BINA

Biofilms comprising sessile microorganisms attached to surfaces are increasingly researched for their importance in medicine and industry. Current studies focus on development of antibiotics that unfortunately can lead to resistance and environmental pollution. Phosphonium cations are known to exhibit significant activity with less resistance. Here, silane-phosphonium thin coatings are applied by Stöber polymerization of new silane-phosphonium monomer onto oxidized polypropylene film to eliminate phosphonium leaching and reduce the risk of environmental pollution. The composition and morphology were investigated by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. Coating durability was assessed by adhesion test. The significant anti-biofilm activity against S. aureus and E. coli suggests applications in medicine and agriculture.

Organometallic complex-based magnesium electrolytes in ethereal solutions have been extensively studied in the context of rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) due to their ability to facilitate highly reversible magnesium deposition while demonstrating wide enough electrochemical stability windows. However, these solutions containing a unique mixture of organo-halo aluminate complexes have a detrimental effect on the anodic stability of metallic current collectors for cathodes, like Ni and Al foils. We were able to synthesize and isolate Mg2Cl3(THF)6Ph2AlCl2/THF electrolyte as the sole electroactive species using simple precursors: Ph2AlCl and MgCl2 in THF, via atom efficient mono-chloro abstraction Schlenk technique. We characterized the anodic stability of Ni, Ni@C, Al, and Al@C current collectors by monitoring their electrochemical behavior. Additionally, we investigated the anodic stability …

The fogging of transparent surfaces—condensation of water vapor in the air to a small liquid surface at specific environmental conditions—scatters incident light, creating a blurry vision. Fogging presents a significant challenge in various industries, adversely affecting numerous applications including plastic packaging, agricultural films, and various optical devices. Superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic coatings are the main strategies used to induce antifogging to minimize light scattering. Here, an innovative approach is introduced to mitigate fogging by modifying the surface properties of polymeric films, focusing on corona-treated polyethylene as a model. Coatings were prepared in two successive steps: the addition of radical co-polymerization of methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane and N-vinylpyrrolidone followed by the step-growth Stöber polymerization of the formed silane monomer. The polymeric dispersion was spread on oxidized films via a Mayer rod and dried. Scanning and force microscopy, FIB, XPS, and UV-vis spectroscopy revealed a thin coating composed of cross-linked siloxane (Si-O-Si) covalently bonded to surface hydroxyls exposing pyrrolidone groups. Contact angle measurements, hot-fog examination, and durability tests indicated a durable antifogging activity.

Recurrence time quantifies the duration required for a physical system to return to its initial state, playing a pivotal role in understanding the predictability of complex systems. In quantum systems with subspace measurements, recurrence times are governed by Anandan-Aharonov phases, yielding fractionally quantized recurrence times. However, the fractional quantization phenomenon in interacting quantum systems remains poorly explored. Here, we address this gap by establishing universal lower and upper bounds for recurrence times in interacting spins. Notably, we investigate scenarios where these bounds are approached, shedding light on the speed of quantum processes under monitoring. In specific cases, our findings reveal that the complex many-body system can be effectively mapped onto a dynamical system with a single quasi-particle, leading to the discovery of integer quantized recurrence times. Our research yields a valuable link between recurrence times and the number of dark states in the system, thus providing a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between quantum recurrence, measurements, and interaction effects.

Organisms use a diverse range of organic-inorganic hybrid materials for a variety of purposes, including mechanical support, navigation and protection. These materials are mostly crystalline and are characterized by unique composition, polymorph, crystallite size, shape and crystallographic orientation. The crystalline biominerals are generally formed through amorphous, hydrated transient minerals, but in some, the amorphous phases are stable and persist. Using a biomimetic approach, we address aspects of biological mineralization in vitro and gain insight into the processes and interactions that play roles in the natural systems, in-vivo. In this work, we demonstrate two essential but conflicting methods that are likely to act simultaneously in many mineralizing systems. These are directed crystal nucleation on organic templates, and on the other hand, crystal inhibition to produce the transient amorphous phase. The experimental method in this project mimics aspects of biomineralization processes of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nucleation. Polydiacetylene (PDA) – a robust, linear conjugated polymer, made from amphiphilic long-chain diacetylene monomers, which upon surface compression, followed by UV polymerization form an ultrathin, stable monolayer structure. PDA simulates the organic template for the CaCO3 crystallization in our experimental system in that it exposed a dense array of acidic groups in well-defined orientation and being a semi-rigid template surface. On PDA templates, calcite crystals nucleate from a (01.2) face and in every single domain of the PDA film they are all coaligned with the crystals' a-axes oriented parallel to …

Protocols of quantum information processing are the foundation of quantum technology, allowing to share secrets at a distance for secure communication (quantum key distribution), to teleport quantum states, and to implement quantum computation. While various protocols have already been realized, and even commercialized, the throughput and processing speed of standard protocols is generally low, limited by the narrow electronic bandwidth of the measurement apparatus in the MHz-to-GHz range, which is orders-of-magnitude lower than the optical bandwidth of available quantum optical sources (10-100 THz). We present a general concept and methods to process quantum information in parallel over multiplexed frequency channels using parametric homodyne detection for measurement of all the channels simultaneously, thereby harnessing the optical bandwidth for quantum information in an efficient …

