Transient heating of Pd nanoparticles studied by x-ray diffraction with time of arrival photon detection.

Pulsed laser heating of an ensemble of Pd nanoparticles, supported by a MgO substrate, is studied by x-ray diffraction. By time-resolved Bragg peak shift measurements due to thermal lattice expansion, the transient temperature of the Pd nanoparticles is determined, which quickly rises by at least 100 K upon laser excitation and then decays within 90 ns. The diffraction experiments were carried out using a Cu x-ray tube, giving continuous radiation, and the hybrid pixel detector Timepix3 operating with single photon counting in a time-of-arrival mode.

Evaluation of a Sample-to-Result POCKIT Central SARS-CoV-2 PCR System.

The emergence of COVID-19 has caused unprecedented impacts on global public health and many other aspects. Meanwhile, many types of methods have been developed to detect the causative agent, SARS-CoV-2; this has greatly advanced the technologies in the diagnostic field. Here, we describe the development and validation of a sample-in-result-out POCKIT Central SARS-CoV-2 PCR system for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with a commercial reference real-time RT-PCR assay (TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit).

Power Generation by a Limestone-Contained Putty.

A novel contact-separation triboelectric generator concept is proposed in this paper, which consists of a limestone-based mounting putty and a metallized polyester (PET/Al) sheet. This is an attempt to explore tacky materials for power generation and extend the operational frequency bandwidth compared to existing TriboElectric NanoGenerators (TENGs). Moreover, the proposed design is very cost-effective and easy to build.

Adsorption of oleic acid on magnetite facets.

The microscopic understanding of the atomic structure and interaction at carboxylic acid/oxide interfaces is an important step towards tailoring the mechanical properties of nanocomposite materials assembled from metal oxide nanoparticles functionalized by organic molecules. We have studied the adsorption of oleic acid (CHCOOH) on the most prominent magnetite (001) and (111) crystal facets at room temperature using low energy electron diffraction, surface X-ray diffraction and infrared vibrational spectroscopy complemented with molecular dynamics simulations used to infer specific hydrogen bonding motifs between oleic acid and oleate. Our experimental and theoretical results give evidence that oleic acid adsorbs dissociatively on both facets at lower coverages.

Power Generation by a Double-Sided Tape.

A novel contact-separation triboelectric generator concept is proposed in this study, which is composed of a double-sided tape with acrylic adhesive material and a metalized polyester (PET/Al) film (an aluminum layer coating on one side). The proposed concept is very cost-effective and easy to fabricate compared to existing triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which require special equipment and sophisticated procedure to build. The strong bonding nature of acrylic adhesive on the tape induces a significant charge when contacting.

Operando reaction cell for high energy surface sensitive x-ray diffraction and reflectometry.

A proof of concept is shown for the design of a high pressure heterogeneous catalysis reaction cell suitable for surface sensitive x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectometry over planar samples using high energy synchrotron radiation in combination with mass spectrometry. This design enables measurements in a pressure range from several tens to hundreds of bars for surface investigations under realistic industrial conditions in heterogeneous catalysis or gaseous corrosion studies.

Epitaxy and Shape Heterogeneity of a Nanoparticle Ensemble during Redox Cycles.

The role of metal-support epitaxy on shape and size heterogeneity of nanoparticles and their response to gas atmospheres is not very well explored. Here we show that an ensemble of Pd nanoparticles, grown on MgO(001) by deposition under ultrahigh vacuum, mostly consists of two distinctly epitaxially oriented particles, each having a different structural response to redox cycles. X-ray reciprocal space patterns were acquired under oxidizing and reducing environments.

Metastability of palladium carbide nanoparticles during hydrogen release from liquid organic hydrogen carriers.

Efficient hydrogen release from liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) requires a high level of control over the catalytic properties of supported noble metal nanoparticles. Here, the formation of carbon-containing phases under operation conditions has a direct influence on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. We studied the formation and stability of carbide phases using well-defined Pd/α-Al2O3(0001) model catalysts during dehydrogenation of a model LOHC, methylcyclohexane, in a flow reactor by in situ high-energy grazing incidence X-ray diffraction.

Studying the urine microbiome in superficial bladder cancer: samples obtained by midstream voiding versus cystoscopy.

Background: Preliminary data suggest that the urinary microbiome may play a role in bladder cancer. Information regarding the most suitable method of collecting urine specimens is needed for the large population studies needed to address this. To compare microbiome metrics resulting from 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing between midstream, voided specimens and those obtained at cystoscopy.

A field-deployable insulated isothermal RT-PCR assay for identification of influenza A (H7N9) shows good performance in the laboratory.

Background: Avian influenza A (H7N9) remains circulating in China. For countries at risk of introduction of H7N9, such as Vietnam, early detection of H7N9 virus is essential for the early containment of the virus. Insulated isothermal reverse transcriptase PCR (iiRT-PCR) is a portable PCR system that can be deployed under field conditions to identify pathogens at the sampling site.

A fully automated sample-to-answer PCR system for easy and sensitive detection of dengue virus in human serum and mosquitos.

Background: The insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) technology enables consistent PCR amplification and detection in a simple heating device. A pan-dengue virus (DENV) RT-iiPCR, targeting the 5' untranslated region, was validated previously on the semi-automated POCKIT combo system (involving separate devices for nucleic acid extraction and PCR amplification/detection) to offer performance comparable to a laboratory real-time PCR. Working on the same technologies, a compact automated sample-in-answer-out system (POCKIT Central Nucleic Acid Analyser) has been available commercially for iiPCR, minimizing human error risks and allowing easy molecular bio-detection near points of need.

Pinwheel motifs: formation of unusual homo- and hetero-nuclear aggregates via bridging thiolates.

The homohexanuclear complexes [Ni2[Ni(L1)]4](BF4)4 x MeCN, 1, [Pd2(Pd(L2)]4](BF4)4, 2, and the heteropentanuclear aggregate [Cu2[Ni(L3)]3](PF6)2, 3, all adopt a 'pinwheel' type structural motif via thiolate bridging between square-planar Ni(II) or Pd(II) and between trigonal planar Cu(I) centres, respectively.