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Designing smart electrodes is the key to the efficient water splitting for the production of large scale hydrogen as a clean energy source. In this study, we prepare an organic chiral molecule modified Au–Ni bilayer thin film electrode to examine the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect on water splitting. Electrodes with bilayer configuration consisting of thin Ni layer (100 nm) with an Au over layer (10 nm) are prepared on glass substrates by combined sputtering, thermal evaporation techniques. Subsequently, self-assembled monolayer of chiral L-Cysteine molecule is immobilized on the as-prepared Ni/Au surface by chemisorption method. The electrocatalytic behaviour of as-modified chiral electrodes (Ni/Au/Cys) has been investigated in 0.1 M KOH solution. Our results show that for achieving the current density of 5 mAcm−2 the reaction over potential decreases by 390 mV while 5-fold increase in the current density value is achieved at a fixed over potential with chiral Ni/Au/Cys thin film compared to the achiral (bare) bilayer Ni/Au thin film during oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The dramatic reduction of over potential for OER has been attributed to the spin specific reaction occurring at the chiral Ni/Au/Cys electrodes during water splitting. On the other hand, we observe that there is a decrease of 260 mV over potential with more than 11-fold increase in the absolute current density value (∼153 mAcm−2 at −0.6 V) for Ni/Au/Cys thin film than bare Ni/Au thin film in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The excellent bifunctional catalytic property of Ni/Au/Cys has been attributed to the synergistic effect of chirality and bilayer configuration present in the primary structure of cysteine molecule and Ni/Au thin films respectively.

We report measured Tc of superconducting Ti/Au bilayer strips with a width W varying from 5 to 50 µm. The strips were fabricated based on a Ti/Au bilayer that consists of a 41-nm-thick Ti layer to which a 280-nm-thick Au layer was added. We find that the Tc drops as W decreases and the declining trend almost perfectly follows Tc/ [mK] = - 738.4 [μ m] 2/ W2+ 91.0 , where Tc(W= ∞) of 91 mK is consistent with the intrinsic Tc of the bilayer. The result is interpreted as a consequence of the lateral inverse proximity effect originated in normal-metal microstructures, namely Au overhangs that exist at the edges of the Ti/Au bilayer. The Tc shift from the intrinsic Tc should be anticipated in addition to the longitudinal proximity effect from superconducting Nb leads when one designs Ti/Au TESs.

Dünne Silizium- und Germaniumdioxidfilme auf Ru(0001)-Kristallen werden hinsichtlich dynamischer Prozesse untersucht. Zwischen Oxidfilm und Substrat befinden sich Sauerstoffatome, die eine ent-scheidende Rolle in diesen Systemen spielen. Zunächst werden diese Sauerstofflagen auf Ru(0001) mittels Hochgeschwindigkeits-Rastertunnelmikroskopie (STM) analysiert. Daraufhin wird die GeO2-Monolage auf Ru(0001) bei hohen Bildraten mit einer selbstentwickelten halbautomatischen Netz-werkdetektion untersucht. Schließlich wird die SiO2-Bilage auf Ru(0001) mit konventionellen sowie mit schnellen STM-Messungen bei Raumtemperatur und bei 600 K abgebildet. Um schnelle Messungen bei hohen Temperaturen zu realisieren, wird ein Hochgeschwindigkeits-STM konstruiert, welches bei unterschiedlichen Temperaturen betrieben werden kann. Unkon-ventionelle Spiralgeometrien ermöglichen verzerrungsfreie Bilder in weniger als 10 ms aufzunehmen. Die adsorbierten Sauerstofflagen werden erstmals bei hohen Bildraten untersucht. Die experimen-tellen Ergebnisse werden durch extern durchgeführte Dichtefunktionaltheorie-Berechnungen ergänzt. In den auf Ru(0001) bei Raumtemperatur stabilen Sauerstofflagen O(2×2), O(2×1) und 3O(2×2) werden dynamische Prozesse beobachtet. Die Besetzung des Zwischenzustandes entlang des Diffusionspfades und schnelle "Umklapp"-Prozesse eindimensionaler Linien werden auf atomarer Ebene aufgelöst. Komplexe Domänengrenzen in der GeO2-Monolage auf Ru(0001) werden mit Hochgeschwindigkeits-STM abgebildet. Die Messungen an der SiO2-Bilage auf Ru(0001) zeigen dynamische Änderungen des Abbildungskontrasts, die mit den mobilen Sauertsoffatomen an der Grenzfläche zusammenhängen können. Messungen bei hohen Temperaturen zeigen dynamische Kontraständerungen von mesoskopischen Strukturen. Diese Messungen stellen die ersten schnellen Hochtemperatur-STM-Aufnahmen des Siliziumdioxidfilms dar und bilden die Grundlage für künftige Studien zu dynamischen Veränderungen in dünnen Oxidschichtsystemen., Dynamics related to thin silicon- and germanium dioxide films that are grown on Ru(0001) crystals are investigated. Between the film and the metal support oxygen species are present that play a crucial role for these film systems. First, these oxygen adlayers on Ru(0001) are analyzed by high-speed scan-ning tunneling microscopy (STM) with the focus on dynamic processes. In a next step, the monolayer of germanium dioxide (germania) supported on Ru(0001) is studied at elevated frame rates and with a self-designed semi-automated network detection. Finally, the bilayer of silicon dioxide (silica) on Ru(0001) is studied by conventional and by high-speed STM both at room temperature and at 600 K. To realize fast STM measurements at elevated temperatures, a high-speed STM is designed that can operate at variable temperatures. Images are acquired in less than 10 ms with unconventional spiral scan patterns. The dynamics in oxygen adlayers are investigated for the first time at elevated frame rates. Experimental results are supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations performed externally. Dynamic events are observed in the oxygen adlayers that are stable on Ru(0001) at room temperature, namely O(2×2), O(2×1), and 3O(2×2). The occupation of an intermediate state along the oxygen diffusion pathway and fast "flipping" events of atomic one-dimensional stripe patterns are observed. On the germania monolayer on Ru(0001), complex domain boundary structures are resolved with high-speed STM. In high-speed scans on the silica bilayer on Ru(0001), dynamic changes of the imaging contrast are observed that may relate to the mobile species in the oxygen interfacial layer. Measurements at elevated temperature reveal dynamic contrast changes of mesoscopic features. These measurements constitute the first high-speed STM scans on the silica film at elevated temperatures and form the basis for future studies with the focus on dynamic processes in thin oxide film systems.

