Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Juan Xu, Xingzhong Zhu, Lihui Xu, Caixia Kan, Daning Shi
Summary: Hard template-directed growth methods are effective for synthesizing Ag nanostructures with precise size control, while soft template methods are flexible for synthesizing Ag nanostructures with various morphologies. However, the strong confinement effect of the hard template limits the diversity of Ag nanostructures and neglects the role of the soft template.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chaoyang Wang, Shengli Zhu, Yanqin Liang, Chunling Qin, Fang Wang, Hao Wang, Chuntao Chang, Akihisa Inoue
Summary: We report a novel nanoporous CrFe alloy with ordered structure, which shows rapid strain hardening and high resistance to deformation. The regular skeletons can be entirely compacted between parallel two sides, facilitating the densification of nanoporous alloy. The presence of internal boundaries acts as barriers for dislocation motion, thus improving strain hardening.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingxiang Dong, Jialin Chi, Zelun Ren, Biao Xiong, Ziqing Liu, Wenjun Zhang, Lijun Wang, Syuji Fujii, Steven P. Armes, Yin Ning
Summary: By designing a series of soft and deformable nanogels as particulate additives, nanogel@calcite nanocomposite crystals with significant morphological changes were prepared. The deformation of nanogels depends on their degree of cross-linking and occurs normal to the growth direction of the calcite. In situ atomic force microscopy studies revealed the underlying occlusion mechanism. This model system provides new insights into the formation of oriented structures during biomineralization and offers new possibilities for designing synthetic nanocomposites with aligned anisotropic nanoparticles.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ritapa Chaudhuri, Thumpati Prasanth, Jyotirmayee Dash
Summary: This study demonstrates for the first time that noncanonical DNA can be used to direct the synthesis of gene modulators through macrocyclization-like reactions. The planar G-quartets present in DNA G-quadruplexes provide a reaction platform for the synthesis of peptidomimetic macrocycles. By utilizing the innate fluorescence of the formed macrocycle, its cellular localization and formation process can be monitored. This research opens up new possibilities for targeted therapeutic applications.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Dianmei Song, Wei Xu, Yi-Ge Zhou
Summary: Traditional modified electrodes often suffer from catalytic particle aggregation and multilayered electrode surface due to the drop-casting method. We propose a new in situ modification approach by dipping the electrode in a suspension of diluted nanoparticles, which allows for spatial isolation of the nanoparticles on the electrode surface. The resulting modified electrode shows negligible nanoparticle aggregation, significantly improved average activity, and enhanced mass transport conditions.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Letter
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shengnan Yue, Wenjuan Yuan, Ziliang Deng, Wei Xi, Yongli Shen
Summary: This study used advanced in situ characterization techniques to observe the formation of atomic material transport channels during the coalescence process of metal nano particles. It revealed an atomic ordered arrangement growth mechanism after the completion of nucleation and explained the formation principle of the material transport channels using density functional theory.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
S-H Joo, H. Kato
Summary: In this study, 3D interconnected nanoporous FeCo soft magnetic materials with high saturation magnetization and low eddy current loss were synthesized through liquid metal dealloying. The developed materials demonstrated excellent soft magnetic properties, making them promising for applications in high-frequency devices.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Timothy A. Goetjen, Jeremy Kropf, Selim Alayoglu, Massimiliano Delferro, Joseph T. Hupp, Omar K. Farha
Summary: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with well-defined structures are used as catalyst supports for confinement of metal nanoparticles. In this study, Cu and In catalysts were confined in the Zr-based MOF NU-907. The addition of indium as a promoter to the Cu catalyst resulted in increased production of 1,3-butadiene in the acetylene dimerization reaction.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Khalil D. Omotosho, Zachary Lyon, Elena V. Shevchenko, Diana Berman
Summary: The conformal nanoporous inorganic coatings with accessible pores that are stable under applied thermal and mechanical stresses represent an important class of materials used in the design of sensors, optical coatings, and biomedical systems. In this study, porous AlOx and ZnO coatings were synthesized using the sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) method. The experiment showed that alumina precursors infiltrate both polymer templates more efficiently than zinc oxide precursors. The study also investigated the porosity and mechanical stability of the coatings under different conditions, demonstrating their potential application in various environments and temperature conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Enping Liu, Lele Li, Juanjuan Wang, Xue Han, Xiaopeng Li, Fan Xu, Yanping Cao, Conghua Lu
Summary: Spontaneous surface wrinkling is a simple and universal method for pattern surfaces in smart systems. However, dynamically manipulating and orienting the wrinkling remains a challenge.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chunyang Wang, Hongyang Liu, Huichao Duan, Zhenwei Li, Panlin Zeng, Peichao Zou, Xuelu Wang, Hengqiang Ye, Huolin L. Xin, Kui Du
