BINA

Producing pure, compressed hydrogen from gas mixtures is a crucial, but expensive, aspect of hydrogen distribution. Electrochemical hydrogen pumps offer a promising energy-efficient solution, but struggle with gas mixtures containing less than 20% hydrogen. Here we show that electrochemical hydrogen pumps equipped with phosphate-coordinated quaternary ammonium ion-pair polymer membranes can overcome this challenge. By using a protonated phosphonic acid ionomer and selective cathode humidification, mass transport of the device is enhanced, boosting hydrogen production from low-concentration hydrogen gas mixtures. A tandem ion-pair electrochemical hydrogen pump system achieves high-purity hydrogen (> 99.999%) from a 10% hydrogen–methane mixture with nearly 100% faradaic efficiency and hydrogen recovery. A techno-economic analysis reveals that electrochemical hydrogen pumps …

Developing a durable multifunctional superhydrophobic coating on polymeric films that can be industrially scalable is a challenge in the field of surface engineering. This article presents a novel method for a scalable technology using a simple single-step fabrication of a superhydrophobic coating on polymeric films that exhibits excellent water-repelling and UV-blocking properties, along with impressive wear resistance and chemical robustness. A mixture of titanium precursors, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), hydrophobic silanes and silica nano/micro-particles is polymerized directly on a corona-treated polymeric film which reacts with the surface via siloxane chemistry. The mixture is then spread on polymeric films using a Mayer rod, which eliminates the need for expensive equipment or multistep processes. The incorporation of silica nanoparticles along with titanium precursor and TEOS results in the formation of a silica–titania network around the silica nanoparticles. This chemically binds them to the activated surface, forming a unique dual-scale surface morphology depending on the size of the silica nanoparticles used in the coating mixture. The coated films were shown to be superhydrophobic with a high water contact angle of over 180° and a rolling angle of 0°. This is due to the combination of dual-scale micro/nano roughness with fluorinated hydrocarbons that lowered the surface free energy. The coatings exhibited excellent chemical and mechanical durability, as well as UV-blocking capabilities. The results show that the coatings remain superhydrophobic even after a sandpaper abrasion test under a pressure of 2.5 kPa for a distance of …

Featured Application Potentially useful for creation of correlated 2-photon entanglement. Abstract Coupling superconducting (SC) contacts to light-emitting layers can lead to remarkable effects, as seen in inorganic quantum-well LEDs with superconducting contacts, where an enhancement in radiative recombination was observed. Additional dramatic effects were theorized if both electrodes are SC, such as correlated emission and 2-photon entanglement. Motivated by this and by the question of whether proximity induced SC is possible in organic light-emitting materials, we studied the electronic properties of stacked SC–organic–SC devices. Our structures consisted of Nb (bottom) and NbN (top) SC electrodes and a spin-coated light-emitting semiconductor polymer, MEH-PPV. Sputtering the SC directly on the polymer causes pinholes, which we prevent by ultra-slow deposition of a 5 nm aluminum film, before depositing the top SC in situ. The Al protects the organic film from damage and pinhole formation, while preserving SC in the top electrodes due to the proximity effect between Al and NbN. Electrical transport measurements of the completed junctions indicate that indeed, the top and bottom contacts are superconducting and the protected MEH-PPV layer is pinhole-free, as supported by HR-TEM and EDS. Most importantly, we find that as the temperature is decreased below the critical temperature of the SCs, the device shows evidence for the proximity effect in the MEH-PPV.

Featured Application Potentially useful for creation of correlated 2-photon entanglement. Abstract Coupling superconducting (SC) contacts to light-emitting layers can lead to remarkable effects, as seen in inorganic quantum-well LEDs with superconducting contacts, where an enhancement in radiative recombination was observed. Additional dramatic effects were theorized if both electrodes are SC, such as correlated emission and 2-photon entanglement. Motivated by this and by the question of whether proximity induced SC is possible in organic light-emitting materials, we studied the electronic properties of stacked SC–organic–SC devices. Our structures consisted of Nb (bottom) and NbN (top) SC electrodes and a spin-coated light-emitting semiconductor polymer, MEH-PPV. Sputtering the SC directly on the polymer causes pinholes, which we prevent by ultra-slow deposition of a 5 nm aluminum film, before depositing the top SC in situ. The Al protects the organic film from damage and pinhole formation, while preserving SC in the top electrodes due to the proximity effect between Al and NbN. Electrical transport measurements of the completed junctions indicate that indeed, the top and bottom contacts are superconducting and the protected MEH-PPV layer is pinhole-free, as supported by HR-TEM and EDS. Most importantly, we find that as the temperature is decreased below the critical temperature of the SCs, the device shows evidence for the proximity effect in the MEH-PPV.

