Photonic Crystal Based Direct and Inverse Heterostructures by Colloidal Self-Assembly

Photonic crystal heterostructures containing two materials and/or two lattice constants are synthesized using the colloids of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate by a self-assembling technique. These direct heterostructures with double stop band are infiltrated with zinc oxide by sol-gel method, followed by the removal of the original polymer template by a wet-etching process to result in inverse heterostructures made of zinc oxide. A red shift in the wavelength of stop bands is observed when the crystal is infiltrated with zinc oxide and a blue shift after inversion, in concurrence with the changes in the effective index of the structure. The stop band is also calculated to extract the number of layers and the extinction co-efficient contributing to the heterostructure. This structure made by a room-temperature low-cost technique produces a sparsely-filled zinc oxide crystal with a single refractive index but containing two different periodicities in a layered arrangement that can be used as a lab-on-a-chip for dual- or multi-wavelength sensing applications.

Self-assembly of perovskite nanocrystals:From driving forces to applications

Self-assembly of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals(NCs)into superlattices can exhibit unique collective properties,which have significant application values in the display,detector,and solar cell field.This review discusses the driving forces behind the self-assembly process of perovskite NCs,and the commonly used self-assembly methods and different self-assembly structures are detailed.Subsequently,we summarize the collective optoelectronic properties and application areas of perovskite superlattice structures.Finally,we conclude with an outlook on the potential issues and future challenges in developing perovskite NCs.

Photostability of colloidal single photon emitter in near-infrared regime at room temperature

The photostability of a colloidal single photon emitter in near-infrared regime at room temperature is investigated.The fluorescence lifetime,blinking phenomenon,and anti-bunching effect of a single CdTeSe/ZnS quantum dot with an emission wavelength of 800 nm at room temperature are studied.The second-order correlation function at zero delay time is much smaller than 0.1,which proves that the emission from single quantum dots at 800 nm is a highly pure single-photon source.The effects of the irradiation duration on the fluorescence from single quantum dots are analyzed.The experimental results can be explained by a recombination model including a multi-nonradiative recombination center model and a multi-charged model.

Alcohol solvent effect on the self-assembly behaviors of lignin oligomers

The interactions between lignin oligomers and solvents determine the behaviors of lignin oligomers self-assembling into uniform lignin nanoparticles(LNPs).Herein,several alcohol solvents,which readily interact with the lignin oligomers,were adopted to study their effects during solvent shifting process for LNPs’production.The lignin oligomers with widely distributed molecular weight and abundant guaiacyl units were extracted from wood waste(mainly consists of pine wood),exerting outstanding self-assembly capability.Uniform and spherical LNPs were generated in H_(2)O-n-propanol cosolvent,whereas irregular LNPs were obtained in H_(2)O-methanol cosolvent.The unsatisfactory self-assembly performance of the lignin oligomers in H_(2)O-methanol cosolvent could be attributed to two aspects.On one hand,for the initial dissolution state,the distinguishing Hansen solubility parameter and polarity between methanol solvent and lignin oligomers resulted in the poor dispersion of the lignin oligomers.On the other hand,strong hydrogen bonds between methanol solvent and lignin oligomers during solvent shifting process,hindered the interactions among the lignin oligomers for self-assembly.

An oxygenating colloidal bioink for the engineering of biomimetic tissue constructs

Ensuring a sufficient oxygen supply is pivotal for the success of bioprinting applications since it fosters tissue integration and natural regeneration.Variation in oxygen concentration among diverse tissues necessitates the precise recreation of tissue-specific oxygen levels in imprinted constructs to support the survival of targeted cells.Although oxygen-releasing biomaterials,such as oxygen-generating microparticles(OMPs),have shown promise for enhancing the oxygen supply of microenvironments in injured tissues,whether this approach is scalable for large tissues and whether tissue-specific bioinks with varying OMP concentrations remain printable remain unknown.This study addresses this critical gap by introducing an innovative class of engineered oxygenated bioinks that combine colloidal-based microgels with OMPs.We report that incorporating nanosized calcium peroxide(nCaO_(2))and manganese oxide nanosheets(nMnO_(2))into hydrophobic polymeric microparticles enables precise modulation of oxygen release while controlling hydrogen peroxide release.Moreover,the fabrication of oxygenating and cytocompatible colloidal gels is achieved using an aqueous two-phase system.This study thoroughly evaluates the fundamental characteristics of the resulting bioink,including its rheological behaviors,printability,shape fidelity,mechanical properties,and oxygen release properties.Moreover,this study demonstrates the macroscopic scalability and cytocompatibility of printed constructs produced via cell-laden oxygenating colloidal bioinks.By showcasing the effectiveness of extrusion-based bioprinting,this study underscores how it can be used to fabricate biomimetic tissues,indicating its potential for new applications.The findings presented here advance the bioprinting field by achieving scalability with both high cell viability and the possibility of mimicking specifically oxygenated tissues.This work thereby offers a promising avenue for the development of functional tissues with enhanced physiological relevance.

