With the aim of understanding the excitation energy transfer mechanism in natural photosynthetic membranes, light-harvesting (LH)2 and LH1-reaction center, which are pigment-protein complexes separated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, were aligned on a planar electrode surface in stripe patterns at 5 µm intervals. Observation of the absorption spectrum and fluorescence microphotographs revealed selective immobilization and conservation of the pigments. Photocurrent signals were obtained when the electrode was illuminated at either 880 or 800 nm. The fabricated structure was confirmed to function as a natural photosynthetic membrane with the highest photocurrent signal being obtained when using a co-immobilized substrate under excitation at 800 nm.

We present the synthesis and the characterization of a novel cellulose-based electroactive hydrogel obtained through a simple water-based process. Its swelling and electroactive properties are here studied especially in low salinity water solutions. By combining smart materials and three-dimensional printing technique, we assessed that hydrogels can be shaped as natural algae and their motion can be controlled with electric signals to mimic natural seaweed movements under the effect of water flow. This could constitute a first step toward the development of hybrid habitats where artificial smart algae could cohabit with real living organisms or microorganisms.

We report the fabrication and testing of MnO2–carbon nanotube (NT) electrodes for supercapacitors (SCap) with high active mass (AM). Cetylpyridinium chloride surfactant was used as a capping agent for synthesis and a phase transfer agent for the liquid–liquid extraction. Water immiscible solvent, n-butanol, was used as a receiving and reducing medium for the synthesis of MnO2 from cetylpyridinium permanganate. Improved co-dispersion and nanoscale mixing of MnO2 and NT enabled the fabrication of advanced electrodes with mass loading of 42–61 mg/cm2, ratio of AM to current collector mass of 0.63–0.91, which showed the highest capacitance of 8.95 F/cm2.

We analyze charge density transfer from water to solvated transition metal (TM) ions in different formal oxidation states (FOSs) in aqueous solution by first principles and relate the degree of stabilization of the solvated cations to the charge donation from the water ligands. We find remarkable charge stability on the metal center regardless of FOSs. This effect is similar to what has previously been shown for charges on TM cations in inorganic crystals. This ligand-to-metal charge transfer results in softening of the ligand O–H bonds, which can be used to explain the formation of higher-FOS transition metalates and oxycations.

We have studied by electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition which occurs during annealing of a highly Ge-rich and N-doped amorphous GeSbTe material. The crystallization onset occurs at 380 °C with the diffusion and segregation of Ge followed by the formation of Ge nanocrystals. The GeSbTe face-centered cubic (FCC) crystalline phase only appears at 400 °C. Phase separation occurs because the Ge concentration is well above what can be accommodated by the Ge2Sb2Te5 lattice. The possible formation of a two-phase material should be considered in order to simulate device characteristics and optimize material composition for electronic memory applications.

A model-guided design methodology for polymer composite electromagnetic (EM) interference shields is presented. The approach utilizes measurement of intrinsic complex EM parameters, predictive modeling of absorbing geometries in the COMSOL environment, and subsequent fabrication using 3D printing and compression molding. The viability of the first two steps in the approach was confirmed using a commercially available conductive nano-filled polymer composite filament, as well as a model system from the literature. Initial results suggest that the addition of periodically placed air-filled pores within the conductive polymer composite can lead to lower reflection loss and higher absorption bandwidths.

Owing to lack of a definitive correlation between carbon supports and catalytic activity of single-atom Fe-active sites, rational design and preparation of single-atom Fe catalysts have so far been elusive. Herein we designed and prepared one-dimensional core–shell nanostructured single-atom Fe catalysts, in which carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes with different crystallinities and electrical conductivities were used as supports to host single-atom Fe-active sites. It was found that the carbon supports with higher electrical conductivity accelerate charge transfer and enhance the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of single-atom Fe-active sites as well as the ORR durability of the final catalyst.

