Electrodeposition of nanostructured catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion: Current trends and innovative strategies

This review discusses the latest advances in electrodeposition of nanostructured catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion: fuel cells, water splitting, and carbon dioxide electroreduction. The method excels at preparing efficient and durable nanostructured materials, such as nanoparticles, single atom clusters, hierarchical bifunctional combinations of hydroxides, selenides, phosphides, and so on. Yet, in most cases, chemical composition cannot be decoupled from catalyst morphology. This compromises the rational design of electrodeposition procedures because performance indicators depend on both morphology and surface chemistry. We expect electrodeposition will keep unraveling its potential as the preferred method for electrocatalyst synthesis once a deeper understanding of the electrochemical growth process is combined with complex chemistries to have control of the morphology and the surface composition of complex (bifunctional) electrocatalysts.     

Optical microscopy to study single nanoparticles electrochemistry: From reaction to motion

Nanoparticles (NPs)-based electrochemical devices are generating a growing interest and optical microscopy has recently proven to be a powerful tool to apprehend their electrochemical behavior. Through several striking examples, this review demonstrates how label-free optical imaging coupled to an electrochemical actuation can be used to probe operando the physical and electrochemical properties of single NPs, with high resolution and sensitivity and without additional emitters. Such an approach can be particularly relevant to establish clear structure-motion/reactivity relationships required to optimize NPs exploited as electrode materials.     

Lighting Up the Plasma Membrane: Development and Applications of Fluorescent Ligands for Transmembrane Proteins

Despite the fact that transmembrane proteins represent the main therapeutic targets for decades, complete and in-depth knowledge about their biochemical and pharmacological profiling is not fully available. In this regard, target-tailored small-molecule fluorescent ligands are a viable approach to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle. Such tools, coupled with the ability of high-precision optical techniques to image with an unprecedented resolution at a single-molecule level, helped unraveling many of the conundrums related to plasma proteins’ life-cycle and druggability. Herein, we review the recent progress made during the last two decades in fluorescent ligand design and potential applications in fluorescence microscopy of voltage-gated ion channels, ligand-gated ion channels and G-coupled protein receptors.     

A Small-Molecule Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Dye for in vivo NIR-IIa Fluorescence Bioimaging

Organic small-molecule fluorophores with near-infrared IIa (NIR-IIa) emission have great potential in pre-clinical detection and inoperative imaging due to the high-spatial resolution and deep penetration. However, developments of the NIR-IIa fluorophores are still facing considerable challenges. In this work, a series of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based fluorophores were designed and synthesized. Subsequently, nanomaterial T25@F127 with significant NIR-IIa emission properties was rationally prepared by encapsulating DPP-based fluorophore T25 , and was selected for fluorescence angiography and cerebral vascular microscopic imaging with nearly 800 μm penetrating depth and excellent signal-background ratio of 4.07 and 2.26 (at 250 and 400 μm), respectively. Furthermore, the nanomaterial T25@cRGD with tumor targeting ability can image tiny metastatic tumor on intestine with a small size of 0.3 mm×1.0 mm and high-spatial resolution (SBR=3.84). This study demonstrates that the nanomaterials which encapsulated T25 behave as excellent NIR-IIa fluorescence imaging agents and have a great potential for in vivo biological application.     

Facile Synthesis of Manganese Tellurite Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy

In this study, manganese tellurite (MnTeO₃) nanoparticles are developed as theranostic agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided photothermal therapy of tumor. MnTeO₃ nanoparticles are synthesized via a simple one-step method. The as-synthesized MnTeO₃ nanoparticles with uniform size show good biocompatibility. In particular, MnTeO₃ nanoparticles exhibit a high photothermal conversion efficiency (η = 26.3%), which is higher than that of gold nanorods. Moreover, MnTeO₃ nanoparticles also have high MRI performance. The longitudinal relaxivity (r₁) value of MnTeO₃ nanoparticles is determined to be 8.08 ± 0.2 mm ⁻¹ s⁻¹, which is higher than that of clinically approved T₁-contrast agents Gd-DTPA (4.49 ± 0.1 mm ⁻¹ s⁻¹). The subsequent MnTeO₃ nanoparticles-mediated photothermal therapy displays a highly efficient ablation of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo with negligible toxicity. It is demonstrated that MnTeO₃ nanoparticles can serve as promising theranostic agents with great potentials for MRI-guided photothermal therapy.     

