Simulations of the Surface Plasmon Resonances of Au@Ag Core-Shell Nanocubes: Effect of Core-Shell Size Ratio

Plasmonics - This paper reports a systematic investigation on the optical properties of Au@Ag core-shell nanocubes as a function of the core-shell size ratio with the boundary element method...     

Study of Surface Plasmon Resonances of Core-Shell Nanosphere: A Comparison between Numerical and Analytical Approach

An investigation of the wavelength dependent extinction spectra of coated sphere with different core@shell compositions based on discrete dipole approximation technique has been presented in this paper. We have used combinations of A g, A u, and S i O ₂ for this analysis. Specifically, we study the impact of spherical core-shell thickness on its surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak positions and corresponding spectral widening in distinct regimes of the spectrum. We observe that SPR peak of core-shell nanoparticle(CSNP) can be tuned over the visible to near-infrared spectrum region by manipulating the core/shell ratio and composition of core and shell. Specifically, for dielectric@metal (core@shell) nanoparticle, SPR peak position shifted towards lower wavelength as we increase the shell thickness, which is opposite to the SPR behavior of metal@dielectric. The extinction spectrum shows linear relation between SPR position and thickness of the shell. Further, we observed two resonant peaks for the case of metal@metal CSNP. The SPR peak of Au@Ag (a _eff 100 nm with shell thickness 8 nm) reveals two resonant peak corresponding to Au (594 nm) in red domain, while the peak in blue domain corresponds to Ag (402 nm). We also observe that optical resonance of CSNP can be tuned across the near-infrared region by changing the surrounding medium of higher refractive index. Further, near field pattern of core@shell geometry at resonance wavelength is also shown in the present study. We have also compared the numerical and analyticalmethod for smaller size CSNP with varying thickness and the results show good agreement.     

Tailoring of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances of Core-Shell Au@Ag Nanorods by Changing the Thickness of Ag Shell

We report the synthesis and the characterization of core-shell Au@Ag nanorods through reduction by the wet chemical method. UV-visible absorption spectra of core-shell Au@Ag nanorods demonstrate the longitudinal mode of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) can be tailored from 724 to 786 nm by controlling the thickness of the silver shell, as is assessed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Furthermore, the tunable and well-controlled LSPRs of core-shell Au@Ag nanorods are also investigated by numerical simulation using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, which strongly supports the experimental observations. The growth mechanism for core-shell Au@Ag nanorods is proposed, according to experimental observations and numerical calculations.     

On the Plasmonic Properties of Ag@SiO2@Graphene Core-Shell Nanostructures

Plasmonics - This work reports on a study regarding the plasmonic properties of the Ag@SiO2@Graphene core-shell nanostructures, in the wavelength range of 0.3–2 μ m. Spherical and...     

Protein-Mediated Synthesis of Au Nanocluster Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide: A Multifunctional Hybrid Nano-Bio Platform

Plasmonics - The seamless integration of functional biomolecules with advanced nanomaterials not only allows for a hybrid material yielding their combined properties but also can enable novel joint...     

Localization of Near-Field Resonances in Bowtie Antennae: Influence of Adhesion Layers

The near-field resonances of gold bowtie antennae are numerically modeled. Besides the short-range surface plasmon polariton (SR-SPP) mode along the main axis of the structure, a coupled SPP mode is also found in the gap region (G-SPP). The influence of adhesion layers is considered, which depends on the refractive index and the absorption of the adhesion material and whether it is continuous or etched. A high refractive index causes the peak of the SR-SPP to red-shift. High absorption quenches the intensity of the SR-SPP. The magnitude of influence depends on the overlap of the adhesion layer with the SR-SPP and G-SPP modes. The near-field resonance of the SPP mode on the top surface is also considered. An etched metal adhesion layer changes the near-field localization in the gap and causes the enhancement peaks at different heights within the gap to red-shift from top to bottom. A simple optimization method for the near-field localization by the combination of different top and bottom layers is demonstrated.     

Bimetallic Core-Shell with Graphene Coating Nanoparticles: Enhanced Optical Properties and Slow Light Propagation

Plasmonics - In this paper, we study the optical properties and surface plasmon resonance of a bimetallic core-shell spherical nanoparticle exhibiting monolayer graphene coatings. The extinction...     

