Selective Self-Assembly and Modification of Herringbone Reconstructions at a Solid-Liquid Interface of Au(111).

The precise control of molecular self-assembly on surfaces presents many opportunities for the creation of complex nanostructures. Within this endeavor, selective patterning by exploiting molecular interactions at the solid-liquid interface would be a beneficial capability. Using scanning tunneling microscopy at the 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene/Au(111) interface, we observed selective self-assembly of 1,3,5-tris(4-methoxyphenyl)benzene (TMPB) molecules in the face-centered cubic (FCC) regions of Au(111).

Second harmonic generation microscopy: a powerful tool for bio-imaging.

Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy is an important optical imaging technique in a variety of applications. This article describes the history and physical principles of SHG microscopy and its more advanced variants, as well as their strengths and weaknesses in biomedical applications. It also provides an overview of SHG and advanced SHG imaging in neuroscience and microtubule imaging and how these methods can aid in understanding microtubule formation, structuration, and involvement in neuronal function.

Generation of Mixed-OAM-Carrying Waves Using Huygens' Metasurface for Mm-Wave Applications.

Antennas that generate orbital angular momentum (OAM) have the potential to significantly enhance the channel capacity of upcoming wireless systems. This is because different OAM modes that are excited from a shared aperture are orthogonal, which means that each mode can carry a distinct stream of data. As a result, it is possible to transmit multiple data streams at the same time and frequency using a single OAM antenna system.

Magnetoelectric Coupling in Room Temperature Multiferroic BaEuFeNbO/BaFeO Epitaxial Heterostructures Grown by Laser Ablation.

Multiferroic thin films are a promising class of multifunctional materials, since they allow the integration of multiple functionalities within a single device. In order to overcome the scarcity of single phase multiferroics, it is crucial to develop novel multiferroic heterostructures, combining good ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties as well as a strong coupling between them. For this purpose, BaEuFeNbO/BaFeO multiferroic magnetoelectric bilayers have been epitaxially grown on niobium doped SrTiO (100) single crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition.

Organic thermoelectric generators: working principles, materials, and fabrication techniques.

Organic thermoelectricity is a blooming field of research that employs organic (semi)conductors to recycle waste heat through its partial conversion to electrical power. Such a conversion occurs by means of organic thermoelectric generator (OTEG) devices. The recent process on the synthesis of novel materials and on the understanding of doping mechanisms to increase conductivity has tremendously narrowed the gap between laboratory research and their application in actual applications.

Phonon confinement and particle size effect on the low-frequency Raman mode of aurivillius phase BiTiO powders.

We report the systematic measurements in bismuth titanate powders of Raman frequency shift, and full width at half maximum (FWHM), of optical phonons at = 0 obtained between ∼300 K and 673 K in air. Both the particle size and phonon confinement effects are reasonably satisfactory to explain the Raman peak shift and asymmetric broadening observed in the ferroelectric soft phonon mode at 42 cm. It is shown that the lattice parameter varies as particle size , and its contribution to size-dependent Raman shift and broadening of linewidth follows ∝ and ∝ law, respectively.

Oxynitride-surface engineering of rhodium-decorated gallium nitride for efficient thermocatalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.

Upcycling of carbon dioxide towards fuels and value-added chemicals poses an opportunity to overcome challenges faced by depleting fossil fuels and climate change. Herein, combining highly controllable molecular beam epitaxy growth of gallium nitride (GaN) under a nitrogen-rich atmosphere with subsequent air annealing, a tunable platform of gallium oxynitride (GaNO) nanowires is built to anchor rhodium (Rh) nanoparticles for carbon dioxide hydrogenation. By correlatively employing various spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations, as well as density functional theory calculations, it is revealed that the engineered oxynitride surface of GaN works in synergy with Rh to achieve a dramatically reduced energy barrier.

Research Progress on Graphite-Derived Materials for Electrocatalysis in Energy Conversion and Storage.

High-performance electrocatalysts are critical to support emerging electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies. Graphite-derived materials, including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, have been recognized as promising electrocatalysts and electrocatalyst supports for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CORR). Effective modification/functionalization of graphite-derived materials can promote higher electrocatalytic activity, stability, and durability.

Compressed ultrahigh-speed single-pixel imaging by swept aggregate patterns.

Single-pixel imaging (SPI) has emerged as a powerful technique that uses coded wide-field illumination with sampling by a single-point detector. Most SPI systems are limited by the refresh rates of digital micromirror devices (DMDs) and time-consuming iterations in compressed-sensing (CS)-based reconstruction. Recent efforts in overcoming the speed limit in SPI, such as the use of fast-moving mechanical masks, suffer from low reconfigurability and/or reduced accuracy.

Broadband photodetection using one-step CVD-fabricated MoS/MoO microflower/microfiber heterostructures.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS) has been combined so far with other photodetecting semiconductors as an enhancing agent owing to its optical and electronic properties. Existing approaches demonstrated MoS-incorporated photodetector devices using complex and costly fabrication processes. Here, we report on simplified one-step on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) based synthesis of a unique microfiber/microflower MoS-based heterostructure formed by capturing MoO intermediate material during the CVD process.

The Coming of Age of Neodymium: Redefining Its Role in Rare Earth Doped Nanoparticles.

