Role of OH Intermediates during the Au Oxide Electro-Reduction at Low pH Elucidated by Electrochemical Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Implicit Solvent Density Functional Theory
Short peptide mixtures self-assemble into stable, liquid coacervate "organelles" that can sequester catalysts, undergo liquid-to-solid transitions on demand, and even compute chemical logic. By linking two diphenylalanine-based tripeptides, the researchers created programmable droplets that remain liquid (rather than turning into rigid fibers)…
Why do materials become charged when they touch? The phenomenon of contact electrification has puzzled scientists for centuries. Now, a collaborative study involving our researchers here at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, along with colleagues at IST Austria, TU Wien, and the Centre for Electrochemistry and Surface Technology, Wiener…
Using hexafluoro-isopropanol (HFIP) as a solvent can enhance chemical reaction rates in a spectacular manner, but why this happens is still largely unknown. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam’s Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), together with colleagues at the Université libre de Bruxelles, and the Max Planck Institute for…
Simultaneously achieving high-quality uniform alignment over a large area and high-resolution bespoke spatial patterning of molecular orientation is long-sought yet challenging, despite the essential role in generating bio-inspired organic systems, miniaturized light modulation, integrated photonic circuits, directed excitation energy transfer and…
Here we demonstrate a novel nanocarrier-based vaccine combining the type I interferon-triggering STING agonist diamidobenzimidazole (diABZI) compound 3 and the well-established TLR7/ 8 agonist resiquimod (R848). Encapsulation of both adjuvants into polymeric nanocapsules enables the simultaneous transport of immunostimulatory molecules with tumor…
A small-scale organic neuromorphic circuit adaptively processes multimodal sensory stimuli, enabling a robotic arm to avoid potentially dangerous objects.
A team led by Hans-Jürgen Butt at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research has discovered that altering the thickness of nano-scale polymer layers, even within a range of 10 nm, can significantly influence drop motions. They found a 'magic thickness' of 5 nm for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which results in the lowest interfacial friction…
When water droplets move over a hydrophobic surface, they and the surface become oppositely charged by what is known as slide electrification. This effect can be used to generate electricity, but the physical and especially the chemical processes that cause droplet charging are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate the influence of the…
The generation of persistent, stable free radicals is a key feature of eumelanin physiochemistry. Scientists carried out EPR and IR to study the comproportionation reaction of eumelanin. The investigation of the formation of eumelanin radicals in the complex, dynamic and inhomogeneous environment of living cells has not yet been achieved, due to…
Nanographenes, synthesized with biocompatibility and functionalization groups, hold great promise as fluorophores for optical super-resolution microscopy. Such molecules exhibit excellent photo-blinking properties across diverse environments, including air, phosphate-buffered saline, and acidic or basic conditions. In our study, we demonstrated…
We present a relatively simple aqueous proton-based memristive device based on a calcium fluoride (CaF2)-supported monolayer graphene in contact with bulk water. The device design is enabled by molecular-level insights into the memristive ion/water dynamics and the corresponding synaptic phenomena in this aqueous memristive device. The memristive behavior arises from the fast proton transfer across the graphene and the relatively slow diffusion process of protons. Despite the device's simplicity, this aqueous device exhibits long-term and tunable memory (from 60 seconds to 6000 seconds) and promising potential for large-scale integration and multiplication.
Artificial organelles made of dipeptide coacervates enable bioorthogonal catalysis inside cells. These coacervates provide a stable, biocompatible, and hydrophobic microenvironment that effectively encapsulates and enhances the efficiency of transition metal-based catalysts in aqueous environments. When incorporated into cells, they function as…