Near- and Far-Field Plasmonic Properties of Different Types of Eccentric Core-Shell Nanodimers

Finite element method (FEM) simulations have been carried out on free-standing and finite dielectric substrate-supported eccentric (i) silica core-gold nanoshell dimers and (ii) gold core-silica nanoshell dimers for understanding their near- and far-field plasmonic properties. In the case of eccentric silica core-gold nanoshell dimers, multiple peaks are observed in the near- and far-field spectra due to the plasmon hybridization. The number of peaks is found to be sensitive to the core offset parameters of the nanoshells forming nanodimer. The wavelength locations of the peaks due to the constructive coupling of the lower order modes found relatively more sensitive to the dielectric substrate. The number of peaks in the near- and far-field spectra found the same presence and absence of the dielectric substrate. The values of full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the peaks observed in the near-field spectra are found larger as compared to those observed in the far-field spectra. In contrast, in the case of eccentric gold core-silica nanoshell dimers, multiple peaks have not been observed. The FWHM of the observed peak is found sensitive to the core offset parameters of the nanoshells, and the number of peaks in the near field- and far-field spectra found not same in the presence and absence of the dielectric substrate. Moreover, the differences in near- and far-field spectra of plasmonically coupled (i) concentric nanoshells, (ii) eccentric nanoshells, and (iii) concentric and eccentric nanoshells also investigated numerically.

     

MC64-ClustalWP2: A Highly-Parallel Hybrid Strategy to Align Multiple Sequences in Many-Core Architectures

We have developed the MC64-ClustalWP2 as a new implementation of the Clustal W algorithm, integrating a novel parallelization strategy and significantly increasing the performance when aligning long sequences in architectures with many cores. It must be stressed that in such a process, the detailed analysis of both the software and hardware features and peculiarities is of paramount importance to reveal key points to exploit and optimize the full potential of parallelism in many-core CPU systems. The new parallelization approach has focused into the most time-consuming stages of this algorithm. In particular, the so-called progressive alignment has drastically improved the performance, due to a fine-grained approach where the forward and backward loops were unrolled and parallelized. Another key approach has been the implementation of the new algorithm in a hybrid-computing system, integrating both an Intel Xeon multi-core CPU and a Tilera Tile64 many-core card. A comparison with other Clustal W implementations reveals the high-performance of the new algorithm and strategy in many-core CPU architectures, in a scenario where the sequences to align are relatively long (more than 10 kb) and, hence, a many-core GPU hardware cannot be used. Thus, the MC64-ClustalWP2 runs multiple alignments more than 18x than the original Clustal W algorithm, and more than 7x than the best x86 parallel implementation to date, being publicly available through a web service. Besides, these developments have been deployed in cost-effective personal computers and should be useful for life-science researchers, including the identification of identities and differences for mutation/polymorphism analyses, biodiversity and evolutionary studies and for the development of molecular markers for paternity testing, germplasm management and protection, to assist breeding, illegal traffic control, fraud prevention and for the protection of the intellectual property (identification/traceability), including the protected designation of origin, among other applications.     

Numerical Simulation of Electromagnetic Wave Interaction with Spheroidal Core-Shell Nanoparticle: Dependence of Surface Plasmon Resonance on Core-Shell Composition

Plasmonics - In the present work, we report our observations drawn from the numerical simulation of absorption and scattering efficiencies of spheroid shape nanostructures using discrete dipole...     

过盈植入对种植体-骨界面应力分布影响的三维有限元分析

目的:应用三维有限元分析法研究牙种植体过盈植入对种植体-骨界面接触压力的影响.方法:选择直径为3.3mm的ITI种植体和成人离体下颌骨,模拟种植体植入下颌骨内,过盈量为0.5mm,建立三维有限元模型,应用ANSYS软件分析种植体-骨界面的应力分布情况.结果:种植体周围骨最大应力为48.796 MPa,应力分布均匀.种植体所受应力主要集中于颈部,最大应力值为87.832 MPa.结论:过盈量为0.5mm时,种植体-骨界面所产生的应力值在骨组织所能承受的最大应力值范围内,种植体所受到的应力值远远小于钛的屈服强度,从生物力学角度,周围骨所受应力在骨组织能够承受范围,种植体也不会断裂,过盈联结在临床种植时有其可行性.     

核壳型磁性纳米粒子界面氨基的测定

目的:应用对硝基苯甲醛比色测定法测定磁性纳米粒子界面修饰的氨基.方法:合成核壳型磁性纳米粒子,并用AEAPS(氨乙基氨丙基聚二甲基硅氧烷)修饰其界面氨基,然后采用对硝基苯甲醛比色测定法测定不同反应条件下的磁性纳米粒子界面的氨基.结果:采用对硝基苯甲醛比色测定法可以测出在磁性纳米粒子界面连接的氨基量,不同反应条件下氨基连接量不同,氨基在磁性纳米粒子上的浓度为5.90至33.44 nmol/mg,最大相对量为1.63 umol/m2.结论:对硝基苯甲醛比色法不仅可以定量测定磁性纳米粒子界面氨基量,而且可以研究反应条件对磁性纳米粒子界面氨基的连接量的影响.     

