Pub Date : 2023-11-22DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1293801
Jihua Chen, Jong Keum, Yangyang Wang, Hanyu Wang, Bradley S. Lokitz, Guang Yang, Yue Yuan, Rajeev Kumar, R. Advíncula
Renewable energy is increasingly relying on optimized electrolytes and interfaces. In this work, Tween 20 and sodium chloride are selected as a model system to reveal the effects of surfactants on salt crystallization in the context of ionic conductivity and interface optimization. At a varied crystallization speed and mix ratio, it is demonstrated that the resultant solution-grown ionic crystalline complexes can achieve a highly tunable ion transport with a controllable crystalline interface. X-ray diffraction results rule out the possibility of polymorphism in the NaCl/Tween 20 systems, which further supports the importance of an optimized crystalline network for optimizing permittivity or ionic conductivity. Raman mapping and machine learning techniques are used to perform semantic segmentation on highly heterogeneous NaCl/Tween 20 complexes. Furthermore, FTIR measurements demonstrate that inter- and intra-molecular interactions play critical roles in the formation of these crystals. This work lays a foundation toward future optimization of such complex ion systems for a specific salt or crystallization modifier in energy storage or ion transport applications.
{"title":"Interface-enhanced conductivities in surfactant-mediated, solution-grown ionic crystalline complexes","authors":"Jihua Chen, Jong Keum, Yangyang Wang, Hanyu Wang, Bradley S. Lokitz, Guang Yang, Yue Yuan, Rajeev Kumar, R. Advíncula","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1293801","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1293801","url":null,"abstract":"Renewable energy is increasingly relying on optimized electrolytes and interfaces. In this work, Tween 20 and sodium chloride are selected as a model system to reveal the effects of surfactants on salt crystallization in the context of ionic conductivity and interface optimization. At a varied crystallization speed and mix ratio, it is demonstrated that the resultant solution-grown ionic crystalline complexes can achieve a highly tunable ion transport with a controllable crystalline interface. X-ray diffraction results rule out the possibility of polymorphism in the NaCl/Tween 20 systems, which further supports the importance of an optimized crystalline network for optimizing permittivity or ionic conductivity. Raman mapping and machine learning techniques are used to perform semantic segmentation on highly heterogeneous NaCl/Tween 20 complexes. Furthermore, FTIR measurements demonstrate that inter- and intra-molecular interactions play critical roles in the formation of these crystals. This work lays a foundation toward future optimization of such complex ion systems for a specific salt or crystallization modifier in energy storage or ion transport applications.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"38 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139248489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-20DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1267284
Shota Kawabata, Shi Bai, K. Obata, Kazunari Ozasa, Godai Miyaji, Koji Sugioka
GHz burst mode femtosecond (fs) laser pulses, which consist of a series of pulse trains with ultra-fast intervals of several hundred picoseconds, have offered distinct features for material processing compared to conventional irradiation of laser pulses (single-pulse mode). We apply GHz burst mode processing to fabricate laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the material surfaces. In our previous work for silicon (Si), we have found that GHz burst mode can create unique two-dimensional (2D) LIPSS composed of both parallel and perpendicular to the laser polarization direction. We proposed that the formation of 2D-LIPSS is attributed to the synergetic contributions of electromagnetic and hydrodynamic mechanisms. To further investigate more detailed formation mechanisms and explore practical applications, we employ titanium (Ti), whose properties are significantly different from Si. We demonstrate that GHz burst mode fs laser pulses (central wavelength: 1,030 nm, intra-pulse width: 230 fs, intra-pulse repetition rate (an intra-pulse interval): 4.88 GHz (205 ps) and burst pulse repetition rate: 10 kHz) can also fabricate 2D-LIPSS on Ti surfaces. We attribute the dominant formation mechanism of 2D-LIPSS to the generation of hot spots with highly enhanced electric fields due to transient change of material properties during GHz burst pulse irradiation. Based on this speculation, properly tailoring the shapes of the burst pulse with an optimum intra-pulse number enables the creation of well-defined 2D-LIPSS. Furthermore, essentially homogeneous 2D-LIPSS can be formed in a large area by laser scanning of a focused fs laser beam with a stage scanning speed of 5 mm/s.
