12 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 12
- ItemNonenzymatic post-translational modifications in peptides by cold plasma-derived reactive oxygen and nitrogen species(Melville, NY : AIP, 2020) Wenske, Sebastian; Lackmann, Jan-Wilm; Bekeschus, Sander; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; Von Woedtke, Thomas; Wende, KristianCold physical plasmas are emerging tools for wound care and cancer control that deliver reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS). Alongside direct effects on cellular signaling processes, covalent modification of biomolecules may contribute to the observed physiological consequences. The potential of ROS/RNS generated by two different plasma sources (kINPen and COST-Jet) to introduce post-translational modifications (PTMs) in the peptides angiotensin and bradykinin was explored. While the peptide backbone was kept intact, a significant introduction of oxidative PTMs was observed. The modifications cluster at aromatic (tyrosine, histidine, and phenylalanine) and neutral amino acids (isoleucine and proline) with the introduction of one, two, or three oxygen atoms, ring cleavages of histidine and tryptophan, and nitration/nitrosylation predominantly observed. Alkaline and acidic amino acid (arginine and aspartic acid) residues showed a high resilience, indicating that local charges and the chemical environment at large modulate the attack of the electron-rich ROS/RNS. Previously published simulations, which include only OH radicals as ROS, do not match the experimental results in full, suggesting the contribution of other short-lived species, i.e., atomic oxygen, singlet oxygen, and peroxynitrite. The observed PTMs are relevant for the biological activity of peptides and proteins, changing polarity, folding, and function. In conclusion, it can be assumed that an introduction of covalent oxidative modifications at the amino acid chain level occurs during a plasma treatment. The introduced changes, in part, mimic naturally occurring patterns that can be interpreted by the cell, and subsequently, these PTMs allow for prolonged secondary effects on cell physiology. © 2020 Author(s).
- ItemEpitaxial synthesis of unintentionally doped p-type SnO (001) via suboxide molecular beam epitaxy(Melville, NY : AIP, 2023) Egbo, Kingsley; Luna, Esperanza; Lähnemann, Jonas; Hoffmann, Georg; Trampert, Achim; Grümbel, Jona; Kluth, Elias; Feneberg, Martin; Goldhahn, Rüdiger; Bierwagen, OliverBy employing a mixed SnO2 + Sn source, we demonstrate suboxide molecular beam epitaxy (S-MBE) growth of phase-pure single-crystalline metastable SnO (001) thin films on Y-stabilized ZrO2 (001) substrates at a growth rate of ∼1.0 nm/min without the need for additional oxygen. These films grow epitaxially across a wide substrate temperature range from 150 to 450 °C. Hence, we present an alternative pathway to overcome the limitations of high Sn or SnO2 cell temperatures and narrow growth windows encountered in previous MBE growth of metastable SnO. In situ laser reflectometry and line-of-sight quadrupole mass spectrometry were used to investigate the rate of SnO desorption as a function of substrate temperature. While SnO ad-molecule desorption at TS = 450 °C was growth-rate limiting, the SnO films did not desorb at this temperature after growth in vacuum. The SnO (001) thin films are transparent and unintentionally p-type doped, with hole concentrations and mobilities in the range of 0.9-6.0 × 1018 cm-3 and 2.0-5.5 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. These p-type SnO films obtained at low substrate temperatures are promising for back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible applications and for integration with n-type oxides in pn heterojunctions and field-effect transistors.
- ItemSurface cleaning and sample carrier for complementary high-resolution imaging techniques(Melville, NY : AIP, 2020) Benettoni, Pietro; Ye, Jia-Yu; Holbrook, Timothy R.; Calabrese, Federica; Wagner, Stephan; Zarejousheghani, Mashaalah; Griebe, Jan; Ullrich, Maria K.; Musat, Niculina; Schmidt, Matthias; Flyunt, Roman; Reemtsma, Thorsten; Richnow, Hans-Hermann; Stryhanyuk, HryhoriyNowadays, high-resolution imaging techniques are extensively applied in a complementary way to gain insights into complex phenomena. For a truly complementary analytical approach, a common sample carrier is required that is suitable for the different preparation methods necessary for each analytical technique. This sample carrier should be capable of accommodating diverse analytes and maintaining their pristine composition and arrangement during deposition and preparation. In this work, a new type of sample carrier consisting of a silicon wafer with a hydrophilic polymer coating was developed. The robustness of the polymer coating toward solvents was strengthened by cross-linking and stoving. Furthermore, a new method of UV-ozone cleaning was developed that enhances the adhesion of the polymer coating to the wafer and ensures reproducible surface-properties of the resulting sample carrier. The hydrophilicity of the sample carrier was recovered applying the new method of UV-ozone cleaning, while avoiding UV-induced damages to the polymer. Noncontact 3D optical profilometry and contact angle measurements were used to monitor the hydrophilicity of the coating. The hydrophilicity of the polymer coating ensures its spongelike behavior so that upon the deposition of an analyte suspension, the solvent and solutes are separated from the analyte by absorption into the polymer. This feature is essential to limit the coffee-ring effect and preserve the native identity of an analyte upon deposition. The suitability of the sample carrier for various sample types was tested using nanoparticles from suspension, bacterial cells, and tissue sections. To assess the homogeneity of the analyte distribution and preservation of sample integrity, optical and scanning electron microscopy, helium ion microscopy, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry were used. This demonstrates the broad applicability of the newly developed sample carrier and its value for complementary imaging. © 2020 Author(s).
