Article
Chemistry, Physical
Adam Pecina, Daniele Rosa-Gastaldo, Laura Riccardi, Sebastian Franco-Ulloa, Emil Milan, Paolo Scrimin, Fabrizio Mancin, Marco De Vivo
Summary: Recent studies have shown that gold nanoparticles functionalized with Zn(II) complexes can catalyze the cleavage of phosphate esters and nucleic acids. Through atomistic simulations and NMR experiments, researchers compared two nanonucleases with different catalytic efficiencies in the hydrolysis of a typical RNA model substrate. Mechanistic insights from these analyses reveal the potential for such nanoparticles to mimic two-metal-ion enzymes in nucleic acid processing, enhancing catalytic efficiency for substrate hydrolysis.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wendong Liu, Michael Kappl, Werner Steffen, Hans-Jurgen Butt
Summary: The addition of salt affects the shape of supraparticles, with salt concentration influencing the extent of crystallization. These changes in shape and structure are correlated with salt-dependent single colloid interaction forces. Understanding these interactions is crucial for assembly behavior during the drying process and for preparing complex supraparticles for specific applications.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jose Angel Pariente, Alvaro Blanco, Cefe Lopez
Summary: The article introduces a simple in-situ, real-time optical characterization technique for studying the crystallization process of silica colloidal suspensions. This technique allows for monitoring the formation process of crystals and analyzing their dynamics, which is crucial for the quality of the final sample.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masahide Sato
Summary: The formation of AB(2) type two-dimensional binary colloidal crystals was studied using Monte Carlo simulations with differently sized particles. The study found that the interaction between equivalently sized particles played a crucial role in the formation of AB(2) structures, while creating AB(2) on a wall required suitable particle size ratios and greater attraction between particles and the wall.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nobutomo Nakamura, Yuto Sakamoto, Hirotsugu Ogi
Summary: Nucleation by sedimentation of colloidal particles on a flat surface was experimentally observed, and the effect of attractive depletion force generated by polymers on nucleation was investigated. The study showed that above a threshold polymer concentration, the ratio of spontaneous nucleation increases, leading to a decrease in grain size, without observable dependence of contact angle on polymer concentration. The interaction between particles and the flat surface was found to mainly affect spontaneous nucleation, rather than the interaction between particles, and the nucleation process was successfully reproduced numerically using rate equations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chen-Fei Liu, Xiaohua Luo, Hongyu Wang, Ming Joo Koh
Summary: This study presents a catalytic protocol using a dimeric Ni(I) complex and an exogenous alkoxide base for the selective hydroarylation of unactivated and activated olefins. The reaction leads to the formation of products containing aryl- and alkenyl-substituted tertiary and quaternary centers, with high yields and regioisomeric ratios. The mechanism involves carbonickelation followed by hydride transfer using alkoxide as the hydride source, showcasing the utility of this single-catalyst protocol for the synthesis of medicinally relevant scaffolds.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johannes Menath, Reza Mohammadi, Jens Christian Grauer, Claudius Deters, Maike Boehm, Benno Liebchen, Liesbeth M. C. Janssen, Hartmut Loewen, Nicolas Vogel
Summary: 2D colloidal crystallization is a simple strategy for producing defined nanostructure arrays over large areas. The study introduces a loudspeaker setup for the acoustic crystallization of 2D colloidal crystals at liquid interfaces, which increases the average grain size significantly. The process is optimized using frequency and amplitude of sound waves, and computer simulations show the mechanisms behind defect removal. The experimentally simple process provides access to highly defined nanostructure arrays for various research communities.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. Gülce Bayram, Fabian Jan Schwarzendahl, Hartmut Lowen, Luca Biancofiore
Summary: This paper investigates the role of self-propulsion in the rheological response of a dense colloidal suspension through particle-resolved Brownian dynamics simulations. It is found that self-propulsion lowers the stress barrier needed to be overcome during the disordering transition of the suspension. The rheological response of the active sheared system shows a transition from shear-thinning to shear-thickening behavior with increasing self-propulsion, attributed to clustering induced by motility.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Miguel Herranz, Clara Pedrosa, Daniel Martinez-Fernandez, Katerina Foteinopoulou, Nikos Ch. Karayiannis, Manuel Laso
Summary: Through extensive molecular simulations, the phase diagram of attractive, fully flexible polymer chains in two and three dimensions is determined. Various crystal morphologies, including face-centered cubic, hexagonal close packed, simple hexagonal, body-centered cubic crystals and the Frank-Kasper phase are observed in three dimensions, while triangular and square crystals dominate in two dimensions. A simple geometric model based on the concept of cumulative neighbors of ideal crystals is proposed to accurately predict most of the observed structures and transitions. The adjustable attraction range serves as a parameter for the design of colloidal polymer crystals with tailored morphologies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
P. J. M. Swinkels, S. G. Stuij, Z. Gong, H. Jonas, N. Ruffino, B. van der Linden, P. G. Bolhuis, S. Sacanna, S. Woutersen, P. Schall
Summary: The study of colloidal alkane opens up new avenues for simulating molecular dynamics and investigating molecular transformations and reactions in real time, shedding light on the important interplay of molecular conformations and reactions. Additionally, anisotropically functionalized colloids are shown to serve as meso-atoms for self-assembly of new materials.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
B. Manela, A. Biess