Summary: The study focuses on enhancing catalytic activity by constructing abundant low-coordinated sites, and uses atomic-resolution electron tomography to visualize the coordination environment of hierarchical nanoporous gold in three dimensions, revealing that the introduction of low-coordinated active sites significantly improves its catalytic performance in CO oxidation.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jierui Wang, Jialin Yang, He Zhu, Bo-Geng Li, Shiping Zhu
Summary: The construction of MOF monoliths can overcome the limitations of MOF powders, such as pressure drop, mass transfer inefficiency, and operational complexities. However, challenges still exist in terms of pore clogging, pore structure tuning, and mechanical properties. In this study, nearly pure ZIF-8 monoliths with hierarchical pore structure were successfully prepared by converting amorphous ZIF-8/ZnO nanoparticles into continuous ZIF-8 skeleton. These monoliths exhibited low bulk densities, high BET surface areas, and good mechanical properties. They also demonstrated high catalytic activity and stability in a continuous flow reactor for the Knoevenagel reaction. This work presents a valuable approach for the application of MOF-based monoliths in adsorption, separation, catalysis, and effluent treatment.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Takao Okabe, Jinchen Tang, Katsuhiko Nishimura, Naoki Shikazono
Summary: This study introduces an innovative photolithography-based method for patterning ionic and inorganic particle materials and achieves good results. This method can be used on a large scale with high throughput, providing new opportunities for modifying functional surfaces.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yang Zuo, Cong Zhao, Ana Robador, Martin Wickham, Samjid H. Mannan
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms of grain growth and twin formation in the bulk sintered Cu nanoparticle structure using a quasi-in-situ method. It is found that the grains continuously grow and become oriented during elevated temperature, and porosity has a greater impact on joint strength than grain or pore size. The high porosity interface between the sintered structure and the Cu substrate is eliminated due to subsequent grain boundary movement. This study provides the first detailed experimental observation of nanoscale grain growth, twin formation, and grain boundary movement in the sintered Cu structure, offering new guidance for strengthening Cu interconnections in power electronics.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiaofeng Lou, Tian -Bing Ren, Haoming Chen, Shuang-Yan Huan, Lin Yuan, Xiao-Bing Zhang
Summary: Lysosomes are important organelles involved in the degradation of biological macromolecules and pathogens. Current fluorescent probes for imaging lysosomal analytes suffer from practical issues. To address these issues, we proposed a new strategy using an optimized solid-state fluorophore HDPQ to design lysosomal enzyme probes. The novel lysosomal probe exhibited excellent performance in terms of anti-pH interference, signal-to-noise ratio, and long-term in situ imaging ability. This strategy could be a potential platform for developing high-fidelity fluorescent probes for imaging lysosomal enzymes.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Sarah Reehl, Bryan Stanfill, Margaret Johnson, Daniel Ries, Nigel D. Browning, B. Layla Mehdi, Lisa Bramer
QUALITY ENGINEERING
(2020)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Caitlin A. Taylor, Joshua D. Sugar, David B. Robinson, Norman C. Bartelt, Ryan B. Sills, Khalid Hattar
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hui Gao, Qiang Zhu, Alex R. Neale, Mounib Bahri, Xue Wang, Haofan Yang, Lunjie Liu, Rob Clowes, Nigel D. Browning, Reiner Sebastian Sprick, Marc A. Little, Laurence J. Hardwick, Andrew Cooper
Summary: A general strategy was developed to improve the energy storage capability of COF-based electrodes by integrating COFs with carbon nanotubes (CNT). This synergistic structural design enabled superior electrochemical performance, with high utilization of redox-active sites, long cycling stability, and ultra-high rate capability. The rate capability of these composite materials outperformed previous reports for carbonyl-containing organic electrodes, making them competitive with electrochemical capacitors in terms of power density and rapid charge-discharge time.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Caitlin A. Taylor, David B. Robinson, Joshua D. Sugar, Eric Lang, Christopher M. Barr, Yongqiang Wang, Clark S. Snow, Khalid Hattar
Summary: Metal hydrides are capable of storing hydrogen isotopes with high volumetric density. This study focuses on the effects of high helium concentrations on erbium deuteride (ErD2), a non-radioactive surrogate material for erbium tritide (ErT2). The results demonstrate that helium concentrations near 1 at.% can lead to the formation of nanoscale bubbles, while higher concentrations can cause blistering or spallation. Electron energy loss spectroscopy confirms the presence of high-pressure helium in the nanocracks, suggesting its significant role in material deformation.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Maher Salloum, David B. Robinson
Summary: Chemical engineering systems often involve functional porous media, and the permeability of these media plays a crucial role in achieving flow uniformity. Additive manufacturing techniques provide the potential to arbitrarily specify permeability in three dimensions, offering a wider range of choices compared to traditional manufacturing methods. By using numerical optimization methods, it has been demonstrated that designs with spatially varying permeability can achieve improved flow uniformity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Gao, Alex R. Neale, Qiang Zhu, Mounib Bahri, Xue Wang, Haofan Yang, Yongjie Xu, Rob Clowes, Nigel D. Browning, Marc A. Little, Laurence J. Hardwick, Andrew Cooper
