Henri Truong, Chiara Moretti, Lionel Buisson, Benjamin Abecassis, Eric Grelet
Achieving controlled and directed motion of artificial nanoscale systems in three-dimensional fluid environments remains a key-challenge in active matter, primarily due to the prevailing thermal fluctuations that rapidly randomize the particle trajectories. While significant progress has been made with micrometer-sized particles, imparting sufficient mechanical energy, or self-propulsion, to nanometer-sized particles to overcome Brownian diffusion and enable controlled transport remains a major issue for emerging applications in nanoscience and nanomedicine. Here, we address this challenge by demonstrating the fuel-free, reversible, and tunable active behavior of gold-silica (Au-SiO2 ) Janus nanoparticles (radius R ∼ 33 nm) induced by optical excitation. Using single particle tracking, we provide direct experimental evidence of self-thermophoresis, clearly distinguishing active motion from thermal noise. These light-driven Janus nanoparticles constitute a minimal yet robust photothermal system for investigating active matter and its manipulation at the nanoscale.
{"title":"Light-Activated Self-thermophoretic Janus Nanopropellers","authors":"Henri Truong, Chiara Moretti, Lionel Buisson, Benjamin Abecassis, Eric Grelet","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04182a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04182a","url":null,"abstract":"Achieving controlled and directed motion of artificial nanoscale systems in three-dimensional fluid environments remains a key-challenge in active matter, primarily due to the prevailing thermal fluctuations that rapidly randomize the particle trajectories. While significant progress has been made with micrometer-sized particles, imparting sufficient mechanical energy, or self-propulsion, to nanometer-sized particles to overcome Brownian diffusion and enable controlled transport remains a major issue for emerging applications in nanoscience and nanomedicine. Here, we address this challenge by demonstrating the fuel-free, reversible, and tunable active behavior of gold-silica (Au-SiO<small><sub>2</sub></small> ) Janus nanoparticles (radius R ∼ 33 nm) induced by optical excitation. Using single particle tracking, we provide direct experimental evidence of self-thermophoresis, clearly distinguishing active motion from thermal noise. These light-driven Janus nanoparticles constitute a minimal yet robust photothermal system for investigating active matter and its manipulation at the nanoscale.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146129360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jin Wang, Baojie Liu, Jixing Liang, Hongguo Hao, Yao-Yao Wang, Yun-Wu Li, Suna Wang
Tetracyclines (TCs), widely used in livestock farming, accumulate in ecosystems and pose health risks due to their persistence. Existing detection methods suffer from high cost, complex procedures, and insufficient specificity. Herein, a dual-emission fluorescent composite (CDs@ZIF-8) was designed by encapsulating carbon dots (CDs) into a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The composite material exhibits distinct dual emission peaks at 332 nm (ZIF-8) and 492 nm (CDs), and achieves ratiometric fluorescence sensing and differentiation between two structurally analogous antibiotics tetracycline (TC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) by quenching the ZIF-8 peak and enhancing the CD peak. The sensor achieves low detection limits of 7.13 nM for TC and 7.25 nM for CTC, with excellent selectivity and anti-interference capability over other antibiotics. A colorimetric logic gate and smartphone-based RGB analysis platform were developed for visual discrimination and quantitative detection, demonstrating high accuracy in real-sample analysis. This work provides a robust, low-cost strategy for on-site monitoring of TC antibiotics.
