@article{21721, abstract = {Swimming bacteria move through a fluid by actuating their moving body parts. They are force-free and can be described as hydrodynamic force dipoles: pushers or pullers. This modelling description is broadly used in biological physics and active matter research, and it has successfully predicted, for example, the superfluid behaviour of suspensions of pushers or the bend instability and emergence of turbulent flows in active nematics. However, this description accounts only for the translational motion of the swimming body and neglects the effects of hydrodynamic torque dipoles, which are relevant to bacteria with rotary motor-driven flagella, such as swimming Escherichia coli. Here we show that the torque dipole of confined swimming E. coli can power the persistent rotation of symmetric discs. The torque dipole leads to a traction force on the discs, an additive mechanism that is both contactless and independent of the orientation of the bacteria. Our results indicate that the torque dipole of swimming E. coli is notable in confined geometries, which is relevant to bacterial transport through porous materials, biofilms and the development of chiral fluids.}, author = {Grober, Daniel B and Dhar, Tanumoy and Saintillan, David and Palacci, Jérémie A}, issn = {1745-2481}, journal = {Nature Physics}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{The hydrodynamic torque dipole from rotary bacterial flagella powers symmetric discs}}, doi = {10.1038/s41567-026-03189-4}, year = {2026}, } @article{21762, abstract = {Bacteria, like eukaryotes, use conserved cytoskeletal systems for intracellular organization. The plasmid-encoded ParMRC system forms actin-like filaments that segregate low–copy number plasmids. In multicellular cyanobacteria such as Anabaena sp., we found that a chromosomally encoded ParMR system has evolved into a cytoskeletal system named CorMR with a function in cell shape control rather than DNA segregation. Live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution, and cryo–electron microscopy revealed that CorM formed dynamically unstable, antiparallel double-stranded filaments that were recruited to the membrane by CorR through an amphipathic helix conserved in multicellular cyanobacteria. CorMR filaments were regulated by MinC, which excluded them from the poles and division plane. Comparative genomics indicated that the repurposing of ParMR and Min systems coevolved with cyanobacterial multicellularity, highlighting the evolutionary plasticity of cytoskeletal systems in bacteria.}, author = {Springstein, Benjamin L and Javoor, Manjunath and Megrian, Daniela and Hajdu, Roman and Hanke, Dustin M. and Zens, Bettina and Weiss, Gregor L. and Schur, Florian Km and Loose, Martin}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6795}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal system controlling cell shape}}, doi = {10.1126/science.aea6343}, volume = {392}, year = {2026}, } @article{21037, abstract = {The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains a critical bottleneck in fuel cells and metal-air batteries due to the lack of highly efficient electrocatalysts. Here, we report a simple strategy for synthesizing a palladium-based heterostructured electrocatalyst supported on a carbon nitride matrix (PdH-Pd@CN), which exhibits remarkable ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.91 V and excellent durability in 0.1 M KOH. Within the heterostructure, hydrogen intercalation expands the Pd lattice, while interstitial hydrogen doping facilitates charge transfer from Pd to H owing to their electronegativity difference. These synergistic effects modulate the electronic structure, thereby enhancing both activity and stability. When employed in Zn-air batteries, PdH-Pd@CN delivers a maximum power density of 176 mW cm− (Liu et al., 2025) and capacity of 805 mAh g− (Sun et al., 2021) Zn. These findings demonstrate the strong potential of PdH-Pd@CN as an efficient ORR electrocatalyst for next-generation metal-air batteries and related energy technologies.}, author = {Shi, Changwei and Horta, Sharona and Ibáñez, Maria and Kallio, Tanja and Martínez-Alanis, Paulina R. and Wang, Xiang and Cabot, Andreu}, issn = {0009-2509}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Hydrogen induced palladium-based heterojunction electrocatalysts to enhance the oxygen reduction reaction performance}}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2026.123348}, volume = {324}, year = {2026}, } @misc{21137, author = {Naik, Suyash}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Data associated with Keratins coordinate tissue spreading }}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-21137}, year = {2026}, } @article{19278, abstract = {When two insulating, neutral materials are contacted and separated, they exchange electrical charge1. Experiments have long suggested that this ‘contact