Abstract: Synthesis protocols for colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) with narrow size and shape distributions are of particular interest for the successful implementation of these nanocrystals into devices. Moreover, the preparation of NCs with well-defined crystal phases is of key importance. In this work, we show that Sn(IV)-thiolate complexes formed in situ strongly influence the nucleation and growth rates of colloidal Cu2-x S polyhedral NCs, thereby dictating their final size, shape, and crystal structure. This allowed us to successfully synthesize hexagonal bifrustums and hexagonal bipyramid NCs with low-chalcocite crystal structure, and hexagonal nanoplatelets with various thicknesses and aspect ratios with the djurleite crystal structure, by solely varying the concentration of Sn(IV)-additives (namely, SnBr4) in the reaction medium. Solution and solid-state 119Sn NMR measurements show that SnBr4 is converted in situ to Sn(IV)-thiolate complexes, which increase the Cu2-x S nucleation barrier without affecting the precursor conversion rates. This influences both the nucleation and growth rates in a concentration-dependent fashion and leads to a better separation between nucleation and growth. Our approach of tuning the nucleation and growth rates with in situ-generated Sn-thiolate complexes might have a more general impact due to the availability of various metal-thiolate complexes, possibly resulting in polyhedral NCs of a wide variety of metal-sulfide compositions.

Abstract: A polycrystalline sample of SrLa2Ni2TeO9 has been synthesized using a standard ceramic method and characterized by neutron diffraction, magnetometry and electron microscopy. The compound adopts a monoclinic, perovskite-like structure with space group P2(1)/n in and unit cell parameters a=5.6008(1), b = 5.5872(1), c=7.9018(2) angstrom, p=90.021(6)degrees at room temperature. The two crystallographically-distinct B sites are occupied by Ni2+ and Te6+ in ratios of 83:17 and 50:50. Both ac and dc magnetometry suggest that the compound is a spin glass below 35 K but the neutron diffraction data show that some regions of the sample are antiferromagnetic. Electron microscopy revealed twinning on a nanoscale and local variations in composition. These defects are thought to be responsible for the presence of two distinct types of antiferromagnetic ordering. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Abstract: A joint action of ssDNA aptamers and electrochemistry is a key element in developing successful biosensing platforms, since aptamers are capable of binding various targets with high specificity, and electrochemistry is one of the most sensitive techniques for on-site detections. A continuous search for improved immobilization and sensing strategies of aptamers on transducer surfaces resulted in the strategy presented in this article. The strategy is based on the covalent attachment of gold nanoparticles on the surface of glassy carbon electrodes through sulfhydryl-terminated monolayer, acting as a glue to connect AuNPs on the electrode. The covalently attached gold nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrodes have been applied for the efficient immobilization of thiolated ssDNA probes, with a surface coverage of about 8.54 × 1013 molecules cm−2 which was 7-fold higher than that on the electrochemically deposited gold nanoparticles. Consequently, improved sensitivity, good reproducibility and stability are achieved for electrochemical aptasensor. Combined with the high affinity and specificity of an aptamer, a simple, novel, rapid, sensitive and label-free electrochemical aptasensor was successfully fabricated for ofloxacin (OFL) detection. The linear dynamic range of the sensor varies between 5 × 10−8 to 2 × 10−5 M OFL with a detection limit of 1 × 10−9 M OFL. A potential application in environmental monitoring was demonstrated by using this sensing strategy for the determination of OFL in (experimentally spiked) real samples such as tap water and effluent of sewage treatment plant. The proposed nanoaptasensor combines the advantages of the covalent attachment of neatly arranged AuNPs (enlarged active surface area and strengthened electrochemical signal) and the elimination of labels for the amplified detection of OFL, with the covalent attachment of highly specific aptamers to the surface of the modified electrode.