{"title":"Formation of two-dimensional laser-induced periodic surface structures on titanium by GHz burst mode femtosecond laser pulses","authors":"Shota Kawabata, Shi Bai, K. Obata, Kazunari Ozasa, Godai Miyaji, Koji Sugioka","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1267284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1267284","url":null,"abstract":"GHz burst mode femtosecond (fs) laser pulses, which consist of a series of pulse trains with ultra-fast intervals of several hundred picoseconds, have offered distinct features for material processing compared to conventional irradiation of laser pulses (single-pulse mode). We apply GHz burst mode processing to fabricate laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the material surfaces. In our previous work for silicon (Si), we have found that GHz burst mode can create unique two-dimensional (2D) LIPSS composed of both parallel and perpendicular to the laser polarization direction. We proposed that the formation of 2D-LIPSS is attributed to the synergetic contributions of electromagnetic and hydrodynamic mechanisms. To further investigate more detailed formation mechanisms and explore practical applications, we employ titanium (Ti), whose properties are significantly different from Si. We demonstrate that GHz burst mode fs laser pulses (central wavelength: 1,030 nm, intra-pulse width: 230 fs, intra-pulse repetition rate (an intra-pulse interval): 4.88 GHz (205 ps) and burst pulse repetition rate: 10 kHz) can also fabricate 2D-LIPSS on Ti surfaces. We attribute the dominant formation mechanism of 2D-LIPSS to the generation of hot spots with highly enhanced electric fields due to transient change of material properties during GHz burst pulse irradiation. Based on this speculation, properly tailoring the shapes of the burst pulse with an optimum intra-pulse number enables the creation of well-defined 2D-LIPSS. Furthermore, essentially homogeneous 2D-LIPSS can be formed in a large area by laser scanning of a focused fs laser beam with a stage scanning speed of 5 mm/s.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"41 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139258000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-16DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1291338
Addis S. Fuhr, B. Sumpter, Panchapakesan Ganesh
Induction of point defects in nanomaterials can bestow upon them entirely new physics or augment their pre-existing physical properties, thereby expanding their potential use in green energy technology. Predicting structure-property relationships for defects a priori is challenging, and developing methods for precise control of defect type, density, or structural distribution during synthesis is an even more formidable task. Hence, tuning the defect structure to tailor nanomaterials for enhanced device performance remains an underutilized tool in materials design. We review here the state of nanomaterial design through the lens of computational prediction of defect properties for green energy technology, and synthesis methods to control defect formation for optimal performance. We illustrate the efficacy of defect-focused approaches for refining nanomaterial physics by describing several specific applications where these techniques hold potential. Most notably, we focus on quantum dots for reabsorption-free solar windows and net-zero emission buildings, oxide cathodes for high energy density lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, and transition metal dichalcogenides for electrocatalytic green hydrogen production and carbon-free fuels.
