A method, by which periodic two-dimensional arrays of identical metal clusters of nanometer size and spacing could be spontaneously obtained by taking advantage of surface mediated clustering, is reported. The versatility of the method is demonstrated for a broad range of metals on Si(111)-(7 x 7) substrates. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy analysis of In clusters, combined with first-principles total energy calculations, unveils unique initial-stage atomic structures of the surface-supported clusters and the vital steps that lead to the success of this method. A strong interaction between the clusters and the surface holds the key to the observed cluster sizes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.066101 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Biotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, 845401, India.
Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal structures essential for cell architecture, cellular transport, cell motility, and cell division. Due to their dynamic nature, known as dynamic instability, microtubules can spontaneously switch between phases of growth and shortening. Disruptions in microtubule functions have been implicated in several diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and birth defects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
December 2024
Material Science, BASF SE, RGA/BM-B007, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, D-67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
The controlled formation and stabilization of nanoparticles is of fundamental relevance for materials science and key to many modern technologies. Common synthetic strategies to arrest growth at small sizes and prevent undesired particle agglomeration often rely on the use of organic additives and require non-aqueous media and/or high temperatures, all of which appear critical with respect to production costs, safety, and sustainability. In the present work, we demonstrate a simple one-pot process in water under ambient conditions that can produce particles of various transition metal carbonates and sulfides with sizes of only a few nanometers embedded in a silica shell, similar to particles derived from more elaborate synthesis routes, like the sol-gel process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGels
November 2024
Physics Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
Bio-based eco-friendly cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) gain an increasing interest for diverse applications. We report the results of an investigation of hydrogels spontaneously formed by the self-assembly of carboxylated CNCs in the presence of CaCl using several complementary techniques: rheometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, FTIR-spectroscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, and polarized optical microscopy. Increasing CaCl concentration was shown to induce a strong increase in the storage modulus of CNC hydrogels accompanied by the growth of CNC aggregates included in the network.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
December 2024
Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Flow Measurement Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
The transportation and carrying behavior of underwater bubbles have been widely used for an underwater microactuator, cargo displacement assembly, and drug delivery. This study explores a method for underwater cargo transportation using sliding bubbles as a vehicle with directionally guided superhydrophobic wires. By exploitation of the adhesion between superhydrophobic surfaces and bubble interfaces, a bubble is able to transport a superhydrophobic O-ring along a superhydrophobic wire, effectively delivering the O-ring to the water surface.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Sci (Weinh)
December 2024
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases and Reproductive Health, Guangdong-Hong Kong Metabolism & Reproduction Joint Laboratory, Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510317, China.
Aneuploidy eggs are a common cause of human infertility, spontaneous abortion, or trisomy syndromes. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) plays a crucial role in preventing aneuploidy in oocytes, yet it is unclear if additional mechanisms exist to ensure oocyte adherence to this checkpoint. It is now revealed that the microtubule-associated protein NUSAP can prevent oocytes from evading the SAC and regulate the speed of the cell cycle.
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