Enhancing Stability of Microwave-Synthesized CsSnTiBr Perovskite by Cation Mixing.

The double-perovskite material CsTiBr shows excellent photovoltaic potential, making it a promising alternative to lead-based materials. However, its high susceptibility to degradation in air has raised concerns about its practical application. This study introduces an interesting synthesis approach that significantly enhances the stability of CsTiBr powder.

A remarkable match of optical response in the amorphous-crystalline and zinc blende-rock salt phase pairs of GeTe.

Despite a large amount of theoretical and experimental work performed so far, the search of phase change materials (PCMs) is done with use of numerical modeling. However, it is not fully clear how and why the phase change translates into the optical contrast. In this work, we argue that a key prerequisite for a material to have a pronounced difference in optical properties between crystalline and glassy phases of PCM is the similar contrast between the observed crystalline and (may be experimentally inaccessible) parent crystalline polymorph of the glassy phase.

Beneficial Soil Fungus Kills Predatory Nematodes with Dehydropeptides Translocating into the Animal Gut.

is a mold fungus that has gained attention for its positive correlation with soil health, plant growth, and applications as a crop biocontrol agent to suppress the threats of nematode pests. To date, the mechanisms underlying the protective traits of against these plant parasites have remained elusive. Here we report that abundantly produced peptidic biosurfactants, malpinin A-D, exhibit robust inhibitory activity against nematodes.

Local Hydrogen Concentration and Distribution in Pd Nanoparticles: An In Situ STEM-EELS Approach.

Local detection of hydrogen concentration in metals is of central importance for many areas of hydrogen technology, such as hydrogen storage, detection, catalysis, and hydrogen embrittlement. A novel approach to measure the hydrogen concentration in a model system consisting of cubic palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs), with a lateral resolution down to 4 nm is demonstrated. By measuring the shift of the Pd bulk plasmon peak with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with energy electron loss spectroscopy (EELS) during in situ hydrogen gas loading and unloading, local detection of the hydrogen concentration is achieved in TEM.

Controlled encapsulation of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots in a microdroplet.

Precise deposition of materials on surfaces is one of the crucial steps in a broad range of applications and functional device fabrication at both the micro- and nanoscale. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), with their unique optical and physical properties, have frequently been a focus of attempts for micro- or nano-positioning. Here, we present a method for reproducible, repetitive, and precise deposition of QD-containing microdroplets using hydrophobic micropipettes without any need to apply an actuation voltage.

Odd-Numbered Ring Cluster Tc(μ-O)Cl(OOCCCl): Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Optical and Thermal Properties.

Herein, we report a method for the preparation of the first odd homometallic and heterovalent nine-centered Tc wheel, [Tc(μ-O)Cl(OOCCl)]. The synthesized compound represents the pioneering instance of such clusters among d elements and is the fourth instance observed across all metals. The ring was synthesized by a solvothermal method in a solution of technetium acid in trichloroacetic anhydride.

Systematic probing of protein adsorption on protein-based nanoparticles in dependence of the particle surface charge.

Understanding protein adsorption on the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) is crucial for determining their behavior in biological environments. Early research in this field faced challenges in producing high-quality NPs. Advancements in NP fabrication now allow for precise modifications of specific parameters, such as zeta potential.

Generation of Ammonia in a Pulsed Hollow Cathode Discharge Operated in an Ar/H/N Gas Mixture Detected by Fourier Transform Infrared.

A hollow cathode discharge with a copper nickel cathode (Cu50Ni50) was operated in an Ar/H/N gas mixture. Optical emission spectroscopy revealed the formation of NH radicals, which serve as precursors for NH formation. Ion mass spectrometry showed the formation of NH and NH ions indicating NH formation.

Metamorphosis of a unicellular green alga in the presence of acetate and a spatially structured three-dimensional environment.

Photosynthetic protists, named microalgae, are key players in global primary production. The green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a well-studied model organism. In nature, it dwells in acetate-rich paddy rice soil, which is not mimicked by standard liquid laboratory conditions.

Expression of concern: An impedimetric immunosensor based on diamond nanowires decorated with nickel nanoparticles.

Expression of concern for 'An impedimetric immunosensor based on diamond nanowires decorated with nickel nanoparticles' by Palaniappan Subramanian , , 2014, , 1726-1731, https://doi.org/10.1039/C3AN02045B.

Efficient Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols from the Aqueous Oxidation of Terpenoic 1,2-Diols by OH.

Aqueous oxidation of pinanediol (PND) and camphanediol (CND) by hydroxyl radical (OH) was investigated using gas and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The yields of the products formed were measured with authentic and surrogate standards. This approach quantified >97% of the products for both reactions under investigation.

The Importance of Catalytic Effects in Hot-Electron-Driven Chemical Reactions.

