bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Natural Humic‐Acid‐Based Phototheranostic Agent
Authors: Miao Zhao‐Hua , Li Kai , Liu Pei‐Ying , Li Zhenglin , Yang Huanjie , Zhao Qingliang , Chang Manli , Yang Qingzhu , Zhen Liang , Xu Cheng‐Yan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHumic acids, a major constituent of natural organic carbon resources, are naturally formed through the microbial biodegradation of animal and plant residues. Due to numerous physiologically active groups (phenol, carboxyl, and quinone), the biomedical applications of humic acid have been already investigated across different cultures for several centuries or even longer. In this work, sodium humate, the sodium salt of humic acid, is explored as phototheranostic agent for light‐induced photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy based on intrinsic absorption in the near‐infrared region. The purified colloidal sodium humate exhibits a high photothermal conversion efficiency up to 76.3%, much higher than that of the majority of state‐of‐the‐art photothermal agents including gold nanorods, Cu9S5 nanoparticles, antimonene quantum dots, and black phosphorus quantum dots, leading to obvious photoacoustic enhancement in vitro and in vivo. Besides, highly effective photothermal ablation of HeLa tumor is achieved through intratumoral injection. Impressively, sodium humate reveals ultralow toxicity at the cellular and animal levels. This work promises the great potential of humic acids as light‐mediated theranostic agents, thus expanding the application scope of traditional humic acids in biomedical field.
Microfluidic Tumor–Vascular Model to Study Breast Cancer Cell Invasion and Intravasation
Authors: Nagaraju Supriya , Truong Danh , Mouneimne Ghassan , Nikkhah Mehdi 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCancer is a major leading cause of disease‐related death in the world. The severe impact of cancer can be attributed to poor understanding of the mechanisms involved in earliest steps of the metastatic cascade, specifically invasion into the surrounding stroma and intravasation into the blood capillaries. However, conducting integrated biological studies of invasion and intravasation have been challenging, within in vivo models and traditional in vitro assay, due to difficulties in establishing a precise tumor microenvironment. To that end, in this work, a novel 3D microfluidic platform comprised of concentric three‐layer cell‐laden hydrogels for simultaneous investigation of breast cancer cell invasion and intravasation as well as vasculature maturation influenced by tumor–vascular crosstalk is developed. It was demonstrated that the presence of spontaneously formed vasculature enhance MDA‐MB‐231 invasion into the 3D stroma. Following invasion, cancer cells are visualized intravasating into the outer vasculature. Additionally, invading cancer cells significantly reduce vessel diameter while increasing permeability, consistent with previous in vivo studies. Major signaling cytokines involved in tumor–vascular crosstalk that govern cancer cell invasion and intravasation are further identified. Taken together, this platform will enable unique insights of critical biological events within the metastatic cascade, with significant potential for developing efficient cancer therapeutics.
Polymer‐Passivated Inorganic Cesium Lead Mixed‐Halide Perovskites for Stable and Efficient Solar Cells with High Open‐Circuit Voltage over 1.3 V
Authors: Zeng Qingsen , Zhang Xiaoyu , Feng Xiaolei , Lu Siyu , Chen Zhaolai , Yong Xue , Redfern Simon A. T. , Wei Haotong , Wang Haiyu , Shen Huaizhong , Zhang Wei , Zheng Weitao , Zhang Hao , Tse John S. , Yang Bai 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCesium‐based trihalide perovskites have been demonstrated as promising light absorbers for photovoltaic applications due to their superb composition stability. However, the large energy losses (Eloss) observed in inorganic perovskite solar cells has become a major hindrance impairing the ultimate efficiency. Here, an effective and reproducible method of modifying the interface between a CsPbI2Br absorber and polythiophene hole‐acceptor to minimize the Eloss is reported. It is demonstrated that polythiophene, deposited on the top of CsPbI2Br, can significantly reduce electron‐hole recombination within the perovskite, which is due to the electronic passivation of surface defect states. In addition, the interfacial properties are improved by a simple annealing process, leading to significantly reduced energy disorder in polythiophene and enhanced hole‐injection into the hole‐acceptor. Consequently, one of the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.02% from a reverse scan in inorganic mixed‐halide perovskite solar cells is obtained. Modifying the perovskite films with annealing polythiophene enables an open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of up to 1.32 V and Eloss of down to 0.5 eV, which both are the optimal values reported among cesium‐lead mixed‐halide perovskite solar cells to date. This method provides a new route to further improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells by minimizing the Eloss.
