Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Wentao Wu, Qihao Liu, Christoph Brandt, Shuo Tang
Summary: We present a multimodal multiphoton microscopy (MPM) system with depth scanning capability. The system utilizes an Er-doped femtosecond fiber laser with dual output wavelengths for three-photon and two-photon excitation. A miniaturized objective actuated by shape-memory alloy enables depth scanning. Experimental results demonstrate the acquisition of image stacks from animal, fungus, and plant tissue samples with a maximum depth range over 200 μm.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jialing Zhou, Ruoxi Zhao, Yaqian Du, Shikai Liu, Wenting Li, Shili Gai, Fei He, Lili Feng, Piaoping Yang
Summary: This study introduces a novel Si-CdTe quantum dots probe for sensitive detection of H2O2 and glucose. It has low toxicity, high specificity, and good stability, as well as an excellent lysosomal colocalization effect.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Xian Chen, Chuanchao Zhang, Bohua Liu, Ye Chang, Wei Pang, Xuexin Duan
Summary: This paper presents a versatile acoustofluidic platform that can realize pumping, mixing, fluidic switching, and particle trapping on a single chip using a Lamb wave resonator (LWR) array. The platform also integrates various sensors to achieve fast and automated biomedical testing.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Mylena Lemes Cunha, Stella Schuster da Silva, Mateus Cassaboni Stracke, Dalila Luciola Zanette, Mateus Nobrega Aoki, Lucas Blanes
Summary: Rapid and low-cost molecular analysis is crucial for early and specific diagnostics. Automated molecular diagnostic devices, such as sample-to-answer microfluidic devices, promise a complete molecular diagnosis system. The extraction process in such devices is laborious but important for sensitive and specific detection. Thus, researching automated or semiautomated extraction methodologies is beneficial for improving extraction procedures.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Mikhail Kirillin, Aleksandr Khilov, Daria Kurakina, Anna Orlova, Valeriya Perekatova, Veronika Shishkova, Alfia Malygina, Anna Mironycheva, Irena Shlivko, Sergey Gamayunov, Ilya Turchin, Ekaterina Sergeeva
Summary: Fluorescence imaging is an efficient tool for monitoring photodynamic therapy procedures, allowing noninvasive estimation of typical accumulation depths of PS localization. Dual-wavelength probing in fluorescence imaging provides complementary information from different measurement volumes due to significant differences in optical properties of biotissues for red and blue ranges of optical spectra.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Writtick Pakhira, R. Kumar, Khalid Mohd. Ibrahimi
Summary: Inertial focusing phenomena in microfluidic lab-on-chips have emerged as the most efficient method for separating Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from normal blood cells. Here, we present a single-looped spiral microfluidic lab-on-chip design based on inertial focusing phenomena, which outperforms double-looped and three-looped spirals. Through numerical simulation, the chip achieved nearly 100% efficient separation of different types of CTCs and normal blood cells.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Giorgia Giovannini, Khushdeep Sharma, Luciano F. Boesel, Rene M. Rossi
Summary: Chronic wounds are a significant healthcare issue, and this study proposes a wearable non-invasive device that can evaluate three parameters related to wound healing simultaneously. The device uses polymer optical fibers with specific fluorescent sensing chemistries to detect the pH, glucose, and matrix metalloproteinase levels in the wound exudate. The device demonstrates sensitivity and selectivity in detecting these parameters within the relevant ranges. The cost-effectiveness and potential for detecting additional wound healing parameters make this wearable device a promising tool for non-invasive assessment of wound healing from a molecular perspective.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Abdallah M. Alkhaiyat, Mohamed Badran
Summary: This study proposes a lab-on-chip design that efficiently separates circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from white blood cells (WBCs) and blood platelets (PLTs). Numerical simulations are used to optimize the design parameters, and the effects of applied voltage values and buffer inlet velocity are investigated. The proposed design achieves 100% separation efficiency in simulation and shows potential for early detection of CTCs and personalized cancer treatment.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Francesca Costantini, Nicola Lovecchio, Manasa Nandimandalam, Ariana Manglli, Francesco Faggioli, Mara Biasin, Cesare Manetti, Pio Federico Roversi, Augusto Nascetti, Giampiero de Cesare, Domenico Caputo
Summary: In this study, a Lab-on-Chip (LoC)-PCR device called System-on-Glass (SoG) was developed, which integrated thermalization, temperature control, and detection elements on a single glass substrate. Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR of RNA from plant and human viruses was successfully conducted using this device. The LoC-PCR achieved the same detection limit and analysis time as the standard equipment, but with the advantage of portability and faster analysis.
