Enhanced π-π interactions between a C60 fullerene and a buckle bend on a double-walled carbon nanotube

In situ low-voltage aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the dynamic entrapment of a C₆₀ molecule in the saddle of a bent double-walled carbon nanotube is presented. The fullerene interaction is non-covalent, suggesting that enhanced π-π interactions (van der Waals forces) are responsible. Classical molecular dynamics calculations confirm that the increased interaction area associated with a buckle is sufficient to trap a fullerene. Moreover, they show hopping behavior in agreement with our experimental observations. Our findings further our understanding of carbon nanostructure interactions, which are important in the rapidly developing field of low-voltage aberration corrected TEM and nano-carbon device fabrication.      

Raman scattering study of the phonon dispersion in twisted bilayer graphene

Bilayer graphene with a twist angle θ between the layers generates a superlattice structure known as a Moiré pattern. This superlattice provides a θ-dependent q wavevector that activates phonons in the interior of the Brillouin zone. Here we show that this superlattice-induced Raman scattering can be used to probe the phonon dispersion in twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG). The effect reported here is different from the widely studied double-resonance in graphene-related materials in many aspects, and despite the absence of stacking order in tBLG, layer breathing vibrations (namely ZO’ phonons) are observed.      

Hydroformylation of alkenes over rhodium supported on the metal-organic framework ZIF-8

A highly porous and crystalline metal-organic framework （MOF） ZIF-8 has been synthesized and used for the preparation of a supported rhodium nanoparticle catalyst （Rh@ZIF-8）. The material has been characterized by PXRD, TEM, EDX, ICP-AES and nitrogen adsorption. The catalytic properties of Rh@ZIF-8 have been investigated in the hydroformylation of alkenes, with different chain length and structure, to give the corresponding aldehydes, and showed high activity. Furthermore, after the reaction was complete, the catalyst could be easily separated from the products by simple decantation and reused five times without a significant decrease in the activity under the investigated conditions.     

Redox-sensitive colorimetric polyaniline nanoprobes synthesized by a solvent-shift process

We have synthesized water-stable polyaniline nanoparticles coated with triarmed polyethylene glycol chains using a solvent-shift method and confirmed their colloidal size and aqueous solubility. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the polyaniline nanoparticles can be doped with biological dopants to produce distinct color changes allowing the detection of live cancer cells.      

A nanoporous oxide interlayer makes a better Pt catalyst on a metallic substrate: Nanoflowers on a nanotube bed

To improve the contact between platinum catalyst and titanium substrate, a layer of TiO2 nanotube arrays has been synthesized before depositing Pt nanoflowers by pulse electrodeposition. Dramatic improvements in electrocatalytic activity （3x） and stability （60x） for methanol oxidation were found, suggesting promising applications in direct methanol fuel cells. The 3x and 60x improvements persist for Pt/Pd catalysts used to overcome the CO poisoning problem.     

Tunable D peak in gated graphene

We report the gate-modulated Raman spectrum of defective graphene. We show that the intensity of the D peak can be reversibly tuned by applying a gate voltage. This effect is attributed to chemical functionalization of the graphene crystal lattice, generated by an electrochemical reaction involving the water layer trapped at the interface between silicon and graphene.     

Glyconanomaterials: Emerging applications in biomedical research

Carbohydrates constitute the most abundant organic matter in nature, serving as structural components and energy sources, and mediating a wide range of cellular activities. The emergence of nanomaterials with distinct optical, magnetic, and electronic properties has witnessed a rapid adoption of these materials for biomedical research and applications. Nanomaterials of various shapes and sizes having large specific surface areas can be used as multivalent scaffolds to present carbohydrate ligands. The resulting glyconanomaterials effectively amplify the glycan-mediated interactions, making it possible to use these materials for sensing, imaging, diagnosis, and therapy. In this review, we summarize the synthetic strategies for the preparation of various glyconanomaterials. Examples are given where these glyconanomaterials have been used in sensing and differentiation of proteins and cells, as well as in imaging glycan-medicated cellular responses.      

Impact of nanocrystallinity segregation on the growth and morphology of nanocrystal superlattices

A colloidal solution of 5 nm Au tetradecanethiol-coated nanoparticles is syn-thesized. After fast evaporation of one drop, ordered monolayers both composed of single domain and polycrystalline nanocrystals are obtained. On increasing the amount of materials and the evaporation time, nanocrystal films with irregular outlines are produced together with close-packed 3D superlattices exhibiting a truncated-tetrahedral shape. Using low-frequency micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy and electron microscopy the building block nanocrystallinity is characterized. Spontaneous nanocrystallinity segregation is revealed： the truncated-tetrahedral supracrystals are shown to mainly contain single domain building blocks while the supracrystalline films are composed of a mixture of single domain and polycrystalline nanocrystals. This observation points out the correlation between the nanocrystallinity segregation involved in the growth of the nanocrystal superlattices and their morphology.     

Light-controlled synthesis of uniform platinum nanodendrites with markedly enhanced electrocatalytic activity

We report a fast in situ seeding approach based on zinc（II） porphyrin （ZnP） under white light irradiation, leading to uniform spherical platinum nanodendrites with tunable sizes. The platinum nanodendrites exhibit significantly improved electrocatalytic activities toward oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） and methanol oxidation reaction （MOR） compared with commercial platinum black.     

Bivariate-continuous-tunable interface memristor based on Bi2S3 nested nano-networks

A memristor that can emulate biological synapses is a promising basic-processing unit in neural-network computation. Here we propose a new-conceptual memristor based on a memoristive interface composed of two types of non-memristive materials, successfully realizing continuously tunable resistance controlled by both voltage （current） and applied time of a single pulse with a swift response comparable with synapses. The brain-like memorizing capability of the memristor is demonstrated. The memoristive mechanism in the interface is thought to be dominated by a Schottky barrier tuned by the capture/release of the carriers in interface traps with dispersive energy.