Defining and visualizing the three-dimensional (3D) structures of pharmaceuticals provides a new and important tool to elucidate the phenomenal behavior and underlying mechanisms of drug delivery systems. The mechanism of drug release from complex structured dosage forms, such as bilayer osmotic pump tablets, has not been investigated widely for most solid 3D structures. In this study, bilayer osmotic pump tablets undergoing dissolution, as well as after dissolution in a desiccated solid state were examined, and visualized by synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SR-μCT). In situ formed 3D structures at different in vitro drug release states were characterized comprehensively. A distinct movement pattern of NaCl crystals from the push layer to the drug layer was observed, beneath the semi-permeable coating in the desiccated tablet sample. The 3D structures at different dissolution time revealed that the pushing upsurge in the bilayer osmotic pump tablet was directed via peripheral “roadways”. Typically, different regions of the osmotic front, infiltration region, and dormant region were classified in the push layer during the dissolution of drug from tablet samples. According to the observed 3D microstructures, a “subterranean river model” for the drug release mechanism has been defined to explain the drug release mechanism.

Engineering a complete, physiologically functional, periodontal complex structure remains a great clinical challenge due to the highly hierarchical architecture of the periodontium and coordinated regulation of multiple growth factors required to induce stem cell multilineage differentiation. Using biomimetic self-assembly and microstamping techniques, we construct a hierarchical bilayer architecture consisting of intrafibrillarly mineralized collagen resembling bone and cementum, and unmineralized parallel-aligned fibrils mimicking periodontal ligament. The prepared biphasic scaffold possesses unique micro/nano structure, differential mechanical properties, and growth factor-rich microenvironment between the two phases, realizing a perfect simulation of natural periodontal hard/soft tissue interface. The interconnected porous hard compartment with a Young's modulus of 1409.00 ± 160.83 MPa could induce cross-arrangement and osteogenic differentiation of stem cells in vitro, whereas the micropatterned soft compartment with a Young's modulus of 42.62 ± 4.58 MPa containing abundant endogenous growth factors, could guide parallel arrangement and fibrogenic differentiation of stem cells in vitro. After implantation in critical-sized complete periodontal tissue defect, the biomimetic bilayer architecture potently reconstructs native periodontium with the insertion of periodontal ligament fibers into newly formed cementum and alveolar bone by recruiting host mesenchymal stem cells and activating the transforming growth factor beta 1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Taken together, integration of self-assembly and microstamping strategies could successfully fabricate a hierarchical bilayer architecture, which exhibits great potential for recruiting and regulating host stem cells to promote synergistic regeneration of hard/soft tissues., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights •A CGF/IMC biphasic scaffold is made by a self-assembly integrated microstamping strategy. •CGF/IMC mimics periodontium in micro/nano structure, mechanics and growth factor environment. •CGF/IMC bidirectionally regulates osteogenic/fibrogenic differentiation of stem cells. •CGF/IMC achieves complete periodontal regeneration by recruiting host stem cells.

Ultrastrong nanolayered metallic composites are usually subjected to low ductility due to plastic instability during deformation. Here we investigated the shear instability of a newly designed heterogeneous nanolayered Cu/Zr composites by microindentation. The heterogeneity in size was generated by inserting a few thin Cu-Zr bilayers with an individual layer thickness of 2.5 - 10 nm into the interface region of the Cu/Zr layered composites with an individual layer thickness of 100 nm. The microindentation tests showed that multiple shear bands appeared in the heterogeneous composite with one bilayer, whereas only a single shear band was formed in that with two or three bilayers. Most importantly, the layer strain in the multi-shear band region is much smaller than that in the single-shear band area. For example, the strain of the 100 nm layers within the shear band in the composite with one 10 nm bilayer could reach as low as 2.8, which was less than half of that in the composite with three 10 nm bilayers, i.e., 6.1. These findings demonstrated that strain delocalization can be achieved through shear band multiplication if an appropriate number of thin bilayers were used as interlayers in the 100 nm Cu/Zr composites. Besides, compared with the homogeneous composite with an individual layer thickness of 100 nm and the bimodal composite which is composed of alternating one 100 nm Cu-Zr bilayer and two 10 nm Cu-Zr bilayers, the heterogeneous composite with one bilayer displayed a higher strength (2.15 GPa) and a favorable resistance to strain localization.

Few atom thick, twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) possesses a rotation angle (θ) dependent van Hove singularity (vHs). Fine-tuning vHs serves a potential method to enhance charge transfer (CT) in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. This study shows that tBLG having a specific θ promotes as high as a 1.7 times enhancement of the Raman signals of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as compared to that caused by single layer graphene (SLG). The results of a combination of reflection imaging spectroscopy and widefield Raman provide spatial and spectral information about both tBLG with θ ranging from 10.9 to 13.7° and the corresponding vHs. Comparison of Raman spectra of CuPc in presence and absence of tBLG demonstrates that a significant enhancement of certain CuPc vibrational modes occurs when the underlying tBLG possesses a θ = 12.2°, showing as high as 6.8 and 1.7 times enhancements of certain vibrational mode as compared to those of CuPc on bare and SLG substrates, respectively. Theoretical calculations indicate that a match between the energies of vHs of tBLG with those of frontier orbitals of CuPc facilitates CT from the distant SLG to CuPc.

Three different coatings, namely TiAlN, TiAlN (external)/NbN (internal) and NbN (external)/TiAlN (internal), were deposited on cemented carbides by arc ion plating. The comparative investigation conducted in this study elucidates the effect of the NbN layer and coating systems on the growth, mechanical properties, and tribological performance of the coatings. The results showed that the surface of the TiAlN and TiAlN/NbN coatings was smoother when TiAlN served as the external layer. The NbN/TiAlN coating, wherein NbN formed the external layer, had a much rougher but more symmetrical surface. With the introduction of the NbN layer, the increased micro stress induced a lower adhesion strength in the TiAlN/NbN and NbN/TiAlN coatings. The TiAlN/NbN and NbN/TiAlN coatings exhibited higher hardness and hardness/effective elastic modulus (H/E*). During the friction test, when the temperature was elevated to 700 °C, the tribological performance of the monolayer TiAlN coating was the lowest because of the TiO2-induced breakage of the dense tribo-oxide film. The NbN layer participated in the formation of a NbOx film at elevated temperatures, which was responsible for the high tribological performance of the two bilayer coatings. When the NbN layer was on the outermost layer and in direct contact with the elevated temperature atmosphere, the NbN/TiAlN coating generated a tribo-oxide film with high integrity, and its coefficient of friction decreased by 27% of that at room temperature. Therefore, the NbN/TiAlN coating exhibited the highest wear resistance at 700 °C.

Molecular self-assembly is the most important strategy for the development of chiral aggregates and chiral functional materials. In this study, we rationally designed and synthesized chiral fluorescent heteroclusters that were self-assembled into microscale cubosomes with a three-dimensional (3D) bicontinuous cubic phase nanostructure. The cubosomes exhibited chirality, indicating that chirality is transferred from the molecules to the 3D nanostructure. Therefore, we confirmed the formation of a chiral bicontinuous cubic phase nanostructure for the first time. We also showed that this chirality originates from the continuous change in the saddle-splay distortion of the molecules within the curved bilayer. At the same time, transparent films of chiral composites were prepared by mixing the chiral cubosomes with an epoxy resin and then curing the mixture. Therefore, we demonstrated an effective method for preparing chiral composites.