Abstract: By using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function-based methods, we investigated the electronic and transport properties of a TiS3 monolayer p-n junction. We constructed a lateral p-n junction on a TiS3 monolayer using Li and F adatoms. An applied bias voltage caused significant variability in the electronic and transport properties of the TiS3 p-n junction. In addition, the spin-dependent current-volt-age characteristics of the constructed TiS3 p-n junction were analyzed. Important device characteristics were found, such as negative differential resistance and rectifying diode behaviors for spin-polarized currents in the TiS3 p-n junction. These prominent conduction properties of the TiS3 p-n junction offer remarkable opportunities for the design of nanoelectronic devices based on a recently synthesized single-layered material.

Abstract: The structural complexity of the antiferromagnetic oxide selenide CaFeSeO is described. The compound contains puckered FeSeO layers composed of FeSe2O2 tetrahedra sharing all their vertexes. Two polymorphs coexist that can be derived from an archetype BaZnSO structure by cooperative tilting of the FeSe2O2 tetrahedra. The polymorphs differ in the relative arrangement of the puckered layers of vertex-linked FeSe2O2 tetrahedra. In a noncentrosymmetric Cmc21 polymorph (a = 3.89684(2) A, b = 13.22054(8) A, c = 5.93625(2) A) the layers are related by the C-centering translation, while in a centrosymmetric Pmcn polymorph, with a similar cell metric (a = 3.89557(6) A, b = 13.2237(6) A, c = 5.9363(3) A), the layers are related by inversion. The compound shows long-range antiferromagnetic order below a Neel temperature of 159(1) K with both polymorphs showing antiferromagnetic coupling via Fe-O-Fe linkages and ferromagnetic coupling via Fe-Se-Fe linkages within the FeSeO layers. The magnetic susceptibility also shows evidence for weak ferromagnetism which is modeled in the refinements of the magnetic structure as arising from an uncompensated spin canting in the noncentrosymmetric polymorph. There is also a spin glass component to the magnetism which likely arises from the disordered regions of the structure evident in the transmission electron microscopy.

Abstract: Hetero-nanocrystals consisting of a CdSe core and a giant CdS shell have shown remarkable optical properties which are promising for applications in opto-electrical devices. Since these properties sensitively depend on the size and shape, a morphological characterization is of high interest. Here, we present a High Angle Annular Dark Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM) study of CdSe (core) / CdS (giant shell) hetero-nanocrystals. Electron tomography reveals that the nanocrystals have a bullet shape, either ending in a tip or a small dip, and that the CdSe core is positioned closer to the tip (or dip) than to the hexagonal base. Based on a high resolution HAADF-STEM study, we were able to determine all the surface facets. We present a heuristic model for the different growth stages of the CdS crystal around the CdSe core.

Abstract: Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various environmental applications, but the crucial question is whether plasma can be created inside catalyst pores and under which conditions. In practice, various catalytic support materials are used, with various dielectric constants. We investigate here the influence of the dielectric constant on the plasma properties inside catalyst pores and in the sheath in front of the pores, for various pore sizes. The calculations are performed by a two-dimensional fluid model for an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in helium. The electron impact ionization rate, electron temperature, electron and ion density, as well as the potential distribution and surface charge density, are analyzed for a better understanding of the discharge behavior inside catalyst pores. The results indicate that, in a 100 μm pore, the electron impact ionization in the pore, which is characteristic for the plasma generation inside the pore, is greatly enhanced for dielectric constants below 300. Smaller pore sizes only yield enhanced ionization for smaller dielectric constants, i.e., up to εr = 200, 150, and 50 for pore sizes of 50, 30, and 10 μm. Thus, the most common catalyst supports, i.e., Al2O3 and SiO2, which have dielectric constants around εr = 8−11 and 4.2, respectively, should allow more easily that microdischarges can be formed inside catalyst pores, even for smaller pore sizes. On the other hand, ferroelectric materials with dielectric constants above 300 never seem to yield plasma enhancement inside catalyst pores, not even for 100 μm pore sizes. Furthermore, it is clear that the dielectric constant of the material has a large effect on the extent of plasma enhancement inside the catalyst pores, especially in the range between εr = 4 and εr = 200. The obtained results are explained in detail based on the surface charge density at the pore walls,
and the potential distribution and electron temperature inside and above the pores. The results obtained with this model are
important for plasma catalysis, as the production plasma species in catalyst pores might affect the catalyst properties, and thus
improve the applications of plasma catalysis.

