We present a new scheme for visibly-opaque but near-infrared-transmitting filters involving 7 layers based on one-dimensional ternary photonic crystals, with capabilities in reaching nearly 100% transmission efficiency in the near-infrared region. Different decorative reflection colors can be created by adding additional three layers while maintaining the near-infrared transmission performance. In addition, our proposed structural colors show great angular insensitivity up to ±60° for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations, which are highly desired in various fields. The facile strategy described here involves a simple deposition method for the fabrication, thereby having great potential in diverse applications such as image sensors, anti-counterfeit tag, and optical measurement systems.
The capping agents for liquid metal (LM) nanodroplets in aqueous solutions are restricted to thiol-containing and positively-charged molecules or macromolecules. However, both thiolate-metal complex and electrostatic interaction are liable to detachment upon strong mechanical forces such as sonication, leading to limited stability and applications. To address this, we utilized ultrasmall water soluble melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) as the capping agent, which exhibited strong metal binding capability with the oxide layer of gallium based LMs and resulted in enhanced stability. Interestingly, shape-controlled synthesis of LM nanodroplets can be achieved by the incorporation of MNPs. Various EGaIn nanostructures including nanorice, nanosphere and nanorod were obtained by simply tuning the feed ratio, sonication time, and suspension temperature. Among these shapes, EGaIn nanorice has the best photothermal conversion efficiency, which could be leveraged for photothermal therapy.
Single-cell analysis has been considered as a promising way to uncover the underlying mechanisms guiding the mysteries of life activities, which considerably complements traditional ensemble assays and yields novel insights into cell biology. The advent of atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a potent tool for investigating the structures and properties of native biological samples at the micro/nanoscale under near-physiological conditions, which promotes the studies of single-cell behaviors. In the past decades, AFM has achieved great success in single-cell observation and manipulation for biomedical applications, demonstrating the excellent capabilities of AFM in addressing biological issues at the single-cell level with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. In this article, we review the recent advances in single-cell analysis that has been made with the utilization of AFM, and provide perspectives for future progression.
Anisotropic two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit lattice-orientation dependent optical and electrical properties. Carriers doping of such materials has been used to modulate their energy band structures for opto-electronic applications. Herein, we show that by stacking monolayer rhenium disulfide (ReS2) on a flat gold film, the electrons doping in ReS2 can affect the in-plane anisotropic Raman enhancement of molecules adsorbed on ReS2. The change of enhancement factor and the degree of anisotropy in enhancement with layer number are sensitively dependent on the doping level of ReS2 by gold, which is further confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements. These findings could open an avenue for probing anisotropic electronic interactions between molecules and 2D materials with low symmetry using Raman enhancement effect.
Colloidal nanoparticles with anisotropic architectures have attracted a variety of interest and attention due to different physical and chemical properties compared with the isotropic counterparts, making them promising candidates in many fundamental studies and practical applications. Particularly, carbon and silica-based anisotropic nanoparticles can be one stand out by combing both intrinsic merits of carbons and silica, such as structural stability, biocompatibility, large surface area, and ease of functionalization with the anisotropic structural complexity. In this review, we aim to provide an updated summary of the research related to the anisotropic carbon and silica-based nanostructures, covering both their synthesis and applications.
DNA is a self-assembled, double stranded natural molecule that can chelate and align nickel ions between its base pairs. The fabrication of a DNA-guided nickel ion chain (Ni-DNA) device was successful, as indicated by the conducting currents exhibiting a Ni ion redox reaction-driven negative differential resistance effect, a property unique to mem-elements (1). The redox state of nickel ions in the Ni-DNA device is programmable by applying an external bias with different polarities and writing times (2). The multiple states of Ni-DNA-based memristive and memcapacitive systems were characterized (3). As such, the development of Ni-DNA nanowire device-based circuits in the near future is proposed.
Two-dimensional nanosheet membranes with responsive nanochannels are appealing for controlled mass transfer/separation, but limited by everchanging thicknesses arising from unstable interfaces. Herein, an interfacially stable, thermo-responsive nanosheet membrane is assembled from twin-chain stabilized metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets, which function via two cyclic amide-bearing polymers, thermo-responsive poly(N-vinyl caprolactam) (PVCL) for adjusting channel size, and non-responsive polyvinylpyrrolidone for supporting constant interlayer distance. Owing to the microporosity of MOF nanosheets and controllable interface wettability, the hybrid membrane demonstrates both superior separation performance and stable thermo-responsiveness. Scattering and correlation spectroscopic analyses further corroborate the respective roles of the two polymers and reveal the microenvironment changes of nanochannels are motivated by the dehydration of PVCL chains.
