Monolayer Filaments versus Multilayer Stacking of Bent‐Core Molecules

Bent‐core materials exhibiting lamellar crystals (B4 phase), when dissolved in organic solvents, formed gels with helical ribbons made of molecular monolayers and bilayers, whereas strongly deformed stacks of 5–6 layers were found in the bulk samples. The width and pitch of the helical filaments were governed by molecular length; they both increased with terminal‐chain elongation. It was also found that bulk samples were optically active, in contrast to the corresponding gels, which lacked optical activity. The optical activity of samples originated from the internal structure of the crystal layers rather than from the helicity of the filaments. A theoretical model predicts a strong increase in optical activity as the number of layers in the stack increases and its saturation for few layers, thus explaining the smaller optical activity for gels than for bulk samples. A strong increase and redshift in fluorescence was detected in gels as compared to the sol state.     

Molecular biosensing system based on intrinsically disordered proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that undergo structural transition upon binding their target molecules are becoming increasingly known. IDPs, because of their binding specificity and induced folding properties, can serve as biological recognition elements for sensing applications. In this paper, BRCA1, an IDP, was utilized as the biological recognition element to detect tumor suppressor protein p53 through the BRCA1/p53 binding interaction to serve as a proof-of-concept for the use of IDPs as recognition elements. The binding resulted in a disordered-to-ordered BRCA1 conformational change, as seen in our circular dichroism (CD) measurements. This conformational change in BRCA1 (residues 219-498) was utilized in the detection of p53 (residues 311-393) via both intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescent probes. Intrinsic tryptophan residues within the BRCA1 sequence detected p53 (311-393) with a detection limit of 0.559 nM (0.112 pmol). Two environmentally sensitive fluorophores, tetramethylrhodamine-5-maleimide (TMR) and 6-((5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)amino)hexanoic acid, succinimidyl ester (dansyl-X, SE) were conjugated to BRCA1 (219-498). Dansyl-X, SE-conjugated BRCA1 (219-498) detected p53 (311-393) with a detection limit of 1.50 nM (0.300 pmol). The sensitivities for TMR and dansyl-X, SE-conjugated BRCA1 for the detection of p53 were nearly threefold and twofold higher, respectively, than the sensitivity reported using intrinsic BRCA1 tryptophan fluorescence. CD measurements did not reveal a disruption of p53/dye-conjugated BRCA1 binding, thus validating the applicability of environmentally sensitive fluorophores as transduction moieties to detect molecules which bind to IDPs and induce a structural change.     

Rheological behavior of viscoelastic wormlike micelles in mixed sodium dodecyl trioxyethylene sulfate–monolaurin aqueous system

Rheological behavior of viscoelastic wormlike micelles in an aqueous system of mixed sodium dodecyl trioxyethylene sulfate (SDES)–monolaurin (ML) is presented. Dilute aqueous solution of SDES has a high fluidity and follows Newtonian liquid-like behavior due to formation of small globular type of micellar structure. Addition of lipophilic nonionic cosurfactant ML to dilute or semidilute solution of SDES decreases the interfacial curvature of the aggregates favoring one dimensional micellar growth, and hence, viscosity increases. After a certain concentration of ML, the elongated micelles get entangled with each other leading to the formation of viscoelastic wormlike micelles. The viscoelastic solution follows Maxwell model of a single stress relaxation mode at low-frequency region. Further addition of ML decreases the viscosity of the solution due to formation of micellar joints in the network structure. The viscosity of the viscoelastic wormlike micelles decreases upon heating, and the system with poor viscoelastic character is observed at higher temperatures.     