Organic solid electrolytes for rechargeable batteries are usually produced by dissolving or suspending all components and casting. For decades, acetonitrile has been widely used despite its rapid reaction with alkali metals, forming toxic products such as cyanide. Using large amounts of acetonitrile for industrial applications may pose health and environmental concerns. In addition, researchers claim that even if the solid electrolyte membranes contain residual trace water, this may positively affect the transport properties of Na ions in PEO, and those batteries with electrolytes containing trace water showed significantly improved electrochemical performance. Here, an aqueous medium was considered for casting solid polymer electrolyte membranes. Na ions conducting membranes produced with water were characterized and compared to traditional ones, produced with organic solvents. Spectral studies and …

The development of new nanoparticle-based antibiotics with biocompatible properties is an emerging advance in nanotechnology. This study advocated the development of carbon dots (CDs) doped with nitrogen, nitrogen with sulfur, and nitrogen with boron (N, NS, and NB-CDs). This led to changes in the properties of the CDs, both chemically and biologically. A facile hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize CDs and the formation of CDs was confirmed through various analytical techniques. The CDs had sizes ranging from 3.2 – 4.8 nm and ζ-potential values of +13 to 27 mV. The doped CDs exhibited moderate changes in fluorescence behaviors depending on the excitation wavelength (λex). The N- and NB-doped CDs were effective at eliminating gram-negative pathogens (E. coli and K. pneumoniae), with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 300 µg/mL and 400 µg/mL, respectively. The …

We demonstrate a molybdenum silicide superconducting nanowire single-photon detector heterogeneously integrated onto a thin-film lithium niobate waveguide. The detector achieves approximately 50% on-chip detection efficiency at 1550 nm with a jitter of 82 ps when measured at 0.78 K. This demonstration showcases the integration of an amorphous superconductor utilizing conventional fabrication processes without strict cooling and substrate requirements. This paves the way for the integration of additional superconducting electronic components, potentially realizing the full promise of integrated quantum photonic circuits.

The development of new nanoparticle-based antibiotics with biocompatible properties is an emerging advance in nanotechnology. This study advocated the development of carbon dots (CDs) doped with nitrogen, nitrogen with sulfur, and nitrogen with boron (N, NS, and NB-CDs). This led to changes in the properties of the CDs, both chemically and biologically. A facile hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize CDs and the formation of CDs was confirmed through various analytical techniques. The CDs had sizes ranging from 3.2 – 4.8 nm and ζ-potential values of +13 to 27 mV. The doped CDs exhibited moderate changes in fluorescence behaviors depending on the excitation wavelength (λex). The N- and NB-doped CDs were effective at eliminating gram-negative pathogens (E. coli and K. pneumoniae), with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 300 µg/mL and 400 µg/mL, respectively. The …

Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XXI Page 1 PROGRESS IN BIOMEDICAL OPTICS AND IMAGING Vol. 25 No. 43 Volume 12858 Proceedings of SPIE, 1605-7422, V. 12858 SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light. Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XXI Dror Fixler Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu Editors 28 January 2024 San Francisco, California, United States Sponsored by SPIE Cosponsored by Prizmatix Ltd. (Israel) Published by SPIE Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XXI, edited by Dror Fixler, Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 12858, 1285801 © 2024 SPIE · 1605-7422 · doi: 10.1117/12.3030104 Proc. of SPIE Vol. 12858 1285801-1 Page 2 The papers in this volume were part of the technical conference cited on the …

Abstract Hypothesis Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTILs) bulk's molecular layering dominates their structure also at the RTIL/sapphire interface, increasing the layer spacing with the cationic alkyl chain length n. However, the negatively-charged sapphire surface compresses the layers, increases the layering range, and affects the intra-layer structure in yet unknown ways. Experiments X-ray reflectivity (XR) off the RTIL/sapphire interface, for a broad homologous RTIL series 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethansulfonyl) imide, hitherto unavailable for any RTIL. Findings RTIL layers against the sapphire, exhibit two spacings: d a and d b. d a is n-varying, follows the behavior of the bulk spacing but exhibits a downshift, thus showing significant layer compression, and over twofold polar slab thinning. The latter suggests exclusion of anions from the interfacial region due to the negative sapphire charging …

The Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model (SYK) is renowned for its short-time chaotic behavior, which plays a fundamental role in its application to various fields such as quantum gravity and holography. The Thouless energy, representing the energy scale at which the universal chaotic behavior in the energy spectrum ceases, can be determined from the spectrum itself. When simulating the SYK model on classical or quantum computers, it is advantageous to minimize the number of terms in the Hamiltonian by randomly pruning the couplings. In this paper, we demonstrate that even with a significant pruning, eliminating a large number of couplings, the chaotic behavior persists up to short time scales This is true even when only a fraction of the original couplings in the fully connected SYK model, specifically , is retained. Here, represents the number of sites, and . The properties of the long-range energy scales, corresponding to short time scales, are verified through numerical singular value decomposition (SVD) and level number variance calculations.

