Irregular elliptical plasmonic rings for engineering near-field and phase

Metallic glasses find wide applications in nanotechnology and micro electro-mechanical systems because of their unique physical properties due to their amorphous structures. The material removal mechanism in nanometric cutting of Cu₅₀Zr₅₀, a typical metallic glass, is studied using molecular dynamics method. The chip formation, workpiece deformation and scratching forces under various scratching depths, scratching velocities and temperatures are investigated. The effect of void defect on the cutting behaviors of metallic glass is also explored. The results show that the material removal in nanometric cutting process is based on extrusion instead of shearing, achieving a good understanding of material removal at the nanoscale.     

Combined high pressure and heavy‐ion irradiation: a novel approach

Swift heavy‐ion irradiations of a wide variety of materials have been used to modify and manipulate the properties of solids at the nanoscale. Recently, these high‐energy irradiations have been successfully combined with high‐pressure experiments. Based on results obtained for zircon (ZrSiO₄), this paper introduces this new experimental approach involving diamond anvil cells and large ion‐accelerator facilities. This technique provides a wide spectrum of geoscience applications from nanoscale simulations of fission‐track formation under crustal conditions to phase transitions of radiation‐damaged minerals resulting from meteorite impact.     

Nanoscale coatings for control of interfacial bonds and nanotube growth

This paper describes the usefulness of nanoscale coatings in improving some engineering materials having porous and uneven surfaces (microcellular foam, nanofibers, nanotubes, etc.). It is shown that 3-5 nm coatings deposited in microwave plasma can influence crucial properties for a wide variety of applications. Two coatings resulting in opposite chemistries have been studied, an oxide layer that increases surface reactivity_, and a similar fluorocarbon layer that makes it inert. In-depth atomic level microscopic and spectroscopic investigations of nucleation and growth of these layers on various substrates have been reported earlier. The effectiveness of such coatings in modifying bond strength, wettability and catalytic activity of various porous and uneven carbon surfaces have been shown here. The following influences of nanoscale functional coatings have been elaborated upon: (a) modification of carbon-polymer interfaces (b) controlled metallization of carbon (c) influence of nano-coatings on catalytic activity, for formation of carbon nanotubes on larger structures.     

Tip‐heating‐assisted Raman spectroscopy at elevated temperatures

We demonstrate tip‐heating‐assisted enhanced Raman spectroscopy to investigate the temperature dependence of the carbon nanotube G‐band with nanoscale resolution. The controllable and nanoscale heat generated at the tip apex was used to thermally perturb and characterize a small volume in a carbon nanotube sample that is precisely positioned underneath the tip. The dependence of tip enhancement with temperature was also experimentally examined, which is in good agreement with the enhancement calculated from the electromagnetic model of isolated spheroids. The technique presented may open up opportunities in the study of controlled heat‐assisted biochemical reactions and physical transformations of nanostructures. It can also be used for thermal characterization of various materials requiring site‐selective and controllable nanoscale heat source and could enable the realization of new photothermal devices. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetic molecular nanostructures: Design of magnetic molecular materials as monolayers, multilayers and thin films

In this paper we summarize the importance and versatility of the molecular approach in the design and development of novel magnetic molecular materials. These materials processing, in order to obtain controlled molecular structures at the nanoscale, will also be remarked.     

Organic Surface Science: Creating Order And Complexity Using Self-Assembly

Surfaces of organic materials are receiving an increased attention since their physical and chemical properties can be tailored very specifically by the choice of an appropriate organic molecule. The fabrication of well-defined organic surfaces with a high degree of structural order, however, is not straightforward. In many cases the preferred route is to deposit organic molecules on a solid, inorganic substrate. The growth of soft matter, molecules, on hard matter, metals, semiconductors or insulators, however, requires a detailed understanding of the substrate-adlayer interaction on a molecular level. Here we will discuss typical problems encountered in the epitaxy of organic molecules on inorganic substrates. Some basic concepts are outlined and illustrated, with particular emphasis on the epitaxial growth of organic semiconductors relevant for making molecular electronics devices and on the formation of selfassembled organothiolate monolayers on metal surfaces.     

Making the most of the magnetic and lattice entropy changes

Recent discoveries of novel materials exhibiting a magnetocaloric effect that is strongly enhanced by the magnetoelastic coupling—the so-called giant magnetocaloric effect materials—stimulated an unprecedented expansion of research related both to the fundamentals of the phenomenon and potential future applications of these materials in continuous magnetic cooling near room temperature. The subject of this work is twofold. On one hand, systems exhibiting the giant magnetocaloric effect may be prone to hysteresis, and may exist in nonequilibrium, phase-separated states, thus requiring a special care when their intrinsic physical properties are of interest. On the other hand, in order to harvest most of the magnetocaloric potential of a specific compound, both the magnetic and lattice degrees of freedom of the material must be precisely controlled.     

