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An enantio- and regioconvergent allylation of phenols under nickel catalysis with an α-/γ-regioisomeric mixture of racemic silylated/germylated allylic chlorides is reported. The silyl/germyl group governs the regioselectivity, and the transformation affords enantiomerically enriched unsymmetrical 1,3-disubstituted allyl aryl ethers with excellent regiocontrol in good yields and excellent enantioselectivities. Notably, no nickel-mediated C-O bond activation is observed at room temperature. The synthetic value of these densely functionalized silicon-containing building blocks is demonstrated in a series of chemoselective transformations, including a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement for the construction of an α-chiral silane., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The rapid repair of bone defects remains a significant clinical challenge to this day. To address this issue, a 3D-printed biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffold consisting of 40 wt % hydroxyapatite (HA) and 60 wt % β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) was created. Silicon and zinc were incorporated into HA and β-TCP, respectively, to enhance the angiogenic and osteogenic properties of the BCP scaffold. The physicochemical properties, in vitro cell responses, and bone defect repair efficacy of the modified BCP scaffold were comprehensively investigated. Results showed that the fabricated scaffold possessed a 3D interconnected pore structure. Zinc doping enhanced the sintering of the BCP scaffold, increased its density and strength, but decreased its degradation rate. Conversely, silicon doping had the opposite effect. The modified scaffold was capable of a gradual release of zinc/silicon ions, which promoted the proliferation and differentiation of cells. Specifically, the scaffold doped with zinc significantly promoted the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. Moreover, co-doping with silicon and zinc synergistically promoted in vitro angiogenesis, with BCP-3 (doped with 2.5 mol % zinc and 4 mol % silicon) exhibiting the best pro-angiogenic activity. BCP-3 significantly induced regeneration of blood vessels and bone tissue in vivo , indicating its potential to accelerate the process of bone defect repair.

Compared to the outstanding development in the synthesis of Si-B single bonded species, borylsilanes and their application to organic synthesis, the chemistry of Si=B double bonded species, borasilenes and boratasilenes have only made little progress, first of all, due to the difficulties in accessing such double bonds. Herein we report the synthesis of the first Si=B analogue of a vinyl halide, a bromoboratasilene, via formal borylene insertion to the coordination sphere of a monoatomic Si(0) complex, using a dihaloborane as the borylene source. The treatment of bromoboratasilene toward neutral or anionic Lewis bases gives access to new boratasilenes, all of which were proved to possess significant Si=B double bond character by XRD analysis and DFT calculations. These results demonstrate exciting strategies to synthesize new types of Si=B double bonded species which should further progress the chemistry of boron, silicon-containing molecules., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important horticultural crop in China. Consumer requirements for aesthetically pleasing appearances of horticultural crops are gradually increasing, and cucumbers having a good visual appearance, as well as flavor, are important for breeding and industry development. The gloss of cucumber fruit epidermis is an important component of its appeal, and the wax layer on the fruit surface plays important roles in plant growth and forms a powerful barrier against external biotic and abiotic stresses. The wax of the cucumber epidermis is mainly composed of alkanes, and the luster of cucumber fruit is mainly determined by the alkane and silicon contents of the epidermis. Several genes, transcription factors, and transporters affect the synthesis of ultra-long-chain fatty acids and change the silicon content, further altering the gloss of the epidermis. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms are not clear. Here, progress in research on the luster of cucumber fruit epidermis from physiological, biochemical, and molecular regulatory perspectives are reviewed. Additionally, future research avenues in the field are discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Global concerns regarding the depletion and strategic importance of phosphorus resources have increased demand for the recovery and recycling. However, waste-derived phosphorus compounds, primarily as chemically inert phosphoric acid or its salts, present a challenge to their direct conversion into high-value chemicals. We aimed to develop an innovative technology that utilizes the large quantities of sewage waste, bypasses the use of white phosphorus, and enables esterification of phosphoric acid to produce widely applicable phosphate triesters. Tetraalkyl orthosilicates emerged as highly effective reagents for the direct triple esterification of 85% phosphoric acid, as well as the esterification of organophosphinic and phosphonic acids. Furthermore, we achieved esterification of recovered phosphoric acid with tetraalkyl orthosilicate, thus pioneering a recycling pathway from sewage waste to valuable phosphorus chemicals. Experimental and theoretical investigations revealed a novel mechanism, wherein tetraalkyl orthosilicates facilitate multimolecular aggregation to achieve alkyl transfer from tetraalkylorthosilicate to phosphoric acid via multiple proton shuttling., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Engineered coatings are pivotal for tailoring the surface properties and release profiles of materials for applications across diverse areas. However, developing robust coatings that can both encapsulate and controllably release cargo is challenging. Herein, a dynamic covalent coordination assembly strategy is used to engineer robust silicate-based coatings, termed silicate-phenolic networks (SPNs), using sodium metasilicate and phenolic ligands (tannic acid, gallic acid, pyrogallol). The coatings are pH-responsive (owing to the dynamic covalent bonding), and their hydrophobicity can be tuned upon their post-functionalization with hydrophobic gallates (propyl, octyl, lauryl gallates). The potential of the SPN coatings for the controlled release of small molecules, such as urea (a widely used fertilizer), is demonstrated-controlled release of urea in soil is achieved in response to different pHs (up to 7 days) and different hydrophobicity (up to 14 days). Furthermore, leveraging the presence of silicon (within the coating) and post-functionalization of the SPN coatings with metal ions (Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ ) generates a multipurpose delivery system for the sustained release of micronutrient fertilizers, and silicon and metal ions, over 28 and 14 days, respectively. These SPN coatings have potential applications beyond agriculture, including nutrient delivery, separations, food packaging, and medical device fabrication., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

We introduce vacuum resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) with high-resolution Orbitrap Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) for analyzing silylated polar compounds. UV laser radiation at 248 nm sensitively and selectively targets aromatic constituents, while high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) enables high-performance mass spectrometric detection. This workflow enhances the detection confidence of polar constituents by identifying unique isotopologue patterns, including at the isotopic fine structure (IFS) level, in analytical standards and complex bio-oils. A direct and derivatized gas chromatography (GC) procedure on a polar standard component mixture allowed us to explore the general ionization and detection characteristics of REMPI FTMS. HRMS enabled the examination of the complex isotopologue profiles, revealing distinct patterns for the CHO x Si y -class compounds. Particularly in complex mixtures, this isobaric/isonucleonic complexity exceeded the classical mass resolution capabilities of the employed Orbitrap D30 series and prompted the usage of prolonged transients via an external data acquisition system. This procedure substantially improved mass spectrometric results by recording the unreduced time-domain transient data for up to 2 s. Notably, the ability to distinguish diagnostic isotopic pairs, such as 12 C/ 29 Si vs 13 C/ 28 Si with a mass split of ∼3.79 mDa and 13 C 12 C/ 28 Si 29 Si vs 13 C 2 / 28 Si 2 , with an approximate mass difference of ∼3.32 mDa, demonstrates a significant and expected performance improvement. Finally, we benchmark the GC HRMS methodology to identify silylated oxygenated and nitrogen-containing constituents in ultracomplex bio-oil samples. The presented approach of utilizing the silicon isotope pattern and unique isotopologue mass splits for increasing attribution confidence can be applied beyond bio-oils toward the general GC analyses of polar oxygenates.

