Two-dimensional porous silicon nanosheets as anode materials for high performance lithium-ion batteries.

In this paper, silicon nanosheets (Si-NSs) are chemically synthesized by using graphene oxide nanosheets as the template. The obtained Si-NSs, which are aggregations of silicon nanocrystals with a size of ∼10 nm, are applied directly as the anode material for lithium ion batteries, delivering a reversible capacity of 800 mA h g-1 after 900 cycles at a rate as high as 8400 mA g-1. Ex situ measurements and in situ observations show the positive effect of the mesoporous structure on the structural stability of Si-NSs. The evolution and survivability of the porous structures during lithiation and delithiation processes are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations, demonstrating that the porous structure can enhance the amount of "active" Li atoms during the stable stage of cycling and therefore promote mass capacity. The longer the survival of the porous structure, the longer the high mass capacity can be retained.

c-axis preferential orientation of hydroxyapatite accounts for the high wear resistance of the teeth of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus).

Biological armors such as mollusk shells have long been recognized and studied for their values in inspiring novel designs of engineering materials with higher toughness and strength. However, no material is invincible and biological armors also have their rivals. In this paper, our attention is focused on the teeth of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) which is a predator of shelled mollusks like snails and mussels. Nanoscratching test on the enameloid, the outermost layer of the teeth, indicates that the natural occlusal surface (OS) has much higher wear resistance compared to the other sections. Subsequent X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystallites in the vicinity of OS possess c-axis preferential orientation. The superior wear resistance of black carp teeth is attributed to the c-axis preferential orientation of HAp near the OS since the (001) surface of HAp crystal, which is perpendicular to the c-axis, exhibits much better wear resistance compared to the other surfaces as demonstrated by the molecular dynamics simulation. Our results not only shed light on the origin of the good wear resistance exhibited by the black carp teeth but are of great value to the design of engineering materials with better abrasion resistance.

Distinctive in-Plane Cleavage Behaviors of Two-Dimensional Layered Materials.

Mechanical exfoliation from bulk layered crystal is widely used for preparing two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, which involves not only out-of-plane interlayer cleavage but also in-plane fracture. Through a statistical analysis on the exfoliated 2D flakes, we reveal the in-plane cleavage behaviors of six representative layered materials, including graphene, h-BN, 2H phase MoS2, 1T phase PtS2, FePS3, and black phosphorus. In addition to the well-known interlayer cleavage, these 2D layered materials show a distinctive tendency to fracture along certain in-plane crystallography orientations. With theoretical modeling and analysis, these distinct in-plane cleavage behaviors can be understood as a result of the competition between the release of the elastic energy and the increase of the surface energy during the fracture process. More importantly, these in-plane cleavage behaviors provide a fast and noninvasive method using optical microscopy to identify the lattice direction of mechanical exfoliated 2D layered materials.

Tunable rigidity of (polymeric core)-(lipid shell) nanoparticles for regulated cellular uptake.

Core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) with lipid shells and varying water content and rigidity but with the same chemical composition, size, and surface properties are assembled using a microfluidic platform. Rigidity can dramatically alter the cellular uptake efficiency, with more-rigid NPs able to pass more easily through cell membranes. The mechanism accounting for this rigidity-dependent cellular uptake is revealed through atomistic-level simulations.

A microfluidic tubing method and its application for controlled synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles.

This report describes a straightforward but robust tubing method for connecting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices to external equipment. The interconnection is irreversible and can sustain a pressure of up to 4.5 MPa that is characterized experimentally and theoretically. To demonstrate applications of this high-pressure tubing technique, we fabricate a semicircular microfluidic channel to implement a high-throughput, size-controlled synthesis of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles ranging from 55 to 135 nm in diameter. This microfluidic device allows for a total flow rate of 410 mL h(-1), resulting in enhanced convective mixing which can be utilized to precipitate small size nanoparticles with a good dispersion. We expect that this tubing technique would be widely used in microfluidic chips for nanoparticle synthesis, cell manipulation, and potentially nanofluidic applications.

Mechanics of rolling of nanoribbon on tube and sphere.

The configuration of graphene nano-ribbon (GNR) assembly on carbon nanotube (CNT) and sphere is studied through theoretical modeling and molecular simulation. The GNR can spontaneously wind onto the CNT due to van der Waals (vdW) interaction and form two basic configurations: helix and scroll. The final configuration arises from the competition among three energy terms: the bending energy of the GNR, the vdW interaction between GNR and CNT, the vdW between the GNR itself. We derive analytical solutions by accounting for the three energy parts, with which we draw phase diagrams and predict the final configuration (helix or scroll) based on the selected parameters. The molecular simulations are conducted to verify the model with the results agree well with the model predicted. Our work can be used to actively control and transfer the tube-like nanoparticles and viruses as well as to assemble ribbon-like nanomaterials.