[en] Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) has been developed to pattern monolayer film of various molecules on suitable substrate through the controlled movement of ink-coated atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip, which makes DPN a potentially powerful tool for making the functional nanoscale devices. In this paper, the direct patterning of rhodamine 6G on mica by dip-pen nanolithography was demonstrated. R6G features patterned on the mica was successfully achieved with different tip movement which can be programmed by Nanoscript language. From the AFM image of R6G patterns, we know that R6G molecule is flatly binding to the mica surface through electrostatic interaction, thus stable R6G nanostructures could be formed on mica. The influence of translation speed and contact time on DPN was discussed. The method can be extended to direct patterning of many other organic molecules, and should open many opportunities for miniaturized optical device and site-specific biological staining

[en] Scanning probe lithography (SPL), employing the tip of an atomic force microscope to mechanically pattern various materials in nanoscale region has provided a simple but significant method for making nanostructures. We use this technique for the lithography of several kinds of substrate surfaces. The tip performance has been found to be a crucial factor in the lithographic process. Four types of cantilevers are employed in nanolithography, including standard silicon nitride (DNP), tapping mode^TM etched silicon (TESP(W)), uncoated silicon cantilever (NSC21/50) and conductive platinum/iridium-coated probe. Results demonstrate that tips with smaller spring constants can not be used for physically scribing and nanomanipulating in our experiment. The possible mechanism of our experiment is discussed

[en] Nanoparticle PCR (NP-PCR) is a new method to optimize PCR amplification. Suitable amount of Au nanoparticles can improve specificity, sensitivity and extension rate of PCR. In this paper, we compare efficiency of purifying NP-PCR products with different methods. In addition, topographies of DNA products in NP-PCR were observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). The results show that most of DNA products purified directly by routing method remain almost free due to less effect of nanoparticales. The yields decrease when the AuNPs were removed by high-speed centrifugation. A little amount of DNA subsided with AuNPs. (authors)

[en] ZnO nanowires, nanorods and nanoparticles through modulating the ratio of water to methanol have been synthesized by using a mild and simple solution method. The as-prepared ZnO nanostructures have been characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. With the increase of the ratio of water to methanol, the morphology of ZnO nanostructures varied form denser nanowires, to sparse nanowires, to nanorods, and then to nanoparticles. The ratio of water to methanol is supposed to play an important role in the formation of ZnO nanostructures. The mechanism of formation is related to the chemical potential, which is simply proportional to their surface ratio

[en] Highlights: • PE separator was modified by ultrathin organic-inorganic hybrid films. • Both Li⁺ ion transference number and ionic conductivity were improved. • The stability of lithium metal anodes was improved. • The C-rate capability and cycling life of cells were increased by modified separator. - Abstract: Poor stability of lithium metal anodes in liquid electrolytes hinders its practical application in rechargeable batteries with very high energy density. Herein, we present an approach to tackle the intrinsic problems of Li metal anodes from the standpoint of separators. By a facile and versatile method based on mussel-inspired surface chemistry, a hybrid polydopamine/octaammonium POSS (PDA/POSS) coating was spontaneously formed on the surface of PE separators through the self-polymerization and strong adhesion feature of dopamine. This ultrathin PDA/POSS coating endows PE separators with different surface characteristics while keeping its microporous structure almost unchanged. The altered surface characteristics influence the separator/electrolyte interaction, and lead to remarkable enhanced ionic conductivity (from 0.36 mS cm⁻¹ to 0.45 mS cm⁻¹) and Li⁺ ion transference number (from 0.37 to 0.47) of PE separators as well as the improved stability of lithium/electrolyte interface, which effectively decreases the electrode polarization and suppresses the lithium dendrites formation, contributing to superior C-rates capability and cycling performance of cells.

[en] In this paper, a method for highly ordered assembly of cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanoparticles (NPs) by DNA templates was reported. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-capped Cu₂O NPs were adsorbed onto well-aligned λ-DNA chains to form necklace-like one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. UV-vis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the nanostructure. The Cu₂O nanostructures fabricated with the method are both highly ordered and quite straight

[en] Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-capped positively-charged silver nanoparticles synthesized in water-ethanol system was electrostatic assembled on predefined aligned λ-DNA template. Silver nanowire can be obtained by changing the reaction time and the particles concentration. In our work, the length of the silver nanowire obtained is about 10 μm, and the dimension of the wires is about 20 nm. AFM data reveal that the assembly of CTAB-capped silver nanoparticles on DNA is ordered, but there is space between two particles absorbed on the DNA template. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was applied to characterize the linear silver clusters, which provides an additional proof that the silver particles were assembled onto DNA template with fine order