Counterfeit identity (ID) documents pose a serious threat to personal credit and national security. As a promising candidate, optical physical unclonable functions (PUFs) offer a robust defense mechanism against counterfeits. Despite the innovations in chemically synthesized PUFs, challenges persist, including harmful chemical treatments, low yields, and incompatibility of reaction conditions with the ID document materials. More notably, surface relief nanostructures for PUFs, such as wrinkles, are still at risk of being replicated through scanning lithography or nanoimprint. Here, a femtosecond laser-induced recrystallized silicon nanotexture is reported as latent PUF nanofingerprint for document anti-counterfeiting. With femtosecond laser irradiation, nanotextures spontaneously emerge within 100 ms of exposure. By introducing a low-absorption metal layer, surface plasmon polariton waves are excited on the silicon-metal multilayer nanofilms with long-range boosting, ensuring the uniqueness and non-replicability of the final nanotextures. Furthermore, the femtosecond laser induces a phase transition in the latent nanotexture from amorphous to polycrystalline state, rather than creating replicable relief wrinkles. The random nanotextures are easily identifiable through optical microscopy and Raman imaging, yet they remain undetectable by surface characterization methods such as scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. This property significantly hinders counterfeiting efforts, as it prevents the precise replication of these nanostructures., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Increased anthropogenic activities over the last decades have led to a gradual increase in chromium (Cr) content in the soil, which, due to its high mobility in soil, makes Cr accumulation in plants a serious threat to the health of animals and humans. The present study investigated the ameliorative effect of foliar-applied Si nanoparticles (SiF) and soil-applied SiNPs enriched biochar (SiBc) on the growth of wheat in Cr-polluted soil (CPS). Two levels of CPS were prepared, including 12.5 % and 25 % by adding Cr-polluted wastewater in the soil as soil 1 (S1) and soil 2 (S2), respectively for the pot experiment with a duration of 40 days. Cr stress significantly reduced wheat growth, however, combined application of SiF and SiBc improved root and shoot biomass production under Cr stress by (i) reducing Cr accumulation, (ii) increasing activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase and catalase), and (iii) increasing protein and total phenolic contents in both root and shoot respectively. Nonetheless, separate applications of SiF and SiBc effectively reduced Cr toxicity in shoot and root respectively, indicating a tissue-specific regulation of wheat growth under Cr. Later, the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm analysis showed a maximum soil Cr adsorption capacity ∼ Q (max) of 40.6 mg g -1 and 59 mg g -1 at S1 and S2 respectively, while the life cycle impact assessment showed scores of -1 mg kg -1 and -211 mg kg -1 for Cr in agricultural soil and - 0.184 and - 38.7 for human health at S1 and S2 respectively in response to combined SiF + SiBC application, thus indicating the environment implication of Si nanoparticles and its biochar in ameliorating Cr toxicity in different environmental perspectives., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest with any agency., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The integration of lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 or LN) and silicon (Si) has emerged as a promising heterogeneous platform for microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs) and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Particularly, the lithium niobate on silicon (LNOS) architecture leverages the superior piezo-optomechanical properties of LN, making it compatible with superconducting circuits and quantum systems. This opens an avenue for the development of advanced quantum sensors and processors. However, existing LN and Si bonding methods suffer from inherent limitations, such as low interfacial strength and the formation of thick, amorphous interlayers. In this work, we present an asymmetric surface activation strategy to address these challenges. By employing proton-exchange-enhanced chemical activation on the LN surface and oxygen plasma treatment on the Si side, we have achieved remarkable bonding strengths of up to 10 MPa at a moderate annealing temperature of 150 °C. Notably, the bonding mechanism in our approach differs from that in conventional diffusion-based processes. Here, the dehydration condensation of surface functional groups results in an exceptionally thin interfacial layer, less than 2 nm thick, without the presence of amorphous LN. This innovative fabrication method for LNOS demonstrates superior reliability, piezoelectric performance, thermal management capabilities, and optical transmission qualities, paving the way for cutting-edge photonic and quantum applications.

Although silicon is not considered an essential element, in some crops such as soybeans, its supply can stimulate plant development and plant production. The growth of soybean cultivars in Cerrado soil subjected to the application of silicon doses was studied. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Instituto Federal do Amapá - IFAP/Campus Agrícola Porto Grande. The experimental design was completely randomized, arranged in a 5x2 factorial scheme, with four replications. The factors consisted of the control treatment (without Si) and four doses of Si (250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg pot-1 of SiO2), and two soybean cultivars (BRS Tracajá and FTS Paragominas). Growth variables were analyzed, such as: plant height, stem diameter; and dry matter of shoots and roots. Silicon influenced the increase in height when evaluating the cultivars and isolated doses, the same behavior was observed in the dry matter production of the aerial part and total. The element silicon helps in the improvement and gain in height and other evaluated agronomic characteristics, but studies with this element must be more applied, to obtain the answer for other variables and study conditions.

