Recent lbnl_es_mf items

TEM Agent: enhancing transmission electron microscopy with modern AI tools

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Recent improvements in large language models (LLMs) have had a dramatic effect on capabilities and productivity across many disciplines involving critical thinking and writing. The development of the model context protocol (MCP) provides a way to extend the power of LLMs to a specific set of tasks or scientific equipment with help from curated tools and resources. Here, we describe a framework called TEM Agent designed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that leverages the benefits of LLMs through a MCP approach. We simultaneously access and control several subsystems of the TEM, a data management platform, and high-performance computing resources through text-based instructions. We demonstrate the abilities of the TEM Agent to set up and complete intricate workflows using a simplified set of MCP tools and resources accompanying a commercial LLM without any additional training. The use of a framework such as the TEM Agent simplifies access to complex microscope ecosystems...

HDX–MS finds that partial unfolding with sequential domain activation controls condensation of a cellular stress marker

Mon, 5 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Eukaryotic cells form condensates to sense and adapt to their environment [S. F. Banani, H. O. Lee, A. A. Hyman, M. K. Rosen, Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 18, 285-298 (2017), H. Yoo, C. Triandafillou, D. A. Drummond, J. Biol. Chem. 294, 7151-7159 (2019)]. Poly(A)-binding protein (Pab1), a canonical stress granule marker, condenses upon heat shock or starvation, promoting adaptation [J. A. Riback et al., Cell 168, 1028-1040.e19 (2017)]. The molecular basis of condensation has remained elusive due to a dearth of techniques to probe structure directly in condensates. We apply hydrogen-deuterium exchange/mass spectrometry to investigate the mechanism of Pab1's condensation. Pab1's four RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) undergo different levels of partial unfolding upon condensation, and the changes are similar for thermal and pH stresses. Although structural heterogeneity is observed, the ability of MS to describe populations allows us to...

X-ray footprinting/mass spectrometry provides a new, detailed view of intrinsically disordered protein structural ensembles

Mon, 5 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

X-ray footprinting/mass spectrometry provides a new, detailed view of intrinsically disordered protein structural ensembles

X-ray footprinting/mass spectrometry offers a new, detailed view of intrinsically disordered protein structural ensembles

Mon, 5 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

X-ray footprinting/mass spectrometry offers a new, detailed view of intrinsically disordered protein structural ensembles

Investigating disorder-containing complexes using hydrogen-deuterium exchange with mass spectrometry

Mon, 5 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Investigating disorder-containing complexes using hydrogen-deuterium exchange with mass spectrometry

Assessing Thermodynamic Selectivity of Solid-State Reactions for the Predictive Synthesis of Inorganic Materials

Thu, 1 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Synthesis is a major challenge in the discovery of new inorganic materials. Currently, there is limited theoretical guidance for identifying optimal solid-state synthesis procedures. We introduce two selectivity metrics, primary and secondary competition, to assess the favorability of target/impurity phase formation in solid-state reactions. We used these metrics to analyze 3520 solid-state reactions in the literature, ranking existing approaches to popular target materials. Additionally, we implemented these metrics in a data-driven synthesis planning workflow and demonstrated its application in the synthesis of barium titanate (BaTiO₃). Using an 18-element chemical reaction network with first-principles thermodynamic data from the Materials Project, we identified 82985 possible BaTiO₃ synthesis reactions and selected 9 for experimental testing. Characterization of reaction pathways via synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction reveals that our selectivity metrics...

Automated synthesis of InSb quantum dots with improved batch-to-batch reproducibility via kinetically matched co-reduction

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Indium antimonide (InSb) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive heavy-metal-free absorbers for infrared photodetection, yet their synthesis remains challenging because precursor reduction overlaps with nucleation and growth, hindering kinetic control and yielding broad size distributions. Here we employ an automated workflow to achieve precise control over InSb CQD synthesis, leading to improved batch-to-batch reproducibility and narrow size distributions without laborious post-synthetic size-selective precipitation. We find that InSb CQD formation proceeds through a kinetically matched precursor co-reduction pathway, which requires an In-rich environment to compensate for the faster reduction of Sb3+ precursor. Within this framework, we tune CQD size by modulating precursor conversion kinetics through In/Sb precursor molar ratio and reducing agent availability. This kinetically guided size control tunes the first excitonic absorption peak of CQDs across 1120-1650 nm in...

Automated and High-Throughput Phase Separation Control for Supramolecular Polymer Blends Enabled by Machine Learning

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Supramolecular polymer blends (SPBs) offer tunable morphologies that dictate their macroscopic properties, yet their rational design is limited by the absence of predictive structure-morphology models. Here, we introduce a data-driven high-throughput workflow that integrates modular polymer synthesis, robotic formulation, automated morphology characterization, and machine learning (ML) for accelerated SPB discovery. Using a plug-and-play synthetic strategy, 33 hydrogen-bonding end-functional homopolymers were prepared and orthogonally combined to generate 260 SPBs in 1 day. A fully automated atomic force microscopy (AFM) pipeline enabled systematic imaging, producing 2340 morphology data sets with minimal human intervention. Domain spacings were extracted through complementary image-processing methods and used to train ML models. A support vector regression (SVR) model accurately predicted target phase-separation sizes (50, 100, and 150 nm), which were experimentally validated....