{"title":"A ratiometric fluorescent sensor based on carbon dots encapsulated in ZIF-8 for visual discrimination and detection of tetracycline and chlortetracycline","authors":"Jin Wang, Baojie Liu, Jixing Liang, Hongguo Hao, Yao-Yao Wang, Yun-Wu Li, Suna Wang","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04604a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04604a","url":null,"abstract":"Tetracyclines (TCs), widely used in livestock farming, accumulate in ecosystems and pose health risks due to their persistence. Existing detection methods suffer from high cost, complex procedures, and insufficient specificity. Herein, a dual-emission fluorescent composite (CDs@ZIF-8) was designed by encapsulating carbon dots (CDs) into a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The composite material exhibits distinct dual emission peaks at 332 nm (ZIF-8) and 492 nm (CDs), and achieves ratiometric fluorescence sensing and differentiation between two structurally analogous antibiotics tetracycline (TC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) by quenching the ZIF-8 peak and enhancing the CD peak. The sensor achieves low detection limits of 7.13 nM for TC and 7.25 nM for CTC, with excellent selectivity and anti-interference capability over other antibiotics. A colorimetric logic gate and smartphone-based RGB analysis platform were developed for visual discrimination and quantitative detection, demonstrating high accuracy in real-sample analysis. This work provides a robust, low-cost strategy for on-site monitoring of TC antibiotics.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"280 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fan Xie, Fan Xia, Zhangyao Xu, Han Han, Ziqi Wang, Qingda Zhu, Haochuan Chen, Fuchao Yan, Yifan Lian, Jingyu Sun, Jincan Zhang
Multilayer graphene (MLG) is an excellent protective material for engineering alloy in aqueous environments, owing to its high crystallinity and nm-scale thickness. However, achieving conformal deposition of high-quality MLG films on porous alloys without damaging their intricate microstructures remains a challenge. Herein, utilizing CuNi alloy with multiscale microstructures as surrogate models, we achieve conformal growth of high-quality, continuous, MLG films (thickness < 5 nm) without damaging the porous structures at a temperature of 700 °C, which is the lowest reported to date for defect-free graphene growth. This breakthrough is mainly attributed to the use of methanol as the carbon source and the favorable catalytic activity of the CuNi substrates. Electrochemical tests in a corrosive solution show that the graphene-skinned porous alloy exhibits a 14-fold reduction in corrosion current density and an 8-fold increase in charge transfer resistance compared to the bare substrate. Furthermore, complete conformal coverage of MLG films is successfully validated on bulk-porous CuNi alloy, along with comparable protective efficacy. This work thus provides a universal low-temperature growth strategy for MLG on alloys with diverse structural features, enabling their stable service in aqueous environments and thus holding promising applications in marine engineering and energy-related fields.
{"title":"Low-Temperature Growth of High-Quality Multilayer Graphene Films on Porous CuNi Alloys for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance","authors":"Fan Xie, Fan Xia, Zhangyao Xu, Han Han, Ziqi Wang, Qingda Zhu, Haochuan Chen, Fuchao Yan, Yifan Lian, Jingyu Sun, Jincan Zhang","doi":"10.1039/d5nr05158d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr05158d","url":null,"abstract":"Multilayer graphene (MLG) is an excellent protective material for engineering alloy in aqueous environments, owing to its high crystallinity and nm-scale thickness. However, achieving conformal deposition of high-quality MLG films on porous alloys without damaging their intricate microstructures remains a challenge. Herein, utilizing CuNi alloy with multiscale microstructures as surrogate models, we achieve conformal growth of high-quality, continuous, MLG films (thickness < 5 nm) without damaging the porous structures at a temperature of 700 °C, which is the lowest reported to date for defect-free graphene growth. This breakthrough is mainly attributed to the use of methanol as the carbon source and the favorable catalytic activity of the CuNi substrates. Electrochemical tests in a corrosive solution show that the graphene-skinned porous alloy exhibits a 14-fold reduction in corrosion current density and an 8-fold increase in charge transfer resistance compared to the bare substrate. Furthermore, complete conformal coverage of MLG films is successfully validated on bulk-porous CuNi alloy, along with comparable protective efficacy. This work thus provides a universal low-temperature growth strategy for MLG on alloys with diverse structural features, enabling their stable service in aqueous environments and thus holding promising applications in marine engineering and energy-related fields.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaolin Liu, Taeyoung Ki, Seungwoo Yoo, Guocheng Deng, Megalamane S. Bootharaju, Taeghwan Hyeon
The controlled assembly of atomically defined metal nanoclusters (NCs) into extended frameworks represents a powerful approach to developing functional materials with tailored properties. However, achieving structural dimensionality (1D–3D) control while maintaining the integrity of a single cluster core remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the construction of a series of silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs) using Ag12 clusters and directional N-donor ligands of varying lengths. The resulting architectures—1D [Ag12(StBu)6(CF3COO)6(Py2S)2(CH3CN)2], 2D [Ag12(StBu)6(CF3COO)6(bpm)3], and 3D [Ag12(StBu)6(CF3COO)6(tmdp)3]—feature preserved cuboctahedral Ag12 cores connected through directional Ag-N bonding. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirms structural fidelity across all dimensions. These assemblies provide a rare platform to systematically explore the impact of dimensionality on function. Catalytic tests reveal that all three SCAMs efficiently catalyze the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics, with the 1D SCAM exhibiting the highest activity. This work highlights a rational, ligand-directed strategy for creating dimensionally tunable, atomically precise cluster-based frameworks and establishes a direct link between structural dimensionality and catalytic performance. Our findings offer a blueprint for designing next-generation nanomaterials with customized architectures and functions for advanced catalytic and optoelectronic applications.
