Exploring the Magnetic Properties of Individual Barcode Nanowires using Wide-Field Diamond Microscopy

A barcode magnetic nanowire typically comprises a multilayer magnetic structure in a single body with more than one segment type. Interestingly, due to selective functionalization and novel interactions between the layers, it has attracted significant attention, particularly in bioengineering. However, analyzing the magnetic properties at the individual nanowire level remains challenging. Herein, the characterization of a single magnetic nanowire is investigated at room temperature under ambient conditions based on magnetic images obtained via wide-field quantum microscopy with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Consequently, critical magnetic properties of a single nanowire can be extracted, such as saturation magnetization and coercivity, by comparing the experimental result with that of micromagnetic simulation. This study opens up the possibility for a versatile in situ characterization method suited to individual magnetic nanowires.     

Applications of Fast Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: A Review

This article briefly reviews the recent development in scanning tunneling microscope (STM) technology, namely fast STM, and mainly illustrates how this technology is continuing to expand and enter new scientific and technological territory.     

Modulation of Cathodoluminescence by Surface Plasmons in Silver Nanowires

The waveguide modes in chemically-grown silver nanowires on silicon nitride substrates are observed using spectrally- and spatially-resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) excited by high-energy electrons in a scanning electron microscope. The presence of a long-range, travelling surface plasmon mode modulates the coupling efficiency of the incident electron energy into the nanowires, which is observed as oscillations in the measured CL with the point of excitation by the focused electron beam. The experimental data are modeled using the theory of surface plasmon polariton modes in cylindrical metal waveguides, enabling the complex mode wavenumbers and excitation strength of the long-range surface plasmon mode to be extracted. The experiments yield insight into the energy transfer mechanisms between fast electrons and coherent oscillations in surface charge density in metal nanowires and the relative amplitudes of the radiative processes excited in the wire by the electron.     

Edge‐Epitaxial Growth of InSe Nanowires toward High‐Performance Photodetectors

Semiconducting nanowires offer many opportunities for electronic and optoelectronic device applications due to their unique geometries and physical properties. However, it is challenging to synthesize semiconducting nanowires directly on a SiO₂/Si substrate due to lattice mismatch. Here, a catalysis‐free approach is developed to achieve direct synthesis of long and straight InSe nanowires on SiO₂/Si substrates through edge‐homoepitaxial growth. Parallel InSe nanowires are achieved further on SiO₂/Si substrates through controlling growth conditions. The underlying growth mechanism is attributed to a selenium self‐driven vapor–liquid–solid process, which is distinct from the conventional metal‐catalytic vapor–liquid–solid method widely used for growing Si and III–V nanowires. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the as‐grown InSe nanowire‐based visible light photodetector simultaneously possesses an extraordinary photoresponsivity of 271 A W^?1, ultrahigh detectivity of 1.57 × 10¹⁴ Jones, and a fast response speed of microsecond scale. The excellent performance of the photodetector indicates that as‐grown InSe nanowires are promising in future optoelectronic applications. More importantly, the proposed edge‐homoepitaxial approach may open up a novel avenue for direct synthesis of semiconducting nanowire arrays on SiO₂/Si substrates.     

Magnetometry of Individual Polycrystalline Ferromagnetic Nanowires

Ferromagnetic nanowires are finding use as untethered sensors and actuators for probing micro‐ and nanoscale biophysical phenomena, such as for localized sensing and application of forces and torques on biological samples, for tissue heating through magnetic hyperthermia, and for microrheology. Quantifying the magnetic properties of individual isolated nanowires is crucial for such applications. Dynamic cantilever magnetometry is used to measure the magnetic properties of individual sub‐500 nm diameter polycrystalline nanowires of Ni and Ni₈₀Co₂₀ fabricated by template‐assisted electrochemical deposition. The values are compared with bulk, ensemble measurements when the nanowires are still embedded within their growth matrix. It is found that single‐particle and ensemble measurements of nanowires yield significantly different results that reflect inter‐nanowire interactions and chemical modifications of the sample during the release process from the growth matrix. The results highlight the importance of performing single‐particle characterization for objects that will be used as individual magnetic nanoactuators or nanosensors in biomedical applications.     

不同相结构CePO4纳米线的制备及其光谱性质研究

采用水热法制备了六方相和单斜相CePO4纳米线,研究了不同溶剂对所形成材料形貌的影响。结果表明,采用水、乙二醇混合溶剂制备的纳米线分散性好。利用红外光谱、荧光光谱对所制备的不同相结构的CePO4纳米线的光谱性质进行了研究。结果表明,两种相的CePO4纳米线均在紫外区有较强的发光;由于单斜相CePO4纳米线Ce离子周围配位状况的改变,使其发光峰劈裂为2个,并有明显的蓝移。     

上转换荧光材料在生物芯片技术中的应用

介绍了上转换荧光材料的特点、应用和发展状况,特别是上转换荧光材料在生物芯片技术中的应用前景.分析了在生物芯片技术中理想荧光探针应具有的特性,并总结了上转换荧光探针比目前正在使用的荧光探针的优点.提出了把上转换荧光材料应用于生物芯片技术中的实施方案和需要解决的问题.     