Wormlike micelles in mixed amino acid-based anionic/nonionic surfactant systems

We present the formation of viscoelastic wormlike micelles in mixed amino acid-based anionic and nonionic surfactants in aqueous systems in the absence of salt. N-Dodecylglutamic acid (designated as LAD) has a higher Krafft temperature; however, on neutralization with alkaline amino acid l-lysine, it forms micelles and the solution behaves like a Newtonian fluid at 25 degrees C. Addition of tri(oxyethylene) monododecyl ether (C(12)EO(3)) and tri(oxyethylene) monotetradecyl ether (C(14)EO(3)) to the dilute aqueous solution of the LAD-lysine induces one-dimensional micellar growth. With increasing C(12)EO(3) or C(14)EO(3) concentration, the solution viscosity increases gradually, but after a certain concentration, the elongated micelles entangle forming a rigid network of wormlike micelles and the solution viscosity increases tremendously. Thus formed wormlike micelles show a viscoelastic character and follow the Maxwell model. Tri(oxyethylene) monohexadecyl ether (C(16)EO(3)), on the other hand, could not form wormlike micelles, although the solution viscosity increases too. The micelles become elongated; however, they do not appear to form a rigid network of wormlike micelles in the case of C(16)EO(3). Rheological measurements have shown that zero shear viscosity (eta(0)) increases with the C(12)EO(3) concentration gradually at first and then sharply, and finally decreases before phase separation. However, no such maximum in the eta(0) plot is observed with the C(14)EO(3). The eta(0) increases monotonously with the C(14)EO(3) concentration till phase separation. In studies of the effect of temperature on the wormlike micellar behavior it has been found that the eta(0) decays exponentially with temperature, following an Arrehenius behavior and at sufficiently higher temperatures the solutions follow a Newtonian behavior. The flow activation energy calculated from the slope of log eta(0) versus 1/T plot is very close to the value reported for typical wormlike micelles. Finally, we also present the effect of neutralization degree of lysine on the rheology and phase behavior. The formation of wormlike micelles is confirmed by the Maxwell model fit to the experimental rheological data and by Cole-Cole plots.     

Design of programmable logic device based on electro-optic effect of lithium-niobate-based Mach–Zehnder interferometers

Elastic optical network (EON) technology is considered as a very promising candidate for future high-speed networks due to its intrinsic flexibility and high efficiency in allocating the optical spectrum resources. The key issue that has to be addressed in EON is the routing and spectrum allocation (RSA) problem. RSA is NP-hard problem that has to be solved in an efficient manner. It is a highly challenging task particularly in the case of large problem instances. In this paper, we applied the bee colony optimization (BCO) metaheuristic approach to solve the RSA problem in EON with static traffic demands. The objective of the proposed BCO–RSA algorithm is to minimize both the network spectrum utilization and the average path length criterions. The results of numerous experimental studies show that our BCO–RSA algorithm performs superior compared to some benchmark greedy heuristics as well as to differential evolution (DE) metaheuristic algorithm recently proposed in the literature. The algorithm is evaluated in different realistic size optical networks, such as the NSFnet, two European optical networks (EON-19 and EON-28) and the USA network topology. Simulation results demonstrate that considerable spectrum savings could be achieved with our BCO–RSA algorithm compared to other considered approaches. In addition, we analyzed the efficiency of the BCO–RSA algorithm and compare it with the competitive DE approach according to the required CPU time and the convergence speed.     

A Photoactivatable BODIPY Probe for Localization‐Based Super‐Resolution Cellular Imaging

The synthesis and application of a photoactivatable boron‐alkylated BODIPY probe for localization‐based super‐resolution microscopy is reported. Photoactivation and excitation of the probe is achieved by a previously unknown boron‐photodealkylation reaction with a single low‐power visible laser and without requiring the addition of reducing agents or oxygen scavengers in the imaging buffer. These features lead to a versatile probe for localization‐based microscopy of biological systems. The probe can be easily linked to nucleophile‐containing molecules to target specific cellular organelles. By attaching paclitaxel to the photoactivatable BODIPY, in vitro and in vivo super‐resolution imaging of microtubules is demonstrated. This is the first example of single‐molecule localization‐based super‐resolution microscopy using a visible‐light‐activated BODIPY compound as a fluorescent probe.     

Highly active and reusable hydrotalcite-supported Pd(0) catalyst for Suzuki coupling reactions of aryl bromides and chlorides

A palladium(0) nanocluster supported on hydrotalcite has been prepared and tested for the Suzuki coupling reaction. The prepared catalyst showed very efficient catalytic activity for cross coupling of iodo- and bromoarenes under very mild reaction conditions, affording >90% yield. Under the optimized reaction conditions, chloroarenenes also showed very good reactivity. Transmission electron microscopic imaging data showed the formation of very small Pd(0)-nanoclusters (d = 2.2 ± 0.5 nm) well dispersed on the support, which enhanced the activity and stability of the catalyst for the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. This catalytic system offers an easy method of preparation with good activity and reusability up to five cycles.     