Though the function of peptide based nanotubes are well correlated with its shape and size, controlling the dimensions of nanotubes still remains a great challenge in the field of peptide self-assembly. Here, we demonstrated that the shell structure of nanotubes formed by a bola peptide Ac-KI3VK-NH2 (KI3VK, in which K, I, and V are abbreviations of lysine, isoleucine, and valine) can be regulated by mixing it with the salt sodium tartrate (STA). The ratio of KI3VK and STA had a great impact on shell structure of the nanotubes. Bilayer nanotubes can be constructed when the molar ratio of KI3VK and STA was less than 1:2. Both the two hydroxyls and the negative charges carried by STA were proved to play important roles in the bilayer nanotubes formation. Observations of different intermediates provided obvious evidence for the varied pathway of the bilayer nanotubes formation. Based on these experimental results, the possible mechanism for bilayer nanotubes formation was proposed. Such a study provides a simple and effective way for regulating the shell structure of the nanotubes and may expand their applications in different fields.

In this work, we identify the importance of C60 and compact-TiO2 (cTiO2) as electron transport layers on the device performance of coevaporated n–i–p perovskite solar cells. We found (1) a synergetic effect between both layers when extracting the charges and (2) that optimization of the C60 layer is essential for obtaining devices with enhanced device performance. In particular, we found that a C60 layer of an optimum thickness (20 nm), an additional charge transport resistance is observed by impedance analysis, indicating that devices with nonoptimized C60 thickness could limit the fabrication of highly efficient perovskite solar cells. N.K., C.M., A.O.A., and F.F.-S. thank the European Union′s Horizon 2020 research nos. 764787 and 763977. H.K. acknowledges the support of the H2020 program for Solar-ERANET funding of the BOBTANDEM (2019-2022) A.A.S. and C.I. acknowledge the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funding through Synergia Grant EPISODE (grant no. CRSII5_171000). The authors thank the project German Research Foundation (DFG) (Projekt number 424101351)–Swiss National Foundation (SNF) (200021E_186390). A.O.A. and F.F.-S. acknowledge Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) from Spain under the project ENE2017-85087-C3-1-R and Generalitat Valenciana under the project PROMETEO/2020/028 for financial support.

The encapsulation of genetic polymers inside lipid bilayer compartments (vesicles) is a vital step in the emergence of cell-based life. However, even though acidic conditions promote many reactions required for generating prebiotic building blocks, prebiotically relevant lipids tend to form denser aggregates at acidic pHs rather than prebiotically useful vesicles that exhibit sufficient solute encapsulation. Here, we describe how dehydration/rehydration (DR) events, a prebiotically relevant physicochemical process known to promote polymerization reactions, can remodel dense lipid aggregates into thin-walled vesicles capable of RNA encapsulation even at acidic pHs. Furthermore, DR events appear to favor the encapsulation of RNA within thin-walled vesicles over more lipid-rich vesicles, thus conferring such vesicles a selective advantage., Dehydration/rehydration events can yield protocells with enhanced RNA encapsulation, even under acidic conditions. This bolsters the importance of surficial environments for protocell formation.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are neutral lipid storage organelles surrounded by a phospholipid (PL) monolayer. LD biogenesis from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is driven by phase separation of neutral lipids, overcoming surface tension and membrane deformation. However, the core biophysics of the initial steps of LD formation remain relatively poorly understood. Here, we use a tunable, phenomenological coarse-grained (CG) model to study triacylglycerol (TG) nucleation in a bilayer membrane. We show that PL rigidity has a strong influence on TG lensing and membrane remodeling: When membrane rigidity increases, TG clusters remain more planar with high anisotropy but a minor degree of phase nucleation. This finding is confirmed by free energy sampling simulations that calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) as a function of the degree of nucleation and anisotropy. We also show that asymmetric tension, controlled by the number of PLs on each membrane leaflet, determines the budding direction. A TG lens buds in the direction of the monolayer containing excess PLs to allow for better PL coverage of TG, consistent with reported experiments. Finally, two governing mechanisms of the LD growth, Ostwald ripening and merging, are observed. Taken together, this study characterizes the interplay between two thermodynamic quantities during the initial LD phases, the TG bulk free energy and membrane remodeling energy.

In this work, we report the role of an embedded interface between two polymer thin films in determining the overall folding and actuation characteristics of a bilayer system applied for gripping submerged objects. Along with the material properties and geometry of the individual films involved, the strength of the embedded interface governs the folding behaviour of the bilayer when exposed to a solvent. The concentration gradient developed across the film thickness when exposed to the solvent results in the deformation of the film. The evolution of concentration through the film thickness as a function of time is closely related to the interface strength. It affects various aspects of the deformation, such as the direction of folding, curvature attained, and actuation rate. In this work, we have varied the strength of the interface between solvent responsive chitosan and hydrophobic Poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) by treating the substrate (chitosan) with varying concentrations of silane before coating. Experimentally, the folding characteristics of the solvent responsive bilayer films have been investigated for four different interfacial strengths. A coupled diffusion-deformation model for the film and a cohesive zone model for the interface is developed to provide insights into the underlying mechanism behind the observations made. Finally, the application of the bilayer as a gripper for submerged objects for two different types of interfaces is demonstrated. Interestingly, in this approach, the medium where the object is immersed acts as a trigger for folding the grippers.

A novel strategy to fabricate bilayer hydrogel actuators based on the asymmetric distribution of crystalline regions across the bilayer structures was proposed. By employing PVA polymer chains into an alkali solvent-derived chitosan hydrogel matrix, chitosan/PVA hybrid bilayer hydrogels with both excellent responsive bending and mechanical properties were obtained as pH-controlled manipulators. In the design, the chitosan/PVA hydrogels upon treatment with freeze-thawing cycles were taken as the first monolayer, where excessive crystalline regions appeared. The original chitosan/PVA hydrogel as the second monolayer was then integrated into one bilayer device through the chemical-crosslinking of epichlorohydrin at the interface. The results showed that the resultant chitosan/PVA bilayer hydrogel actuator with a weight ratio of 3 : 1 displayed better sensitivity upon exposure to stimuli. The actuation behaviors are strongly dependent on experimental parameters such as the pH, PVA content and the chemical-crosslinking density. It is proposed that the driving force originates from the asymmetric distribution of crystalline regions, thus resulting in differential swelling ratios between the monolayers. In addition, programmable 3D shape transformations were achieved by using the bilayer hydrogel with designed 2D geometric patterns, and the tailored gripper-like hydrogel actuator can successfully capture and transport the cargo. Moreover, this actuation behavior can be erased and re-written on demand under certain conditions. Taking advantage of this universal strategy, more attractive actuators derived from synthetic or natural polymers in combination with PVA are highly expected, which can be used as smart soft robots in various fields such as manipulators, grippers, and cantilever sensors.

