Nanoscale最新文献

{"title":"Regenerated and reformed gold and titanium dioxide quantum dots from waste for sustainable and efficient environmental monitoring","authors":"Zain Ul Abideen, Rasoul Khayyam Nekouei, Mohsen Hajian Foroushani, Samane Maroufi, Farshid Pahlevani, Veena Sahajwalla","doi":"10.1039/d4nr04726e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4nr04726e","url":null,"abstract":"Driven by the urgent need for sustainable materials in advanced technologies, this study investigates the potential of regenerated and reformed waste materials containing Au and TiO<small>₂</small> quantum dots (R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> QDs), derived from industrial waste, as a viable alternative to commercial TiO<small>₂</small> (C-TiO<small>₂</small>) for photocatalytic applications. The R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> QDs demonstrate a high purity of 99.8 wt% and a particle size of less than 10 nm. The presence of Au (0.24 wt%) further enhances the photocatalytic performance of R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> QDs through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), leading to superior degradation rates of methylene blue (MB) when deposited on flexible aluminum foil substrates under UV and solar light. R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> QDs achieve a degradation rate of 82.5% with a rate constant of 0.029 min<small>⁻¹</small> under UV light, representing a 28% increase in degradation rate and a 70% increase in the rate constant compared to 64.5% and 0.017 min<small>⁻¹</small>, respectively, for C-TiO<small>₂</small>. Under the solar simulator, R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> QDs also outperform C-TiO<small>₂</small>, achieving a degradation rate of 68%, further highlighting their effectiveness. These results are attributed to smaller particle size, higher surface area, enhanced light absorption and improved charge separation in the R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> hybrid material. This study demonstrates that R-Au–TiO<small>₂</small> QDs not only match, but often surpass, the performance of commercial TiO<small>₂</small>, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for UV sensing, environmental monitoring, and water purification systems. These findings advocate for the strategic utilization of waste resources containing valuable elements to regenerate high-performance materials, thereby contributing to the development of a circular and sustainable economy.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145442","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}

{"title":"Electronic structure tunability of carbon-based 1D-polymers combining cross-conjugation and nitrogen doping","authors":"Adriana Elizabeth Candia, Manuel Vilas-Varela, Myriam Haydee Aguirre, Celia Rogero, David Serrate, Diego Peña, Jorge Lobo-Checa","doi":"10.1039/d5nr01235j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr01235j","url":null,"abstract":"Quasi-one-dimensional polymer structures with extended π-electron systems stand out due to their remarkable application in light-emitting diodes and devices. Upon smart choice of their building units, such carbon-based organic nanoarchitectures provide excellent optoelectronic properties by tuning their dimensionality, atomic structure or intrinsic doping. Here, we generate and study three canonical cross-conjugated quasi one-dimensional chains with controlled nitrogen intrinsic doping, which is selectively introduced into their poly-phenylene backbones. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy we corroborate that the cross-conjugation that break the chain linearity is exclusively responsible of the electronic confinement in the straight segments. Moreover, we demonstrate that the LUMO state exhibits similar spatial distribution for the cross-conjugated polymers independently of the pyridine content of the initial precursor. Despite this coincidence, the semiconducting character and other relevant electronic properties of the polymers are found to depend both on the chain morphology and on the precise position and number of doping nitrogen atoms synthetically introduced into the molecular precursors. We compare these results to related previous studies, which allows us to unambiguously validate the opto-electronic tunability upon the choice of the polymers’ building units.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145522","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}