The non-Markovian continuous-time random walk model, featuring fat-tailed waiting times and narrow distributed displacements with a non-zero mean, is a well studied model for anomalous diffusion. Using an analytical approach, we recently demonstrated how a fractional space advection diffusion asymmetry equation, usually associated with Markovian Lévy flights, describes the spreading of a packet of particles. Since we use Gaussian statistics for jump lengths though fat-tailed distribution of waiting times, the appearance of fractional space derivatives in the kinetic equation demands explanations provided in this manuscript. As applications we analyse the spreading of tracers in two dimensions, breakthrough curves investigated in the field of contamination spreading in hydrology and first passage time statistics. We present a subordination scheme valid for the case when the mean waiting time is finite and the …

Platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts are promising candidates to replace PGM catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. While methodologies to determine the number of active sites are under intense development, experimentally quantifying the parameters governing the kinetics of the reaction remains rare, albeit its potential for paving the pathways for future catalysts development. The use of transient voltammetry to probe electrocatalytic reactions by varying the measurement timescales and quantifying the reaction parameters via detailed microkinetic models has shown immense success in uncovering hidden mechanistic insights, connecting theory and experiments. Here we present the application of Fourier-transformed alternating-current voltammetry for analysis of the oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysis on a model PGM-free catalyst, iron-phthalocyanine, to decipher the kinetic and …

Rechargeable Mg‐ion Batteries (RMB) containing a Mg metal anode offer the promise of higher specific volumetric capacity, energy density, safety, and economic viability than lithium‐ion battery technology, but their realization is challenging. The limited availability of suitable inorganic cathodes compatible with electrolytes relevant to Mg metal anode restricts the development of RMBs. Despite the promising capability of some oxides to reversibly intercalate Mg+2 ions at high potential, its lack of stability in chloride‐containing ethereal electrolytes, relevant to Mg metal anode hinders the realization of a full practical RMB. Here the successful in situ encapsulation of monodispersed spherical V2O5 (≈200 nm) is demonstrated by a thin layer of VS2 (≈12 nm) through a facile surface reduction route. The VS2 layer protects the surface of V2O5 particles in RMB electrolyte solution (MgCl2 + MgTFSI in DME). Both V2O5 …

Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) are endogenous enzymes catalyzing the deamination of adenosines to inosines, which are then read as guanosines during translation. This ability to re-code makes ADAR an attractive therapeutic tool to edit genetic mutations and reprogram genetic information at the mRNA level. Utilizing the endogenous ADARs, and guiding them to a selected target has a promising therapeutic potential. Indeed, different studies have reported several site-directed RNA editing approaches for making targeted base changes in RNA molecules. The basic strategy has been to use guide-RNAs (gRNAs) that hybridize and form a dsRNA structure with the desired RNA target due to ADAR activity in regions of dsRNA formation. Here we report on a novel pipeline for identifying disease-causing variants as candidates for RNA editing, utilizing a yeast-based screening system to select efficient …

The ramp reversal memory (RRM) effect that appears in thin films with temperature-driven insulator-metal transitions (IMTs) is a nonvolatile memory effect induced by a simple reversal of temperature ramping from heating to cooling during the phase-coexistence state of the IMT (when both metallic and insulating domains coexist). The memory of specific temperatures can be recorded by this ramp reversal, which appears as a resistance increase around the reversal temperatures. Previous studies showed RRM in , and , indicating it is a general effect in relevant systems. These studies indicate the RRM originates from an increase in the critical temperature around phase boundaries of the coexisting metallic and insulating domains during the temperature ramp reversal. However, the physical mechanism responsible for the increase remains elusive. To enhance our understanding of the effect and provide …

We hereby offer a comprehensive analysis of various factors that could potentially enable terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs) to achieve room temperature performance. We thoroughly examine and integrate the latest findings from recent studies in the field. Our work goes beyond a mere analysis; it represents a nuanced and comprehensive exploration of the intricate factors influencing the performance of THz QCLs. Through a comprehensive and holistic approach, we propose novel insights that significantly contribute to advancing strategies for improving the temperature performance of THz QCLs. This all-encompassing perspective allows us not only to present a synthesis of existing knowledge but also to offer a fresh and nuanced strategy to improve the temperature performance of THz QCLs. We draw new conclusions from prior works, demonstrating that the key to enhancing THz QCL temperature …

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are among the most common bacterial infections associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased healthcare expenditures. Despite recent advances in the prevention and treatment of these infections, there are still many challenges remaining, among them the creation of a durable catheter coating, which prevents bacterial biofilm formation. The current work reports on a method of protecting medical tubing endowed with antibiofilm properties. Silicone catheters coated sonochemically with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) demonstrated excellent antibiofilm effects. Toward approval by the European Medicines Agency, it was realized that the ZnO coating would not withstand the regulatory requirements of avoiding dissolution for 14 days in artificial urine examination. Namely, after exposure to urine for 14 days, the coating amount was reduced by 90%. Additional …