Bent Polytypic ZnSe and CdSe Nanowires Probed by Photoluminescence

Nanowires (NWs) have witnessed tremendous development over the past two decades owing to their varying potential applications. Semiconductor NWs often contain stacking faults due to the presence of coexisting phases, which frequently hampers their use. Herein, it is investigated how stacking faults affect the optical properties of bent ZnSe and CdSe NWs, which are synthesized using the vapor transport method. Polytypic zinc blende–wurtzite structures are produced for both these NWs by altering the growth conditions. The NWs are bent by the mechanical buckling of poly(dimethylsilioxane), and micro‐photoluminescence (PL) spectra were then collected for individual NWs with various bending strains (0–2%). The PL measurements show peak broadening and red shifts of the near‐band‐edge emission as the bending strain increases, indicating that the bandgap decreases with increasing the bending strain. Remarkably, the bandgap decrease is more significant for the polytypic NWs than for the single phase NWs. This work provides insights into flexible electronic devices of 1D nanostructures by engineering the polytypic structures.     

Local Electrochemical Functionality in Energy Storage Materials and Devices by Scanning Probe Microscopies: Status and Perspectives

Energy storage and conversion systems are an integral component of emerging green technologies, including mobile electronic devices, automotive, and storage components of solar and wind energy economics. Despite the rapidly expanding manufacturing capabilities and wealth of phenomenological information on the macroscopic device behaviors, the microscopic mechanisms underpinning battery and fuel cell operations in the nanometer–micrometer range are virtually unknown. This lack of information is due to the dearth of experimental techniques capable of addressing elementary mechanisms involved in battery operation, including electronic and ion transport, vacancy injection, and interfacial reactions, on the nanometer scale. In this article, a brief overview of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods addressing nanoscale electrochemical functionalities is provided and compared with macroscopic electrochemical methods. Future applications of emergent SPM methods, including near field optical, electromechanical, microwave, and thermal probes and combined SPM‐(S)TEM (scanning transmission electron microscopy) methods in energy storage and conversion materials are discussed.     

不同形貌CdSe纳米晶的合成及其形成机理研究

采用水热反应法,通过调节反应时间制备得到了不同形貌的CdSe纳米晶材料,并用TEM、XRD、EDS、XPS等分析手段对其形貌结构进行表征。研究表明,在反应温度为180℃的条件下,所得产物均为六方晶相的CdSe纳米晶,形貌随着反应时间的改变而发生变化:当控制反应时间为2h、5h、10h时,得到的CdSe纳米晶的形貌分别为树枝状、由树枝状到棒状过渡的簇状及棒状。分析了CdSe纳米晶形成的化学反应原理,并运用结晶学原理和相关模型理论对CdSe纳米晶的形成机理及其形貌变化进行了探讨。     

Preferential Interface Nucleation: An Expansion of the VLS Growth Mechanism for Nanowires

A review and expansion of the fundamental processes of the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth mechanism for nanowires is presented. Although the focus is on nanowires, most of the concepts may be applicable to whiskers, nanotubes, and other unidirectional growth. Important concepts in the VLS mechanism such as preferred deposition, supersaturation, and nucleation are examined. Nanowire growth is feasible using a wide range of apparatuses, material systems, and growth conditions. For nanowire growth the unidirectional growth rate must be much higher than growth rates of other surfaces and interfaces. It is concluded that a general, system independent mechanism should describe why nanowires grow faster than the surrounding surfaces. This mechanism is based on preferential nucleation at the interface between a mediating material called the collector and a crystalline solid. The growth conditions used mean the probability of nucleation is low on most of the surfaces and interfaces. Nucleation at the collector‐crystal interface is however different and of special significance is the edge of the collector‐crystal interface where all three phases meet. Differences in nucleation due to different crystallographic interfaces can occur even in two phase systems. We briefly describe how these differences in nucleation may account for nanowire growth without a collector. Identifying the mechanism of nanowire growth by naming the three phases involved began with the naming of the VLS mechanism. Unfortunately this trend does not emphasize the important concepts of the mechanism and is only relevant to one three phase system. We therefore suggest the generally applicable term preferential interface nucleation as a replacement for these different names focusing on a unifying mechanism in nanowire growth.     

Structure of vacuum deposited SnSe films

Tin selenide (SnSe) thin films prepared on mica and glass substrates by vacuum sublimation technique and examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron diffraction techniques showed epitaxial and polycrystalline nature respectively irrespective of substrate temperature. Grain size of the films deposited on glass substrate increased with increase in substrate temperature.     

Scanning probe microscopy investigation of self-organized perylenetetracarboxdiimide nanostructures at surfaces: structural and electronic properties

A scanning probe microscopy investigation of the self-organization and local electronic properties of spin-coated ultrathin films of N-alkyl substituted perylenetetracarboxdiimide (PDI) is described. By carefully balancing the interplay between molecule-molecule and molecule-substrate interactions, PDI is able to form highly ordered supramolecular architectures on flat surfaces from solution. On an electrically insulating yet highly polar surface (mica) PDI forms strongly anisotropic architectures with needlelike structures with lengths of up to a few micrometers. On a conductive yet apolar surface (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite), the competition between the strong molecule-substrate interactions and the intermolecular forces leads to the generation of more disordered structures. The local electronic properties of these architectures are studied by Kelvin probe force microscopy by estimating their surface potential (SP). Quantitative measurements of the SP are obtained by analyzing the experimentally estimated SP data with a computational model, which discriminates between the intrinsic SP and the effect of long-range tip-surface interactions. The SP of PDI aggregates depends on the structural order at the supramolecular level. Narrow needles of constant width reveal identical SPs independent of length. Wider needles with a polydisperse width distribution exhibit a greater SP.