| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(författare)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 2. |
- Chen, Wei, et al.
(författare)
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Colloidal PbS quantum dot stacking kinetics during deposition via printing
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nanoscale Horizons. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2055-6764 .- 2055-6756. ; 5:5, s. 880-885
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Colloidal PbS quantum dots (QDs) are attractive for solution-processed thin-film optoelectronic applications. In particular, directly achieving QD thin-films by printing is a very promising method for low-cost and large-scale fabrication. The kinetics of QD particles during the deposition process play an important role in the QD film quality and their respective optoelectronic performance. In this work, the particle self-organization behavior of small-sized QDs with an average diameter of 2.88 +/- 0.36 nm is investigated for the first time in situ during printing by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The time-dependent changes in peak intensities suggest that the structure formation and phase transition of QD films happen within 30 seconds. The stacking of QDs is initialized by a templating effect, and a face-centered cubic (FCC) film forms in which a superlattice distortion is also found. A body-centered cubic nested FCC stacking is the final QD assembly layout. The small size of the inorganic QDs and the ligand collapse during the solvent evaporation can well explain this stacking behavior. These results provide important fundamental understanding of structure formation of small-sized QD based films prepared via large-scale deposition with printing with a slot die coater.
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| 3. |
- Chen, Wei, et al.
(författare)
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In situ Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Observation of Gold Sputter Deposition on a PbS Quantum Dot Solid
- 2020
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : NLM (Medline). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 12:41, s. 46942-46952
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For PbS quantum dot (QD)-based optoelectronic devices, gold is the most frequently used electrode material. In most device architectures, gold is in direct contact with the QD solid. To better understand the formation of the interface between gold and a close-packed QD layer at an early stage, in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering is used to observe the gold sputter deposition on a 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT)-treated PbS QD solid. In the kinetics of gold layer growth, the forming and merging of small gold clusters (radius less than 1.6 nm) are observed at the early stages. The thereby formed medium gold clusters (radius between 1.9-2.4 nm) are influenced by the QDs' templating effect. Furthermore, simulations suggest that the medium gold clusters grow preferably along the QDs' boundaries rather than as a top coating of the QDs. When the thickness of the sputtered gold layer reaches 6.25 nm, larger gold clusters with a radius of 5.3 nm form. Simultaneously, a percolation layer with a thickness of 2.5 nm is established underneath the gold clusters. This fundamental understanding of the QD-gold interface formation will help to control the implementation of sputtered gold electrodes on close-packed QD solids in device manufacturing processes.
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| 4. |
- Diller, Katharina, et al.
(författare)
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Polyphenylsilole multilayers - an insight from X-ray electron spectroscopy and density functional theory
- 2015
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 17:46, s. 31117-31124
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a combined investigation by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy of condensed multilayers of two polyphenylsiloles, namely hexaphenylsilole (HPS) and tetraphenylsilole (TPS). Both compounds exhibit very similar spectroscopic signatures, whose interpretation is aided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. High-resolution XPS spectra of the Si 2p and C 1s core levels of these multilayers indicate a positively charged silicon ion flanked by two negatively charged adjacent carbon atoms in the silole core of both molecules. This result is corroborated quantitatively by DFT calculations on isolated HPS (TPS) molecules, which show a natural bond orbital partial charge of + 1.67 e (+1.58 e) on the silicon and -0.34 e (-0.58 e) on the two neighbouring carbon atoms in the silole ring. These charges are conserved in direct contact with a Cu(111) substrate for films of submonolayer coverage, as evidenced by the Si 2p XPS data. The C K-edge NEXAFS spectra of HPS and TPS multilayers exhibit distinct and differing features. Their main characteristics reappear in the simulated spectra and are assigned to the different inequivalent carbon species in the molecule. The angle-dependent measurements hardly reveal any dichroism, i.e., the molecular p-systems are not uniformly oriented parallel or perpendicular with respect to the surface. Changes in the growth conditions of TPS, i.e., a reduction of the substrate temperature from 240 K to 80 K during deposition, lead to a broadening of both XPS and NEXAFS signatures, as well as an upward shift of the Si 2p and C 1s binding energies, indicative of a less ordered growth mode at low temperature.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Gambardella, P., et al.
(författare)
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Supramolecular control of the magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional high-spin Fe arrays at a metal interface
- 2009
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Ingår i: Nature Materials. - 1476-4660 .- 1476-1122. ; 8:3, s. 189-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Magnetic atoms at surfaces may provide the ultimate paradigm of a solid-state magnetic memory exhibiting either classical , or quantum , behaviour. Individual atoms, however, are difficult to arrange in regular patterns1,2,3,4, . Moreover, their magnetic properties are dominated by interaction with the substrate, which, as in the case of Kondo systems, often leads to a decrease or quench of their local magnetic moment , . Here we show that the supramolecular assembly of Fe and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid molecules on a Cu surface results in ordered arrays of high-spin mononuclear Fe centres on a 1.5 nm square grid. Lateral coordination with the molecular ligands yields unsaturated yet stable coordination bonds, which allow for the chemical modification of the electronic and magnetic properties of the Fe atoms independently from the substrate. The easy magnetization direction of the Fe centres can be switched by oxygen adsorption, thus opening a way to control the magnetic anisotropy in supramolecular layers akin to that employed in metallic thin films , , , .
