Journals
2025 EN
Laniel Dominique · Trybel Florian · Zhou Wenju
+18 more
Abstract The thermodynamic parameter pressure is ideal for producing novel ultraincompressible and superhard materials as it promotes the formation of polymeric frameworks and higher atomic coordination. In this regard, carbon and nitrogen are particularly attractive elements as they can produce extended arrangements of strong covalent bonds. In this study, a previously unobserved C 3 N 4 polymorph, denoted as oP 28‐C 3 N 4 ( Pnnm , #58), is synthesized at pressures between 73 and 104 GPa in laser‐heated diamond anvil cells and found recoverable to ambient conditions and stable in air. The crystal structure of oP 28‐C 3 N 4 , comprised of corner‐sharing CN 4 tetrahedra, is solved and refined using synchrotron single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. With a bulk modulus of 334(3) GPa deduced from experimental data, the compound is highly incompressible. Based on macroscopic and microscopic calculations, its hardness may achieve 47.5 or 79.7 GPa, respectively, making it a superhard material. Incompressibility of CN 4 tetrahedra in all experimentally observed C 3 N 4 polymorphs is found to be greater than that of the CC 4 and BN 4 tetrahedra forming the structures of diamond and cubic boron nitride. Density functional theory calculations provide further insight into the electronic, vibrational, and mechanical properties of oP 28‐C 3 N 4 , as well as their stability relative to other C─N phases.
Journals
2025 EN
Feng Desheng · Li Mengran · Peterson Vanessa K.
+12 more
Abstract Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) are one of the promising routes to generate power efficiently from various fuels at economically viable temperatures (500–700 °C) due to the use of fast proton conducting oxides as electrolytes. However, the power density and durability of the PCFCs are still limited by their cathodes made from solid metal oxides, which are challenging to address the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction and susceptibility to CO 2 simultaneously. Here, an alternative approach is reported to address this challenge by developing a new melt‐solid interface through the in situ alkali metal surface segregation and consecutive eutectic formation at perovskite oxide surface at PCFC operating temperatures. This new approach in cathode engineering is successfully demonstrated over lithium and sodium co‐doped BaCo 0.4 Fe 0.4 Zr 0.1 Y 0.1 O 3‐δ perovskite as the model material. These experimental results unveil that the unique in situ formed melt‐solid surface stabilizes the catalytically active phase in bulk and promotes catalytically active sites at surface. The novel engineered melt‐solid interface enhances the stability of the cathode against poisoning in 10% CO 2 by a factor of 1.5 in a symmetrical cell configuration and by a factor of more than two in PCFC single cells.
Journals
2025 EN
LaMastro Veronica · Walker Dominique · Liu Joanne
+2 more
Abstract Candida infections are a clinical challenge due to a limited repertoire of antifungal drugs, biofilm development, and antifungal drug resistance. Fungi‐targeted liposomes can improve antifungal drug solubility and delivery while reducing toxicity by enhancing fungal cell interaction. Here, liposomes that encapsulate the antifungal drug, posaconazole (POS), are decorated with the peptide, penetratin (Pen). Liposome‐fungal cell interaction increases significantly from ∼50% to >80% upon Pen conjugation with both C. albicans and C. auris . Pen‐decorated liposomes containing POS inhibit planktonic C. albicans and C. auris at liposome concentrations up to 8× lower than non‐Pen‐decorated liposomes, suggesting enhanced POS delivery due to increased fungal targeting. Furthermore, Pen‐decorated liposomes inhibit C. albicans and C. auris biofilm formation at POS concentrations that are up to 1300× lower than free POS. Finally, Pen‐decorated liposomes exhibit promising prophylactic activity in an intradermal C. albicans murine infection model, reducing fungal burden by ∼60% compared to non‐targeting POS‐loaded liposomes. Overall, Pen‐decorated, POS‐loaded liposomes expand the antifungal drug repertoire against Candida spp. and serve as a platform technology to improve the treatment of fungal infections.