Preparation of High‐Percentage 1T‐Phase Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanodots for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Tan Chaoliang , Luo Zhimin , Chaturvedi Apoorva , Cai Yongqing , Du Yonghua , Gong Yue , Huang Ying , Lai Zhuangchai , Zhang Xiao , Zheng Lirong , Qi Xiaoying , Goh Min Hao , Wang Jie , Han Shikui , Wu Xue‐Jun , Gu Lin , Kloc Christian , Zhang Hua 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNanostructured transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are proven to be efficient and robust earth‐abundant electrocatalysts to potentially replace precious platinum‐based catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the catalytic efficiency of reported TMD catalysts is still limited by their low‐density active sites, low conductivity, and/or uncleaned surface. Herein, a general and facile method is reported for high‐yield, large‐scale production of water‐dispersed, ultrasmall‐sized, high‐percentage 1T‐phase, single‐layer TMD nanodots with high‐density active edge sites and clean surface, including MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, Mo0.5W0.5S2, and MoSSe, which exhibit much enhanced electrochemical HER performances as compared to their corresponding nanosheets. Impressively, the obtained MoSSe nanodots achieve a low overpotential of −140 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2, a Tafel slope of 40 mV dec−1, and excellent long‐term durability. The experimental and theoretical results suggest that the excellent catalytic activity of MoSSe nanodots is attributed to the high‐density active edge sites, high‐percentage metallic 1T phase, alloying effect and basal‐plane Se‐vacancy. This work provides a universal and effective way toward the synthesis of TMD nanostructures with abundant active sites for electrocatalysis, which can also be used for other applications such as batteries, sensors, and bioimaging.
Saturable Absorption in 2D Ti3C2 MXene Thin Films for Passive Photonic Diodes
Authors: Dong Yongchang , Chertopalov Sergii , Maleski Kathleen , Anasori Babak , Hu Longyu , Bhattacharya Sriparna , Rao Apparao M. , Gogotsi Yury , Mochalin Vadym N. , Podila Ramakrishna 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMXenes comprise a new class of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides that exhibit unique light–matter interactions. Recently, 2D Ti3CNTx (Tx represents functional groups such as OH and F) was found to exhibit nonlinear saturable absorption (SA) or increased transmittance at higher light fluences, which is useful for mode locking in fiber‐based femtosecond lasers. However, the fundamental origin and thickness dependence of SA behavior in MXenes remain to be understood. 2D Ti3C2Tx thin films of different thicknesses are fabricated using an interfacial film formation technique to systematically study their nonlinear optical properties. Using the open aperture Z‐scan method, it is found that the SA behavior in Ti3C2Tx MXene arises from plasmon‐induced increase in the ground state absorption at photon energies above the threshold for free carrier oscillations. The saturation fluence and modulation depth of Ti3C2Tx MXene is observed to be dependent on the film thickness. Unlike other 2D materials, Ti3C2Tx is found to show higher threshold for light‐induced damage with up to 50% increase in nonlinear transmittance. Lastly, building on the SA behavior of Ti3C2Tx MXenes, a Ti3C2Tx MXene‐based photonic diode that breaks time‐reversal symmetry to achieve nonreciprocal transmission of nanosecond laser pulses is demonstrated.
A Light Harvesting, Self‐Powered Monolith Tactile Sensor Based on Electric Field Induced Effects in MAPbI3 Perovskite
Authors: Saraf Rohit , Pu Long , Maheshwari Vivek 
Published: January 2018

AbstractOrganolead trihalide perovskite MAPbI3 shows a distinctive combination of properties such as being ferroelectric and semiconducting, with ion migration effects under poling by electric fields. The combination of its ferroelectric and semiconducting nature is used to make a light harvesting, self‐powered tactile sensor. This sensor interfaces ZnO nanosheets as a pressure‐sensitive drain on the MAPbI3 film and once poled is operational for at least 72 h with just light illumination. The sensor is monolithic in structure, has linear response till 76 kPa, and is able to operate continuously as the energy harvesting mechanism is decoupled from its pressure sensing mechanism. It has a sensitivity of 0.57 kPa−1, which can be modulated by the strength of the poling field. The understanding of these effects in perovskite materials and their application in power source free devices are of significance to a wide array of fields where these materials are being researched and applied.
