| 1. |
- Agostini, Marco, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Designing Highly Conductive Functional Groups Improving Guest-Host Interactions in Li/S Batteries
- 2020
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Ingår i: Small. - : Wiley. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; 16:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Li-sulfur batteries are of great interest due to their potential to surpass the energy densities of other battery types, but the low electronic conductivity of both sulfur and its discharge products requires the use of a conductive host material. The most common is the use of different porous carbons which normally are hydrophobic and hardly retain the polar discharge products of the Li/S reaction, such as Li2S and lithium polysulfides (LiPs), at the working electrode. Functionalized hosts have been proposed as a strategy to improve LiPs interactions, including the use of heteroatom doping, organic frameworks, metals, metal oxides, sulfide particles, and conductive polymers. Despite demonstrating an improved cycle life, the functionalized structures often have an intrinsic limitation related to a low electronic conductivity resulting in slow kinetics and poor rate capability of Li/S cells. Herein, recent research trends aimed at designing sulfur electrodes with highly conductive functional groups on nanostructured hosts surface are reviewed. The main concepts, key developments, and parameters for building 3D hosts architectures that enable fast charge rates and long cycle life at high sulfur loadings are discussed.
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| 2. |
- Bally, Marta, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Liposome and lipid bilayer arrays towards biosensing applications
- 2010
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Ingår i: Small. - : Wiley. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; 6:22, s. 2481-2497
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sensitive and selective biosensors for high-throughput screening are having an increasing impact in modern medical care. The establishment of robust protein biosensing platforms however remains challenging, especially when membrane proteins are involved. Although this type of proteins is of enormous relevance since they are considered in >60% of the pharmaceutical drug targets, their fragile nature (i.e., the requirement to preserve their natural lipid environment to avoid denaturation and loss of function) puts strong additional prerequisites onto a successful biochip. In this review, the leading approaches to create lipid membrane-based arrays towards the creation of membrane protein biosensing platforms are described. Liposomes assembled in micro- and nanoarrays and the successful set-ups containing functional membrane proteins, as well as the use of liposomes in networks, are discussed in the first part. Then, the complementary approaches to create cell-mimicking supported membrane patches on a substrate in an array format will be addressed. Finally, the progress in assembling free-standing (functional) lipid bilayers over nanopore arrays for ion channel sensing will be reported. This review illustrates the rapid pace by which advances are being made towards the creation of a heterogeneous biochip for the high-throughput screening of membrane proteins for diagnostics, drug screening, or drug discovery purposes.
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| 3. |
- Blanco-Rey, M., et al.
(författare)
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The Role of Rare-Earth Atoms in the Anisotropy and Antiferromagnetic Exchange Coupling at a Hybrid Metal–Organic Interface
- 2024
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Ingår i: Small. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Magnetic anisotropy and magnetic exchange interactions are crucial parameters that characterize the hybrid metal–organic interface, a key component of an organic spintronic device. It is shown that the incorporation of 4f RE atoms to hybrid metal–organic interfaces of CuPc/REAu2 type (RE = Gd, Ho) constitutes a feasible approach toward on-demand magnetic properties and functionalities. The GdAu2 and HoAu2 substrates differ in their magnetic anisotropy behavior. Remarkably, the HoAu2 surface promotes the inherent out-of-plane anisotropy of CuPc, owing to the match between the anisotropy axis of substrate and molecule. Furthermore, the presence of RE atoms leads to a spontaneous antiferromagnetic exchange coupling at the interface, induced by the 3d–4f superexchange interaction between the unpaired 3d electron of CuPc and the 4f electrons of the RE atoms. It is shown that 4f RE atoms with unquenched quantum orbital momentum ((Formula presented.)), as it is the case of Ho, induce an anisotropic interfacial exchange coupling.
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| 4. |
- Boschi, Alex, et al.
(författare)
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Mesoscopic 3D Charge Transport in Solution-Processed Graphene-Based Thin Films: A Multiscale Analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Small. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; 19:42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Graphene and related 2D material (GRM) thin films consist of 3D assembly of billions of 2D nanosheets randomly distributed and interacting via van der Waals forces. Their complexity and the multiscale nature yield a wide variety of electrical characteristics ranging from doped semiconductor to glassy metals depending on the crystalline quality of the nanosheets, their specific structural organization ant the operating temperature. Here, the charge transport (CT) mechanisms are studied that are occurring in GRM thin films near the metal-insulator transition (MIT) highlighting the role of defect density and local arrangement of the nanosheets. Two prototypical nanosheet types are compared, i.e., 2D reduced graphene oxide and few-layer-thick electrochemically exfoliated graphene flakes, forming thin films with comparable composition, morphology and room temperature conductivity, but different defect density and crystallinity. By investigating their structure, morphology, and the dependence of their electrical conductivity on temperature, noise and magnetic-field, a general model is developed describing the multiscale nature of CT in GRM thin films in terms of hopping among mesoscopic bricks, i.e., grains. The results suggest a general approach to describe disordered van der Waals thin films.
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| 5. |
- Bradford, Jonathan, et al.