By confining the secondary dimethylammonium (DMA) cation in the distorted perovskite cavity, we assembled a new 2D Ruddlesden-Popper metal halide perovskite of (i-BA)2(DMA)Pb2Br7 (i-BA = n-isobutylammonium), in which DMA cation templates its inorganic perovskite frameworks and its quantum-well motif renders fascinating photoresponse. Crystal-based planar arrays exhibit effective photodetection behaviors, including notable detectivity (~5.6×10^12 Jones), high responsivity (~1.25 A W-1) and large switching ratio (~ 1.5×10^3). Such properties result from its low dark current restricted to the hopping barrier of insulated organic bilayer and strong in-plane photoresponse correlated with the perovskite network. This work throws light on the targeted exploration of photosensitive candidates in the family of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites, as well as high-performance devices.

We investigated the effect of the thickness of superconducting layer on the competition between ferromagnetism and superconductivity. The epitaxial bilayer systems consisting of GdBa2Cu3O7-x (GdBCO) with varying thickness and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) were grown on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) substrate. From the spectroscopic measurements, we observed an existence of a possible structural coupling between the GdBCO and the LSMO layers. The structural coupling is found to depend on the GdBCO thickness and to induce different types of strain on both layers, leading to the competition between the ferromagnetic and the superconducting orders. With respect to the flux pinning, an additional pinning contribution besides magnetic pinning induced by LSMO is emerged by the structural coupling, which is attributed to local atomic disorder. Controlling the thickness of GdBCO modifies the structural coupling and consequently, the degree of additional pinning contribution aroused by disorder on the CuO2 plane can be adjusted. An appropriate structure with a certain thickness amplifies the hybrid effect of magnetic pinning and additional pinning, resulting in an enhancement of the critical current density at high magnetic fields. Our findings suggest a possibility of controlling complex flux pinning through an optimization of structural coupling between the GdBCO and the LSMO layers.

Nanostructured tin oxide (SnO2) is a very promising electron transport layer (ETL) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) that allows low-temperature processing in the planar n–i–p architecture. However, minimizing current–voltage (J–V) hysteresis and optimizing charge extraction for PSCs in this architecture remains a challenge. In response to this, we study and optimize different types of single- and bilayer SnO2 ETLs. Detailed characterization of the optoelectronic properties reveals that a bilayer ETL composed of lithium (Li)-doped compact SnO2 (c(Li)-SnO2) at the bottom and potassium-capped SnO2 nanoparticle layers (NP-SnO2) at the top enhances the electron extraction and charge transport properties of PSCs and reduces the degree of ion migration. This results in an improved PCE and a strongly reduced J–V hysteresis for PSCs with a bilayer c(Li)-NP-SnO2 ETL as compared to reference PSCs with a single-layer or undoped bilayer ETL. The champion PSC with c(Li)-NP-SnO2 ETL shows a high stabilized PCE of up to 18.5% compared to 15.7%, 12.5% and 16.3% for PSCs with c-SnO2, c(Li)-SnO2 and c-NP-SnO2 as ETL, respectively.

The cellular membrane has been identified to play a critical role in various biological processes including the assembly of biological systems. Membranes are complex, primarily two-dimensional assemblies with varied lipid compositions depending on the particular region of the cell. Supported lipid bilayers are considered as appropriate models for physio-chemical studies of membranes including numerous single molecule techniques. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a topographic technique is a fully appropriate single molecule technique capable of direct observation of molecular processes on membranes. However, reliable experimental AFM studies require the preparation of the bilayer with a sub-nanometer smooth morphology, which remains stable over long-time observation. Here we present the methodology, which allows one to prepare a smooth, stable, structurally homogeneous lipid bilayer without the presence of any trapped vesicles. We described the application of such lipid bilayers to probe time-dependent early stages of aggregation of monomeric amyloid proteins. Importantly, the proposed methodology can be extended to bilayers with various compositions, by incorporating different lipids for on-membrane aggregation study including cholesterol. Furthermore, this methodology development allowed us to monitor the aggregation of amyloid protein at its physiologically relevant low protein concentration. The flexibility of altering the membrane composition allows to identify the specific role of a particular lipid towards the aggregation kinetics, revealing the plausible mechanism of disease development.

Hypothesis Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles are receiving considerable scientific interest due to their large reactive surface areas, crystalline structures, and nanoparticle morphology. They are of great importance in biogeochemical processes and have the ability to sequester hazardous and toxic substances. Here, the working hypothesis was to entrap fractal-like Fh nanoparticles, with a radius of gyration of 6.2 nm and a primary building block of polydisperse spheres with a radius of 0.8 nm, in a shear-induced multilamellar vesicle (MLV) state using a 40 wt.% polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether surfactant. Experiments Small- and Wide- Angle X-ray scattering revealed the equilibrium state of the non-ionic planar lamellar phase, the Fh dispersion, and their mixture. The MLV state was induced by using a shear flow in a Taylor-Couette geometry of a rheometer. Findings The nonionic surfactant initially exhibited a lamellar gel phase with two distinct d-spacings of 11.0 and 9.7 nm, which collapsed into the MLV state under shear flow. The Fh nanoparticles induced bilayer attraction by suppressing lamellar layer undulations, decreasing the d-spacing. These results are helpful in the understanding of the relationship between nanoparticle size and nanoparticle-bilayers interactions and provides insight on Fh encapsulations in a kinetically stable MLVs state.

All-solid-state lithium (Li) batteries with high energy density are a promising solution for the next-generation energy storage systems in large-scale devices. To simultaneously overcome the challenges of poor ionic conduction of solid electrolytes and shuttling of active materials, we introduce a functional electrolyte-cathode bilayer framework with interconnected LLAZO channels from the electrolyte into the cathode for advanced solid-state Li-S batteries. Differing from the traditional solid-state batteries with separated layer compositions, the introduced bilayer framework provides ultrafast and continuous ion/electron conduction. Instead of transferring Li+ across the polymer and garnet phases which involve huge interfacial resistance, Li+ is directly conducted through the LLAZO channels created continuously from the cathode layer to the solid electrolyte layer, significantly shortening the diffusion distance and facilitating the redox reaction of sulfur and sulfides. A stable cycle life is demonstrated in the prototype Li-S solid-state batteries assembled with the introduced LLAZO-LLAZO@CNF interconnected bilayer framework. High capacity is obtained at room temperature, indicating the superior electrochemical properties of the bilayer framework that result from the unique design of the interconnected LLAZO garnet phase.

We model the two-dimensional h-BN layers to investigate the electronic properties. The monolayer and bilayer configurations are considered for the 2D h-BN. The bilayers are constructed in the AAʹ and AB stackings. The first-principles calculations using periodic linear combination of atomic orbitals method within the framework of density functional theory are attempted. The lattice constants and interlayer distances are relaxed to predict preferred structures. The electronic band structure, density of states and the bandgap are presented and compared. Current results agree well with the reported experimental findings.