{"title":"From chain to framework: atomically precise silver cluster-assembled architectures","authors":"Xiaolin Liu, Taeyoung Ki, Seungwoo Yoo, Guocheng Deng, Megalamane S. Bootharaju, Taeghwan Hyeon","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04708k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04708k","url":null,"abstract":"The controlled assembly of atomically defined metal nanoclusters (NCs) into extended frameworks represents a powerful approach to developing functional materials with tailored properties. However, achieving structural dimensionality (1D–3D) control while maintaining the integrity of a single cluster core remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the construction of a series of silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs) using Ag<small><sub>12</sub></small> clusters and directional N-donor ligands of varying lengths. The resulting architectures—1D [Ag<small><sub>12</sub></small>(S<small><sup><em>t</em></sup></small>Bu)<small><sub>6</sub></small>(CF<small><sub>3</sub></small>COO)<small><sub>6</sub></small>(Py<small><sub>2</sub></small>S)<small><sub>2</sub></small>(CH<small><sub>3</sub></small>CN)<small><sub>2</sub></small>], 2D [Ag<small><sub>12</sub></small>(S<small><sup><em>t</em></sup></small>Bu)<small><sub>6</sub></small>(CF<small><sub>3</sub></small>COO)<small><sub>6</sub></small>(bpm)<small><sub>3</sub></small>], and 3D [Ag<small><sub>12</sub></small>(S<small><sup><em>t</em></sup></small>Bu)<small><sub>6</sub></small>(CF<small><sub>3</sub></small>COO)<small><sub>6</sub></small>(tmdp)<small><sub>3</sub></small>]—feature preserved cuboctahedral Ag<small><sub>12</sub></small> cores connected through directional Ag-N bonding. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirms structural fidelity across all dimensions. These assemblies provide a rare platform to systematically explore the impact of dimensionality on function. Catalytic tests reveal that all three SCAMs efficiently catalyze the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics, with the 1D SCAM exhibiting the highest activity. This work highlights a rational, ligand-directed strategy for creating dimensionally tunable, atomically precise cluster-based frameworks and establishes a direct link between structural dimensionality and catalytic performance. Our findings offer a blueprint for designing next-generation nanomaterials with customized architectures and functions for advanced catalytic and optoelectronic applications.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"73 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146101963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mild photothermal therapy (MPTT) can generate an in situ vaccine by releasing tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), yet its efficacy is often compromised by the concomitant upregulation of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cells, leading to T-cell exhaustion and adaptive immune resistance. Although small interfering RNA (siRNA) that targeted to the coding sequence (CDS) can degrade PD-L1 mRNA, the structural variations of mRNA in the 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) can stabilize the transcript and impair siRNA efficacy. Thus, effective PD-L1 blockade remains challenging, which need the combination targets to both CDS and 3’-UTR for post-transcriptional regulation. Herein, we developed a lipoplex hybridized with gold nanoflowers (AuNFs/RLS, AR) to generate in situ vaccine through local MPTT, which co-delivered silencing PD-L1 siRNA (siPD-L1) and microRNA-140-5p (miR-140-5p) (AR/si/mi). It demonstrated promoted dendritic cell maturation, enhanced TAAs uptake, and robust local immune priming. An approximately 90% inhibition of PD-L1 mRNA was achieved by the AR/si/mi system. In murine bilateral melanoma models, intratumoral administration of the hybrid lipoplex not only ablated primary tumors (95.8% inhibition) but also elicited systemic antitumor immunity, effectively suppressing untreated distant tumors (99.6% inhibition). This combination treatment mitigated MPTT induced PD-L1 upregulation and alleviated T cell exhaustion. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a synergistic strategy that enhances photothermal immunotherapy through co-delivery of siRNA and miRNA to suppress PD-L1, enabling potent and systemic antitumor responses.
