Abstract: Filamentous cable bacteria display long-range electron transport, generating electrical currents over centimeter distances through a highly ordered network of fibers embedded in their cell envelope. The conductivity of these periplasmic wires is exceptionally high for a biological material, but their chemical structure and underlying electron transport mechanism remain unresolved. Here, we combine high-resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, and chemical imaging on individual cable bacterium filaments to demonstrate that the periplasmic wires consist of a conductive protein core surrounded by an insulating protein shell layer. The core proteins contain a sulfur-ligated nickel cofactor, and conductivity decreases when nickel is oxidized or selectively removed. The involvement of nickel as the active metal in biological conduction is remarkable, and suggests a hitherto unknown form of electron transport that enables efficient conduction in centimeter-long protein structures.

Abstract: Electron microscopy is a powerful tool for studying the properties of materials down to their atomic structure. In many cases, the quantitative interpretation of images requires simulations based on atomistic structure models. These typically use the independent atom approximation that neglects bonding effects, which may, however, be measurable and of physical interest. Since all electrons and the nuclear cores contribute to the scattering potential, simulations that go beyond this approximation have relied on computationally highly demanding all-electron calculations. Here, we describe a new method to generate ab initio electrostatic potentials when describing the core electrons by projector functions. Combined with an interface to quantitative image simulations, this implementation enables an easy and fast means to model electron scattering. We compare simulated transmission electron microscopy images and diffraction patterns to experimental data, showing an accuracy equivalent to earlier all-electron calculations at a much lower computational cost.

Abstract: As-produced single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) tend to aggregate in bundles due to pi-pi interactions. Several approaches are nowadays available to debundle, at least partially, the nanotubes through surface modification by both covalent and noncovalent approaches. Herein, we explore different strategies to afford an efficient covalent functionalization of SWCNTs with cobaltabisdicarbollide anions. Aberration-corrected HRTEM analysis reveals the presence of metallacarboranes along the walls of the SWCNTs. This new family of materials presents an outstanding water dispersibility that facilitates its processability for potential applications.

Abstract: Nanoscale materials are one of the few engineering materials that can be grown from the bottom up in a controlled manner. Here, the effects of nanostructure and nanoscale conformal coating on the mechanical behavior of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays through experiments and simulation are systematically investigated. A modeling approach is developed and used to quantify the compressive strength and modulus of the CNT array under large deformation. The model accounts for the porous
nanostructure, which contains multiple CNTs with random waviness, van der Waals interactions, fracture strain, contacts, and frictional forces. CNT array micropillars are grown and their porous nanostructure is controlled by the infi ltration and deposition of thin conformal coatings using chemical vapor deposition. Flat-punch nanoindentation experiments reveal signifi cant changes in material properties as a function of coating thickness. The simulations explain the experimental results and show the novel failure transition regime that changes from collective CNT buckling toward structural collapse due to fracture. The compressive strength and the elastic
modulus increase exponentially as a function of the coating thickness and demonstrate a unique dependency on the CNT waviness. More interestingly, a design rule is identifi ed that predicts the optimum coating thickness for porous materials.

Abstract: In situ TEM is a valuable technique to offer novel insights in the behavior of nanomaterials under various conditions. However, interpretation of in situ experiments is not straightforward since the electron beam can impact the outcome of such measurements. For example, ligands surrounding metal nanoparticles transform into a protective carbon layer upon electron beam irradiation and may impact the apparent thermal stability during in situ heating experiments. In this work, we explore the effect of different treatments typically proposed to remove such ligands. We found that plasma treatment prior to heating experiments for Au nanorods and nanostars increased the apparent thermal stability of the nanoparticles, while an activated carbon treatment resulted in a decrease of the observed thermal stability. Treatment with HCl barely changed the experimental outcome. These results demonstrate the importance of carefully selecting pre-treatments procedures during in situ heating experiments.

Abstract: The superstructure of the RE(2)(Sr0.85-xBaxNd0.15)(2)GaCU2O9 compound is found to change significantly with increasing substitution of Ba for Sr. Most of the changes take place in the (Sr0.85-xBaxNd0.15)O-GaO-(Sr0.85-xBaxNd0.15)O lamella, the rest of the basic structure being hardly affected. The structural changes for O less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.65 are studied by electron diffraction. The arrangement of the chains of GaO4 tetrahedra in the Ba-free compound becomes disordered at x > 0.25. At x similar to 0.65 a rearrangement of the chains in the GaO layers takes place; they form a meandering arrangement, which can be described on a 4a(p) x 2a(p) x c(p) superlattice. This rearrangement is accompanied by ordering of Ba and Sr atoms in the adjacent (ST0.85-xBaxNd0.15)O layers. A simple scheme is proposed to explain the influence of the substitution of Ba for Sr on the linking of the GaO4 tetrahedra and on the geometry of the ''chains'' in the GaO layer.

Abstract: Polycrystalline CuInSe2 semiconductors are efficient light absorber materials for thin film solar cell technology, whereas printing is one of the promising low cost and non-vacuum approaches for the fabrication of thin film solar cells. The printed precursors are transformed into a dense polycrystalline CuInSe2 semiconductor film via thermal treatment in ambient selenium atmosphere (selenization). In this study, the effect of the selenium content in high purity mechanically synthesized CuInSex (x = 2, 1.5, 1 or 0.5) alloy precursors on the recrystallization of the CuInSe2 phase during the selenization process was investigated. The nanostructure and phase variation of CuInSex nanopowders were investigated by different characterization techniques. The recrystallization process of the 12 μm thick CuInSex coatings into the CuInSe2 phase during selenization in selenium vapor was investigated via in-situ high temperature X-ray diffraction. The CuInSex precursors with lower selenium content showed a more pronounced phase conversion into CuInSe2 compared to the higher selenium content CuInSex precursors. Moreover, the CuInSex (x = 0.5 and 1) precursor resulted in a denser polycrystalline CuInSe2 semiconductor film with larger crystals. This could be attributed to a more intensive atomic interdiffusion within the CuInSex precursor system compared to a CuInSe2 phase precursor, and the formation of intermediate CuSe and CuSe2 fluxing phases during selenization.