Electronic sensors based on biomaterials can lead to novel green technologies that are low cost, renewable, and eco-friendly. Here we demonstrate bioelectronic ammonia sensors made from protein nanowires harvested from the microorganism Geobacter sulfurreducens. The nanowire sensor responds to a broad range of ammonia concentrations (10 to 106 ppb), which covers the range relevant for industrial, environmental, and biomedical applications. The sensor also demonstrates high selectivity to ammonia compared to moisture and other common gases found in human breath. These results provide a proof-of-concept demonstration for developing protein nanowire based gas sensors for applications in industry, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and healthcare.
Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of attention since the discovery of graphene in 2004, due to their intriguing physicochemical properties and wide-ranging applications in catalysis, energy-related devices, electronics and optoelectronics. To maximize the potential of 2D nanomaterials for their technological applications, controlled assembly of 2D nanobulding blocks into integrated systems is critically needed. This mini review summarizes the reported strategies of 2D materials-based assembly into integrated functional nanostructures, from in-situ assembly method to post-synthesis assembly. The applications of 2D assembled integrated structures are also covered, especially in the areas of energy, electronics and sensing, and we conclude with discussion on the remaining challenges and potential directions in this emerging field.
Nanoparticles (NPs) which are innovation and research focus in drug delivery systems, still have some disadvantages limiting its application in clinical use, such as short circulation time, recognition and clearance by reticuloendothelial system (RES) and passive targeting in certain organs. However, the recent combination of natural components and nanotechnology has offered new solutions to address these problems. A novel biomimetic platform consisting of nanoparticle core and membrane shell, such as cell membrane, exosome or vesicle vastly improves properties of nanoparticles. These coated nanoparticles can replicate the unique functions of the membrane, such as prolonged blood circulation, active targeting capability and enhanced internalization. In this review, we focus on the newest development of biological-camouflaged nanoparticles and mainly introduce its application related to cancer therapy and toll-like receptor.
All-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have been a promising candidate for optoelectronic devices in recent years, such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors and solar cells, owing to their superb optoelectronic properties. Still, the stability issue of nanocrystals is a bottleneck for their practical application. Herein, we report a facile method for the synthesis of a series of phosphine ligand modified CsPbBr3 QDs with high PL intensity. By introducing organic phosphine ligands, the tolerance of CsPbBr3 QDs to ethanol, water and UV light was dramatically improved. Moreover, the phosphine ligand modified QD films deposited on the glass subtracts exhibit superior PL intensity and optical stability to those of pristine QD based films.
Electrochemical water splitting (EWS) is a highly clean and efficient method for high-purity hydrogen production. Unfortunately, EWS suffers from the sluggish and complex oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics at anode. At present, the efficient, stable, and low-cost non-precious metal based OER electrocatalyst is still a great and long-term challenge for the future industrial application of EWS technology. Herein, we develop a simple and fast approach for gram-scale synthesis of flower-like cobalt-based layered double hydroxides nanosheet aggregates by ultrasonic synthesis, which show outstanding electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media, such as preeminent stability, small overpotential of 300 mV at 10 mA·cm−2 and small Tafel slope of 110 mV·dec−1.
Anisotropy and inhomogeneity are ubiquitous in spark plasma sintered thermoelectric devices. However, the origin of inhomogeneity in thermoelectric nanocomposites has rarely been investigated so far. Herein, we systematically study the impact of inhomogeneity in spark plasma sintered bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) thermoelectric nanocomposites fabricated from solution-synthesized nanoplates. The figure of merit can reach 1.18, which, however, can be overestimated to 1.88 without considering the inhomogeneity. Our study reveals that the inhomogeneity in thermoelectric properties is attributed to the non-uniformity of porosity, textures and elemental distribution from electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterizations. This finding suggests that the optimization of bulk material homogeneity should also be actively pursued in any future thermoelectric material research.
We propose a process of quantum-confined ion superfluid (QISF), which is enthalpy-driven confined ordered fluid, to explain the transmission of nerve signals. The ultrafast Na+ and K+ ions transportation through all sodium-potassium pump nanochannels simultaneously in the membrane is without energy loss, and leads to QISF wave along the neuronal axon, which acts as an information medium in the ultrafast nerve signal transmission. The QISF process will not only provide a new view point for a reasonable explanation of ultrafast signal transmission in the nerves and brain, but also challenge the theory of matter wave for ions, molecules and particles.
