BINA

Squeezing-enhancement of optical gyroscopic detection was recorded at SPIE Photonics West held in San Francisco, California, United States 2022.

As highlighted by the recent roadmaps from the European Union and the United States, water electrolysis is the most valuable high‐intensity technology for producing green hydrogen. Currently, two commercial low‐temperature water electrolyzer technologies exist ‐ alkaline water electrolyzer (A‐WE) and proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEM‐WE). However, both have major drawbacks. A‐WE shows low productivity and efficiency, while PEM‐WE uses a significant amount of critical raw materials. Lately, the use of anion‐exchange membrane electrolyzers (AEM‐WE) has been proposed to overcome the limitations of the current commercial systems. AEM‐WE could become the cornerstone to achieve an intense, safe and resilient green hydrogen production to fulfill the hydrogen targets to achieve the 2050 decarbonization goals. Here we discuss the status of AEM‐WE development, with a focus on …

Functional surface coatings were applied on high voltage spinel (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4; LNMO) and Ni-rich (LiNi0.85Co0.1Mn0.05O2; NCM851005) NCM cathode materials using few-layered 2H tungsten diselenide (WSe2). Simple liquid-phase mixing with WSe2 in 2-propanol and low-temperature (130 °C) heat treatment in nitrogen flow dramatically improved electrochemical performance, including stable cycling, high-rate performance, and lower voltage hysteresis in Li coin cells at 30 and 55 °C. Significantly improved capacity retention at 30 °C [Q401/Q9 of 99% vs 38% for LNMO and Q322/Q23 of 64% vs 46% for NCM851005] indicated efficient functionality. TEM and XPS clarified the coating distribution and coordination with the cathode surface, while postcycling studies revealed its sustainability, enabling lower transition metal dissolution and minor morphological deformation/microcrack formation. A modified and …

Enormous potential loss and sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) limit the practical implementation of water electrolyser systems. We attempt to address these technical challenges through the synthesis of cobalt–chromium-layered double hydroxide nanosheets (CoCr LDH) on oxidized-carbon nanotube (O-CNT) backbones as efficient OER electrocatalysts. Microscopic and elemental distribution analysis suggests that interconnected sheets of CoCr LDH masks over O-CNTs. We tested various compositions of the CoCr LDH_O-CNT hybrid (by varying the molar ratios of Co and Cr) along with the weight adjustment between CoCr LDH and O-CNTs to obtain an optimal OER activity. Due to the synergistic effect, the CoCr-LDH(3:1)_O-CNT (2:1) exhibits the lowest overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA cm–2 with a corresponding smaller Tafel slope of 42 mV dec–1, which outperforms the other tested …

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease emphasized the need for fast and sensitive inhibitor screening tools for the identification of new drug candidates. In SARS-CoV-2, one of the initial steps in the infection cycle is the adherence of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein 1 (S1) to the host cell by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Therefore, inhibition of S1-ACE2 interaction may block the entry of the virus to the host cell, and thus may limit the spread of the virus in the body. We demonstrate a rapid and quantitative method for the detection and classification of different types of molecules as inhibitors or non-inhibitors of the S1-ACE2 interaction using magnetically modulated biosensors (MMB). In the MMB-based assay, magnetic beads are attached to the S1 protein and the ACE2 receptor is fluorescently labeled. Thus, only when the proteins interact, the fluorescent …

The development of an efficient catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical to fulfilling the mission of hydrogen generation by water splitting. Various multicomponent systems have been investigated so far for the OER, although a systematic investigation is lacking and there are discrepancies as to which formulations make the best catalyst. Here, we perform a systematic investigation of a ternary Ni-Fe-Co oxide gradient library for the OER, using a combinatorial approach. This approach allows a much faster investigation of a vast compositional space compared to the traditional step by step approach. Also, it enables a more reliable comparison of the various catalysts as they all experience the same process and measurement conditions. We used the spray pyrolysis technique in combinatorial electrocatalyst screening for the first time for the generation of a gradient library of Ni-Fe-Co oxides …

We present a study of various compositions of the chalcogenide family used for static and active metasurfaces. We start with large area CVD grown amorphous spherical Selenium nanoparticles on various substrates and show that their Mie-resonant response spans the entire mid-infrared (MIR) range. By coupling Se Mie-resonators to ENZ substrates we demonstrate an order of magnitude increase in quality factor. Next, we investigate topological insulators Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 metasurfaces. We study the optical constants of single crystal Bi2Te3 in the NIR to the MIR range, followed by fabrication and characterization of metasurface disk arrays. We show that these high permittivity metasurfaces can yield very large absorption resonances using deep subwavelength structures. Finally, we demonstrate ultra-wide dynamic tuning of PbTe meta-atoms and metasurfaces, utilizing the anomalously large thermo-optic …

The current work delivers preparation of MXene-based magnetic nanohybrid coating for flexible electronic applications. Herein, we report carbon dot-triggered photopolymerized polynorepinepherene (PNE)-coated MXene and iron oxide hybrid deposited on the cellulose microporous membrane via a vacuum-assisted filtration strategy. The surface morphologies have been monitored by scanning electron microscopy analysis, and the coating thickness was evaluated by the gallium-ion-based focused ion beam method. Coated membranes have been tested against uniaxial tensile stretching and assessed by their fracture edges in order to assure flexibility and mechanical strength. Strain sensors and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding have both been tested on the material because of its electrical conductivity. The bending strain sensitivity has been stringent because of their fast ‘rupture and reform …

Pt–Ni polyhedral nanoparticles (NPs) are extensively studied as electrocatalysts, mainly for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but they display a poor activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, ultralow platinum Pt@Ni@Pt core–bishell nanorods were designed (less than 1 wt % of Pt), synthesized, and characterized to yield bifunctional electrocatalysts with high efficiency toward ORR and OER in alkaline media. Ultralow platinum Pt@Ni@Pt core–bishell nanorods achieve an unprecedented (for a Pt-based catalyst) overpotential of 0.29 V at 10 mA cm–2 and current density of 162 mA μg–1Pt at 1.6 V (vs RHE) for the OER, while still maintaining a very decent value of 0.32 A mg–1Pt at 0.85 V for the ORR. These values outperform the standard Pt catalyst for the ORR and the Ni catalyst for the OER, using less than 1 wt % Pt. We describe the two-step synthesis of the Pt@Ni@Pt nanorods, demonstrating the …

The nanoscale structure of equimolar binary mixtures [C 12 mim] 0.5 [C n mim] 0.5 [NTf 2] was studied by small-angle x-ray scattering for n= 1-22 and T= 293-373 K. All mixtures exhibit local layering and layer-normal thermal contraction with increasing T, as found for the pure components. The layer-parallel spacings of the polar headgroups and of the alkyl chains vary minimally with n over the full n range. The layer-normal spacing d I at high n follows closely, with a 1-1.5 Å downshift, the increasing trend of the pure longer component’s d I, indicating its dominance of the layering. At low n, d I at n= 1 greatly exceeds d I of the pure longer component, n= 12, and decreases sharply with increasing n, indicating a structure akin to lipid bilayer solutions. At intermediate n, d I is roughly constant, lying 1-1.5 Å below d I of n= 12. Our layer spacings provide a near-unique opportunity to study the evolution over a wide n-range of …

Efficient light manipulation at subwavelength scales in the mid-infrared (MIR) region is essential for various applications and can be harnessed from intrinsic low-loss dielectric resonators. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of truncated spherical selenium (Se) resonators with tunable high-quality (Q) factor Mie resonances. Large area amorphous Se subwavelength resonators of varying sizes were grown on different substrates, using a novel CVD process. We demonstrate size-tunable Mie resonances spanning the 2-16 µm range, for single isolated resonators and large area ensembles, respectively. We show strong tunable absorption resonances (90%) in ensembles of resonators in a significantly broad MIR range. Moreover, by coupling resonators to epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) substrates, we engineer high-Q resonances as high as Q=40. We also show the resonance pinning effect near the substrate ENZ value …

Near-Infrared wide-field Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLI) has become an increasingly popular method due to its unique specificity in sensing the cellular micro-environment and/or protein-protein interactions via FRET, but the approach is still challenging due to inefficient detection modules. Here, we report on the characterization of a large gated SPAD array, SwissSPAD2, towards in vivo preclinical imaging of FLI-FRET. Fluorescence decay fitting as well as phasor analysis are used to demonstrate the ability of SwissSPAD2 to accurately quantify short lifetimes and associated lifetime parameters in both in vitro and in vivo experiments, in full agreement with gated ICCD measurements.

