Epitaxial CuO Thin Films Deposited from Solution: the Enabling Role of Cu Diffusion into the GaAs Substrate.

Cuprous oxide (CuO) thin films were chemically deposited from a solution onto GaAs(100) and (111) substrates using a simple three-component solution at near-ambient temperatures (10-60 °C). Interestingly, a similar deposition onto various other substrates including Si(100), Si(111), glass, fluorine-doped tin oxide, InP, and quartz resulted in no film formation. Films deposited on both GaAs(100) and (111) were found alongside substantial etching of the substrates.

Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein.

Protein-based biomaterials are in high demand due to their high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. In this study, we explore the bacterial secreted protein A (EspA), which self-assembles into long extracellular filaments, as a potential building block for new protein-based biomaterials. We investigated the morphological and mechanical properties of EspA filaments and how protein engineering can modify them.

Automated electrochemical oxygen sensing using a 3D-printed microfluidic lab-on-a-chip system.

Dissolved oxygen is crucial for metabolism, growth, and other complex physiological and pathological processes; however, standard physiological models (such as organ-on-chip systems) often use ambient oxygen levels, which do not reflect the lower levels that are typically found . Additionally, the local generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS; a key factor in physiological systems) is often overlooked in biology-mimicking models. Here, we present a microfluidic system that integrates electrochemical dissolved oxygen sensors with lab-on-a-chip technology to monitor the physiological oxygen concentrations and generate hydrogen peroxide (HO; a specific ROS).

The Asgard archaeal ESCRT-III system forms helical filaments and remodels eukaryotic-like membranes.

The ESCRT machinery mediates membrane remodeling in numerous processes in cells including cell division and nuclear membrane reformation. The identification of ESCRT homologs in Asgard archaea, currently considered the closest prokaryotic relative of eukaryotes, implies a role for ESCRTs in the membrane remodeling processes that occurred during eukaryogenesis. Yet, the function of these distant ESCRT homologs is mostly unresolved.

Stereospecific Radical Bromination of β-Aryl Alcohols with Thiourea Additives Through A Serendipitous Discovery of A 1,2-Aryl Migration.

The development of new protocols for stereospecific and stereoselective halogenation transformations by mild reaction conditions is a highly desirable research target for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Following the straightforward methodology for directly transforming a wide scope of alcohols to alkyl bromides and chlorides using substoichiometric amounts of thioureas and N-halo succinimides (NXS) as a halogen source in a single step, we noticed that in apolar solvents bromination of chiral secondary alcohols did not produce the expected racemates. In this study, the stereochemical aspects of the bromination reaction were examined.

Engineering of the genetic code.

The genetic code is a universally conserved mechanism that translates genetic information into proteins, consisting of 64 codons formed by four nucleotide bases. With a few exceptions, the genetic code universally encodes 20 canonical amino acids (AAs) and three stop signals, with many AAs represented by multiple codons. Genetic engineering has expanded this system through approaches like codon reassignment and synthetic base pair introduction, allowing for the incorporation of noncanonical AAs (ncAAs) into proteins, known as genetic code expansion (GCE).

Similar but Distinct-Biochemical Characterization of the Staphylococcus aureus Serine Hydrolases FphH and FphI.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of infections like bacteremia, pneumonia, and endocarditis. These infections are often linked to the ability of S. aureus to form biofilms.

Quantification of mobile charge carrier yield and transport lengths in ultrathin film light-trapping ZnFeO photoanodes.

Zinc ferrite (ZnFeO, ZFO) has gained attention as a candidate material for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. However, champion devices have achieved photocurrents far below that predicted by its bandgap energy. Herein, strong optical interference is employed in compact ultrathin film (8-14 nm) Ti-doped ZFO films deposited on specular back reflectors to boost photoanode performance through enhanced light trapping, resulting in a roughly fourfold improvement in absorption as compared to films deposited on transparent substrates.

Catalyst-assisted growth of CsPbBr perovskite nanowires.

Halide perovskites (HPs), particularly at the nanoscale, attract attention due to their unique optical properties compared to other semiconductors. They exhibit bright emission, defect tolerance, and a broad tunable band gap. The ability to directly transport charge carriers along the HPs nanowires (NWs) has led to the development of methods for their synthesis.

Sexually dimorphic metabolic effects of a high fat diet on knee osteoarthritis in mice.

