Drone-Based Localization of Hazardous Chemicals by Passive Smart Dust.

The distribution of tiny sensors over a specific area was first proposed in the late 1990s as a concept known as smart dust. Several efforts focused primarily on computing and networking capabilities, but quickly ran into problems related to power supply, cost, data transmission, and environmental pollution. To overcome these limitations, we propose using paper-based (confetti-like) chemosensors that exploit the inherent selectivity of chemical reagents, such as colorimetric indicators.

Correction: An amorphous CrGeTe/polyimide double-layer foil with an extraordinarily outstanding strain sensing ability.

Correction for 'An amorphous CrGeTe/polyimide double-layer foil with an extraordinarily outstanding strain sensing ability' by Yinli Wang , , 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4mh00616j.

Differential Selection for Survival and for Growth in Adaptive Laboratory Evolution Experiments With Benzalkonium Chloride.

Biocides are used to control microorganisms across different applications, but emerging resistance may pose risks for those applications. Resistance to biocides has commonly been studied using adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) experiments with growth at subinhibitory concentrations linked to serial subculturing. It has been shown recently that adapts to repeated lethal stress imposed by the biocide benzalkonium chloride (BAC) by increased survival (i.

Oxoammonium salts exert antiviral effects against coronavirus via denaturation of their spike proteins.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) infection has forced social changes worldwide. Development of potent antiviral agents is necessary to prevent future pandemics. Titanium oxide, a photocatalyst, is a long-acting antiviral agent; however, its effects are weakened in the dark.

Perfluoroalkyl acid precursor or weakly fluorinated organic compound? A proof of concept for oxidative fractionation of PFAS and organofluorines.

Organofluorine mass balance approaches are increasingly applied to investigate the occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other organofluorines in environmental samples more comprehensively. Usually, complex samples prevent the identification and quantification of every fluorine-containing molecule. Consequently, large unidentified fractions between fluorine sum parameters such as extractable organic fluorine (EOF) and the sum of quantified analytes are frequently reported.

New Processes for Ionizing Nonvolatile Compounds in Mass Spectrometry: The Road of Discovery to Current State-of-the-Art.

This covers discovery and mechanistic aspects as well as initial applications of novel ionization processes for use in mass spectrometry that guided us in a series of subsequent discoveries, instrument developments, and commercialization. matrix-assisted ionization on an intermediate pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization source the use of a laser, high voltages, or any other added energy was simply unbelievable, at first. Individually and as a whole, the various discoveries and inventions started to paint, , an exciting new picture and outlook in mass spectrometry from which key developments grew that were at the time unimaginable, and continue to surprise us in its simplistic preeminence.

A Miscibility Study of p(MMA--HEMA)-Based Polymer Blends by Thermal Analysis and Solid-State NMR Relaxometry.

Ternary amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) consist of a multicomponent carrier with the aim of improving physical stability or dissolution performance. A polymer blend as a carrier that combines a water-insoluble and a water-soluble polymer may delay the drug release rate, minimizing the risk of precipitation from the supersaturated state. Different microstructures of the ternary ASD may result in different drug release performances; hence, understanding the phase morphology of the polymer blend is crucial prior to drug incorporation.

Structural phase transition in NH₄F under extreme pressure conditions.

Ammonium fluoride (NH₄F) exhibits a variety of crystalline phases depending on temperature and pressure. By employing Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction beyond megabar pressures (up to 140 GPa), we have here observed a novel dense solid phase of NH₄F, characterised by the tetragonal P4/nmm structure also observed in other ammonium halides under less extreme pressure conditions, typically a few GPa. Using detailed ab-initio calculations and reevaluating earlier theoretical models pertaining to other ammonium halides, we examine the microscopic mechanisms underlying the transition from the low-pressure cubic phase (P-43m) to the newly identified high-pressure tetragonal phase (P4/nmm).

Hydrophobic Aerogels and Xerogels based on Trimethoxybenzene-Formaldehyde.

Phenolic aerogels based on resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) are among the best thermally insulating materials. However, the hydrophilicity inherent to the free phenolic moiety of RF gels generally limits their actual range of applications. Prior efforts to render phenolic gels hydrophobic are restricted to post-synthetic functionalizations of hydrophilic gels, processes that are often limited in efficiency, scope, and/or longevity.

An amorphous CrGeTe/polyimide double-layer foil with an extraordinarily outstanding strain sensing ability.

To realize a wearable health monitoring system, a piezoresistive material capable of detecting very small mechanical strains is needed. In this study, an amorphous CrGeTe thin film was deposited on a polyimide film by sputtering, and the piezoresistive properties were investigated. In experiments, the CrGeTe/polyimide double-layer foil exhibited an outstanding piezoresistive performance as evidenced by the appearance of self-healing cracks during tensile tests and a remarkably large gauge factor of 60 000 in resistance change measurements.

Online Isotope Analysis of Sulfur in Proteins via Capillary Electrophoresis Coupled With Multicollector ICP-MS (CE/MC-ICP-MS): A Proof of Concept Study.

Isotope ratio analysis of sulfur in biological samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has gained significant interest for applications in quantitative proteomics. Advancements like coupling separation techniques with multicollector ICP-MS (MC-ICP-MS) enhance the throughput of species-specific sulfur isotope ratio measurements, fostering new avenues for studying sulfur metabolism in complex biological matrices. This proof-of-concept study investigates the feasibility of online CE/MC-ICP-MS for directly analyzing sulfur isotope ratios in proteins (albumin).

Topological Synthesis of 2D High-Entropy Multimetallic (Oxy)hydroxide for Enhanced Lattice Oxygen Oxidation Mechanism.