Chitosan/Sodium Alginate Multilayer pH-Sensitive Films Based on Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly for Intelligent Packaging

The abuse of plastic food packaging has brought about severe white pollution issues around the world.Developing green and sustainable biomass packaging is an effective way to solve this problem.Hence,a chitosan/sodium alginate-based multilayer film is fabricated via a layer-by-layer(LBL)self-assembly method.With the help of superior interaction between the layers,the multilayer film possesses excellent mechanical properties(with a tensile strength of 50 MPa).Besides,the film displays outstanding water retention property(blocking moisture of 97.56%)and ultraviolet blocking property.Anthocyanin is introduced into the film to detect the food quality since it is one natural plant polyphenol that is sensitive to the pH changes ranging from 1 to 13 in food when spoilage occurs.It is noted that the film is also bacteriostatic which is desired for food packaging.This study describes a simple technique for the development of advanced multifunctional and fully biodegradable food packaging film and it is a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.

Layer by Layer Self-assembly Fiber-based Flexible Electrochemical Transistor

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxyethiophene)-polystyrene sulfonic acid(PEDOT:PSS)/polyallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride modified reduced graphene oxide(PDDA-rGO)was layer by layer self-assembled on the cotton fiber.The surface morphology and electric property was investigated.The results confirmed the dense membrane of PEDOT:PSS and the lamellar structure of PDDA-rGO on the fibers.It has excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical properties.The fiber based electrochemical transistor(FECTs)prepared by the composite conductive fiber has a maximum output current of 8.7 mA,a transconductance peak of 10 mS,an on time of 1.37 s,an off time of 1.6 s and excellent switching stability.Most importantly,the devices by layer by layer self-assembly technology opens a path for the true integration of organic electronics with traditional textile technologies and materials,laying the foundation for their later widespread application.

Improving self-assembly quality of colloidal crystal guided by statistical design of experiments

A versatile and reliable approach is created to fabricate wafer-scale colloidal crystal that consists of a monolayer of hexagonally close-packed polystyrene （PS） spheres. Making wafer-scale colloidal crystal is usually challenging, and it lacks a general theoretical guidance for experimental approaches. To obtain the optimal conditions for self-assembly, a systematic statistical design and analysis method is utilized here, which applies the pick-the-winner rule. This new method combines spin-coating and thermal treatment, and introduces a mixture of glycol and ethanol as a dispersion system to assist self-assembly. By controlling the parameters of self-assembly, we improve the quality of colloidal crystal and reduce the effect of noise on the experiment. To our best knowledge, we are first to pave this path to harvest colloidal crystals. Importantly, a theoretical analysis using an energy landscape base on our process is also developed to provide insights into the PS spheres＇ self-assembly.

Three-dimensional Ordered Silica Colloidal Film Self-assembly Deposited on a VerticalSubstrate

A method for preparation of particle crystal film constructed trom monodisperse silica colloidal partices in diameter of about 300 nm is reported. The films were prepared from an ethanol suspension by vertical deposition that relies on capillary forces to assemble colloidal crystal particles on a vertical substrate. The 3D ordered films were characterized by transmission spectra and scanning electric microscope (SEM). The effect of evaporation temperature, particle concentration and sintered temperature on the quality of colloidal particle crystal film was investigated.