(författare)
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Epitaxy of GaSe Coupled to Graphene: From In Situ Band Engineering to Photon Sensing
- 2024
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Ingår i: Small. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 2D semiconductors can drive advances in quantum science and technologies. However, they should be free of any contamination; also, the crystallographic ordering and coupling of adjacent layers and their electronic properties should be well-controlled, tunable, and scalable. Here, these challenges are addressed by a new approach, which combines molecular beam epitaxy and in situ band engineering in ultra-high vacuum of semiconducting gallium selenide (GaSe) on graphene. In situ studies by electron diffraction, scanning probe microscopy, and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that atomically-thin layers of GaSe align in the layer plane with the underlying lattice of graphene. The GaSe/graphene heterostructure, referred to as 2semgraphene, features a centrosymmetric (group symmetry D3d) polymorph of GaSe, a charge dipole at the GaSe/graphene interface, and a band structure tunable by the layer thickness. The newly-developed, scalable 2semgraphene is used in optical sensors that exploit the photoactive GaSe layer and the built-in potential at its interface with the graphene channel. This proof of concept has the potential for further advances and device architectures that exploit 2semgraphene as a functional building block.
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| 6. |
- Carlberg, Björn, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Surface-Confined Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticle Composite Coating on Electrospun Polyimide Nanofibers
- 2011
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Ingår i: Small. - : Wiley. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; 7:21, s. 3057-3066
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A methodology for fabricating hierarchical nanostructures by surface-confined synthesis of silver nanoparticles on electrospun polyimide nanofibers is reported. Through surface-confined imide cleavage at the dianhydride domain via immersion in an aqueous KOH solution, potassium polyamate coatings of accurately defined thickness are formed (at a rate of 25 nm h(-1)). By utilizing the ion-exchange capability of the polyamate resin, silver ions are introduced through immersion in an aqueous AgNO(3) solution. Subsequent reduction of the metal ion species leads to the formation of nanoparticles at the fiber surface. Two modes of reduction, chemical and thermal, are investigated in the report, each leading to distinct morphologies of the nanoparticle coatings. Via thermal reduction, a composite surface layer consisting of monodisperse silver nanoparticles (average diameter 5.2 nm) embedded in a re-imidized polyimide matrix is achieved. In the case of chemical reduction, the reduction process occurs preferentially at the surface of the fiber, leading to the formation of silver nanoparticles anchored at the surface, though not embedded, in a polyamic acid matrix. By regulating the modification depth, control of the particle density on the fiber surface is established. In both reduction approaches, the polyimide nanofiber core exhibits maintained integrity.
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| 7. |
- Chen, Jianing, et al.
(författare)
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Plasmonic Nickel Nanoantennas
- 2011
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Ingår i: SMALL. - : Wiley. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; 7:16, s. 2341-2347
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fundamental optical properties of pure nickel nanostructures are studied by far-field extinction spectroscopy and optical near-field microscopy, providing direct experimental evidence of the existence of particle plasmon resonances predicted by theory. Experimental and calculated near-field maps allow for unambiguous identification of dipolar plasmon modes. By comparing calculated near-field and far-field spectra, dramatic shifts are found between the near-field and far-field plasmon resonances, which are much stronger than in gold nanoantennas. Based on a simple damped harmonic oscillator model to describe plasmonic resonances, it is possible to explain these shifts as due to plasmon damping.
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| 8. |
- Chowde Gowda, Chinmayee, et al.
(författare)
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Harvesting Magneto-Acoustic Waves Using Magnetic 2D Chromium Telluride (CrTe3)
- 2024
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Ingår i: Small. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A vast majority of electrical devices have integrated magnetic units, which generate constant magnetic fields with noticeable vibrations. The majority of existing nanogenerators acquire energy through friction/mechanical forces and most of these instances overlook acoustic vibrations and magnetic fields. Magnetic two-dimensional (2D) tellurides present a wide range of possibilities for devising a potential flexible energy harvester. 2D chromium telluride (2D CrTe3) is synthesized, which exhibits ferromagnetic behavior with a higher T c of ≈224 K. The structure exhibits stable high remnant magnetization, making 2D CrTe3 a potential material for harvesting magneto-acoustic waves. A magneto-acoustic nanogenerator (MANG) is fabricated and the basic mechanical stability and sensitivity of the device with change in load conditions are tested. A high surface charge density of 2.919 mC m−2 is obtained for the device. The thermal strain created in the lattice structure is examined using in-situ Raman spectroscopy. The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) responsible for long-range FM ordering is calculated by theoretical modelling with insights into opening of electronic bandgap which enhances the flexoelectric effects. The MANG can be a potential NG to synergistically tap into the magneto—acoustic vibrations generated from the frequency changes of a vibrating device such as loudspeakers.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- de la Torre, Alberto, et al.
(författare)
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Advanced Characterization of the Spatial Variation of Moiré Heterostructures and Moiré Excitons
- 2024
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Ingår i: Small. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; In Press
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this short review, an overview of recent progress in deploying advanced characterization techniques is provided to understand the effects of spatial variation and inhomogeneities in moiré heterostructures over multiple length scales. Particular emphasis is placed on correlating the impact of twist angle misalignment, nano-scale disorder, and atomic relaxation on the moiré potential and its collective excitations, particularly moiré excitons. Finally, future technological applications leveraging moiré excitons are discussed.
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