Introduction: Hydrophilic polymers that swell or dissolve in aqueous media can have the potential to prepare controlled/sustained dosage forms for weakly acidic and poorly soluble drugs. Objective: The main objective of this study is to utilize Eudragit®E100 (EE) and Carbopol®971P NF (Cp) polymers and their salt forms for the preparation of a once-daily controlled-release matrix tablet for model drug, Ibuprofen (IB). Methods: Combinations of the polymers in their base forms (EE)/(Cp) or in their salt forms (EEHCl/ CpNa) were compressed with (IB) into single layer matrix tablets, or otherwise into bilayer tablets. Dissolution profiles were constructed using three different consecutive stages (pH 1.2, 4.8 and 6.8). Result: It was found that the incorporation of (EEHCl) modified the release rates of (IB) from (Cp) based matrix tablets. However, a major enhancement of (IB) release rates occurred when the polymers were combined in their salt forms in a 1:1 ratio by weight. In addition, a bilayer tablet was prepared wherein a relatively rapidly disintegrating layer composed of polymers salts (EEHCl and CpNa), and a second layer containing only (Cp) polymer in its base form in a 1:2 weight ratio possessed excellent release properties and mechanical strength. Conclusion: It was concluded that the prepared bilayer tablet could be promising for controlling the release rates of (IB) in an extended manner to allow once-daily administration with an improved pH-independent release behavior.

Cholesterol-mediated perturbations of membrane structural integrity are key early events in the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In AD, protein misfolding (proteopathy) and pro-inflammatory conditions (immunopathy) culminate in neuronal death, a process enabled by altered membrane biophysical properties which render neurons more susceptible to proteopathic and immunopathic cytotoxicities. Since cholesterol is a principal neuronal membrane lipid, normal cholesterol homeostasis is central to membrane health; also, since increased cholesterol composition is especially present in neuronal myelin sheath (i.e. brain “white matter”), recent studies have not surprisingly revealed that white matter atrophy precedes the conventional biomarkers of AD (amyloid plaques, tau tangles). Employing extensive microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated biophysical and mechanical properties of myelin sheath membrane as a function of cholesterol mole fraction (χ_CHL). Impaired χ_CHL modulates multiple membrane properties including surface area per lipid, chain order, area compressibility and bending moduli, bilayer thickness, lipid tilt angles and tail interdigitation. High χ_CHL condenses and stiffens the membrane, changing permeability and altering interfacial water density; low χ_CHL increases membrane fluidity and disorder, modulating lipid tilt angles and enhancing bilayer leaflet interdigitation. These calculations provide a molecular-level understanding of myelin sheath susceptibility to pathology as an early event in the pathogenesis of AD.

Cholesterol is a crucial component of mammalian cell membranes that takes part in many vital processes. It is generally accepted that cholesterol stabilizes the membrane and induces transitions into ordered states. In contrast to expectations, we demonstrate that cholesterol can destabilize the membrane by creating a nanodomain around a perpendicularly embedded ultrashort carbon nanotube (CNT), and we show that cholesterol triggers the translocation of an ultrashort CNT through the cell membrane. Using atomistic simulations, we report the existence of a nanoscale domain around an ultrashort carbon nanotube within a crossover distance of 0.9 nm from the surface of the nanotube, where the properties of the bilayer are different from the bulk: the domain is characterized by increased fluctuations, increased thickness, and increased order of the lipids with respect to the bulk. Cholesterol decreases the thickness and order of lipids and increases the fluctuations with respect to a pure lipid bilayer. Experimentally, we confirm that cholesterol nanodomains provoke spontaneous translocation of nanotubes through a lipid bilayer even for low membrane tensions. A specially designed microfluidic device allows us to trace the kinetic pathway of the translocation process and establish the threshold cholesterol concentration of 20% for translocation. The reported nanoscale cholesterol-induced membrane restructuring near the ultrashort CNT in lipid membranes enables precise control and specific targeting of a membrane using cholesterol. As an example, it may allow for specific targeting between cholesterol-rich mammalian cells and cholesterol-poor bacterial cells.

For many years, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been used as delivery vehicles for various payloads (especially various oligonucleotides and mRNA), finding numerous applications in drug and vaccine development. LNP stability and bilayer fluidity are determined by the identities and the amounts of the various lipids employed in the formulation and LNP efficacy is determined in large part by the lipid composition which usually contains a cationic lipid, a PEG‐lipid conjugate, cholesterol, and a zwitterionic helper phospholipid. Analytical methods developed for LNP characterization must be able to determine not only the identity and content of each individual lipid component (i.e., the parent lipids), but also the associated impurities and degradants. In this work, we describe an efficient and sensitive reversed‐phase chromatographic method with charged aerosol detection (CAD) suitable for this purpose. Sample preparation diluent and mobile phase pH conditions are critical and have been optimized for the lipids of interest. This method was validated for its linearity, accuracy, precision, and specificity for lipid analysis to support process and formulation development for new drugs and vaccines. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

The stacking configuration has been considered as an important additional degree of freedom to tune the physical property of layered materials, such as superconductivity and interlayer excitons. However, the facile growth of highly uniform stacking configuration is still a challenge. Herein, the AA-stacking MoS2 domains with a ratio up to 99.5% has been grown by using the modified chemical vapor deposition through introducing NaCl molecules in the confined space. By tuning the growth time, MoS2 domains would transit from an AA-stacking bilayer to an AAAAA-stacking five-layer. The epitaxial growth mechanism has been insightfully studied, revealing that the critical nucleation size of the AA-stacking bilayer is 5.0 ± 3.0 μm. Through investigation of the photoluminescence, the photoemission, especially the indirect photoexcitation, is dependent on both the stacking fashion and layer number. Furthermore, by studying the gate-tuned MoS2 phototransistors, we found a significant dependence on the stacking configuration of MoS2 of the photoexcitation and a different gate tunable photoresponse. The AAA-stacking trilayer MoS2 phototransistor delivers a photoresponse of 978.14 A W-1 at 550 nm. By correction of the external quantum efficiency with external field and illumination power density, it has been found that the photoresponse tunability is dependent on the layer number due to the strong photogating effect. This strategy provides a general avenue for the epitaxial growth of van der Waals film which will further facilitate the applications in a tunable photodetector.