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE), a wet-based anisotropic etching process for semiconductors, has emerged as an alternative to plasma-based etching. However, using noble metal catalysts in MACE limits the implementation of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. This study explores Si etching using an ultrathin Ni catalyst as a novel approach for MACE. The thickness of the Ni catalyst emerges as a critical parameter, with 1 nm of Ni proving to be the optimal thickness to achieve smooth and deep etching. Unlike conventional MACE methods, the ultrathin Ni catalyst enables Si etching without strong oxidants. Wafer-scale Si etching demonstrates the versatility of the ultrathin Ni catalyst in producing various microstructures. It is found that the ultrathin Ni/Si interfacial state plays a crucial role in influencing the Si reactivity, lowering the barrier for Si oxidation. CMOS-compatible and cost-efficient ultrathin Ni makes MACE a promising alternative for semiconductor nanofabrication. This study pioneers MACE using an ultrathin non-noble metal catalyst, offering valuable insights for researchers in this field., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: We investigated spatial resolution loss away from isocenter for a prototype deep silicon photon-counting detector (PCD) CT scanner and compare with a clinical energy-integrating detector (EID) CT scanner., Materials and Methods: We performed three scans on a wire phantom at four positions (isocenter, 6.7, 11.8, and 17.1 cm off isocenter). The acquisition modes were 120 kV EID CT, 120 kV high-definition (HD) EID CT, and 120 kV PCD CT. HD mode used double the projection view angles per rotation as the "regular" EID scan mode. The diameter of the wire was calculated by taking the full width of half max (FWHM) of a profile drawn over the radial and azimuthal directions of the wire. Change in wire diameter appearance was assessed by calculating the ratio of the radial and azimuthal diameter relative to isocenter. t tests were used to make pairwise comparisons of the wire diameter ratio with each acquisition and mean ratios' difference from unity., Results: Deep silicon PCD CT had statistically smaller ( P <0.05) changes in diameter ratio for both radial and azimuthal directions compared with both regular and HD EID modes and was not statistically different from unity ( P <0.05). Maximum increases in FWMH relative to isocenter were 36%, 12%, and 1% for regular EID, HD EID, and deep silicon PCD, respectively., Conclusion: Deep silicon PCD CT exhibits less change in spatial resolution in both the radial and azimuthal directions compared with EID CT., Competing Interests: J.P.K. received compensation from Parexel International for consulting. M.G.L. has previous grant funding from Philips and Ethicon, Spouse, and is a consultant to Farcast Biosciences. T.P.S. receives research support from Canon Medical Systems and GE HealthCare, consulting fees from Alara Imaging, Imalogix, Aidoc, and Asto CT/Leo Cancer Care; royalties from Medical Physics Publishing and royalties related to intellectual property from Qaelum; founder of RadUnity. Z.Y., and S.S. are employees of GE HealthCare. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Understanding the mechanical properties of porous carbon-based materials can lead to advancements in various applications, including energy storage, filtration, and lightweight structural components. Also, investigating how silicon doping affects these materials can help optimize their mechanical properties, potentially improving strength, durability, and other performance metrics. This research investigated the effects of atomic doping (Si particle up to 10 %) on the mechanical properties of the porous carbon matrix using molecular dynamics methods. Young's modulus, ultimate strength, radial distribution function, interaction energy, mean square displacement and potential energy of designed samples were reported. MD outputs predict the Si doping process improved the mechanical performance of porous structures. Numerically, Young's modulus of the C-based porous matrix increased from 234.33 GPa to 363.82 GPa by 5 % Si inserted into a pristine porous sample. Also, the ultimate strength increases from 48.54 to 115.93 GPa with increasing Si doping from 1 % to 5 %. Silicon doping enhances the bonding strength and reduces defects in the carbon matrix, leading to improved stiffness and load-bearing capacity. This results in significant increases in mechanical performance. However, excess Si may disrupt the optimal bonding network, leading to weaker connections within the matrix. Also, considering the negative value of potential energy in different doping percentages, it can be concluded that the amount of doping added up to 10 % does not disturb the initial structure and stability of the system, and the structure still has structural stability. So, we expected our introduced atomic samples to be used in actual applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The pharmacokinetics in patients dosed with the nanoparticle-based MRI contrast agent SN132D is explained by a size dependent clearance mechanism and this behavior was modeled numerically. Blood samples from 14 patients were analyzed for silicon (a component of the nanoparticle) by ICP-OES. The pharmacokinetic model has only one free parameter and relies on a measured size distribution of the contrast agent and well-established properties of the renal and cardiovascular systems. The model fits well (R 2  = 0.9910) with experimental data from samples taken from ten minutes to two weeks after start of infusion. These results support that the cut-off diameter for human renal filtration is 5.5 nm. The agreement between experiment and model implies that there is little or no plasma protein binding to the nanoparticles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following competing financial interest(s): All are employed by Spago Nanomedical AB., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current photon-counting computed tomography (CT) systems utilize semiconductor detectors, such as cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), and silicon (Si), which convert x-ray photons directly into charge pulses. An alternative approach is indirect detection, which involves Yttrium Orthosilicate (YSO) scintillators coupled with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). This presents an attractive and cost-effective option due to its low cost, high detection efficiency, low dark count rate, and high sensor gain., Objective: This study aims to establish a comprehensive quantitative imaging framework for three-energy-bin proof-of-concept photon-counting CT based on YSO/SiPM detectors developed in our group using multi-voltage threshold (MVT) digitizers and assess the feasibility of this spectral CT for material identification., Methods: We developed a proof-of-concept YSO/SiPM-based benchtop spectral CT system and established a pipeline for three-energy-bin photon-counting CT projection-domain processing. The empirical A-table method was employed for basis material decomposition, and the quantitative imaging performance of the spectral CT system was assessed. This evaluation included the synthesis errors of virtual monoenergetic images, electron density images, effective atomic number images, and linear attenuation coefficient curves. The validity of employing A-table methods for material identification in three-energy-bin spectral CT was confirmed through both simulations and experimental studies., Results: In both noise-free and noisy simulations, the thickness estimation experiments and quantitative imaging results demonstrated high accuracy. In the thickness estimation experiment using the practical spectral CT system, the mean absolute error for the estimated thickness of the decomposed Al basis material was 0.014 ± 0.010 mm, with a mean relative error of 0.66% ± 0.42%. Similarly, for the decomposed polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) basis material, the mean absolute error in thickness estimation was 0.064 ± 0.058 mm, with a mean relative error of 0.70% ± 0.38%. Additionally, employing the equivalent thickness of the basis material allowed for accurate synthesis of 70 keV virtual monoenergetic images (relative error 1.85% ± 1.26%), electron density (relative error 1.81% ± 0.97%), and effective atomic number (relative error 2.64% ± 1.26%) of the tested materials. In addition, the average synthesis error of the linear attenuation coefficient curves in the energy range from 40 to 150 keV was 1.89% ± 1.07%., Conclusions: Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate the accurate generation of 70 keV virtual monoenergetic images, electron density, and effective atomic number images using the A-table method. Quantitative imaging results indicate that the YSO/SiPM-based photon-counting detector is capable of accurately reconstructing virtual monoenergetic images, electron density images, effective atomic number images, and linear attenuation coefficient curves, thereby achieving precise material identification., (© 2024 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.)