Cobalt-Nanoporous Carbon Functionalized Nanocomposite-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Contactless and Sustainable Self-Powered Sensor Systems

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which operate in contactless mode and avoid physical contact, are highly attractive for self-powered sensor systems aiming to achieve long-term reliable operation and reduce rubbing friction. Herein, an ultra-flexible and high-performance contactless double-layer TENG (CDL-TENG) is first designed and fabricated using a metal–organic framework-based cobalt nanoporous carbon (Co-NPC)/Ecoflex with MXene/Ecoflex nanocomposite layer for self-powered sensor applications. The porous structure of the Co-NPC provides a high-surface-area of the nanocomposite and the charge storage layer of the MXene/Ecoflex nanocomposite accumulates more negative charge to improve the functionality of the CDL-TENG two and three times, respectively. Compared with Ecoflex film-based TENGs, the fabricated CDL-TENG exhibits an eight-fold slower decay rate owing to charge trapping characteristics, which were confirmed by surface potential measurements. The CDL-TENG shows excellent humidity and acceleration sensitivity of about 0.3 V/% and 2.06 Vs² m⁻¹. The CDL-TENG also offers non-contact position detection performance in the 20 cm range. Furthermore, the CDL-TENG is successfully integrated with mobile-vehicles and an intelligent robot to perform obstacle and human-motion detection. Finally, a contactless door-lock password authentication system was demonstrated. These multifunctional benefits make it useful for numerous applications, including artificial intelligence, human-machine interfaces, and self-powered sensors.     

Gas Sensing Performance of Dip-Coated Indium-Doped ZnO Films

This paper reports the novel sensing, morphological, and optical properties of indium (In)-doped ZnO films. A sol–gel dip-coating technique was used to synthesize the samples, and indium (In) in variable concentrations (2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%) was used as a dopant (samples IZ-1, IZ-2, IZ-3, and IZ-4, respectively). These synthesized samples were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Characterization studies revealed that the prepared films were highly crystalline, with a hexagonal wurtzite structure, and possessed good optical properties. FESEM images showed nanoparticle size in the range of 85–124 nm. An optical band gap in the range of 3.20–3.31 eV was obtained by UV–Vis spectroscopy. To determine the potential for use in smart nanoscale devices, synthesized In-doped ZnO was coated onto glass substrate and further characterized for its ability to sense NO₂ gas. These films can play an important role in gas sensing applications. Interestingly, the sensitivity of the prepared films was found to improve with an increase in the volume of NO₂ gas concentration from 2% to 4%, while a subsequent increase to 5–6% volume did not lead to further enhancement of gas sensing response. The maximum response (95.10%) was found at 4% vol of NO₂ gas. Thus the optimal concentration of indium (3.0%) shows a maximum response. The prepared films were found to have a quick response time of 65 s and a fast recovery time of 87 s.     

Ferroelectricity in Polar Polymer‐Based FETs: A Hysteresis Analysis

There is an increasing number of reports on polar polymer‐based ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs), where the hysteresis of the drain current–gate voltage (I_d–V_g) curve is investigated as the result of the ferroelectric polarization effect. However, separating ferroelectric effect from many of the factors (such as charge injection/trapping and the presence of mobile ions in the polymer) that confound interpretation is still confusing and controversial. This work presents a methodology to reliably identify the confounding factors which obscure the polarization effect in FeFETs. Careful observation of the I_d–V_g curves, as well as monitoring the I_d–V_g hysteresis and flat band voltage shift as a function of temperature and sweep frequency, identifies the dominant mechanism. This methodology is demonstrated by using 15 nm thick high glass transition temperature polar polymer‐based FeFETs. In these devices, room temperature hysteresis is largely a consequence of charge trapping and mobile ions, while ferroelectric polarization is observed at elevated temperatures. This methodology can be used to unambiguously prove the effect of ferroelectric polarization in FeFETs.