New Viruses Infecting Hyperthermophilic Bacterium .

Highly diverse phages infecting thermophilic bacteria of the genus have been isolated over the years from hot springs around the world. Many of these phages are unique, rely on highly unusual developmental strategies, and encode novel enzymes. The variety of phages is clearly undersampled, as evidenced, for example, by a paucity of phage-matching spacers in CRISPR arrays.

Dual-Functional Implant Based on Gellan-Xanthan Hydrogel with Diopside, BMP-2 and Lysostaphin for Bone Defect Repair and Control of Staphylococcal Infection.

A new dual-functional implant based on gellan-xanthan hydrogel with calcium-magnesium silicate ceramic diopside and recombinant lysostaphin and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)-ray is developed. In this composite, BMP-2 is immobilized on microparticles of diopside while lysostaphin is mixed directly into the hydrogel, providing sustained release of BMP-2 to allow gradual bone formation and rapid release of lysostaphin to eliminate infection immediately after implantation. Introduction of diopside of up to 3% (w/v) has a negligible effect on the mechanical properties of the hydrogel but provides a high sorption capacity for BMP-2.

A far-ultraviolet-driven photoevaporation flow observed in a protoplanetary disk.

Most low-mass stars form in stellar clusters that also contain massive stars, which are sources of far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation. Theoretical models predict that this FUV radiation produces photodissociation regions (PDRs) on the surfaces of protoplanetary disks around low-mass stars, which affects planet formation within the disks. We report James Webb Space Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations of a FUV-irradiated protoplanetary disk in the Orion Nebula.

T5-like phage BF23 evades host-mediated DNA restriction and methylation.

Bacteriophage BF23 is a close relative of phage T5, a prototypical that infects . BF23 was isolated in the middle of the XXth century and was extensively studied as a model object. Like T5, BF23 carries long ∼9.

Cleavable crystals, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of the NbFeTe layered van der Waals telluride.

Transition metal-based two-dimensional nanomaterials with competing magnetic states are at the cutting edge of spintronic and low-power memory devices. In this paper, we present a Fe-rich NbFeTe layered telluride ( ≈ 0.5), which shows an interplay of spin-glass and antiferromagnetic states below the Néel temperature of 179 K.

Mechanical, Structural, and Biological Characteristics of Polylactide/Wollastonite 3D Printed Scaffolds.

The present work aimed to study the synergistic response of bioresorbable polylactide/bioactive wollastonite scaffolds towards mechanical stability, mesenchymal stromal cell colonization, and antibacterial activity in the physiological environment. Wollastonite was synthesized at 800 °C within 2 h by sol-gel combustion method. The surface area was found to be 1.

Nickel on Oxidatively Modified Carbon as a Promising Cost-Efficient Catalyst for Reduction of -Nitrophenol.

The reduction of -nitrophenol to -aminophenol has become a benchmark reaction for testing the efficiency of new catalytic systems. In this study, we use oxidatively modified carbon (OMC) as a structural support to develop a new cost-efficient nickel-based catalytic system. The newly developed material comprises single nickel ions, chemically bound to the oxygen functional groups on the OMC surface.

Topochemical Synthesis of Ca CrN H Involving a Rotational Structural Transformation for Catalytic Ammonia Synthesis.

Topochemical reactions have led to great progress in the discovery of new metastable compounds with novel chemical and physical properties. With these reactions, the overall crystal structure of the host material is generally maintained. Here we report a topochemical synthesis of a hexagonal nitride hydride, h-Ca CrN H, by heating an orthorhombic nitride, o-Ca CrN , under hydrogen at 673 K, accompanied by a rotational structural transformation.

The Influence of Synthesis Method on the Local Structure and Electrochemical Properties of Li-Rich/Mn-Rich NMC Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries.

Electrochemical energy storage plays a vital role in combating global climate change. Nowadays lithium-ion battery technology remains the most prominent technology for rechargeable batteries. A key performance-limiting factor of lithium-ion batteries is the active material of the positive electrode (cathode).

A SERS platform based on diatomite modified by gold nanoparticles using a combination of layer-by-layer assembly and a freezing-induced loading method.

Siliceous diatom frustules represent an up-and-coming platform for a range of bio-assisted nanofabrication processes able to overcome the complexity and high cost of current engineering technology solutions in terms of negligibly small power consumption and environmentally friendly processing combined with unique highly porous structures and properties. Herein, the modification of diatomite - a soft, loose, and fine-grained siliceous sedimentary rock composed of the remains of fossilized diatoms - with gold nanoparticles using layer-by-layer technology in combination with a freezing-induced loading approach is demonstrated. The obtained composite structures are characterized by dynamic light scattering, extinction spectroscopy, scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoacoustic imaging techniques, and tested as a platform for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using Rhodamine 6G.

Effect of Graphene Oxide and Nanosilica Modifications on Electrospun Core-Shell PVA-PEG-SiO@PVA-GO Fiber Mats.

Electrospinning is a well-established method for the fabrication of polymer biomaterials, including those with core-shell nanofibers. The variability of structures presents a great range of opportunities in tissue engineering and drug delivery by incorporating biologically active molecules such as drugs, proteins, and growth factors and subsequent control of their release into the target microenvironment to achieve therapeutic effect. The object of study is non-woven core-shell PVA-PEG-SiO@PVA-GO fiber mats assembled by the technology of coaxial electrospinning.

Sodium-Vanadium Bronze NaVO: An Electrode Material for Na-Ion Batteries.