This study explored the feasibility of employing hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology to quantitatively assess the effect of silicon (Si) on lead (Pb) content in oilseed rape leaves. Aiming at the defects of hyperspectral data with high dimension and redundant information, this paper proposed two improved feature wavelength extraction algorithms, repetitive interval combination optimization (RICO) and interval combination optimization (ICO) combined with stepwise regression (ICO-SR). The entire oilseed rape leaves were taken as the region of interest (ROI) to extract the visible near-infrared hyperspectral data within the 400.89-1002.19 nm range. In data processing, Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing, detrending (DT), and multiple scatter correction (MSC) were utilized for spectral data preprocessing, while recursive feature elimination (RFE), iteratively variable subset optimization (IVSO), ICO, and the two enhanced algorithms were employed to identify characteristic wavelengths. Subsequently, based on the spectral data of preprocessing and feature extraction, partial least squares regression (PLSR) and support vector regression (SVR) methods were used to construct various Pb content prediction models in oilseed rape leaves, with a comparison and analysis of each model performance. The results indicated that the two improved algorithms were more efficient in extracting representative spectral information than conventional methods, and the performance of SVR models was better than PLSR models. Finally, to further improve the prediction accuracy and robustness of the SVR models, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) was introduced to optimize their parameters. The findings demonstrated that the MSC-RICO-WOA-SVR model achieved the best comprehensive performance, with R p 2 of 0.9436, RMSEP of 0.0501 mg/kg, and RPD of 3.4651. The results further confirmed the great potential of HSI combined with feature extraction algorithms to evaluate the effectiveness of Si in alleviating Pb stress in oilseed rape and provided a theoretical basis for determining the appropriate amount of Si application to alleviate Pb pollution in oilseed rape., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 1,4,2-diazasilole containing a low-valent silicon atom has been synthesized employing a bulky imino N-heterocyclic carbene ligand. This molecular structure is characterized by a mesoionic C 2 N 2 Si five-membered ring, notable for its delocalized π electrons, intrinsic charge-separated zwitterionic properties, and a distinctly nucleophilic silicon center, culminating in 6π aromaticity. This compound manifests either mesoionic silylene or silylone characteristics upon coordination with transition metals. Demonstrating extraordinary versatility, this compound engages in diverse reactions such as coordination with iron or iridium, oxidation by S 8 , intramolecular ring saturation under the coordination influence of iridium, silicon atom transfer facilitated by Ph 2 Se 2 , ring contraction induced by Ph 2 Te 2 , and skeletal rearrangement triggered by Et 3 N•HCl. These reactions culminate in the formation of a variety of unprecedented silicon-based heterocycles, which are typically formidable to achieve using conventional methods. This study unveils previously unexplored facets of low-valent 1,4,2-diazasilole, positioning it as a promising foundational building block for future innovations in unique silicon compounds., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The development of catalysts that are optically transparent, electrically charge-transferable, and capable of protecting underlying photoactive semiconductors is crucial for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production. However, meeting all these requirements simultaneously poses significant challenges. In this study, the fabrication of a wafer-scale transparent bilayer MoS 2 /WS 2 catalyst is presented with a staggered heterojunction, optimized for photon absorption, extraction of photogenerated charge carriers, and surface passivation of p-Si photocathode. The MoS 2 and WS 2 monolayers are grown via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, followed by sequential transfer and stacking onto the p-Si photocathode. The resulting type-II heterojunction film establishes a strong built-in electric field for rapid charge carrier transport and effectively protects the Si surface from oxidation and corrosion. The fabricated MoS 2 /WS 2 /p-Si photocathode demonstrates outstanding PEC performance, achieving a high photocurrent density of -25 mA cm -2 at 0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, along with enhanced stability compared to monolayer MoS 2 /p-Si. This work provides promising strategies for developing optically transparent, electrically active, and protective catalysts for practical PEC energy conversion systems., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Green rusts (GR) are mixed-valence iron (Fe) hydroxides which form in reducing redox environments like riparian and wetland soils and shallow groundwater. In these environments, silicon (Si) can influence Fe oxides' chemical and physical properties but its role in GR formation and subsequent oxidative transformation have not been studied starting at initial nucleation. Green rust sulfate [GR(SO 4 )] and green rust carbonate [GR(CO 3 )] were both coprecipitated from salts by base titration in increasing % mol Si (0, 1, 10, and 50). The minerals were characterized before and after rapid (24 h) aqueous air-oxidation by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fe extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS), and N 2 -BET surface area. Results showed that only GR(SO4) or GR(CO3) was formed at every tested Si concentration. Increasing % mol Si caused decreased plate size and increased surface area in GR(CO3) but not GR(SO4). GR plate basal thickness was not changed at any condition indicating a lack of Si interlayering. Air oxidation of GR(SO4) at all % mol Si contents transformed by dissolution and reprecipitation into lepidocrocite and goethite, favoring ferrihydrite with higher % Si content. Air oxidation of GR(CO3) transformed into magnetite and goethite but increasing Si caused GR to oxidize while retaining its hexagonal plate structure via solid-state oxidation. Our results indicate that Si has the potential to cause GR to form in smaller particles and upon air oxidation, Si can either stabilize the plate structure or alter transformation to ferrihydrite., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The C,N-chelated aryltellurenyl triflate [2-(tBuNCH)C6H4Te][OTf] (1) activates the Si-H bonds in the tertiary silanes R3SiH via Umpolung of H- to H+ to give rise to the iminium salts (tBuN(H)CH)C6H4TeSiR3][OTf] (2R, R = Et, Ph (elusive) and R = Si(CH3)3 isolated; OTf = O3SCF3) comprising Te-Si bonds, which are capable of generating silyl triflates, R3SiOTf Under attack of a second equivalent of 1 The unprecedented Si-H activation was utilized in main group redox catalysis using p-quinones, which were converted into (silylated) hydroquinones., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Here, a combination of dopamine self-polymerization and epoxy modified SiO 2 (M-SiO 2 ) grafting was proposed, with the purpose of increasing interfacial adhesion of UHMWPE fiber. Inspired by mussel adhesion, polydopamine (PDA) was deposited onto the surface of UHMWPE fiber to form a thin layer with amino and hydroxyl groups. M-SiO 2 nanoparticles were then adhered to fiber surface via chemical reactions by a "two-step" or "one-step" technology. In the "two-step" technique, the M-SiO 2 nanoparticles were adhered to the surface of PDA modified UHMWPE fiber via reactions between epoxy and amino groups. In the "one-step" method, M-SiO 2 and dopamine were added into the UHMWPE/Tris solution at the same time. Surface morphology and thermal properties of various UHMWPE fibers were tested by SEM and TGA, respectively. Surface wettability of different UHMWPE fibers were evaluated by dynamic contact angle. The results proved that PDA and M-SiO 2 were successfully adhered to the surface of UHMWPE fibers. The mechanical property of modified UHMWPE/Epoxy composites was investigated, and 43.7 % improvement was obtained, compared with unmodified UHMWPE/Epoxy composite. Additionally, micro-bond test revealed that the interfacial property (IFSS value) of modified UHMWPE fiber via the "one-step" method was 6.08 MPa, significantly higher than that of unmodified UHMWPE fiber (2.47 MPa)., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemistryOpen published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The integration of perovskites with mature silicon platform has emerged as a promising approach in the development of efficient on-chip light sources and high-brightness displays. However, the performance of Si-based green perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) still falls significantly short compared to their red and near-infrared counterparts. In this study, it is revealed that the high work function Au, widely employed in Si-based top-emission PeLEDs as the reflective bottom electrode, exhibits considerably lower reflectivity in the green spectrum than in the longer wavelengths. Consequently, Ag electrode is introduced to replace Au to enhance the green light reflectivity, and the ultrathin MoO 3 and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are sequentially deposited for surface modification. These results indicate that the MoO 3 layer removes the energy barrier at Ag/polymer hole transport layer interface, enhancing the hole injection efficiency; while the SAMs firmly anchor onto the MoO 3 layer, effectively preventing interfacial defect formation. Benefited from this organic/inorganic dual-layer modification strategy, Si-based green PeLEDs with an impressive peak external quantum efficiency of 18.2% and a maximum brightness of 81931 cd m -2 are successfully fabricated, on par with those of the red and near-infrared counterparts. This achievement marks an advancement in developing high-performance Si-based PeLEDs with full-spectrum output., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

A homogeneous integration of various types of devices using a single material platform is an ideal route toward multifunctional devices at the single-device level for miniaturized, fast, and energy-efficient systems. However, such a single material platform is still missing. Scandium-containing III-nitrides (Sc-III-nitrides) are promising, but their electrical doping properties remain unknown. In this work, the electrical doping in Sc-III-nitrides is investigated and optoelectronic devices using Sc-III-nitrides on silicon (Si) are further demonstrated. The material format of the nanowire is used, with magnesium (Mg) serving as the impurity dopant to control the electrical doping. It is discovered that, by adjusting the Mg doping concentrations, the Sc-III-nitrides can be tuned from n-type to p-type. Device application in light-emitting is further demonstrated using the p-type Sc-III-nitrides as the hole injection layer. The performance comparison between devices using the regrown Sc-containing p-type contact layers and non-Sc-containing p-type contact layers indicates the advantage of Sc incorporation in improving the quality of the regrown p-type layer in a device structure. The electrical doping in Sc-III-nitrides demonstrated in this study represents an important step toward a homogeneous integration of different types of devices using a single material platform., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Silicon (Si) supplementation is known to aid plants in mitigating various biotic and abiotic stressors. However, the mechanisms underlying Si-mediated stress alleviation, particularly the involvement of Si transporters and genotype-specific responses, remain poorly understood. Against this backdrop, we investigated the role of Si transporters in biotic stress alleviation in specific wheat genotypes infected with stripe rust. The primary objectives were to assess the role of Si accumulation in stripe rust resistance across different wheat genotypes and to determine how Si transporters affect their resistance responses. Twenty wheat genotypes were evaluated for their ability to accumulate Si in shoots, revealing significant variations among the selected genotypes. Resistant genotypes showed higher Si concentrations than susceptible ones, leading to the selection of two contrasting genotypes, viz., WW-120 (resistant) and K-88 (susceptible), for further analysis. In these genotypes, the expression of Si transporters and various physiological and biochemical responses were studied under stripe rust infestation with and without Si supplementation. We found that Si supplementation upregulated the expression of Si transporters, with a more pronounced increase in the resistant genotype than in the susceptible one, resulting in higher Si accumulation in the former. Moreover, differential physiological and biochemical responses to rust infection and Si supplementation were observed in both genotypes, indicating genotype-dependent variations across all measured variables. Our results suggest that higher Si accumulation in resistant wheat genotypes, due to the upregulation of Si transporters, plays a crucial role in their defense against rust infection. Further elucidation of these mechanisms could be used to enhance plant resistance to biotic stressors through targeted Si management., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

