Transient-absorption spectroscopy of dendrimers nonadiabatic excited-state dynamics simulations.

The efficiency of light-harvesting and energy transfer in multi-chromophore ensembles underpins natural photosynthesis. Dendrimers are highly branched synthetic multi-chromophoric conjugated supra-molecules that mimic these natural processes. After photoexcitation, their repeated units participate in a number of intramolecular electronic energy relaxation and redistribution pathways that ultimately funnel to a sink.

The damage mechanism in copper studied using TEM nanoindentation.

Copper (Cu) has a soft-plastic nature, which makes it susceptible to damages from scratching or abrasive machining, such as lapping and polishing. It is a challenge to control these damages as the damage mechanism is elusive. Nonetheless, controlling damages is essential, especially on the atomic surfaces of Cu.

Atomic surface of quartz glass induced by photocatalytic green chemical mechanical polishing using the developed SiO@TiO core-shell slurry.

High-performance devices of quartz glass demand an atomic surface, which induces a challenge for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) with a high material removal rate (MRR). Moreover, traditional CMP usually employs toxic and corrosive slurries, leading to the pollution of the environment. To overcome these challenges, a novel green photocatalytic CMP is proposed.

Twist-angle-dependent momentum-space direct and indirect interlayer excitons in WSe/WS heterostructure.

Interlayer excitons (ILEs) in the van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures of type-II band alignment transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted significant interest owing to their unique exciton properties and potential in quantum information applications. However, the new dimension that emerges with the stacking of structures with a twist angle leads to a more complex fine structure of ILEs, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for the regulation of the interlayer excitons. In this study, we report the evolution of interlayer excitons with the twist angle in the WSe/WS heterostructure and identify the direct (indirect) interlayer excitons by combining photoluminescence (PL) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Correction: The role of electrochemical biosensors in SARS-CoV-2 detection: a bibliometrics-based analysis and review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D2RA04162F.].

The role of electrochemical biosensors in SARS-CoV-2 detection: a bibliometrics-based analysis and review.

The global pandemic of COVID-19, which began in late 2019, has resulted in extremely high morbidity and severe mortality worldwide, with important implications for human health, international trade, and national politics. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is the primary pathogen causing COVID-19. Analytical chemistry played an important role in this global epidemic event, and detection of SARS-CoV-2 even became a part of daily life.

A short review of graphene in the microbial electrosynthesis of biochemicals from carbon dioxide.

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a potential energy transformation technology for the reduction of the greenhouse gas carbon oxide (CO) into commercial chemicals. The major bottlenecks in the development of highly productive MES systems are the low bacterial loading, low electron transfer rate and low production of relevant chemicals, which limit the future potential for scaling up this process. Graphene has excellent electrical conductivity, remarkably high carrier mobility, special intrinsic mechanical strength, chemical stability, outstanding specific surface area, and biocompatibility.

LiYF-nanocrystal-embedded glass ceramics for upconversion: glass crystallization, optical thermometry and spectral conversion.

Glass ceramics (GCs) can perfectly integrate nanocrystals (NCs) into bulk materials. Herein, GCs containing LiYF NCs were fabricated a traditional melt-quenching method and subsequent glass crystallization. Structural characterization was carried out X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and scanning transmission electron microscopy high-angle annular dark-field (STEM-HAADF) analysis, suggesting the precipitation of LiYF NCs from a glass matrix.

Advancing Applications of Black Phosphorus and BP-Analog Materials in Photo/Electrocatalysis through Structure Engineering and Surface Modulation.

Black phosphorus (BP), an emerging 2D material semiconductor material, exhibits unique properties and promising application prospects for photo/electrocatalysis. However, the applications of BP in photo/electrocatalysis are hampered by the instability as well as low catalysis efficiency. Recently, tremendous efforts have been dedicated toward modulating its intrinsic structure, electronic property, and charge separation for enhanced photo/electrocatalytic performance through structure engineering.

Highly efficient red-emitting CaYSbO:Eu double perovskite phosphors for warm WLEDs.

Highly efficient red-emitting Eu-doped double perovskite CaYSbO phosphors have been successfully prepared by the traditional high-temperature solid state method. The phase purity, photoluminescence and decay properties as a function of the Eu concentration have been investigated in detail. The XRD results demonstrate that all of the obtained phosphors can be assigned to a pure monoclinic structure.

Si, Sr, Ag co-doped hydroxyapatite/TiO coating: enhancement of its antibacterial activity and osteoinductivity.

A multifaceted coating with favourable cytocompatibility, osteogenic activity and antibacterial properties would be of great significance and value due to its capability for improving osseointegration and alleviating prosthesis loosening. This study marks the first report on the coating of TiO nanotubular (TNT) arrays with Sr-and-Si-substituted hydroxyapatite (SSHA) endowed with antibacterial characteristics using silver ions. This TNT layer coated with Ag-substituted SSHA (SSAgHA) formed a composite coating with an interconnected microporous structure and a homogeneous distribution of Sr, Si and Ag; such a coating promoted cell adhesion and osteogenic potential.

Chemically Propelled Motors Navigate Chemical Patterns.

Very small synthetic motors that use chemical reactions to drive their motion are being studied widely because of their potential applications, which often involve active transport and dynamics on nanoscales. Like biological molecular machines, they must be able to perform their tasks in complex, highly fluctuating environments that can form chemical patterns with diverse structures. Motors in such systems can actively assemble into dynamic clusters and other unique nonequilibrium states.