Abstract: Recent studies are concisely reviewed, in which X-ray beams of (sub)micrometre to millimetre dimensions have been used for non-destructive analysis and characterization of pigments, minute paint samples, and/or entire paintings from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century painters. The overview presented encompasses the use of laboratory and synchrotron radiation-based instrumentation and deals with the use of several variants of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a method of elemental analysis and imaging, as well as with the combined use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Microscopic XRF is a variant of the method that is well suited to visualize the elemental distribution of key elements, mostly metals, present in paint multi-layers, on the length scale from 1 to 100 μm inside micro-samples taken from paintings. In the context of the characterization of artists pigments subjected to natural degradation, the use of methods limited to elemental analysis or imaging usually is not sufficient to elucidate the chemical transformations that have taken place. However, at synchrotron facilities, combinations of μ-XRF with related methods such as μ-XAS and μ-XRD have proven themselves to be very suitable for such studies. Their use is often combined with microscopic Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and/or Raman microscopy since these methods deliver complementary information of high molecular specificity at more or less the same length scale as the X-ray microprobe techniques. Since microscopic investigation of a relatively limited number of minute paint samples, taken from a given work of art, may not yield representative information about the entire artefact, several methods for macroscopic, non-invasive imaging have recently been developed. Those based on XRF scanning and full-field hyperspectral imaging appear very promising; some recent published results are discussed.

Abstract: Solvent vapor annealing (SVA) is one of the main techniques to improve the morphology of bulk heterojunction solar cells using oligomeric donors. In this report, we study time evolution of nanoscale morphological changes in bulk heterojunctions based on a well-studied dithienopyrrole-based A-D-A oligothiophene (dithieno[3,2-b: 2',3'-d] pyrrole named here 1) blended with [6,6]-phenyl-C-71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) to increase photocurrent density by combining scanning transmission electron microscopy and low-energy-loss spectroscopy. Our results show that SVA transforms the morphology of 1 : PC71BM blends by a three-stage mechanism: highly intermixed phases evolve into nanostructured bilayers that correspond to an optimal blend morphology. Additional SVA leads to completely phaseseparated micrometer-sized domains. Optical spacers were used to increase light absorption inside optimized 1 : PC71BM blends leading to solar cells of 7.74% efficiency but a moderate photocurrent density of 12.3 mA cm (-2). Quantum efficiency analyses reveal that photocurrent density is mainly limited by losses inside the donor phase. Indeed, optimized 1 : PC71BM blends consist of large donor-enriched domains not optimal for exciton to photocurrent conversion. Shorter SVA times lead to smaller domains; however they are embedded in large mixed phases suggesting that introduction of stronger molecular packing may help us to better balance phase separation and domain size enabling more efficient bulk heterojunction solar cells.

Abstract: We investigate the role of transition metal atoms of group V-b (V, Nb, Ta) and VI-b (Cr, Mo, W) as n- or p-type dopants in anatase TiO$_2$ using thermodynamic
principles and density functional theory with the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof HSE06 hybrid functional. The HSE06 functional provides a realistic value for the band gap, which ensures a correct classification of dopants as shallow or deep donors or acceptors. Defect formation energies and thermodynamic transition levels are calculated taking into account the constraints imposed by the stability of TiO$_2$ and the solubility limit of the impurities.
Nb, Ta, W and Mo are identified as shallow donors. Although W provides two electrons, Nb and Ta show a considerable lower formation energy, in particular under O-poor conditions. Mo donates in principle one electron, but under specific conditions can turn into a double donor. V impurities are deep donors and Cr
shows up as an amphoteric defect, thereby acting as an electron trapping center in n-type TiO$_2$ especially under O-rich conditions. A comparison with the available experimental data yields excellent agreement.

