Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akinobu Niozu, Yoshiaki Kumagai, Toshiyuki Nishiyama Hiraki, Hironobu Fukuzawa, Koji Motomura, Maximilian Bucher, Kazuki Asa, Yuhiro Sato, Yuta Ito, Daehyun You, Taishi Ono, Yiwen Li, Edwin Kukk, Catalin Miron, Liviu Neagu, Carlo Callegari, Michele Di Fraia, Giorgio Rossi, Davide Emilio Galli, Tommaso Pincelli, Alessandro Colombo, Shigeki Owada, Kensuke Tono, Takashi Kameshima, Yasumasa Joti, Tetsuo Katayama, Tadashi Togashi, Makina Yabashi, Kazuhiro Matsuda, Christoph Bostedt, Kiyoshi Ueda, Kiyonobu Nagaya
Summary: This study explores the formation process of solid Xe nanoparticles in an expanding supercooled Xe jet under vacuum conditions using X-ray diffraction experiments. It is found that the structure of Xe nanoparticles is a mixture of face-centered cubic and randomly stacked hexagonal close-packed structures, rather than pure face-centered cubic. Instantaneous coexistence of comparably sized face-centered cubic and hexagonal close-packed domains in single Xe nanoparticles is observed.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yaxin Xu, Jiarui Hu, Xingfu Xiao, Huanfeng He, Guoliang Tong, Junnian Chen, Yunbin He
Summary: In this study, large-scale (Gua)(3)Bi2I9 single crystals were successfully synthesized via an antisolvent-assisted evaporation crystallization method at room temperature, showing excellent semiconductor properties and X-ray detection capabilities.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lyndon B. Bunio, Jingyi Wang, Ranjani Kannaiyan, Ian D. Gates
Summary: The evaporation process and crystal formation of salt-water solutions were studied in this paper, showing that NaCl can enhance the evaporation rate of water within droplets and lead to crystal formation. Experimental results matched theory better for pure water cases compared to NaCl solution cases, which required an enhanced water vapour-in-air diffusion coefficient.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sylvia L. Hanna, Michael Barsoum, Tekalign Terfa Debela, Christos D. Malliakas, Madeleine A. Gaidimas, Julia G. Knapp, Kent O. Kirlikovali, Christopher H. Hendon, Vinayak P. Dravid, Omar K. Farha
Summary: We report the first complete reaction energy landscape of metal-organic framework (MOF) interpenetration, specifically in the phase transformation of NU-1200 to STA-26. The thermodynamics of this phase transformation were characterized through experiments paired with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Time-resolved in situ X-ray diffraction and the Avrami-Erofe'ev model were used to monitor phase transformation reaction profiles and extract kinetic information. The results revealed slower phase change kinetics for MOFs with stronger bonds and a mechanistic model of partial dissolution for this phase transformation.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiaoqiang Zhang, Hongyue Chen, Zhijun Wang, Nan Wang, Duyang Zang
Summary: This study investigates the evaporation-driven crystallization in droplets of sodium acetate anhydrous (CH3COONa) aqueous solution deposited on superhydrophobic substrates, and reveals distinct crystallization behaviors between saturated and unsaturated droplets. Unsaturated droplets form a quasi-spherical crystal shell, while saturated droplets develop crystal legs between the droplet and substrate.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. Antonowicz, P. Zalden, K. Sokolowski-Tinten, K. Georgarakis, R. Minikayev, A. Pietnoczka, F. Bertram, M. Chaika, M. Chojnacki, P. Dluzewski, K. Fronc, A. L. Greer, C. Jastrznbski, D. Klinger, Ch Lemke, O. M. Magnussen, B. Murphy, K. Perumal, U. Ruett, K. J. Warias, R. Sobierajski
Summary: In this study, ultrafast heating and rapid cooling processes in the devitrification of thin film Cu67Zr33 metallic glass were investigated using ultrashort pulsed laser annealing. X-ray diffraction snapshots were taken during the glass-crystal transformation, revealing the formation of a crystalline ZrO2 layer and the nucleation and growth of fcc-Cu in the amorphous matrix. At low annealing temperatures, the devitrification kinetics of ZrO2 and Cu are correlated, while at high temperatures ZrO2 forms much faster than Cu.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuo Feng, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Yucheng Fu, Zhuo Li, Yulong Wang, Jie Bao, Zhijie Xu, Guosheng Li, Cassidy Anderson, Lili Shi, Yuehe Lin, Peter G. Khalifah, Wei Wang, Jun Liu, Jie Xiao, Dongping Lu
