Tuning Electronic and Functional Properties in Defected MoS Films by Surface Patterning of Sulphur Atomic Vacancies.

Defects are inherent in transition metal dichalcogenides and significantly affect their chemical and physical properties. In this study, surface defect electrochemical nanopatterning is proposed as a promising method to tune in a controlled manner the electronic and functional properties of defective MoS₂ thin films. Using parallel electrochemical nanolithography, MoS₂ thin films are patterned, creating sulphur vacancy-rich active zones alternated with defect-free regions over a centimetre scale area, with sub-micrometre spatial resolution.

Anaerobic treatment of groundwater co-contaminated by toluene and copper in a single chamber bioelectrochemical system.

Addressing the simultaneous removal of multiple coexisting groundwater contaminants poses a significant challenge, primarily because of their different physicochemical properties. Indeed, different chemical compounds may necessitate establishing distinct, and sometimes conflicting, (bio)degradation and/or removal pathways. In this work, we investigated the concomitant anaerobic treatment of toluene and copper in a single-chamber bioelectrochemical cell with a potential difference of 1 V applied between the anode and the cathode.

Smart pillar[5]arene-based PDMAEMA/PES beads for selective dye pollutants removal: design, synthesis, chemical-physical characterization, and adsorption kinetic studies.

This article reports on the synthesis of an innovative smart polymer, P5-QPDMAEMA, opportunely developed with the aim of combining the responsiveness of PDMAEMA polymer and the host-guest properties of covalently linked pillar[5]arenes. Thanks to a traditional Non-Induced Phase Separation (NIPS) process performed at various coagulation pH, the blending of P5-QPDMAEMA with polyethersulfone gave rise to the formation of functional beads for the removal of organic dyes in water. Adsorption tests are carried out on all the produced blend-based beads by employing two representative dyes, the cationic methylene blue (MB), and the anionic methyl orange (MO).

Multi-Technique Approach for Work Function Exploration of ScO Thin Films.

Thin films based on scandium oxide (ScO) were deposited on silicon substrates to investigate the thickness effect on the reduction of work function. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray reflectivity (EDXR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) measurements were performed on the films deposited by electron-beam evaporation with different nominal thicknesses (in the range of 2-50 nm) and in multi-layered mixed structures with barium fluoride (BaF) films. The obtained results indicate that non-continuous films are required to minimize the work function (down to 2.

Nanodiamond Particles Reduce Oxidative Stress Induced by Methyl Viologen and High Light in the Green Alga .

Widely used in biomedical and bioanalytical applications, the detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) are generally considered to be biocompatible and non-toxic to a wide range of eukaryotic cells. Due to their high susceptibility to chemical modifications, surface functionalisation is often used to tune the biocompatibility and antioxidant activity of the NDs. The response of photosynthetic microorganisms to redox-active NDs is still poorly understood and is the focus of the present study.

L-Lysine-Coated Magnetic Core-Shell Nanoparticles for the Removal of Acetylsalicylic Acid from Aqueous Solutions.

Nanotechnologies based on magnetic materials have been successfully used as efficient and reusable strategies to remove pharmaceutical residuals from water. This paper focuses on the fabrication, characterization, and application of ferrite-based magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with L-lysine as potential nanoadsorbents to remove acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) from water. The proposed nanomaterials are composed of highly magnetic and chemically stable core-shell nanoparticles covered with an adsorptive layer of L-lysine (CoFeO-γ-FeO-Lys).

Thin-Film Heterostructures Based on Co/Ni Synthetic Antiferromagnets on Polymer Tapes: Toward Sustainable Flexible Spintronics.

Synthetic antiferromagnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA-SAFs) have gained growing attention for both conventional and next-generation spin-based technologies. While the progress of PMA-SAF spintronic devices on rigid substrates has been remarkable, only few examples of flexible thin-film heterostructures are reported in the literature, all containing platinum group metals (PGMs). Systems based on Co/Ni may offer additional advantages with respect to devices containing PGMs, i.

Sol-Gel Assisted Immobilization of Alizarin Red S on Polyester Fabrics for Developing Stimuli-Responsive Wearable Sensors.