Summary: Learning complex tasks from scratch is challenging, so a curriculum approach is used to decompose the target task into simpler source tasks. A new algorithm combining curriculum learning with HER has been developed and shows significant improvements in sequential object manipulation tasks.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kaitlin M. Landy, Kyle J. Gibson, Zachary J. Urbach, Sarah S. Park, Eric W. Roth, Steven Weigand, Chad A. Mirkin
Summary: This study utilizes the programmability of DNA and the characteristics of gold and Fe3O4 nanoparticles to synthesize substitutional alloy colloidal crystals with ordered or random arrangements, leading to different crystal structures and properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shih-Hao Yu, Chih-Ping Yang, Fu-Der Mai, Hui-Yen Tsai, Yu-Chuan Liu
Summary: In this study, active pure liquid water (PV) with distinct electron-doping and reduced hydrogen bonding was reported. PV exhibited stronger intermolecular hydrogen bonding and notable catalytic activity in electrochemical reactions compared to deionized water (DIW). Moreover, PV showed increased diffusion coefficients and enhanced hydrogen evolution reactions, making it a promising green solvent for various chemical reactions.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
M. Suchetha, R. Madhumitha, Sorna M. Meena, R. Sruthi
Summary: This paper utilizes deep learning algorithms to analyze EEG signals, designs SCN and MBCN models for cognitive task classification. The results show that the MBCN model outperforms the SCN model with an accuracy rate of 88.33%. It was also found that the computational complexity of the MBCN model is lower than that of the SCN model.
APPLIED SOFT COMPUTING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tobias Eckert, Matthias Schmidt, Daniel de las Heras, Daniel de las Heras
Summary: Both polydispersity and the presence of a gravitational field are important factors in colloidal experiments. This study extends sedimentation path theory to investigate the sedimentation-diffusion-equilibrium of a mass-polydisperse colloidal system, shedding light on the interplay between gravity and polydispersity in sedimentation experiments.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
C. Urgell, W. Yang, S. L. De Bonis, C. Samanta, M. J. Esplandiu, Q. Dong, Y. Jin, A. Bachtold
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
S. Tepsic, G. Gruber, C. B. Moller, C. Magen, P. Belardinelli, E. R. Hernadez, F. Alijani, P. Verlot, A. Bachtold
Summary: This study reports the first investigation on the thermal behavior of the stiffness of individual carbon nanotubes by measuring the resonance frequency of their fundamental mechanical bending modes. The experimental results show a significant reduction in Young's modulus with increasing temperature, and this is validated by two different theoretical models. It is revealed how the measured fundamental bending modes depend on the phonons in the nanotube via the Young's modulus.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
F. Pistolesi, A. N. Cleland, A. Bachtold
Summary: Mechanical oscillators with high quality factors and coupling to various fields can be ideal sensors. Coupling a flexural mode of a suspended carbon nanotube to charge states of a double quantum dot can induce anharmonicity for a mechanical quantum bit, but requires ultrastrong coupling regime. The system shows potential for reduced dephasing and applications in quantum computation and sensing.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Utso Bhattacharya, Tobias Grass, Adrian Bachtold, Maciej Lewenstein, Fabio Pistolesi
Summary: This study explores the transition from a Mott insulating state to a polaronic state in a system of four quantum dots coupled to the flexural degrees of freedom of a suspended carbon nanotube. The findings suggest potential for using nano-electromechanical systems to simulate strongly correlated systems with electron-phonon interactions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria J. Esplandiu, David Reguera, Daniel Romero-Guzman, Amparo M. Gallardo-Moreno, Jordi Fraxedas
Summary: Chemically propelled micropumps are promising wireless systems for fluid flow driving, but many existing systems have limitations in terms of chemical fuels, operating conditions, and flow control. In this work, the authors report a self-driven polymer micropump fueled by salt, capable of triggering both radial and unidirectional fluid flows. The micropump utilizes Nafion, a cation-exchange material, to generate chemical gradients and local electric fields for interfacial electroosmotic flows. The directionality of the flow can be controlled by nanostructured Nafion microarrays. The micropump works in a wide range of salt concentrations and can be fueled by different salt cations. It shows potential for efficient water purification and analyte delivery for sensing assays.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bo Xu, Pengcheng Zhang, Jiankai Zhu, Zuheng Liu, Alexander Eichler, Xu-Qian Zheng, Jaesung Lee, Aneesh Dash, Swapnil More, Song Wu, Yanan Wang, Hao Jia, Akshay Naik, Adrian Bachtold, Rui Yang, Philip X. -L. Feng, Zenghui Wang
Summary: The pursuit of miniaturizing and manipulating movable structures and machines has led to important discoveries and innovations, especially at the nanoscale. These tiny movable structures hold great potential for both fundamental research and engineering applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
R. Tormo-Queralt, C. B. Moller, D. A. Czaplewski, G. Gruber, M. Cagetti, S. Forstner, N. Urgell-Olle, J. A. Sanchez-Naranjo, C. Samanta, C. S. Miller, A. Bachtold
Summary: Researchers have developed a reliable process to fabricate multielectrode circuits that can withstand harsh conditions of nanotube growth. High-quality charge stability diagrams of double and triple quantum dots have been measured, and long-range tunneling of electrons between the quantum dots has been observed. This work paves the way for the realization of a new generation of condensed-matter devices in an ultraclean environment.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Arnon Fluksman, Aritz Lafuent, Zhi Li, Jordi Sort, Silvia Lope-Piedrafita, Maria Jose Esplandiu, Josep Nogues, Alejandro G. Roca, Ofra Benn, Borja Sepulveda
Summary: In this study, metal iron based magnetoplasmonic drug-loaded nanocapsules (MAPSULES) were developed to enhance the efficacy of cancer nanotherapies locally. The MAPSULES combine powerful external magnetic concentration in the tumor and efficient photothermal actuation to boost the drug therapeutic action at ultralow drug concentrations. The results show that this approach has the potential to significantly amplify the therapeutic effects of drugs for different diseases.