Journals
2025 EN
Telles Rodrigo · Mancini Julie A. · Barrera JorgeLuis
+8 more
Abstract Architected LCE lattices are fabricated with flow‐induced alignment via direct ink writing and systematically characterized their shape morphing, stiffness, and energy absorption behavior across strain rates spanning six orders of magnitude from 10 −3 to 10 3 s −1 . It is shown that architected liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) lattices exhibit superior energy absorption compared to their non‐mesogenic (silicone) counterparts. Importantly, the LCE‐to‐silicone energy absorption ratios are up to 18‐fold higher at the highest strain rate tested. A finite element model that captures their shape‐morphing response is developed, which exhibits excellent agreement with the experimental observations. The work opens new avenues for designing and fabricating LCE lattices with programmable alignment, shape morphing, and mechanics.
Journals
2025 EN
Wei Hao · Dubois Simon M.M. · Brunnett Frederic
+15 more
Abstract Over the past decade, MRAMs developments have focused on improving magnetic tunnel junctions while using magnetic electrodes with fixed properties as spin sources. Interestingly, 2D semiconductors offer interface tailoring opportunities for spin valve devices, with many atomically thin materials now available. However, integrating them with oxidation‐prone spintronics materials remains a challenge. Here, spin devices are fabricated and evaluated with large‐scale MoS 2 directly grown on a monocrystalline ferromagnetic spin source. While most spin transport experiments with 2D semiconductors focus on their isolated dielectric properties, the presented approach unlocks an additional spin manipulation opportunity from MoS 2 hybridization with ferromagnetic electrodes. The experimental results show a substantial tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) value of over 65%, an order of magnitude higher than previously observed for exfoliated 2D semiconductor‐based devices. A non‐monotonic dependence of the spin signal on the applied bias, including a sign reversal, is also uncovered, which is attributed to the modulation of the MoS 2 band structure by the ferromagnetic electrode. Ab initio calculations support these findings by illustrating how the MoS 2 band structure evolves upon hybridization, introducing a pronounced exchange‐induced spin splitting and resulting in an unusual bimodal spin response. This study demonstrates the unique spin manipulation opportunities offered by 2D semiconductors unlocked by direct integration.
Journals
2025 EN
Franck Max · Dabrowski Jarek · Schubert Markus Andreas
+6 more
Abstract The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on Ge substrates is a promising pathway to high‐quality hBN thin films without metal contaminations for microelectronic applications, but the effect of CVD process parameters on the hBN properties is not well understood yet. The influence of local changes in pressure and temperature due to different reactor configurations on the structure and quality of hBN films grown on Ge(001)/Si is studied. Injection of the borazine precursor close to the sample surface results in an inhomogeneous film thickness, attributed to an inhomogeneous pressure distribution at the surface, as shown by computational fluid dynamics simulations. The additional formation of nanocrystalline islands is attributed to unfavorable gas phase reactions due to the radiative heating of the injector. Both issues are mitigated by increasing the injector‐sample distance, leading to an 86% reduction in pressure variability on the sample surface and a 200 °C reduction in precursor temperature. The resulting hBN films exhibit no nanocrystalline islands, improved thickness homogeneity, and high crystalline quality (Raman FWHM = 23 cm −1 ). This is competitive with hBN films grown on other non‐metal substrates but achieved at lower temperature and with a low thickness of only a few nanometers.
Journals
2025 EN
Walton Beck L. · Dudukovic Nikola A. · Johnson Jason
+7 more
Abstract Recent developments in additive manufacturing (AM) of glass via silica‐filled inks have facilitated fabrication of previously unattainable geometries and compositions. However, the maximum processable size of 15 mm limits the use of these prints in applications such as optics. A key limitation lies in the trade‐off between material printability and green strength: increasing silica content in the feedstock improves crack resistance and reduces shrinkage but results in dramatic changes in viscoelastic properties that hinder flowability. This paper presents a novel approach that offers expanded versatility in processable size, feedstock formulation, and printing. Described here is a direct ink writing (DIW) system coupled with an active high‐shear micromixer and UV light source, capable of simultaneously printing multiple inks with a wide range of rheological properties. Choice of silica sourc, solvent, UV‐curable binder, and dispersant is used to tune the ink rheology and improve printability and mechanical properties. Imparting high shear with the micromixer while UV‐curing the extrudate allows for increased ink viscosities and reduced nozzle diameters, enabling printing finer feature sizes. With these advances, thin‐walled high‐aspect ratio structures and a crack‐free glass disk measuring 44 mm in diameter are demonstrated, an increase of 3× in the greatest dimension compared to current state‐of‐the‐art.