Abstract: Density functional theory calculations are used to study gas adsorption properties of a recently synthesized CaO monolayer, which is found to be thermodynamically stable in its buckled form. Due to its topology and strong interaction with the CO2 molecules, this material possesses a remarkably high CO2 uptake capacity (similar to 0.4 g CO2 per g adsorbent). The CaO + CO2 system shows excellent thermal stability (up to 1000 K). Moreover, the material is highly selective towards CO2 against other major greenhouse gases such as CH4 and N2O. These advantages make this material a very promising candidate for CO2 capture and storage applications.

Abstract: The substitution of vanadium in vanadium dioxide VO2 influences the critical temperatures of structural and metal-to-insulator transitions in different ways depending on the valence of the dopant. Rhenium adopts valence states between + 4 and + 7 in an octahedral oxygen surrounding and is particularly interesting in this context. Structural investigation of V1-xRexO2 solid solutions (0.01 <= x <= 0.30) between 80 and 1200 K using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction revealed only two polymorphs that resemble VO2: the low-temperature monoclinic MoO2-type form (space group P2(1)/c), and the tetragonal rutile-like form (space group P4(2)/mnm). However, for compositions with 0.03 < x <= 0.15 a phase separation in the solid solution was observed below 1000 K upon cooling down from 1200 K, giving rise to two isostructural phases with slightly different lattice parameters. This is reflected in the appearance of two metal-toinsulator transition temperatures detected by magnetization and specific heat measurements. Comprehensive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies showed that an increased amount of Re leads to a change in the Re valence state from solely Re6+ at a low doping level (<= 3 at% Re) via mixed-valence states Re4+/Re6+ for at least 0.03 < x <= 0.10, up to nearly pure Re4+ in V0.70Re0.30O2. Thus, compositions V1-xRexO2 with only one valence state of Re in the material (Re6+ or Re4+) can be obtained as a single phase, while intermediate compositions are subjected to a phase separation, presumably due to different valence states of Re.

Abstract: The polar corundum structure type offers a route to new room temperature multiferroic materials, as the partial LiNbO3-type cation ordering that breaks inversion symmetry may be combined with long-range magnetic ordering of high spin d(5) cations above room temperature in the AFeO(3) system. We report the synthesis of a polar corundum GaFeO3 by a high-pressure, high-temperature route and demonstrate that its polarity arises from partial LiNbO3 -type cation ordering by complementary use of neutron, X-ray, and electron diffraction methods. In situ neutron diffraction shows that the polar corundum forms directly from AlFeO3-type GaFeO3 under the synthesis conditions. The A(3+)/Fe3+ cations are shown to be more ordered in polar corundum GaFeO3 than in isostructural ScFeO3. This is explained by DFT calculations which indicate that the extent of ordering is dependent on the configurational entropy available to each system at the very different synthesis temperatures required to form their corundum structures. Polar corundum GaFeO3 exhibits weak ferromagnetism at room temperature that arises from its Fe2O3-like magnetic ordering, which persists to a temperature of 408 K. We demonstrate that the polarity and magnetization are coupled in this system with a measured linear magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of 0.057 ps/m. Such coupling is a prerequisite for potential applications of polar corundum materials in multiferroic/magnetoelectric devices.

Abstract: We show here that thermal treatment of small seeds results in extensive twinning and a subsequent drastic yield improvement (>85%) in the formation of pentatwinned nanoparticles, with pre-selected morphology (nanorods, bipyramids and decahedra) and aspect ratio. The “quality” of the seeds thus defines the yield of the obtained nanoparticles, which in the case of nanorods avoids the need for additives such as Ag+ ions. This modified seeded growth method also improves reproducibility, as the seeds can be stored for extended periods of time without compromising the quality of the final nanoparticles. Additionally, minor modification of the seeds with Pd allows their localization within the final particles, which opens new avenues toward mechanistic studies. All together, these results represent a paradigm shift in anisotropic gold nanoparticle synthesis.