Owing to sluggish reaction kinetics and high potential, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts face a trade-off between activity and stability. Herein, an innovative topological strategy is presented for preparing 2D multimetallic (oxy)hydroxide, including ternary CoFeZn, quaternary CoFeMnZn, and high-entropy CoFeMnCuZn. The key to the synthesis lies in using Ca-rich brownmillerite oxide as a precursor, which possesses inherent structural flexibility enabling tailored elemental adjustments and topologically transforms from a point-shared structure of metal-oxygen octahedrons into an edge-shared structure under alkaline conditions.

Development of a one-pot synthesis of rGO in water by optimizing Tour's method parameters.

Since its first synthesis in 2004, graphene has been widely studied and several different synthesis methods has been developed. Solvent exfoliation of graphite and the reduction of graphene oxide previously obtained through graphite oxidation are the most employed. In this work, we exploited synthesis conditions of a method usually employed for obtaining graphene oxide (the Tour's method) for directly obtaining a very poorly oxidised material with characteristics like reduced graphene oxide.

Magnetic structure of the noncentrosymmetric magnet SrMnSiO through irreducible representation and magnetic space group analyses.

Magnetic structures of the noncentrosymmetric magnet SrMnSiO were examined through neutron diffraction for powder and single-crystalline samples, as well as magnetometry measurements. All allowed magnetic structures for space group P42m with the magnetic wavevector q = (0, 0, ½) were refined via irreducible representation and magnetic space group analyses. The compound was refined to have in-plane magnetic moments within the magnetic space group Cmc2.

Multicrystalline informatics: a methodology to advance materials science by unraveling complex phenomena.

Multicrystalline materials play a crucial role in our society. However, their microstructure is complicated, and there is no universal approach to achieving high performance. Therefore, a methodology is necessary to answer the fundamental question of how we should design and create microstructures.

Hydrogen Boride Sheets and Copper Nanoparticle Composites as a Visible-Light-Sensitive Hydrogen Release System.

Hydrogen boride (HB) sheet is a new class of 2D materials comprising hydrogen and boron, synthesized through ion-exchange and exfoliation techniques. HB sheets can release hydrogen (H) under light irradiation and is predicted to be a promising H storage material. However, its application is limited to the UV region.

Three-Dimensional Nanoscale Imaging of SiO2 Nanofiller in Styrene-Butadiene Rubber with High-Resolution and High-Sensitivity Ptychographic X-ray Computed Tomography.

SiO2 aggregates in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) were observed using ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT). The rubber composites were illuminated with X-rays focused by total reflection focusing mirrors, and the ptychographic diffraction patterns were collected using a CITIUS detector in the range of -75° to +75° angle of incidence. The projection images of the rubber composites were reconstructed with a two-dimensional resolution of 76 nm, and no significant structural changes were observed during the PXCT measurements.

Controlling nanocluster growth through nanoconfinement: the effect of the number and nature of metal-organic framework functionalities.

Controlled nanocluster growth nanoconfinement is an attractive approach as it allows for geometry control and potential surface-chemistry modification simultaneously. However, it is still not a straight-forward method and much of its success depends on the nature and possibly concentration of functionalities on the cavity walls that surround the clusters. To independently probe the effect of the nature and number of functional groups on the controlled Pd nanocluster growth within the pores of the metal-organic frameworks, Pd-laden UiO-66 analogues with mono- and bi-functionalised linkers of amino and methyl groups were successfully prepared and studied in a combined experimental-computational approach.

From crop left-overs to nutrient resource: growth-stimulating potential of biochar in nutrient solutions for wheat soilless cultivation systems.

To reach the estimated food demands for 2050 in decreasingly suiting climates, current agricultural techniques have to be complemented by sustainably intensified practices. The current study repurposed wheat crop residues into biochar, and investigated its potential in different plant cultivation systems, including a hydroponic cultivation of wheat. Biochars resulting from varying pyrolysis parameters including feedstock composition (straw and chaff) and temperature (450°C and 600°C), were tested using a fast plant screening method.

Experimental demonstration of topological bounds in quantum metrology.

Quantum metrology is deeply connected to quantum geometry, through the fundamental notion of quantum Fisher information. Inspired by advances in topological matter, it was recently suggested that the Berry curvature and Chern numbers of band structures can dictate strict lower bounds on metrological properties, hence establishing a strong connection between topology and quantum metrology. In this work, we provide a first experimental verification of such topological bounds, by performing optimal quantum multi-parameter estimation and achieving the best possible measurement precision.

Ultrafast Yttrium Hydride Chemistry at High Pressures via Non-equilibrium States Induced by an X-ray Free Electron Laser.

Controlling the formation and stoichiometric content of the desired phases of materials has become of central interest for a variety of fields. The possibility of accessing metastable states by initiating reactions by X-ray-triggered mechanisms over ultrashort time scales has been enabled by the development of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs). Utilizing the exceptionally high-brilliance X-ray pulses from the EuXFEL, we report the synthesis of a previously unobserved yttrium hydride under high pressure, along with nonstoichiometric changes in hydrogen content as probed at a repetition rate of 4.

Unveiling Carbon Cluster Coating in Graphene CVD on MgO: Combining Machine Learning Force field and DFT Modeling.

In this study, we investigate the behavior of carbon clusters (C, where ranges from 16 to 26) supported on the surface of MgO. We consider the impact of doping with common impurities (such as Si, Mn, Ca, Fe, and Al) that are typically found in ores. Our approach combines density functional theory calculations with machine learning force field molecular dynamics simulations.