Among luminescent nanostructures actively investigated in the last couple of decades, rare earth (RE) doped nanoparticles (RENPs) are some of the most reported family of materials. The development of RENPs in the biomedical framework is quickly making its transition to the ∼800 nm excitation pathway, beneficial for both and applications to eliminate heating and facilitate higher penetration in tissues. Therefore, reports and investigations on RENPs containing the neodymium ion (Nd) greatly increased in number as the focus on ∼800 nm radiation absorbing Nd ion gained traction.

Tunable 0D/2D/2D Nanocomposite Based on Green Zn-Doped CuInS Quantum Dots and MoS/rGO as Photoelectrodes for Solar Hydrogen Production.

Charge separation, transmission, and light absorption properties are critical to determining the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices. An important strategy to control such properties is based on using heterostructured materials. Herein, a tunable zero-dimensional (0D)/two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure is designed based on quantum dots (QDs) and 2D nanosheets (NSs).

Engineered disorder in CO photocatalysis.

Light harvesting, separation of charge carriers, and surface reactions are three fundamental steps that are essential for an efficient photocatalyst. Here we show that these steps in the TiO can be boosted simultaneously by disorder engineering. A solid-state reduction reaction between sodium and TiO forms a core-shell c-TiO@a-TiO(OH) heterostructure, comprised of HO-Ti-[O]-Ti surface frustrated Lewis pairs (SFLPs) embedded in an amorphous shell surrounding a crystalline core, which enables a new genre of chemical reactivity.

Decoupled Rare-Earth Nanoparticles for On-Demand Upconversion Photodynamic Therapy and High-Contrast Near Infrared Imaging in NIR IIb.

Rare-earth doped multi-shell nanoparticles slated for theranostic applications produce a variety of emission bands upon near-infrared (NIR) excitation. Their downshifting emission is useful for high-contrast NIR imaging, while the upconversion light can induce photodynamic therapy (PDT). Unfortunately, integration of imaging and therapy is challenging.

Effect of the metal-support interaction in platinum anchoring on heteroatom-doped graphene for enhanced oxygen reduction reaction.

Three kinds of Pt anchoring on heteroatom-doped graphene were synthesised and their effects on catalytic performance were discussed. The introduction of N and P into graphene is helpful to decrease the Pt particle size with a homogeneous distribution and favor the electronic configuration for the ORR.

Exciton quenching by oxidized chlorophyll Z across the two adjacent monomers in a photosystem II core dimer.

This study aimed to clarify (1) which pigment in a photosystem II (PSII) core complex is responsible for the 695-nm emission at 77 K and (2) the molecular basis for the oxidation-induced fluorescence quenching in PSII. Picosecond time-resolved fluorescence dynamics was compared between the dimeric and monomeric PSII with and without addition of an oxidant. The results indicated that the excitation-energy flow to the 695-nm-emitting chlorophyll (Chl) at 36 K and 77 K was hindered upon monomerization, clearly demonstrating significant exciton migration from the Chls on one monomer to the 695-nm-emitting pigment on the adjacent monomer.

Analytic description and optimization of magneto-optical Kerr setups with photoelastic modulation.

Instruments based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect are routinely used to probe surface magnetic properties. These tools rely on the characterization of the polarization state of reflected light from the sample to collect information on its magnetization. Here, we present a theoretical optimization of common setups based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect.

Solution combustion synthesis: the relevant metrics for producing advanced and nanostructured photocatalysts.

The current developments and progress in energy and environment-related areas pay special attention to the fabrication of advanced nanomaterials green and sustainable paths to accomplish chemical circularity. The design and preparation methods of photocatalysts play a prime role in determining the structural, surface characteristics and optoelectronic properties of the final products. The solution combustion synthesis (SCS) technique is a relatively novel, cost-effective, and efficient method for the bulk production of nanostructured materials.

Nanoscale Morphological Characterization of Coordinated Binder and Solid Electrolyte Interphase in Silicon-Based Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries.

The physical crosslinking of polymeric binders through coordination chemistry significantly improves the electrochemical performance of silicon-based negative electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to probe the nanoscale morphology of such electrodes. This technique reveals the homogeneous coordination of carboxylated binder with Zn cations and its layering on the silicon surface.

Single-shot compressed optical field topography.

Femtosecond lasers are powerful in studying matter's ultrafast dynamics within femtosecond to attosecond time scales. Drawing a three-dimensional (3D) topological map of the optical field of a femtosecond laser pulse including its spatiotemporal amplitude and phase distributions, allows one to predict and understand the underlying physics of light interaction with matter, whose spatially resolved transient dielectric function experiences ultrafast evolution. However, such a task is technically challenging for two reasons: first, one has to capture in single-shot and squeeze the 3D information of an optical field profile into a two-dimensional (2D) detector; second, typical detectors are only sensitive to intensity or amplitude information rather than phase.

Photocatalytic Activity of Silicon Nanowires Decorated with PbS Nanoparticles Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition for Efficient Wastewater Treatment.

The present work aims to study the photocatalytic properties of nanohybrids composed of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) decorated with PbS nanoparticles (NPs). The elaborated material was intended to be utilized in wastewater treatment. The SiNWs were elaborated from the Metal Assisted Chemical Etching route (MACE), while the PbS NPs were deposited at room temperature onto SiNWs using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique.