Electron confinement-induced plasmonic breakdown in metals.

Plasmon resonance represents the collective oscillation of free electron gas density and enables enhanced light-matter interactions in nanoscale dimensions. Traditionally, the classical Drude model describes plasmonic excitation, wherein plasma frequency exhibits no spatial dispersion. Here, we show conclusive experimental evidence of the breakdown of plasmon resonance and a consequent metal-insulator transition in an ultrathin refractory plasmonic material, hafnium nitride (HfN).

Boosting quantum efficiency and suppressing self-absorption in CdS quantum dots through interface engineering.

Applications of photoluminescence (PL) from semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have faced the dichotomy of excitonic emission being susceptible to self-absorption and shallow defects reducing quantum yield (QY) catastrophically, and doped emissions sacrificing the tunability of the emission wavelength a quantum size effect, making it extremely challenging, if not impossible, to optimize all desirable properties simultaneously. Here we report a strategy that simultaneously optimizes all desirable PL properties in CdS QDs by leveraging interface engineering through the growth of two crystallographic phases, namely wurtzite and zinc blende phases, within individual QDs. These engineered interfaces result in sub-bandgap emissions ultrafast energy transfer (∼780 fs) from band-edge states to interface states protected from surface defects, enhancing stability and prolonging the PL lifetime.

Explicit time marching method with enhanced stability.

Recent developments in distributed computing architecture are slowly changing the way we develop partial differential equation solvers for simulating complex industrial and natural systems. Since achieving perfect parallelization of implicit temporal schemes is quite challenging, there is a growing interest in using explicit procedures with enhanced stability limits. The current work focuses on one such enhancement obtained by modifying an asynchronous delayed difference method.

Flexible Near-Infrared Plasmon-Polaritons in Epitaxial Scandium Nitride Enabled by van der Waals Heteroepitaxy.

Van der Waals heteroepitaxy refers to the growth of strain- and misfit-dislocation-free epitaxial films on layered substrates or vice versa. Such heteroepitaxial technique can be utilized in developing flexible near-infrared transition metal nitride plasmonic materials to broaden their photonic and bioplasmonic applications, such as antifogging, smart windows, and bioimaging. Here, we show the first conclusive experimental demonstration of the van der Waals heteroepitaxy-enabled flexible semiconducting scandium nitride (ScN) thin films exhibiting near-infrared, low-loss epsilon-near-zero, and surface plasmon-polariton resonances.

The impact of PTEN status on glioblastoma multiforme: A glial cell type-specific study identifies unique prognostic markers.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most invasive form of brain tumor, accounting for 5 % of the cases per 100,000 people in various countries. The phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a well-known tumor suppressor, and its alteration leads to a deleterious effect on GBM progression. The molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis in glial cell types, driven by PTEN status, is yet to be elucidated.

A ratiometric luminescence thermometer based on lanthanide encapsulated complexes.

Lanthanide-containing complexes have been widely developed as ratiometric luminescence thermometers, which are non-invasive, contactless and accurate. The synthesis of these Ln complexes generally requires high temperatures, multiple steps and other harsh conditions. Moreover, bimetallic lanthanide complexes, which have been reported to be better thermometers, are even more challenging to synthesize.

Stretchable hierarchical metal wire networks for neuromorphic emulation of nociception and anti-nociception.

Among biomimetic technologies, the incorporation of sensory hardware holds exceptional utility in human-machine interfacing. In this context, devices receptive to nociception and emulating antinociception gain significance as part of pain management. Here we report, a stretchable two-terminal resistive neuromorphic device consisting of a hierarchical Ag microwire network formed using a crack templating protocol.

Supramolecular Guest Exchange in Cucurbit[7]uril for Bioorthogonal Fluorogenic Imaging across the Visible Spectrum.

Fluorogenic probes that unmask fluorescence signals in response to bioorthogonal reactions are a powerful new addition to biological imaging. They can significantly reduce background fluorescence and minimize nonspecific signals, potentially enabling real-time, high-contrast imaging without the need to wash out excess fluorophores. While diverse classes of highly refined synthetic fluorophores are now readily available, integrating them into a bioorthogonal fluorogenic scheme still requires extensive design efforts and customized structural alterations to optimize quenching mechanisms for each specific fluorophore scaffold.

Role of Covalent Cages and Rattler Atoms in Lowering the Thermal Conductivity in Zintl Metal Chalcogenides.

Zintl phases represent a class of compounds, mainly intermetallics, which are characterized by ionic and covalent bonds in the same crystal. Since its discovery in the late 1800s, Zintl phases have found their importance as an academic interest due to their fascinating structure as well as in industry due to their vast applicability. In recent years, the Zintl phase of metal chalcogenides has further demonstrated its ability as a promising thermoelectric material, primarily due to its intrinsically ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (κ).