{"title":"Exploring Interfacial Magnetism in All-Spinel Fe3O4/MgCr2O4/Fe3O4 Epitaxial Heterostructures","authors":"Francesco Offi, FRANCESCO BORGATTI, Pasquale Orgiani, Vincent Polewczyk, Sandeep Kumar Chaluvadi, Shyni Punathum Chalil, Aleksandr Petrov, Federico Motti, Gian Marco Pierantozzi, Giancarlo Panaccione, Bogdan Rutkowski, Paolo Mengucci, Gianni Barucca, Deepnarayan Biswas, Tien-Lin Lee, Emiliano Marchetti, Alberto Martinelli, Davide Peddis, Gaspare Varvaro","doi":"10.1039/d5nr00971e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00971e","url":null,"abstract":"Epitaxial heterostructures integrating thin Fe3O4 films hold great potential for spintronics, magnetoionics, and multifunctional device development. In this work, the morpho-structural and magnetic properties of all-spinel Fe3O4/MgCr2O4/Fe3O4 trilayers grown on a MgCr2O4 buffer-layer, exhibiting very close lattice matching, were investigated by using both surface and bulk sensitive techniques. The close lattice match between Fe3O4 and MgCr2O4 enables the growth of epitaxial heterostructures with magnetically decoupled Fe3O4 layers for spacer thicknesses ≥ 1.6 nm, while reducing the formation of antiphase boundaries. Despite localized interphase diffusion, which leads to the formation of a mixed Cr/Fe spinel oxide with magnetically polarized Cr ions at the Fe3O4/MgCr2O4 interfaces, the overall magnetic properties remain largely consistent with those of the individual Fe3O4 layers. This study sheds light on the magnetic interactions within Fe3O4 layers mediated by a MgCr2O4 spacer, and demonstrates the feasibility of the approach in preserving the properties of thin Fe3O4 films, in complex heterostructures, thus offering a promising pathway for designing advanced all-spinel oxide devices.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"132 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145444","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}

{"title":"Mitochondrial damage and reactive oxygen species production in C. elegans: key factors in CdTe/ZnS quantum dot-Cet probes","authors":"Yuanyuan Hu, Xiaoli Wang, Yiru Niu, Huanhuan Zhang, Baoyu Wang, Meng Tang, Keyu He","doi":"10.1039/d4nr04227a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4nr04227a","url":null,"abstract":"Quantum dots (QDs) are nanomaterials renowned for their exceptional optical properties and considerable potential in tumor imaging, drug delivery, and biosensing. These QDs can be functionalized with various ligands, including cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), commonly overexpressed in glioblastoma. Our research team has developed a cetuximab-conjugated CdTe/ZnS QD probe (CdTe/ZnS-Cet) and demonstrated its enhanced glioma imaging capabilities. In order to evaluate the neurotoxicity of the CdTe/ZnS-Cet probe <em>in vivo</em>, we conducted a series of studies using <em>C. elegans</em> as a model to detect the neurotoxicity of the probe. Our observations indicated a concentration-dependent impact of CdTe/ZnS-Cet on nematode physiological changes, with alterations in neurotransmitter levels (dopamine and glutamate) and related gene expression. It shows that these changes are closely associated with ROS-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage. This study not only highlights the pivotal role of mitochondrial damage and ROS production of the CdTe/ZnS-Cet probe in <em>C. elegans</em>, but also provides new insights into the theoretical basis for reducing the neurotoxic effects of the CdTe/ZnS-Cet probe.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145525","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}

{"title":"One-dimensional edge state induced by strain in a monolayer copper nitride on Cu(001)","authors":"Toshio Miyamachi, Yusuke Konishi, Takushi Iimori, Yoshihide Yoshimoto, Fumio Komori","doi":"10.1039/d5nr00480b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00480b","url":null,"abstract":"One-dimensional (1D) states at step edges of solid surfaces have attracted considerable interest in a wide range of materials properties, including nanomagnetism and heterogeneous catalysis. Here, a lattice-stain-induced 1D electronic states at the step edges of the nitrogen (N)-saturated Cu(001) surface are reported on the basis of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy observations and theoretical calculations. The 1D state appears along the step edge of the upper nanoterrace, where the surface Cu<small>₂</small>N lattice is locally expanded. The observed standing waves confined on rectangular terraces are well reproduced by numerical simulations for a model of the 1D electrons confined in a box with a triangular edge potential well. The emergence of the edge 1D state is attributed to the strain-dependent energy shift of the N-derived two-dimensional band on the surface using the calculations based on the density functional theory. Further theoretical analysis reveals that the direction of the band energy shift depends on the orbital character of the surface band.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145529","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}