Abstract: Epitaxial thin film heterostructures of high dielectric PbZr_1-xTi_xO₃ (PZT) and La_1-xA_xMnO₃ (A-divalent alkaline earth metals such as Sr (LSMO) and Ca (LCMO)) were grown on SrTiO₃ substrates and their structure, temperature dependence of electrical resistivity, and magnetization were investigated as a function of the thickness of the LSMO(LCMO) layer. The microstructures of the samples were analyzed by TEM. By applying an electric field across the PZT layer, we applied a ferrodistortive pressure on the manganite layer and studied the correlations between lattice distortion and electric transport and magnetic properties of the CMR materials.

Abstract: In order to take advantage of both grain refinement and precipitation hardening effects, nanoscaled Ni4Ti3 precipitates are introduced in a Ti50.8 at.% Ni alloy with micron-sized grains (average grain size of 1.7 μm). Calorimetry, electrical resistance studies and thermomechanical tests were employed to study the transformation behavior and functional properties in relation to the obtained microstructure. A significant suppression of martensite transformation by the obtained microstructure is observed. The thermomechanical tests show that the advantageous properties of both grain refinement and precipitation hardening are combined in the developed materials, resulting in superior shape memory characteristics and stability of pseudoelasticity. It is concluded that introducing nanoscaled Ni4Ti3 precipitates into small grains is a new approach to improve the functional properties of NiTi shape memory alloys.

Abstract: Efforts to improve the cell efficiency of hydrogen production by water electrolysis continue to address the electrochemical kinetics of the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions in detail. The objective of this work is to study a parasitic reaction occurring during the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), namely the absorption of hydrogen atoms into the bulk electrode. Effects of the electrode microstructure and internal stress on this reaction have been addressed as well in this paper. Ni thin film samples were deposited on a Si substrate by sputter deposition with different deposition pressures, resulting in different microstructures and varying levels of internal stress. These microstructures were first analyzed in detail by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Cathodic chrono-amperometric measurements and cyclic voltammetries have then been performed in a homemade electrochemical cell. These tests were coupled to a multi-beam optical sensor (MOS) in order to obtain in-situ curvature measurements during hydrogen absorption. Indeed, since hydrogen absorption in the thin film geometry results in a constrained volume expansion, internal stress generation during HER can be monitored by means of curvature measurements. Our results show that different levels of internal stress, grain size and twin boundary density can be obtained by varying the deposition parameters. From an electrochemical point of view, this paper highlights the fact that the electrochemical surface mechanisms during HER are the same for all the electrodes, regardless of their microstructure. However it is shown that the absolute amount of hydrogen being absorbed into the Ni thin films increases when the grain size is reduced, due to a higher grain boundaries density which are favourite absorption sites for hydrogen. At the same time, it was concluded that H-2 evolution is favoured at electrodes having a more compressive (i.e. a less tensile) internal stress. Finally, the subtle effect of microstructure on the hydrogen absorption rate will be discussed as well. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The SiC/Al composites have been fabricated by a vacuum hot pressing (VHP) process in order to study the effect of interface evolution on the global thermal conductivity (TC). By optimizing the VHP parameters of sintering temperature and time, the three different kinds of SiC/Al interface configurations, that is, non-bonded, diffusion-bonded, and reaction-bonded interfaces, are formed and identified by measurement of relative density, X-ray diffraction, scanning and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy. The VHPed composite sintered at 655 °C for 60 min is fully dense and presents a tightly-adhered and clean SiC/Al interface at the nanoscale, the ideal diffusion-bonded interface being the most favorable for minimizing interfacial thermal resistance, which in turn results in the highest TC of around 270 W/mK.

Abstract: This paper discusses the nucleation behaviour of the CoSi to CoSi2 transformation from cobalt silicide thin films grown by deposition at elevated substrate temperatures ranging from 375 °C to 600 °C. A combination of channelling, real-time Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, real-time x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the effect of the deposition temperature on the subsequent formation temperature of CoSi2, its growth behaviour, and the epitaxial quality of the CoSi2 thus formed. The temperature at which deposition took place was observed to exert a significant and systematic influence on both the formation temperature of CoSi2 and its growth mechanism. CoSi films grown at the lowest temperatures were found to increase the CoSi2 nucleation temperature above that of CoSi2 grown by conventional solid phase reaction, whereas the higher deposition temperatures reduced the nucleation temperature significantly. In addition, a systematic change in growth mechanism of the subsequent CoSi2 growth occurs as a function of deposition temperature. First, the CoSi2 growth rate from films grown at the lower reactive deposition temperatures is substantially lower than that grown at higher reactive deposition temperatures, even though the onset of growth occurs at a higher temperature, Second, for deposition temperatures below 450 °C, the growth appears columnar, indicating nucleation controlled growth. Elevated deposition temperatures, on the other hand, render the CoSi2 formation process layer-by-layer which indicates enhanced nucleation of the CoSi2 and diffusion controlled growth. Our results further indicate that this observed trend is most likely related to stress and changes in microstructure introduced during reactive deposition of the CoSi film. The deposition temperature therefore provides a handle to tune the CoSi2 growth mechanism.