Uniform Lithium Nucleation/Growth Induced by Lightweight Nitrogen‐Doped Graphitic Carbon Foams for High‐Performance Lithium Metal Anodes
Authors: Liu Lin , Yin Ya‐Xia , Li Jin‐Yi , Wang Shu‐Hua , Guo Yu‐Guo , Wan Li‐Jun 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe lithium metal anode has attracted soaring attention as an ideal battery anode. Unfortunately, nonuniform Li nucleation results in uncontrollable growth of dendritic Li, which incurs serious safety issues and poor electrochemical performance, hindering its practical applications. Herein, this study shows that uniform Li nucleation/growth can be induced by an ultralight 3D current collector consisting of in situ nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon foams (NGCFs) to realize suppressing dendritic Li growth at the nucleating stage. The N‐containing functional groups guide homogenous growth of Li nucleus nanoparticles and the initial Li nucleus seed layer regulates the following well‐distributed Li growth. Benefiting from such favorable Li growth behavior, superior electrochemical performance can be achieved as evidenced by the high Coulombic efficiency (≈99.6% for 300 cycles), large capacity (10 mA h cm−2, 3140 mA h g−1NGCF‐Li), and ultralong lifespan (>1200 h) together with low overpotential (<25 mV at 3 mA cm−2); even under a high current density up to 10 mA cm−2, it still displays low overpotential of 62 mV.
Dynamic Coordination of Eu–Iminodiacetate to Control Fluorochromic Response of Polymer Hydrogels to Multistimuli
Authors: Weng Gengsheng , Thanneeru Srinivas , He Jie 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNew fluorochromic materials that reversibly change their emission properties in response to their environment are of interest for the development of sensors and light‐emitting materials. A new design of Eu‐containing polymer hydrogels showing fast self‐healing and tunable fluorochromic properties in response to five different stimuli, including pH, temperature, metal ions, sonication, and force, is reported. The polymer hydrogels are fabricated using Eu–iminodiacetate (IDA) coordination in a hydrophilic poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) matrix. Dynamic metal–ligand coordination allows reversible formation and disruption of hydrogel networks under various stimuli which makes hydrogels self‐healable and injectable. Such hydrogels show interesting switchable ON/OFF luminescence along with the sol–gel transition through the reversible formation and dissociation of Eu–IDA complexes upon various stimuli. It is demonstrated that Eu‐containing hydrogels display fast and reversible mechanochromic response as well in hydrogels having interpenetrating polymer network. Those multistimuli responsive fluorochromic hydrogels illustrate a new pathway to make smart optical materials, particularly for biological sensors where multistimuli response is required.
Surface Modification of V–VI Semiconductors Using Exchange Reactions within ALD Half‐Cycles
Authors: Wiegand Christoph W. , Zierold Robert , Faust René , Pohl Darius , Thomas Andy , Rellinghaus Bernd , Nielsch Kornelius 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe behaviors of tellurium and selenium atomic layer deposition vapor precursors, namely, Te(SiEt3)2 and Se(SiEt3)2, exposed to different V–VI semiconductor surfaces are reported. The interactions of the precursors with the substrates are monitored in situ with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) setup. Specifically, both the utilized metal–organic precursors interact with chalcogenide surfaces but differ in their reaction behaviors. Indeed, exchanged Te diffuses into the selenium‐containing substrate, whereas Se only exchanges with the top surface of the substrate. Transmission electron micrsocopy (TEM) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX/EDXS) analysis of the topological insulating nanowires reveals the single precursor interactions, which support the QCM data analysis, and provides insight into the morphological and crystalline structures of the altered substrates.