Journals
2025 EN
Alphen Clémence · ForeroSaboya Juan · Foix Dominique
+5 more
Abstract Monitoring the chemical and physical processes during the initial charge of commercial‐type cells is crucial for accelerating their optimization. In this study, operando optical calorimetry, pressure sensing, and infrared fiber evanescent wave spectroscopy (IR‐FEWS) are harnessed as powerful diagnostic tools to investigate the first charge of the formation cycle of layered oxide‐based sodium‐ion cells composed of P2 or O3 cathode material and hard carbon (HC) anode. It is first revealed that the cathode composition significantly influences the initial charge behavior, showing that the O3 cathode triggers larger electrolyte decomposition than P2, which is associated with significant heat and gas generation at high states of charge. Then, the use of succinonitrile (SN) and prop‐1‐ene‐1,3‐sultone (PES) is explored as additives in the electrolyte, proving that while both additives raise the heat generation in P2/HC and O3/HC cells, they effectively suppress solvent and salt decomposition. These observations are further corroborated by online electrochemical mass spectrometry (OEMS) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Overall, this work underlines the importance of combining operando calorimetric and chemical studies in optimizing the cell chemistry and highlights the effectiveness of optical sensing techniques for investigating the interphase formation in commercial‐type cells.
Journals
2025 EN
Braun Dominique · Gregor Anne · Haubitz Monika
+4 more
ABSTRACT The dyskerin encoding gene DKC1 plays an important role in telomerase activity and telomere maintenance. Pathogenic variants in DKC1 cause an X‐linked multiorgan disease called dyskeratosis congenita (DC), the most severe form of which is Hoyeraal–Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS). HHS due to DKC1 variants has so far only been reported in hemizygous males and is associated with severe neurological impairment and progressive bone marrow failure, often causing lethality in early childhood. Heterozygous carrier females are often phenotypically normal. Here, we report a young adult female carrying a de novo splice‐site variant in DKC1 and presenting with clinical features overlapping with HHS, such as intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, intellectual disability, and recurrent infections, while lacking other typical aspects such as dermatological manifestations, cerebellar hypoplasia, or bone marrow failure. Aberrant splicing was confirmed with an in vitro assay, and further analysis revealed very short telomere lengths in the individual, supporting a causative role of the DKC1 variant. Our observations therefore suggest that heterozygous splice‐site variants in DKC1 leading to loss of function might result in a phenotype overlapping with but not being typical for HHS in females, supporting a potential genotype–phenotype correlation.
Journals
2025 EN
Farid Tahsin · Ruzhnikov Maura R. Z. · Duggal Mili
+9 more
ABSTRACT Rare diseases collectively affect millions of Americans, but less than 5% have approved treatments, and new drug development remains limited. For such diseases, drug repurposing may be an effective strategy to find new treatment options. In the rare genetic disorder community, drugs are frequently prescribed off‐label. This information is rarely available for research, but if captured, could be leveraged to accelerate the identification of candidate drugs to be evaluated for safety and efficacy of the treatment of rare diseases. CURE ID is a publicly available treatment registry that collects real‐world treatment data directly from healthcare providers, patients, and care partners in a consistent format. By aggregating this information, CURE ID can generate hypotheses for follow‐up targeted research of repurposed drugs, potentially leading to the approval of these drugs for new indications. The success of the platform is predicated on its adoption in the rare disease community and routinely reporting treatment experiences to CURE ID.