Antiviral Properties of Silver Nanoparticles on a Magnetic Hybrid Colloid

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered to be a potentially useful tool for controlling various pathogens. However, there are concerns about the release of AgNPs into environmental media, as they may generate adverse human health and ecological effects. In this study, we developed and evaluated a novel micrometer-sized magnetic hybrid colloid (MHC) decorated with variously sized AgNPs (AgNP-MHCs). After being applied for disinfection, these particles can be easily recovered from environmental media using their magnetic properties and remain effective for inactivating viral pathogens. We evaluated the efficacy of AgNP-MHCs for inactivating bacteriophage ϕX174, murine norovirus (MNV), and adenovirus serotype 2 (AdV2). These target viruses were exposed to AgNP-MHCs for 1, 3, and 6 h at 25°C and then analyzed by plaque assay and real-time TaqMan PCR. The AgNP-MHCs were exposed to a wide range of pH levels and to tap and surface water to assess their antiviral effects under different environmental conditions. Among the three types of AgNP-MHCs tested, Ag30-MHCs displayed the highest efficacy for inactivating the viruses. The ϕX174 and MNV were reduced by more than 2 log₁₀ after exposure to 4.6 × 10⁹ Ag30-MHCs/ml for 1 h. These results indicated that the AgNP-MHCs could be used to inactivate viral pathogens with minimum chance of potential release into environment.     

Study of Broadband Tunable Properties of Surface Plasmon Resonances of Noble Metal Nanoparticles Using Mie Scattering Theory: Plasmonic Perovskite Interaction

We suggest semi-analytical approach to study the optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles and their interaction to the perovskite material (methyl ammonia lead halide: CH₃NH₃PbI₃). Metal nanoparticles embedded in perovskite matrix exhibits broadband surface plasmon resonances, and the tunability of these plasmonic resonances is highly sensitive to particle size. The calculation of optical cross section have been done using Mie scattering theory which is applicable to arbitrary size and spherical-shape metal nanoparticles. We have taken five different radii ranging from 15 to 100 nm to understand the plasmonic resonances and its spectral width in the wavelength range 300 to 800 nm. Out of these noble metal nanoparticles, silver have highest scattering efficiency nearly of the order of 18 for the case of 15 nm radii at resonance wavelength 613 nm. Our finding reveals a new concept to understand the applications of plasmonic resonances in order to enhance the photon absorption inside the thin film of perovskite.     

Architectures of domestication: on emplacing human‐animal relations in the North

This article explores human‐animal relationships in the North by calling for a fresh examination of the infrastructures and architectures which inscribe them. We draw attention to the self‐limiting quality of Arctic architectures which are designed to emphasize mutual autonomy. This approach challenges models that would create a crisp, clear separation between domestication as constituting a form of domination or a type of mutualism. By describing several key infrastructures of domestication – of tethers, enclosures, and traps – we hope to draw attention to the silencing of these domestic inventories. Revisiting the metaphor of the domus, we focus on the lands where these relationships are elaborated, re‐linking Arctic architectures to places of encounter. Drawing on in‐depth fieldwork mainly from Northern North America and various sites in Northern Eurasia, we present an ethnographically informed account that stresses the nuanced way in which strategies of control are blended with those of care and comfort, creating unbounded homes that are good to live in.     

Modest Influence of FRET Chromophores on the Properties of Unfolded Proteins

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments are often used to study the properties of unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins. Because of their large extinction coefficients and quantum yields, synthetic heteroaromatic chromophores covalently linked to the protein are often used as donor and acceptor fluorophores. A key issue in the interpretation of such experiments is the extent to which the properties of the unfolded chain may be affected by the presence of these chromophores. In this article, we investigate this question using all-atom explicit solvent replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of three different unfolded or intrinsically disordered proteins. We find that the secondary structure and long-range contacts are largely the same in the presence or absence of the fluorophores, and that the dimensions of the chain with and without chromophores are similar. This suggests that, at least in the cases studied, extrinsic fluorophores have little effect on the structural properties of unfolded or disordered proteins. We also find that the critical FRET orientational factor κ², has an average value and equilibrium distribution very close to that expected for isotropic orientations, which supports one of the assumptions frequently made when interpreting FRET efficiency in terms of distances.     

Modest Influence of FRET Chromophores on the Properties of Unfolded Proteins

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments are often used to study the properties of unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins. Because of their large extinction coefficients and quantum yields, synthetic heteroaromatic chromophores covalently linked to the protein are often used as donor and acceptor fluorophores. A key issue in the interpretation of such experiments is the extent to which the properties of the unfolded chain may be affected by the presence of these chromophores. In this article, we investigate this question using all-atom explicit solvent replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of three different unfolded or intrinsically disordered proteins. We find that the secondary structure and long-range contacts are largely the same in the presence or absence of the fluorophores, and that the dimensions of the chain with and without chromophores are similar. This suggests that, at least in the cases studied, extrinsic fluorophores have little effect on the structural properties of unfolded or disordered proteins. We also find that the critical FRET orientational factor κ², has an average value and equilibrium distribution very close to that expected for isotropic orientations, which supports one of the assumptions frequently made when interpreting FRET efficiency in terms of distances.