Due to their lack of multifunctionality, the majority of traditional wound dressings do not support all the clinical requirements. Bilayer wound dressings with multifunctional properties can be attractive for effective skin regeneration. In the present study, we designed a multifunctional bilayer scaffold containing Chitosan-Polycaprolactone (PC) nanofiber and tannic acid (TA) reinforced methacrylate gelatin (GM)/alginate (Al) hydrogel (GM/Al/TA). PC nanofibers were coated with GM/Al/TA hydrogel to obtain a bilayer nanocomposite scaffold (Bi-TA). The GM/Al/TA hydrogel layer of Bi-TA showed antibacterial, free radical scavenging, and biocompatibility properties. Also, PC nanofiber acted as a barrier for preventing bacterial invasion and moisture loss of the hydrogel layer. The wound healing performance of the Bi-TA scaffold was investigated via a full-thickness wound model. In addition, the histopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assessed. The results indicated an enhanced wound closure rate, effective collagen deposition, quick re-epithelialization, more skin appendages, and replacement of defect area with normal skin tissue by Bi-TA scaffold compared to other groups. Additionally, the regulation of TGF-β1 and TNF-α was observed by Bi-TA dressing. Overall, the Bi-TA with appropriate structural and multifunctional properties can be an excellent candidate for developing effective dressings for wound healing applications.

The Fermi level alignment between electrodes and two-dimensional (2D) materials is significant in characterizing sensors based on their reversibility, response time, sensitivity, and long-term stability. Here, we have demonstrated that the modulation of the Schottky barrier height between the interface of metal (Pd/Au) and multilayered ReSe2 nanoflakes caused the change in the transfer curve (Ids-Vbg) of FETs based devices and rectifying characteristics (Ids-Vds) of the Schottky diodes at various hydrogen concentrations at T = 22 °C, fluctuating from 50 to 350 ppm with a response (R%) from 669 to 1198%, respectively. Sensors based on a mono- or bilayer system did not exhibit sensitivity to hydrogen gas owing to metal electrodes diffused into materials. The value of the ideality factor of the Schottky diode-based sensor changed from 4 to 1.6 as the hydrogen concentration was changed from 50 to 900 ppm, while the relative response increased from 0 to 3.5 as the hydrogen concentration was increased from 0 to 900 ppm. This research can offer a real solution for developing cost-effective, faster, and room temperature sensors based on 2D materials.

Photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) acquired in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is currently competitive with that of other commercial solar cells. Despite profound progress in PSCs in the last few years, achieving long term stability is considered as a prime hindrance for the commercialization of these solar cells. Recently, low dimensional perovskites have drawn extensive interests in research to improve photo-stability, however, wide bandgap limits output power of low dimensional perovskite-based solar cells. Two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) bilayer PSCs can overcome this barrier via innovation in device engineering that can retain high performance and long-term photostability simultaneously. For example, inverted p-i-n structure of 2D/3D bilayer PSCs has drawn enormous interests in recent years due to cost-effectiveness, low temperature processing, and inhibited hysteresis characteristics. In this report, we present a numerical modeling approach to optimize the performance of an inverted 2D/3D bilayer PSC with a novel device architecture: ITO/NiOx/BA2MAn-1PbnI3n+1/MAPbI3/ZnO/Al. Perovskite materials with thickness of ∼900 nm (BA2MAn-1PbnI3n+1(200 nm)/MAPbI3 (700 nm)) and defect density of 2 × 1014 cm−3 yields best cell efficiency, that is up to ∼24.75%. Further optimization of electron transport layer and hole transport layer along with their donor and acceptor density level leads to 2.56% increase in the efficiency, that is from ∼23.53% to ∼24.75%. Our estimation suggests that incorporating 2D BA2MAn-1PbnI3n+1 perovskite into 3D MAPbI3 perovskite yield high throughput and simultaneously minimize the fabrication cost for active absorber layer in inverted PSCs.

The osteochondral lesions and osteoarthritis-related complications continue to be clinically relevant challenges to be addressed by the biomaterials community. Hydrogel-based scaffolds have been widely investigated to enhance osteochondral regeneration, but the inferior mechanical properties together with poor functional stability are the major constraints in their clinical translation. The development of osteochondral implants with natural tissue-mimicking mechanical properties remains largely unexplored. In this perspective, the present study demonstrates a strategy to develop a bilayer osteochondral implant with an elastically stiff composite (poly(vinylidene difluoride)-reinforced BaTiO

A bilayer thin-film transistor (TFT) structure with ZnO and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) was fabricated using a solution process. The film thickness and sintering atmosphere of ZnO and AZO were controlled and then evaluated by measuring their electrical characteristics. By changing the sintering atmosphere, carriers attributed to oxygen vacancies in the thin film increased. Moreover, the ZnO single-layer TFT sintered in N2 exhibited good electrical characteristics. In the ZnO/AZO bilayer TFT laminated with the ZnO sintered in N2 and high-resistance AZO thin films, electrical characteristics, such as the On/Off ratio and subthreshold swing, improved compared to those of the ZnO-TFT. The On/Off ratio of the ZnO/AZO-TFT using the AZO thin film sintered in an O2 atmosphere notably improved to 3.7 × 105 compared to that of the ZnO-TFT (1.7 × 104). In addition, the subthreshold swing in the ZnO/AZO-TFT was 0.36 V/dec, while the field-effect mobility was 2.2 × 10−1 cm2/Vs, thereby exhibiting the best electrical characteristics among the fabricated samples. According to the grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction measurement, the ZnO particle size and crystallinity of the ZnO/AZO bilayer were higher than those of the ZnO single layer. Therefore, improvement of the electrical characteristics was confirmed.

Sticholysin I (StI) is a pore-forming toxin (PFT) belonging to the actinoporin protein family characterized by high permeabilizing activity in membranes. StI readily associates with sphingomyelin (SM)-containing membranes originating pores that can lead to cell death. Binding and pore-formation are critically dependent on the physicochemical properties of membrane. 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (POPC–OOH) is an oxidized phospholipid (OxPL) containing an –OOH moiety in the unsaturated hydrocarbon chain which orientates towards the bilayer interface. This orientation causes an increase in the lipid molecular area, lateral expansion and decrease in bilayer thickness, elastic and bending modulus, as well as modification of lipid packing. Taking advantage of membrane structural changes promoted by POPC-OOH, we investigated its influence on the permeabilizing ability of StI. Here we report the action of StI on Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) made of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) and SM containing increasing amount of POPC-OOH to assess vesicle permeability changes when compared to OxPL-lacking membranes. Inclusion of POPC-OOH in membranes did not promote spontaneous vesicle leaking but resulted in increased membrane permeability due to StI action. StI activity did not modify the fluid-gel phase coexistence boundaries neither in POPC:SM or POPC-OOH:SM membranes. However, the StI insertion mechanism in membrane seems to differ between POPC:SM and POPC-OOH:SM mixtures as suggested by changes in the time course of monolayer surface tension measurements, even though a preferable binding of the toxin to OxPL-containing systems could not be here demonstrated. In summary, modifications in the membrane imposed by lipid hydroperoxidation favor StI permeabilizing activity.