{"title":"Defects go green: using defects in nanomaterials for renewable energy and environmental sustainability","authors":"Addis S. Fuhr, B. Sumpter, Panchapakesan Ganesh","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1291338","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1291338","url":null,"abstract":"Induction of point defects in nanomaterials can bestow upon them entirely new physics or augment their pre-existing physical properties, thereby expanding their potential use in green energy technology. Predicting structure-property relationships for defects a priori is challenging, and developing methods for precise control of defect type, density, or structural distribution during synthesis is an even more formidable task. Hence, tuning the defect structure to tailor nanomaterials for enhanced device performance remains an underutilized tool in materials design. We review here the state of nanomaterial design through the lens of computational prediction of defect properties for green energy technology, and synthesis methods to control defect formation for optimal performance. We illustrate the efficacy of defect-focused approaches for refining nanomaterial physics by describing several specific applications where these techniques hold potential. Most notably, we focus on quantum dots for reabsorption-free solar windows and net-zero emission buildings, oxide cathodes for high energy density lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, and transition metal dichalcogenides for electrocatalytic green hydrogen production and carbon-free fuels.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"40 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139268354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-09DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1268931
D. B Niranjan, Jennifer Jacob, B. R Vaidehi, Mathew Peter, Jeevan Medikonda, Pramod K. Namboothiri
The rapid development of wearable sensor technology can be attributed to developments in materials, microelectronics, fabrication, communication systems, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of wearable sensors enables continuous acquisition and monitoring of the pathophysiological parameters of a person in real time. The global market for health-related wearables has experienced significant growth, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A wearable sensor module is comprised of various components, including a powering unit, sensor(s), acquisition unit, communication unit, and processing unit. The non-fluctuating power source with a long life is of utmost significance to the continuous and real-time operation of a wearable sensor. A wearable device can be powered by a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium-ion battery, which can be charged from a standard power source but requires regular recharging after depletion and has a negative environmental impact. This necessitates using green renewable energy sources like photovoltaic cells, piezoelectric generators, wind energy converters, and thermoelectric generators for powering wearable sensor modules. The photovoltaic cell that converts photonics into electrical energy is deemed a viable green energy source for wearable sensor modules. This article reviews the progress and application of photovoltaic technology in wearable sensor modules.
{"title":"Current status and applications of photovoltaic technology in wearable sensors: a review","authors":"D. B Niranjan, Jennifer Jacob, B. R Vaidehi, Mathew Peter, Jeevan Medikonda, Pramod K. Namboothiri","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1268931","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1268931","url":null,"abstract":"The rapid development of wearable sensor technology can be attributed to developments in materials, microelectronics, fabrication, communication systems, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of wearable sensors enables continuous acquisition and monitoring of the pathophysiological parameters of a person in real time. The global market for health-related wearables has experienced significant growth, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A wearable sensor module is comprised of various components, including a powering unit, sensor(s), acquisition unit, communication unit, and processing unit. The non-fluctuating power source with a long life is of utmost significance to the continuous and real-time operation of a wearable sensor. A wearable device can be powered by a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium-ion battery, which can be charged from a standard power source but requires regular recharging after depletion and has a negative environmental impact. This necessitates using green renewable energy sources like photovoltaic cells, piezoelectric generators, wind energy converters, and thermoelectric generators for powering wearable sensor modules. The photovoltaic cell that converts photonics into electrical energy is deemed a viable green energy source for wearable sensor modules. This article reviews the progress and application of photovoltaic technology in wearable sensor modules.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" 45","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135293320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Proteins are essential biological molecules to use as biomarkers for early disease diagnosis. Therefore, their detection is crucial. In recent years, protein sequencing has become one of the most promising techniques. In particular, solid-state nanopores (SSNs) are powerful platforms for single biological molecule sensing without any labeling and with high sensitivity. Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials with nanometer-sized pores, such as single-layer MoS 2 , represent the ideal SSN because of their ultimate thinness. Despite the benefits they offer, their use for protein sequencing applications remains very challenging since the fast translocation speed provides a short observation time per single molecule. In this work, we performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the translocation of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids through single-layer MoS 2 nanopores. From ionic current traces, we characterized peptide-induced blockade levels of current and duration for each of the 20 natural amino acids. Using clustering techniques, we demonstrate that positively and negatively charged amino acids present singular fingerprints and can be visually distinguished from neutral amino acids. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this information would be sufficient to identify proteins using the coarse-grained sequencing technique made of only three amino acid categories depending on their charge. Therefore, single-layer MoS 2 nanopores have great potential as sensors for the identification of biomarkers.