electrification’ is transitive, with different materials ordering into ‘triboelectric series’ based on the sign of charge acquired2. At the same time, the effect is plagued by unpredictability, preventing consensus on the mechanism and casting doubt on the rhyme and reason that series imply3. Here we expose an unanticipated connection between the unpredictability and order in contact electrification: nominally identical materials initially exchange charge randomly and intransitively, but—over repeated experiments—order into triboelectric series. We find that this evolution is driven by the act of contact itself—samples with more contacts in their history charge negatively to ones with fewer contacts. Capturing this ‘contact bias’ in a minimal model, we recreate both the initial randomness and ultimate order in numerical simulations and use it experimentally to force the appearance of a triboelectric series of our choosing. With a set of surface-sensitive techniques to search for the underlying alterations contact creates, we only find evidence of nanoscale morphological changes, pointing to a mechanism strongly coupled with mechanics. Our results highlight the centrality of contact history in contact electrification and suggest that focusing on the unpredictability that has long plagued the effect may hold the key to understanding it.}, author = {Sobarzo Ponce, Juan Carlos A and Pertl, Felix and Balazs, Daniel and Costanzo, Tommaso and Sauer, Markus and Foelske, Annette and Ostermann, Markus and Pichler, Christian M. and Wang, Yongkang and Nagata, Yuki and Bonn, Mischa and Waitukaitis, Scott R}, issn = {1476-4687}, journal = {Nature}, number = {8051}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Spontaneous ordering of identical materials into a triboelectric series}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-024-08530-6}, volume = {638}, year = {2025}, } @article{19364, abstract = {Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are pivotal in modern heat management but face limitations in efficiency and manufacturing scalability. We address these challenges by using an extrusion-based 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials. Our ink formulations ensure the integrity of the 3D-printed structure and effective particle bonding during sintering, achieving record-high figure of merit (zT) values of 1.42 for p-type bismuth antimony telluride [(Bi,Sb)2Te3] and 1.3 for n-type silver selenide (Ag2Se) materials at room temperature. The resulting TEC demonstrates a cooling temperature gradient of 50°C in air. Moreover, this scalable and cost-effective method circumvents energy-intensive and time-consuming steps, such as ingot preparation and subsequently machining processes, offering a transformative solution for thermoelectric device production and heralding a new era of efficient and sustainable thermoelectric technologies.}, author = {Xu, Shengduo and Horta, Sharona and Lawal, Abayomi Q and Maji, Krishnendu and Lorion, Magali and Ibáñez, Maria}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6736}, pages = {845--850}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Interfacial bonding enhances thermoelectric cooling in 3D-printed materials}}, doi = {10.1126/science.ads0426}, volume = {387}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{19431, abstract = {Gene expression is crucial for cell differentiation, development and survival of organisms. It consists of several steps, starting with transcription that is mediated by RNA polymerases. These are protein machineries transcribing and producing different types of RNAs. Although, the individual steps of transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) as well as the structure of Pol II has been extensively studied, surprisingly, there is still little known about its regulation and assembly in cytoplasm. Among the proteins that are important in biogenesis of Pol II are RNA polymerase II associating proteins (RPAP) and small GPN-loop GTPases (GPN). Both of these protein groups were shown to take essential part in assembly of Pol II. The aim of this project was to deepen our knowledge in regulation of Pol II in the cytoplasm as well as the proteins involved in this process. Techniques of structural biology, biochemistry and cell biology were employed to study and characterize cytoplasmic Pol II and its interacting partners. This study shows for the first time the structure of cytoplasmic Pol II at high resolution. The structure also reveals proteins interacting with Pol II in cytoplasm, namely GDOWN1, RPAP2. Comparing the structure of cytoplasmic Pol II with transcribing Pol II revealed striking difference in clamp region that is not in closed state. Furthermore, GDOWN1 and RPAP2 make steric clashes with various transcription factors bound to Pol II during different stages of transcription. Even though GPN1 and GPN3 proteins were not resolved in the cytoplasmic Pol II structure, they are part of the complex and their interaction with Pol II was confirmed in vitro. RPAP2 stabilizes these proteins on Pol II and several experiments suggest that they interact with the clamp region. In addition, GDOWN1, RPAP2 and GPNs might keep clamp in open or partially open state. Based on these results I propose a novel model of regulation of Pol II in cytoplasm. GDOWN1, RPAP2, GPN1 and GPN3 bind to Pol II in cytoplasm and doing so they can prevent pre-mature binding of DNA or RNA and different transcription factors to Pol II in cytoplasm or before engaging in transcription nucleus. This research contributes to the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms of Pol II regulation in cytoplasm.