Search

Free-standing nanoparticle films are of great importance for developing future nano-electronic devices. We introduce a protein-based fabrication strategy of free-standing nanoparticle monolayer films. α-Synuclein, an amyloidogenic protein, was utilized to yield a tightly packed gold-nanoparticle monolayer film interconnected by protein β-sheet interactions. Owing to the stable protein-protein interaction, the film was successfully expanded to a 4-inch diameter sheet, which has not been achieved with any other free-standing nanoparticle monolayers. The film was flexible in solution, so it formed a conformal contact, surrounding even microspheres. Additionally, the monolayer film was readily patterned at micrometer- scale and thus unprecedented double-component nanoparticle films were fabricated. Therefore, the free-floating gold-nanoparticle monolayer sheets with these properties could make the film useful for the development of bio-integrated nano-devices and high-performance sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electrochemical lithiation of Co2MnSi with a Heusler structure is investigated as a candidate negative electrode (anode) material for secondary lithium batteries. The electrode maintains a reversible discharge capacity of 112mAhg−1 for 50 cycles when cycled between 0.01 and 3V. It is proposed that the lithiation mechanism consists of two steps. Co2MnSi transforms to Heusler-type Li2MnSi during the first charge cycle and subsequent charge–discharge cycles involve the formation of a solid solution in Li x MnSi. The latter compound maintains its structural integrity throughout cycling to provide steady cycling behaviour. Magnetic measurements are also employed to substantiate further the structural changes during electrochemical cycling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]