{"title":"Single-layer MoS2 solid-state nanopores for coarse-grained sequencing of proteins","authors":"Andreina Urquiola Hernández, Patrice Delarue, Christophe Guyeux, Adrien Nicolaï, Patrick Senet","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1296454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1296454","url":null,"abstract":"Proteins are essential biological molecules to use as biomarkers for early disease diagnosis. Therefore, their detection is crucial. In recent years, protein sequencing has become one of the most promising techniques. In particular, solid-state nanopores (SSNs) are powerful platforms for single biological molecule sensing without any labeling and with high sensitivity. Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials with nanometer-sized pores, such as single-layer MoS 2 , represent the ideal SSN because of their ultimate thinness. Despite the benefits they offer, their use for protein sequencing applications remains very challenging since the fast translocation speed provides a short observation time per single molecule. In this work, we performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the translocation of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids through single-layer MoS 2 nanopores. From ionic current traces, we characterized peptide-induced blockade levels of current and duration for each of the 20 natural amino acids. Using clustering techniques, we demonstrate that positively and negatively charged amino acids present singular fingerprints and can be visually distinguished from neutral amino acids. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this information would be sufficient to identify proteins using the coarse-grained sequencing technique made of only three amino acid categories depending on their charge. Therefore, single-layer MoS 2 nanopores have great potential as sensors for the identification of biomarkers.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"25 12","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135820398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Graphical Abstract Ir catalyst supported by TiO 2 .
tio2负载的Ir催化剂。
{"title":"Small but mighty: unlocking the catalytic power of individual iridium atoms on titanium oxide","authors":"Mariana Molina-Torres, Orlando Hernández-Cristóbal, Ruben Mendoza-Cruz","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1257240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1257240","url":null,"abstract":"Graphical Abstract Ir catalyst supported by TiO 2 .","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"150 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135169033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-19DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1271832
Inam Mirza, Alexander V. Bulgakov, Hanna Sopha, Sergey V. Starinskiy, Hana Turčičová, Ondřej Novák, Jiří Mužík, Martin Smrž, Vladimir A. Volodin, Tomáš Mocek, Jan M. Macak, Nadezhda M. Bulgakova
As-prepared nanostructured semiconductor materials are usually found in an amorphous form, which needs to be converted into a crystalline one for improving electronic properties and achieving enhanced application functionalities. The most utilized method is thermal annealing in a furnace, which however is time- and energy-consuming and not applicable for low-temperature melting substrates. An alternative is laser annealing, which can be carried out in a relatively short time and, additionally, offers the possibility of annealing localized areas. However, laser-annealed nanostructures are often distorted by melting, while preserving the as-prepared morphology is essential for practical applications. In this work, we analyze conditions of non-thermal ultrafast laser annealing of two kinds of nanostructures: anodic TiO 2 nanotube layers and Ge/Si multilayer stacks. For both cases, regimes of crystallization have been found, which yield in preserving the initial nanomaterial morphologies without any melting signs. On these examples, ultrafast non-thermal mechanisms of structural material transformation are discussed, which can provide new opportunities for conversion of amorphous semiconductor nanomaterials into a desired crystalline form that is of high demand for existing and emerging technologies.
