Lateral voltage as a new input for artificial lipid bilayer systems.

In this work, we propose lateral voltage as a new input for use in artificial lipid bilayer systems in addition to the commonly used transmembrane voltage. To apply a lateral voltage to bilayer lipid membranes, we fabricated electrode-equipped silicon and Teflon chips. The Si chips could be used for photodetector devices based on fullerene-doped lipid bilayers, and the Teflon chips were used in a study of the ion channel functions in the lipid bilayer. The findings indicate that the lateral voltage effectively regulates the transmembrane current, in both ion-channel-incorporated and fullerene-incorporated lipid bilayer systems, suggesting that the lateral voltage is a practicable and useful additional input for use in lipid bilayer systems.

Complete genome sequence of a porcine circovirus type 2 strain, PCV2/CN/GD/2018/10, obtained in Guangdong, China, in 2018.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) poses significant issue for the global swine industry. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the complete genome sequence of a Chinese PCV2 strain belonging to genotype PCV2a, which was designated as PCV2/CN/GD/2018/10. Our findings provide insights into the prevalence of PCV2 in China.

Self-Assembly of Hybrid Lipid Membranes Doped with Hydrophobic Organic Molecules at the Water/Air Interface.

Because of their unique properties, including an ultrathin thickness (3-4 nm), ultrahigh resistivity, fluidity and self-assembly ability, lipid bilayers can be readily functionalized and have been used in various applications such as bio-sensors and bio-devices. In this study, we introduced a planar organic molecule: copper (II) 2,9,16,23-tetra-tert-butyl-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (CuPc) to dope lipid membranes. The CuPc/lipid hybrid membrane forms at the water/air interface by self-assembly. In this membrane, the hydrophobic CuPc molecules are located between the hydrophobic tails of lipid molecules, forming a lipid/CuPc/lipid sandwich structure. Interestingly, an air-stable hybrid lipid bilayer can be readily formed by transferring the hybrid membrane onto a Si substrate. We report a straightforward method for incorporating nanomaterials into a lipid bilayer system, which represents a new methodology for the fabrication of biosensors and biodevices.

Characterization of Bulk Nanobubbles Formed by Using a Porous Alumina Film with Ordered Nanopores.

Nanobubbles (NBs), with their unique physicochemical properties and promising applications, have become an important research topic. Generation of monodispersed bulk NBs with specified gas content remains a challenge. We developed a simple method for generating bulk NBs, using porous alumina films with ordered straight nanoscaled holes. Different techniques, such as nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and infrared absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), are used to confirm NB formation. The NTA data demonstrate that the minimum size of the NBs formed is less than 100 nm, which is comparable to the diameter of nanoholes in the porous alumina film. By generating NBs with different gases, including CO2, O2, N2, Ar, and He, we discovered that the minimum size of NBs negatively correlated with the solubility of encapsulated gases in water. Due to the monodispersed size of NBs generated from the highly ordered porous alumina, we determined that NB size is distributed discretely with a uniform increment factor of [Formula: see text]. To explain the observed characteristic size distribution of NBs, we propose a simple model in which two NBs of the same size are assumed to preferentially coalesce. This characteristic bubble size distribution is useful for elucidating the basic characteristics of nanobubbles, such as the long-term stability of NBs. This distribution can also be used to develop new applications of NBs, for example, nanoscaled reaction fields through bubble coalescence.

Formation and Characterization of Air-Stable Lipid Bilayer Membranes Incorporated with Phthalocyanine Molecules.

Bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) are used as basic frameworks for biosensors and biohybrid devices due to their unique properties, which include ultrathin thickness, ultrahigh resistivity, and self-assembling ability. However, BLMs can only form and maintain their structure in aqueous environments, which pose significant limitations to their use. In this work, we report on the formation of highly uniform hybrid BLMs at a water/air interface through self-assembly by simply doping the BLMs with a functional organic molecule, copper(II) 2,9,16,23-tetra-tert-butyl-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (CuPc). By transferring the membrane onto substrates, we were able to produce stable hybrid BLMs under anhydrous conditions. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed that the hybrid membranes were composed of single, highly uniform BLMs or stacks of BLMs. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements indicated that the CuPc molecules were located between the hydrophobic tails of lipid molecules, forming a sandwich structure in the hybrid membranes. The hybrid BLMs fabricated by this method substantially expand the range of applications of BLMs to solid-state devices.

Modulation of Photoinduced Transmembrane Currents in a Fullerene-Doped Freestanding Lipid Bilayer by a Lateral Bias.

