DNA with Ionic, Atomic, and Clustered Silver: An XPS Study.

The rapidly developing field of bionanotechnology requires detailed knowledge of the mechanisms of interaction between inorganic matter and biomolecules. Under conditions different from those in an aqueous solution, however, the chemistry of these systems is elusive and may differ dramatically from their interactions in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report for the first time a photoemission study of a metal silver-DNA interface, formed in vacuo, in comparison with DNA-Ag and fluorescent DNA-Ag complexes formed in solution.

Large-Scale Sublattice Asymmetry in Pure and Boron-Doped Graphene.

The implementation of future graphene-based electronics is essentially restricted by the absence of a band gap in the electronic structure of graphene. Options of how to create a band gap in a reproducible and processing compatible manner are very limited at the moment. A promising approach for the graphene band gap engineering is to introduce a large-scale sublattice asymmetry.

Epitaxial B-Graphene: Large-Scale Growth and Atomic Structure.

Embedding foreign atoms or molecules in graphene has become the key approach in its functionalization and is intensively used for tuning its structural and electronic properties. Here, we present an efficient method based on chemical vapor deposition for large scale growth of boron-doped graphene (B-graphene) on Ni(111) and Co(0001) substrates using carborane molecules as the precursor. It is shown that up to 19 at.

Insight into bio-metal interface formation in vacuo: interplay of S-layer protein with copper and iron.

The mechanisms of interaction between inorganic matter and biomolecules, as well as properties of resulting hybrids, are receiving growing interest due to the rapidly developing field of bionanotechnology. The majority of potential applications for metal-biohybrid structures require stability of these systems under vacuum conditions, where their chemistry is elusive, and may differ dramatically from the interaction between biomolecules and metal ions in vivo. Here we report for the first time a photoemission and X-ray absorption study of the formation of a hybrid metal-protein system, tracing step-by-step the chemical interactions between the protein and metals (Cu and Fe) in vacuo.

Observation of single-spin Dirac fermions at the graphene/ferromagnet interface.

With the discovery and first characterization of graphene, its potential for spintronic applications was recognized immediately. Since then, an active field of research has developed trying to overcome the practical hurdles. One of the most severe challenges is to find appropriate interfaces between graphene and ferromagnetic layers, which are granting efficient injection of spin-polarized electrons.

The chemistry of imperfections in N-graphene.

Many propositions have been already put forth for the practical use of N-graphene in various devices, such as batteries, sensors, ultracapacitors, and next generation electronics. However, the chemistry of nitrogen imperfections in this material still remains an enigma. Here we demonstrate a method to handle N-impurities in graphene, which allows efficient conversion of pyridinic N to graphitic N and therefore precise tuning of the charge carrier concentration.

Use of helium nanodroplets for assembly, transport, and surface deposition of large molecular and atomic clusters.

The utility of continuous beam of helium droplets for assembly, transport, and surface deposition of metal and molecular clusters is studied. Clusters of propyne having from about 10 to 10(4) molecules were obtained via sequential pickup of molecules by He droplets with average sizes in the range of 10(4)-10(7) atoms. The maximum attainable flux of the propyne molecules carried by He droplets was found to be in the range of (5-15)x10(15) molecules sr(-1) s(-1), being larger in larger droplets.