2D transition‐metal dichalcogenide semiconductors such as MoS2 are identified as a platform for next‐generation electronic circuitries. However, the progress toward industrial applications is still lagging due to imperfections of wafer‐scale deposition techniques and in‐contact parasitic impedance affecting device integration in large circuits and systems. Here, on contact engineering of large‐scale, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown monolayer MoS2 films is reported, leading to improved performance of field effect transistors. The transistor performance of monolayer pure MoS2 is initially characterized by its ION/IOFF ratio (106), carrier density (≈1012 cm−2), and mobility (≈10 cm2 Vs−1), and the Schottky barrier height (SBH) of conventional metallic Au contact of MoS2 (≈215 meV). Then, a CVD‐grown degenerately‐doped monolayer of alloy V0.25Mo0.75S2 is introduced between Au and MoS2 of a …

The entanglement spectrum serves as a powerful tool for probing the structure and dynamics of quantum many-body systems, revealing key information about symmetry, topology, and excitations. While the entanglement entropy (EE) of ground states typically follows an area law, highly excited states obey a volume law, leading to a striking contrast in their scaling behavior. In this paper, we investigate the crossover between these two regimes, focusing on the role of quasi-particles (QPs) in mediating this transition. By analyzing the energy dependence of EE in various many-body systems, we explore how the presence of long-lived QPs influences the entanglement structure of excited states. We present numerical results for spinless fermions, a spin chain near a many-body localization transition, and the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, which lacks a conventional QP description. Our findings are complemented by a theoretical model based on Fermi liquid theory, providing insight into the interaction-dependent scaling of EE and its consistency with numerical simulations. We find that a hallmark of QPs is a linear dependence of the eigenstate EE on energy, which breaks down at high energy and in the limit of strong interaction. The slope of this linear dependence reflects the QP weight, which reduces with interaction strength.

The tomography of photonic quantum states is key in quantum optics, impacting quantum sensing, computing, and communication. Conventional detectors are limited in their temporal and spatial resolution, hampering high-rate quantum communication and local addressing of photonic circuits. Here, we propose to utilize free electron-photon interactions for quantum state tomography, introducing electron homodyne detection with potential for femtosecond-temporal and nanometer-spatial resolutions. The detectable quantum information level depends on the electron-photon interaction strength. Our Letter opens avenues for free-electron-based photodetection utilizing the ultrafast, subwavelength, nondestructive nature of free electrons.

In this comprehensive review, we delve into super-resolution optical imaging techniques and their diverse applications. Our primary focus is on linear optics super-resolution methods, encompassing a wide array of concepts ranging from time multiplexing, ptychography, and deep learning-based microscopy to compressive sensing and random phase encoding techniques. Additionally, we explore compressed sensing, non-spatial resolution improvement, and sparsity-based geometric super-resolution. Furthermore, we investigate various methods based on field of view, wavelength, coherence, polarization, gray level, and code division multiplexing, as well as localization microscopy. Our review extends to stimulated emission depletion microscopy via pump-probe super-resolution techniques, providing a detailed analysis of their working applications. We then shift our attention to near-field scanning optical …

A basic feature of superconductors is flux quantization, which leads to periodicity of superconducting parameters with magnetic field. This periodicity is crucial for understanding basic concepts, such as elementary charge, symmetry of the order parameter, etc. In quantum circuit applications the periodicity is utilized for maximizing design performance. These applications rely on the fact that the periodicity is well defined for a given superconducting structure. We use scanning SQUID imaging and numerical simulations to show that, in realistic nanoscale devices, the periodicity depends on the temperature and the actual geometric details of the structure, specifically, the width of the wires that define the superconducting network. This should be taken into account in any experiment or application based on complex superconducting structures.

