The electrodes with the hierarchical nanoarchitectures could offer a huge increase in energy storage capacity. However, the ability to achieve such hierarchical architectures on a multiple scale still has remained a great challenge. In this paper, we report a scalable self-assembly strategy to create bioinspired hierarchical structures composed of functionalized graphene sheets to work as anodes of lithium-ion batteries. The resulting electrodes with novel multilevel architectures simultaneously optimize ion transport and capacity, leading to a high performance of reversible capacity of up to 1600 mAh/g, and 1150 mAh/g after 50 cycles. Importantly, the process to fabricate such hierarchical structures is facile, low-cost, green, and scalable, providing a universal approach for the rational design and engineering of electrode materials with enhanced performance, and it may have utility in various applications, including biological scaffold, catalysis, and sensors.
We report a new strategy to pattern plasmonic nanoparticles into multiplexed one-dimensional arrays based on the spatially modulated electrostatic potential. The 32 nm Au nanoparticles can be simultaneously deposited on one chip with tunable interparticle distance by solely adjusting the width of the grooves. Furthermore, 32 and 13 nm Au nanoparticles can be selectively deposited in grooves of different widths on one chip. As a result, the surface plasmon absorption bands on the chip can be tuned depending on the interparticle distance or the particle size of multiplex 1D arrays, which could enhance the Raman scattering cross section of the adsorbed molecules and result in multiplex surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response on the chip. This strategy provides a general method to fabricate 1D multiplex arrays with different particle sizes and interparticle distances on one chip.
The
heme protein cytochrome c adsorbed to a two-layer
gold surface modified with a self-assembled monolayer of 2-mercaptoethanol
was analyzed using a two-dimensional (2D) heterospectral correlation
analysis that combined surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy
(SEIRAS) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Stepwise
increasing electric potentials were applied to alter the redox state
of the protein and to induce conformational changes within the protein
backbone. We demonstrate herein that 2D heterospectral correlation
analysis is a particularly suitable and useful technique for the study
of heme-containing proteins as the two spectroscopies address different
portions of the protein. Thus, by correlating SERS and SEIRAS data
in a 2D plot, we can obtain a deeper understanding of the conformational
changes occurring at the redox center and in the supporting protein
backbone during the electron transfer process. The correlation analyses
are complemented by molecular dynamics calculations to explore the
intramolecular interactions.
A simple strategy based on the synergistic modulation of inter-particle and substrate-particle interaction is applied for the large-scale fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) Au and Ag nanoparticle arrays. The surface charge of the substrate is used to redistribute the double layer electric charges on the particles and to modulate the inter-particle distance within the 2D nanoparticle arrays on the substrate. The resultant arrays, with a wide range of inter-particle distances, display tunable plasmonic properties. It can be foreseen that such 2D nanoparticle arrays possess potential applications as multiplexed colorimetric sensors, integrated devices and antennas. Herein, it is demonstrated that these arrays can be employed as wavelength-selective substrates for multiplexed acquisition of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. This simple one step process provides an attractive and low cost strategy to produce high quality and large area 2D ordered arrays with tunable properties.
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