Bioinspired Fabrication of Bi/Tridirectionally Anisotropic Sliding Superhydrophobic PDMS Surfaces by Femtosecond Laser
Authors: Fang Yao , Yong Jiale , Chen Feng , Huo Jinglan , Yang Qing , Zhang Jingzhou , Hou Xun 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPrecisely arranged multiscale microstructures in living systems provide inspirations for the fabrication of artificial advanced materials and devices. Recently, uni‐bioinspired surfaces with anisotropic wettability are built for various applications. Here, a kind of bi‐bioinspired (rice leaf and butterfly wing) tridirectionally anisotropic sliding superhydrophobic surface for the first time is reported. First, a microgroove array structured polydimethylsiloxane surface is constructed by selective femtosecond laser ablation. The as‐prepared surface shows bidirectional anisotropy which can be easily tuned by the width (L) and the depth of the microgrooves. A “steps” structure is further introduced into the microgrooves. Interestingly, tridirectionally anisotropic sliding superhydrophobicity that combined the rice‐leaf‐like and butterfly‐wing‐like anisotropy is achieved on such surface. The tridirectional anisotropy is demonstrated to result from the directional “steps” structures and the uneven distribution of rough structures. The bi/tridirectionally anisotropic sliding property will provide a fresh cognition of anisotropic wettability for researchers and have enormous potential applications in smart microfluidic systems.
A High‐Performance Self‐Powered Photodetector Based on Monolayer MoS2/Perovskite Heterostructures
Authors: Bai Fan , Qi Junjie , Li Feng , Fang Youyin , Han Weipeng , Wu Hualin , Zhang Yue 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHere, it is first reported that a self‐powered photodetector based on a MoS2/CH3NH3PbI3 vertical type heterojunction, which has responsivity of 60 mAW−1 and response/recovery time of 2149/899 ms. Under bias, it exhibits a photoswitching ratio exceeding 1522, fast response/recovery time of 205/206 ms, and high photoresponsivity of 68.11 AW−1. The optoelectronic performances of the photodetector are closely related to the type of the MoS2/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction, which acts as a hole (electron) transport field and can effectively decrease the recombination of holes and electrons. Additionally, the MoS2/CH3NH3PbI3 planar type heterojunction is also built to compare with the vertical type in optoelectronics behavior. Due to the existence of internal field, the properties of vertical type photodetector are better than those of the planar type which also presents good performance with on/off ratio up to 1476, photoresponsivity of 28 AW−1, and response rate of 356/204 ms. These results pave a new way to form an ultrahigh performance MoS2/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction, hold the promise for construction of a self‐powered photodetector, and develop promising atomically thin MoS2 heterostructure device for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.
A Novel Silicon Carbide Nanosheet for High‐Performance Humidity Sensor
Authors: Sun Lian , Wang Bing , Wang Yingde 
Published: January 2018

AbstractTwo‐dimensional (2D) structure is a good candidate for fabricating humidity sensors due to its advantages including high surface/volume ratio, abundant active sites, and fast carrier motion rate. Here, an impedance‐type nonoxide humidity sensor based on silicon carbide nanosheets (SiC NSs) is prepared via carbothermal reduction between graphene oxide and silicon powder. The final product, with a high surface area of 90.1 m2 g−1, contains SiC with a thin oxide layer on the surface and some remained reduced graphene oxide. The synthesized SiC NSs exhibit excellent sensing properties such as a high sensitivity to water in ambient atmosphere (16991.1 at 95% relative humidity (RH)), a wide range of RH response (11–95%), short response time (3 s) and recovery time (3 s), and good linear response toward humidity, which are more excellent than the commercial SiC nanowires and most of the nanostructure humidity sensors in literature. The good humidity sensing performance of this sample can be contributed to the advantage of nanosheet structure, the fast electron transfer rate in the SiC semiconductor, and the donor effect of electrons. This report provides a technical guidance on the designing of novel 2D structure nonoxide humidity sensors.
Suppression of Grain Boundary Scattering in Multifunctional p‐Type Transparent γ‐CuI Thin Films due to Interface Tunneling Currents
Authors: Kneiß Max , Yang Chang , Barzola‐Quiquia José , Benndorf Gabriele , von Wenckstern Holger , Esquinazi Pablo , Lorenz Michael , Grundmann Marius 
Published: January 2018

AbstractTransparent p‐type conductive γ‐CuI thin films typically exhibit unexpectedly high hole mobilities in the range of 10 cm2 V−1 s−1 even when heavily textured. To explain this phenomenon, the transport properties of such thin films are investigated. The temperature‐dependent resistivities of the textured (111)‐oriented films with different carrier concentration are fitted using the fluctuation‐induced tunneling conductivity (FITC) model in series with a power law. The FITC model describes barriers at the grain boundaries whereas the power law considers the scattering in the metallic interior of the grains. Magnetoresistance measurements performed on a reactively DC‐sputtered thin film at low temperatures (T < 8 K) suggest a 2D weak antilocalization effect with phase coherence lengths of about 50 nm. This is corroborated by a typical logarithmic temperature dependence of the zero‐field conductance. An n‐type inversion layer or a defect band at the interfaces of the grains as origin of the 2D carrier system and the barriers at the grain boundaries is proposed. This leads to a conclusive description of the electrical transport properties of γ‐CuI thin films and explains the high hole mobilities which are due to a suppressed backscattering at the grain boundaries in the presence of tunneling channels.