Summary: In this study, a simple strategy was demonstrated for constructing low-tortuosity through-pores in both vertical and planar directions of electrodes by casting large particles into single-particle-layer electrodes. Through multi-scale characterizations and simulations, correlations between material/electrode structures, electrolyte permeability, polysulfide migration, and sulfur reactions were elucidated. The high-loading and dense sulfur cathode fabricated by this method delivers a high specific capacity at a very low electrolyte/sulfur ratio.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alina Daniela Crisan, Ovidiu Crisan
Summary: Intermetallic Cr-Al-C thin films from the 211 class of MAX phases were fabricated. The effects of carbon excess on the morpho-structural properties of the films were investigated. The films were annealed at two different temperatures, resulting in changes in crystallinity, lattice parameters, grain size, and lattice micro-strain. Raman analysis confirmed the presence of carbon clusters.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaroslav Odarchenko, Martin Rosenthal, Jaime J. Hernandez, David Doblas, Emanuela Di Cola, Mikhail Soloviev, Dimitri A. Ivanov
Summary: The study combined in situ nanocalorimetry with simultaneous nanofocus 2D Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering to investigate the polymorphic behavior and structure formation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). Various iPP morphologies were detected, including monoclinic alpha-phase crystals and mesophase, with different compositional ratios. The complex phase behavior of iPP was explored under different crystallization conditions, providing insights into its dependence on temperature and time.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Pavol Dlhy, Jan Poduska, Pavel Pokorny, Michal Jambor, Lubos Nahlik, Daniel Kajanek, Rostislav Fajkos, Pavel Hutar
Summary: The manufacturing process of railway axles often involves inducing compressive residual stress on the surface to enhance impact resistance and fatigue lifetime. Existing methods for determining residual stress are limited to surface or near-surface measurements. This study aims to develop a reliable methodology for measuring residual stress in the entire cross-section of a railway axle. Two methods combining destructive techniques, X-ray diffraction, and numerical simulations were applied to an induction-hardened axle. The results were compared to validate their accuracy.
ENGINEERING FAILURE ANALYSIS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shubham Sharma, Siddhant Jain, Abhishek Saha, Saptarshi Basu
Summary: This study reveals the impact of vortex droplet interaction on evaporation characteristics, showing that evaporation time is dependent on vortex strength while crystallization dynamics is independent of it.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Florian Frank, Michael Tkadletz, Christian Saringer, Christoph Czettl, Markus Pohler, Manfred Burghammer, Juraj Todt, Jakub Zalesak, Jozef Keckes, Nina Schalk
Summary: One approach to enhance the performance of protective hard coatings for cutting applications is combining two different materials in a multilayer structure. Both the choice of materials and the thickness of individual layers influence the coating microstructure and properties. This work investigates a graded ZrN/Ti0.33Al0.67N multilayer coating with increasing ZrN layer thickness and provides insights into the microstructure and stress state of the coating.
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. Krbal, A. Kolobov, M. Hanfland, P. Fons
Summary: Comparison between the crystallization of as-deposited and pressure-induced amorphous phases of Ge2Sb2Te5 under different pressures revealed that the pressure-induced amorphous phase crystallizes at lower temperatures than its as-deposited counterpart, and the crystallization temperature of pressure-induced amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 increases with pressure. These results demonstrate that differences in nanoscale ordering in amorphous phases significantly influence crystallization and will guide the insightful development of phase-change devices.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Maximilian Lederer, Pratik Bagul, David Lehninger, Konstantin Mertens, Andre Reck, Ricardo Olivo, Thomas Kampfe, Konrad Seidel, Lukas M. Eng
Summary: The study shows that the properties of hafnium oxide films are greatly affected by the crystallization process, with annealing temperature playing a significant role in influencing the crystallographic properties and microstructure, thereby impacting the ferroelectric properties.
ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yucheng Wang, Jason X. Liu, Kaichen Gu, Anishkumar Soman, Tingyi Gu, Craig B. Arnold, Richard A. Register, Yueh-Lin Loo, Rodney D. Priestley
Summary: The morphology and orientation of polymer crystals are crucial in polymer-based technologies. We used polymer-substrate epitaxy and matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) to achieve a highly oriented crystalline morphology. MAPLE allows for improved control over crystalline morphology and growth of crystalline lamellae.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mohammad J. Mirzaali, Aref Ghorbani, Kenichi Nakatani, Mahdiyeh Nouri-Goushki, Nazli Tumer, Sebastien J. P. Callens, Shahram Janbaz, Angelo Accardo, Jose Bico, Mehdi Habibi, Amir A. Zadpoor
Summary: This study discusses the use of simple bending of metal plates to achieve various intrinsic curvatures, showing that different unit cell structures can result in plates with different properties. Experimental and numerical results demonstrate that bending along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate induces curvature along the transverse direction, providing a general route for designing advanced functional devices with intrinsically curved geometries.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Beatriz N. L. Costa, Ricardo M. R. Adao, Christian Maibohm, Angelo Accardo, Vanessa F. Cardoso, Jana B. Nieder
Summary: In this study, three-dimensional scaffolds based on woodpile structures were fabricated using two-photon polymerization technology. The scaffolds were designed to mimic biological niches of healthy tissues or tumors. The effect of scaffold dimensions and mechanical properties on the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was investigated. The results suggest that the designed scaffolds and materials are suitable for further research in medical and pharmacological studies.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qais Akolawala, Marta Rovituso, Henri H. Versteeg, Araci M. R. Rondon, Angelo Accardo
Summary: A novel 3D-engineered scaffold inspired by the geometry of brain blood vessels was designed to assess the effects of proton therapy on glioblastoma (GBM) cells. The results showed a higher DNA double-strand breakage in 3D-cultured cells compared to 2D cell monolayers, indicating potential differences in radioresistance of GBM cells between different culture configurations. These biomimetic-engineered 3D scaffolds provide a benchmark tool for evaluating the effects of proton therapy on 3D GBM cell networks and other types of cancer cells.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Saleh Aghajani, Angelo Accardo, Marcel Tichem
Summary: This paper introduces a dry aerosol direct writing (dADW) method for the spatially selective deposition of nanoparticles. Two aerodynamic nozzle concepts were studied and their design and operating parameters were numerically investigated for their performance in the deposition process. Experimental and numerical results demonstrated the ability of the method to print high-resolution patterns of metallic nanoparticles.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ahmed Sharaf, Brian Roos, Raissa Timmerman, Gert-Jan Kremers, Jeffrey John Bajramovic, Angelo Accardo
Summary: Researchers have developed a multi-scale engineered polymeric microenvironment for primary microglia, which helps the cells exhibit a more healthy phenotype similar to that found in native brain tissue.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nastaran Barin, Hayri E. Balcioglu, Iris de Heer, Maurice de Wit, Martine L. M. Lamfers, Martin E. van Royen, Pim J. French, Angelo Accardo
Summary: A major obstacle in glioma research is the lack of in vitro models that can retain cellular features of glioma cells in vivo. This study developed a 3D-engineered scaffold as a cell culture model system to study patient-derived glioma cells. Compared to conventional 2D cell cultures, the 3D-engineered scaffolds more closely resemble in vivo glioma cellular features and allow better monitoring of individual cells and intracellular trafficking.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lucia Castillo Ransanz, Pieter F. J. Van Altena, Vivi M. Heine, Angelo Accardo
Summary: The biomechanical properties of the brain microenvironment play a critical role in brain development and neural functioning. However, these properties are often overlooked in current cell culture systems. Thus, there is a need to develop more representative in vitro brain models to study the mechanical aspects of the neural microenvironment.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Riccardo Manfredi, Filippo Vurro, Michela Janni, Manuele Bettelli, Francesco Gentile, Andrea Zappettini, Nicola Coppede
Summary: Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) serve as efficient interfaces between living environments and electronic devices in bioelectronic applications. The peculiar properties of conductive polymers allow for improved performances compared to conventional inorganic biosensors. In this study, the stability and sensitivity of OECTs were evaluated using two different textile fiber preparation processes. Results showed that devices obtained with the sulfuric acid approach exhibited the most stable performances over time.
Article
Polymer Science
Pieter F. J. van Altena, Angelo Accardo
Summary: The mechanical properties of 2PP polymers depend on printing parameters. The study characterized these structures fabricated with different parameters and found the minimum and maximum reported Young's modulus. The study also investigated the smallest achievable feature size and maximum beam length, and showed the potential of this material in various cell biology applications.