Colloidal monolayer self-assembly and its simulation via cellular automaton model

A wafer-scale colloidal monolayer consisting of SiO2 spheres is fabricated by a method combining spin coating and thermal treatment for the first time. Moreover, a new cellular automaton model describing the self-assembly process of the colloidal monolayer is introduced. Rather than simulate molecular self-assembly to establish the most energetically favored position, we reconstruct the self-assembly of the colloidal monolayer by adjusting several simple transition rules of a cellular automaton. This model captures the main self-assembly characteristics of SiO2 spheres, including experimental processing time, morphology, and some statistics. It possesses the advantage of less calculation and higher efficiency, paving a new way to simulate a mesoscopic system.

Phoretic self-assembly of active colloidal molecules

We simulate the self-assembly of active colloidal molecules from binary mixtures of spherical particles using a Brownian dynamics algorithm.These particles interact via phoretic interactions,which are determined by two independently tunable parameters,surface activity and surface mobility.In systems composed of equal-size particles,we observe the formation of colloidal molecules with well-defined coordination numbers and spatial arrangement,which also display distinct dynamic functions,such as resting,translating,and rotating.By changing the size ratio to 2:1 between the two species,we further observe the formation of colloidal molecules with new structures arising from breaking the size symmetry.By tuning the mutual interactions between the smaller species via their surface mobility,we are able to control their spacing as well as the coordination number of the colloidal molecules.This study highlights the importance of tuning surface parameters and size asymmetry in controlling the structure and the active dynamics of colloidal molecules.

A Furan-Substituted Polymeric Hole-Transporting Material for Energy Level Regulation and Less Planarity in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells

For efficient colloidal quantum dot(CQD)solar cells(CQD-SCs),thiol-passivated p-type CQDs are generally used as a hole-transporting material(HTM);however,there are issues with the control of optoelectrical properties,low thiol passivation rate,and poor morphology with a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of approximately 11%.Although polymeric HTMs have been introduced to address these issues,maximizing efficiency and achieving green-solvent processability and thermal stability for commercialization is necessary.Here,we synthesize a novel benzodifuran(BDF)-based HTM(asy-ranPBTBDF)showing an electron-deficient state,low steric hindrance,and low planarity compared to those of a typical benzodithiophene(BDT)-based HTM(asy-ranPBTBDT).BDF properties lead to deep high occupied molecular orbital(HOMO)levels,closeπ-πstacking,excellent solubility,and amorphous properties related to efficiency,green-solvent processability,and thermal stability.With these benefits,the asy-ranPBTBDF-based CQD-SC showed enhanced open-circuit voltage(Voc)(0.65 V)and PCE(13.29%)compared to those of the asy-ranPBTBDT-based device(0.63 V and 12.22%)in toxic processes with chlorobenzene.The asy-ranPBTBDF-based CQD-SC showed a PCE of 12.51%in a green-solvent process with 2-methylanisole and improved thermal stability at 80℃(83.8%retaining after 24 h)owing to less lateral crystallization than the asy-ranPBTBDT-based device(60.8%retaining after 24 h).

Colloidal Gold Immunochromatographic Assay for Rapid On-Site Detection of Tetracycline in Seawater

Recently increasing concerns from the scientists and public have been paid for seawater pollution due to tetracycline(TC)overuse in maricultural area.However,there are few methods or instruments that can be used for specific and rapid detection of this antibiotic in seawater.In this study,the colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay(CG-ICA)was used to achieve this goal.A commercialized monoclonal antibody against TC(anti-TC mAb)was selected because of its higher sensitivity(half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 2.38μgL^(-1)).The prepared CG particles(average diameter of 20 nm)were used to label anti-TC mAb at pH 8.0.The conjugate pad was formed by spraying the CG-labeled anti-TC mAb on a glass fibre membrane followed by proper dryness.The test pad was made by immobilizing artificial antigen and anti-mouse mAb in the test line and the control line,respectively,in a nitrocellulose membrane.The test strip,assembled with sample pad,conjugate pad,test pad and absorbent pad,could be used to detect TC during seawater sample flowing through these components in turn.The results could be observed by the naked eye in 10min.The visible limit of detection(vLOD)was 20μgL^(-1) for TC in seawater.The CG-ICA test results were in good agreement with those of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS).The assay also showed that,oxytetracycline(OTC)and chlortetracycline(CTC),as the structural analogues of TC,did not interfere with TC determination.Furthermore,the TC concentration given by test strip could not be affected by the fluctuation of temperature(10℃–30℃),pH(7–9)and salinity(0–40)of seawater.Therefore,CG-ICA is a suitable tool for rapid,on-site,and semi-quantitative detection of TC in seawater.

