Related papers: Assembling PNIPAM-Capped Gold Nanoparticles in Aqu…
Poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM) phase diagram is explored in a wide range of temperature and pressure using extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. By exploiting a simple model of an atactic linear polymer chain, we provide…
Hypothesis: The peculiar swelling behaviour of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based responsive microgels provides the possibility to tune both softness and volume fraction with temperature, making these systems of great interest for…
The thermosensitivity and microstructure of microgels made by copolymerizing standard microgel-forming monomers with more hydrophilic comonomers is investigated, with the aim of increasing the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT). We…
The peculiar linear temperature-dependent swelling of core-shell microgels has been conjectured to be linked to the core-shell architecture combining materials of different transition temperatures. Here the structure of pNIPMAM-core and…
A central quantity in the design of functional hydrogels used as nanocarrier systems, for instance for drug delivery or adaptive nanocatalysis, is the partition ratio, which quantifies the uptake of a molecular substance by the polymer…
While nanoalloys are of paramount scientific and practical interests, the main processes leading to their formation are still poorly understood. Key structural features in the alloy systems, including crystal phase, chemical ordering, and…
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in complex coacervation, driven by concerted efforts to offer novel experimental and theoretical insights into electrostatic charge-induced association. While previous studies have…
We have investigated the temperature-dependent morphology and composition changes occurring during a controlled self-assembling of thin Au film on the Gallium arsenide (001) surface utilizing electron microscopy at nano and atomic levels.…
This study presents the results of atomistic structural characterisation of 3.7 nm diameter gold nanoparticles (NP) coated with polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based ligands of different lengths (containing $2-14$ monomers) and solvated…
We investigate the temperature dependent phase behaviour of mixtures of poly(Nisopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgel colloids and a triblock copolymer (PEO-PPO-PEO) surfactant, which undergoes micellisation. Gelation in these systems…
Aggregation of the nanoparticles is a natural phenomena due to various biological and physical parameters but these aggregates are highly unstable. If aggregates would have been stable then it might be useful for some biomedical…
We explore the impact of three water-soluble polyelectrolytes (PEs) on the flow of concentrated suspensions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) microgels with thermoresponsive anionic charge density. By progressively adding the PEs to a…
A low-temperature dynamical transition has been reported in several proteins. We provide the first observation of a `protein-like' dynamical transition in nonbiological aqueous environments. To this aim we exploit the popular colloidal…
Poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM) is a thermoresponsive polymer, an essential building block of a large family of soft smart materials. In neat water it undergoes upon heating at $\approx$305K a phase transition from swollen to collapsed…
Plasmas at atmospheric pressure are presented as a simple, fast, and versatile tool for the synthesis or/and the grafting of noble metallic NPs (Au, Pt) on substrates. In this study, noble metal NPs are generated either by the reduction of…
The optical response of materials based on gold nanoparticle assemblies depends on many parameters regarding both material morphology and light excitation characteristics. In this paper, the interplay between the optical and thermal…
We report on the gold assisted epitaxial growth of Ge nanostructures under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions (\approx3\times 10-10 mbar) on clean Ge (100) surfaces. For this study, \approx2.0 nm thick Au samples were grown on the substrate…
The combination of nanodiamonds with plasmonic metal particles is being explored for synergic effects that can enhance biosensing and antibacterial treatments, energy harvesting, photocatalysis, and quantum centres. Here we systematically…
Nanostructured polymer-metal oxide composites are a current research area of great importance due to its highlight applications in sensors, optics, catalysts and drug delivery. Particularly the use of thermoresponsive polymers gives more…
Understanding the physical and chemical mechanisms occurring during the forming process and operation of an organic resistive memory device is a major issue for better performances. Various mechanisms were suggested in vertically stacked…