}, author = {Hlavata, Annamaria}, isbn = {978-3-99078-055-8}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {83}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Regulation of Cytoplasmic RNA Polymerase II}}, doi = {10.15479/10.15479/AT-ISTA-19431}, year = {2025}, } @article{19629, abstract = {The SiOx anode exhibits a high specific capacity and commendable durability for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its practical application is hindered by significant volumetric fluctuations during lithiation/delithiation, alongside a metastable nature, which induces mechanical instability and irreversible lithium consumption, ultimately impairing long-term capacity retention in full-battery cell configurations. In this study, we present a phase-engineering approach designed to improve the structural stability of SiOx anodes for LIB applications. By incorporating lithium fluoride, amorphous SiOx undergoes partial transformation into a quartz-like phase, which enhances mechanical integrity and mitigates irreversible lithium loss. This modified anode demonstrates significantly improved stability and prolonged cycle lifespan. Through a combination of multiscale simulations and in situ characterizations, we elucidate the stabilization mechanisms conferred by the quartz phase, providing critical insights into the role of SiOx’s crystal structure in influencing degradation pathways. This work introduces an accessible and efficient method for controlling the crystallinity of SiOx, offering a practical solution to enhance the durability of high-energy-density LIBs.}, author = {Li, Jing and Zeng, Guifang and Horta, Sharona and Martínez-Alanis, Paulina R. and Jacas Biendicho, Jordi and Ibáñez, Maria and Xu, Bingang and Ci, Lijie and Cabot, Andreu and Sun, Qing}, issn = {1936-086X}, journal = {ACS Nano}, number = {16}, pages = {16096--16109}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Crystallographic engineering in micron-sized SiOx anode material toward stable high-energy-density Lithium-Ion batteries}}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.5c03074}, volume = {19}, year = {2025}, } @article{19779, abstract = {The transverse thermoelectric (Nernst) effect is a powerful probe for studying the electronic and structural properties of materials. In this study, we employ transverse thermoelectric measurements to investigate the ferroelectric distortion in the topological crystalline insulator (TCI) Pb0.60Sn0.40Te, a compound derived from PbTe and SnTe, known for their exceptional thermoelectric performance and distinct ferroelectric properties. By leveraging Nernst measurements, we provide direct evidence of ferroelectric distortion in this TCI, corroborated by Shubnikov–de Haas quantum oscillations that confirm the presence of two topologically nontrivial Fermi pockets. Density functional theory calculations show that these pockets originate from the L and T points in the Brillouin zone of the distorted structure within the TCI phase. Raman spectroscopy further identifies a structural phase transition below 50 K, consistent with the quantum oscillation observations. This observation is further substantiated by temperature-dependent synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function analysis and transmission electron microscopy, which confirm the local off-centering of cations at low temperature. These findings underscore the potential of transverse thermoelectric measurements in unveiling ferroelectric distortions and their role in modulating topological quantum states, opening new directions for research into the synergy between ferroelectricity and topological phases.}, author = {Negi, Pranav and He, Bin and Ukolov, Denis and Horta, Sharona and Maji, Krishnendu and Mao, Ning and Peshcherenko, Nikolai and Yanda, Premakumar and Yao, Mengyu and Dutta, Moinak and Robredo, Iñigo and Iraola, Mikel and Vergniory, Maia G. and Lemmens, Peter and Zhang, Yang and Shekhar, Chandra and Ibáñez, Maria and Felser, Claudia and Roychowdhury, Subhajit}, issn = {1520-5126}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, number = {22}, pages = {18704--18711}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Evidence of ferroelectric distortions in topological crystalline insulators via transverse thermoelectric measurements}}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5c01700}, volume = {147}, year = {2025}, } @article{19795, abstract = {Super-resolution microscopy often entails long acquisition times of minutes to hours. Since drifts during the acquisition adversely affect data quality, active sample stabilization is commonly used for some of these techniques to reach their full potential. Although drifts in the lateral plane can often be corrected after acquisition, this is not always possible or may come with drawbacks. Therefore, it is appealing to stabilize sample position in three dimensions (3D) during acquisition. Various schemes for active sample stabilization have been demonstrated previously, with some reaching sub-nanometer stability in 3D. Here, we present a scheme for active drift correction that delivers the nanometer-scale 3D stability demanded by state-of-the-art super-resolution techniques and is straightforward to implement compared to previous schemes capable of reaching this level of stabilization precision. Using a refined algorithm that can handle various types of reference structure, without sparse signal peaks being mandatory, we stabilized sample position to ∼1 nm in 3D using objective lenses both with high and low numerical aperture. Our implementation requires only the addition of a simple widefield imaging path and we provide an open-source control software with graphical user interface to facilitate easy adoption of the module. Finally, we demonstrate how this has the potential to enhance data collection for diffraction-limited and super-resolution imaging techniques using single-molecule localization microscopy and cryo-confocal imaging as showcases.}, author = {Vorlaufer, Jakob and Semenov, Nikolai and Kreuzinger, Caroline and Javoor, Manjunath and Zens, Bettina and Agudelo Duenas, Nathalie and Tavakoli, Mojtaba and Suplata, Marek and Jahr, Wiebke and Lyudchik, Julia and Wartak, Andreas and Schur, Florian Km and Danzl, Johann G}, issn = {2667-0747}, journal = {Biophysical Reports}, number = {2}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Image-based 3D active sample stabilization on the nanometer scale for optical microscopy}}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpr.2025.100211}, volume = {5}, year = {2025}, } @inproceedings{20055, abstract = {Supercrystals represent three-dimensional orderings of colloidal nanocrystals (NCs), showcasing collective properties in photonics, phononics, and electronics applications.1,2 Recent studies have shown that such assemblies are directly produced during nanocrystal reactions.3–6 However, a fundamental understanding of in situ formed supercrystals that withstand typical NC purification processes remains underexplored, which is important for further use. Herein, we report the reaction precursor-mediated formation of stable PbTe supercrystals. Rationalizing the formation of these assemblies through small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements, we unveil their formation mechanism. Our findings reveal that the supercrystal formation occurs in the presence of an excess of lead oleates in the crude solution. It should be noted that the formed supercrystals can be stabilized under specific conditions determined by the lead oleate cluster concentration, content of trioctylphosphine telluride (TOP-Te), NC size and the need of an annealing step at mild conditions. Furthermore, this approach allows for the continuous growth of a secondary phase within the supercrystal; for example in the case of PbTe supercrystals, a PbS shell can be grown on each PbTe NC constituent, resulting in core-shell PbTe-PbS supercrystals. Our work elucidates that reaction precursors play an important role in in situ SC formation and stabilization, implying the possibility of applying this knowledge to other NC reactions.}, author = {Lee, Seungho and Balazs, Daniel and Horta, Sharona and Rayaroth Puthiyaveettil, Aiswarya and Ibáñez, Maria}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the MATSUS Spring 2025 Conference}, location = {Sevilla, Spain}, publisher = {Fundació de la comunitat valenciana SCITO}, title = {{Reaction precursor-mediated formation of stable supercrystals in colloidal nanocrystal synthesis: PbTe case}}, doi = {10.29363/nanoge.matsusspring.2025.173}, year = {2025}, } @article{20187, abstract = {Very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs), being constituents of different types of lipids, are critical factors in plant development, presumably due to their impact on the endomembrane system. The VLCFAs are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum by a heterotetrameric enzymatic complex including β-ketoacyl CoA reductase 1 (KCR1), whose mutant is lethal. Here, we describe the ectopic shoot meristems (esm) mutant, a viable kcr1 allele presumably affecting surface properties of the KCR1 protein. This kcr1-2 mutant shows reduced fatty acyl elongation that impacts VLCFAs. The kcr1-2 plants show severe defects during different stages of development, which all correlate with defects in polar localization and subcellular trafficking of PIN auxin transporters and resulting asymmetric auxin distribution. Detailed analysis of KCR1 expression and patterning defects in kcr1-2 suggests that KCR1 plays a role in delineating boundaries around meristematic and specialized differentiating tissues, including root and shoot meristems, initiating lateral roots, lateral root primordia, and trichomes. In these contexts, KCR1-produced VLCFAs may act in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Viable kcr1-2 represents a useful tool to study VLCFA roles in plant development and highlights VLCFAs as critical developmental factors at the interface of cell polarity and tissue development.}, author = {Babic, David and Abualia, Rashed and Fiedler, Lukas and Qi, Linlin and Tellier, Frédérique and Smoljan, Adrijana and Rakusova, Hana and Valošek, Petr and Han, Huibin and Benková, Eva and Faure, Jean Denis and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1365-313X}, journal = {Plant Journal}, number = {3}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Biosynthesis of very long-chain fatty acids is required for Arabidopsis auxin-mediated embryonic and post-embryonic development}}, doi = {10.1111/tpj.70396}, volume = {123}, year = {2025}, } @article{20191, abstract = {High-entropy alloys (HEAs) show great potential for catalyzing complex multi-step reactions, but optimizing their parameters, i.e., composition, but also their crystallinity and morphology, remains a significant challenge. In this study, FeCoNiMoW HEAs are synthesized into either amorphous nanosheets (HEANS) or crystalline nanoparticles (HEANP), which are then used to catalyze the lithium–sulfur (Li–S) reaction of Li–S batteries (LSBs). Evaluations in symmetric cells, coin cells, and pouch cells reveal that HEANS significantly enhance LSB performance, achieving initial discharge capacities up to 1632 mAh g−1. The batteries also exhibit excellent cycling stability over 1000 cycles at 3Cand maintain high-rate performance up to 10C with a capacity of 614 mAh g−1. Comprehensive in situ analyses and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that amorphous HEANS provide more active sites, better ionic conductivity and stronger chemical interactions with lithium polysulfides (LiPS). These properties effectively suppress the shuttle effect, promote the complete S8 → Li2S conversion by reducing the impedance of the solid-electrolyte interphase, and accelerate the Li2S4 → Li2S2 step by lowering the nucleation energy barrier. Overall, this study highlights the superior catalytic properties of amorphous 2D HEAs in LSBs and offers new insights into the mechanisms of LiPS conversion.}, author = {He, Ren and Lee, Seungho and Ding, Yang and Huang, Chen and Lu, Xuan and Zheng, Lirong and Yu, Ao and Zhang, Chaoyue and Li, Canhuang and Bi, Xiaoyu and Li, Yaqiang and Liao, Yaqi and Li, Junshan and Ostovari Moghaddam, Ahmad and Yernar, Salimov and Xu, Ying and Ibáñez, Maria and Zhang, Chaoqi and Yang, Linlin and Zhou, Yingtang and Cabot, Andreu}, issn = {1616-3028}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Amorphous high entropy alloy nanosheets enabling robust Li–S batteries}}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.202513859}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20203, abstract = {Tribocharging, or contact electrification, is the phenomenon in which two initially neutral materials exchange electric charge through contact and subsequent separation. While it is widely observed in everyday life and crucial to numerous natural processes, even the most basic aspects of tribocharging are still a mystery—what are the charge carriers involved and what drives their exchange? This work spans three separate projects that address different aspects of tribocharging. First, we introduce a novel strategy combining Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations with Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) to quantitatively extract surface charge density from surface voltage maps. Second, we present a simple theoretical model that allows for the existence of triboelectric cycles, under the assumption that multiple charge carrying species are involved. Third, we present experimental evidence that identical materials can spontaneously evolve into a triboelectric series, driven by contact history. Modeling this behavior enables the replication of experimental results with simulations, and even experimentally forcing the appearance of a pre-designed series by manipulating contact history. Together, the findings from these projects challenge traditional views on tribocharging, provide new tools for probing it, and open up new avenues of research—all with the hopes of bringing us closer to understanding this puzzling phenomenon.