Bluetooth Low Energy‐Based Washable Wearable Activity Motion and Electrocardiogram Textronic Monitoring and Communicating System
Authors: Tao Xuyuan , Huang Tzu‐Hao , Shen Chien‐Lung , Ko Ya‐Chi , Jou Gwo‐Tsuen , Koncar Vladan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe miniaturized, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulated, reliable, and fully washable system composed of three textile stretchable electrodes and connected electronic module is designed, realized, and integrated to a sportswear. The electronic module is specifically developed and made on a flexible print circuit board in order to facilitate its integration. The software developed enables the recording of the electrocardiogram (ECG) high quality signs together with the skin temperature, the breathing rate, and acceleration outputs that are used for an activity monitoring. The electronic module transmits all the data to a smart phone via low energy Bluetooth. The specific dedicated application displays the ECG signal, the respiration rate, and the activity performed in a real time. This information is sent to a cloud. The system is tested in real conditions of utilization and washed following standards to test its reliability and verify its readiness for the market. The system is a next step in the instrumentation of clothing, comparing to existing heart rate monitoring modules, having a capacity to monitor the activities in real time and being fully washable without mechanical disconnecting of the electronic module as it is a case for almost all existing monitoring devices.
Covert Images Using Surface Plasmon‐Mediated Optical Polarization Conversion
Authors: Finlayson Ewan D. , Hooper Ian R. , Lawrence Christopher R. , Heath Mark , Anderson David , Sambles J. Roy , Vukusic Peter 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCovert optical signatures are a vital element in anticounterfeiting technologies. Plasmonic surfaces offer a means of manipulating the properties of light including the realization of colored pixels and images. In this work, concealed images with accurate color reproduction using plasmonic pixel arrays are demonstrated. The spectral and spatial control of optical polarization conversion is accomplished by tailoring the interaction of light with surface plasmons through the design and arrangement of surface nanostructures. The latent image is revealed using a polarization‐sensitive optical system, which represents a means for the authentication of security features that can be created using these nanostructured devices. A red–green–blue color space is defined containing a wide gamut of chromaticities, enabling comprehensive full‐color image capability. The device concept extends the functionality of a polarization‐dependent plasmonic response to realize the encoding of a color image in covert form.
Shell‐Isolated Nanoparticle‐Enhanced Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopies: Synthesis and Applications
Authors: Xu Juan , Zhang Yue‐Jiao , Yin Hao , Zhong Han‐Liang , Su Min , Tian Zhong‐Qun , Li Jian‐Feng 
Published: January 2018

AbstractShell‐isolated nanoparticles (SHINs) composed of a protective shell and a plasmonic metal core have been extensively used in plasmon‐enhanced Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy. Whereby, SHIN‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy has effectively overcome the material and morphology limitations for traditional surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and demonstrates advanced properties in various fields including surface science, chemical analysis, biological and medical assays, and material science. Meanwhile, the fluorescence of the optical species can be enhanced smartly by SHINs due to the localized surface‐plasmon resonance effect of the SHINs, the so called SHIN‐enhanced fluorescence. In this review, the synthesis of the SHINs is discussed according to the shell materials. Then, the developments and advancements in application of the SHINs in Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies are comprehensively described. Finally, potential future developments for SHINs and SHIN‐enhanced spectroscopy are presented.
Direct Synthesis of Sulfinamides by the Copper‐Catalyzed Electrophilic Amidation of Sulfenate Anions
Authors: Dai Qiang , Zhang Junliang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA method for the construction of sulfinamides via the copper‐catalyzed electrophilic amination of sulfenate anions using N‐benzoyloxyamines as the amination reagents. This procedure featured with the capture of in‐situ generated sulfenate anions from β‐sulfinyl esters under mild conditions, which provides an efficient strategy for the synthesis of diverse sulfinamides in moderate to good yields.magnified image