Article
Oncology
Francesco Gentile, Evelina La Civita, Bartolomeo Della Ventura, Matteo Ferro, Dario Bruzzese, Felice Crocetto, Pierre Tennstedt, Thomas Steuber, Raffaele Velotta, Daniela Terracciano
Summary: The widespread use of PSA for prostate cancer diagnosis has led to high rates of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. A combination of the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and Proclarix tests can improve risk stratification of PCa patients at initial diagnosis. An artificial neural network model combining kallikrein markers in PHI and cancer-related markers in Proclarix showed increased accuracy in identifying aggressive PCa at initial diagnosis.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
A. Sharaf, A. Accardo, J. P. Frimat, G. J. Kremers
Summary: Two-photon polymerization (2PP) allows precise fabrication of microscaffolds for cell biology studies. However, many materials used in 2PP have high auto-fluorescence, which affects fluorescence microscopy characterization of immunostained cells. This study compares two methods, photo-bleaching and auto-fluorescence quenching, to suppress auto-fluorescence and concludes that photo-bleaching is the optimal solution. This research provides important insights for improving immunofluorescence characterization in 2PP cell biology studies.
MICRO AND NANO ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ebrahim Yarali, Amir A. Zadpoor, Urs Staufer, Angelo Accardo, Mohammad J. Mirzaali
Summary: Mechanical and morphological design parameters are important in orthopedic implants and bone substitutes, but the role of microarchitecture in porous scaffolds for bone regeneration is not well understood. Meta-biomaterials with unique properties, such as negative Poisson's ratios, are used to engineer porous scaffolds and investigate their interactions with living cells. This review summarizes recent studies on the effects of Poisson's ratio on meta-biomaterial performance and highlights additive manufacturing techniques for creating meta-biomaterials at the micrometer scale. Future perspectives on designing next-generation meta-biomaterials with dynamic properties, such as those made through 4D printing, are also discussed.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Qais Akolawala, Floor Keuning, Marta Rovituso, Wouter van Burik, Ernst van der Wal, Henri H. Versteeg, Araci M. R. Rondon, Angelo Accardo
Summary: This study designs novel 3D scaffolds based on the geometry of brain microvasculature to investigate the effects of proton radiation on glioblastoma (GBM) cells. The results show that GBM cells cultured alone exhibit more DNA damage compared to co-culture with endothelial cells.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Angelo Accardo, Ahmed Sharaf, Brian Roos, Raissa Timmerman, Jeffrey Bajramovic
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Mouhanad Babi, Roberto Riesco, Louisa Boyer, Ayodele Fatona, Angelo Accardo, Laurent Malaquin, Jose Moran-Mirabal
Summary: By coating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) on 3D printed materials, the nanostructure and functionality of scaffolds for cell culture were modified, allowing tunable control over nanostructure density and thus attachment and morphology of prostate cancer cells. Functionalization can also be introduced onto scaffold surfaces through direct coating with functionalized CNCs or post-coating functionalization using biotin-streptavidin coupling. This method is a step towards creating in vitro scaffolds that mimic natural microenvironments at the nanoscale to better understand their impact on cells and develop artificial tissues.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Bruno Galizia, Patrick Fiorenza, Corrado Bongiorno, Bela Pecz, Zsolt Fogarassy, Emanuela Schiliro, Filippo Giannazzo, Fabrizio Roccaforte, Raffaella Lo Nigro
Summary: This study demonstrates the growth of oriented AlN thin films on 4H-SiC substrates using PE-ALD technique, and investigates the impact of NH3 plasma pulsing on the microstructure and orientation degree of the AlN layers. The structural characterization reveals different polymorphic structures depending on the NH3 plasma pulsing time, and electrical nanoscopic characterization shows a correlation between the AlN crystalline phases and the insulating properties.
MICROELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Theo Levert, Alter Zakhtser, Julien Duval, Chloe Raguenez, Stephane Verdier, Delphine Le Cunff, Jean-Herve Tortai, Bernard Pelissier
Summary: In this study, the robustness of optical constants and optical band gap determination of three different materials is compared using a combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry and energy loss signal of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The hybridization of these two techniques provides a new robust method for determining the band gap of the studied materials and other optical properties over a wide energy range.
MICROELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
(2024)