Gonadal sex determination relies on tipping a delicate balance involving the activation and repression of several transcription factors and signalling pathways. This is likely mediated by numerous non-coding regulatory elements that shape sex-specific transcriptomic programs. To explore the dynamics of these in detail, we performed paired time-series of transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility assays on pre-granulosa and Sertoli cells throughout their development in the embryo, making use of new and existing mouse reporter lines. Regulatory elements were associated with their putative target genes by linkage analysis, and this was complemented and verified experimentally using promoter capture Hi-C. We identified the transcription factor motifs enriched in these regulatory elements along with their occupancy, pinpointing LHX9/EMX2 as potentially critical regulators of ovarian development. Variations in the DNA sequence of these regulatory elements are likely to be responsible for many of the unexplained cases of individuals with Differences of Sex Development. Teaser Multiomics analysis revealed the regulatory elements and transcription factors responsible for gonadal sex determination.

BackgroundAngelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder caused by the loss of function of the ubiquitin ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene, affecting approximately 1: 15,000 live births. We have recently shown that mitochondrial function in AS is altered during mid to late embryonic brain development leading to increased oxidative stress and enhanced apoptosis of neural precursor cells. However, the overall alterations of metabolic processes are still unknown. Hence, as a follow-up, we aim to investigate the metabolic profiles of wild-type (WT) and AS littermates and to identify which metabolic processes are aberrant in the brain of AS model mice during embryonic development.MethodsWe collected brain tissue samples from mice embryos at E16. 5 and performed metabolomic analyses using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H-NMR) spectroscopy. Multivariate and Univariate analyses …

Gonadal sex determination relies on tipping a delicate balance involving the activation and repression of several transcription factors and signalling pathways. This is likely mediated by numerous non-coding regulatory elements that shape sex-specific transcriptomic programs. To explore the dynamics of these in detail, we performed paired time-series of transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility assays on pre-granulosa and Sertoli cells throughout their development in the embryo, making use of new and existing mouse reporter lines. Regulatory elements were associated with their putative target genes by linkage analysis, and this was complemented and verified experimentally using promoter capture Hi-C. We identified the transcription factor motifs enriched in these regulatory elements along with their occupancy, pinpointing LHX9/EMX2 as potentially critical regulators of ovarian development. Variations in the DNA sequence of these regulatory elements are likely to be responsible for many of the unexplained cases of individuals with Differences of Sex Development. Teaser Multiomics analysis revealed the regulatory elements and transcription factors responsible for gonadal sex determination.

The tomography of photonic quantum states is key in quantum optics, impacting quantum sensing, computing, and communication. Conventional detectors are limited in their temporal and spatial resolution, hampering high-rate quantum communication and local addressing of photonic circuits. Here, we propose to utilize free electron-photon interactions for quantum state tomography, introducing electron homodyne detection with potential for femtosecond-temporal and nanometer-spatial resolutions. The detectable quantum information level depends on the electron-photon interaction strength. Our Letter opens avenues for free-electron-based photodetection utilizing the ultrafast, subwavelength, nondestructive nature of free electrons.

Membrane potential (MP) changes can provide a simple readout of bacterial functional and metabolic state or stress levels. While several optical methods exist for measuring fast changes in MP in excitable cells, there is a dearth of such methods for absolute and precise measurements of steady-state membrane potentials (MPs) in bacterial cells. Conventional electrode-based methods for the measurement of MP are not suitable for calibrating optical methods in small bacterial cells. While optical measurement based on Nernstian indicators have been successfully used, they do not provide absolute or precise quantification of MP or its changes. We present a novel, calibrated MP recording approach to address this gap. In this study, we used a fluorescence lifetime-based approach to obtain a single-cell resolved distribution of the membrane potential and its changes upon extracellular chemical perturbation in a …

The hexatic phase is an intermediate stage in the melting process of a 2D crystal due to topological defects. Recently, this exotic phase was experimentally identified in the vortex lattice of 2D weakly disordered superconducting MoGe by scanning tunneling microscopic measurements. Here we study this vortex state by the Nernst effect, which is an effective and sensitive tool to detect vortex motion, especially in the superconducting fluctuation regime. We find a surprising Nernst sign reversal at the melting transition of the hexatic phase. We propose that they are a consequence of vortex dislocations in the hexatic state which diffuse preferably from the cold to hot.