Article
Physics, Applied
M. Sledzinska, P. Xiao, E. Puig Vilardell, E. Chavez Angel, M. J. Esplandiu, C. M. Sotomayor Torres
Summary: In this work, the exciton energies and low-frequency phonon modes of WS2 under strain were studied using spectroscopy. Machine learning methods were used to analyze spatial maps and extract strain distribution maps.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Adrian Bachtold, Joel Moser, M. I. Dykman
Summary: Nanomechanics brings mesoscopic physics into the world of vibrations, where small scale and fluctuations result in nonlinear vibrations and new dissipation mechanisms. The precise control of nanomechanical systems makes them an ideal platform for studying classical and quantum physics far from thermal equilibrium. This review provides a conceptual overview of theoretical ideas and explanatory experiments related to the mesoscopic physics of nanomechanical systems, and outlines major applications in science and technology. Nanomechanical systems are a vibrant area of research with continuous advancements and new phenomena to discover.
REVIEWS OF MODERN PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Barcons Ruiz, Hanan Herzig Sheinfux, Rebecca Hoffmann, Iacopo Torre, Hitesh Agarwal, Roshan Krishna Kumar, Lorenzo Vistoli, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Adrian Bachtold, Frank H. L. Koppens
Summary: This research demonstrates a new nanofabrication technique that allows for smaller patterned features and the control of electronic transport in materials. The development of this technique has the potential to advance solid-state quantum simulators and the study of correlated electron phases.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Regina Galceran, Frederic Bonell, Lorenzo Camosi, Guillaume Sauthier, Zewdu M. M. Gebeyehu, Maria Jose Esplandiu, Alois Arrighi, Ivan Fernandez Aguirre, Adriana I. I. Figueroa, Juan F. F. Sierra, Sergio O. O. Valenzuela
Summary: Researchers demonstrate passivated and intermixing-free interfaces in topological insulator Bi2Te3 using dry-transferred CVD graphene. It is also shown that graphene acts as an efficient metal and chalcogen diffusion barrier in Bi2Te3/graphene/permalloy heterostructures. These findings provide new possibilities for controlling and engineering topological insulator interfaces in spintronic applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Quantum Science & Technology
Lin Zhang, Utso Bhattacharya, Adrian Bachtold, Stefan Forstner, Maciej Lewenstein, Fabio Pistolesi, Tobias Grass
Summary: Quantum dots placed on a vibrating nanotube provide a platform for studying electron-phonon interactions, which has promising prospects for discovering new quantum materials and understanding strong correlation effects. By coupling the dots to an electronic reservoir, the state of the system can be easily prepared. Our study shows that for certain coupling strengths, the system undergoes a Peierls transition into an insulating regime with charge-density wave order in the steady state, resulting from the competition between electronic Coulomb repulsive interactions and phonon-induced attractive interactions. The transport phenomena observed can serve as fingerprints of electronic correlations. We also present powerful numerical methods to capture the physics of this open electron-phonon system with a large number of phonons. Our work paves the way for studying and detecting correlated electron-phonon physics with current experimental techniques in nanotube quantum simulators.
NPJ QUANTUM INFORMATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jordi Fraxedas, David Reguera, Maria Jose Esplandiu
Summary: The research demonstrates the design and fabrication of self-propelling microswimmers based on Nafion, driven by ion-exchange and fueled by innocuous salts. These microswimmers exhibit fascinating collective motion and have the ability to purify water. This finding may offer new solutions for applications in water remediation.
FARADAY DISCUSSIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maria J. Esplandiu, David Reguera, Jordi Fraxedas