A fluorescent probe with serum albumin as a signal amplifier for real-time sensing of HSO in solution, mitochondria of animal cells and rice roots.

Endogenous release of HSO during the enzymatic oxidation of sulfur containing amino acids in mitochondria or insufficiency of sulfite oxidase results in the accumulation of sulfite and thiosulfate in biological fluids affecting mitochondrial homeostasis of brain mitochondria associated with serious clinical symptoms related to neurological disorders. The red fluorescent probe MGQ undergoes self-assembly in water and reveals aggregation induced quenching of fluorescence. MGQ reveals 143-fold and 179-fold increases in fluorescence intensity at 645 nm, respectively, in the presence of HSA and BSA and does not significantly differentiate between two albumins.

Modeling High Concentration Bisalt-in-Sulfolane Electrolytes and the Observation of Ligand-Bridged Cation-Pair Complexes.

Despite the abundance of sodium over lithium in Earth's crust and the copious amounts of expensive lithium salt required to make Li-ion high-concentration electrolytes (HCEs), studies of HCEs made from sodium salts remain sparse. A comparative molecular-level study of Li- and Na-ion HCEs and mixed cation or bisalt HCEs in an organic solvent is missing. To fill this gap, we studied model HCEs of pure and mixed Li and Na salts of bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (FSI) in sulfolane using a confluence of classical molecular dynamics (MD), ab initio MD (AIMD) simulations, and quantum chemical cluster calculations.

Modulating photophysical properties in a flexible porous host by regulating guest-assisted charge transfer interactions.

The 1D array of electron donor-acceptor chromophoric organic molecules is of paramount importance for photovoltaic, catalytic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we report coordination driven 1D arrays of an electron-donor guest (fluorene, carbazole, dibenzofuran, and dibenzothiophene) and -phen chelator as an acceptor in a Zn-based porous coordination polymer, {[Zn(-phen)(ndc)]·DMF} (PCP-1). All the guest-encapsulated PCPs were characterized by performing single-crystal structure determinations and showed emission driven by charge transfer.

Atomically Precise Fluorescent Gold Nanocluster as a Barrier-Permeable and Brain-Specific Imaging Probe.

Photonic nanomaterials play a crucial role in facilitating the necessary signal for optical brain imaging, presenting a promising avenue for early diagnosis of brain-related disorders. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) presents a significant challenge, blocking the entry of most molecules or materials from the bloodstream into the brain. To overcome this, photonic nanocrystals in the form of gold clusters (LAuC) with size less than 3 nm, have been developed, with Levodopa conjugated to LAuC (Dop@LAuC) for targeted brain imaging.

Identification and detection of conserved G-quadruplex in monkeypox virus using conformation specific fluorogenic probe.

Identifying distinct noncanonical structures in pathogenic genomes is crucial for developing new diagnostic tools. This study uncovers stable G-quadruplex (GQ) structures in conserved DNA sequences unique to the monkeypox virus (MPV). Furthermore, we developed a method for the detection of target GQ using a fluorogenic probe.

Multistep Array-Based Sensing of Bioanalytes Using Modified MoS, Fluorescence Proteins, and Cucurbituril.

One pot sensor by multiplexing in the array is an attractive system for rapid discrimination of multiple analytes. Multiplexing can be achieved in two ways, i.e.

p300/CBP KATs Are Critical for Maturation and Differentiation of Adult Neural Progenitors.

Epigenetic modifications play a pivotal role in the process of neurogenesis. Among these modifications, reversible acetylation fine-tunes gene expression for both embryonic and adult neurogenesis. The CBP/KAT3A and its paralogue p300/KAT3B are well-known lysine acetyltransferases with transcriptional coactivation ability that engage in neural plasticity and memory.

Unambiguous Detection of LTR-III G-Quadruplex in the HIV Genome Using a Tailored Fluorogenic Probe-based Assay.

The noncanonical conformations within the genomes of viral pathogens is of significant diagnostic value, due to their unique secondary structures and interactions with specific fluorogenic molecules. In particular, adaptation of the G-quadruplex (GQ) conformation by the specific gene sequence leads to distinct topological features, resulting in unique binding sites that are crucial for the selective recognition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by small molecules. Leveraging the selective fluorescence response of a benzobisthiazole-based fluorogenic probe to the LTR-III GQ target, we developed a GQ-based diagnostic platform for HIV detection.

Effect of AFM ordering on thermoelectric responses of MgX(X: C, Si, Ge) monolayers : a DFT insight.

Two-dimensional materials have gained a lot of attention in the last few decades due to their potential applications in thermoelectric and nano-electronic devices. This study systematically presents the mechanical, electronic and thermoelectric characteristics of two-dimensional honeycomb-kagomeMg3X2(X:C,Si,Ge) structures in the framework of density functional theory computations and by solving semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation. The geometrical stability of these structures is validated by phonon spectrum and molecular dynamics simulations.