The crystallization mechanism and kinetics of Cr2Ge2Te6 (CrGT) films were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The average Avrami exponent (na) analysis indicated that CrGT exhibits a growth-dominant crystallization in the range of heating rate (β) of 10–50°C/min. In comparison, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) showed a nucleation-dominant crystallization. The na of CrGT was about 3, and was majorly independent of β. The na of GST decreased with an increasing β, which asymptotically approached a value of around 3. The kinetic constant of CrGT was evaluated to be almost the same with that of GST, indicating that CrGT undergoes fast crystallization.

Two semiconductors (Cu2O and TiO2) were chosen for the photocatalytic reduction of bicarbonate to formate in order to perform a systematic study on the effect of six different hole (h+) scavengers. The six h+ scavengers selected for the study include glycerol, ethylene glycol, 2-propanol, sodium sulfite, triethanolamine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Glycerol proved to be the most efficient h+ scavenger, and TiO2 in glycerol showed the highest quantum efficiency of 5.04 ± 0.3%. This finding bodes well as a sustainable one because glycerol is environmentally benign, a low-cost material, and is derived from plants, as opposed to petroleum sources like 2-propanol or ethylene glycol.

In this paper, the melting of stainless steel 316L using Computational Fluid Dynamics to observe the melt pool characteristics is studied. The simulation model allows the observation of the molten pool flow during the selective laser melting process due to Marangoni's effect and recoil pressure. Furthermore, different parameters are tested to show their effects on the melt pool and track formation. Different laser powers, as well as scanning speeds, were used to study the effects they have on the melt pool characteristics. The results were used to determine the relationships between these factors and the melt pool characteristics.

In this work, we present an oxygen-releasing insole to treat diabetic foot ulcers. The insole consists of two layers of polydimethylsiloxane: the top layer has selective laser-machined areas (to tune oxygen permeability) targeting the ulcerated foot region, while the bottom layer provides structural support and incorporates a chamber for oxygen storage. When loaded with a pressure of 150 kPa (average value for standing/walking), the insole is able to release oxygen at a rate of 1.8 mmHg/min/cm2. At lower sitting pressures, the delivery rate persists at 0.092 mmHg/min/cm2, raising the oxygen level to an optimal healing value (50 mmHg) for a 2 × 2 cm2 wound within 150 min.

Hafnium diselenide (HfSe2) has a high theoretical carrier mobility but is among the most reactive transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Herein, we have investigated the air stability of 2H polytype HfSe2 single-crystal thin films by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Raman spectroscopy measurements in conjunction with atomic force microscopy reveal the formation of selenium-rich blisters on the surface of the crystals upon air exposure. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicates that 2H-HfSe2 undergoes a spontaneous phase change to 1T-HfSe2. These results offer Raman spectroscopy as a fast, convenient, non-destructive technique to reliably monitor the surface degradation of TMDs and present an opportunity for further study of phase changes in this material.

Coincidence site lattice (CSL) grain boundaries (GBs) are believed to be low-energy, resistant to intergranular fracture, as well as to hydrogen embrittlement. Nevertheless, the behavior of CSL-GBs are generally confused with their angular deviations. In the current study, the effect of angular deviation from the perfect $\Sigma 3(111)[1\bar 10]$ GBs in α-iron on the hydrogen diffusion and the susceptibility of the GB to hydrogen embrittlement is investigated through molecular static and dynamics simulations. By utilizing Rice–Wang model, it is shown that the ideal GB shows the highest resistance to decohesion below the hydrogen saturation limit. Finally, the hydrogen diffusivity along the ideal GB is observed to be the highest.

Cationic PEGylated nanogels based on poly(N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEM) were prepared varying the ratio of PDEAEM to polyethyleneglycol (PEG), the initiator, and the crosslinker; resulting in nanogels of different surface charge (zeta-potential) and hydrodynamic diameter. Nanogels without PEG (100% PDEAEM) and nanogels containing 45 wt.% of PDEAEM were cytotoxic to human colon cancer cell line (HCT-116). Nanogels containing 20 wt.% or less of PDEAEM provided with a PEG shell were non-cytotoxic even at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. These nanogels loaded with 5-fluorouracil turned to be cytotoxic provoking cell death by apoptosis. Nanogels were also studied loaded with gold nanoparticles.

