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Characterization and analytical techniques are methods used to identify, isolate or quantify chemicals or materials, or to characterize their physical properties. They include microscopy, light or radiation scattering, spectroscopy, calorimetry, chromatography, gravimetric and other measurements used in chemistry and materials science.
Biosensing tools to detect multiple analytes in a high-throughput manner are still hindered by many limitations. Here, the authors present a label-free optofluidic platform integrating digital holography and microfluidics for analyte detection, allowing for the fingerprinting of heterogenous biological samples.
Integrating atomic force microscopy with time-domain two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy provides insights into molecular structures, mode coupling and energy transfers with high spatial resolution.
This study reports the direct observation of atomic density fluctuations in silica glass using angstrom-beam electron diffraction. The local atomic fluctuations are found to originate from quasi-periodic arrays of nanoscale columnar atomic configurations and interstitial tubular voids. The present study also reveals longer-range fluctuations associated with the shoulder of the first sharp diffraction peak. These findings may help to understand the properties and performance of materials.
Authors predict polar Bloch points with negative capacitance in tensile-strained ultrathin ferroelectric PbTiO3 film by phase-field simulations, observing their polarization structures by scanning transmission electron microscopic imaging.
A powerful technique with broad applications, operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is widely used but there is a lack of design and reporting standards. Focusing on water-splitting electrocatalysts, we propose best practices for the reproducibility, replicability and reliability of operando XAS studies.
To improve the usefulness of the Solar Cells Reporting Summary as a standalone report, we now ask authors of relevant manuscripts to include experimental details in the Summary, and we have updated some of the requested information.
Emily Draper explains how to design and build electrochemical equipment for neutron scattering experiments with simple, at-hand components and techniques.
Adopting standardized and reliable methodologies to accurately measure particle removal efficiency when developing fibrous materials for controlling airborne contamination is crucial. Here, the authors recommend best practices for experimental assessments and reporting to ensure a reliable evaluation of new airborne particle filtration media and technologies.
By tracking the electrochromic doping front, a hole-limited electrochemical doping mechanism is discovered in organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors.