Many oceanic prey animals use transparent bodies to avoid detection. However, conspicuous eye pigments, required for vision, compromise the organisms' ability remain unseen. We report discovery of a reflector overlying pigments in larval decapod crustaceans and show how it is tuned render organisms inconspicuous against background. The ultracompact constructed from photonic glass crystalline isoxanthopterin nanospheres. nanospheres' size ordering are modulated tune reflectance deep blue...

Abstract The ESCRT machinery mediates membrane remodeling in numerous processes cells including cell division and nuclear reformation. identification of homologs Asgard archaea, currently considered the closest prokaryotic relative eukaryotes, implies a role for ESCRTs that occurred during eukaryogenesis. Yet, function these distant is mostly unresolved. Here we show ESCRT-III proteins Lokiarcheota self-assemble into helical filaments, hallmark system. We determined cryo-EM structure...

Spectacular colors and visual phenomena in animals are produced by light interference from highly reflective guanine crystals. Little is known about how organisms regulate crystal morphology to tune the optics of these systems. By following formation developing spiders, a crystallization mechanism elucidated. Guanine "non-classical," multistep process involving progressive ordering states. Crystallization begins with nucleation partially ordered nanogranules disordered precursor phase....

Abstract Animals precisely control the morphology and assembly of guanine crystals to produce diverse optical phenomena in coloration vision. However, little is known about how organisms regulate crystallization optically useful morphologies which express highly reflective crystal faces. Guanine form inside iridosome vesicles within chromatophore cells called iridophores. By following formation developing scallop eyes, we show that pre-assembled, fibrillar sheets provide an interface for...

Using photons to drive chemical reactions has become an increasingly important field of chemistry. Plasmonic materials can provide a means introduce the energy necessary for nucleation and growth nanoparticles by efficiently converting visible infrared light heat. Moreover, formation crystalline yet be included in extensive list plasmonic photothermal processes. Herein, we establish light-assisted colloidal synthesis iron oxide, silver, palladium utilizing silica-encapsulated gold bipyramids...

MXenes exhibit remarkable electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, positioning them as strong candidates for high-performance electrodes interconnects. Deposited 2D MXene thin-films suffer from a persistent issue of crystalline salt residues that originate dissolved intercalation salts used the exfoliation process during synthesis. These 3D by-products can cause issues further nanofabrication processing be detrimental to integrated device performance. This study introduces three-step...

Abstract A distinguishing feature of MAX phases and their MXene derivatives is remarkable chemical diversity. This diversity, coupled with the 2D nature MXenes, positions them as outstanding candidates for a wide range electrochemical applications. Chemical disorder introduced by solid solution can improve behavior. Up to now, adding considerable amount tungsten (W) in phase MXenes solutions, which enhance performance, proved challenging. In this study, synthesis M site Ti 1‐x W x are...

Many animals undergo changes in functional colors during development, requiring the replacement of integument or pigment cells. A classic example defensive color switching is found hatchling lizards, which use conspicuous tail to deflect predator attacks away from vital organs. These usually fade concealing ontogeny. Here, we show that ontogenetic blue-to-brown change Acanthodactylus beershebensis lizards results changing optical properties single types developing chromatophore The blue...

Thin films of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid were prepared using Langmuir and spin-coating techniques polymerized a controlled dosage UV radiation. The radiation-induced phase transitions: from the colorless monomer, via metastable blue phase, to red polydiacetylene finally degradation material, monitored by optical absorbance spectroscopy. Deconvolution analysis curves allowed us monitor quantitatively dynamical changes in chromatic properties as function applied radiation dose. Several...

Biomineralization is a process that takes place in all domains of life and which usually helps organisms to harden soft tissues by creating inorganic structures facilitate their biological functions. It was shown biominerals are under tight control via proteins involved nucleation initiation and/or act as structural skeletons. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) use iron biomineralization create nano-magnetic particles specialized organelle, the magnetosome, align geomagnetic field. A specific set...

Polydiacetylene (PDA) Langmuir films (LF) containing Zn2+ cations were prepared in different experimental procedures. The incorporation of zinc resulted new morphological and spectral properties. We found that stabilize the blue phase PDA, inhibit its transformation into red phase, withstanding prolonged exposure to UV irradiation. increased stability was accompanied with loss linear strand morphology appearance a new, transient purple before final stage. It most significant differences film...

Pif80 protein is associated with nacre formation in the Akoya pearl oyster. The influence of Pif2, a 32-mer peptide derived from Pif80, on calcium carbonate polymorphism, crystal orientation, morphology, and induction aragonite was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses reveal that presence polydiacetylene (PDA) template, enhances calcite nucleation (012) plane while suppressing (104) face. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images illustrate Pif2 concentration-dependent impact...

Amyloid protein fibrils and some antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) share biophysical structural properties. This observation suggests that ordered self-assembly can act as an AMP-regulating mechanism, and, vice versa, human amyloids play a role in host defense against pathogens, opposed to their common association with neurodegenerative systemic diseases. Based on previous information toxic amyloid peptides, we developed sequence-based bioinformatics platform led by its predictions,...

Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are virulent peptides secreted by staphylococci that undergo self-assembly into amyloid fibrils. This study focuses on Staphylococcus aureus PSMα1 and PSMα3, which share homologous sequences but exhibit distinct fibril structures. Upon subjecting to an 80°C heat shock, it fibrillates cross-β structures, resulting in the loss of cytotoxic activity. Conversely, PSMα3 cross-α fibrils reversible disaggregation upon leading recovery cytotoxicity. The differential...

Polydiacetylene (PDA) Langmuir films (LFs) are a unique class of materials that couple highly aligned conjugated backbone with tailorable pendant side groups and terminal functionalities. The exhibit chromatic transitions from monomer to blue polymer finally red phase can be activated optically, thermally, chemically, mechanically. properties PDA LFs strongly affected by the presence metal cations in aqueous subphase film due their interaction carboxylic head polymer. In present study...

Epitaxial thin films of CdS were deposited from solution onto GaAs(100) and GaAs(111)B.

One of the distinguishing features MAX phases and their MXene derivatives is remarkable chemical diversity. This diversity, coupled with two-dimensional nature MXenes, positions them as outstanding candidates for a wide range electrochemical applications. In this study, we report synthesis M site T1-xWx solid solution phases, specifically (Ti1-xWx)2AlC (Ti1-xWx)3AlC2. The 211-type phase exhibited disordered solution, whereas 312-type displayed more ordered structure, resembling an o-MAX...

Abstract Rechargeable alkaline zinc–air batteries (ZAB) hold great promise as a viable, sustainable, and safe alternative energy storage system to the lithium‐ion battery. However, practical realization of ZABs is limited by their intrinsically low trip efficiency, stemming from large charge discharge potential gap. This overpotential attributed four‐electron oxygen evolution reduction reactions sluggish kinetics. Here, new concept based on two‐electron generation consumption hydrogen...

Recent studies of optical reflectors as part the vision apparatus in eyes decapod crustaceans revealed assemblies nanoscale spherulites - spherical core-shell nanoparticles with radial birefringence. Simulations performed on system highlighted advantages anisotropy enhancing functionality these structures. So far, calculations nanoparticle properties have relied refractive indices obtained using ab-initio calculations. Here we describe a direct measurement tangential index spherulites, which...

Abstract Many animals undergo dramatic changes in colour during development 1,2 . Changes predation risk ontogeny are associated with spectacular switches defensive colours, typically involving the replacement of skin or production new pigment cells 3 Ontogenetic systems ideal models for understanding evolution and formation mechanisms animal which remain largely enigmatic 2 We show that switching lizards arises by reorganization a single photonic system, as an incidental by-product...

We report on the oriented nucleation of CdS nanocrystals well-defined polydiacetylene Langmuir film templates. Nucleation red phase resulted in ordered linear arrays that are aligned with respect to template. High resolution transmission electron microscopy showed crystalline particles ∼5 8 nm size. Selected area diffraction micrographs spot patterns which attributed orientations both polymorphs: cubic zinc blende and hexagonal wurtzite polymorphs CdS. present a unique growth mechanism where...

We report on the nucleation and growth of ZnS (CdxZn1–x)S nanocrystals polydiacetylene Langmuir films. It was found that 3–5 nm form ordered linear arrays aligned at a constant 27° angle with respect to conjugated direction film, as derived from optimal alignment between two phases. were nucleate specifically zinc blende (001) face. Because closely matched interfacial relations, twinning defects induced {111} planes. These nanometer-sized twin crystals exhibit extra electron diffraction...

Vanadium sulfide (VS2) is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), comparable in crystal structure to the well-known MoS2 and WS2. Theoretical predictions attribute much potential VS2, since it metallic-like has an active basal plane, essential for catalytic performance. However, less studied than other members of TMD family due difficulties synthesizing specific structures with controlled properties. Here we present unique VS2 nanotubes conduct comparative study inorganic...