Publications related to Julia Jacobi Chair of Photomedicine - Laboratory for fundamental BioPhotonics

Second harmonic scattering of nanoparticles: A journey into the electrical double layer

In aqueous solutions, a charged surface causes the redistribution of nearby ions. The ion layers formed are known as the electrical double layer (EDL), and are widespread in many systems involving electrochemistry, colloidal science, biomedicine, and energ ...

EPFL2024

From Surfactants to 3D Printing: How Ion-Chelator Pair Interactions Affect the Mechanical Properties of Bioinspired Materials

Gaia De Angelis

The remarkable adaptability observed in marine ecosystems has often inspired researchers when developing new soft materials. The research undertaken in this thesis explores how ion chelator pair interactions influence the mechanical properties of bioinspir ...

EPFL2024

Ion Spectroscopy Reveals Structural Difference for Proteins Microhydrated by Retention and Condensation of Water

Oleg Boyarkine, Andrei Zviagin

Protein ubiquitin in its +7 charge state microhydrated by 5 and 10 water molecules has been interrogated in the gas phase by cold ion UV/IR spectroscopy. The complexes were formed either by condensing water onto the unfolded bare proteins in a temperature- ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Computational Studies on the Stability of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Halide Lead Perovskites

Mathias Dankl

Perovskite-based solar cells are currently the most rapidly advancing photovoltaic technology but concerns about their long-term stability are still impeding full-scale commercialization. This thesis provides computational insights into some of the stabili ...

EPFL2024

Structure and dynamics of liquid water from ab initio simulations: adding Minnesota density functionals to Jacob's ladder

Ursula Röthlisberger, Justin Villard, Martin Peter Bircher

The accurate representation of the structural and dynamical properties of water is essential for simulating the unique behavior of this ubiquitous solvent. Here we assess the current status of describing liquid water using ab initio molecular dynamics, wit ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2024

Elimination of buried interfacial voids for efficient perovskite solar cells

Bin Ding, Xianfu Zhang, Bo Chen, Yan Liu

Establishing optimal interfacial contact is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, formation of voids at buried interface of perovskite films often hinders this critical objective. Our investigation reveals that the ...

Elsevier2024

Interfacial engineering through lead binding using crown ethers in perovskite solar cells

Kevin Sivula, Jun Ho Yum, Jovana Milic, Yeonju Kim, Jiyoun Seo

In the domain of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the imperative to reconcile impressive photovoltaic performance with lead-related issue and environmental stability has driven innovative solutions. This study pioneers an approach that not only rectifies lea ...

Elsevier2024

Durable Perovskite Solar Cells with 24.5% Average Efficiency: The Role of Rigid Conjugated Core in Molecular Semiconductors

Michael Graetzel, Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin, Felix Thomas Eickemeyer, Peng Wang, Ming Ren

Efficient and robust n-i-p perovskite solar cells necessitate superior organic hole-transport materials with both mechanical and electronic prowess. Deciphering the structure-property relationship of these materials is crucial for practical perovskite sola ...

Wiley-V C H Verlag Gmbh2024

Structural divergence of molecular hole selective materials for viable p-i-n perovskite photovoltaics: a comprehensive review

Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Peng Gao, Paramaguru Ganesan

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered significant attention within the photovoltaic research community due to their remarkable progress in just one decade. Among the device configurations, the p-i-n structured PSC offers several advantages, including ...

Royal Society of Chemistry2024

Advancements in Nanomechanical Characterization and Biomolecular Imaging with Atomic force Microscopy

Veronika Cencen

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used imaging tool for obtaining a variety of information for a range of samples. Although it was initially intended to serve as a method of observing very flat solid surfaces, its use expanded into several other fi ...

EPFL2024

Membrane specificity of the human cholesterol transfer protein STARD4

Charlotte Julie Caroline Gehin

STARD4 regulates cholesterol homeostasis by transferring cholesterol between the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. The STARD4 structure features a helix-grip fold surrounding a large hydrophobic cavity holding the sterol. Its access is controlled ...

Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd2024

Plasmonically enhanced molecular junctions for investigation of atomic-scale fluctuations in self-assembled monolayers

Sakthi Priya Amirtharaj

Molecular junctions represent a fascinating frontier in the realm of nanotechnology and are one of the smallest optoelectronic devices possible, consisting of individual molecules or a group of molecules that serve as the active element sandwiched between ...

EPFL2024

Investigating Non-equilibrium Physics in Wide Bandgap Semiconductors and Quantum Materials via Ultrafast Spectroscopy

Hui-Yuan Chen

This thesis uses femtosecond laser spectroscopy in studying strong correlation in condensed matters that are pertinent to future technology: a wide bandgap perovskite and a quantum material, with the employment of ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy in th ...

EPFL2024

Influence of micro-patterned support properties and interfacial polymerization conditions on performance of patterned thin-film composite membranes

Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Cédric Karel J Van Goethem

Patterned membranes prepared via spray-modified non -solvent induced phase separation (s-NIPS) have successfully shown enhanced fluxes and better fouling control, thanks to the increased surface area and high fluid shear at the membrane/feed interface. The ...

Elsevier2024

Quantified interface chemistry and biophysics via water imaging

Sylvie Roke

High throughput wide-field second harmonic imaging enables the label-free imaging of interfacial (< 3 nm thick) water, with a spatial resolution of similar to 370 nm using similar to 100 ms acquisition times per image. The obtained interfacial orientationa ...

Spie-Int Soc Optical Engineering2024

Investigating the intra-molecular and inter-molecular effects of post-translational modifications on intrinsically disordered protein regions and structured protein regions

Zhidian Zhang

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a pivotal role in regulating protein structure, interaction, and function. Aberrant PTM patterns are associated with diseases. Moreover, individual PTMs have a complex interaction with each other, known as PTM c ...

EPFL2024

Investigation of room-temperature single-photon emitters in GaN-based materials and GaN/AlN quantum dots

Johann Nicolaï Stachurski

Over the past decade, quantum photonics platforms aiming at harnessing the fundamental properties of single particles, such as quantum superposition and quantum entanglement, have flourished. In this context, single-photon emitters capable of operating at ...

EPFL2024

Automated all-functionals infrared and Raman spectra

Nicola Marzari, Lorenzo Bastonero

Infrared and Raman spectroscopies are ubiquitous techniques employed in many experimental laboratories, thanks to their fast and non-destructive nature able to capture materials' features as spectroscopic fingerprints. Nevertheless, these measurements freq ...

Nature Portfolio2024

Resonant Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of a Single-Molecule Kondo System

Jiri Dolezal

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) under ultrahigh vacuum and cryogenic conditions enables exploration of the relations between the adsorption geometry, electronic state, and vibrational fingerprints of individual molecules. TERS capability of reflecti ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Photo-doping of spiro-OMeTAD for highly stable and efficient perovskite solar cells

Michael Graetzel, Jacques-Edouard Moser, Kai Zhu, Etienne Christophe Socie, George Cameron Fish, Aaron Tomas Terpstra

A widely used component of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the molecular hole-transport material (HTM) spiro-OMeTAD. This organic solid needs to be p-doped to acquire sufficient hole conductivity. However, the conventional doping method us ...

2024