}, author = {Sobarzo Ponce, Juan Carlos A}, isbn = {978-3-99078-062-6}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {96}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Tribocharging of identical insulators : Triboelectric series, triboelectric cycles and surface charges}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20203}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20206, abstract = {The internal structure of biomolecules and their organization in higher-order arrangements are key factors governing the working principles of biological systems. Bioimaging has successfully revealed arrangements across relevant spatial scales. For example, cryo-electron tomography has become widely used for analyzing biomolecular structures in situ due to its comprehensive structural visualization of near-natively preserved samples, and its capability of sub-nm resolution via averaging. However, the identification of molecules within crowded cellular environments is often hindered by low contrast. Fluorescence microscopy, on the other hand, routinely visualizes specifically labeled targets at single-molecule contrast against essentially zero background. Moreover, it provides comparatively high throughput and is amenable to multiplexing. Due to this complementarity, combining datasets from both modalities acquired on the same region via correlative light and electron microscopy can reveal novel types of information. The spatial scale at which information can be extracted depends on imaging resolution and correlation accuracy. Since diffraction of light limits the resolution of conventional fluorescence microscopy to few hundreds of nanometers, reaching the full potential of correlative imaging requires super-resolution approaches. Performing imaging at cryogenic temperature preserves structures in a near-native state and minimizes distortions between the fluorescence and the electron microscopy datasets. Implementations of this concept have achieved correlation on the scale of cellular organelles or bacterial domains. We have worked towards pushing correlative imaging to the single-molecule scale by improving cryo-super-resolution microscopy, and devising a refined image correlation workflow. As part of this project, I constructed a microscopy setup and adopted it for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy at room temperature and cryogenic conditions. I explored different cryo-stages and acquisition strategies. Specifically, I developed a new scheme for correcting sample drift, thus increasing mechanical stability during microscopy acquisitions. }, author = {Vorlaufer, Jakob}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {107}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Construction of a cryo-super-resolution microscope to guide in situ structure analysis}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20206}, year = {2025}, } @article{20252, abstract = {Zirconia nanocrystals (ZrO2 NCs) are a stable host material for lanthanides, but their performance lags behind that of the leading NaYF4 nanomaterials. Here, we leverage surface chemistry and core/shell architectures to uncover the contribution of dopants at the nanocrystal surface and of dopants in the nanocrystal bulk. We first assess the doping efficiency by ICP and find that, while Eu is almost quantitatively incorporated, the other lanthanides (La, Ce, Tb, Tm, Er, Yb) have about 50% incorporation efficiency over the studied doping range of 1–10%. We then determine the nanocrystal surface chemistry using NMR spectroscopy, despite the additional spectral line broadening caused by the paramagnetic lanthanide dopants. By varying the surface ligands and measuring the photoluminescence, we resolve the spectroscopic signals that are sensitive to a change in surface chemistry. Time-resolved emission spectra further reinforce the notion of a bulk component with a long luminescent lifetime and a surface component with a fast lifetime. Upon shelling Eu- or Tb-doped zirconia NCs with pure zirconia, the surface component disappears, and the photoluminescence quantum yield increases. We further functionalized the surface of the core/shell particles with oleylphosphonic acid ligands to obtain excellent dispersibility. These results show that lanthanide-doped zirconia NCs can be engineered to eliminate deactivation pathways.