Assessment of cellular oxygen gradients with a panel of phosphorescent oxygen-sensitive probes

The supply of oxygen (O(2)) to respiring tissue, cells, and mitochondria regulates metabolism, gene expression, and cell fate. Depending on the cell type and mitochondrial function, O(2) gradients between extra- and intracellular compartments may vary and play important physiological roles such as the regulation of activity of prolyl hydroxylases and adaptive responses to hypoxia. Here we present a new methodology for the analysis of localized O(2) gradients in cultures of adherent cells, using three phosphorescent Pt-porphyrin based probes with different localization. One new O(2) probe targeted to the cell membrane was developed and used together with existing MitoXpress and Nano2 probes to monitor mean pericellular (PC), extracellular (EC), and intracellular (IC) O(2) concentrations, respectively. Mouse fibroblasts and neuronal PC12 cells cultured in standard microplates were stained with probes and measured on a commercial time-resolved fluorescence reader in phosphorescence lifetime mode. Respiring cells exposed to various levels of atmospheric O(2) showed differences in oxygenation of their IC, PC, and EC compartments. Experiments with different cell numbers and modulation of respiration activity demonstrated that these gradients are dynamic and regulated by the O(2) diffusion and consumption rate. The new method facilitates the assessment of such gradients.     

Back-focal-plane position detection with extended linear range for photonic force microscopy

In photonic force microscopes, the position detection with high temporal and spatial resolution is usually implemented by a quadrant position detector placed in the back focal plane of a condenser. An objective with high numerical aperture (NA) for the optical trap has also been used to focus a detection beam. In that case the displacement of the probe at a fixed position of the detector produces a unique and linear response only in a restricted region of the probe displacement, usually several hundred nanometers. There are specific experiments where the absolute position of the probe is a relevant measure together with the probe position relative the optical trap focus. In our scheme we introduce the detection beam into the condenser with low NA through a pinhole with tunable size. This combination permits us to create a wide detection spot and to achieve the linear range of several micrometers by the probe position detection without reducing the trapping force.     

Force mapping of an optical trap using an acousto-optical deflector in a time-sharing regime

We suggest and study experimentally a time-sharing protocol for acousto-optical deflectors (AODs) that permits one to map the radial optical trapping force of optical tweezers without using a controllable flux control or an additional beam. Variations of the trapping potential due to modifications of the optical system are easily detected in terms of the force map. The protocol can be used in optical tweezers that already include an AOD without adding new elements in the existing optical system.     

A comprehensive analysis of the CVD growth of boron nitride nanotubes

Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) films were grown on silicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO(2)) substrates by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in a horizontal electric furnace. The effects of growth temperature and catalyst concentration on the morphology of the films and the structure of individual BNNTs were systematically investigated. The BNNT films grown at 1200 and 1300?°C consisted of a homogeneous dispersion of separate tubes in random directions with average outer diameters of ~30 and ~60 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, the films grown at 1400?°C comprised of BNNT bundles in a flower-like morphology, which included thick tubes with average diameters of ~100 nm surrounded by very thin ones with diameters down to ~10 nm. In addition, low catalyst concentration led to the formation of BNNT films composed of entangled curly tubes, while high catalyst content resulted in very thick tubes with diameters up to ~350 nm in a semierect flower-like morphology. Extensive transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations revealed the diameter-dependent growth mechanisms for BNNTs; namely, thin and thick tubes with closed ends grew by base-growth and tip-growth mechanisms, respectively. However, high catalyst concentration motivated the formation of filled-with-catalyst BNNTs, which grew open-ended with a base-growth mechanism.     

Mechanical properties of Si nanowires as revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

Deformation and fracture mechanisms of ultrathin Si nanowires (NWs), with diameters of down to ~9 nm, under uniaxial tension and bending were investigated by using in situ transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. It was revealed that the mechanical behavior of Si NWs had been closely related to the wire diameter, loading conditions, and stress states. Under tension, Si NWs deformed elastically until abrupt brittle fracture. The tensile strength showed a clear size dependence, and the greatest strength was up to 11.3 GPa. In contrast, under bending, the Si NWs demonstrated considerable plasticity. Under a bending strain of <14%, they could repeatedly be bent without cracking along with a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition. Under a larger strain of >20%, the cracks nucleated on the tensed side and propagated from the wire surface, whereas on the compressed side a plastic deformation took place because of dislocation activities and an amorphous transition.     