Hot electrons (HEs) represent out-of-equilibrium carriers that are capable of facilitating reactions which are inaccessible under conventional conditions. Despite the similarity of the HE process to catalysis, optimization strategies such as orbital alignment and adsorption kinetics have not received significant attention in enhancing the HE-driven reaction yield. Here, we investigate catalytic effects in HE-driven reactions using a compositional catalyst modification (CCM) approach.

Experimental and Theoretical X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure Study of UO Systems at the U L Edge.

Uranium forms a large number of oxides and its electronic state in them is of great fundamental interest. We employ X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the U L edge to differentiate between mixed oxide phases in uranium compounds. By combining experimental XANES spectra with theoretical modeling using the FEFF code, we analyze five uranium oxides: UO, UO, UO, UO, and UO.

Probing electronic-structure pH-dependency of Au nanoparticles through X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

Research on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) remains a field of intense activity due to their broad range of applications in diverse fields like catalysis, renewable energy, environmental science, and medicine. Herein, the morphological and electronic structures investigation of Au NPs prepared at different pH values is reported. The dependence of the localized surface plasmon resonance wavelength and electronic structure with size was determined by combining transmission electron microscopy, and various spectroscopic methods led by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Toward robust electronic coupling predictions in redox-active TEMPO/TEMPO+ systems.

This research elucidates the intricate nature of electronic coupling in the redox-active (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO), commonly utilized in organic radical batteries. This study employs a combination of classical molecular dynamics and various electronic coupling calculation schemes. Within the context of the generalized Mulliken-Hush method, the electronic couplings are investigated via the complete active space self-consistent field approach, in combination with n-electron valence state perturbation theory, to provide an accurate description of both static and dynamic electron correlation as well as using (time-dependent) density functional theory simulations.

High-throughput formulation of reproducible 3D cancer microenvironments for drug testing in myeloid leukemia.

Leukemic microenvironment has been recognized as a factor that strongly supports the mechanisms of resistance. Therefore, targeting the microenvironment is currently one of the major directions in drug development and preclinical studies in leukemia. Despite the variety of available leukemia 3D culture models, the reproducible generation of miniaturized leukemic microenvironments, suitable for high-throughput drug testing, has remained a challenge.

Prebiotic chemistry and protocells during the faint young sun event.

The sun generates light and heat for life on Earth to flourish. However, during the late Hadean-early Archean epoch on Earth, the "faint young sun" (FYS) was less luminous, influencing prebiotic chemistry and, by extension, the origins of life (OoL). However, higher levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the FYS, especially UV-C, due to the lack of an ozone layer, would likely have impacted the assembly, stability, persistence, and functions of prebiotic cellular precursors, i.

Noncovalent Bonding in d and f-Type Coordination Compounds and Lattices. A Case Study.

Using as example the [Fe(bpca)(μ-bpca)Gd(NO)]×4CHNO×CHOH system, where Hbpca=bis(2-pyridilcarbonyl)amine), we perform the analysis of bonding components inside the d and f coordination units and between molecular entities from crystal. Aside the nominal long-range interactions between molecular components of the crystal, we considered that the bonding inside the coordination units is also not a covalent regime. We performed Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, with plane-waves (PW), in band-structure mode, and with atom-centred bases, by molecular procedures.

Novel techniques to quantitatively assess age-dependent alterations in biophysical properties of HSPCs and bone marrow niche.

The present knowledge on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) biology and aging is based largely on studies in mouse models. Although mouse models are invaluable, they are not without limitations for defining how physical properties of HSPCs and their niche change with age. The bone marrow (BM) niche is a complex, interactive environment with multiple cell types.

Mechanistic Insights into Nonadiabatic Interband Transitions on a Semiconductor Surface Induced by Hydrogen Atom Collisions.

To understand the recently observed enigmatic nonadiabatic energy transfer for hyperthermal H atom scattering from a semiconductor surface, Ge(111)(2 × 8), we present a mixed quantum-classical nonadiabatic molecular dynamics model based on the time-dependent evolution of Kohn-Sham orbitals and a classical path approximation. Our results suggest that facile nonadiabatic electronic transitions from the valence band to the conduction band occur selectively at the rest atom site, where surface states are doubly occupied, but not at the adatom site, where empty surface states are localized. This drastic site specificity can be attributed to the changes of the local band structure upon energetic H collisions at different surface sites, leading to transient near degeneracies and significant couplings between occupied and unoccupied orbitals at the rest atom but not at the adatom.

Safer and efficient base editing and prime editing via ribonucleoproteins delivered through optimized lipid-nanoparticle formulations.

Delivering ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) for in vivo genome editing is safer than using viruses encoding for Cas9 and its respective guide RNA. However, transient RNP activity does not typically lead to optimal editing outcomes. Here we show that the efficiency of delivering RNPs can be enhanced by cell-penetrating peptides (covalently fused to the protein or as excipients) and that lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) encapsulating RNPs can be optimized for enhanced RNP stability, delivery efficiency and editing potency.