- ItemStructural, optical, and electrical characterization of TiO2-doped yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolytes grown by atomic layer deposition(Melville, NY : AIP, 2024) Vazquez, Jorge Luis; Bahrami, Amin; Bohórquez, Carolina; Blanco, Eduardo; Dominguez, Manuel; Soto, Gerardo; Nielsch, Kornelius; Tiznado, HugoElectrolyte material optimization is crucial for electrochemical energy storage devices. The specific composition and structure have an impact on conductivity and stability, both of which are essential for efficient device performance. The effects of controlled incorporation of TiO2 into a Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique are investigated in this study. The surface chemical composition analysis reveals variations in the Ti oxidation state and a decrease in the O/(Zr + Y + Ti) ratio as TiO2 concentration increases. The formation of acceptor states near the valence band is proposed to reduce the bandgap with the Fermi level. The structural properties indicate that as TiO2 concentration increases, surface homogeneity and crystallite size increase. The contact angle with water indicates a hydrophobic behavior influenced by surface morphology and potential oxygen vacancies. Finally, electrical properties, measured in Ru/TiO2-doped YSZ/Au capacitors operated at temperatures between 100 and 170 °C, showed that the TiO2 incorporation improved the ionic conductivity, decreased the activation energy for conductivity, and improved the capacitance of the cells. This study highlights the importance of the ALD technique in solid-state electrolyte engineering for specific applications, such as energy storage devices.
- ItemSingle-crystalline YIG flakes with uniaxial in-plane anisotropy and diverse crystallographic orientations(Melville, NY : AIP, 2024) Hartmann, R.; Soldatov, I.; Lammel, M.; Lignon, D.; Ai, X. Y.; Kiliani, G.; Schäfer, R.; Erb, A.; Gross, R.; Boneberg, J.; Müller, M.; Goennenwein, S. T. B.; Scheer, E.; Di Bernardo, A.We study sub-micron Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) flakes that we produce via mechanical cleaving and exfoliation of YIG single crystals. By characterizing their structural and magnetic properties, we find that these YIG flakes have surfaces oriented along unusual crystallographic axes and uniaxial in-plane magnetic anisotropy due to their shape, both of which are not commonly available in YIG thin films. These physical properties, combined with the possibility of picking up the YIG flakes and stacking them onto flakes of other van der Waals materials or pre-patterned electrodes or waveguides, open unexplored possibilities for magnonics and for the realization of novel YIG-based heterostructures and spintronic devices.
- ItemData processing techniques for ion and electron-energy distribution functions(Melville, NY : AIP, 2023) Caldarelli, A.; Filleul, F.; Boswell, R. W.; Charles, C.; Rattenbury, N. J.; Cater, J. E.Retarding field energy analyzers and Langmuir probes are routinely used to obtain ion and electron-energy distribution functions (IEDF and EEDF). These typically require knowledge of the first and second derivatives of the current-voltage characteristics, both of which can be obtained using analog and numerical techniques. A frequent problem with electric-probe plasma diagnostics is the noise from the plasma environment and measurement circuits. This poses challenges inherent to differentiating noisy signals, which often require prior filtering of the raw current-voltage data before evaluating the distribution functions. A review of commonly used filtering and differentiation techniques is presented. It covers analog differentiator circuits, polynomial fitting (Savitzky-Golay filter and B-spline fitting), window filtering (Gaussian and Blackman windows) methods as well as the AC superimposition and Gaussian deconvolution routines. The application of each method on experimental datasets with signal-to-noise ratios ranging from 44 to 66 dB is evaluated with regard to the dynamic range, energy resolution, and signal distortion of the obtained IEDF and EEDF as well as to the deduced plasma parameters.