Combination therapy to overcome ferroptosis resistance by biomimetic self-assembly nano-prodrug

Ferroptosis has emerged as a potent form of no-apoptotic cell death that offers a promising alternative to avoid the chemoresistance of apoptotic pathways and serves as a vulnerability of cancer.Herein,we have constructed a biomimetic self-assembly nano-prodrug system that enables the co-delivery of gefitinib(Gefi),ferrocene(Fc)and dihydroartemisinin(DHA)for the combined therapy of both ferroptosis and apoptosis.In the tumor microenvironment,this nano-prodrug is able to disassemble and trigger drug release under high levels of GSH.Interestingly,the released DHA can downregulate GPX4 level for the enhancement of intracellular ferroptosis from Fc,further executing tumor cell death with concomitant chemotherapy by Gefi.More importantly,this nano-prodrug provides highly homologous targeting ability by coating related cell membranes and exhibits outstanding inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis,as well as no noticeable side-effects during treatments.This simple small molecular self-assembled nano-prodrug provides a new reasonably designed modality for ferroptosis-combined chemotherapy.

Review of roll-to-roll fabrication techniques for colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Colloidal quantum dots(CQDs)are of great interest to photovoltaic(PV)technologies as they possess the benefits of solution-processability,size-tunability,and roll-to-roll manufacturability,as well as unique capabilities to harvest near-infrared(NIR)radiation.During the last decade,lab-scale CQD solar cells have achieved rapid improvement in the power conversion efficiency(PCE)from~1%to 18%,which will potentially exceed 20%in the next few years and approach the performance of other PV technologies,such as perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells.In the meanwhile,CQD solar cells exhibit long lifetimes either under shelf storage or continuous operation,making them highly attractive to industry.However,in order to meet the industrial requirements,mass production techniques are necessary to scale up the fabrication of those lab devices into large-area PV modules,such as roll-to-toll coating.This paper reviews the recent developments of large-area CQD solar cells with a focus on various fabrication methods and their principles.It covers the progress of typical large-area coating techniques,including spray coating,blade coating,dip coating,and slot-die coating.It also discusses next steps and new strategies to accomplish the ultimate goal of the low-cost large-area fabrication of CQD solar cells and emphasizes how artificial intelligence or machine learning could facilitate the developments of CQD solar cell research.

Efficient conversion of lignin waste and self-assembly synthesis of C@MnCo_(2)O_(4)for asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy density

Lignin waste from the papermaking and biorefineries industry is a significantly promising renewable resource to prepare advanced carbon materials for diverse applications,such as the electrodes of supercapacitors;however,the improvement of their energy density remains a challenge.Here,we design a green and universal approach to prepare the composite electrode material,which is composed of lignin-phenolformaldehyde resins derived hierarchical porous carbon(LR-HPC)as conductive skeletons and the self-assembly manganese cobaltite(MnCo_(2)O_(4))nanocrystals as active sites.The synthesized C@MnCo_(2)O_(4)composite has an abundant porous structure and superior electronic conductivity,allowing for more charge/electron mass transfer channels and active sites for the redox reactions.The composite shows excellent electrochemical performance,such as the maximum specific capacitance of~726 mF cm^(-2)at 0.5 mV s^(-1),due to the significantly enhanced interactive interface between LR-HPC and MnCo_(2)O_(4)crystals.The assembled all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor,with the LR-HPC and C@MnCo_(2)O_(4)as cathode and anode,respectively,exhibits the highest volumetric energy density of 0.68 mWh cm^(-3)at a power density of 8.2 mW cm^(-3).Moreover,this device shows a high capacity retention ratio of~87.6%at 5 mA cm^(-2)after 5000 cycles.