Background: Women have a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA) than men, including with obesity. To better understand this disparity, we investigated sex differences in metabolic and inflammatory factors associated with OA using a diet-induced mouse model of obesity. We hypothesized that 20 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) would induce sexually dimorphic changes in both systemic and local risk factors of knee OA.

Candidate stem cell isolation and transplantation in Hexacorallia.

Stem cells are the foundation for cell therapy due to their ability to self-renew, differentiate into other cell types, and persist throughout the life of an organism. Stem cell isolation and transplantation have not yet been established in Hexacorallia, a cnidarian subclass containing stony corals and sea anemones. Here, we demonstrate that candidate stem cells in the hexacorallian Nematostella vectensis can be transplanted into adult animals.

Active fractal networks with stochastic force monopoles and force dipoles: Application to subdiffusion of chromosomal loci.

Motivated by the well-known fractal packing of chromatin, we study the Rouse-type dynamics of elastic fractal networks with embedded, stochastically driven, active force monopoles and force dipoles that are temporally correlated. We compute, analytically-using a general theoretical framework-and via Langevin dynamics simulations, the mean square displacement (MSD) of a network bead. Following a short-time superdiffusive behavior, force monopoles yield anomalous subdiffusion with an exponent identical to that of the thermal system.

Unusual Defect Chemistry of Thorium Doping of PbS.

The unusual defect chemistry of thorium doping in the PbS system was investigated computationally to answer several open questions arising from the experimental observations. These include finding Th in a +4 oxidation state in contrast to Pb, attracting more than two oxygen atoms on average per thorium and affecting the growth morphology of PbS and its electronic properties. We find Th to be energetically stable at the lead lattice position in PbS and to attract 2-3 oxygens, including in the adjacent interstitial position, which binds strongly to Th.

Supramolecular interaction of a molecular catalyst with a polymeric carbon nitride photoanode enhances photoelectrochemical activity and stability at neutral pH.

Polymeric carbon nitride (CN) emerged as an alternative, metal-free photoanode material for water-splitting photoelectrochemical cells (PECs). However, the performance of CN photoanodes is limited due to the slow charge separation and water oxidation kinetics due to poor interaction with water oxidation catalysts (WOCs). Moreover, operation under benign, neutral pH conditions is rarely reported.

Supercapattery-Diode: Using Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets for Unidirectional Energy Storage.

The supercapacitor-diode (CAPode) is a device that integrates the functionality of an ionic diode with that of a conventional supercapacitor. The unique combination of energy storage and rectification properties in CAPodes is relevant for iontronics, alternate current rectifiers, logic operations, grid stabilization, and even biomedical applications. Here, we propose a novel aqueous-phase supercapattery-diode with excellent energy storage [total specific capacity () = 162 C g, energy density = 34 W h kg at 1.

Impedance Characteristics of Microfluidic Channels and Integrated Coplanar Parallel Electrodes as Design Parameters for Whole-Channel Analysis in Organ-on-Chip Micro-Systems.

Microfluidics have revolutionized cell culture by allowing for precise physical and chemical environmental control. Coupled with electrodes, microfluidic cell culture can be activated or have its changes sensed in real-time. We used our previously developed reliable and stable microfluidic device for cell growth and monitoring to design, fabricate, and characterize a whole-channel impedance-based sensor and used it to systematically assess the electrical and electrochemical influences of microfluidic channel boundaries coupled with varying electrode sizes, distances, coatings, and cell coverage.

Switchable molecular electrocatalysis.

We demonstrate a switchable electrocatalysis mechanism modulated by hydrogen bonding interactions in ligand geometries. By manipulating these geometries, specific electrochemical processes at a single catalytic site can be selectively and precisely activated or deactivated. The α geometry enhances dioxygen electroreduction (ORR) while inhibiting protium redox processes, with the opposite effect seen in the β geometry.

Role of Trapped Molecules at Sliding Contacts in Lattice-Resolved Friction.

Understanding atomic friction within a liquid environment is crucial for engineering friction mechanisms and characterizing surfaces. It has been suggested that the lattice resolution of friction force microscope in liquid environments stems from a dry contact state, with all liquid molecules expelled from the area of closest approach between the tip and substrate. Here, we revisit this assertion by performing in-depth friction force microscopy experiments and molecular dynamics simulations of the influence of surrounding water molecules on the dynamic behavior of the nanotribological contact between an amorphous SiO probe and a monolayer MoS substrate.