{"title":"Biomimetic Fe (III)- Metal-Organic Framework nanosphere-based dual modal probe for aqueous and intracellular sensing of Nicotine and its metabolite Cotinine","authors":"Arshminder kaur Dhillon, Agrim Jhilta, Ritu Ladhi, Harshita Bagdwal, Ashi Singh, Rahul Kumar Verma, Monika Singh","doi":"10.1039/d5nr00785b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00785b","url":null,"abstract":"Integration of novel biocompatible nanostructures as effective sensing platforms is still of great significance for robust and rapid analysis. Herein, a novel Iron (III) metal-organic framework (Fe-MOF) nanospheres with the formula [Fe3(µ3–O)(C7O2H5)6(COO)2(H2O).2DMF] was successfully developed and characterized by Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) studies. Interestingly, fluorescence studies reveal that Fe-MOF is an effective multi-functional turn-on sensor with a blue shift for nicotine and cotinine with a low detection limit, notable recyclability, and good anti-interference ability. This material satisfies essential biological criteria by being minimally toxic to living cells (L929 and A549 cell line) and retaining structural stability in water across a broad pH range (3-11) enabling its successful application in biological imaging of nicotine and cotinine in living cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report of fluorescence enhancement for cotinine detection with a metal-organic framework. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) absorption studies have elucidated the plausible sensing mechanism. This study significantly expands the potential of Fe-MOF in sensing and biological applications.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144153966","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}

{"title":"Impact of Interface Disorder on the Crystallization and Charge Transport of Conjugated Polymer Thin Films in Organic Field-Effect Transistors","authors":"Abhirup Das, Krishnendu Maity, Samik Mallik, Riya Sadhukhan, Rajdeep Banerjee, Suman Kalyan Samanta, Dipak Kumar Goswami","doi":"10.1039/d5nr00991j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00991j","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates how interface disorder affects the crystallization of conjugated polymer thin films and the subsequent impact on charge transport in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Conjugated polymers are vital in the fabrication of OFETs due to their ability to conduct charge carriers. However, structural disorder at the interfaces of these thin films can significantly disrupt the alignment and arrangement of the polymer chains, leading to irregular and unpredictable diffusion patterns. This disorganized structure impedes the efficient transfer of charge carriers, which is crucial for the optimal performance of OFETs. Our comprehensive analysis employs x-ray scattering methods to accurately determine the crystallization induced by interface disorder in Isoindigo-BTBT films, resulting from surface and interface interactions in a non-destructive manner. Analysis of x-ray reflectivity (XRR)-derived electron density profiles reveals the stacking of polymer chains within the middle of the film, accompanied by disordered arrangements at both the air-polymer and polymer-substrate interfaces. To elucidate the origins of interface disorder, we used classical nucleation theory, thickness-dependent XRR studies, and statistical analysis of surface morphology at various annealing temperatures. Furthermore, fabricating bottom gate top contact OFETs revealed reduced field effect mobility with increased disorder. This highlights the need to address disorder at the polymer-substrate interface to improve charge transport efficiency in these devices. By understanding and mitigating the effects of disorder at the semiconductor-dielectric interface, we can enhance the performance of OFETs, paving the way for more reliable and efficient organic electronic devices.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"157 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145532","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}