To improve the performance of valves in relation to the leakage rate, a comprehensive evaluation of the valve characteristics and behavior during pressure exposure is important. Often, these low gas flow rates below 0.1 cm 3 /min cannot be accurately measured with conventional flow sensors. This paper presents a small and low-cost test rig for measuring gas leakage rates accurately, even far below 0.1 cm 3 /min, with the pressure decay method. These leakage flows are substantiated with a flow model, where we demonstrate the feasibility of modeling those gas flows with an extended Navier-Stokes framework to obtain more accurate theoretical predictions. As expected, the comparison to the experimental results proves that the classical Navier-Stokes system is unsuitable for modeling Knudsen flows. Hence, self-diffusion of gas, a wall-slip boundary condition, and an effective mean free path model were introduced in a physically evident manner. In terms of the calculated mass flow, while self-diffusion and slip boundary conditions explain deviations from the classical Navier-Stokes equation for Knudsen numbers already smaller than 1, the effective mean free path model has an effect, especially when Kn > 1. For simplified conditions, an analytical solution was presented and compared to the results of an OpenFOAM CFD-solver for flow rates through more complex gap-flow geometries of the flap valve. Hereby, acceptable deviations between 10% and 20% were observed. A comparison with measurement results was carried out. The reproducibility of the measurement method was verified by comparing multiple measurements of one silicon microvalve sample to a state-of-the-art flow sensor. Three geometrically similar passive silicon microvalves were measured with air overpressure decreasing from 15 kPa relative to atmospheric pressure. Maximum gas volume flowing in a blocking direction of 1-26 µL/min with high reproducibility and marginal noise were observed.

While traditionally considered a deleterious effect in quantum dot spin qubits, the spin-orbit interaction is recently being revisited as it allows for rapid coherent control by on-chip AC electric fields. For electrons in bulk silicon, spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is intrinsically weak, however, it can be enhanced at surfaces and interfaces, or through atomic placement. Here it is showed that the strength of the spin-orbit coupling can be locally enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude in the manybody wave functions of multi-donor quantum dots compared to a single donor, reaching strengths so far only reported for holes or two-donor system with certain symmetry. These findings may provide a pathway toward all-electrical control of donor-bound spins in silicon using electric dipole spin resonance (EDSR)., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The transportation of silicon (Si) by rivers to the sea plays a vital role as an external source of Si budget for coastal environments, impacting the carbon cycle in the ocean. Nevertheless, the transport of reactive silica (RSi) from small rivers to the coastal sea has been frequently disregarded in scientific investigations. This research focused on 24 rivers situated along the Bohai Sea (BS) Rim, encompassing small rivers (SR) and the largest river in the region, the Yellow River (YR), to analyze their concentrations and fluxes of dissolved silicate (DSi), biogenic silica (BSi) and other amorphous forms of Si. The findings indicated seasonal variations in DSi concentrations, with higher levels observed during the flood season. Annually, approximately 105 × 10 3  t DSi and 200 × 10 3  t BSi were transported to the BS, with SR and YR contributing equally to the total riverine BSi flux. The smaller rivers were found to increase the BSi fraction of RSi due to elevated biological fixation. The ratios of average DSi and BSi fluxes to the river watershed area of SR were 3.5 and 6 times higher, respectively, compared to those of YR. SR play a critical role in the terrestrial Si export in the BS Rim. Human activities have led to significant deviations in the Si ratios to nitrogen and phosphorus in these rivers from the Redfield-Brzezinski ratio. This discrepancy could impact the phytoplankton community, primary production, and the environment of the BS. The study highlights the substantial contribution of SR to coastal environments, particularly in semi-closed marine environments like the BS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Weakly-coordinating anions (WCAs) are employed in a wide range of applications, but limitations remain, including high reactivity, limited redox window, complicated synthesis, high cost, low solublity, and low structural tunabililty. Herein, we report a new class of WCA based on alkyl or aryl (R) substituted silicates bearing fluorinated pinacolate ligands, "[RSiF24]-". Anions bearing a variety of R groups were prepared, enabling facile tuning of sterics and solubility. A range of cations employed in chemical reactivity has been supported by these anions, including ether-free alkali cations, Ag+, Ph3C+, Fc+, [NiI(COD)2]+. [Pd(dppe)(NCMe)Me]+ has been generated by salt metathesis or protonation of a metal-alkyl bond, showcasing the ability of the RSiF24- anions to support applications in coordination chemistry and catalysis. Electrochemical studies on the [Bu4N]+ variant show an exceptionally wide stability window for the MeSiF24- anion of 7.5 V in MeCN. CV experiments demonstrate reversible Mg deposition and stripping., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The azalea lace bug (ALB), Stephanitis pyrioides (Scott) (Hemiptera: Tingidae), is a pest of azaleas and rhododendrons. The application of silicon (Si) to plants has been shown to accumulate in other plants and enhance defense to other plant pests. We evaluated whether Si applications decreased ALB infestation on rhododendron leaves and increased Si accumulation in leaves. Potted plants were treated with 4 or 8 weekly applications of calcium silicate and calcium carbonate (calcium control, Ca) via foliar or soil application. In 3 out of 4 choice studies, plants treated with calcium silicate or calcium carbonate had less frass deposition and oviposition by ALB compared to controls, but treated plants did not consistently have fewer ALB adults. Leaf damage was quantified in one study and leaves with more frass as an indicator of feeding had more visible damage. In no-choice studies, there were no differences between treatments in one study, but oviposition was greater on foliar/soil Si-treated plants than controls in another study. Since rhododendron aphids (Illinoia lambersi) appeared in the greenhouse during or after studies, we compared their colonization on previously treated rhododendrons. Infestation of new leaf rosettes or random leaves by I. lambersi was lower on plants sprayed with foliar silicon or calcium applied via soil in 2 studies. Treated rhododendrons did not accumulate extra Si or Ca in leaves compared to controls. In general, silicon or calcium application protected rhododendrons from ALB oviposition and aphid colonization in free-choice conditions, and may be part of an integrated pest management program., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2024.)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) can potentially be used for uranium (U) phytoremediation. However, the factors influencing the absorption of U and its subsequent distribution within plant tissues remain unclear, including the effect of silicon (Si) which is known to increase metal tolerance. Here, using hydroponics, the effect of Si on the distribution and speciation of U in sunflower was examined using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence and fluorescence-X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. It was found that ∼88 % of U accumulates within the root regardless of treatments. Without the addition of Si, most of the U appeared to bind to epidermis within the roots, whereas in the leaves, U primarily accumulated in the veins. The addition of Si alleviated U phytotoxicity and decreased U concentration in sunflower by an average of 60 %. In the roots, Si enhanced U distribution in cell walls and impeded its entry into cells, likely due to increased callose deposition. In the leaves, Si induced the sequestration of U in trichomes. However, Si did not alter U speciation and U remained in the hexavalent form. These results provide information on U accumulation and distribution within sunflower, and suggest that Si could enhance plant growth under high U stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Femtosecond-laser-fabricated black silicon has been widely used in the fields of solar cells, photodetectors, semiconductor devices, optical coatings, and quantum computing. However, the responsive spectral range limits its application in the near- to mid-infrared wavelengths. To further increase the optical responsivity in longer wavelengths, in this work, silicon (Si) was co-hyperdoped with nitrogen (N) and selenium (Se) through the deposition of Se films on Si followed by femtosecond (fs)-laser irradiation in an atmosphere of NF 3 . The optical and crystalline properties of the Si:N/Se were found to be influenced by the precursor Se film and laser fluence. The resulting photodetector, a product of this innovative approach, exhibited an impressive responsivity of 24.8 A/W at 840 nm and 19.8 A/W at 1060 nm, surpassing photodetectors made from Si:N, Si:S, and Si:S/Se (the latter two fabricated in SF6). These findings underscore the co-hyperdoping method's potential in significantly improving optoelectronic device performance.