Physical methods for studying the effect of europium ions on lysozyme solutions

Metals play an important role in a human organism. Concentrations of metals, particularly, heavy metals, exceeding the maximum allowable level in the organism are dangerous for persons. At present, it is of topical interest to study molecular mechanisms of the effect of heavy metal ions on biological fluids, for instance, blood, and to develop sufficiently simple and reliable physical methods for environmental monitoring of the occurrence of heavy metals in natural environments, in the first place, in water.     

Length scales at which classical elasticity breaks down for various materials

At what characteristic length scale does classical continuum elasticity cease to accurately describe small deformation mechanical behavior? The two dominant physical mechanisms that lead to size dependency of elastic behavior at the nanoscale are surface energy effects and nonlocal interactions. The latter arises due to the discrete structure of matter and the fluctuations in the interatomic forces that are smeared out within the phenomenological elastic modulus at coarser sizes. While surface energy effects have been well characterized in the literature, little is known about the length scales at which nonlocal effects manifest for different materials. Using a combination of empirical molecular dynamics and lattice dynamics (empirical and ab initio), we provide estimates of nonlocal elasticity length scales for various classes of materials: semiconductors, metals, amorphous solids, and polymers.     

A review of hyperspectral imaging for nanoscale materials research

As an emerging technology, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), which combines both advanced spectroscopy and imaging techniques, provides sufficient information for spectral and spatial analysis and is thus suitable for distribution and property investigation of nanoscale materials. Considering the applications of HSI have spread from remote sensing to quality control of macro products such as food and milk, this article reviews recent research of HSI in a new field of nanoscale materials. On the basis of fundamental parts of a HSI system, new techniques fitting specifically for nanoscale materials imaging such as dark field and Raman spectroscopy are introduced. Nanoscale materials, including metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and graphene, biological components in cells and tissues, as well as multi-layer nanoscale materials, are the research hotspots utilizing HSI technology. Related research reports of the above materials are reviewed based on the physical distinction of these nanoscale materials. It is believed that HSI technology is a strongly potential technique for property investigation and manipulation of nanomaterial for various applications.     

稀土纳米发光材料研究进展

稀土纳米发光材料明显不同于体相发光材料的特性已经成为近年来的热点研究课题,为了更好地探索其特性,综述了稀土纳米发光材料的研究进展,特别是掺杂Eu³⁺和Tb³⁺离子的稀土纳米发光材料。首先,归纳总结了稀土纳米发光粒子不同于体相材料的光谱特性,如电荷迁移带的红移、发射峰谱线的宽化、猝灭浓度的升高、荧光寿命和量子效率的改变等等;其次,概述了一维稀土纳米发光材料的制备与光谱性质,介绍了二维稀土纳米发光薄膜的图案化和介孔模板组装;最后,对其未来的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Icosahedral-Cluster-Reinforced Structures in Irradiated Metallic Materials

A nonequilibrium state has been discovered which is induced by ion irradiation in metallic materials (solid solutions of Fe–Ni, Fe–Cr–Ni, Ni–Cr, Cu–Ni, Fe–Cr, and V–Ti–Cr systems and in pure metals Zr and Ti) at high levels of radiation damage, and the features of this state are considered. In the region of existence of this state, both the ion and the electron subsystems of the metal show highly anomalous properties. Moreover, the occurrence of this state is accompanied by substantial diffraction effects – X-ray line splitting – and, as indicated by electron microscopy, by the formation of a cluster structure. Simulation by the methods of molecular dynamics suggests that the clusters observed are atomic groups of icosahedral (quintuple) symmetry formed in the neighborhood of radiation vacancies. These clusters reinforce the matrix, and this should result in substantial changes in strength and electronic properties of the material. The results of the computer simulation agree with the observed diffraction effects.     

High Entropy Alloys as Filler Metals for Joining

In the search for applications for alloys developed under the philosophy of the High Entropy Alloy (HEA)-type materials, the focus may be placed on applications where current alloys also use multiple components, albeit at lower levels than those found in HEAs. One such area, where alloys with complex compositions are already found, is in filler metals used for joining. In soldering (<450 °C) and brazing (>450 °C), filler metal alloys are taken above their liquidus temperature and used to form a metallic bond between two components, which remain both unmelted and largely unchanged throughout the process. These joining methods are widely used in applications from electronics to aerospace and energy, and filler metals are highly diverse, to allow compatibility with a broad range of base materials (including the capability to join ceramics to metals) and a large range of processing temperatures. Here, we review recent developments in filler metals relevant to High Entropy materials, and argue that such alloys merit further exploration to help overcome a number of current challenges that need to be solved for filler metal-based joining methods.     