{"title":"Non-thermal regimes of laser annealing of semiconductor nanostructures: crystallization without melting","authors":"Inam Mirza, Alexander V. Bulgakov, Hanna Sopha, Sergey V. Starinskiy, Hana Turčičová, Ondřej Novák, Jiří Mužík, Martin Smrž, Vladimir A. Volodin, Tomáš Mocek, Jan M. Macak, Nadezhda M. Bulgakova","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1271832","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1271832","url":null,"abstract":"As-prepared nanostructured semiconductor materials are usually found in an amorphous form, which needs to be converted into a crystalline one for improving electronic properties and achieving enhanced application functionalities. The most utilized method is thermal annealing in a furnace, which however is time- and energy-consuming and not applicable for low-temperature melting substrates. An alternative is laser annealing, which can be carried out in a relatively short time and, additionally, offers the possibility of annealing localized areas. However, laser-annealed nanostructures are often distorted by melting, while preserving the as-prepared morphology is essential for practical applications. In this work, we analyze conditions of non-thermal ultrafast laser annealing of two kinds of nanostructures: anodic TiO 2 nanotube layers and Ge/Si multilayer stacks. For both cases, regimes of crystallization have been found, which yield in preserving the initial nanomaterial morphologies without any melting signs. On these examples, ultrafast non-thermal mechanisms of structural material transformation are discussed, which can provide new opportunities for conversion of amorphous semiconductor nanomaterials into a desired crystalline form that is of high demand for existing and emerging technologies.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"51 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135666819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-16DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1292259
Scott D. Hopkins, Estela Blaisten-Barojas
Polymers exhibiting thermoresponsive behavior above a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) undergo a coil-to-globule phase transition that has many biomedical applications, including biosensing, the control of release devices, and gene or drug delivery systems. In addition, there has been sustained scientific interest in these polymers for their use in industrial applications, including water treatment and desalination. Since the coil-to-globule phase transition is greatly affected by the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of the polymer-solvent interactions, the LCST of a particular thermoresponsive polymer depends on the solvent environment and can be tuned through the modification of solution parameters such as co-solvent molar concentrations. While there have been numerous experimental and computational studies focused on the properties of these polymers in aqueous solutions, study of their behavior in more viscous solvents has been limited. In this article, the thermoresponsive behavior of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly (N,N-diethylacrylamide) (PDEA) has been evaluated when in solution with water, the highly viscous liquid glycerol, and both 50:50 and 90:10 glycerol:water mixtures. The adopted methodology includes molecular dynamics techniques and a modified OPLS all-atom force field, which is particularly challenging when the monomers of the targeted polymers have side-chains consisting of a hydrophobic isopropyl group and a hydrophilic amide group along the carbon backbone chain. Hence, our approach entailed simulations at the microsecond scale. The structural and energetic properties of the polymers were characterized, including radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, polymer-solvent hydrogen bonding, and interaction energies. Our predictions indicate that these polymers sustain a coil-to-globule phase transition in glycerol solvents at significantly higher LCSTs when compared to the LCST in less viscous aqueous solutions. These predictions highlight valuable insights that will prove advantageous for industrial and nano-scale applications requiring polymer phase behavior with elevated LCST well above ambient temperature.
{"title":"Molecular dynamics simulations evidence the thermoresponsive behavior of PNIPAM and PDEA in glycerol solutions","authors":"Scott D. Hopkins, Estela Blaisten-Barojas","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1292259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1292259","url":null,"abstract":"Polymers exhibiting thermoresponsive behavior above a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) undergo a coil-to-globule phase transition that has many biomedical applications, including biosensing, the control of release devices, and gene or drug delivery systems. In addition, there has been sustained scientific interest in these polymers for their use in industrial applications, including water treatment and desalination. Since the coil-to-globule phase transition is greatly affected by the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of the polymer-solvent interactions, the LCST of a particular thermoresponsive polymer depends on the solvent environment and can be tuned through the modification of solution parameters such as co-solvent molar concentrations. While there have been numerous experimental and computational studies focused on the properties of these polymers in aqueous solutions, study of their behavior in more viscous solvents has been limited. In this article, the thermoresponsive behavior of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly (N,N-diethylacrylamide) (PDEA) has been evaluated when in solution with water, the highly viscous liquid glycerol, and both 50:50 and 90:10 glycerol:water mixtures. The adopted methodology includes molecular dynamics techniques and a modified OPLS all-atom force field, which is particularly challenging when the monomers of the targeted polymers have side-chains consisting of a hydrophobic isopropyl group and a hydrophilic amide group along the carbon backbone chain. Hence, our approach entailed simulations at the microsecond scale. The structural and energetic properties of the polymers were characterized, including radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, polymer-solvent hydrogen bonding, and interaction energies. Our predictions indicate that these polymers sustain a coil-to-globule phase transition in glycerol solvents at significantly higher LCSTs when compared to the LCST in less viscous aqueous solutions. These predictions highlight valuable insights that will prove advantageous for industrial and nano-scale applications requiring polymer phase behavior with elevated LCST well above ambient temperature.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136113429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-13DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1219975
Bhaskaran Muralidharan, Manohar Kumar, Chuan Li
The non-Abelian state has garnered considerable interest in the field of fundamental physics and future applications in quantum computing. In this review, we introduce the basic ideas of constructing the non-Abelian states in various systems from 1D to 3D and discuss the possible approaches to detect these states, including the Majorana bound states in a hybrid device and the v = 5/2 state in a fractional quantum Hall system.