In the field of stimuli-responsive materials, introducing a pH-sensitive dyestuff onto textile fabrics is a promising approach for the development of wearable sensors. In this paper, the alizarin red S dyestuff bonded with a sol-gel precursor, namely trimethoxy-[3-(oxiran-2-ylmethoxy)propyl]silane, was used to functionalize polyethylene terephthalate fabrics, a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyester largely used in the healthcare sector mainly due to its advantages, including mechanical strength, biocompatibility and resistance against abrasion and chemicals. The obtained hybrid halochromic silane-based coating on polyester fabrics was investigated with several chemical characterization techniques.

Charge Transport Mechanisms of Black Diamond at Cryogenic Temperatures.

Black diamond is an emerging material for solar applications. The femtosecond laser surface treatment of pristine transparent diamond allows the solar absorptance to be increased to values greater than 90% from semi-transparency conditions. In addition, the defects introduced by fs-laser treatment strongly increase the diamond surface electrical conductivity and a very-low activation energy is observed at room temperature.

Alizarin-functionalized organic-inorganic silane coatings for the development of wearable textile sensors.

Hypothesis: The broad detection properties of alizarin, not only concerning pH variations but also temperature, glucose and health-like relevant cations alterations, make it a molecule of great scientific interest, particularly for developing multifunctional wearable sensors.

Experiment: Herein, the alizarin red S dyestuff is bonded with trimethoxy-[3-(oxiran-2-ylmethoxy)propyl]silane, as a sol-gel precursor, to functionalize cotton fabrics. The chemical and structural properties of both plain and silane-functionalized dyestuffs are investigated in solution and solid-state by several chemical-physical characterization techniques.

Hydroxyapatite Functionalized Calcium Carbonate Composites with Ag Nanoparticles: An Integrated Characterization Study.

In the present work, composite materials very promising for biomedical and pharma-ceutical applications were investigated. They are composed of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in a matrix constituted of calcium carbonate functionalized with hydroxyapatite (HA-FCC). The composites were obtained by different synthesis methods, starting from a mixture of the silver acetate with HA-FCC (using adsorption or mixing in wet conditions methods) and then treating them by exposure to visible light or calcination to promote the silver reduction; a synthetic procedure based on ultrasound-assisted reduction with NaBH or citrate was also carried out.

Evaluation of Long-Lasting Antibacterial Properties and Cytotoxic Behavior of Functionalized Silver-Nanocellulose Composite.

Materials possessing long-term antibacterial behavior and high cytotoxicity are of extreme interest in several applications, from biomedical devices to food packaging. Furthermore, for the safeguard of the human health and the environment, it is also stringent keeping in mind the need to gather good functional performances with the development of ecofriendly materials and processes. In this study, we propose a green fabrication method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles supported on oxidized nanocellulose (ONCs), acting as both template and reducing agent.

Easy and fast in situ functionalization of exfoliated 2D black phosphorus with gold nanoparticles.

Heterostructures of single- and few-layer black phosphorus (2D bP) functionalized with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have been recently reported in the literature, exploiting their intriguing properties and biocompatibility for catalytic, therapeutical and diagnostic applications. However, a deeper insight on the structural and electronic properties at the interface of the 2D bP/Au NP heterostructure is still lacking. In this work, 2D bP is functionalized with Au nanoparticles (NPs) through in situ deposition-precipitation heterogeneous reaction.

Three-Dimensional X-ray Imaging of β-Galactosidase Reporter Activity by Micro-CT: Implication for Quantitative Analysis of Gene Expression.

Acquisition of detailed anatomical and molecular knowledge from intact biological samples while preserving their native three-dimensional structure is still a challenging issue for imaging studies aiming to unravel a system's functions. Three-dimensional micro-CT X-ray imaging with a high spatial resolution in minimally perturbed naive non-transparent samples has recently gained increased popularity and broad application in biomedical research. Here, we describe a novel X-ray-based methodology for analysis of () reporter-driven gene expression in an intact murine brain ex vivo by micro-CT.