The good photovoltaic (PV) properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) and silicon (Si) can be used combinedly as a potential route for enhancing the efficiency of CZTS solar cell. In this work, a bilayer CZTS/Si absorber structure is presented to replace the conventional single CZTS absorber layer based solar cell. The numerical tool SCAPS-1D is utilized first to validate the structure with the help of J-V characteristics, generation rate, quantum efficiency and band diagrams. A similar tool is used afterwards to optimize the proposed structure considering different parameters such as layer thickness, defect density, carrier concentration and operating temperature. The highest yielded efficiency of the bilayer structure is 18.30% (VOC = 0.883 V, JSC = 25.90 mA/cm2). The thickness of both CZTS and Si layers are optimized and its effect on the performance parameters are discussed. The p-type doping concentrations of both layers are studied for the suitable range and optimized. Also, the electric field at the CZTS/Si interface is estimated. Next, the defect state density and operating temperature are varied to see the solar cell performances. The studied results provide a clear indication of the performance improvement of the CZTS solar cell using the bilayer CZTS/Si absorber structure.

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria presents a robust physicochemical barrier protecting the cell from both the natural environment and acting as the first line of defense against antimicrobial materials. The proteins situated within the outer membrane are responsible for a range of biological functions including controlling influx and efflux. These outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are ultimately inserted and folded within the membrane by the β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) complex. The precise mechanism by which the Bam complex folds and inserts OMPs remains unclear. Here, we have developed a platform for investigating Bam-mediated OMP insertion. By derivatizing a gold surface with a copper-chelating self-assembled monolayer, we were able to assemble a planar system containing the complete Bam complex reconstituted within a phospholipid bilayer. Structural characterization of this interfacial protein-tethered bilayer by polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) revealed distinct regions consistent with known high-resolution models of the Bam complex. Additionally, by monitoring changes of mass associated with OMP insertion by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), we were able to demonstrate the functionality of this system by inserting two diverse OMPs within the membrane, pertactin and OmpT. This platform has promising application in investigating the mechanism of Bam-mediated OMP insertion, in addition to OMP function and activity within a phospholipid bilayer environment.

We report on electronic transport in dual-gate, artificially stacked bilayer graphene field effect transistors (BiGFETs) fabricated from large-area chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene. The devices show enhanced tendency to current saturation, which leads to reduced minimum output conductance values. This results in improved intrinsic voltage gain of the devices when compared to monolayer graphene FETs. We employ a physics based compact model originally developed for Bernal stacked bilayer graphene FETs (BSBGFETs) to explore the observed phenomenon. The improvement in current saturation may be attributed to increased charge carrier density in the channel and thus reduced saturation velocity due to carrier-carrier scattering.

To address the rising challenges in self-controlled tandem processes, a catalytic reactor with two reversely-responsive layers was fabricated, for which the two layers acted as the carriers of two different-type active sites so as to achieve the adjustable catalytic ability. This first layer was a shape-memory copolymer consisting of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid and 1-heptene. Given the “frozen” domains in the copolymer at low temperatures, the channel of the substrate became closed. At middle temperatures, the channel of the substrate became open as a result of the activation of the copolymer. The second layer was a copolymer embedding Ag nanoparticles made of polymeric 2-(trifluoromethyl) acrylic acid and 2-vinylpyridine. This layer showed the “closed” channel at low temperatures due to the electrostatic interactions between the two polymeric components, which inhibited the entry of reactants. At higher temperatures, as the polymeric interactions at this layer were broken, the channel in this layer became open for the reactants. In combination with the contained acidic sites and catalytic Ag nanoparticles sites in the two layers, which were individually responsible for catalytic hydrolysis and reduction, the reactor did not show substantive catalytic ability at low temperatures due to the closed channels in both the two layers. At middle temperatures, the reactor ran with simple hydrolysis due to the open channel in the first layer which contained acidic sites. At higher temperatures, the reactor ran with tandem catalytic processes because of the open channels in the two layers. Hence, the design of the dual-responsive catalytic reactor acquired the non-tandem/tandem self-controlled catalytic ability.

Moire engineering1–3 of van der Waals magnetic materials4–9 can yield new magnetic ground states via competing interactions in moire superlattices10–13. Theory predicts a suite of interesting phenomena, including multiflavour magnetic states10, non-collinear magnetic states10–13, moire magnon bands and magnon networks14 in twisted bilayer magnetic crystals, but so far such non-trivial magnetic ground states have not emerged experimentally. Here, by utilizing the stacking-dependent interlayer exchange interactions in two-dimensional magnetic materials15–18, we demonstrate a coexisting ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AF) ground state in small-twist-angle CrI3 bilayers. The FM–AF state transitions to a collinear FM ground state above a critical twist angle of about 3°. The coexisting FM and AF domains result from a competition between the interlayer AF coupling, which emerges in the monoclinic stacking regions of the moire superlattice, and the energy cost for forming FM–AF domain walls. Our observations are consistent with the emergence of a non-collinear magnetic ground state with FM and AF domains on the moire length scale10–13. We further employ the doping dependence of the interlayer AF interaction to control the FM–AF state by electrically gating a bilayer sample. These experiments highlight the potential to create complex magnetic ground states in twisted bilayer magnetic crystals, and may find application in future gate-voltage-controllable high-density magnetic memory storage. In moire superlattice van der Waals magnetic materials, competing interactions emerge and can stabilize new magnetic states. Here, stacking-dependent interlayer exchange interactions in small-twist-angle CrI3 bilayers yield an ordered ground state with coexisting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic regions.

Layer-by-layer assembly is a versatile technique for fabricating nanofiltration membranes, where multiple layers of polyelectrolytes are usually required to achieve reasonable separation performance. In this work, an ionic strength directed self-assembly procedure is described for the preparation of nanofiltration membranes consisting of only a single bilayer of poly(diallyldimethy-lammoniumchloride) and poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfoate). The influence of background ionic strength as well as membrane substrate properties on the formation of single-bilayer membranes are systematically evaluated. Such a simplified polyelectrolyte deposition procedure results in membranes having outstanding separation performance with permeating flux of 14.2 ± 1.5 L · m−2 · h−1 · bar−1 and Na2SO4 rejection of 97.1% ± 0.8% under a low applied pressure of 1 bar. These results surpass the ones for conventional multilayered polyelectrolyte membranes. This work encompasses an investigation of ionic strength induced coiling of the polyelectrolyte chains and emphasizes the interplay between-polyelectrolyte chain configuration and substrate pore profile. It thus introduces a new concept on the control of membrane fabrication process toward high performance nanofiltration.

Luminescent solar concentrators are a promising route to environmentally integrated photovoltaics, acting as multifunctional systems that simultaneously generate electricity and transmit sunlight. ...

