In this work we demonstrate that a free-standing van der Waals heterostructure, usually regarded as a flat object, can exhibit an intrinsic buckled atomic structure resulting from the interaction between two layers with a small lattice mismatch. We studied a freely suspended membrane of well-aligned graphene on a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) monolayer by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM). We developed a detection method in the STEM that is capable of recording the direction of the scattered electron beam and that is extremely sensitive to the local stacking of atoms. A comparison between experimental data and simulated models shows that the heterostructure effectively bends in the out-of-plane direction, producing an undulated structure having a periodicity that matches the moiré wavelength. We attribute this rippling to the interlayer interaction and also show how this affects the intralayer strain in each layer.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04360 | DOI Listing |
Pharmaceutics
January 2025
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Physico-Chemical Department, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
This study explores the development and characterization of lyophilized chondroitin sulfate (CHON)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as an innovative platform for advanced drug delivery. Solid lipid nanoparticles are increasingly recognized for their biocompatibility, their ability to encapsulate diverse compounds, their capacity to enhance drug stability, their bioavailability, and their therapeutic efficacy. CHON, a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan with anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, was integrated into SLN formulations using the hot microemulsion technique.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymers (Basel)
January 2025
Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar.
The development of ultrafiltration (UF) polymeric membranes with high flux and enhanced antifouling properties bridges a critical gap in the polymeric membrane fabrication research field. In the present work, the preparation of novel PES membranes incorporated with carrageenan (CAR), which is a natural polymer derived from edible red seaweed, is reported for the first time. The PES/CAR membranes were prepared by using the nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method at 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymers (Basel)
January 2025
School of Engineering, Institute for Materials and Processes, The University of Edinburgh, Sanderson Building, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK.
The phase separation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-polypropylene (PP) blends was studied using atomic force microscopy in tapping mode to obtain height and phase images. The results are compared with those from scanning electron microscopy imaging and are connected to the thermomechanical properties of the blends, characterised through differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile testing. Pure PP, as well as 10:90 and 20:80 weight ratio HDPE-PP blends, showed a homogeneous morphology, but the 25:75 HDPE-PP blends exhibited a sub-micrometre droplet-matrix structure, and the 50:50 HDPE-PP blends displayed a more complex co-continuous nano/microphase-separated structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceuticals (Basel)
January 2025
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis Zografou, 11571 Athens, Greece.
Background: In this study, two chalcone analogs were synthesized through in silico and experimental methods, and their potential to inhibit the lipoxygenase enzyme, which plays a role in the inflammation pathway, was assessed. Specifically, this study is a continuation of previous research in which chalcone derivatives were synthesized and characterized.
Objectives/methods: In the current work, we present the re-synthesis of two chalcones, with a focus on their docking studies, NMR analysis, and dynamic simulations.
Molecules
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 97401, Taiwan.
Palladium-doped silver nanoclusters (NCs) have been highlighted for their unique physicochemical properties and potential applications in catalysis, optics, and electronics. Anion-directed synthesis offers a powerful route to control the morphology and properties of these NCs. Herein, we report a novel Pd-doped Ag NC, [Pd(H)Ag(S){SP(OPr)}] (), synthesized through the inclusion of sulfide and hydride anions.
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