Highly uniform Cu2S nanocrystals with controllable sizes and shapes (circular and elongated) have been synthesized through a novel water-oil interface confined reaction. They can self-assemble into highly ordered multilayer superlattices. By controlling the size and shape of building block nanocrystals, the packing symmetry of the superlattice can be engineered. For circular nanocrystals, both fcc and hcp multilayer superlattices are found in the sample. For elongated nanocrystals, they can also generate a close-packed layer and further stack into a multilayer superlattice. The dipole moment of the inner nanocrystals is useful for their stacking. This work provides a simple bottom-up approach to integrate nanocrystals, as well as to adjust the packing symmetry of the final superlattice, which may have potential applications for nanomaterials and nanodevices in the future.

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Zein is a corn prolamin that has broad industrial applications because of its unique physical properties. Currently, the high cost of extraction and purification, which is directly related to the dispersion of zein in different solvents, is the major bottleneck of the zein industry. Solution behaviors of zein have been studied for a long time. However, the physical nature of zein in different solvents remains unclear. In this study, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), static light scattering (SLS), and rheology were combined to study the structure and protein-solvent interaction of α-zein in both acetic acid and aqueous ethanol solutions. We found that the like-dissolve-like rule, the partial unfolding, and the protonation of zein are all critical to understanding the solution behaviors. Zein holds an elongated conformation (i.e., prolate ellipsoid) in all solutions, as revealed from SAXS data. There is an "aging effect" for zein in aqueous ethanol solutions, as evidenced by the transition of Newtonian rheological profiles for fresh zein solutions to the non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior for zein solutions after storage at room temperature for 24 h. Such shear thinning behavior becomes more pronounced for zein solutions at higher concentrations. The SLS results clearly show that acetic acid is a better solvent to dissolve zein than aqueous ethanol solution, as supported by a more negative second virial coefficient. This is majorly caused by the protonation of the protein, which was further verified by the dissolution of zein in water (a nonsolvent for zein) with the addition of acids.

We have developed a two-step replica molding method for rapid fabrication of biomimetically patterned plant surfaces (BPS) using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-BPS) and agarose (AGAR-BPS). Beyond providing multiple identical specimens that faithfully reproduce leaf surface microstructure, this approach also offers unique chemical, physical, and biological features. PDMS-BPS provide good structural durability for SEM examination, have surface wettability comparable to plant surfaces for coating development, and allow for real-time monitoring of biosynthesis through incorporation into microfluidic devices. AGAR-BPS are compatible with bacterial growth, recovery, and quantification, and enable investigation of the effects of surface topography on spatially varying survival and inactivation of Escherichia coli cells during biocide treatment. Further development and application of these biomimetically patterned surfaces to study (and possibly modify) other aspects of plant-bacteria interactions can provide insight into controlling pathogen contamination in a wide range of applications.