Phase-controlled preparation of iron (oxyhydr)oxide nanocrystallines for heavy metal removal

Obtaining cost-effective iron (oxyhydr)oxide nanocrystallines is the essential prerequisite for their future extensive applications in environmental remediation, such as the removal of heavy metals from contaminated waters. Here, various phases of iron (oxyhydr)oxide nanocrystallines were simply synthesized from the phase-controlled transformation of amorphous hydrous ferric- or ferrous-oxide in thermal solution with a certain ethanol/water ratio and with the presence of oleic acid. According to this method, goethite nanorods in diameter of 3–4 nm, hematite nanocubes sized 20–30 nm, and magnetite nanoparticles in diameter of 6–7 nm were successfully obtained. The final products of this transformation can be conveniently controlled by adjusting the reaction parameters, such as pH, temperature, and ethanol/water ratio. Due to the enhanced specific surface area and probably the modifications of the surface structure of nanocrystallines, the as-synthesized goethite nanorods and magnetite nanoparticles demonstrated extremely strong As(III) affinity, with 5.8 and 54 times of As(III) adsorption, respectively, higher than the micron-sized relatives. The cost-effective feature of as-synthesized nanocrystallines and their remarkably enhanced affinity toward arsenic made them potentially applicable for the removal of arsenic and such like heavy metals from the contaminated environment.     

Quenching of tryptophan fluorescence of bovine serum albumin under the effect of ions of heavy metals

The interaction of heavy metals with bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied using data of quenching of intrinsic fluorescence of the protein by the ions of the heavy metals. Under the assumption of static quenching with formation of nonfluorescent complexes of fluorophores of BSA with heavy metals, conclusions have been drawn on the peculiarities of binding of the heavy metals to the protein. The values of the Stern-Volmer constants of association and those of the constants of BSA binding to the heavy metals decrease in the order Cu(II) > Pb(II) > Cd(II). It has been experimentally found that the copper ions have greater capacity to bind to the protein with the formation of the nonfluorescent complexes, which results in a significant decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the protein.     

矿业废弃地重构土壤重金属含量高光谱反演

矿产资源对工业和国民经济的发展有重要的作用,但是随着矿业开采规模的扩大,资源枯竭、经营不善而形成的矿业废弃地越来越多。由于长时间受到采矿的影响,矿业废弃地土壤中存在大量的重金属元素,高浓度重金属可能会对环境和人体产生影响。土地复垦是整治污染、退化土壤再利用的重要方法,对重构后的土壤进行重金属含量检测是衡量土地复垦成效的重要指标,需要长期进行跟踪监测。传统的化学检测方法效率低、成本高、无法实现重金属大范围检测。高光谱是一种新兴的、发展潜力巨大的技术,在环境保护,资源利用,区域可持续发展等方面有着广泛的应用。经过近几十年的快速发展,仪器精度逐渐提高,检测方法逐渐成熟,为实现土壤重金属高效、便捷检测提供了可能。正常土壤重金属含量一般相对较低,采用光谱测量重金属含量较为困难,但铁矿开采区矿业废弃地由于土壤中的铁元素较多,会使土壤中的重金属的存在和聚集形式发生变化,影响重金属对光谱的响应,从而使土壤光谱反射率与重金属含量之间关系更加明显。以湖北省大冶市复垦矿区研究区,采样化学检测方法获取土壤重金属（As,Cr,Zn）含量;借助于美国ASD公司生产的FieldSpec4地物光谱仪（350～2 500 nm）获取土壤反射率,应用一阶微分、倒数对数、连续统去除法分别对反射率曲线进行预处理,提取出光谱特征波段,分析三种重金属元素与光谱特征间的相关性并建立逐步回归模型。研究表明,光谱数据预处理可使光谱特征波段更加明显,其中一阶微分和连续统去除法的效果最为明显。3种重金属元素的特征波段为495,545,675,995,1 425,1 505,1 935,2 165,2 205,2 275和2 355 nm。将土壤重金属含量与光谱特征波段之间做相关性分析,三种重金属都表现出了与光谱曲线的相关性,相关系数大部分都达到了0.5以上,最大相关系数为0.663,由于重金属种类和预处理方式的不同会导致相关性系数存在明显的差异。利用与土壤重金属相关性最大的特征波段建立三种重金属反演模型,并以反演模型r大小选择每种重金属的最优反演模型。由于重金属种类的不同,模型的选择也有差异,Cr和Zn一阶微分逐步回归为最佳反演模型,重金属As连续统去除法逐步回归为最佳反演模型。通过检验,三种重金属中Cr反演效果最好,RMSE为2.67,其次是Zn和As。对比当前不同检测手段可知,基于土样和光谱数据预处理的土壤重金属含量地物光谱仪高光谱反演是比较理想的。可为矿业废弃地土壤重金属高光谱反演提供参考。     