Article
Spectroscopy
Siying Chen, Yiwen Jia, He Chen, Wenhui Yang, Yupeng Luo, Zhongshi Li, Yanbao Deng, Wangshu Tan, Pan Guo, Yinchao Zhang, Jianshu Guo, Lingfei Hu, Meng Lv
Summary: We developed a prototype of a dual-wavelength-excitation aerosol fluorescence spectra detection device, which can excite the fluorescence of aerosol stream using lasers and receive the fluorescence spectra with a fiber bundle. The experiments show that the system can effectively detect the fluorescence spectra of different samples.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Nanjie Yu, Kavita V. Desai, Andrey E. Mironov, Mingye Xiong, Maxime Cavillon, Thomas Hawkins, John Ballato, J. Gary Eden, Peter D. Dragic
Summary: By using two color optical pumping, the net quantum defect in a solid-state Yb-doped fiber laser can be reduced, leading to higher efficiency and lower threshold power.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Wei Yan, Yangrui Huang, Luwei Wang, Jin Li, Yong Guo, Zhigang Yang, Junle Qu
Summary: This study demonstrates a multi-color two-photon imaging method with single-wavelength excitation. The problem of spectral crosstalk is effectively solved by selecting suitable filter combinations and applying image subtraction. The results show that two-color and three-color two-photon imaging can be achieved using a single femtosecond laser.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Nafiseh Bagheri, Haider A. J. Al Lawati, Javad Hassanzadeh
Summary: A microfluidic device was developed for simultaneous analysis of total flavonoids and total phenolic acids, utilizing magnetic ZIF-4 for separation and sensitive detection. The method showed high accuracy and recovery rates, proving successful in analyzing tea and honey samples.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Fox Thorpe, Trevor Li, Richard Weber, Scott J. Mccormack
Summary: This article introduces an environmental conical nozzle levitator system designed to study ultra-high-temperature materials. The system has been successfully used to accurately measure the melting points of various materials and is essential for the development of next-generation ultra-high-temperature materials.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dorina T. Papanastasiou, Abderrahime Sekkat, Viet Huong Nguyen, Carmen Jimenez, David Munoz-Rojas, Franz Bruckert, Daniel Bellet
Summary: This paper introduces a transparent heater based on silver nanowire networks, protected with a transparent zinc oxide film, for temperature control in biological experiments under transparent microscopic observation. The experimental results demonstrate that the nanocomposites allow rapid and reproducible heating under low applied voltage, and achieve selective heating in different zones of microchannels or adjacent microchannels at different temperatures.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Armando Genco, Chiara Trovatello, Charalambos Louca, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Alexander Tartakovskii, Giulio Cerullo, Stefano Dal Conte
Summary: This article investigates the ultrafast dynamics of neutral and charged excitons in high-quality hBN-encapsulated monolayer MoS2. The results show that neutral excitons have a narrow linewidth and fast recombination, while trions exhibit markedly different dynamics compared to neutral excitons. These results are important for exploring the ultrafast behavior of excitons and their many-body complexes in TMD heterostructures.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Valerie Smejkal, Chiara Trovatello, Qiuyang Li, Stefano Dal Conte, Andrea Marini, Xiaoyang Zhu, Giulio Cerullo, Florian Libisch