}, author = {Reichholf, Nico and Horta, Sharona and Van Der Heggen, David and Seno, Carlotta and Pulparayil Mathew, Jikson and Ibáñez, Maria and Smet, Philippe F. and De Roo, Jonathan}, issn = {1936-086X}, journal = {ACS Nano}, number = {33}, pages = {30371--30382}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Identification and elimination of surface emission in lanthanide (Co)doped zirconia nanocrystals}}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.5c09137}, volume = {19}, year = {2025}, } @article{20326, abstract = {Ag2Se is a promising n-type thermoelectric material, but its performance is limited by excessive carrier concentration, compositional inhomogeneity, and phase instability, challenges rooted in a narrow homogeneity range and uncontrolled Ag+ diffusion in the superionic phase. Here, we address these issues by exploiting liquid–solid interface reactions using CdSe complexes that remove surface excess Ag to yield stoichiometric Ag2Se and generate CdSe nanodomains that inhibit Ag+ diffusion and constrain grain growth. The resulting Ag2Se-CdSe nanocomposites exhibit a reproducible, stable figure of merit (zT) of 1.04 between 300 and 390 K. Beyond demonstrating high performance, we elucidate the interfacial chemical reactions that give rise to the observed microstructure and transport properties, providing a foundation for rationally engineering interfacial chemistry to tailor transport properties across diverse thermoelectric material systems.}, author = {Liu, Yu and Kleinhanns, Tobias and Horta, Sharona and Dutkiewicz, Ewelina and Lu, Shaoqing and Spadaro, Maria Chiara and Genç, Aziz and Chen, Lei and Lim, Khak Ho and Hong, Min and Arbiol, Jordi and Ibáñez, Maria}, issn = {1520-5126}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, number = {35}, pages = {32199--32208}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Liquid-solid interface reactions drive enhanced thermoelectric performance in Ag2Se}}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5c11435}, volume = {147}, year = {2025}, } @article{20405, abstract = {Dielectric breakdown of physical vacuum (Schwinger effect) is the textbook demonstration of compatibility of Relativity and Quantum theory. Although observing this effect is still practically unachievable, its analogue generalizations have been shown to be more readily attainable. This paper demonstrates that a gapped Dirac semiconductor, methylammonium lead-bromide perovskite (MAPbBr3), exhibits analogue dynamic Schwinger effect. Tunneling ionization under deep subgap mid-infrared irradiation leads to intense photoluminescence in the visible range, in full agreement with quasi-adiabatic theory. In addition to revealing a gapped extended system suitable for studying the analogue Schwinger effect, this observation holds great potential for nonperturbative field sensing, i.e., sensing electric fields through nonperturbative light-matter interactions. First, this paper illustrates this by measuring the local deviation from the nominally cubic phase of a perovskite single crystal, which can be interpreted in terms of frozen-in fields. Next, it is shown that analogue dynamic Schwinger effect can be used for nonperturbative amplification of nonparametric upconversion process in perovskites driven simultaneously by multiple optical fields. This discovery demonstrates the potential for material response beyond perturbation theory in the tunneling regime, offering extremely sensitive light detection and amplification across an ultrabroad spectral range not accessible by conventional devices.}, author = {Lorenc, Dusan and Volosniev, Artem and Zhumekenov, Ayan A. and Lee, Seungho and Ibáñez, Maria and Bakr, Osman M. and Lemeshko, Mikhail and Alpichshev, Zhanybek}, issn = {2330-4022}, journal = {ACS Photonics}, number = {9}, pages = {5220--5230}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Observation of analogue dynamic Schwinger effect and non-perturbative light sensing in lead halide perovskites}}, doi = {10.1021/acsphotonics.5c01360}, volume = {12}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20415, author = {Lee, Seungho}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {144}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Nanoparticle-based precursors toward advanced crystalline inorganic solids}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20415}, year = {2025}, } @article{18778, abstract = {Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) can be repressed by noncoding RNA, including the human RNA Alu. However, the mechanism by which endogenous RNAs repress transcription remains unclear. Here we present cryogenic-electron microscopy structures of Pol II bound to Alu RNA, which reveal that Alu RNA mimics how DNA and RNA bind to Pol II during transcription elongation. Further, we show how distinct domains of the general transcription factor TFIIF control repressive activity. Together, we reveal how a noncoding RNA can regulate mammalian gene expression.}, author = {Tluckova, Katarina and Kaczmarek, Beata M and Testa Salmazo, Anita P and Bernecky, Carrie A}, issn = {1545-9985}, journal = {Nature Structural & Molecular Biology}, pages = {607--612}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Mechanism of mammalian transcriptional repression by noncoding RNA}}, doi = {10.1038/s41594-024-01448-7}, volume = {32}, year = {2025}, }