Superresolution imaging of DNA tetrahedral nanostructures in cells by STED method with continuous wave lasers

DNA tetrahedral nanostructures are considered to be uew nanocarriers because they can be precisely controlled and hold excellent penetration ability to the cellular membrane. Although the DNA tetrahedral nanostructure is extensively studied in biology and medicine, its behavior in the cells with nanoscale resolution is not understood clearly. In this letter, we demonstrate superrcsolution fluorescence imaging of the distribution of DNA tetrahedral nanostructures in the cell with a simulated emission depletion （STED） microscope, which is built based on a conventional eonfocal microscope and can t）rovide a resolution of 70 nm.     

Mechanical properties of nanocrystalline copper under thermal load

The material properties of nanocrystallines are known to generally have a strong dependence on their nanoscale morphology, such as the grain size. The Hall-Petch effect states that the mechanical strength of nanocrystalline materials can vary substantially for a wide range of grain sizes; this is attributed to the competition between intergranular and intragranular deformations. We employed classical molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the morphology-dependent mechanical properties of nanocrystalline copper. The degradation of material properties under thermal load was investigated during fast strain rate deformation, particularly for the grain size. Our simulation results showed that the thermal load on the nanocrystalline materials alters the grain-size behavior of the mechanical properties.     

Allotropic conversion of carbon-related films by using energy beams

Energy beams, such as ion and laser beams, were employed to convert carbon allotropes into other ones at a specified position because these energy sources can be controlled precisely in time and space. The ion beam deposition technique employing mass-separated ions proved effective in studying the nucleation process by changing several growth parameters (ion species, incident energies, and substrate temperatures). Immersed nanosized diamonds were found in an sp ³-rich amorphous film prepared with 100-eV ¹²C⁺ ions at room temperature. Surrounding these nanodiamonds, regularly arrayed small bumps, “petals,” were formed around the periphery of bald circles upon cooling. Ar-ion laser illumination is effective in designing the array of high luminescent points on a C₆₀ film by careful control of the laser power, and the combination of a micro-Raman spectrometer with a piezoscanning system provides one with a tool for 2-dimensional processing of photosensitive materials. Simultaneous bombardment during C₆₀ evaporation results in an interesting pattern formation specific to the simultaneous treatment. The dependence of the surface nanoscale pattern on the ion energy and the substrate temperatures provides one with a new tool for designing nanoscale functional materials. As an extreme, the appearance of hexagonal diamonds was detected with disordered carbon and graphite under the condition of there being a high ratio between the Ne ion beam and the C₆₀ thermal beam.     

Controllable synthesis of fullerene nano/microcrystals and their structural transformation induced by high pressure

Fullerene molecules are interesting materials because of their unique structures and properties in mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optical aspects. Current research is focusing on the construction of well-defined fullerene nano/microcrystals that possess desirable structures and morphologies. Further tuning the intermolecular interaction of the fullerene nano/microcrystals by use of pressure is an efficient way to modify their structures and properties, such as creation of nanoscale polymer structures and new hybrid materials, which expands the potential of such nanoscale materials for di- rect device components. In this paper, we review our recent progress in the construction of fullerene nanostructures and their structural transformation induced by high pressure. Fullerene nano/microcrystals with controllable size, morphology and structure have been synthesized through the self-assembly of fullerene molecules by a solvent-assisted method. By virtue of high pressure, the structures, components, and intermolecular interactions of the assemblied fullerene nano/microcrystals can be finely tuned, thereby modifying the optical and electronic properties of the nanostructures. Several examples on high pressure induced novel structural phase transition in typical fullerene nanocrystals with C60 or C70 cage serving as build- ing blocks are presented, including high pressure induced amorphization of the nanocrystals and their bulk moduli, high pressure and high temperature （HPHT） induced polymerization in C60 nanocrystals, pressure tuned reversible polymeriza- tion in ferrocene-doped C60/C70 single crystal, as well as unique long-range ordered crystal with amorphous nanoclusters serving as building blocks in solvated C60 crystals, which brings new physical insight into the understanding of order and disorder concept and new approaches to the design of superhard carbon materials. The nanosize and morphology effects on the transformations of fullerene nanocrystals have also been discussed. These results provide the foundation for the fabrication of pre-designed and controllable geometries, which is critical in fullerenes and relevant materials for designing nanometer-scale electronic, optical, and other devices.