{"title":"An engineered platform to study the influence of extracellular matrix nanotopography on cell ultrastructure","authors":"Shani Tcherner Elad, Rita Vilensky, Noa Ben-Asher, Nataliya Logvina, Ran Zalk, Eyal Zussman, Leeya Engel","doi":"10.1039/d4nr05508j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4nr05508j","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoscale fabrication techniques have played an essential role in revealing the importance of extracellular matrix (ECM) nanotopography on cellular behavior. However, the mechanisms by which nanotopographical cues from the ECM influence cellular function remain unclear. To approach these questions, we have engineered a novel class of nanopatterned ECM constructs suitable for cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET), the highest resolution modality for imaging frozen hydrated cells in 3D. We electrospun aligned and randomly oriented ECM fibers directly onto transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supports to generate fibrous scaffolds that mimic physiological ECM in healthy (organized ECM) and diseased (disorganized ECM) states. We produced fibers from gelatin without toxic additives and crosslinked them to maintain structural stability in aqueous environments. The electrospun fibers had an average fiber diameter of hundreds of nanometers. We confirmed that the TEM supports can serve as viable cell culture substrates that can influence cell organization and demonstrated their compatibility with plunge freezing and cryo-ET. By enabling nanoscale structural analysis inside cells on substrates with programmable topographies, this platform can be used to study the physical cues necessary for healthy endothelial tissue formation and pathologies that are linked to endothelial dysfunction in diseases such as peripheral arterial disease.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144145527","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}

{"title":"Cu2O-CuX NPs rich in oxygen vacancies modulated by halogen ions and its applications in photocatalytic degradation","authors":"Pan Wu, Yu-Ling Wang, Xiao-Chu Zhang, Jia-Yi Bai, Xiao-Long Fu, Juntao Cao, Yan-Ming Liu","doi":"10.1039/d5nr00975h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00975h","url":null,"abstract":"Oxygen vacancies (OVs) are one of the most important strategies to modulate the photocatalytic properties of nanomaterials, but usually the preparation of OVs is complicated and difficult, so the development of a simple, gentle, and efficient method to prepare OVs is crucial. Herein, Cu/Cu<small>₂</small>O NPs with a small number of OVs were prepared by one-step reduction method at first. Then with the addition of halogen ions (F<small>^–</small>, Cl<small>^–</small>, Br<small>^–</small>, and I<small>^–</small>), Cu<small>₂</small>O-CuX NPs enriched with OVs were prepared at room temperature. And the effects of the addition of the halogen ions were analyzed. Cu<small>₂</small>O-CuF<small>₂</small> NPs had the highest content of OVs, which enables efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). Compared with Cu/Cu<small>₂</small>O NPs, Cu<small>₂</small>O-CuX NPs exhibit higher OVs content, narrower band gaps, and significantly improved photocurrent signal. These findings suggest that the introduction of halogen ions promotes the efficiency of light collection and charge carrier separation, and thus improving the degradation of MB. This work might open up new avenues for the design of superior photocatalysts for dealing with organic contaminants through OVs engineering.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144136951","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}

{"title":"Mechanism for spiral growth of β-antimonene on the pitted substrate: vacancy line aggregation triggered by nanoscale step-loops","authors":"Wenmin Li, Hao Hu, Yi Pan","doi":"10.1039/d5nr00728c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00728c","url":null,"abstract":"The rising new field of twistronics, which is centered on the mechanically twisted multilayers of two-dimensional materials (2DMs), is in need of direct growth methods for the desired samples. Here, we present a comprehensive strategy for synthesizing twisted multilayer 2DM via spiral growth mode. This strategy is based on first-principle calculations investigation of β-antimonene (β-Sb) on a pitted Ge(111) substrate surface with step-loops. Building on previous experimental observations, we have developed a theoretical model that elucidates the growth mechanism of the twist spiral structure. Our findings reveal that the step-loops play a crucial role in maintaining the lattice-mismatch-induced compressive strain in the β-Sb. As this strain accumulates, a vacancy line is inevitably formed in the first layer, facilitating the spiral dislocation in the second layer. It is also confirmed that the formation energy of the vacancies in β-Sb is lower in the high compressive strain state, and these vacancies tend to aggregate and form a linear structure. The kinetic study reveals a lower energy barrier for vacancy migration in the high compressive state. This theory presents a detailed growth mechanism for the spiral-assisted twist structure of 2D materials, which would be candidate samples for twistronics.","PeriodicalId":92,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137199","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}