{"title":"Hybrid lipoplex co-delivering siPD-L1/miR-140-5p reverses T cell exhaustion via post-transcriptional regulation for in situ photothermal vaccination","authors":"Qunjie Bi, Huan Yang, Shiyi Li, Haoyue Chen, Yichun Wang, Binbin Yang, Tao Zhang, Xia He, Matthias Barz, Heyang Zhang, Rongrong Jin, Yu Nie","doi":"10.1039/d5nr05275k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr05275k","url":null,"abstract":"Mild photothermal therapy (MPTT) can generate an in situ vaccine by releasing tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), yet its efficacy is often compromised by the concomitant upregulation of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cells, leading to T-cell exhaustion and adaptive immune resistance. Although small interfering RNA (siRNA) that targeted to the coding sequence (CDS) can degrade PD-L1 mRNA, the structural variations of mRNA in the 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) can stabilize the transcript and impair siRNA efficacy. Thus, effective PD-L1 blockade remains challenging, which need the combination targets to both CDS and 3’-UTR for post-transcriptional regulation. Herein, we developed a lipoplex hybridized with gold nanoflowers (AuNFs/RLS, AR) to generate in situ vaccine through local MPTT, which co-delivered silencing PD-L1 siRNA (siPD-L1) and microRNA-140-5p (miR-140-5p) (AR/si/mi). It demonstrated promoted dendritic cell maturation, enhanced TAAs uptake, and robust local immune priming. An approximately 90% inhibition of PD-L1 mRNA was achieved by the AR/si/mi system. In murine bilateral melanoma models, intratumoral administration of the hybrid lipoplex not only ablated primary tumors (95.8% inhibition) but also elicited systemic antitumor immunity, effectively suppressing untreated distant tumors (99.6% inhibition). This combination treatment mitigated MPTT induced PD-L1 upregulation and alleviated T cell exhaustion. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a synergistic strategy that enhances photothermal immunotherapy through co-delivery of siRNA and miRNA to suppress PD-L1, enabling potent and systemic antitumor responses.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"253 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinyue Chen,Harrison C Swift,Patrick Hole,Andrew D L Humphris,Jamie K Hobbs
The majority of atomic force microscopy (AFM) applications rely on tracking and analysing the cantilever motion while assuming the tip is a solid attachment. This assumption is insufficient for accurate imaging with very high aspect ratio (>10 : 1) probes, where tip bending, in addition to cantilever deflection, can significantly distort the morphological image. Here, using quantitative imaging on reference nanostructures and experimental calibration of the tip stiffness, we show that tip bending plays an important role for a range of tested popular commercial AFM probes, even those with relatively low tip aspect ratio, and results in greater than 10 nm errors in measured sample topography in the presence of sufficient tip-sample interaction forces. These effects can be significantly altered by changing the imaging environment. We propose that tip bending should be properly considered in all AFM applications and included in image analysis pipelines to ensure accurate topographic characterisation.
{"title":"The impact on image formation of inevitable tip bending with modern high resolution atomic force microscopy probes.","authors":"Xinyue Chen,Harrison C Swift,Patrick Hole,Andrew D L Humphris,Jamie K Hobbs","doi":"10.1039/d5nr02107c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr02107c","url":null,"abstract":"The majority of atomic force microscopy (AFM) applications rely on tracking and analysing the cantilever motion while assuming the tip is a solid attachment. This assumption is insufficient for accurate imaging with very high aspect ratio (>10 : 1) probes, where tip bending, in addition to cantilever deflection, can significantly distort the morphological image. Here, using quantitative imaging on reference nanostructures and experimental calibration of the tip stiffness, we show that tip bending plays an important role for a range of tested popular commercial AFM probes, even those with relatively low tip aspect ratio, and results in greater than 10 nm errors in measured sample topography in the presence of sufficient tip-sample interaction forces. These effects can be significantly altered by changing the imaging environment. We propose that tip bending should be properly considered in all AFM applications and included in image analysis pipelines to ensure accurate topographic characterisation.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nanostructured metal oxides with controlled particle morphology are considered to be highly effective for heterogeneous catalysis owing to their unique surface, acid-base, and redox properties. Here, we report the synthesis of shape-controlled Co3O4 nanocatalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles to their corresponding aromatic derivatives. Various Co3O4 nanostructured catalysts, namely spherical-like (Co3O4-SP) and cubes (Co3O4-C), along with randomly shaped nanoparticles (Co3O4-NP), were prepared via template-free hydrothermal methods and thoroughly characterized using several analytical techniques. Among them, the Co3O4-SP material exhibited superior catalytic performance in the oxidative dehydrogenation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (THQ), achieving 95% conversion of THQ with 100% selectivity to quinoline, which is due to the optimum amount of Co3+ species (Co3+/Co2+ = 0.515) and acid sites (0.192 mmol g⁻¹), along with the oxygen vacancy sites. In contrast, the Co3O4-NP and Co3O4-C catalysts gave 72% and 51% conversions of THQ, respectively, although 100% quinoline selectivity was achieved in both cases. The substrate scope was further extended to diverse N-heteroaromatic compounds (10 examples), delivering good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Notably, the Co3O4-SP catalyst exhibited excellent reusability, with negligible loss in its catalytic activity over five cycles. The evaluated green chemistry metrics further demonstrated the sustainability of the developed Co3O4-SP-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles.
{"title":"Morphology-dependent catalytic performance of Co3O4 nanomaterials in the oxidative dehydrogenation of tetrahydroquinolines","authors":"Suresh Babu Putla, Palanivel Subha, Nittan Singh, Putla Sudarsanam, PAVULURI Srinivasu","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04947d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04947d","url":null,"abstract":"Nanostructured metal oxides with controlled particle morphology are considered to be highly effective for heterogeneous catalysis owing to their unique surface, acid-base, and redox properties. Here, we report the synthesis of shape-controlled Co3O4 nanocatalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles to their corresponding aromatic derivatives. Various Co3O4 nanostructured catalysts, namely spherical-like (Co3O4-SP) and cubes (Co3O4-C), along with randomly shaped nanoparticles (Co3O4-NP), were prepared via template-free hydrothermal methods and thoroughly characterized using several analytical techniques. Among them, the Co3O4-SP material exhibited superior catalytic performance in the oxidative dehydrogenation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (THQ), achieving 95% conversion of THQ with 100% selectivity to quinoline, which is due to the optimum amount of Co3+ species (Co3+/Co2+ = 0.515) and acid sites (0.192 mmol g⁻¹), along with the oxygen vacancy sites. In contrast, the Co3O4-NP and Co3O4-C catalysts gave 72% and 51% conversions of THQ, respectively, although 100% quinoline selectivity was achieved in both cases. The substrate scope was further extended to diverse N-heteroaromatic compounds (10 examples), delivering good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Notably, the Co3O4-SP catalyst exhibited excellent reusability, with negligible loss in its catalytic activity over five cycles. The evaluated green chemistry metrics further demonstrated the sustainability of the developed Co3O4-SP-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yi Zhou,Xiaobo Liao,Long Chen,Xuan Liao,Jian Zhuang,Lei Cheng,Wang Zhi Wu,Jia Xin Yu,Yinghao Wang,Linxiao Teng
Meniscus-confined electrodeposition (MCED) is an emerging micro-nano-fabrication method. It has attracted much attention due to its low cost, simple process and ability to freely fabricate complex three-dimensional structures with high aspect ratios. However, in the MCED process, the meniscus morphology (confined electrochemical reaction micro-region) is susceptible to the interference of external factors (environmental humidity and variation in the distance between the probe tip and the deposited microstructure), thereby affecting the deposition continuity and stability. To address this challenge, we developed a meniscus morphology regulation method that controls the pressure inside glass probes through tail-end pressurization to adjust the radius of meniscus profile. Simulation and experimental results show that by adjusting the solution pressure (ranging from -5 kPa to 5 kPa), the meniscus width can be controlled within 0.6 to 1.5 times its initial value (the width under no applied pressure). The most notable achievement is that a copper pillar array with a height of 33 μm and a width ranging from 7 to 15 μm is successfully fabricated by adjusting the diameter of the meniscus profile during the deposition process. The results show that the proposed method not only improves the continuity and stability of electrochemical deposition, but also provides a new idea for the preparation of complex three-dimensional structures, which effectively expands the application scenarios of MCED.
{"title":"A meniscus morphology modulation method for meniscus-confined electrodeposition.","authors":"Yi Zhou,Xiaobo Liao,Long Chen,Xuan Liao,Jian Zhuang,Lei Cheng,Wang Zhi Wu,Jia Xin Yu,Yinghao Wang,Linxiao Teng","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04452a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04452a","url":null,"abstract":"Meniscus-confined electrodeposition (MCED) is an emerging micro-nano-fabrication method. It has attracted much attention due to its low cost, simple process and ability to freely fabricate complex three-dimensional structures with high aspect ratios. However, in the MCED process, the meniscus morphology (confined electrochemical reaction micro-region) is susceptible to the interference of external factors (environmental humidity and variation in the distance between the probe tip and the deposited microstructure), thereby affecting the deposition continuity and stability. To address this challenge, we developed a meniscus morphology regulation method that controls the pressure inside glass probes through tail-end pressurization to adjust the radius of meniscus profile. Simulation and experimental results show that by adjusting the solution pressure (ranging from -5 kPa to 5 kPa), the meniscus width can be controlled within 0.6 to 1.5 times its initial value (the width under no applied pressure). The most notable achievement is that a copper pillar array with a height of 33 μm and a width ranging from 7 to 15 μm is successfully fabricated by adjusting the diameter of the meniscus profile during the deposition process. The results show that the proposed method not only improves the continuity and stability of electrochemical deposition, but also provides a new idea for the preparation of complex three-dimensional structures, which effectively expands the application scenarios of MCED.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"86 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juan Luo, Jiaxin Tong, Haili Zhao, Xiaonian Zeng, Feng Liu, Haiyan Wu, Hao Cui, Pengfei Tan, Jun Pan
Lattice strain engineering has emerged as a powerful and versatile strategy for modulating the electronic and geometric structures of electrocatalysts at the atomic scale. By finely tuning interatomic distances and orbital interactions, lattice strain directly influences adsorption energetics and reaction kinetics, offering an effective pathway to overcome intrinsic activity and stability limitations in key electrochemical processes. This review systematically summarizes the fundamental principles of lattice strain effects, including electronic and geometric modulation mechanisms and their correlation with the d-band center theory. We highlight the main approaches for strain induction, such as orbital symmetry matching, antibonding state occupancy, charge redistribution, and adsorbate-induced surface relaxation. We further summarize quantitative relationships between strain and catalytic activity, including volcano plots, strain-ΔG* correlations, and strain-TOF dependencies, distinguishing between compressive and tensile strain effects across various reactions such as HER, OER, ORR, CO2RR, and NRR. Special attention is given to how controlled strain optimizes intermediate adsorption energies in accordance with the Sabatier principle, thereby enhancing catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges in controlling strain magnitude, stability, and scalability, and outline perspectives for integrating strain engineering with other design principles. This review establishes lattice strain as a unifying and predictive framework for rational catalyst design, paving the way for high-performance electrocatalysts in sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies.