Noncentrosymmetric transition-metal dichalcogenides, particularly their 3R polymorphs, provide a robust setting for valleytronics. Here, we report on the selective growth of monolayers and bilayers of MoS2, which were acquired from two closely but differently oriented substrates in a chemical vapor deposition reactor. It turns out that as-grown bilayers are predominantly 3R-type, not more common 2H-type, as verified by microscopic and spectroscopic characterization. As expected, the 3R bilayer showed a significantly higher valley polarization compared with the centrosymmetric 2H bilayer, which undergoes efficient interlayer scattering across contrasting valleys because of their vertical alignment of the K and K' points in momentum space. Interestingly, the 3R bilayer showed even higher valley polarization compared with the monolayer counterpart. Moreover, the 3R bilayer reasonably maintained its valley efficiency over a very wide range of excitation power density from ∼0.16 kW/cm2 to ∼0.16 MW/cm2 at both low and room temperatures. These observations are rather surprising because valley dephasing could be more efficient in the bilayer via both interlayer and intralayer scatterings, whereas only intralayer scattering is allowed in the monolayer. The improved valley polarization of the 3R bilayer can be attributed to its indirect-gap nature, where valley-polarized excitons can relax into the valley-insensitive band edge, which otherwise scatter into the contrasting valley to effectively cancel out the initial valley polarization. Our results provide a facile route for the growth of 3R-MoS2 bilayers that could be utilized as a platform for advancing valleytronics.

Interlayer charge transfer (CT) between PtSe2 and WS2 is studied experimentally. Layer-selective pump-probe and photoluminescence quenching measurements reveal ultrafast interlayer CT in the heterostructure formed by bilayer PtSe2 and monolayer WS2, confirming its type-II band alignment. The CT facilitates the formation of the interlayer excitons with a lifetime of several hundred ps to 1 ns, a diffusion coefficient of 0.9 cm2 s-1, and a diffusion length reaching 200 nm. These results demonstrate the integration of PtSe2 with other materials in van der Waals heterostructures with novel charge-transfer properties and help develop fundamental understanding on the performance of various optoelectronic devices based on heterostructures involving PtSe2.

In this study, we present that 2D tetrahex-GeC2 materials possess novel electronic and carrier transport properties based on density functional theory computations combined with the nonequilibrium Green's function method. We show that under the 4% (-4%) in-plane expansion (compression) along the a-direction (b-direction) of the tetrahex-GeC2 monolayer, the bandgap can be enlarged to a desirable 1.26 eV (1.32 eV), close to that of silicon. The carrier transport properties of both the sub-10 nm tetrahex-GeC2 monolayer and the bilayer show strong anisotropy within the bias from -1 to 1 V. The current ON (a-direction)/OFF (b-direction) ratio amounts to 105 for the tetrahex-GeC2 monolayer. A striking negative differential conductance arises with the maximum Ipeak/Ivalley on the order of 104 under the 4% uniaxial expansion along the b-direction of the tetrahex-GeC2 monolayer. Overall, the 2D tetrahex-GeC2 monolayer and bilayer possess highly tunable electronic and carrier transport properties under uniaxial strain, which can be exploited for potential applications in nanoelectronics.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are involved in viral infections, but exactly how remains unclear. Here, we study the hepatitis C virus (HCV) whose core capsid protein binds to LDs but is also involved in the assembly of virions at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) bilayer. We found that the amphipathic helix-containing domain of core, D2, senses triglycerides (TGs) rather than LDs per se. In the absence of LDs, D2 can bind to the ER membrane but only if TG molecules are present in the bilayer. Accordingly, the pharmacological inhibition of the diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase enzymes, mediating TG synthesis in the ER, inhibits D2 association with the bilayer. We found that TG molecules enable D2 to fold into alpha helices. Sequence analysis reveals that D2 resembles the apoE lipid-binding region. Our data support that TG in LDs promotes the folding of core, which subsequently relocalizes to contiguous ER regions. During this motion, core may carry TG molecules to these regions where HCV lipoviroparticles likely assemble. Consistent with this model, the inhibition of Arf1/COPI, which decreases LD surface accessibility to proteins and ER-LD material exchange, severely impedes the assembly of virions. Altogether, our data uncover a critical function of TG in the folding of core and HCV replication and reveals, more broadly, how TG accumulation in the ER may provoke the binding of soluble amphipathic helix-containing proteins to the ER bilayer.

Hybrid superconductor-ferromagnet materials have gained huge attention due to their opposite nature of electronic states, bringing up new properties and applications when coupled together. Cryogenic sensors and memories research significantly lag behind their conventional counterparts. Here, we investigated numerically the strain/motion sensing ability of superconductor-ferromagnet bilayer using Ginzburg–Landau equations for superconductivity and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations for ferromagnetism. Clear segregation of average carrier concentration of the superconductor layer, which defines its conductivity, was observed with various magnitudes of strain (i.e. 0%, 1%, and 5%). The current purge was used to bring the designed sensor to its ground state, whereas the sensor retained the information on the amount of strain for the extended period unless reset (by the current purge) for reuse. This work opens up a new direction for superconductor-ferromagnet bilayer device applications towards strain/motion sensors and/or transducers.

Free fatty acids play various important roles in biological membranes. Double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy (DEER, also known as PELDOR) of spin-labeled biomolecules is capable of studying magnetic dipole-dipole (d-d) interactions between spin labels at the nanoscale range of distances. Here, DEER is applied to study intermolecular d-d interactions between doxyl-spin-labeled stearic acids (DSA) in gel-phase phospholipid bilayers composed either of an equimolecular mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. DEER data obtained for different DSA concentrations showed that DSA molecules at their concentration in the bilayer χ larger than 0.5 mol % are assembled into lateral lipid-mediated clusters, with a characteristic intermolecular distance of 2 nm. Some evidences were obtained indicating that clusters may consist of "subclusters", alternatively appearing in two opposite leaflets. Conventional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra for the gel-phase bilayers showed that for χ larger than 2 mol % the molecules in the clusters stick together, forming oligomers. Room-temperature EPR spectra for the liquid-crystalline phase were found to change noticeably for χ larger than 0.5 mol %, which may indicate the clustering in a liquid-crystalline phase similar to that observed by DEER in the gel phase.

Scalable synthesis of two-dimensional gallium (2D-Ga) covered by graphene layers was recently realized through confinement heteroepitaxy using silicon carbide substrates. However, the thickness, uniformity, and area coverage of the 2D-Ga heterostructures have not previously been studied with high-spatial resolution techniques. In this work, we resolve and measure the 2D-Ga heterostructure thicknesses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Utilizing multiple correlative methods, we find that SEM image contrast is directly related to the presence of uniform bilayer Ga at the interface and a variation of the number of graphene layers. We also investigate the origin of SEM contrast using both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations of the surface potentials. We find that a carbon buffer layer is detached due to the gallium intercalation, which increases the surface potential as an indication of the 2D-Ga presence. We then scale up the heterostructure characterization over a few-square millimeter area by segmenting SEM images, each acquired with nanometer-scale in-plane resolution. This work leverages the spectroscopic imaging capabilities of SEM that allows high-spatial resolution imaging for tracking intercalants, identifying relative surface potentials, determining the number of 2D layers, and further characterizing scalability and uniformity of low-dimensional materials.