Author Correction: Integrated rocksalt–polyanion cathodes with excess lithium and stabilized cycling

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Correction to: Nature Energyhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-024-01615-6, published online 23 August 2024. In the version of this article initially published, there were errors in the legends to Fig. 2h, i, where for the scale bars sizes now reading “2 nm,” the size was originally given in both places as “1 nm.” In the x-axis units for Fig. 3f, now reading “(mAh),” the units were originally listed as “(mAh g⁻¹).” In the Methods “Electrochemical measurements” section, in the sentences now reading “The loading of the electrode films was 2–3 mg cm⁻²” and “For pouch cells, cathode film with active material loading of 2.5 mg cm⁻²,” in both sentences, cm⁻² appeared originally as “cm⁻¹.” The text and figure have been updated in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

Ionic gel-mediated synthesis of nanostructured chiral 2D halide perovskites with amplified chiroptical response

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Chiroptical properties in metal halide perovskites typically arise from asymmetric crystal structures induced by chiral organic molecules during synthesis or chiral additives. However, the synthesis of two-dimensional chiral halide perovskites with sufficiently high dissymmetry factors for practical applications remains challenging. Herein, we present a two-step ionic gel-mediated nucleation and recrystallization reaction, enabling the synthesis of nanostructured chiral halide perovskite films exhibiting large intrinsic circular dichroism dissymmetry factors (gCD) up to 10−2. The ionic gel mediates the reaction between lead(II) iodide (PbI2) and R/S-methylbenzylammonium iodide (R/S-MBAI), to facilitate the formation of higher-order iodoplumbate PbI3- and oligomeric Pb-I-MBA species, which recrystallize during heat treatment as anisotropic nanostructures without preferential orientation. Ionic gel-mediated films exhibit a very pronounced peak splitting originating from a well-defined...

Leveling Up Upconverting Nanoparticles with Machine Learning

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ConspectusUpconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) transform low-energy light into higher-energy photons, enabling applications in subwavelength and subsurface imaging, nanoscale sensing, therapeutics, optogenetics, printing, and optical computing. However, the widespread adoption of UCNPs is hindered by their low brightness and limited spectral tunability. Predicting the ideal nanoparticle architectures to overcome these limitations is challenging because UCNP photophysics are governed by highly nonlinear, complex energy transfer networks that span the excited states of lanthanide dopants. Due to the large number of possible combinations of dopants, concentrations, host matrices, heterostructures, and reaction conditions, optimizing the compositional and synthetic parameters of UCNPs using conventional trial-and-error approaches is intractable.This Account explores how researchers can overcome these challenges and enhance the properties of UCNPs using artificial intelligence (AI) and...

Robust electron counting for direct electron detectors with the Back-propagation counting method

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Electron microscopy (EM) is a foundational tool for directly assessing the structure of materials. Recent advances in direct electron detectors have improved signal-to noise ratios via single-electron counting. However, accurately counting electrons at high flux remains challenging. We developed a new method of electron counting for direct electron detectors, Back-Propagation Counting (BPC). BPC uses machine learning techniques designed for mathematical operations on large tensors but does not require large training datasets. In synthetic data, we show BPC is able to count multiple electron strikes per pixel and is robust to increasing occupancy. In experimental data, frames counted with BPC are shown to reconstruct diffraction peaks corresponding to individual nanoparticles with relatively higher intensity and produce images with improved contrast when compared to a standard counting method. Together, these results show that BPC excels in experiments where pixels see a high flux...

Mixed-Ligand-Driven Phase-Pure 2D Perovskite for Interfacial Passivation of Perovskite Photovoltaics

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Effective interfacial passivation is essential for achieving high-performance perovskite photovoltaics. 2D/3D heterostructures are a widely adopted strategy for defect passivation and band alignment regulation. Despite recent progress, achieving favorable interfacial energetics and comprehensively suppressing nonradiative recombination at both surfaces and grain boundaries continues to be an active area of investigation. We introduce a coassembled 2D architecture in which long-chain ligands are complemented by a minority component of short-chain ligands to form a mixed-ligand passivation layer. Such a coassembled structure promotes preferentially phase-pure, n = 2, 2D layer formation, resulting in an energetically favorable band alignment that enhances charge extraction. In addition, this coassembly facilitates effective passivation of interfacial defects at both surfaces and grain boundaries, leading to suppressed nonradiative recombination. As a consequence, these interfacial...

Human cathelicidin peptide LL-37 compacts nucleic acids and alters neutrophil extracellular trap structure

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The human cathelicidin host defense peptide LL-37 is expressed by many cell types, including neutrophils, macrophages, and epithelial cells, and forms complexes with nucleic acids that can have either beneficial or detrimental health effects. We suggest that these differential impacts are directly connected to the extent of nucleic acid binding by LL-37. Here, we use phage λ DNA and techniques such as high-resolution video microscopy, gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism, and displacement assays to show that LL-37 binds non-specifically to dsDNA, condensing it, followed by formation of progressively larger complexes from smaller domains, until “complete” complexation is attained at a (w/w) ratio of DNA/LL-37 of 1:1.7. The morphology of these complexes is concentration-dependent, with relatively low LL-37 amounts yielding loosely aggregated DNA structures and higher LL-37 concentrations leading to well-defined, disc-like complexes of about 150 nm in diameter. The condensation...

Staging and defect-limited intercalation of FeCl3 in graphite electrodes

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The need for sustainable mobility and renewable energy systems has been a major driving force for battery research in recent years. While ion batteries are in widespread application, there remain unsolved questions regarding fundamental processes occurring within batteries during use that ultimately limit their performance. The most important of such processes is intercalation, which describes the reversible incorporation of a guest species into a host lattice. The early stages of this process, when only a limited amount of guest material is present, are still barely understood. In this work, we use advanced transmission electron microscopy to directly observe the structure and host/guest interactions in a partially intercalated graphite model system. We show the three-dimensional layer occupancy and demonstrate that the established staging laws break down in this regime. Finally, we elucidate the impact of host lattice defects on the intercalation process using 4D-STEM, moiré...

Snapshots of Internal Protein Crystal Architecture at the Nanoscale

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Macromolecular crystallography has historically inferred models of internal crystal architecture from reciprocal-space measurements of Bragg reflections. Nevertheless, direct real-space visualization of crystallographic disorder remains elusive, particularly at the nanoscale. Using a 15-nm probe, here we apply both ambient-temperature and cryogenic four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) to map the topography of coherently diffracting domains (CDDs) in lysozyme and myoglobin microcrystals at length scales 100× finer than conventional X-ray and electron beams. Virtual dark-field images show that each Bragg peak arises from spatially distinct subvolumes representing smooth and continuous variations in local lattice orientation. Under sustained irradiation, protein CDDs undergo rearrangements spanning several micrometers of internal movement. Furthermore, pinpoint high-dose "impact crater" experiments reveal delocalized radiolytic damage propagating hundreds...

Predictive autoencoder-transformer model of Cu oxidation state from EELS and XAS spectra

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Autoencoder-transformer model applicable to both simulated and experimental XAS spectra is developed to predict the oxidation state of copper. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) produce detailed information about oxidation state, bonding, and coordination, making them essential for quantitative studies of redox and structure in functional materials. However, high-throughput quantitative analysis of these spectra, especially for mixed valence materials, remains challenging as diverse experimental conditions introduce noise, misalignment, and broadening of the spectral features. We address this challenge by training a machine learning model consisting of an autoencoder to standardize the spectra and a transformer model to predict both Cu oxidation state and Bader charge directly from L-edge spectra. The model is trained on a large dataset of FEFF-simulated spectra, and its performance is evaluated on both simulated and experimental...

Transformation of CeO2 Nanoparticles into Atomically Dispersed Ce Cations Leads to Enhanced Reactivity for Automotive Emissions Control

Wed, 9 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Nanosized cerium oxide (CeO₂) has been extensively used as the oxygen storage component in automotive emission control systems. However, the possible influence of atomically dispersed Ce in these catalysts has not been recognized. Here, we demonstrate the controllable transformation of ceria nanoparticles into isolated cerium cations on γ-Al₂O₃ via reductive atom trapping in 10% H₂ at 800 °C, achieving over half-monolayer coverage. Dispersed Ce₁ ions anchored by surface penta- and octa-coordinated Al sites exhibit outstanding thermal stability in air up to 500 °C, enabling further loading of active metals with well-defined catalyst structures. With this strategy, supported single-atom Rh₁ surrounded by dispersed Ce₁ is confirmed to exhibit much superior performance to Rh₁ on bare Al₂O₃ or nanocrystalline CeO₂ in catalyzing NO reduction by CO, exhibiting a striking...

Catalytic Borylation of Poly(vinyl chloride) Produces Adhesive Materials

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Postpolymerization functionalization of polymers can create new applications for existing materials, while retaining their most favorable, intrinsic properties. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely used, commodity polymer that is particularly challenging to modify. We report a copper-catalyzed protocol that replaces a small fraction of the C-Cl bonds in PVC with C-B bonds to boronic esters. The reaction occurs with an inexpensive catalyst comprising copper(II) chloride and an NHC ligand derived from a common ionic liquid that is distinct from the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) used for the borylation of small alkyl halides. The resulting materials adhere strongly to common surfaces, such as glass and metals, even more strongly than do commercial glues.

Automated TEM Reveals Intercrystalline Correlations of Conjugated Polymers

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) continues to transform polymer science by revealing key aspects of chain packing, phase separation and nanoscale structure. The development of instrumentation and data analyses tools is driving the field forward and enabling new experiments. Here, we use automated high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and image processing to identify the structure of a conjugated polymer used in organic electronics. Analysis of more than 600 HRTEM images reveals lattice parameters and orientation correlations between crystals, including the preferred alignment of neighboring crystals along the same crystallographic direction that is likely the result of liquid crystalline order.

Accelerating electron diffraction analysis using graph neural networks and attention mechanisms

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Electron diffraction(ED) often used to solve for unknown structures or refine existing ones. Existing methods for automated ED analysis often struggle with challenges such as computational expense and experimental noise. This study introduces a deep learning framework to accelerate and improve crystal structure determination from diffraction patterns. The methodology treats each diffraction pattern as a relational graph of Bragg spots. Spot features are encoded using a 1D convolutional network, from which a relational attention aggregator constructs an orientation-agnostic graph. This graph is processed by a Graphormer encoder enhanced with Mixture-of-Experts layers, allowing the model to learn complex crystallographic relationships efficiently. Trained and tested on a large dataset of simulated diffraction patterns, the model achieved a crystal system classification accuracy of 89.2% and a space group accuracy of 70.2% from single patterns, significantly outperforming a state-of-the-art...

Multimodal Nanoscale Mapping of Local Structure and CO2 Adsorption in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Diamine functionalization of the metal-organic framework Mg₂(dobpdc) (dobpdc^4- = 4,4'-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3'-dicarboxylate) significantly enhances its selectivity for CO₂ capture from flue gases and air. The structure and CO₂ capacity of such materials are typically assessed using bulk techniques that rely on averaging signal over large ensembles of unit cells, obscuring local heterogeneities, such as variations in CO₂ occupancy across individual nanocrystals. To resolve this limitation, we demonstrate a multimodal, nanoscale characterization of Mg₂(dobpdc) appended with 1,3-diaminopropane. By employing recently developed characterization techniques at progressively smaller length scales, we uncover insights from correspondingly smaller populations of unit cells. First, we use parallel-beam 3D electron diffraction (3D ED) to identify a prominent expansion in lattice parameters upon desorption of CO₂, as...

Regulation of Energy and Mass Transport in a Hydrogen-Bonded Framework for Visible-Light-Driven CO2 Reduction in Water

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Photoenzymatic reduction of CO₂ to formate is a promising strategy for carbon valorization, yet its efficiency is still limited by inefficient energy and mass transport. Here, we design a series of isostructural hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) that establish confinement effects to promote photocatalytic NADH regeneration and the subsequent NADH-dependent enzymatic CO₂-to-formate reduction. We demonstrate that spatial confinement within the framework channels localizes exciton migration to nanoscale domains and promotes interfacial dissociation. Additionally, Rh-induced electronic-structure modulation enables ultrafast electron transfer, while the intrinsic hydrogen-bond network furnishes directional proton conduction to NAD⁺. These synergistic regulations afford a photocatalytic NADH regeneration efficiency of 99.8% with a record apparent quantum efficiency of 32.8%, and drive formate production at a rate of 3020 μmol g^-1 h^-1...

Impact of solvent forces and broken symmetry on the assembly of designed proteins at a liquid-solid interface

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The era of protein design has enabled the creation of hybrid protein-inorganic interfaces, leading to both surface-directed self-assembly of de novo protein architectures and protein-directed formation of inorganic materials. However, the resulting patterns of protein assembly are often unexpected, implying that essential interactions are not accounted for in current design platforms. Here, we use high-speed atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyzed through machine learning to follow the assembly of protein nanorods in aqueous electrolytes on two types of mica exhibiting disparate symmetry elements, which are imprinted on the overlying hydration structure. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we reproduce the observed phases and show that an observed smectic phase, previously thought to be unstable for non-interacting rods in two dimensions, emerges when crystal symmetry introduces a directional bias. The findings demonstrate the importance of incorporating solvent forces as modulated...

Framework Short-Range Order Observed in a Spinel-Type Li Superionic Conductor

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Solid-state superionic conductors are characterized by rich structural disorders. Though structural complexities are central to their functionalities, they often give rise to short-range order that eludes detection by conventional diffraction-based techniques and is thus overlooked in establishing precise structure-property relationships. In this work, we synthesized single crystals of a recently discovered lithium (Li) superionic conductor Li_16.2(1)In_9.00(2)Sn_1.10(1)O_23.8 (LISO) for in-depth characterizations of structural subtleties. LISO exhibits an unusual spinel-like phase with significant Li overstoichiometry and a face-sharing Li network. Single-crystal neutron diffraction confirms significant Li disorder, as manifested in Li site splitting and partial occupancy. More importantly, synchrotron diffuse scattering combined with 3D-ΔPDF analysis and Monte Carlo simulations reveal short-range order in the nonalkali framework that might...

Phonon-mediated ultrafast dynamics in self-assembled monolayers of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid on gold

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Non-equilibrium interactions between plasmonic metals and adsorbed molecules lie at the heart of emerging applications such as plasmonic photocatalysis and sensing, though the ultrafast charge and energy transfer mechanisms arising from these interactions are not well understood. Herein, we investigate the ultrafast dynamics of Au nano-islands tethered with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of electron-withdrawing 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA) molecules. Ultrafast UV-visible transient absorption spectroscopy following excitation of the interband transition in Au reveals three well-known, characteristic time constants that quantify electron-electron (el-el), electron-phonon (el-ph) and phonon-phonon (ph-ph) scattering lifetimes. When comparing the dynamics of bare Au and 4MBA-Au, we find that the el-ph and ph-ph scattering lifetimes are notably longer in 4MBA-Au. Density functional perturbation theory calculations ascribe the elongation in el-ph lifetimes in 4MBA-Au to the significant...

A Quinoidal Two‐Dimensional Metal–Organic Framework for High‐Performance Micro‐Supercapacitors and Solid‐State Lithium Batteries

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) integrating redox-active linkers enable dense charge sites and open ion pathways for microscale energy storage. We report a quinoidal dicarboxylate ligand, AQM-H₂L, derived from p-azaquinodimethane, forming crystalline frameworks with Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ nodes. The Cu-based MOF (AQM-AQM-H₂L-Cu) exhibits layered sheets (>14 Å spacing) constructed from dinuclear Cu-carboxylate units and conjugated AQM linkers, which narrow the bandgap and introduce Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ pseudocapacitance. Exfoliated nanosheets (∼5 nm) retain crystallinity and excellent processability. Integrated into graphene films, they deliver areal and volumetric capacitances of 29.6 mF cm^-2 and 18.1 F cm^-3, achieving 2.6 mWh cm^-3 energy density at 160 mW cm^-3. As ionic fillers (1 wt%) in PEO solid polymer electrolytes, the nanosheets markedly enhance LiFePO₄...

Carbon–Mineral Slurry Electrodes for Energy-Efficient Lithium Leaching from Low-Grade Clay Feedstocks

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lithium extraction from clay deposits is typically hampered by low lithium grades and the high capital and energy demands of conventional processing. We report an ambient temperature electrochemical leaching method that bypasses high-temperature roasting and concentrated-acid leaching, directly liberating 93% of lithium from low-grade hectorite in 24 h at 1 V, with 77% Faradaic efficiency, an energy intensity of 3.91 MWh/t lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). Utilizing a carbon-mineral composite slurry electrode strategy we achieve electron-driven lattice deconstruction through iron oxidation coupled with proton uptake to drive lithium deintercalation, offering a new strategy for low-temperature critical-metal recovery. A preliminary cost analysis highlights pathways to achieving cost intensities below $3000/t LCE. Challenges remain in improving current density, extraction kinetics, and demonstrating process scalability, however, this work establishes a foundation for effective...

Mesoporous peptide frameworks engineered from crystallizable collagen-mimetic peptide amphiphiles

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The rational design of porous frameworks with tunable pore dimensions and chemical functionalities is a critical step toward their implementation in diverse applications. While traditional porous materials are typically constructed from abiotic components, there is increasing interest in employing biologically derived building blocks (e.g., peptides and proteins) that offer unmatched structural and functional diversity. Here, we report the construction of crystalline mesoporous frameworks that are self-assembled from amphiphilic collagen-mimetic peptides. Comprehensive structural characterization via microscopy, spectroscopy, and computational techniques provides insights into the assembly packing model, in which hexagonally packed channels are interconnected by antiparallel-aligned collagen triple helices via hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Lastly, we demonstrate the functional potential of aCMP frameworks through the encapsulation of various molecular guests,...

Field Testing of an Affordable Zero-Liquid-Discharge Arsenic-Removal Technology for a Small-Community Drinking Water System in Rural California

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Arsenic contamination in groundwater threatens public health, particularly in small, low-income communities lacking affordable treatment solutions. This study investigated the field implementation of novel air cathode assisted iron electrocoagulation (ACAIE) technology for arsenic removal in Allensworth, California, where groundwater arsenic concentrations exceeded 250 µg/L. Over four months, a pilot-scale ACAIE system, operating at 600 L/h, consistently reduced arsenic levels to below the EPA’s maximum contaminant level of 10 µg/L. Laboratory experiments informed the optimization of charge dosage and flow rates, which were validated during field testing of the ACAIE 600 L/h system. The in-situ generation of hydrogen peroxide at the cathode speeded up the reaction kinetics, ensuring high arsenic removal efficiency while allowing high throughput, even with a compact reactor size. An economic analysis demonstrated a treatment cost of USD 0.02/L excluding labor, highlighting the...

Ballistic ion transport through hierarchically-ordered-structure polymer binder

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Achieving ballistic ion transport in a mixed electronic-ionic conductive polymer, its hierarchically ordered structure (HOS) facilitates ion diffusion and results in solid-state Li + conductivity in the range of 10 −4 to 10 −3 S cm −1 from −20 to 70 °C. Since its discovery in the 1970s, solid-state ion conduction within polymers has primarily relied on polymer segmental motion to drive ion diffusion. However, ion transport based on polymer dynamics features low ionic conductivity (usually <10 −5 S cm −1 ) at room temperature and highly depends on temperature, which influences performance by controlling the ratio of amorphous to crystalline composition in polymers. A faster ion transport mechanism, independent of polymer dynamics, has long been sought but remains inaccessible. Here, we report a ballistic ion transport mechanism in a mixed electronic-ionic conductive (MEIC) polymer binder, where its hierarchically ordered structure facilitates ion diffusion and achieves solid-state...

Dynamic permeability in metastable droplet interfacial bilayers

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Membrane pores are implicated in several critical functions, including cell fusion and the transport of signaling molecules for intercellular communication. However, these structural features are often difficult to probe directly. Droplet interfacial bilayers offer a synthetic platform to study such membrane properties. We develop a theory that links size-selective transport across a metastable membrane with its transient structural properties. The central quantity of our theory is a dynamic permeability that depends on the mechanism of pore growth, which controls the transient distribution of pore sizes in the membrane. We present a mechanical perspective to derive pore growth dynamics and the resulting size distribution for growth via Ostwald ripening and discuss how these dynamics compare to other growth mechanisms such as coalescence and growth through surfactant desorption. We find scaling relations between the transported particle size, the pore growth rate, and the...

Design Principles in Engineering of Multigrain Nanocatalysts via Multiscale Electronic Structure Characterization

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Engineering grain boundary (GB) strain provides a promising pathway to tune the catalytic properties of nanocrystals. However, structural heterogeneity from random grain orientation and geometry has limited clear structure–property correlations. Here, we utilize a multigrain Co3O4/Mn3O4 core/shell nanocrystal platform as a model system to systematically investigate how geometric misfit strain at GBs serves as catalytically active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction. Through precise subnanometer-level control over grain morphology and by integrating multiscale electronic structure characterization, we identify the electronic structural signature of GB defects and establish a direct correlation between localized strain fields and modified electronic states. Strain modulation at GBs alters the eg orbital energy levels, with elongation along the z-axis combined with shear strain stabilizing the eg states, in contrast to the destabilization observed under pure shear strain. This...

Electrode-omics reveals epochs in silicon anode evolution underpinning electrochemomechanical resilience

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Here, we advance electrode-omics to identify evolutionary bursts by which ethereal locally superconcentrated electrolytes (LSCEs) mitigate silicon anode degradation through its epochs of electrochemical and chemical reactions. Anode composites form initially at high potential from ethereal solvent and anion [bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI^-)] redox. A first evolutionary burst at lower potential enriches composites with lithium alkoxides (LiO-R) and lithium oxide (Li₂O) and depletes sulfur oxides (SO_x) species. As the cells are cycled, a second evolutionary burst takes place, where previously extinct SO_x species reemerge concurrently with a loss of LiO-R and Li₂O. This identifies reactions rooted in "SuFEx" chemistry, where oxoanionic LiO-R and Li₂O species, electrochemically generated in the solid-electrolyte interphase, chemically react with FSI^- in the electrolyte to form emergent species....

High-throughput analysis of total electron yield and outgassing under EUV exposure for accelerated photoresist materials discovery

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As technology nodes shrink, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresists are essential for high-resolution nanopatterning. Incident photons, as well as electrons generated during EUV exposure can cause both intended and unintended chemical reactions. Understanding these processes is critical for improving resist performance. This study investigates how resist components, particularly photoacid generators (PAGs) and photo decomposable quenchers (PDQ), influence photon- and electron-induced chemistry. It also aims to develop a high-throughput characterization method for efficient screening of novel materials. A high-throughput system combining total electron yield (TEY) and residual gas analysis (RGA) was developed. TEY measures electron generation and capture, while RGA monitors chemical transformations via outgassing. The method is applied to model resists. TEY and outgassing analysis revealed that PAGs and PDQs strongly influence electron behavior and outgassing characteristics. The...

Toward Hydrogen Isotope Separations through Strong Hydrogen Adsorption at Open Copper(I) Sites in an Ultramicroporous Metal–Organic Framework

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Metal-organic frameworks with coordinatively unsaturated metal sites (open metal sites) capable of engaging in orbital interactions with π-acidic gases are of interest for enabling ambient-temperature gas separations, such as hydrogen isotope separations. In view of the weakly π-acidic nature of H₂, we sought to strengthen π-backbonding-mediated H₂ adsorption through pore confinement effects. Toward that end, we synthesized and characterized the ultramicroporous metal-organic framework Cu_xZn_5-xCl_4-yH_z(bbta)₃ (Cu^IZn-MFU-4; H₂bbta = 1H,5H-benzo(1,2-d:4,5-d')bistriazole), featuring π-basic trigonal pyramidal Cu^I sites that reside within 7 Å of one another at their closest. Gas adsorption measurements reveal an H₂ adsorption enthalpy of -38 kJ/mol, exceeding that of the larger-pore analog (Cu^IZn-MFU-4l;...

Identifying Strain Stacking Boundaries between Multiphase Domains in Atomically Thin Two-Dimensional Magnets

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stacking engineering of van der Waals materials is an important strategy to control the materials' properties, such as electronic correlations, ferroelectricity, and layer-dependent two-dimensional magnetism. A timely testbed for the study of the latter is atomically thin chromium trihalides (CrX₃, X = Cl, Br, I). Notably, by understanding the sliding mechanism between different stacking sequences, control of the stacking arrangement, and thus magnetic properties in CrX₃, can be achieved. Such insight, however, is currently lacking. Here, advanced electron microscopy methods are used to identify multiple stacking sequences corresponding to different bulk phases in atomically thin CrX₃ (X = Cl and Br) down to bilayer thickness and with lateral domain sizes as small as tens of nanometers. Indications of nanometer scale transitions and interactions at the stacking boundaries are found, including a universally preferred sliding direction that is consistent...

The Use of Synchrotron Radiation in the Medical Sciences

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Synchrotron radiation (SR) sources provide unparalleled brilliance, collimation, coherence, and tunability, enabling specialized techniques that are crucial for advancing medical research across diverse fields from radiation oncology to rational drug design. Certain SR methods, such as macromolecular crystallography, are highly developed and automated, and have been used for decades for both fundamental understanding of biomolecules as well as pharmaceutical design, while other methods, such as microbeam radiation therapy, represent relatively recent developments. Scattering and diffraction methods using SR can provide atomic-level structural mapping of proteins, nucleic acids, and complexes. Imaging applications using SR continue to be developed and advanced for mapping of biological structures and potential use as diagnostics in disease detection. Spectroscopic methods are used to study elemental distributions relevant for detection of contamination in biological systems. Collectively,...

Recommendations and considerations for hydroxyl radical protein footprinting–mass spectrometry

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Protein oxidative footprinting, using hydroxyl radical labeling detected by bottom-up proteomics, has progressed from an emerging method to a widely used approach in structural biology. Hydroxyl radicals generated from hydrogen peroxide (via photolysis, Fenton chemistry or electrochemistry) or directly from water (via X-rays, plasma or gamma rays) irreversibly encode structural information within protein side chains, which is read out using standard liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry workflows. Quantitative changes in labeling report on solvent accessibility and reveal effects of protein–protein interactions, ligand binding, protein folding, conformational changes or applied stress. Comparing labeling patterns between states provides detailed maps of structural changes and interaction sites. Over the past decade, oxidative footprinting has proven valuable as a solution-phase and in-cell method for protein structure analysis. This Perspective summarizes best practices for...

Unsupervised Segmentation and Clustering Workflow for Efficient Processing of 4D-STEM and 5D-STEM Data

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) enables mapping of diffraction information with nanometer-scale spatial resolution, offering detailed insight into local structure, orientation, and strain. However, as data dimensionality and sampling density increase, particularly for in situ scanning diffraction experiments (5D-STEM), robust segmentation of structurally consistent behavior across sequential measurements becomes essential for efficient and physically meaningful analysis. Here, we introduce a clustering framework that identifies crystallographically distinct domains from 4D-STEM datasets. By using local diffraction-pattern similarity as a metric, the method extracts closed contours delineating spatially contiguous regions. This approach produces cluster-averaged diffraction patterns that improve signal quality while reducing data volume by orders of magnitude, enabling rapid and accurate orientation, phase, and strain mapping. We demonstrate...

Visualizing Millisecond Atomic Dynamics of Nanocrystals in Liquid

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Atomic structures of nanomaterials are inherently dynamic and continuously reshaped through interactions with chemical species and external stimuli. Such dynamics are further amplified as the size and dimensionality of nanomaterials decrease. Despite advances in analytical methods, it remains challenging to capture the structural dynamics of nanomaterials in reactive environments with both atomic spatial resolution and commensurate temporal resolution. Here, we directly visualize atomic-scale dynamics of gold (Au) nanocrystals in reactive liquid environments with millisecond-speed liquid-cell electron microscopy (EM) and deep-learning denoising. We uncover reversible fluctuations in the local crystallinity of Au nanocrystals dependent on the surrounding chemical environment. These transient fluctuations, driven by interactions at nanocrystal-liquid interfaces, critically influence the dissolution kinetics and grain boundary relaxation. By overcoming the spatiotemporal limitations...

Visualizing Crystallization Dynamics and Transformation Pathways of Disordered Rocksalt Oxides During Thermally Activated Sol–Gel Synthesis

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Sol–gel synthesis is a wet‐chemical processing route for fabricating functional materials with control over composition and microstructure at relatively low temperatures compared to conventional solid‐state synthesis. While sol–gel process initiates with intermixed molecular precursors, the early‐stage nucleation pathways are insufficiently understood. Here, the chemical and structural transformation of disordered rocksalt (DRX) Li 1.2 Mn 0.4 Ti 0.4 O 2 (LMTO), a promising cathode material for lithium batteries, is studied by multiscale characterizations. In situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using a liquid cell visualizes and identifies crystallization pathways at the nanoscale. While some regions follow a classical multi‐step transition through thermodynamically stable intermediates, others exhibit a kinetic shortcut via a localized amorphous matrix to directly form the DRX structure. Macroscale Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy corroborates...

Atomic Evolution of Hydrogen Intercalation Wave Dynamics in Palladium Nanocrystals Revealed by Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Solute-intercalation-induced phase separation creates spatial heterogeneities in host materials, a phenomenon ubiquitous in batteries, hydrogen storage, and other energy devices. Despite many efforts, probing intercalation processes at the atomic scale has been a significant challenge. By utilizing liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we study hydrogen (de)intercalation in palladium nanocrystals as a model system and have achieved unprecedented atomic-resolution imaging of hydrogen intercalation wave dynamics. Our observations reveal that intercalation wave mechanisms, instead of shrinking-core mechanisms, prevail at ambient temperature for palladium nanocubes ranging from ∼60 nm down to ∼10 nm. Systematic image analysis uncovers the atomic evolution of the hydrogen intercalation wave, transitioning from nonplanar and inclined boundaries to those closely aligned with {100} planes. Our kinetic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the observed intercalation wave...

The ABCs of phase retrieval: Connecting the acronyms of scanning transmission electron microscopy

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) is an indispensable tool for characterizing the structure and properties of materials down to the atomic scale. Conventional S/TEM imaging, however, is limited by the phase problem, whereby the phase of the electron exit wave is lost upon detection. Recent advances in diffractive imaging and 4D-STEM have enabled a range of phase-retrieval techniques that computationally reconstruct the missing information encoded in the phase of the transmission function. These approaches offer improved dose efficiency and enhanced sensitivity to weakly scattering signals, extending quantitative imaging to beam-sensitive materials composed of light elements. In this work, we introduce the phase problem in electron microscopy and survey the diverse landscape of phase-retrieval techniques used in the field. Despite their many acronyms and algorithmic variations, these techniques share a common physical and mathematical foundation....

Photon Avalanching Nanoparticles

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ConspectusAvalanches within nanoparticles seem like science fiction, but if they are avalanches of photons, they open up real-world innovations in imaging, sensing, optical computing, and other unexplored light-driven technologies. Avalanches are outsized events arising from the integration of many smaller inputs, and photon avalanching (PA) was first reported in bulk crystals in 1979 as an unexpectedly large jump in luminescence as excitation intensity was slowly increased. It would be 41 years before PA would be observed at the nanoscale in photon avalanching nanoparticles (ANPs), Tm³⁺-doped upconverting nanoparticles that show excited-to-ground state absorption inversion greater than 10,000:1 and emission that scales nonlinearly up to the 32nd power of the pump intensity. This extreme nonlinearity enables a real-time 5-fold improvement in the 150-year-old Abbe limit of spatial resolution, achieving 70 nm resolution using only simple scanning confocal microscopy....

Tiny Bubbles: Measuring Strain Fields and Missing Atoms in Nanoscale He Bubbles via High-Resolution STEM Techniques

Tue, 7 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Tiny Bubbles: Measuring Strain Fields and Missing Atoms in Nanoscale He Bubbles via High-Resolution STEM Techniques

Enabling simultaneous time-resolved spectroscopy and X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry to study conformational dynamics in protein

Fri, 3 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Enabling simultaneous time-resolved spectroscopy and X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry to study conformational dynamics in protein

Understanding the Cathode Electrochemistry of Humidified Solid‐State Lithium‐Oxygen Batteries

Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Lithium‐oxygen batteries (LOBs) possess a high theoretical energy density, making them potential candidates for next‐generation energy storage. However, challenges such as reactive oxygen species‐induced component degradation hinder their practical use. Inorganic solid‐state electrolytes offer an alternative to degradation‐prone aprotic electrolytes, while also protecting lithium anodes from potential atmospheric reactants. This study explores the cathode electrochemistry of solid‐state LOBs using humidified oxygen, which forms an aqueous catholyte during initial cycling, thereby improving cathode‐electrolyte contact. To quantitatively analyze the cathode electrochemistry, a ‘Humidity‐Incorporated’ Differential Electrochemical Gas Monitoring System (HiDEMS) is developed to control humidity and monitor gas consumption and evolution in real time. When studying a Li‐O 2 cell that employs a NASICON‐type Li 1.3 Al 0.3 Ti 1.7 (PO 4 ) 3 (LATP) solid electrolyte and a porous...

Optical and spin properties of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond formed along high-energy heavy ion tracks

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exposure of matter to high-energy heavy ions induces defects along the ion trajectories through electronic and nuclear energy loss processes. Defects, including color centers, can recombine or form along latent damage tracks in semiconductors. Latent tracks in diamond were only recently observed. Here we report on color center formation in nitrogen-doped diamond along the latent tracks of 1 GeV gold and uranium ions. We optically observe direct formation of single vacancy related color centers (GR1-centers) along the tracks. Mobile vacancies can form NV-centers with native nitrogen atoms during thermal annealing. Molecular dynamics simulations show that isolated vacancies and vacancy clusters form through electronic stopping processes along ion trajectories. Moreover, by using 1 GeV Au ions with a dilute fluence, we create individually isolated quasi-1D chains of NV-centers, which appear as isolated bright luminescence strings and present competitive electron spin properties compared...

Measurements of Electronic Band Structure in CeCoGe3 by Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of the electronic structure of CeCoGe3 throughout the entire Brillouin zone in the non-magnetic regime using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The electronic structure agrees in large part with first principles calculations, including predicted topological nodal lines. Two new features in the band structure are also observed, namely a surface state and folded bands, the latter of which is argued to originate from a unit cell reconstruction.

Patterned, Low-Temperature Growth of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Low Resistance Raised Contacts

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers are promising channel materials for next-generation electronic devices. A challenge is the high contact resistance between monolayer TMDs and metal contacts, especially for holes. In this regard, raised source/drain contacts are promising. However, the direct, patterned growth of raised contacts at CMOS-compatible temperatures remains largely unresolved. We present plasma-free selenization and sulfurization of metal oxides at substrate temperatures down to 400 °C, compatible with back-end-of-line thermal budgets. To achieve growth at such temperatures, gas-phase chalcogen precursors are first thermally activated at 950 °C. Films grown on single-crystal monolayer TMDs exhibit high crystal quality, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Raised contacts on WSe₂ monolayers fabricated using this approach yield a low hole contact resistance of 0.3 kΩ·μm after chemical doping. This process is shown to be applicable...

Ion transport through reconfigurable nanoparticle-surfactant stabilized droplet interface bilayers

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Despite their adaptability and mechanical stability, Pickering emulsions based on the interfacial assembly of colloidal particles have not found use in iontronics, since the dense interfacial packing of micron-sized particles precludes functional connectivity between two droplets. Here, we introduce a chemically reconfigurable droplet interface bilayer (DIB) platform based on the interfacial assembly of nanoparticle-surfactants (NPSs) that enables spontaneous or field-induced formation of ion-conducting nanochannels, eliminating the need of ionophores or nanochannel-forming proteins. These nanoscopic channels emerge from packing defects in the jammed interfacial assemblies of the charged NPSs and support size and charge selective, hysteretic ion transport governed by interfacial electrostatics and dimensional constraints. The NPS-DIBs show short-term and long-term plasticity, hallmarks of neuromorphic behavior, that are mediated by the structural and chemical design of the bilayer....

CRAGE-RB-PI-seq reveals transcriptional dynamics of plant-associated bacteria during root colonization

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Plant roots release a wide array of metabolites into the rhizosphere, shaping microbial communities and their functions. While metagenomics has expanded our understanding of these communities, little is known about the physiology of their members in host environments. Transcriptome analysis via RNA sequencing is a common approach to learning more, but its use has been challenging because of low bacterial biomass and interference from plant RNA. To overcome this, we developed a randomly-barcoded promoter-library insertion sequencing (RB-PI-seq) combined with chassis-independent recombinase-assisted genome engineering (CRAGE). Using Pseudomonas simiae WCS417 as a model rhizobacterium, this method enabled targeted amplification of barcoded transcripts, bypassing plant RNA interference and allowing measurement of thousands of promoter activities during Arabidopsis root colonization. Our analysis revealed temporally resolved transcriptional regulation, including those associated with...

Pattern-enhanced Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering for Operando monitoring of electrochemical solid-liquid interfaces

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Unveiling interfaces at sub-nanometer scales is essential for advancing the understanding of complex chemical transformations. However, characterizing solid-liquid interfaces with high dimensional sensitivity and temporal resolution remains challenging, due to their dynamic nature and inaccessibility by conventional probes. Here we present an approach, Pattern-enhanced Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering, to overcome the challenges. Rooted in a “sample-as-optics” philosophy, this technique utilizes precisely engineered line-grating nanopatterns to modulate near-field X-ray illumination, coherently enhancing scattering signals from the line-gratings. We implement the method using Ni line-grating nanopatterns in electrochemical water oxidation. The periodic nanostructures serve as diffractive optical elements to reveal the Ni oxidation gradients and structural dynamics at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Finite-element simulations corroborate the observed trends by modeling variations...

Supramolecular assembly of molecular wires alternating crown ethers and metal–halide complexes

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Metal–halide complexes serve as key emissive centres in halide perovskites; however, precise control over their spatial organization through bottom-up assembly is challenging. Here we show that a crown-ether-assisted supramolecular assembly strategy can alternatingly connect metal–halide complexes and (crown ether@A)2+ (where ‘A’ is an alkaline earth metal cation) complexes into a one-dimensional molecular wire, which can then be packed into a hexagonal crystal structure. This process resulted in the creation of an (18C6@Ba)MnBr4 single crystal with green emission, achieving over 80% photoluminescence quantum yield and a narrow full width at half maximum. In addition, the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure gave rise to strong nonlinear optical responses, including second-harmonic generation. This versatile supramolecular assembly approach could be generalized to create various [M(I)X2]−, [M(I)X3]2−, [M(II)X4]2− and [M(III)X5]2− molecular wires, broadening the potential for...

Beyond Contrast Transfer: Spectral SNR as a Finite-Dose Metric for STEM Phase Retrieval

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The contrast transfer function (CTF) is widely used to evaluate phase retrieval methods in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), including center-of-mass imaging, parallax imaging, direct ptychography, and iterative ptychography. However, the CTF reflects only the maximum usable signal, neglecting the effects of finite electron fluence and the Poisson-limited nature of detection. As a result, it can significantly overestimate practical performance, especially in low-dose regimes. Here, we employ the spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SSNR), as a finite-dose statistical framework to evaluate the recoverable signal as a function of spatial frequency. Using numerical reconstructions of white-noise objects, we show that center-of-mass, parallax, and direct ptychography exhibit dose-independent SSNRs, with close-form analytic expressions. In contrast, iterative ptychography exhibits a surprising dose dependence: at low fluence, its SSNR converges to that of direct ptychography;...

Relaxing Direct Ptychography Sampling Requirements via Parallax Imaging Insights

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Direct ptychography enables the retrieval of information encoded in the phase of an electron wave passing through a thin sample by deconvolving the interference effects of a converged probe with known aberrations. Under the weak phase object approximation, this permits the optimal transfer of information using noniterative techniques. However, the achievable resolution of the technique is traditionally limited by the probe step size-setting stringent Nyquist sampling requirements. At the same time, parallax imaging has emerged as a dose-efficient phase technique which relaxes sampling requirements and enables scan-upsampling. Here, we formulate parallax imaging as a quadratic approximation to part of the direct ptychography kernel and use this insight to enable upsampling in direct ptychography. We validate our analytical results numerically using simulated and experimental reconstructions.

X-ray footprinting/mass spectrometry provides a new, detailed view of intrinsically disordered protein structural ensembles

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

X-ray footprinting/mass spectrometry provides a new, detailed view of intrinsically disordered protein structural ensembles

A Prodrug Strategy to Conditionally Trap Therapeutic Payloads for Improved Tumor Retention

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Altered extracellular proteolysis has been exploited to selectively activate therapeutics in diseases such as cancer; however, once activated, extracellular drugs can diffuse away, limiting efficacy. We address this challenge by coupling proteolytic activation with membrane tethering to retain drugs within diseased tissue. To accomplish this, we developed "restricted interaction peptides" (RIPs), a delivery platform that leverages elevated proteolytic activity to activate membrane-interacting peptides, localizing cargos near the site of proteolysis. We demonstrate that RIPs can deliver diverse therapeutic cargos, including cytotoxins and radioisotopes. As proof of concept, we engineered "FRIP," a RIP designed for cleavage by fibroblast activation protein (FAP), an endoprotease upregulated in solid tumors and fibrosis. Efficient P4-P4' substrate sequences were identified and incorporated into FRIPs. Cell-based studies showed that, upon activation, the peptide adhered to membranes...

A dual membrane-adsorption evaporator for solar-powered lithium extraction from complex brines