The performance of herbivorous animals depends on the nutritional and defensive traits of the plants they consume. The uptake and deposition of biogenic silicon in plant tissues is arguably the most basic and ubiquitous anti-herbivore defence used by plants, especially grasses. We conducted meta-analyses of 150 studies reporting how vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores performed when feeding on silicon-rich plants relative to those feeding on low-silicon plants. Silicon levels were 52% higher and 32% more variable in silicon-rich plants compared to plants with low silicon, which resulted in an overall 33% decline in herbivore performance. Fluid-feeding herbivore performance was less adversely impacted (-14%) than tissue-chewing herbivores, including mammals (-45%), chewing arthropods (-33%) and plant-boring arthropods (-39%). Fluid-feeding arthropods with a wide diet breadth or those feeding on perennial plant species were mostly unaffected by silicon defences. Unlike many other plant defences, where diet specialisation often helps herbivores overcome their effects, silicon negatively impacts chewing herbivores regardless of diet breadth. We conclude that silicon defences primarily target chewing herbivores and impact vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores to a similar degree., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a photon-counting detector (PCD) based micro-CT simulation platform for assessing the performance of three different PCD sensor materials: cadmium telluride (CdTe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), and silicon (Si). The evaluation encompasses the components of primary and scatter signals, performance of imaging contrast agents, and detector efficiency., Methods: Simulations were performed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit, and a micro-PCD-CT system was meticulously modeled based on realistic geometric parameters., Results: The simulation can obtain HU values consistent with measured results for iodine and calcium hydroxyapatite contrast agents. The two major components of scatter signals for CdTe and GaAs based PCD are fluorescent X-ray photons and photoelectrons, whereas for Si, the components are photoelectrons and Compton electrons. Scattering counts of CdTe and GaAs sensors can be effectively reduced by using energy thresholds, whereas those of Si sensor are insensitive to the applied threshold. The optimal threshold values for CdTe and GaAs are 30 and 15 keV, respectively. For contrast agent imaging, GaAs exhibits enhanced sensitivity to low photon energies compared to CdTe, while it's contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values are slightly lower than those of CdTe at the same contrast agent concentration. Among the three sensor materials, Si has the lowest CNR and detector efficiency; CdTe exhibits the highest efficiency, except in low-energy ranges (< 45 keV), where GaAs has superior efficiency., Conclusions: The proposed methods are expected to benefit PCD optimization and applications, including energy threshold selection, scattering correction, and may reduce the need for large-scale experiments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Insecticides and fungicides present potential threats to non-target crops, yet our comprehension of their combined phytotoxicity to plants is limited. Silicon (Si) has been acknowledged for its ability to induce crop tolerance to xenobiotic stresses. However, the specific role of Si in alleviating the cypermethrin (CYP) and hymexazol (HML) combined stress has not been thoroughly explored. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Si in alleviating phytotoxic effects and elucidating the associated mechanisms of CYP and/or HML in tomato seedlings. The findings demonstrated that, compared to exposure to CYP or HML alone, the simultaneous exposure of CYP and HML significantly impeded seedling growth, resulting in more pronounced phytotoxic effects in tomato seedlings. Additionally, CYP and/or HML exposures diminished the content of photosynthetic pigments and induced oxidative stress in tomato seedlings. Pesticide exposure heightened the activity of both antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, increased proline and phenolic accumulation, and reduced thiols and ascorbate content in tomato seedlings. Applying Si (1 mM) to CYP- and/or HML-stressed seedlings alleviated pigment inhibition and oxidative damage by enhancing the activity of the pesticide metabolism system and secondary metabolism enzymes. Furthermore, Si stimulated the phenylpropanoid pathway by boosting phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, as confirmed by the increased total phenolic content. Interestingly, the application of Si enhanced the thiols profile, emphasizing its crucial role in pesticide detoxification in plants. In conclusion, these results suggest that externally applying Si significantly alleviates the physio-biochemical level in tomato seedlings exposed to a combination of pesticides, introducing innovative strategies for fostering a sustainable agroecosystem., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Iron plays a crucial role in plant chlorophyll synthesis, respiration, and plant growth. However, excessive iron content can contribute to ginseng poisoning. We previously discovered that the application of silicon (Si) and potassium (K) can mitigate the iron toxicity on ginseng. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of how Si and K alleviate iron toxicity stress in ginseng. We investigated the physiological and transcriptional effects of exogenous Si and K on Panax ginseng. The results suggested that the leaves of ginseng with Si and K addition under iron stress increased antioxidant enzyme activity or secondary metabolite content, such as phenylalanine amino-lyase, polyphenol oxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, total phenols and lignin, by 6.21%-25.94%, 30.12%-309.19%, 32.26%-38.82%, 7.81%-23.66%, and 4.68%-48.42%, respectively. Moreover, Si and K increased the expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with resistance to both biotic and abiotic stress, including WRKY (WRKY1, WRKY5, and WRKY65), bHLH (bHLH35, bHLH66, bHLH128, and bHLH149), EREBP, ERF10 and ZIP. Additionally, the amount of DEGs of ginseng by Si and K addition was enriched in metabolic processes, single-organism process pathways, signal transduction, metabolism, synthesis and disease resistance. In conclusion, the utilization of Si and K can potentially reduce the accumulation of iron in ginseng, regulate the expression of iron tolerance genes, and enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity and secondary metabolite production in both leaves and roots, thus alleviating the iron toxicity stress in ginseng., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Silicon (Si) can significantly improve the salt tolerance of plants, but its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, role of abscisic acid (ABA) in Si derived salt resistance in tobacco seedling was investigated. Under salt stress, the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate of tobacco seedlings were reduced by 86.17%, 80.63%, and 67.54% respectively, resulting in a decrease in biomass. The application of Si found to mitigate these stress-induced markers. However, positive role of Si was mainly attributed to the enhanced expression of aquaporin genes, which helped in enhancing root hydraulic conductance (Lpr) and ultimately maintaining the leaf relative water content (RWC). Moreover, sodium tungstate, an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, was used to test the role of ABA on Si-regulating Lpr. The results indicated that the improvement of Lpr by Si was diminished in the presence of ABA inhibitor. In addition, it was observed that the ABA content was increased due to the Si-upregulated of ABA biosynthesis genes, namely NtNCED1 and NtNCED5. Conversely, the expression of ABA metabolism gene NtCYP7O7A was found to be reduced by Si. Together, this study suggested that Si increased ABA content, leading to enhanced efficiency of water uptake by the roots, ultimately facilitating an adequate water supply to maintain leaf water balance. As a result, there was an improvement in salt resistance in tobacco seedling., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Nearly four decades have passed since IBM scientists pioneered atomic force microscopy (AFM) by merging the principles of a scanning tunneling microscope with the features of a stylus profilometer. Today, electrical AFM modes are an indispensable asset within the semiconductor and nanotechnology industries, enabling the characterization and manipulation of electrical properties at the nanoscale. However, electrical AFM measurements suffer from reproducibility issues caused, for example, by surface contaminations, Joule heating, and hard-to-minimize tip drift and tilt. Using as experimental system nanoscale Schottky diodes assembled on oxide-free silicon crystals of precisely defined surface chemistry, it is revealed that voltage-dependent adhesion forces lead to significant rotation of the AFM platinum tip. The electrostatics-driven tip rotation causes a strain gradient on the silicon surface, which induces a flexoelectric reverse bias term. This directional flexoelectric internal-bias term adds to the external (instrumental) bias, causing both an increased diode leakage as well as a shift of the diode knee voltage to larger forward biases. These findings will aid the design and characterization of silicon-based devices, especially those that are deliberately operated under large strain or shear, such as in emerging energy harvesting technologies including Schottky-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In this article, we report a novel pressure sensing method based on the Hall effect and a hard magnet magnetorheological elastomer (hmMRE). The elastic property of the MRE under pressure was used to generate spatial variation in the magnetic flux density around the MRE, and the variation was detected by the Hall effect device underneath. As the first development in this kind of pressure sensing mechanism, we conducted research for the following three purposes: (1) to verify the Hall effect on the output signal, (2) to understand the sensor output variations under different modes of operation, and (3) to utilize the mechanism as a pressure sensor. We characterized the sensor with its operation parameters, such as signal polarity switching depending on wiring directions, signal amplitude, and offset shift depending on the input voltage. Based on the analyses, we concluded that the Hall voltage represents the pressure applied on the hmMRE, and the new pressure sensing mechanism was devised successfully.