The remarkable ability of biological systems to sense and adapt to complex environmental conditions has inspired the design of next-generation electronics with advanced functionalities. This review focuses on emerging bio-inspired strategies for the development of flexible and stretchable electronics that can accommodate mechanical deformations and integrate seamlessly with biological systems. We will provide an overview of the practical considerations in the materials and structure designs of flexible and stretchable electronics. Recent progress in bio-inspired pressure/strain sensors, stretchable electrodes, mesh electronics, and flexible energy devices are then discussed, with an emphasis on their unconventional micro/nanostructure designs and advanced functionalities. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are identified and discussed.
Ocular drug delivery remains a significant challenge that is limited by poor corneal retention and permeation, resulting in low ocular bioavailability (< 5%). Worse still, the most convenient and safe route of ocular drug administration, topical administration results in a drug bioavailability of less than 1%. iRGD modified drug delivery strategies have been developed for cancer therapy, however active targeting iRGD platforms for ocular drug delivery have yet to be explored. Herein, an iRGD modified liposomes was developed for ocular drug delivery via topical administration. The results indicated that iRGD modified liposomes could prolong the corneal retention time and enhance corneal permeability in an iRGD receptor mediated manner. These findings provided a novel strategy for topical ocular drug delivery for the treatment of posterior ocular diseases.
Oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) end-capped with (alkynyl)bis(diphosphine)ruthenium and thiol/thiolate groups stabilize ca. 2 nm diameter gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The morphology, elemental composition and stability of the resultant organometallic OPE/AuNP hybrid materials have been defined using a combination of molecular- and nano-material chacterization techniques. The hybrids display long-term stability in solution (more than a month), good solubility in organic solvents, reversible ruthenium-centered oxidation, and transparency beyond 800 nm, and possess very strong nonlinear absorption activity at the first biological window, and unprecedented two-photon absorption activity in the second biological window (σ2 up to 38,000 GM at 1,050 nm).
Oxygen evolving catalyst (OEC) is a critical determinant for the efficiency of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Here we report an approach to depositing a novel manganese borate (Mn-Bi) OER catalyst on BiVO4 nanocone photoanode by photodeposition in sodium borate buffer solution containing Mn(II) ions. Due to the spontaneous photo-electric-field-enhancement effect at the vertically oriented BiVO4 nanocone structure, spherical Mn-Bi nanoparticle was selectively photodeposited at the apex of BiVO4 nanocone. Significant improvement of photocurrent was observed for the obtained hierarchical Mn-Bi/BiVO4 photoanode which could be ascribed to enhanced hole injection efficiency, especially in low bias region. It was observed that the injection efficiency of Mn-Bi/BiVO4 is 98% which gave a photocurrent of 0.94 mA/cm2 at 1.5 V vs. RHE.
Atomic non-noble metal materials show the potential to substitute noble metals in catalysis. Herein, melamine formaldehyde resin is developed to synthesize atomic iron on mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon. The triazine units with abundant nitrogen content and cavity can realize effectively anchoring of single metal atoms. The atomic iron with unique charge and coordination characteristics shows superior catalytic performance in dehydrogenation reaction. Various N-heterocycles compounds and amines can be efficiently dehydrogenated into the corresponding products at room temperature, which is the mildest of all reported reaction conditions even when noble metal catalysts are considered. Therefore, development of atomic non-noble metal catalysts with mesoporous structure may provide an effective way to realize the substitution for noble metals in heterogeneous catalysis.
Here, the structural transformations of H4ETTC induced by coronene (COR) and selective adsorption behaviors of COR in different templates were investigated by scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). It was discovered that the assembled architecture of H4ETTC at the HOPG/ heptanoic acid interface depended on the concentration of COR, and the clusters of COR were obtained in the kagomé nanoporous network of H4ETTC molecules at a high concentration of COR solution. In addition, COR clusters can also be formed in the hexagonal porous structure of hexaphenylbenzene (HPB) molecules modified by alkyl chains at the HOPG/heptanoic acid interface. When both H4ETTC and HPB assembly structures, based on hydrogen bonding and van der Waals force respectively, were selected as the host templates, COR showed selectivity for HPB template to form HPB/COR hexagonal host–guest architecture. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also performed to disclose the mechanisms involved.