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Scheelite ABO4-type solid electrolytes have attracted much attention for potential applications as oxygen ionic conductors of solid oxide fuel cells. Herein, a systematic study was carried out on the electrical transport properties of CdMoO4 under high pressure by impedance spectroscopy measurements and theoretical calculations. The sequence of structural phase transitions at pressures was determined as I41/ a → C2/ c → P21/ c by the Crystal structure AnaLYsis by Particle Swarm Optimization (CALYPSO) method. A pressure-induced conduction transition from mixed ionic–electronic to pure electronic conduction was observed. Below 25.6 GPa, O2− ions play a major role in the electrical transport process. The microscopic transport mechanism was analyzed with grain boundary energies and migration energy barriers. Above 26.9 GPa, the grain boundary response was weakened significantly after a pressure cycle, and the grain boundary conductivity increased by about three times due to pressure. These results provide guidelines for the optimization and application of scheelite ABO4-based oxygen ionic conductors in solid oxide fuel cells.

The existing electroporation method can rapidly deliver nanoparticles (NPs) into living cells for intracellular surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging. Unfortunately, the cellular SERS signals are major from molecules located near the two poles of the cell facing toward to the electrodes because most NPs enter cells through these two poles and easily happen to aggregate there. Here, we present an optimized electroporation method for transferring NPs into living cells to obtain a uniform NPs distribution. The distribution of intracellular NPs was monitored by the SERS signal of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, which is sandwiched between the Au-Ag core-shell and validated by TEM images. In addition, based on this uniform distribution of NPs, we then detected the distribution of cellular molecules like phenylalanine and lipid via SERS imaging. Results demonstrate the great potential for the optimized electroporation-based SERS imaging in cellular study.

We report a unique substrate for surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on silver nanoparticles-embedded silicon nanowires (SiNWs). The SiNWs were prepared by thermal evaporation of SiO powder via oxide-assisted growth, oxide removed with HF, and then used to reduce silver ions to form a highly decorated Ag-embedded surface. Such modified SiNWs substrates yielded ultrahigh SERS sensitivity, which could detect 25μl of 1×10−16M Rhodamine 6G, 1×10−16M crystal violet, and 1×10−14M nicotine in methanol solutions. An Ag-modified SiNW strand could also enable SERS detection of 25μl of 1×10−8mg∕ml calf thymus DNA. The possible mechanisms for the ultrahigh SERS sensitivity were discussed.

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were investigated as supporting matrices for enzyme immobilization to construct glucose biosensors. Glucose oxidase was adsorbed onto SiNWs after different treatments, either as grown, HF etched, or carboxylic acid (COOH) functionalized. The amperometric biosensor with COOH-functionalized SiNWs performed the best with a detection limit of 0.01mM glucose (signal-to-noise ratio=3). For real-time detection of glucose, SiNW biosensor showed a linear response in the range of 0.1–15mM. This work demonstrates the utility of SiNWs as a biosensor component and provides a general method to modify the surface of semiconducting nanomaterials for potential biomedical applications.

We have developed a multistep method to covalently link functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) oligonucleotides. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize the initial chemical modification to form amine-terminated MWNTs, which were then covalently combined with DNA. The morphology recorded by atomic force microscopy gave direct and explicit imaging of the resulting DNA-MWNT adducts, showing that chemical functionalization occurred at the ends and sidewalls of MWNTs. The present methodology is an important first step in realizing a DNA-guided self-assembly process for carbon nanotubes.