Summary: Transient absorption spectroscopy is used to monitor the optical response of photoexcited semiconductors. In this study, the effect of different substrates on the transient optical response of monolayer MoS2 is investigated. It is found that interference effects caused by the substrates explain the differences observed in the transient spectra. The results highlight the significant role of the substrate in the transient response.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jonathan Barsotti, Sara Perotto, Andrea Candini, Elisabetta Colombo, Franco V. A. Camargo, Stefano Di Marco, Mattia Zangoli, Samim Sardar, Alex J. Barker, Cosimo D'Andrea, Giulio Cerullo, Shlomo Rozen, Fabio Benfenati, Francesca Di Maria, Guglielmo Lanzani
Summary: This study demonstrates that thiophene-based core@shell nanoparticles with an oxidized shell (P3HT@PTDOx NPs) exhibit a type II interface at the particle surface. This unique nanoarchitecture enables the development of advanced photon nanotransducers with distinct chemical-physical and biofunctional properties. The spatial localization of excitation energy in P3HT@PTDOx NPs differs from nonoxidized NPs, leading to a prevalence of surface states and efficient photostimulation of retinal neurons. In degenerate retinas, P3HT@PTDOx NPs show superior effectiveness in photostimulation compared to P3HT NPs.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Srabanti Ghosh, Susmita Bera, Samim Sardar, Sourabh Pal, Franco V. A. Camargo, Cosimo D'Andrea, Giulio Cerullo
Summary: A multiphase copper-cuprous oxide/polypyrrole heterostructure was designed to identify the role of multiple oxidation states of metal oxides in photocatalytic water splitting. The heterostructure exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate and quantum efficiency, as well as improved charge carrier density and photocurrent density compared to pure polymers. The formation of a p-p-n junction between polymer and metal oxide interfaces induced a built-in electric field that influenced directional charge transfer and improved catalytic activity.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. Marini, A. Nardini, R. Martinez Vazquez, C. Conci, M. Bouzin, M. Collini, R. Osellame, G. Cerullo, B. S. Kariman, M. Farsari, E. Kabouraki, M. T. Raimondi, G. Chirico
Summary: Non-linear excitation microscopy has advantages over conventional confocal techniques for in-vivo imaging, but tissue penetration can still be problematic. This study develops and tests fibroblast cell culture plano-convex microlenses for non-linear imaging of biological tissue. The microlenses can be used individually or in an array, and they provide magnified fluorescence images without substantially affecting the signal-to-noise ratio. These results pave the way for optical in-vivo inspection of biological processes using implanted micro-optics.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Saptarshi Chakraborty, Payel Mondal, Mahima Makkar, Luca Moretti, Giulio Cerullo, Ranjani Viswanatha
Summary: Transition metal doping in II-VI semiconductor quantum dots introduces midgap states and adds previously unavailable properties. This study investigates CdS quantum dots doped with different transition metal ions using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy, providing evidence for the origin of magnetization and the importance of ion radius and oxidation state in dopant-anion bond lengths. Based on ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, the study proposes photoinduced switching between multiple oxidation states in some dopants.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vasilis Petropoulos, Ioannis Georgoulis, Chrisovalantou Vourdaki, Peter Hrobarik, Ivica Sigmundova, Jela Nociarova, Margherita Maiuri, Giulio Cerullo, Mihalis Fakis
Summary: This study compares the photophysics and ultrafast dynamics of dipolar and octupolar molecules with benzothiazole acceptors having matched or mismatched orientation. The results show that derivatives with mismatched geometry exhibit stronger fluorescence solvatochromism and faster excited state dynamics. However, introducing an auxiliary acceptor enhances the intramolecular charge transfer for molecules with matched geometry. These findings confirm the crucial role of the relative orientation of the heteroaromatic unit in tuning optical properties and excited state dynamics.
