Moes, Sina Sadighikia, Tom A. J. Welling, Alfons van Blaaderen, Marijn A. van Huis
Summary: Researchers successfully determined the volume of PNIPAM microgels in water by labeling them and studied their thermoresponsive behavior and stability in water.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mark J. J. Mangnus, Vincent R. M. Benning, Bettina Baumgartner, P. Tim Prins, Thomas P. van Swieten, Ayla J. H. Dekker, Alfons van Blaaderen, Bert M. Weckhuysen, Andries Meijerink, Freddy T. Rabouw
Summary: This study investigates the influence of solvent and gas environments on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals, and explains the changes in PL spectrum and excited-state lifetimes using energy transfer mediated by molecular vibrations. EVET-mediated quenching holds promise for probing the local chemical environment of nanocrystals dispersed in a liquid or exposed to gaseous molecules.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mark J. J. Mangnus, Vincent R. M. Benning, Bettina Baumgartner, P. Tim Prins, Thomas P. van Swieten, Ayla J. H. Dekker, Alfons van Blaaderen, Bert M. Weckhuysen, Andries Meijerink, Freddy T. Rabouw
Summary: The photoluminescence of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals can be quenched by energy transfer to nearby molecular vibrations, which is often undesired but can provide information about molecular vibrations in the local environment. This study investigates the influence of solvent and gas environments on the photoluminescence properties of NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ upconversion nanocrystals and relates the changes to quenching by electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer. The results suggest that EVET-mediated quenching can be used as a mechanism to probe the local chemical environment in liquid and gas-phase systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaobin Xie, Marijn A. van Huis, Alfons van Blaaderen
Summary: A new method for synthesizing Au NP@mSiO(2) yolk-shell particles with tunable size and hollow space is proposed, the structure can be manipulated from core-shell to yolk-shell by varying reaction parameters, and the release of Au nanotriangle cores in yolk-shell particles was demonstrated through liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy.