The moiré potential in rotationally misfit two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures has been used to build artificial exciton and electron lattices, which have become platforms for realizing exotic electronic phases. Here, we demonstrate a different approach to create a superlattice potential in 2D crystals by using the near field of an array of polar molecules. A bilayer of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc), consisting of alternating out-of-plane dipoles, is deposited on monolayer MoS2. Time-resolved two-photon photoemission spectroscopy reveals a pair of interlayer exciton states with an energy difference of ∼0.1 eV, which is consistent with the electrostatic potential modulation induced by the TiOPc bilayer as determined by density functional theory calculations. Because the symmetry and the period of this potential superlattice can be changed readily by using molecules of different shapes and sizes, molecule/2D heterostructures can be promising platforms for designing artificial exciton and electron lattices.

Surface biofunctionalization is an essential stage in the preparation of any bioassay affecting its analytical performance. However, a complete characterization of the biofunctionalized surface, considering studies of coverage density, distribution and orientation of biomolecules, layer thickness, and target biorecognition efficiency, is not met most of the time. This review is a critical overview of the main techniques and strategies used for characterizing biofunctionalized surfaces and the process in between. Emphasis is given to scanning force microscopies as the most versatile and suitable tools to evaluate the quality of the biofunctionalized surfaces in real-time dynamic experiments, highlighting the helpful of atomic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, electrochemical atomic force microscopy and photo-induced force microscopy. Other techniques such as optical and electronic microscopies, quartz crystal microbalance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle, and electrochemical techniques, are also discussed regarding their advantages and disadvantages in addressing the whole characterization of the biomodified surface. Scarce reviews point out the importance of practicing an entire characterization of the biofunctionalized surfaces. This is the first review that embraces this topic discussing a wide variety of characterization tools applied in any bioanalysis platform developed to detect both clinical and environmental analytes. This survey provides information to the analysts on the applications, strengths, and weaknesses of the techniques discussed here to extract fruitful insights from them. The aim is to prompt and help the analysts to accomplish an entire assessment of the biofunctionalized surface, and profit from the information obtained to enhance the bioanalysis output.

As a most promising environmental technology, the substantial enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency is still a big challenge for practical applications. In this work, the surface of Bi2O2CO3 (BOC) nanotubes are modified by Cl and I. The as-obtained samples at different hydrothermal temperatures (T) are designated as T-X-BOC (X = Cl, I). X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) prove that Cl and I merely chemically adsorb on the BOC surface, rather than dope into the crystal lattice. The surface modification of Cl and I slightly increases light absorption range, while significantly promotes the photoelectron migration from bulk to the surface that greatly enhances the carrier separation efficiency. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further prove that surface Cl and I have adjusted band structure and surface charge distribution. Besides, the surface Cl and I favor the O2 adsorption and trap the surface photoelectrons, thus promoting the formation of •O2-; while the surface Cl and I impede the surface adsorption of H2O, thus refraining the generation of •OH. In the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), holes and •O2- radicals play the crucial role. Under ultraviolet light irradiation (λ < 420 nm) for 45 min, the RhB degradation ratios over 150-Cl-BOC (94%) and 150-I-BOC (85%) are 4.2 and 3.7 times higher than that of original BOC (18%), respectively. This work demonstrates that the simple surface halogenation modification greatly improves the photocatalytic activity.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of collagen modification on the osteogenic performance of different surface-modified titanium, including alkaline etching, alkaline etching followed by silanization, and alkaline etching followed by dopamine modification. The proliferation, adhesion, and osteogenic differentiation abilities of MC3T3-E1 cells on the surfaces with collagen modification were analyzed and compared.
METHODS: Collagen was immobilized on the surfaces of pure titanium (Ti-C), alkaline-etched titanium (Ti-Na-C), alkaline-etched and silanized titanium (Ti-A-C), and alkaline-etched and dopamine-modified titanium (Ti-D-C), with pure titanium (Ti) as the control group. The surface morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the surface elemental composition was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Contact angle measurements were conducted to evaluate the hydrophilicity of the surfaces. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the surfaces, and their proliferation, adhesion, and osteogenic differentiation abilities were assessed using CCK-8 assay, laser scanning confocal microscope, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, Alizarin red staining and quantitative analysis, as well as real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of osteogenic-related genes, including ALP, typeⅠcollagen (COL-1), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN).
RESULTS: SEM and XPS results confirmed the successful immobilization of collagen on the titanium surfaces, with the Ti-Na-C group exhibiting a higher amount of collagen modification. Contact angle measurements showed improved hydrophilicity of the surfaces after collagen modification. CCK-8 results indicated good compatibility of the materials with MC3T3-E1, with enhanced cell proliferation on the collagen-modified surfaces. Cell fluorescence staining revealed better cell spreading on the collagen-modified surfaces, and ALP and Alizarin red staining results suggested that the Ti-Na-C group exhibited the best osteogenic performance, with significantly higher absorbance values in the Alizarin red quantification analysis. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the Ti-Na-C group had the highest expression of the osteogenic-related gene OPN.
CONCLUSIONS: Among the different collagen modification approaches employed in this study, collagen modification on alkaline-etched titanium surfaces showed the most conducive effects on MC3T3-E1 cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. This approach can be considered as the optimal collagen modification strategy for enhancing osteogenesis on titanium surfaces.
目的: 对纯钛表面分别进行碱蚀、碱蚀后硅烷化、碱蚀后多巴胺修饰等不同方式改性后在其表面制备生物胶原蛋白涂层，评价钛表面不同改性处理后胶原修饰的方案对细胞增殖黏附与成骨分化能力的影响。方法: 胶原蛋白通过交联剂作用附着于纯钛（Ti-C）、碱蚀钛片（Ti-Na-C）、碱蚀后硅烷化修饰钛片（Ti-A-C）及碱蚀后多巴胺修饰钛片表面（Ti-D-C），以纯钛为对照组。采用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察材料表面微形貌，X射线光电子能谱仪（XPS）分析材料表面元素组成，表面接触角测量仪评估材料表面亲水性。体外培养MC3T3-E1细胞，通过CCK-8、激光共聚焦显微镜、碱性磷酸酶（ALP）活性检测、茜素红染色及定量检测评价材料表面成骨细胞的增殖黏附与成骨分化能力，实时定量聚合酶链反应（RT-qPCR）检测成骨相关基因ALP、Ⅰ型胶原蛋白（COL-1）、骨钙素（OCN）、骨桥蛋白（OPN）的mRNA表达水平。结果: SEM与XPS结果表明胶原已成功修饰于钛片表面，Ti-Na-C组有较厚的胶原纤维层覆盖。表面接触角测量结果显示，除了Ti-Na-C组与Ti-Na组的接触角差异无统计学意义，其余胶原修饰后的材料表面具有更好的亲水性。CCK-8结果显示各组材料均无明显细胞毒性，胶原修饰后的材料表面成骨细胞增殖高于相应的未经胶原修饰材料；共聚焦显微镜检测结果可见，胶原修饰后材料表面细胞铺展面积更大；ALP染色与茜素红染色结果均提示，Ti-Na-C组体外成骨效果最佳，茜素红定量结果显示Ti-Na-C组吸光度值最高；RT-qPCR检测结果显示Ti-Na-C组的OPN基因表达量最高。结论: 在碱蚀、碱蚀后硅烷化、碱蚀后多巴胺修饰等对钛表面进行不同改性处理后修饰胶原的方案中，钛表面经过碱蚀处理后直接修饰胶原的方法最有利于MC3T3-E1黏附铺展、增殖与成骨分化，可作为胶原修饰的方案。.

In this study, magnetic biochar was synthesized by doping Fe3O4 onto the biochar surface followed by analysis of its properties. The efficiency of methylene blue (MB) removal through the combined processes of adsorption and photolysis was assessed. The presence of Fe3O4 on the biochar surface was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The magnetic biochar, after MB adsorption, showed a magnetism of 39.50 emu/g leading to a 97.07 % recovery rate. The specific surface area of biochar was higher (380.68 m2/g) than that of magnetic biochar (234.46 m2/g), and the maximum adsorption capacity of MB was higher in the biochar (0.03 mg/g) than that in magnetic biochar (0.02 mg/g) under the optimal conditions for MB adsorption. The MB adsorption experiments using biochar or magnetic biochar were optimally conducted under 10-20 mg/L MB concentration, 1 g biochar dosage, pH 12, 200 rpm rotation speed, 25 °C temperature, and 30 min duration. Under dark conditions, biochar had a higher MB removal rate, at 83.91 %, compared to magnetic biochar, at 78.30 %. Under visible light (λ > 425 nm), magnetic biochar effectively removed MB within 10 min, highlighting the synergistic effect of adsorption and photolysis. MB is physically and chemically adsorbed by the monolayer on the surface of EB and EMB according to adsorption behavior.

Effective removal of phosphate from water is essential for preventing the eutrophication and worsening of water quality. This study aims to enhance phosphate removal by synthesizing starch-stabilized ferromanganese binary oxide (FMBO-S), discover the factors, and investigate adsorption mechanisms. FMBO and FMBO-S properties were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy, BET analysis, Polydispersity Index (PDI), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). After starch loading, the average pore diameter increased from 14.89 Å to 25.16 Å, and significantly increased the pore volume in the mesopore region. FMBO-S showed a PDI value below 0.5 indicating homogeneous size dispersity and demonstrated faster and higher adsorption capacity: 61.24 mg g-1 > 28.57 mg g-1. Both FMBO and FMBO-S adsorption data fit well with the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models, indicating a chemisorption and multilayered adsorption process. The phosphate adsorption by FMBO was pH-dependent, suggesting electrostatic attraction as the dominant mechanism. For the FMBO-S, phosphate adsorption was favored in a wide pH range, despite the weaker electrostatic attraction as evident from the point of zero charge and zeta potential values, indicating ligand exchange as a main mechanism. Moreover, the XPS analysis shows a significant change in the proportion of Fe species for FMBO-S than FMBO after phosphate adsorption, indicating significant involvement of Fe. Meanwhile, phosphate adsorption was almost unaffected by the presence of Cl-, NO3-, and SO42- anions, whereas CO32- significantly reduced the adsorption capacity. This study revealed that FMBO-S could be a promising, low-cost adsorbent for phosphate removal and recovery from water.

The present work focuses on the synthesis of a vanadium nitride (VN)/carbon nanocomposite material via the thermal decomposition of vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPC). The morphology and chemical structure of the synthesized compounds were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The successful syntheses of the VOPC and non-metalated phthalocyanine (H2PC) precursors were confirmed using FTIR and XRD. The VN particles present a needle-like morphology in the VN synthesized by the sol-gel method. The morphology of the VN/C composite material exhibited small clusters of VN particles. The XRD analysis of the thermally decomposed VOPC indicated a mixture of amorphous carbon and VN nanoparticles (VN(TD)) with a cubic structure in the space group FM-3M consistent with that of VN. The XPS results confirmed the presence of V(III)-N bonds in the resultant material, indicating the formation of a VN/C nanocomposite. The VN/C nanocomposite synthesized through thermal decomposition exhibited a high carbon content and a cluster-like distribution of VN particles. The VN/C nanocomposite was used as an anode material in LIBs, which delivered a specific capacity of 307 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles and an excellent Coulombic efficiency of 99.8 at the 100th cycle.

This study presents a pioneering synthesis of a direct Z-scheme Y2TmSbO7/GdYBiNbO7 heterojunction photocatalyst (YGHP) using an ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal synthesis technique. Additionally, novel photocatalytic nanomaterials, namely Y2TmSbO7 and GdYBiNbO7, were fabricated via the hydrothermal fabrication technique. A comprehensive range of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffractometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, photocurrent testing, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance, was employed to thoroughly investigate the morphological features, composition, chemical, optical, and photoelectric properties of the fabricated samples. The photocatalytic performance of YGHP was assessed in the degradation of the pesticide acetochlor (AC) and the mineralization of total organic carbon (TOC) under visible light exposure, demonstrating eximious removal efficiencies. Specifically, AC and TOC exhibited removal rates of 99.75% and 97.90%, respectively. Comparative analysis revealed that YGHP showcased significantly higher removal efficiencies for AC compared to the Y2TmSbO7, GdYBiNbO7, or N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst, with removal rates being 1.12 times, 1.21 times, or 3.07 times higher, respectively. Similarly, YGHP demonstrated substantially higher removal efficiencies for TOC than the aforementioned photocatalysts, with removal rates 1.15 times, 1.28 times, or 3.51 times higher, respectively. These improvements could be attributed to the Z-scheme charge transfer configuration, which preserved the preferable redox capacities of Y2TmSbO7 and GdYBiNbO7. Furthermore, the stability and durability of YGHP were confirmed, affirming its potential for practical applications. Trapping experiments and electron spin resonance analyses identified active species generated by YGHP, namely •OH, •O2-, and h+, allowing for comprehensive analysis of the degradation mechanisms and pathways of AC. Overall, this investigation advances the development of efficient Z-scheme heterostructural materials and provides valuable insights into formulating sustainable remediation strategies for combatting AC contamination.

In the present work, Verbena Officinalis (VO) leaf extract was used as potential corrosion inhibitor for the corrosion of carbon steel (CS) in 0.5 M H2SO4 medium. Further, the corrosion inhibiting nature of VO leaf extract towards the CS was evaluated using mass loss (ML), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and surface morphological analyses using atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Calculation of activation energy E a ∗ using Arrhenius equation shows the increase in activation energy when adding the VO leaf extract in 0.5 M H2SO4 medium and the maximum activation energy ( E a ∗  = 49.9 kJ mol-1) was observed for 1000 mg L-1 VO leaf extract in acid medium. The negative free energy values suggested the spontaneous and the stability of the adsorbed layer of VO leaf extract on the CS surface. Using EIS measurements, high percent inhibitory effectiveness of 91.1% for 1000 ppm solutions was achieved. With an increase in VO leaf extract dose, the double layer capacitance (Cdl) values fall while the values of charge transfer (Rct) increase. This showed that a protective layer of VO leaf extract on CS surface was formed. The polarization curves showed that the VO leaf extract acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. It is discovered that the adsorption of VO leaf extract molecules adhering to the CS surface followed the Langmuir isotherm. The anti-corrosion action of VO leaf extract is fully demonstrated by some surface techniques.

Copper oxide nanosheets (CuO NSs) have been successfully obtained by exploiting an effective one-step approach of sugar-blowing method followed by calcination. The nanosheets were characterized by several techniques like X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Impressively, CuO NSs display haloperoxidase (HPO) like catalytic activity which catalyses the oxidation of chloride ions by H2O2 giving rise to reactive chlorine species (RCS). A sensitive and selective colorimetric sensor was then demonstrated via the oxidation of chromogenic substrate 3,3\',5,5\'- tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by the novel nanoenzyme CuO NSs through the generation of RCS for H2O2 and glucose detection with limit of detection of 109 nM and 21 nM in the linear ranges of 4.6 µM to 769 µM and 0.22 µM to 19.57 µM respectively. Additionally, the methodology is validated for the analysis of glucose in real samples.