BiFeO3 (BFO) p-type semiconducting nanofibers were deposited on fluorine-doped SnO2 substrates by a combination of electrospinning (BiFeO3) and spin-coating (Fe2O3) procedures. Photocurrent density values of BFO nanofibers which increased with the annealing temperature to values six times larger were obtained. Different amounts of BFO nanofibers (5, 10, and 25 wt%) were also integrated into α-Fe2O3 films. The photocurrent density of the α-Fe2O3/BFO nanofiber films had the highest value for a 10 wt% BFO nanofibers. The anisotropy in charge transport due to the underlying nanofibrous pathways which prevented the charge carrier recombination was the main cause for the enhancement of the photocurrent density.

We report on a novel processing route to prepare La0.8Ce0.2(Fe0.95Co0.05)11.8Si1.2/Cu bulk composites by low-temperature hot pressing. With increasing copper content, the compressive strength of the composites first decrease and then increase owing to the buffering effect of copper, but the magnetocaloric effect reduces to some extent. Copper addition improves the thermal conductivity of the composites, which compensates for the decrease in thermal conductivity due to porosity. A relatively large entropy change of 5.75–7.19 J/(kg K) at 2 T near the Curie temperature (249 K), good thermal conductivity of 7.51–15.55 W/(m·K), and improved compressive strength of 151.1–248.0 MPa make these composites attractive magnetic refrigeration materials.

This paper presents new water-soluble bio-polyelectrolyte-based nanoparticles, formed from lanthanide-induced polysaccharide aggregates (LIPAs). These new nano-aggregates are formed by coordinating a photoluminescent lanthanide–ligand complex to a single polyelectrolyte [i.e. polyanionic hyaluronic acid (HA)] or to two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes [i.e. HA and polycationic chitosan (CHI)]. We demonstrate that photoluminescent Eu3+–ligand complexes, which are dispersed homogeneously in aqueous solution by the association with water-soluble HA. The polysaccharide supermolecular assembly can be tuned to obtain nanoparticles of different sizes and surface charges. The preparation of stable and water-soluble lanthanide complexes via Eu3+–LIPAs opens opportunities for use of luminescent lanthanides in aqueous environments, for biosensing and bioimaging applications.

Due to the special crystal structures and electron configurations, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are expected to have favorable activities for electrocatalytic reactions. In this paper, a set of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) criteria are applied for the HEA-based electrocatalyst design. Specifically, FeNiMnCrCu HEA is predicted to have a better OER performance than the baseline FeCoNiCrAl HEA. To demonstrate this design approach, both FeNiMnCrCu and FeCoNiCrAl samples are prepared and tested. Their crystal structures and electrocatalytic performance are examined. This paper demonstrates the potential of using finely tuned HEAs for OER applications.

Catalytic processes are critical steps in numerous industrial processes. The discovery of high reactivity of defects in metal-free two-dimensional materials has bolstered their emergence as catalysts. Here we consider the effect of defect-inducing methods in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on their performance for olefin and CO2 hydrogenation. We compare the changes introduced by ball milling and heat treatment in h-BN and show how varying the treatment conditions can impact the properties. We provide some evidence of the reactivity of the powders. Our results highlight how characterization can be exploited to assess the potential catalytic activity of h-BN for heterogeneous catalysis.

Direct arylation polycondensation (DArP) is an emerging synthetic method of producing conjugated polymers in an environmentally benign and cost-effective manner. We now report the synthesis of hole-transporting conjugated polymers, namely, DPP-OMe (Mn = 7.9 kg/mol) and DPP-F (Mn = 12.6 kg/mol), under microwave-assisted DArP conditions. These two polymers and the previously synthesized 3,6-Cbz-EDOT were evaluated as hole-transporting materials in mesoscopic perovskite solar cells. 3,6-Cbz-EDOT synthesized by DArP exhibited higher hole mobility and better photovoltaic properties than that synthesized by the Stille polycondensation. Moreover, chemical dopants improved the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and fill factor.