Tantalum Nitride Nanosheets for Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Photothermal Cancer Therapy

In this study, the synthesis of TaN nanosheets and their application in theranostic agents is reported. After coating polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the TaN nanosheets, the as-synthesized PEG-modified TaN nanosheets (TaN-PEG) show good stability and biocompatibility. Because of their high absorbance in the near-IR region, TaN-PEG can be utilized as photoacoustic imaging contrast agents for tumor imaging. Moreover, TaN-PEG has significant photothermal conversion performance, exhibiting effective laser-induced tumor ablation capability. The TaN-PEG possessing excellent photoacoustic contrast effect and photothermal properties thus have great promise in theranostic applications, especially imaging-guided cancer treatment.     

Nanomaterials in Cerebrovascular Disease Diagnose and Treatment

Cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the most serious diseases with high mortality and disability rates. The prevalent diagnosis and treatment methods of CVDs include imaging and interventional therapy. With the development of nanotechnology, large numbers of nanomaterials have been applied to the diagnosis and treatment of CVDs, mainly including carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, fullerenes, and dendrimers. In this review, the applications of nanomaterials in the field of diagnosis and treatment of CVDs, mainly including drug target delivery, imaging, therapy, endovascular treatment, and angiogenesis, are summarized. The applications of nanomaterials in the field of CVD are almost in the laboratory, and more effort is needed for clinical translation. The aim of this review is to provide useful information for future research and equipment development.     

FIBSIMS: A review of secondary ion mass spectrometry for analytical dual beam focussed ion beam instruments

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a well-known technique for 3D chemical mapping at the nanoscale, with detection sensitivity in the range of ppm or even ppb. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is the standard chemical analysis and imaging technique in modern scanning electron microscopes (SEM), and related dual-beam focussed ion beam (FIBSEM) instruments. Contrary to the use of an electron beam, in the past the ion beam in FIBSEMs has predominantly been used for local milling or deposition of material. Here, we review the emerging FIBSIMS technique which exploits the focused ion beam as an analytical probe, providing the capability to perform secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements on FIBSEM instruments: secondary ions, sputtered by the FIB, are collected and selected according to their mass by a mass spectrometer. In this way a complete 3D chemical analysis with high lateral resolution <?50 nm and a depth resolution <?10 nm is attainable.We first report on the historical developments of both SIMS and FIB techniques and review recent developments in both instruments. We then review the physics of interaction for incident particles using Monte Carlo simulations. Next, the components of modern FIBSIMS instruments, from the primary ion generation in the liquid metal source in the FIB column, the focussing optics, the sputtered ion extraction optics, to the different mass spectrometer types are all detailed. The advantages and disadvantages of parallel and serial mass selection in terms of data acquisition and interpretation are highlighted, while the effects of pressure in the FIBSEM, acceleration voltage, ion take-off angles and charge compensation techniques on the analysis results are then discussed. The capabilities of FIBSIMS in terms of sensitivity, lateral and depth resolution and mass resolution are reviewed. Different data acquisition strategies related to dwell time, binning and beam control strategies as well as roughness and edge effects are discussed. Data analysis routines for mass identification based on isotope ratios and molecular fragments are outlined. Application examples are then presented for the fields of thin films, polycrystalline metals, batteries, cultural heritage materials, isotope labelling, and geological materials. Finally, FIBSIMS is compared to EDS, and the potential of the technique for correlative microscopy with other FIBSEM based imaging techniques is discussed.     

W波段具有开放式圆柱光栅的三反射球镜准光腔辐射源

为设计输出高功率、高频率的W波段辐射源提供一个可行的方案,对一种具有开放式圆柱光栅的三反射球面镜准光腔大功率辐射源,在理论计算和PIC模拟仿真的基础上,完成了理论设计,装配出实验系统,并进行了热测实验。实验中采用了束流脉宽为70 ns的环形电子注,引导磁场为2.2 T,二极管电压为557 kV,电流约为1.8 kA,实验测得在W波段有1.2 MW的峰值功率输出。     

基于反射体布拉格光栅谱组束的设计

针对反射体布拉格光栅谱组束中缺乏精密控制仪器的实验条件,采用透镜作为光束入射角和准直控制器件,设计了一种结构简单的谱组束系统。基于衍射效率方程,得到了光栅最佳设计参数;基于像差理论,得到了透镜最佳设计参数。针对该设计系统,对影响组束效果的因素进行了分析,并对组束效果进行了预测。结果表明：当激光束的谱宽小于1.5 nm时,设计系统的组束效率能超过90%;而当光束的谱宽达到2.1 nm时,设计系统也能获得超过88.7%的组束效率。