Large-Area Oxidized Phosphorene Nanoflakes Obtained by Electrospray for Energy-Harvesting Applications.

Bidimensional (2D) materials are nowadays being developed as outstanding candidates for electronic and optoelectronic components and devices. Targeted applications include sensing, energy conversion, and storage. Phosphorene is one of the most promising systems in this context, but its high reactivity under atmospheric conditions and its small-area/lab-scale deposition techniques have hampered the introduction of this material in real-world applications so far.

Lead-Bismuth Eutectic: Atomic and Micro-Scale Melt Evolution.

Element clustering and structural features of liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) alloy have been investigated up to 720 °C by means of high temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD), X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Photoemission Microscopy (SPEM) at the Elettra synchrotron in Trieste. The short-range order in liquid metal after melting corresponds to the cuboctahedral atomic arrangement and progressively evolves towards the icosahedral one as temperature increases. Such process, that involve a negative expansion of the alloy, is mainly connected to the reduction of atom distance in Pb-Pb pairs which takes place from 350 °C to 520 °C.

Room temperature Co-doped manganite/graphene sensor operating at high pulsed magnetic fields.

The demand to increase the sensitivity to magnetic field in a broad magnetic field ranges has led to the research of novel materials for sensor applications. Therefore, the hybrid system consisting of two different magnetoresistive materials - nanostructured Co-doped manganite LaSr(MnCo)O and single- and few-layer graphene - were combined and investigated as potential system for magnetic field sensing. The negative colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) of manganite-cobaltite and positive one of graphene gives the possibility to increase the sensitivity to magnetic field of the hybrid sensor.

Core-Shell Bimagnetic Nanoadsorbents for Hexavalent Chromium Removal from Aqueous Solutions.

Novel nanoadsorbents based on core-shell bimagnetic nanoparticles (CoFeO@ɣ-FeO) with two different mean sizes were elaborated, characterized and applied as potential sorbents for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions through magnetically assisted chemical separation. The nanoadsorbents were characterized by XRD, TEM, FTIR, XPS, potentiometric-conductometric titrations, BET and vibrating sample magnetometry. The influence of contact time, shaking rate, pH, pollutant concentration, temperature and competing ions on Cr(VI) adsorption were evaluated.

Thermoelectric Analysis of ZnSb Thin Films Prepared by ns-Pulsed Laser Deposition.

Zinc antimonide (ZnSb) is a promising thermoelectric material for the temperature range 300– 600 K. ZnSb thin films were prepared by nanosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) to evaluate the performance of nanostructured films for thermoelectric conversion by the determination of the Power Factor. A study of the influence of structural, compositional and thermoelectric properties of thin films is reported as a function of different deposition parameters, such as repetition rate, pulse energy, and substrate temperature.

Nanocluster superstructures or nanoparticles? The self-consuming scaffold decides.

We show that using the same reaction procedure, by hindering or allowing the formation of a reaction intermediate, the Ag+dodecanethiolate polymeric complex, it is possible to selectively obtain Ag dodecanethiolate nanoparticles or Ag dodecanethiolate nanoclusters in the size range 4-2 nm. Moreover, the Ag dodecanethiolate nanoclusters display a lamellar superstructure templated from the precursor Ag+dodecanethiolate polymeric complex. A plausible formation mechanism is illustrated where, starting from the precursor and scaffold lamellar Ag+ thiolate polymeric complex, first the nanocluster Agn0 core is formed by reduction of isoplanar Ag+ ions, followed by Ag+ thiolate units that build protection, the nanocluster shell, around the core.

Sol-gel 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane finishing on different fabrics: The role of precursor concentration and catalyst on the textile performances and cytotoxic activity.

In this paper, the influence of 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane (GPTES) based organic-inorganic coatings on the properties of treated textile fabrics was studied. All experimental results were deeply analyzed and thereafter correlated with the employed silica precursor concentration and with the presence of the BFOEt (Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate), used as epoxy ring opening catalyst. SEM analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and washing fastness tests of the sol-gel treated cotton fabric samples were firstly exploited in order to characterize the morphological and structural features of the achieved coatings.