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| 7. |
- Gensch, Marc, et al.
(författare)
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Correlating Optical Reflectance with the Topology of Aluminum Nanocluster Layers Growing on Partially Conjugated Diblock Copolymer Templates
- 2021
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 13:47, s. 56663-56673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Large-scale fabrication of metal cluster layers for usage in sensor applications and photovoltaics is a huge challenge. Physical vapor deposition offers large-scale fabrication of metal cluster layers on templates and polymer surfaces. In the case of aluminum (Al), only little is known about the formation and interaction of Al clusters during sputter deposition. Complex polymer surface morphologies can tailor the deposited Al cluster layer. Here, a poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(3-hexylthiophen-2,5-diyl) (PMMA-b-P3HT) diblock copolymer template is used to investigate the nanostructure formation of Al cluster layers on the different polymer domains and to compare it with the respective homopolymers PMMA and P3HT. The optical properties relevant for sensor applications are monitored with ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) measurements during the sputter deposition. The formation of Al clusters is followed in situ with grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), and the chemical interaction is revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) yield topographical information about selective wetting of Al on the P3HT domains and embedding in the PMMA domains in the early stages, followed by four distinct growth stages describing the Al nanostructure formation.
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| 8. |
- Gensch, Marc, et al.
(författare)
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Selective Silver Nanocluster Metallization on Conjugated Diblock Copolymer Templates for Sensing and Photovoltaic Applications
- 2021
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Nano Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0970. ; 4:4, s. 4245-4255
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polymer-metal composite films with nanostructured metal and/or polymer interfaces show a significant perspective for optoelectronic applications, for example, as sensors or in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The polymer components used in these devices are mostly nanostructured conductive polymers with conjugated pi-electron systems. Enhanced OPV's power conversion efficiencies or sensor sensitivity can be achieved by selective metal deposition on or into polymer templates. In this study, we exploit time-resolved grazing-incidence X-ray scattering to observe the metal-polymer interface formation and the cluster crystallite size in situ during silver (Ag) sputter deposition on a poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA-b-P3HT) template. We compare the arising nanoscale morphologies with electronic properties, determine Ag growth regimes, and quantify the selective Ag growth for the diblock copolymer (DBC) template using the corresponding homopolymer thin films (P3HT and PMMA) as a reference. Hence, we are able to describe the influence of the respective polymer blocks and substrate effects on the Ag cluster percolation: the percolation threshold is correlated with the insulator-to-metal transition measured in situ with resistance measurements during the sputter deposition. The Ag cluster percolation on PMMA-b-P3HT starts already on the network of the hexagonal P3HT domain before a complete metal film covers the polymer surface, which is complemented by microscopic measurements. In general, this study demonstrates a possible method for the selective Ag growth as a scaffold for electrode preparation in nanoelectronics and for energy harvesting applications.
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| 9. |
- Guo, Renjun, et al.
(författare)
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Degradation mechanisms of perovskite solar cells under vacuum and one atmosphere of nitrogen
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Energy. - : Springer Nature. - 2058-7546. ; 6:10, s. 977-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extensive studies have focused on improving the operational stability of perovskite solar cells, but few have surveyed the fundamental degradation mechanisms. One aspect overlooked in earlier works is the effect of the atmosphere on device performance during operation. Here we investigate the degradation mechanisms of perovskite solar cells operated under vacuum and under a nitrogen atmosphere using synchrotron radiation-based operando grazing-incidence X-ray scattering methods. Unlike the observations described in previous reports, we find that light-induced phase segregation, lattice shrinkage and morphology deformation occur under vacuum. Under nitrogen, only lattice shrinkage appears during the operation of solar cells, resulting in better device stability. The different behaviour under nitrogen is attributed to a larger energy barrier for lattice distortion and phase segregation. Finally, we find that the migration of excessive PbI2 to the interface between the perovskite and the hole transport layer degrades the performance of devices under vacuum or under nitrogen. Understanding degradation mechanisms in perovskite solar cells is key to their development. Now, Guo et al. show a greater degradation of the perovskite structure and morphology for devices operated under vacuum than under nitrogen.
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| 10. |
- Li, B., et al.
(författare)
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Perspectives of energy transitions in East and Southeast Asia
- 2020
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Ingår i: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. - : John Wiley and Sons Ltd. - 2041-8396 .- 2041-840X. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy transitions are designed to improve the resilience, sustainability, and productivity of a country's energy system, and are the key instruments to mitigating the warming climate. Countries and regions have unique circumstances when projecting energy transition pathways. Nonetheless, East Asian economies have shared opportunities and challenges. From the perspective of fuel mix, East Asia had some initial success in renewable energy development accompanied by energy efficiency improvements. Nuclear energy, although controversial, has been well developed and is continuing its advancement in East Asia. However, the dominance of coal in the energy mix has not been sufficiently addressed, mostly because of legacy issues. The region's renewable energy potential is also underdeveloped due to a mismatch between resources and energy demand. Since the region as whole is well endowed with renewable energy resources, the region's advancement in regional energy connectivity presents a valuable institutional asset to further decarbonize East Asian energy sector beyond individual nation's efforts. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate > Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and Policy Energy and Development > Economics and Policy.
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