Kale is rich in various essential trace elements and phytochemicals, including glucosinolate and its hydrolyzed product isothiocyanate, which have significant anticancer properties. Nowadays, new types of pollutant microplastics (MP) pose a threat to global ecosystems due to their high bioaccumulation and persistent degradation. Silicon (Si) is commonly used to alleviate abiotic stresses, offering a promising approach to ensure safe food production. However, the mechanisms through which Si mitigates MP toxicity are unknown. In this study, a pot culture experiments was conducted to evaluate the morphogenetic, physiological, and biochemical responses of kale to Si supply under MP stress. The results showed that MP caused the production of reactive oxygen species, inhibited the growth and development of kale, and reduced the content of phytochemicals by interfering with the photosynthetic system, antioxidant defense system, and endogenous hormone regulation network. Si mitigated the adverse effects of MP by enhancing the photosynthetic capacity of kale, regulating the distribution of substances between primary and secondary metabolism, and strengthening the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycling system., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Xiaoqin Yao reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Xiaoqin Yao reports financial support was provided by Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Integrating light emitters based on III-V materials with silicon-based electronics is crucial for further increase in data transfer rates in communication systems since the indirect bandgap of silicon prevents its direct use as a light source. We investigate here InAs/InGaAlAs quantum dot (QD) structures grown directly on 5° off-cut Si substrate and emitting light at 1.5 μm, compatible with established telecom platform. Using different dislocation defect filtering layers, exploiting strained superlattices, and supplementary QD layers, we mitigate the effects of lattice constant and thermal expansion mismatches between III-V materials and Si during growth. Complementary optical spectroscopy techniques, i.e. photoreflectance and temperature-, time- and polarization-resolved photoluminescence, allow us to determine the optical quality and application potential of the obtained structures by comparing them to a reference sample-state-of-the-art QDs grown on InP. Experimental findings are supported by calculations of excitonic states and optical transitions by combining multiband k • p and configuration-interaction methods. We show that our design of structures prevents the generation of a considerable density of defects, as intended. The emission of Si-based structures appears to be much broader than for the reference dots, due to the creation of different QD populations which might be a disadvantage in particular laser applications, however, could be favorable for others, e.g., in broadly tunable devices, sensors, or optical amplifiers. Eventually, we identify the overall most promising combination of defect filtering layers and discuss its advantages and limitations and prospects for further improvements.

Most breast implants currently used in both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery have a silicone outer shell, which, despite much progress, remains susceptible to mechanical failure, infection, and foreign body response. This study shows that the durability and biocompatibility of breast implant-grade silicone can be enhanced by incorporating carbon nanomaterials of sp 2 and sp 3 hybridization into the polymer matrix and onto its surface. Plasma treatment of the implant surface can be used to modify platelet adhesion and activation to prevent thrombosis, postoperative infection, and inflammation disorders. The addition of 0.8% graphene flakes resulted in an increase in mechanical strength by 64% and rupture strength by around 77% when compared to pure silicone, whereas when nanodiamond (ND) was used as the additive, the mechanical strength was increased by 19.4% and rupture strength by 37.5%. Composites with a partially embedded surface layer of either graphene or ND showed superior antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility compared to pure silicone. All composite materials were able to sustain the attachment and growth of human dermal fibroblast, with the preferred growth noted on ND-coated surfaces when compared to graphene-coated surfaces. Exposure of these materials to hydrogen plasma for 5, 10, and 20 s led to substantially reduced platelet attachment on the surfaces. Hydrogen-treated pure silicone showed a decrease in platelet attachment for samples treated for 5-20 s, whereas silicone composite showed an almost threefold decrease in platelet attachment for the same plasma treatment times. The absence of platelet activation on the surface of composite materials suggests a significant improvement in hemocompatibility of the material.

Black silicon was discovered by accident and considered an undesirable by-product of the silicon industry. A highly modified surface, consisting of pyramids, needles, holes, pillars, etc., provides high light absorption from the UV to the NIR range and gives black silicon its color-matte black. Although black silicon has already attracted some interest as a promising material for sensitive sensors, the potential of this material has not yet been fully exploited. Over the past three decades, black silicon has been actively introduced as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-a molecule-specific vibrational spectroscopy technique-and successful proof-of-concept experiments have been conducted. This review focuses on the current progress in black silicon SERS biosensor fabrication, the recent advances in the design of the surface morphology and an analysis of the relation of surface micro-structuring and SERS efficiency and sensitivity. Much attention is paid to problems of non-invasiveness of the technique and biocompatibility of black silicon, its advantages over other SERS biosensors, cost-effectiveness and reproducibility, as well as the expansion of black silicon applications. The question of existing limitations and ways to overcome them is also addressed.