Article
Optics
B. Ardini, A. BAssI, A. Candeo, A. Genco, C. Trovatello, F. Liu, X. Zhu, G. Valentini, G. Cerullo, R. Vanna, C. Manzoni
Summary: Raman microscopy is a powerful technique for mapping the chemical composition of a sample. This paper presents a compact wide-field Raman microscope based on a time-domain Fourier-transform approach, allowing for parallel acquisition of Raman spectra on all pixels of a 2D detector. The system has high spatial and spectral resolutions and the ability to separate fluorescence and Raman signals.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Salvatore Sorrentino, Francesco Manetti, Arianna Bresci, Federico Vernuccio, Chiara Ceconello, Silvia Ghislanzoni, Italia Bongarzone, Renzo Vanna, Giulio Cerullo, Dario Polli
Summary: The success of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in treating cancer can lead to tumor suppression or senescence induction. However, recent advancements in oncology research have shown that senescence can contribute to cancer recurrence. Nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy provides a non-invasive and label-free method for detecting therapy-induced senescent cells. In this study, we develop deep learning architectures to classify senescent and proliferating human cancer cells using NLO microscopy images, and compare their performances. The ensemble classifier approach, which uses seven pre-trained classification networks with additional fully connected layers, achieves a classification accuracy of over 90%. This opens the possibility of building an automatic and unbiased senescent cells image classifier based on multimodal NLO microscopy data, with potential applications in clinical diagnosis.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Marco Lamperti, Lucile Rutkowski, Daniele Ronchetti, Davide Gatti, Riccardo Gotti, Giulio Cerullo, Franck Thibault, Hubert Jozwiak, Szymon Wojtewicz, Piotr Maslowski, Piotr Wcislo, Dario Polli, Marco Marangoni
Summary: By introducing stimulated Raman scattering metrology, a frequency comb is used to calibrate the frequency detuning between the pump and Stokes excitation lasers, overcoming the weak cross-sections of infrared-inactive transitions. The authors applied this method to investigate molecular hydrogen and achieved an unprecedented parts-per-billion accuracy in measuring the transition frequency of its Q(1) fundamental line. This comb-calibrated stimulated Raman scattering spectrometer extends the range of optical frequency metrology and can be easily adapted to measure other infrared-inactive transitions.
COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ce Xu, Guoqing Zhou, Evgeny M. Alexeev, Alisson R. Cadore, Ioannis Paradisanos, Anna K. Ott, Giancarlo Soavi, Sefaattin Tongay, Giulio Cerullo, Andrea C. Ferrari, Oleg V. Prezhdo, Zhi-Heng Loh
Summary: Strain engineering is an effective method for tuning the local optoelectronic properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). This study combines time-resolved photoemission electron microscopy (TR-PEEM) and nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics (NAMD) to investigate the ultrafast dynamics of wrinkled multilayer (ML) MoS2. The results reveal that strain engineering can accelerate the sub-picosecond electronic relaxation dynamics of TMDs, making it a promising approach for applications requiring long-lived hot carriers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charalambos Louca, Armando Genco, Salvatore Chiavazzo, Thomas P. Lyons, Sam Randerson, Chiara Trovatello, Peter Claronino, Rahul Jayaprakash, Xuerong Hu, James Howarth, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Stefano Dal Conte, Roman Gorbachev, David G. Lidzey, Giulio Cerullo, Oleksandr Kyriienko, Alexander I. Tartakovskii
Summary: Highly nonlinear excitonic and polaritonic effects are observed in bilayer MoS2 by employing hybridized interlayer excitons (hIX). The discovery of new types of excitonic species with strong inter-excitonic interactions provides new tools for studying few-polariton quantum correlations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kirsty E. McGhee, Michele Guizzardi, Rahul Jayaprakash, Kyriacos Georgiou, Till Jessewitsch, Ullrich Scherf, Giulio Cerullo, Anton Zasedatelev, Tersilla Virgili, Pavlos G. Lagoudakis, David G. Lidzey
Summary: This study proposes a new strategy for the ultrafast control of polariton resonances by modifying the optical cavity mode. The researchers successfully generated fully-reversible blueshifts of the lower polariton branch without reducing the exciton-photon coupling strength. This work has important applications in emerging computing technologies.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Andrea Schirato, Margherita Maiuri, Giulio Cerullo, Giuseppe Della Valle
Summary: Metallic nanostructures with localized surface plasmons (LSPs) provide unprecedented opportunities for advanced photonic materials and devices. The generation and relaxation processes of hot electrons in LSPs have been intensively studied, but their practical applications remain challenging due to the complexity and broad energy range involved. This paper reviews the authors' contribution to understanding ultrafast hot electron dynamics in plasmonic nanostructures, including experimental techniques, numerical modeling, and the design of novel optical functionalities enabled by ultrafast hot-electron dynamics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Floriana Morabito, Kevin Synnatschke, Jake Dudley Mehew, Sebin Varghese, Charles James Sayers, Giulia Folpini, Annamaria Petrozza, Giulio Cerullo, Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, Jonathan Coleman, Valeria Nicolosi, Christoph Gadermaier
Summary: Liquid-phase exfoliation enables the production of nanosheet films of 2D semiconductors with exceptionally long carrier lifetime, which is suitable for applications such as light harvesting and sensing.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