Analysis on the formation principle and present situation of nano phase state of multi-component self-assembly of traditional Chinese compound medicine decoction

Traditional Chinese medicine decoction is a complex polydispersed phase system containing real solution,colloid solution,emulsion and suspension.The compound decoction of traditional Chinese medicine has complex components,including saponins,alkaloids,polysaccharides,flavonoids,amino acids and so on,which can be self-assembled to form gels,fibers,micelles,vesicles and so on.The self-assembled nano-phase not only neutralizes the single drug and reduces the toxicity and side effects,but also has its own pharmacological effects,which complement each other to achieve synergistic effect,so as to achieve the role of drug supplement,which is of research significance.The formation principle,solubilization and synergism principle and characterization method of multi-component self-assembly of traditional Chinese medicine compound decoction are discussed in this paper.

Fluorescence spectra of colloidal self-assembled CdSe nano-wire on substrate of porous Al2O3/Au nanoparticles

We present a self-assembly method to prepare array nano-wires of colloidal CdSe quantum dots on a substrate of porous Al2 O3 film modified by gold nanoparticles. The photoluminescence(PL) spectra of nanowires are in situ measured by using a scanning near-field optical microscopy(SNOM) probe tip with 100-nm aperture on the scanning near-field optical microscope. The results show that the binding sites from the edge of porous Al2 O3 nanopores are combined with the carboxyl of CdSe quantum dots’ surface to form an array of CdSe nanowires in the process of losing background solvent because of the gold nanoparticles filling the nano-holes of porous Al2 O3 film. Compared with the area of nonself-assembled nano-wire, the fluorescence on the Al2 O3/Au/CdSe interface is significantly enhanced in the self-assembly nano-wire regions due to the electron transfer conductor effect of the gold nanoparticles’ surface. In addition, its full width at half maximum(FWHM) is also obviously widened. The method of enhancing fluorescence and energy transfer can widely be applied to photodetector, photocatalysis, optical display, optical sensing, and biomedical imaging, and so on.

Influence of colloidal particle transfer on the quality of self-assembling colloidal photonic crystal under confined condition

The relationship between colloidal particle transfer and the quality of colloidal photonic crystal（CPC） is investigated by comparing colloidal particle self-assembling under the vertical channel（VC） and horizontal channel（HC） conditions.Both the theoretical analyses and the experimental measurements indicate that crystal quality depends on the stability of mass transfer.For the VC,colloidal particle transfer takes place in a stable laminar flow,which is conducive to forming high-quality crystal.In contrast,it happens in an unstable turbulent flow for the HC.Crystals with cracks and an uneven surface formed under the HC condition can be seen from the images of a field emission scanning electron microscope（SEM） and a three-dimensional（3D） laser scanning microscope（LSM）,respectively.

Factors resisting protein adsorption on hydrophilic/hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers terminated with hydrophilic hydroxyl groups

The hydroxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayer(OH-SAM),as a surface resistant to protein adsorption,exhibits substantial potential in applications such as ship navigation and medical implants,and the appropriate strategies for designing anti-fouling surfaces are crucial.Here,we employ molecular dynamics simulations and alchemical free energy calculations to systematically analyze the factors influencing resistance to protein adsorption on the SAMs terminated with single or double OH groups at three packing densities(∑=2.0 nm^(-2),4.5 nm^(-2),and 6.5 nm^(-2)),respectively.For the first time,we observed that the compactness and order of interfacial water enhance its physical barrier effect,subsequently enhancing the resistance of SAM to protein adsorption.Notably,the spatial hindrance effect of SAM leads to the embedding of protein into SAM,resulting in a lack of resistance of SAM towards protein.Furthermore,the number of hydroxyl groups per unit area of double OH-terminated SAM at ∑=6.5 nm^(-2) is approximately 2 to 3 times that of single OH-terminated SAM at ∑=6.5 nm^(-2) and 4.5 nm^(-2),consequently yielding a weaker resistance of double OH-terminated SAM towards protein.Meanwhile,due to the structure of SAM itself,i.e.,the formation of a nearly perfect ice-like hydrogen bond structure,the SAM exhibits the weakest resistance towards protein.This study will complement and improve the mechanism of OH-SAM resistance to protein adsorption,especially the traditional barrier effect of interfacial water.