- ItemPhysical regimes of electrostatic wave-wave nonlinear interactions generated by an electron beam propagating in a background plasma(Melville, NY : AIP, 2022) Sun, Haomin; Chen, Jian; Kaganovich, Igor D.; Khrabrov, Alexander; Sydorenko, DmytroElectron-beam plasma interaction has long been a topic of great interest. Despite the success of the quasilinear and weak turbulence theories, their validities are limited by the requirements of a sufficiently dense mode spectrum and a small wave amplitude. In this paper, we extensively study the collective processes of a mono-energetic electron beam emitted from a thermionic cathode propagating through a cold plasma by performing high-resolution two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and using analytical theories. We confirm that, during the initial stage of two-stream instability between the beam and background cold electrons, it is saturated due to the well-known wave-trapping mechanism. Further evolution occurs due to strong wave-wave nonlinear processes. We show that the beam-plasma interaction can be classified into four different physical regimes in the parameter space for the plasma and beam parameters. The differences between the regimes are analyzed in detail. We identify a new regime in the strong Langmuir turbulence featured by what we call electron modulational instability (EMI) that could create a local Langmuir wave packet growing faster than the ion plasma frequency. Ions do not have time to respond to EMI in the initial growing stage. On a longer timescale, the action of the ponderomotive force produces very strong ion density perturbations, and eventually, the beam-plasma wave interaction stops being resonant due to the strong ion density perturbations. Consequently, in this EMI regime, electron beam-plasma interaction occurs in a repetitive (intermittent) process. The beam electrons are strongly scattered by waves, and the Langmuir wave spectrum is significantly broadened, which in turn gives rise to strong heating of bulk electrons. Associated energy transfer from the beam to the background plasma electrons has been studied. A resulting kappa (κ) distribution and a wave-energy spectrum E2(k)∼k-5 are observed in the strong turbulent regime.
- ItemPhysics of e × B discharges relevant to plasma propulsion and similar technologies(Melville, NY : AIP, 2020) Kaganovich, Igor D.; Smolyakov, Andrei; Raitses, Yevgeny; Ahedo, Eduardo; Mikellides, Ioannis G.; Jorns, Benjamin; Taccogna, Francesco; Gueroult, Renaud; Tsikata, Sedina; Bourdon, Anne; Boeuf, Jean-Pierre; Keidar, Michael; Powis, Andrew Tasman; Merino, Mario; Cappelli, Mark; Hara, Kentaro; Carlsson, Johan A.; Fisch, Nathaniel J.; Chabert, Pascal; Schweigert, Irina; Lafleur, Trevor; Matyash, Konstantin; Khrabrov, Alexander V.; Boswell, Rod W.; Fruchtman, AmnonThis paper provides perspectives on recent progress in understanding the physics of devices in which the external magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the discharge current. This configuration generates a strong electric field that acts to accelerate ions. The many applications of this set up include generation of thrust for spacecraft propulsion and separation of species in plasma mass separation devices. These "E × B"plasmas are subject to plasma-wall interaction effects and to various micro- and macroinstabilities. In many devices we also observe the emergence of anomalous transport. This perspective presents the current understanding of the physics of these phenomena and state-of-the-art computational results, identifies critical questions, and suggests directions for future research.
- ItemProvenance information as a tool for addressing engineered nanoparticle reproducibility challenges(Melville, NY : AIP, 2016) Baer, Donald R.; Munusamy, Prabhakaran; Thrall, Brian D.Nanoparticles of various types are of increasing research and technological importance in biological and other applications. Difficulties in the production and delivery of nanoparticles with consistent and well defined properties appear in many forms and have a variety of causes. Among several issues are those associated with incomplete information about the history of particles involved in research studies, including the synthesis method, sample history after synthesis, including time and nature of storage, and the detailed nature of any sample processing or modification. In addition, the tendency of particles to change with time or environmental condition suggests that the time between analysis and application is important and some type of consistency or verification process can be important. The essential history of a set of particles can be identified as provenance information and tells the origin or source of a batch of nano-objects along with information related to handling and any changes that may have taken place since it was originated. A record of sample provenance information for a set of particles can play a useful role in identifying some of the sources and decreasing the extent of particle variability and the lack of reproducibility observed by many researchers.
- ItemReaction pathways of producing and losing particles in atmospheric pressure methane nanosecond pulsed needle-plane discharge plasma(Melville, NY : AIP, 2018) Zhao, Yuefeng; Wang, Chao; Li, Li; Wang, Lijuan; Pan, JieIn this work, a two-dimensional fluid model is built up to numerically investigate the reaction pathways of producing and losing particles in atmospheric pressure methane nanosecond pulsed needle-plane discharge plasma. The calculation results indicate that the electron collisions with CH4 are the key pathways to produce the neutral particles CH2 and CH as well as the charged particles e and CH3+. CH3, H2, H, C2H2, and C2H4 primarily result from the reactions between the neutral particles and CH4. The charge transfer reactions are the significant pathways to produce CH4+, C2H2+, and C2H4+. As to the neutral species CH and H and the charged species CH3+, the reactions between themselves and CH4 contribute to substantial losses of these particles. The ways responsible for losing CH3, H2, C2H2, and C2H4 are CH3 + H → CH4, H2 + CH → CH2 + H, CH4+ + C2H2 → C2H2+ + CH4, and CH4+ + C2H4 → C2H4+ + CH4, respectively. Both electrons and C2H4+ are consumed by the dissociative electron-ion recombination reactions. The essential reaction pathways of losing CH4+ and C2H2+ are the charge transfer reactions.