The tumor microenvironment hosts antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) associated with a favorable prognosis in several types of cancer. Patient-derived antibodies have diagnostic and therapeutic potential; yet, it remains unclear how antibodies gain autoreactivity and target tumors. Here, we found that somatic hypermutations (SHMs) promote antibody antitumor reactivity against surface autoantigens in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Patient-derived tumor cells were frequently coated with IgGs. Intratumoral ASCs in HGSOC were both mutated and clonally expanded and produced tumor-reactive antibodies that targeted MMP14, which is abundantly expressed on the tumor cell surface. The reversion of monoclonal antibodies to their germline configuration revealed two types of classes: one dependent on SHMs for tumor binding and a second with germline-encoded autoreactivity. Thus, tumor-reactive …

Topological insulators (TIs) are a new class of condensed matter system that host topologically protected surface states, leading to dissipationless electron transport. This intrinsic characteristic makes them potential candidate for quantum computing owing to their ability to preserve quantum coherence. Recently, these systems and the concept of topology have been embraced by the photonics community as well. In this work, we study the mid-infrared optical properties of high index (n~5.2) TI bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) nanobeams (NBs), grown by chemical vapor deposition. Using Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations and FTIR nanospectroscopy, we find that these NBs support size-tunable Mie-resonant modes across the infrared (~1-16 µm). Furthermore, polarized measurements reveal that the total optical response of these deep subwavelength NBs is composed of TE and TM resonant mode. Finally …

RNA editing by adenosine deaminases changes the information encoded in the mRNA from its genomic blueprint. Editing of protein-coding sequences can introduce novel, functionally distinct, protein isoforms and diversify the proteome. The functional importance of a few recoding sites has been appreciated for decades. However, systematic methods to uncover these sites perform poorly, and the full repertoire of recoding in human and other mammals is unknown. Here we present a new detection approach, and analyze 9125 GTEx RNA-seq samples, to produce a highly-accurate atlas of 1517 editing sites within the coding region and their editing levels across human tissues. Single-cell RNA-seq data shows protein recoding contributes to the variability across cell subpopulations. Most highly edited sites are evolutionary conserved in non-primate mammals, attesting for adaptation. This comprehensive set can …

M71. 00013: Intercalation-Enhanced Light-Matter Interactions in MoS 2: Comparing Copper to Tin*

The intercalation of layered compounds is a promising route for scalable synthesis of 2D heterostructures with novel emergent optoelectronic properties. Here, we investigate, via first principles calculations, the intercalation of zerovalent metals within the van der Waals gap of bulk MoS 2. Specifically, we focus on a novel Cu-MoS 2 hybrid that accommodates uniform, continuous 2D layers of metallic Cu within the vdW gap of MoS 2. We study the evolution of the Cu-MoS 2 hybrid with increasing Cu content and examine the consequences for intercalation energetics and optoelectronic properties as the intercalated Cu evolves from disordered clusters to contiguous layers. We identify an emergent plasmon resonance (~ 1eV) that is unique to the Cu-MoS 2 hybrid, arising from resonant 2D Cu states within the MoS 2 band gap. Our calculations are shown to be in good agreement with experiments and help explain the …

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to pose a global public health threat. Effective and rapid serological assays are needed to provide valuable information about acute and past viral infections. Using the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein 1 antigen and a highly sensitive detection technology, termed magnetic modulation biosensing (MMB), we demonstrate a quantitative and rapid SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody test with high sensitivity and specificity compared with the gold standard ELISA test. The improved analytical and clinical sensitivity of the MMB-based assay can help clinical laboratories provide critical information in a timely manner and monitor the spread of the disease.

Detection of biomarkers at low concentrations is essential for early diagnosis of numerous diseases. In many sensitive assays, the target molecules are tagged using fluorescently labeled probes and captured using magnetic beads. Current devices rely on quantifying the target molecules by detecting the fluorescent signal from individual beads. Here, we demonstrate a high-throughput optical modulation biosensing (ht-OMB) system Using the ht-OMB system to detect human Interleukin-8, we demonstrated a limit of detection of 0.14 ng/L and a 4-log dynamic range, values which are on par with the most sensitive devices, but are achieved without their bulk and laborious protocols.

Behavioral neuroscience underwent a technology-driven revolution with the emergence of machine-vision and machine-learning technologies. These technological advances facilitated the generation of high-resolution, high-throughput capture and analysis of complex behaviors. Therefore, behavioral neuroscience is becoming a data-rich field. While behavioral researchers use advanced computational tools to analyze the resulting datasets, the search for robust and standardized analysis tools is still ongoing. At the same time, the field of genomics exploded with a plethora of technologies which enabled the generation of massive datasets. This growth of genomics data drove the emergence of powerful computational approaches to analyze these data. Here, we discuss the composition of a large behavioral dataset, and the differences and similarities between behavioral and genomics data. We then give examples of genomics-related tools that might be of use for behavioral analysis and discuss concepts that might emerge when considering the two fields together.