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We have adsorbed plasmid PuC19 DNA on a supported bilayer. The mobility of the lipids within the bilayer ensured a 2D equilibrium of the DNA molecule. By varying the fraction of cationic lipids in the membrane, we have tuned the surface…
Polymer-based nanocomposite dielectrics are expected to become essential in future generations of high voltage electrical insulation. However, the physics behind their performance is not yet understood. Here we investigate electronic…
Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) observations provide valuable insights into the plasma conditions in the heliosphere and the surrounding interstellar medium. Unlike plasma detectors, which measure charged particles tied to the magnetic fields…
Photocatalytic nitrogen reduction under ambient conditions represents a promising pathway toward sustainable ammonia production. However, the fundamental mechanisms, particularly the role of photogenerated charge carriers and their…
Responsive microgels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) exhibit peculiar behaviours due to the competition between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions of the constituent networks. The interpenetration of poly-acrilic…
The discrete and charge-separated nature of matter - electrons and nuclei - results in local electrostatic fields that are ubiquitous in nanoscale structures and are determined by their shape, material, and environment. Such fields are…
Health concerns associated with the advent of nanotechnologies have risen sharply when it was found that particles of nanoscopic dimensions reach the cell lumina. Plasma and organelle lipid membranes, which are exposed to both the incoming…
Tuning of protein surface charge is a fundamental mechanism in biological systems. Protein charge is regulated in a physiological context by pH and interaction with counterions. We report on charge inversion and the related reentrant…
Biomaterial surface engineering and integrating cell-adhesive ligands are crucial in biological research and biotechnological applications. The interplay between cells and their microenvironment, influenced by chemical and physical cues,…
Under dehydration conditions, amphipathic Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins fold spontaneously from a random conformation into alpha-helical structures and this transition is promoted by the presence of membranes. To gain insight…
The properties of inorganic nanomaterials in adsorption, catalysis, and photoluminescence are commonly affected or dominated by particle size, surface ligand, and ligand coverage; however, it has been long remaining challenging to generally…
Polyphenols and proteins are essential biomolecules that influence food functionality and, by extension, human health. Their interactions -- hereafter referred to as PhPIs (polyphenol-protein interactions) -- affect key processes such as…
Alloyed metal nanoparticles are a promising platform for plasmonically enabled hot-carrier generation, which can be used to drive photochemical reactions. Although the non-plasmonic component in these systems has been investigated for its…
Polarons, quasiparticles formed through interactions between lattice and charge carriers (electrons and holes), strongly influence the electronic and optical properties of functional materials. In nanostructured BiVO$_{4}$, polaron…
Polyalanine molecules (PA) with an {\alpha}-helix conformation gathered recently a lot of interest as the propagation of electrons through the chiral backbone structure comes along with spin polarization of the transmitted electrons. By…
We report on the systematic investigation of the role of surface nanoscale roughness and morphology on the charging behaviour of nanostructured titania (TiO2) surfaces in aqueous solutions. IsoElectric Points (IEPs) of surfaces have been…
Mixtures of weakly and strongly hydrated anions induce non-additive changes in the LCST of thermoresponsive polymers such as Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and PEO. Large-scale atomistic simulations of PNIPAM-NaI-Na$_{2}$SO$_{4}$…
Biomolecular condensates such as membraneless organelles, underpinned by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), are important for physiological function, with electrostatics -- among other interaction types -- being a prominent force in…
Soft matter materials, such as polymers, membranes, proteins, are often electrically charged. This makes them water soluble, which is of great importance in technological application and a prerequisite for biological function. We discuss a…
When nanoparticles (NPs) are introduced into a biological solution, layers of biomolecules form on their surface, creating a corona. Understanding how the structure of the protein evolves into the corona is essential for evaluating the…