Dislocation dynamics in nanocrystalline nickel

It is believed that the dynamics of dislocation processes during the deformation of nanocrystalline materials can only be visualized by computational simulations. Here we demonstrate that observations of dislocation processes during the deformation of nanocrystalline Ni with grain sizes as small as 10 nm can be achieved by using a combination of in situ tensile straining and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Trapped unit lattice dislocations are observed in strained grains as small as 5 nm, but subsequent relaxation leads to dislocation recombination.     

Truncated ditetragonal gold prisms as nanofacet activators of catalytic platinum

We report a facile, seed-mediated method to synthesize nanoscale gold truncated ditetragonal nanoprisms (TDPs) enclosed by 12 high-index {310} facets. The method leads to the formation of nanoparticles with high size and shape monodispersity and allows for easy surfactant removal. The dependence of particle shape on the synergetic contribution of metallic ions, halide ions, and surfactant adsorbates during synthesis is described. The resulting high-index nanoparticle facets were demonstrated as efficient activators of a supported catalytic material (platinum). A Pt monolayer deposited onto the Au TDP nanofacets with sharp electrochemical signatures exhibits an enhanced catalytic activity.     

Crystallization and electrochemical performance of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 − δ-Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 thin film cathodes processed by single solution spray pyrolysis

La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3 − δ-Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9 (LSCF-CGO) thin films obtained by spray pyrolysis of a single precursor solution were investigated by XRD, TEM and impedance spectroscopy at annealing temperatures ranging from 500 to 900 °C. Films annealed at 600 °C contained a mixture of amorphous regions and crystalline regions composed of fine crystallites (< 5 nm). Annealing above 600 °C increased the ratio of crystalline to amorphous material, led to the segregation of the films into distinct LSCF and CGO phases, and promoted grain growth. The electrical behavior of the films depended on annealing temperature. At testing temperatures of 400 °C and below, the polarization resistance of films with lower annealing temperatures was larger than the polarization resistance of films with higher annealing temperatures. However, at testing temperatures of 500 °C and above the polarization resistance of films with lower annealing temperatures was equal to or lower than the polarization resistance of films with higher annealing temperatures. This was reflected by the activation energy that decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The varying electrical behavior may be related to microstructural changes that caused bulk diffusion to be the rate-limiting step in films with lower annealing temperatures and oxygen dissociation to be the rate-limiting step in films with higher annealing temperatures.     

Detection of single atoms and buried defects in three dimensions by aberration-corrected electron microscope with 0.5-a information limit

The ability of electron microscopes to analyze all the atoms in individual nanostructures is limited by lens aberrations. However, recent advances in aberration-correcting electron optics have led to greatly enhanced instrument performance and new techniques of electron microscopy. The development of an ultrastable electron microscope with aberration-correcting optics and a monochromated high-brightness source has significantly improved instrument resolution and contrast. In the present work, we report information transfer beyond 50 pm and show images of single gold atoms with a signal-to-noise ratio as large as 10. The instrument's new capabilities were exploited to detect a buried Sigma3 {112} grain boundary and observe the dynamic arrangements of single atoms and atom pairs with sub-angstrom resolution. These results mark an important step toward meeting the challenge of determining the three-dimensional atomic-scale structure of nanomaterials.     

The Role of Cytochrome P450 AbyV in the Final Stages of Abyssomicin C Biosynthesis

Abyssomicin C and its atropisomer are potent inhibitors of bacterial folate metabolism. They possess complex polycyclic structures, and their biosynthesis has been shown to involve several unusual enzymatic transformations. Using a combination of synthesis and in vitro assays we reveal that AbyV, a cytochrome P450 enzyme from the aby gene cluster, catalyses a key late-stage epoxidation required for the installation of the characteristic ether-bridged core of abyssomicin C. The X-ray crystal structure of AbyV has been determined, which in combination with molecular dynamics simulations provides a structural framework for our functional data. This work demonstrates the power of combining selective carbon-13 labelling with NMR spectroscopy as a sensitive tool to interrogate enzyme-catalysed reactions in vitro with no need for purification.