{"title":"Emerging quantum hybrid systems for non-Abelian-state manipulation","authors":"Bhaskaran Muralidharan, Manohar Kumar, Chuan Li","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1219975","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1219975","url":null,"abstract":"The non-Abelian state has garnered considerable interest in the field of fundamental physics and future applications in quantum computing. In this review, we introduce the basic ideas of constructing the non-Abelian states in various systems from 1D to 3D and discuss the possible approaches to detect these states, including the Majorana bound states in a hybrid device and the v = 5/2 state in a fractional quantum Hall system.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135917783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-11DOI: 10.3389/fnano.2023.1250395
Daniela Serien, Hiroyuki Kawano, Atsushi Miyawaki, Koji Sugioka, Aiko Narazaki
Femtosecond laser direct write (fs-LDW), a three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, is a promising method for creating microstructures made of proteins that retain their original function, enabling the development of complex biomimetic 3D microenvironments and versatile enhancements of medical microdevices. Fabrication using pure proteins via photoactivator-free femtosecond laser multiphoton crosslinking has recently been demonstrated This approach avoids the undesirable effects caused by the leaching of photoactivator molecules, and is thus regarded as suitable for biological applications. Here, we present the 3D fabrication of microstructures made of pure fluorescent protein variants, namely mScarlet, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and enhanced blue fluorescent protein (EBFP2). Multicolor fluorescent microstructures are created using a sequential procedure with various precursors. We evaluate the dependence of fluorescence retention on fabrication parameters such as the total accumulated fluence. We demonstrate that microstructures made of EGFP can be applied to the detection of physiological pH changes. The results show that fs-LDW fabrication can broaden the application scope of fluorescent protein variants.
{"title":"Femtosecond laser direct writing of pure three-dimensional fluorescent protein and its application to physiological pH sensing","authors":"Daniela Serien, Hiroyuki Kawano, Atsushi Miyawaki, Koji Sugioka, Aiko Narazaki","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1250395","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1250395","url":null,"abstract":"Femtosecond laser direct write (fs-LDW), a three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, is a promising method for creating microstructures made of proteins that retain their original function, enabling the development of complex biomimetic 3D microenvironments and versatile enhancements of medical microdevices. Fabrication using pure proteins via photoactivator-free femtosecond laser multiphoton crosslinking has recently been demonstrated This approach avoids the undesirable effects caused by the leaching of photoactivator molecules, and is thus regarded as suitable for biological applications. Here, we present the 3D fabrication of microstructures made of pure fluorescent protein variants, namely mScarlet, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and enhanced blue fluorescent protein (EBFP2). Multicolor fluorescent microstructures are created using a sequential procedure with various precursors. We evaluate the dependence of fluorescence retention on fabrication parameters such as the total accumulated fluence. We demonstrate that microstructures made of EGFP can be applied to the detection of physiological pH changes. The results show that fs-LDW fabrication can broaden the application scope of fluorescent protein variants.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"239 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136209474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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