NaVO (η-NaVO) has been synthesized via solid-state reaction in an evacuated sealed silica ampoule and tested as electroactive material for Na-ion batteries. According to powder X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction and atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, NaVO adopts a monoclinic structure consisting of layers of corner- and edge-sharing VO tetragonal pyramids and VO tetrahedra with Na cations positioned between the layers, and can be considered as sodium vanadium(IV,V) oxovanadate NaVO(VO). Behavior of NaVO as a positive and negative electrode in Na half-cells was investigated by galvanostatic cycling against metallic Na, synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and electron energy loss spectroscopy.

Conduction Band Control of Oxyhalides with a Triple-Fluorite Layer for Visible Light Photocatalysis.

The discovery of building blocks offers new opportunities to develop and control properties of extended solids. Compounds with fluorite-type BiO blocks host various properties including lead-free ferroelectrics and photocatalysts. In this study, we show that triple-layered BiMO blocks (M = Bi, La, Y) in BiMOCl allow, unlike double-layered BiO blocks, to extensively control the conduction band.

Monoclinic α-NaFePOF with Strong Antisite Disorder and Enhanced Na Diffusion.

A new monoclinic α-polymorph of the NaFePOF fluoride-phosphate has been directly synthesized via a hydrothermal method for application in metal-ion batteries. The crystal structure of the as-prepared α-NaFePOF studied with powder X-ray and neutron diffraction (2/, = 13.6753(10) Å, = 5.

An in-depth study of Sn substitution in Li-rich/Mn-rich NMC as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries.

Layered Li-rich/Mn-rich NMC (LMR-NMC) is characterized by high initial specific capacities of more than 250 mA h g, lower cost due to a lower Co content and higher thermal stability than LiCoO. However, its commercialisation is currently still hampered by significant voltage fade, which is caused by irreversible transition metal ion migration to emptied Li positions via tetrahedral interstices upon electrochemical cycling. This structural change is strongly correlated with anionic redox chemistry of the oxygen sublattice and has a detrimental effect on electrochemical performance.

Structural Polymorphism in NaZn(PO) Driven by Rotational Order-Disorder Transitions and the Impact of Heterovalent Substitutions on Na-Ion Conductivity.

Solid electrolytes have regained tremendous interest recently in light of the exposed vulnerability of current rechargeable battery technologies. While designing solid electrolytes, most efforts concentrated on creating structural disorder (vacancies, interstitials, etc.) in a cationic Li/Na sublattice to increase ionic conductivity.

Crystal Structures and Low-Dimensional Ferromagnetism of Sodium Nickel Phosphates NaNi(PO)·HO and NaNi(PO)OH.

Two new sodium nickel phosphates, NaNi(PO)·HO (I) and NaNi(PO)OH (II), have been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by synchrotron X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, low-temperature thermodynamic and magnetic measurements, and ab initio calculations. Unlike the majority of Ni compounds, I and II show predominant ferromagnetic exchange couplings. I crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2/ n ( a = 14.

New Fe-based layered telluride FeAsTe: synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties.

A new ternary telluride, FeAsTe, was synthesized from elements at 600 °C. It crystallizes in the hexagonal P6/mmc space group with the unit cell parameters a = 3.85091(9) Å and c = 17.

Cationic clathrate of type-III Ge(172-x)P(x)Te(y) (y ≈ 21.5, x ≈ 2y): synthesis, crystal structure and thermoelectric properties.

A first germanium-based cationic clathrate of type-III, Ge(129.3)P(42.7)Te(21.

Synthesis, structure, and transport properties of type-I derived clathrate Ge(46-x)P(x)Se(8-y) (x = 15.4(1); y = 0-2.65) with diverse host-guest bonding.

A first clathrate compound with selenium guest atoms, [Ge(46-x)P(x)]Se(8-y)□(y) (x = 15.4(1); y = 0-2.65; □ denotes a vacancy), was synthesized as a single-phase and structurally characterized.

Fabrication of all-inorganic nanocrystal solids through matrix encapsulation of nanocrystal arrays.

A general strategy for low-temperature processing of colloidal nanocrystals into all-inorganic films is reported. The present methodology goes beyond the traditional ligand-interlinking scheme and relies on encapsulation of morphologically defined nanocrystal arrays into a matrix of a wide-band gap semiconductor, which preserves optoelectronic properties of individual nanoparticles while rendering the nanocrystal film photoconductive. Fabricated solids exhibit excellent thermal stability, which is attributed to the heteroepitaxial structure of nanocrystal-matrix interfaces, and show compelling light-harvesting performance in prototype solar cells.

The role of hole localization in sacrificial hydrogen production by semiconductor-metal heterostructured nanocrystals.

The effect of hole localization on photocatalytic activity of Pt-tipped semiconductor nanocrystals is investigated. By tuning the energy balance at the semiconductor-ligand interface, we demonstrate that hydrogen production on Pt sites is efficient only when electron-donating molecules are used for stabilizing semiconductor surfaces. These surfactants play an important role in enabling an efficient and stable reduction of water by heterostructured nanocrystals as they fill vacancies in the valence band of the semiconductor domain, preventing its degradation.

Semiclathrates of the Ge-P-Te system: synthesis and crystal structures.

Novel compounds [Ge(46-x) P(x) ]Te(y) (13.9≤x≤15.6, 5.

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in type II ZnSe/CdS/ZnSe nanobarbells.

We employ femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to get an insight into ultrafast processes occurring at the interface of type II ZnSe/CdS heterostructured nanocrystals fabricated via colloidal routes and comprising a barbell-like arrangement of ZnSe tips and CdS nanorods. Our study shows that resonant excitation of ZnSe tips results in an unprecedently fast transfer of excited electrons into CdS domains of nanobarbells (<0.35 ps), whereas selective pumping of CdS components leads to a relatively slow injection of photoinduced holes into ZnSe tips (tau(h)= 95 ps).