The availability of robust and accessible active sites in iron–nitrogen-carbon (Fe–Nx-C) electrocatalysts is essential to optimize the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is the main obstacle in the commercial realization of fuel cells. Herein, a modified hard templating method to develop efficient Fe–Nx-C has been presented that not only ensured the generation of a porous architecture but also helped in the homogeneous distribution of Fe throughout the structure. First, silica nanoparticles (NPs) were grown via the Stöber process and then functionalized atomically with iron through two different types of silane chains, i.e., (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (EDTMS). The Fe-functionalized silica simultaneously acting as a sacrificial template as well as an iron source was then impregnated with nicarbazin, which was a carbon and nitrogen precursor. The …

Acoustic-directed assembly is a modular and flexible bottom-up technique with the potential to pattern a wide range of materials. Standing acoustic waves have been previously employed for patterning preformed metal particles, however, direct patterning of metallic structures from precursors remains unexplored. Here, we investigate utilization of standing waves to exert control over chemical reaction products, while also exploring their potential in the formation of multi-layered and composite micro-structures. Periodic metallic micro-structures were formed in a single step, simplifying microstructure fabrication. Concentric structures were obtained by introducing a metal precursor salt and a reducing agent into a cylindrical piezoelectric resonator that also served as a reservoir. In addition, we introduce an innovative approach to directly fabricate metallic multi-layer and composite structures by reducing different metal ions or adding nanoparticles during the reduction step. Fewer steps are needed, compared with other methods, and there is no need to stabilize the nanoparticles or to ensure chemical affinity between the metallic matrix and inorganic nanoparticles. This innovative approach is promising for production of complex microstructures with enhanced functionality and controlled properties.

Rechargeable alkaline zinc–air batteries (ZAB) hold great promise as a viable, sustainable, and safe alternative energy storage system to the lithium‐ion battery. However, the practical realization of ZABs is limited by their intrinsically low energy trip efficiency, stemming from a large charge and discharge potential gap. This overpotential is attributed to the four‐electron oxygen evolution and reduction reactions and their sluggish kinetics. Here, a new concept based on two‐electron generation and consumption of hydrogen peroxide at the air electrode is introduced. The O2/peroxide chemistry, facilitated by a newly developed Ni‐based bifunctional electrocatalyst, enables fast peroxide generation/consumption, exceptional energy efficiency, high durability, and high capacity. Hence, this new design offers substantial progress toward the commercialization of high energy density metal–air batteries.

Weak values and Kirkwood--Dirac (KD) quasiprobability distributions have been independently associated with both foundational issues in quantum theory and advantages in quantum metrology. We propose simple quantum circuits to measure weak values, KD distributions, and spectra of density matrices without the need for post-selection. This is achieved by measuring unitary-invariant, relational properties of quantum states, which are functions of Bargmann invariants, the concept that underpins our unified perspective. Our circuits also enable experimental implementation of various functions of KD distributions, such as out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs) and the quantum Fisher information in post-selected parameter estimation, among others. An upshot is a unified view of nonclassicality in all those tasks. In particular, we discuss how negativity and imaginarity of Bargmann invariants relate to set coherence.

Developing polymer electrolytes as an alternative to aprotic liquid electrolytes for lithium and sodium-ion batteries aims to enhance their safety, durability, and cost. Among these, polyethylene oxide (PEO) is a favorite choice due to its wide availability, excellent versatility, and mechanical properties. PEO: NaTFSI and PEO: NaFSI are stable and efficient ion-conducting solid polymer electrolytes compared to other PEO: NaX matrices (for instance, X=[PF 6]−,[ClO 4]−). We tested Na/PEO: NaTFSI/NVP cells at low temperatures (40 C) and carried out a series of electrochemical measurements to extract vital performance metrics such as diffusion coefficient, transference number, conductivity, and activation energy. Our findings emphasize the important role of the anions' nature in the properties of polymeric electrolytes like those based on PEO, in which there are strong interactions between the ions and the oxygen atoms …