We report on a novel lipid bilayer system, in which a lateral bias can be applied in addition to a conventional transmembrane voltage. Freestanding bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) doped with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were formed in a microaperture, around which metal electrodes were deposited. Using this system, it was possible to modulate and amplify photoinduced transmembrane currents by applying a lateral bias along the BLM. The results indicate that the microfabricated Si chip with embedded electrodes is a promising platform for the formation of transistor-like devices based on PCBM-doped BLMs and have potential for use in a wide variety of nanohybrid devices.

Effects of Rapid Thermal Annealing and Different Oxidants on the Properties of LaxAlyO Nanolaminate Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition.

A comparative study of different sequences of two metal precursors [trimethylaluminum (TMA) and Tris(isopropylcyclopentadienyl) lanthanum (La(iPrCp)3)] for atomic layer deposition (ALD) lanthanum aluminum oxide (LaxAlyO) films is carried out. The percentage compositions of C and N impurity of LaxAlyO films were investigated using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of different oxidants on the physical and chemical properties and electrical characteristics of LaxAlyO films are studied before and after annealing. Preliminary testing results indicate that the impurity level of LaxAlyO films grown with different oxidants can be well controlled before and after annealing. Analysis indicates the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and kinds of oxidants have significant effects on the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), dielectric constant, electrical properties, and stability of LaxAlyO films. Additionally, the change of chemical bond types of rapid thermal annealing effects on the properties of LaxAlyO films are grown with different oxidants also investigated by XPS.

Effects of Annealing Ambient on the Characteristics of LaAlO3 Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.

We investigated the effects of different annealing ambients on the physical and electrical properties of LaAlO3 films grown by atomic layer deposition. Post-grown rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was carried out at 600 °C for 1 min in vacuum, N2, and O2, respectively. It was found that the chemical bonding states at the interfacial layers (ILs) between LaAlO3 films and Si substrate were affected by the different annealing ambients. The formation of IL was enhanced during the RTA process, resulting in the decrease of accumulation capacitance, especially in O2 ambient. Furthermore, based on the capacitance-voltage characteristics of LaAlO3/Si MIS capacitors, positive V FB shifting tendency could be observed, indicating the decrease of positive oxide charges. Meanwhile, both trapped charge density and interface trap density showed decreased trends after annealing treatments. In addition, RTA process in various gaseous ambients can reduce the gate leakage current due to the enhancement of valence band offset and the reduction of defects in the LaAlO3/Si structure in varying degrees.

The Study of Electrical Properties for Multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 Dielectric Stacks and LaAlO3 Dielectric Film Deposited by ALD.

The capacitance and leakage current properties of multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 dielectric stacks and LaAlO3 dielectric film are investigated in this paper. A clear promotion of capacitance properties is observed for multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 stacks after post-deposition annealing (PDA) at 800 °C compared with PDA at 600 °C, which indicated the recombination of defects and dangling bonds performs better at the high-k/Si substrate interface for a higher annealing temperature. For LaAlO3 dielectric film, compared with multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 dielectric stacks, a clear promotion of trapped charges density (N ot) and a degradation of interface trap density (D it) can be obtained simultaneously. In addition, a significant improvement about leakage current property is observed for LaAlO3 dielectric film compared with multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 stacks at the same annealing condition. We also noticed that a better breakdown behavior for multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 stack is achieved after annealing at a higher temperature for its less defects.

Structural Properties Characterized by the Film Thickness and Annealing Temperature for La2O3 Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.

La2O3 films were grown on Si substrates by atomic layer deposition technique with different thickness. Crystallization characteristics of the La2O3 films were analyzed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction after post-deposition rapid thermal annealing treatments at several annealing temperatures. It was found that the crystallization behaviors of the La2O3 films are affected by the film thickness and annealing temperatures as a relationship with the diffusion of Si substrate. Compared with the amorphous La2O3 films, the crystallized films were observed to be more unstable due to the hygroscopicity of La2O3. Besides, the impacts of crystallization characteristics on the bandgap and refractive index of the La2O3 films were also investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively.

Impacts of Annealing Conditions on the Flat Band Voltage of Alternate La2O3/Al2O3 Multilayer Stack Structures.

The mechanism of flat band voltage (VFB) shift for alternate La2O3/Al2O3 multilayer stack structures in different annealing condition is investigated. The samples were prepared for alternate multilayer structures, which were annealed in different conditions. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) measuring results indicate that the VFB of samples shift negatively for thinner bottom Al2O3 layer, increasing annealing temperature or longer annealing duration. Simultaneously, the diffusion of high-k material to interfaces in different multilayer structures and annealing conditions is observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Based on the dipole theory, a correlation between the diffusion effect of La towards bottom Al2O3/Si interface and VFB shift is found. Without changing the dielectric constant k of films, VFB shift can be manipulated by controlling the single-layer cycles and annealing conditions of alternate high-k multilayer stack.