{"title":"The role of lattice strain in advancing electrocatalytic performance: from mechanisms to practical applications.","authors":"Juan Luo, Jiaxin Tong, Haili Zhao, Xiaonian Zeng, Feng Liu, Haiyan Wu, Hao Cui, Pengfei Tan, Jun Pan","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04443j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04443j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lattice strain engineering has emerged as a powerful and versatile strategy for modulating the electronic and geometric structures of electrocatalysts at the atomic scale. By finely tuning interatomic distances and orbital interactions, lattice strain directly influences adsorption energetics and reaction kinetics, offering an effective pathway to overcome intrinsic activity and stability limitations in key electrochemical processes. This review systematically summarizes the fundamental principles of lattice strain effects, including electronic and geometric modulation mechanisms and their correlation with the d-band center theory. We highlight the main approaches for strain induction, such as orbital symmetry matching, antibonding state occupancy, charge redistribution, and adsorbate-induced surface relaxation. We further summarize quantitative relationships between strain and catalytic activity, including volcano plots, strain-Δ<i>G</i>* correlations, and strain-TOF dependencies, distinguishing between compressive and tensile strain effects across various reactions such as HER, OER, ORR, CO<sub>2</sub>RR, and NRR. Special attention is given to how controlled strain optimizes intermediate adsorption energies in accordance with the Sabatier principle, thereby enhancing catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges in controlling strain magnitude, stability, and scalability, and outline perspectives for integrating strain engineering with other design principles. This review establishes lattice strain as a unifying and predictive framework for rational catalyst design, paving the way for high-performance electrocatalysts in sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146083572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The controlled formation of high-pressure silicon polymorphs beneath an oxide layer offers a new paradigm for subsurface phase engineering. We systematically compared sharp Berkovich and spherical nanoindentation on 285 nm SiO2-capped Si(100) using Raman spectroscopy and cross-sectional electron microscopy to reveal how contact geometry and oxide constraint govern phase transformation. Sharp indentation initiates R8 (rhombohedral)/BC8 (body-centered-cubic) phase formation at low loads (42 mN), but the high stress concentration promotes early oxide fracture and radial cracking, limiting the continuous crystalline volume. In contrast, spherical indentation delays observable transformation until ∼92 mN, distributing stress more uniformly. Crucially, we identify a "critical loading window" for optimization. While moderate spherical loads (∼200 mN) facilitate highly ordered crystalline recovery with intact interfaces, excessive loads (∼500 mN) exceed the oxide's confinement capacity, favoring collapse into a disordered amorphous state and localized fracture due to the significant volumetric expansion of the intermediate β-Sn phase. Our results confirm that the oxide modulates stress-relaxation kinetics without altering the fundamental 11-12 GPa transformation threshold. These findings explicitly define the operational limits for dielectric confinement, providing a versatile pathway for engineering subsurface crystalline phases with enhanced carrier mobility and sub-bandgap optical absorption for next-generation silicon photonic and sensing platforms.
{"title":"Nanoindentation-induced subsurface phase engineering in oxide-capped silicon.","authors":"Megha Sasidharan Nisha,Kiran Mangalampalli","doi":"10.1039/d5nr04069h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr04069h","url":null,"abstract":"The controlled formation of high-pressure silicon polymorphs beneath an oxide layer offers a new paradigm for subsurface phase engineering. We systematically compared sharp Berkovich and spherical nanoindentation on 285 nm SiO2-capped Si(100) using Raman spectroscopy and cross-sectional electron microscopy to reveal how contact geometry and oxide constraint govern phase transformation. Sharp indentation initiates R8 (rhombohedral)/BC8 (body-centered-cubic) phase formation at low loads (42 mN), but the high stress concentration promotes early oxide fracture and radial cracking, limiting the continuous crystalline volume. In contrast, spherical indentation delays observable transformation until ∼92 mN, distributing stress more uniformly. Crucially, we identify a \"critical loading window\" for optimization. While moderate spherical loads (∼200 mN) facilitate highly ordered crystalline recovery with intact interfaces, excessive loads (∼500 mN) exceed the oxide's confinement capacity, favoring collapse into a disordered amorphous state and localized fracture due to the significant volumetric expansion of the intermediate β-Sn phase. Our results confirm that the oxide modulates stress-relaxation kinetics without altering the fundamental 11-12 GPa transformation threshold. These findings explicitly define the operational limits for dielectric confinement, providing a versatile pathway for engineering subsurface crystalline phases with enhanced carrier mobility and sub-bandgap optical absorption for next-generation silicon photonic and sensing platforms.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"103 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：