The preparation of cationic bis(hydrosilane)-coinage-metal complexes by chloride abstraction from the neutral metal chloride precursors with Na[BAr F 4 ] is described. Unlike previously reported hydrosilane-stabilized copper and silver complexes, the presented complexes are cationic and feature two bidentate (ortho-silylphenyl)phosphine ligands. These complexes were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, revealing that both Si-H bonds are activated by the Lewis acidic cationic metal center. The new complexes were found to be effective in catalytic carbonyl hydrosilylation, leading to the corresponding silyl ethers under mild conditions without the addition of an external base. Combined mechanistic control experiments and quantum chemical calculations support an ionic outer-sphere mechanism, in which a neutral metal alkoxide species instead of a metal hydride is the key intermediate that interacts with the silylcarboxonium ion to generate the silyl ether., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Water scarcity is a key limitation to winter wheat production in the North China Plain, and it is essential to explore the optimal timing of spring irrigation to optimize N and Si uptake as well as to safeguard yields. The aim of this study was to systematically study the effect mechanism of nitrogen and silicon absorption of winter wheat on yield under spring irrigation and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing irrigation strategy during the growth period of winter wheat. In this experiment, the winter wheat 'Heng 4399' was used. Five irrigation periods, i.e., 0 d (CK), 5 d (AJ5), 10 d (AJ10), 15 d (AJ15), and 20 d (AJ20) after the jointing stage, were set up to evaluate the nitrogen (N) and silicon (Si) absorption and grain yield (GY). The results showed that delayed irrigation for 5-10 days at the jointing stage had increased the GY. With the delay of irrigation time, the N/Si content of the entire plant at the maturity period increased first and then decreased; among that, the maximum N contents appeared in AJ15 and AJ5 in 2015 and 2020, respectively, while the Si concentrations appeared in AJ5 and AJ10 in sequence. Compared with AJ15 and AJ20, the N accumulation of vegetative organs in AJ5 increased by 3.05~23.13% at the flowering stage, 14.12~40.12% after the flowering stage, and a 1.76~6.45% increase in the N distribution rate at maturity stage. A correlation analysis revealed that the GY was significantly and positively correlated with the N/Si accumulation at the anthesis and N translocation after the anthesis stage. In conclusion, under limited irrigation conditions, delaying watering for 5 to 10 days at the jointing stage can improve the nitrogen and silicon absorption and nutrient status of wheat plants and increase wheat yield.

Multicrystalline materials play a crucial role in our society. However, their microstructure is complicated, and there is no universal approach to achieving high performance. Therefore, a methodology is necessary to answer the fundamental question of how we should design and create microstructures. 'Multicrystalline informatics' is an innovative approach that combines experimental, theoretical, computational, and data sciences. This approach helps us understand complex phenomena in multicrystalline materials and improve their performance. The paper covers various original research bases of multicrystalline informatics, such as the three-dimensional visualization of crystal defects in multicrystalline materials, the machine learning model for predicting crystal orientation distribution, network analysis of multicrystalline structures, computational methods using artificial neural network interatomic potentials, and so on. The integration of these research bases proves to be useful in understanding unexplained phenomena in complex multicrystalline materials. The paper also presents examples of efficient optimization of the growth process of high-quality materials with the aid of informatics, as well as prospects for extending the methodology to other materials., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by National Institute for Materials Science in partnership with Taylor & Francis Group.)

A desymmetrizing 1,2-addition of silicon nucleophiles to biaryl derivatives containing an 2,6-dicarbaldehyde-1-yl unit is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by copper with a triazolium-ion-derived N-heterocyclic carbene as the chiral ligand and makes use of an Si-B reagent as the silicon pronucleophile. The practical methodology furnishes axially chiral aromatic carbaldehydes decorated with a centrally chiral α-hydroxysilane moiety in moderate to good yields and with high enantio- as well as excellent diastereoselectivities. The silicon nucleophile always attacks at the diastereotopic face of either carbonyl group away from the ortho substituent on the phenyl ring at C1 of the 2,6-dicarbaldehyde-1-yl fragment. The resulting axially and centrally chiral products can be further converted into valuable biaryl compounds with hardly any erosion of the enantiomeric excess., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Key Message: Promoters of moso bamboo silicon transporter genes PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 contain elements in response to hormone, silicon, and abiotic stresses, and can drive the expression of PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 in transgene Arabidopsis. Low silicon 1 (Lsi1) transporters from different species have been shown to play an important role in influxing silicon from soil. In previous study, we cloned PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 from Phyllostachys edulis and verified that PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 have silicon uptake ability. Furthermore, in this study, the promoters of PeLsi1-1(1910 bp) and PeLsi1-2(1922 bp) were cloned. Deletion analysis identified the key regions of the PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 promoters in response to hormone, silicon, and abiotic stresses. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 were regulated by hormones, salt stress and osmotic stress. In addition, we found that the driving activity of the PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 promoters was regulated by 2 mM K 2 SiO 3 and PeLsi1-1-P3 ~ P4 and PeLsi1-2-P4 ~ 5 were the regions regulated by silicon. Overexpression of PeLsi1-1 or PeLsi1-2 driven by 35S promoter in Arabidopsis resulted in a threefold increase of Si accumulation, whereas transgenic plants showed deleterious symptoms and dwarf seedlings and shorter roots under 2 mM Si treatment. When the 35S promoter was replaced by PeLsi1-1 or PeLsi1-2 promoter, a similar Si absorption was achieved and the transgene plants grew normally. This study, therefore, demonstrates that the promoters of PeLsi1-1 and PeLsi1-2 are indeed effective in driving the expression of moso bamboo Lsi1 genes and leading to silicon uptake., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In condensed matter physics, the Kagome lattice and its inherent flat bands have attracted considerable attention for their prediction and observation to host a variety of exotic physical phenomena. Despite extensive efforts to fabricate thin films of Kagome materials aimed at modulating flat bands through electrostatic gating or strain manipulation, progress has been limited. Here, we report the observation of a d-orbital hybridized Kagome-derived flat band in Ag/Si(111) 3 × 3 as revealed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our findings indicate that silver atoms on a silicon substrate form an unconventional distorted breathing Kagome structure, where a delicate balance in the hopping parameters of the in-plane d-orbitals leads to destructive interference, resulting in double flat bands. The exact quantum destructive interference mechanism that forms the flat band is uncovered in a rigorous manner that has not been described before. These results illuminate the potential for integrating metal-semiconductor interfaces on semiconductor surfaces into Kagome physics, particularly in exploring the flat bands of ideal 2D Kagome systems.

In this study, silicon carbide nanoparticles (NPs) were produced via pulsed laser ablation in liquid, aiming to investigate the influence of processing parameters on the properties of the resultant NPs and their applicability for inkjet printing. The results revealed an increase in NP concentration with increasing laser power, but the maximal absorbance in the case of 0.743 and 1.505 W is lower than that for 1.282 W laser. Dynamic light scattering was employed to determine the size distribution of the NPs, demonstrating a range of 89 to 155 nm in diameter. Notably, an inverse relationship was established between increasing laser scanning speed and pulse repetition rate (PRR) and the mean size of the NPs. Higher PRR and laser power exhibited an augmentation in the concentration of NPs. Conversely, an increase in scanning speed resulted in a reduction in NP concentration. Based on FTIR, data formation of SiC NPs based on the target material is the most dominant behavior observed followed by an amount of oxidation of the NPs. Examination of the resulting NPs through field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) unveiled a predominantly spherical morphology, accompanied by particle agglomeration in some cases, and the elemental composition showed silicon, carbon, and some oxygen present in the resulting NPs. Furthermore, the modulation of colloidal solution viscosity was explored by incorporating glycerol, yielding a maximal viscosity of 10.95 mPa·s.