Summary: This study designed a series of pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone COF and carbon nanotube composites to improve the specific capacity of COF-based electrodes. Among the composites, PT-COF50 achieved the highest capacity and demonstrated excellent rate performance. The reversible transformation of the redox-active carbonyl groups of PT-COF was determined using operando Raman microscopy.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wei Zhao, Peiyao Yan, Boyu Li, Mounib Bahri, Lunjie Liu, Xiang Zhou, Rob Clowes, Nigel D. Browning, Yue Wu, John W. Ward, Andrew Cooper
Summary: A high-throughput sonochemical synthesis and testing strategy was developed to discover covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for photocatalysis. Among the screened COFs, one showed excellent photocatalytic activity for hydrogen peroxide production, but its activity decreased after long-term testing. The introduction of a two-phase catalytic system greatly enhanced its photostability.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
C. Rouquie, A. Szymczyk, M. Rabiller-Baudry, H. Roberge, P. Abellan, A. Riaublanc, M. Frappart, S. Alvarez-Blanco, E. Couallier
Summary: Although membrane filtration for biorefining of microalgae has gained increasing interest, little research has been done on membrane regeneration after fouling by vegetable products. In this study, the use of NaCl solution for precleaning of membranes fouled by microalgae lipid emulsion was investigated. The results showed that NaCl can significantly reduce internal fouling and facilitate subsequent cleaning steps. This work contributes to the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly cleaning procedures for separation processes in microalgae biorefinery.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dingyue Hu, Karl Dawson, Marco Zanella, Troy D. Manning, Luke M. Daniels, Nigel D. Browning, B. Layla Mehdi, Yaobin Xu, Houari Amari, J. Felix Shin, Michael J. Pitcher, Ruiyong Chen, Hongjun Niu, Bowen Liu, Matthew Bilton, Junyoung Kim, John B. Claridge, Matthew J. Rosseinsky
Summary: This study reports an oxygen cathode material, BSCFW-xMg, that exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance through the addition of an optimized amount of Mg to the self-assembled nanocomposite BSCFW. The Mg2+ ions concentrate at the interface of BSCFW, resulting in stressed and compositionally inhomogeneous regions. This interfacial chemistry provides an additional degree of freedom for performance optimization and promotes the durability of alkaline-earth based fuel cell materials.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Helene Roberge, Philippe Moreau, Estelle Couallier, Patricia Abellan
Summary: This study used scanning electron microscopy combined with focused ion beam to analyze the structural features determining the filtration performance of commercially available polyacrylonitrile (PAN) UF and polyethersulfone (PES) MF membranes at the nanometer scale. The results provide key information about the structural parameters of the selective layer and the percentage of blind pores, and suggest that current models are insufficient to fully describe asymmetric membranes with thin selective layers.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Nigel D. Browning, Jony Castagna, Angus I. Kirkland, Amirafshar Moshtaghpour, Daniel Nicholls, Alex W. Robinson, Jack Wells, Yalin Zheng
Summary: Images and spectra obtained from aberration corrected STEM are widely used for quantitative analysis of nanostructures and materials/biological systems. However, achieving atomic resolution observations with these capabilities is challenging due to potential electron beam modification during image acquisition, especially for in situ observations. This paper describes a methodology of sub-sampling and Inpainting to efficiently use the dose and minimize beam effects, as well as discusses the potential of Inpainting for real-time dynamic experiments.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hongmei Chen, Adrian M. M. Gardner, Guoan Lin, Wei Zhao, Xue Wang, Mounib Bahri, Nigel D. D. Browning, Xiaoxiang Xu, Xiaobo Li
Summary: In this study, a triazine-based COF (TAPT-Bpy-COF) coordinated with cobalt as cocatalysts showed visible-light-driven photocatalytic water oxidation. Its highly ordered structures, high surface area, good wettability, and enhanced charge separation contributed to its high photocatalytic oxygen evolution activity. This work demonstrates the potential of COFs for photocatalytic oxygen evolution half-reaction and overall water splitting.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Juhan Lee, Houari Amari, Mounib Bahri, Zonghao Shen, Chao Xu, Zachary Ruff, Clare P. Grey, Ovidiu Ersen, Ainara Aguadero, Nigel D. Browning, B. Layla Mehdi
Summary: The presence of excess aluminum in nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes can have detrimental effects on battery performance due to its inactive nature in redox reactions and the insulating nature of Al2O3. The increased Al content observed after battery cycling may provide new insights into the capacity fading phenomenon in these materials.
BATTERIES & SUPERCAPS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Catriona M. Mcgilvery, Patricia Abellan, Michal M. Klosowski, Andrew G. Livingston, Joao T. Cabral, Quentin M. Ramasse, Alexandra E. Porter
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maryam Bayati, Xiaoteng Liu, Patricia Abellan, Dan Pocock, Michael Dixon, Keith Scott
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2020)