Multiexcitonic dual emission in CdSe/CdS tetrapods and nanorods

CdSe/CdS semiconductor nanocrystal heterostructures are currently of high interest for the peculiar electronic structure offering unique optical properties. Here, we show that nanorods and tetrapods made of such material combination enable efficient multiexcitonic emission, when the volume of the nanoparticle is maximized. This condition is fulfilled by tetrapods with an arm length of 55 nm and results in a dual emission with comparable intensities from the CdS arms and CdSe core. The relative intensities of the dual emission, originating from exciton phase-space filling and reduced Auger recombination, can be effectively modulated by the photon fluence of the pump laser. The results, obtained under steady-state detection conditions, highlight the properties of tetrapods as multiexciton dual-color emitters.     

Migration of specific planar grain boundaries in bicrystals: application of magnetic fields and mechanical stresses

Recent research on the dynamics of planar grain boundaries is reviewed. Novel measuring techniques developed for in situ observation and recording of magnetically and stress driven grain boundary migration are presented. The results of migration measurements obtained on bismuth, zinc and aluminum bicrystals are addressed. The experiments revealed that the inclination of a 〈112〉 tilt boundary in Bi has a very strong influence on its mobility. The migration of planar 〈10$ \bar 1 $ \bar 1 0〉 tilt grain boundaries with different misorientation angles was measured in situ in bicrystals of high purity zinc. The results proved that there is a pronounced misorientation dependence of grain boundary mobility in the investigated angular range. The shear stress induced migration of planar symmetric 〈100〉 tilt boundaries in aluminum bicrystals was observed to be accompanied by a lateral translation of the adjacent grains. The coupling between boundary motion and shearing is not confined to low angle and some low Σ high angle boundaries, but occurs also for noncoincidence high angle 〈100〉 tilt boundaries. It has been found that also for stress induced grain boundary motion there is a misorientation dependence of the migration activation parameters. Lower values of the activation enthalpy and the pre-exponential mobility factor can be associated with boundaries with tilt angles close to low Σ CSL orientation relationships.     

Parameter estimation of an electrochemistry‐based lithium‐ion battery model using a two‐step procedure and a parameter sensitivity analysis

Lithium‐ion batteries are indispensable in various applications owing to their high specific energy and long service life. Lithium‐ion battery models are used for investigating the behavior of the battery and enabling power control in applications. The Doyle‐Fuller‐Newman (DFN) model is a popular electrochemistry‐based model, which characterizes the dynamics in the battery through diffusions in solid and electrolyte and predicts current/voltage response. However, the DFN model contains a large number of parameters that need to be estimated to obtain an accurate battery model. In this paper, a computationally feasible two‐step estimation approach is proposed that only uses voltage and current measurements of the battery under consideration. In the two‐step procedure, the parameters are divided into 2 groups. The first group contains thermodynamic parameters, which are estimated using low‐current discharges, while the second group contains kinetic parameters, which are estimated using a well‐designed highly‐dynamic pulse (dis‐)charge current. A parameter sensitivity analysis is done to find a subset of parameters that can be reliably estimated using current and voltage measurements only. Experimental data are collected for 12 Ah nickel cobalt aluminum pouch lithium‐ion cell. The voltage predictions of the identified model are compared with several experimental data sets to validate the model. A root mean square error between model predictions and experimental data smaller than 16 mV is achieved.     

ZnO low-dimensional structures: electrical properties measured inside a transmission electron microscope

The electrical properties of wurtzite-type ZnO low-dimensional structures were analysed using a scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) in situ holder for transmission electron microscopes (TEM). Compared to similar studies in the literature employing nanowires or nanobelts, our work illustrates that rather complex structures can be reliably analysed with this technique. Through controlled contact manipulations it was possible to alter the systems I–V characteristics and, in separate experiments, to follow their electrical response to cycles of induced stress. Analysis of the I–V curves showed higher than expected resistances which, according to the detailed TEM characterisation, could be correlated with the considerable density of defects present. These defects accumulate in specific areas of the complex structural arrays of ZnO and represent high resistance points responsible for structural failure, when the systems are subjected to extreme current flows. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.