Brookhaven National Laboratory

6 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Engineering

Seedless Growth of Bismuth Nanowire Array via Vacuum Thermal Evaporation

Mingzhao Liu¹, Chang-Yong Nam¹, Lihua Zhang¹

¹Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory

A protocol for seedless and high yield growth of bismuth nanowire arrays through vacuum thermal evaporation technique is presented.

Chemistry

Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene

Rebecca A. Ryan¹, Sophie Williams¹, Andrew V. Martin¹, Ruben A. Dilanian¹, Connie Darmanin², Corey T. Putkunz¹, David Wood³, Victor A. Streltsov⁴, Michael W.M. Jones⁵, Naylyn Gaffney⁶, Felix Hofmann⁷, Garth J. Williams⁸, Sebastien Boutet⁹, Marc Messerschmidt¹⁰, M. Marvin Seibert¹¹, Evan K. Curwood¹¹, Eugeniu Balaur², Andrew G. Peele⁵, Keith A. Nugent², Harry M. Quiney¹, Brian Abbey²

¹ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, ²Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, ³Department of Physics, Imperial College London, ⁴Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, ⁵Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, ⁶Swinburne University of Technology, ⁷Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, ⁸Brookhaven National Laboratory, ⁹Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, ¹⁰BioXFEL Science and Technology Center, ¹¹Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, ¹²Australian Synchrotron

We describe an experiment designed to probe the electronic damage induced in nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀) by intense, femtosecond pulses of X-rays. The experiment found that, surprisingly, rather than being stochastic, the X-ray induced electron dynamics in C₆₀are highly correlated, extending over hundreds of unit cells within the crystals¹.

Biology

The Ingestion of Fluorescent, Magnetic Nanoparticles for Determining Fluid-uptake Abilities in Insects

Matthew S. Lehnert¹, Kristen E. Reiter¹, Andrew Bennett¹, Patrick D. Gerard², Qi-Huo Wei³, Miranda Byler¹, Huan Yan³, Wah-Keat Lee⁴

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University at Stark, ²Department of Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, ³Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, ⁴Brookhaven National Laboratory

Fluid-feeding insects have the ability to acquire minute quantities of liquids from porous surfaces. This protocol describes a method to directly determine the ability for insects to ingest liquids from porous surfaces using feeding solutions with fluorescent, magnetic nanoparticles.

Engineering

Single-Digit Nanometer Electron-Beam Lithography with an Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Fernando E. Camino¹, Vitor R. Manfrinato¹, Aaron Stein¹, Lihua Zhang¹, Ming Lu¹, Eric A. Stach¹, Charles T. Black¹

¹Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory

We use an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope to define single-digit nanometer patterns in two widely-used electron-beam resists: poly (methyl methacrylate) and hydrogen silsesquioxane. Resist patterns can be replicated in target materials of choice with single-digit nanometer fidelity using liftoff, plasma etching, and resist infiltration by organometallics.

Environment

A Method to Preserve Wetland Roots and Rhizospheres for Elemental Imaging

Angelia L. Seyfferth¹, Matt A. Limmer¹, Ryan Tappero²

¹Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, ²National Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory

We describe a protocol to sample, preserve, and section intact roots and the surrounding rhizosphere soil from wetland environments using rice (Oryza sativa L.) as a model species. Once preserved, the sample can be analyzed using elemental imaging techniques, such as synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (XRF) chemical speciation imaging.

Biology

Fluorescence Lifetime Macro Imager for Biomedical Applications

Rajannya Sen¹, Alexander V. Zhdanov¹, Ciaran Devoy², Mark Tangney², Liisa M. Hirvonen³, Andrei Nomerotski⁴, Dmitri B. Papkovsky¹

¹School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, ²Cancer Research@UCC, University College Cork, ³Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA), The University of Western Australia, ⁴Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory

This paper describes the use of a new, fast optical imager for the macroscopic photoluminescence lifetime imaging of long decay emitting samples. The integration, image acquisition, and analysis procedures are described, along with the preparation and characterization of the sensor materials for the imaging and the application of the imager in studying biological samples.