Оценка влияния икосаэдрических "магических" чисел на термическую стабильность малых нанокластеров серебра

A comparative analysis of thermally induced structural transitions in silver nanoclusters, the number of atoms of which corresponded to the “magic” numbers of the icosahedral (Ih) structure with variation of their initial morphology, was carried out by the molecular dynamics method using the modified tight-binding potential TB-SMA. It is shown that, in the case of the initial fcc phase, the formation of the Ih modification, depending on the particle size, occurred either at the stage of preliminary thermal relaxation or during further heating. At the initial amorphous morphology, the nature of the structural transitions underwent significant changes. Thus, even in the case of Ag55 clusters, the icosahedral structure was formed only in 50-60% of the experiments performed. Based on the data obtained, it was concluded that to create a stable Ih structure, it is necessary to use the thermal cycling procedure.

The binary aluminum scandium clusters AlxScy with x + y = 13: when is the icosahedron retained?

The icosahedral structure of the AlxScy clusters with x + y = 13.

Superchiral near fields detect virus structure

Optical spectroscopy can be used to quickly characterise the structural properties of individual molecules. However, it cannot be applied to biological assemblies because light is generally blind to the spatial distribution of the component molecules. This insensitivity arises from the mismatch in length scales between the assemblies (a few tens of nm) and the wavelength of light required to excite chromophores (≥150 nm). Consequently, with conventional spectroscopy, ordered assemblies, such as the icosahedral capsids of viruses, appear to be indistinguishable isotropic spherical objects. This limits potential routes to rapid high-throughput portable detection appropriate for point-of-care diagnostics. Here, we demonstrate that chiral electromagnetic (EM) near fields, which have both enhanced chiral asymmetry (referred to as superchirality) and subwavelength spatial localisation (∼10 nm), can detect the icosahedral structure of virus capsids. Thus, they can detect both the presence and relative orientation of a bound virus capsid. To illustrate the potential uses of the exquisite structural sensitivity of subwavelength superchiral fields, we have used them to successfully detect virus particles in the complex milieu of blood serum.

Computer Simulation of the Formation Process of Cu-Au Nanoparticles by Condensation

The computer simulation method was used to examine condensation of 90124 Cu and Au atoms from the gas phase. To analyze the synthesis processes, there were selected chemical compositions Cu3Au, Cu-Au, Cu90Au10 and Cu60Au40 being cooled with liquid nitrogen during the condensation. The undertaken simulation showed that the increase in the percentage of gold atoms in the initial couple decreases the number of clusters of a relatively large size. Moreover, the analysis of the external view and the structure of Cu-Au nanoparticles of various chemical composition allowed us to conclude that a large number of binary nanoparticles were of an icosahedral structure.

T = 4 Icosahedral HIV-1 Capsid As an Immunogenic Vector for HIV-1 V3 Loop Epitope Display

The HIV-1 mature capsid (CA) assumes an amorphous, fullerene conical configuration due to its high flexibility. How native CA self-assembles is still unclear despite having well-defined structures of its pentamer and hexamer building blocks. Here we explored the self-assembly of an engineered capsid protein built through artificial disulfide bonding (CA N21C/A22C) and determined the structure of one fraction of the globular particles. CA N21C/A22C was found to self-assemble into particles in relatively high ionic solutions. These particles contained disulfide-bonding hexamers as determined via non-reducing SDS-PAGE, and exhibited two major components of 57.3 S and 80.5 S in the sedimentation velocity assay. Particles had a globular morphology, approximately 40 nm in diameter, in negative-staining TEM. Through cryo-EM 3-D reconstruction, we determined a novel T = 4 icosahedral structure of CA, comprising 12 pentamers and 30 hexamers at 25 Å resolution. We engineered the HIV-1 V3 loop to the CA particles, and found the resultant particles resembled the morphology of their parental particles in TEM, had a positive reaction with V3-specific neutralizing antibodies, and conferred neutralization immunogenicity in mice. Our results shed light on HIV CA assembly and provide a particulate CA for epitope display.

Деформационное поведение и структура квазикристаллического сплава i-Al-Cu-Fe в окрестности отпечатка наноиндентора

The nanoindentation tests have been carried out for the quasicrystalline polygrain Al_62.4Cu_25.3Fe_12.3 alloy with the icosahedral structure i ; the load P -displacement h diagrams have been used to estimate the contributions of plastic deformation (monotonic and intermittent), and the structures of the transverse microscopic sections have been studied in the vicinity of indentations by electron microscopy. It is shown that several systems of deformation bands are formed in the elasto-plastic zone in the vicinity of the indentations along the close-packed planes of the i lattice with the five-fold and two-fold symmetry axes; the bands often begin from cracks and manifest the signs of the dislocation structure. The traces of the phase transformation with the formation of the β-phase areas are observed only in a thin layer under an indenter. The effects of intermittent deformation are up to 50% of the total inelastic deformation and are related to the plastic behavior of the quasicrystal-activation and passage of deformation bands and also the formation of undersurface micro- and nanosized cracks.