Deep subwavelength integration of high-definition plasmonic nanostructures is of key importance in the development of future optical nanocircuitry for high-speed communication, quantum computation and lab-on-a-chip applications. To date, the experimental realization of proposed extended plasmonic networks consisting of multiple functional elements remains challenging, mainly because of the multi-crystallinity of commonly used thermally evaporated gold layers. This can produce structural imperfections in individual circuit elements that drastically reduce the yield of functional integrated nanocircuits. In this paper we demonstrate the use of large (>100 μm(2)) but thin (<80 nm) chemically grown single-crystalline gold flakes that, after immobilization, serve as an ideal basis for focused ion beam milling and other top-down nanofabrication techniques on any desired substrate. Using this methodology we obtain high-definition ultrasmooth gold nanostructures with superior optical properties and reproducible nano-sized features over micrometre-length scales. Our approach provides a possible solution to overcome the current fabrication bottleneck and realize high-definition plasmonic nanocircuitry.

ABSTRACT:Boosting nonlinear frequency conversion in extremely confined volumes remains a key challenge in nano-optics, nanomedicine, photocatalysis, and background-free biosensing. To this aim, field enhancements in plasmonic nanostructures are often exploited to effectively compensate for the lack of phase-matching at the nanoscale. Second harmonic generation (SHG) is, however, strongly quenched by the high degree of symmetry in plasmonic materials at the atomic scale and in nanoantenna designs.Here, we devise a plasmonic nanoantenna lacking axial symmetry, which exhibits spatial and frequency mode overlap at both the excitation and the SHG wavelengths. The effective combination of these features in a single device allows obtaining unprecedented SHG conversion efficiency. Our results shed new light on the optimization of SHG at the nanoscale, paving the way to new classes of nanoscale coherent light sources and molecular sensing devices based on nonlinear plasmonic platforms.

Separation of CO₂ and N₂ from CH₄ is significantly important in natural gas upgrading, and capture/removal of CO₂, CH₄ from air (N₂) is essential to greenhouse gas emission control. Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂ on an ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) sample were systematically investigated to evaluate its capability in the above two applications. The OMC was synthesized and characterized with TEM, TGA, small-angle XRD, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements. Pure component adsorption isotherms of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂ were measured at 278, 298, and 318 K and pressures up to 100 kPa, and correlated with the Langmuir model. These data were used to estimate the separation selectivities for CO₂/CH₄, CH₄/N₂, and CO₂/N₂ binary mixtures at different compositions and pressures according to the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) model. At 278 K and 100 kPa, the predicted selectivities for equimolar CO₂/CH₄, CH4/N₂, and CO₂/N₂ are 3.4, 3.7, and 12.8, respectively; and the adsorption capacities for CH₄ and CO₂ are 1.3 and 3.0 mmol/g, respectively. This is the first report of a versatile mesoporous material that displays both high selectivities and large adsorption capacities for separating CO₂/CH₄, CH₄/N₂, and CO₂/N₂ mixtures.

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Nanostructured MoO2/graphite oxide (GO) composites are synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses show that with the addition of GO and the increase in GO content in the precursor solutions, MoO3 rods change to MoO2 nanorods and then further to MoO2 nanoparticles, and the nanorods or nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the surface of the GO sheets in the composites. The MoO2/GO composite with 10 wt % GO exhibits a reversible capacity of 720 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g and 560 mAh/g at a high current density of 800 mA/g after 30 cycles. The improved reversible capacity, rate capacity, and cycling performance of the composites are attributed to synergistic reaction between MoO2 and GO.

Single femtosecond optical laser pulses, of sufficient intensity, are demonstrated to reverse magnetization in a process known as all-optical switching. Gold two-wire antennas are placed on the all-optical switching film TbFeCo. These structures are resonant with the optical field, and they create a field enhancement in the near-field which confines the area where optical switching can occur. The magnetic switching that occurs around and below the antenna is imaged using resonant X-ray holography and magnetic circular dichroism. The results not only show the feasibility of controllable switching with antenna assistance but also demonstrate the highly inhomogeneous nature of the switching process, which is attributed to the process depending on the material's heterogeneity.

The Sec61/SecY channel allows the translocation of many proteins across the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum membrane or the prokaryotic plasma membrane. In bacteria, most secretory proteins are transported post-translationally through the SecY channel by the SecA ATPase. How a polypeptide is moved through the SecA-SecY complex is poorly understood, as structural information is lacking. Here, we report an electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of a translocating SecA-SecY complex in a lipid environment. The translocating polypeptide chain can be traced through both SecA and SecY. In the captured transition state of ATP hydrolysis, SecA’s two-helix finger is close to the polypeptide, while SecA’s clamp interacts with the polypeptide in a sequence-independent manner by inducing a short β-strand. Taking into account previous biochemical and biophysical data, our structure is consistent with a model in which the two-helix finger and clamp cooperate during the ATPase cycle to move a polypeptide through the channel.

Unlike most conventional anode materials, the newly developed TiNb2O7 (TNO) does not form a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer, which makes it safe for high power requiring lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, we demonstrated an SBA-15 confined synthetic approach to prepare TNO nanoparticles (S-TNO) with a small particle size around 10 nm and a large BET surface area of 79.5 m(2) g(-1). It is worth mentioning that this is the smallest size reported so far for TNO. In contrast, the TNO (L-TNO) synthesized without SBA-15 has a particle size above 100 nm and a BET surface area of only 4.3 m(2) g(-1). The S-TNO shows better lithium-ion storage properties than L-TNO. The excellent electrochemical performance of S-TNO is attributed to its small crystalline size, which not only provides a larger effective area for better contact between the electrode material and the electrolyte, but also reduces the rate-limiting Li diffusion path. Moreover, S-TNO shows a high Coulombic efficiency (above 98% over 300 cycles) and negligible increase of impedance after cycling, which confirms no SEI layer formation in the operational voltage (1-3 V) of TNO.