On-surface synthesis of heptacene on Ag(001) from brominated and non-brominated tetrahydroheptacene precursors

Achieving the Ag(001)-supported synthesis of heptacene from two related reactants reveals the effect of the presence of Br atoms on the reaction process. The properties of reactants, intermediates and end-products are further characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy.Fil: Colazzo, Luciano. Donostia International Physics Center; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Mohammed, Mohammed S. G.. Donostia International Physics Center; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Dorel, Ruth. Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology; EspañaFil: Nita, Pawel. Donostia International Physics Center; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: García Fernández, Carlos. Donostia International Physics Center; EspañaFil: Abufager, Paula Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Física de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto de Física de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Lorente Palacios, Nicolas. Donostia International Physics Center; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Echavarren, Antonio M.. Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology; España. Universitat Rovira I Virgili; EspañaFil: De Oteyza, Dimas G.. Donostia International Physics Center; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Ikerbasque; Españ

Molecular resolution friction microscopy of Cu phthalocyanine thin films on dolomite (104) in water

The reliability of ultrathin organic layers as active components for molecular electronic devices depends ultimately on an accurate characterization of the layer morphology and ability to withstand mechanical stresses on the nanoscale. To this end, since the molecular layers need to be electrically decoupled using thick insulating substrates, the use of AFM becomes mandatory. Here, we show how friction force microscopy (FFM) in water allows us to identify the orientation of copper(II)phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecules previously self-assembled on a dolomite (104) mineral surface in ultra-high vacuum. The molecular features observed in the friction images show that the CuPc molecules are stacked in parallel rows with no preferential orientation with respect to the dolomite lattice, while the stacking features resemble well the single CuPc crystal structure. This proves that the substrate induction is low and makes friction force microscopy in water a suitable alternative to more demanding dynamic AFM techniques in ultra-high vacuum

Quantum games and interactive tools for quantum technologies outreach and education

We provide an extensive overview of a wide range of quantum games and interactive tools that have been employed by the quantum community in recent years. We present selected tools as described by their developers, including "Hello Quantum, Hello Qiskit, Particle in a Box, Psi and Delta, QPlayLearn, Virtual Lab by Quantum Flytrap, Quantum Odyssey, ScienceAtHome, and the Virtual Quantum Optics Laboratory." In addition, we present events for quantum game development: hackathons, game jams, and semester projects. Furthermore, we discuss the Quantum Technologies Education for Everyone (QUTE4E) pilot project, which illustrates an effective integration of these interactive tools with quantum outreach and education activities. Finally, we aim at providing guidelines for incorporating quantum games and interactive tools in pedagogic materials to make quantum technologies more accessible for a wider population. (C) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Peer reviewe

Multisite evaluation of institutional processes and implementation determinants for pharmacogenetic testing to guide antidepressant therapy.

There is growing interest in utilizing pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing to guide antidepressant use, but there is lack of clarity on how to implement testing into clinical practice. We administered two surveys at 17 sites that had implemented or were in the process of implementing PGx testing for antidepressants. Survey 1 collected data on the process and logistics of testing. Survey 2 asked sites to rank the importance of Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs using best-worst scaling choice experiments. Of the 17 sites, 13 had implemented testing and four were in the planning stage. Thirteen offered testing in the outpatient setting, and nine in both outpatient/inpatient settings. PGx tests were mainly ordered by psychiatry (92%) and primary care (69%) providers. CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 were the most commonly tested genes. The justification for antidepressants selected for PGx guidance was based on Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines (94%) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA; 75.6%) guidance. Both institutional (53%) and commercial laboratories (53%) were used for testing. Sites varied on the methods for returning results to providers and patients. Sites were consistent in ranking CFIR constructs and identified patient needs/resources, leadership engagement, intervention knowledge/beliefs, evidence strength and quality, and the identification of champions as most important for implementation. Sites deployed similar implementation strategies and measured similar outcomes. The process of implementing PGx testing to guide antidepressant therapy varied across sites, but key drivers for successful implementation were similar and may help guide other institutions interested in providing PGx-guided pharmacotherapy for antidepressant management

Channeling motion of gold nanospheres on a rippled glassed surface

Gold nanospheres have been manipulated by atomic force microscopy on a rippled glass surface produced by ion beam sputtering and coated with an ultrathin (10 nm thick) graphitic layer. This substrate is characterized by irregular wavy grooves running parallel to a preferential direction. Measurements in ambient conditions show that the motion of the nanoparticles is confined to single grooves ('channels'), along which the particles move till they are trapped by local bottlenecks. At this point, the particles cross the ripple pattern in a series of consecutive jumps and continue their longitudinal motion along a different channel. Moreover, due to the asymmetric shape of the ripple profiles, the jumps occur in the direction of minimum slope, resembling a ratchet mechanism. Our results are discussed, extending a collisional model, which was recently developed for the manipulation of nanospheres on flat surfaces, to the specific geometry of this problem.This work was supported by the European COST Action MP1303, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, Project. No. MAT2012-34487), the French Programme ‘Nano Espagne,’ the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) in the framework of the Italy-Poland bilateral program, Compagnia di San Paolo, and the University of Genova (UNIGE) in the framework of the PRA2013 project.Peer Reviewe

Surface rippling induced by periodic instabilities on a polymer surface

When the shear stress on a compliant surface exceeds the yield strength of the material, a periodic wrinkle pattern is often observed. This phenomenon has been also recognized at the nanometer scale on polymers, metals, ionic crystals and semiconductors. In those cases, the mechanical stress can be efficiently provided by a sharp indenter elastically driven at constant velocity along the surface. Here we suggest that the formation of such surface ripples can be explained by the competition between the driving spring force and the plastic response of the substrate. In particular, we show how the ripples are expected to disappear when the indentation rate is below a critical value or, alternatively, when the sliding velocity or the lateral stiffness of the contact are too high. The model results are compared to atomic force microscopy experiments on a solvent-enriched polystyrene surface, where the rippling formation is enhanced at room temperature, compared to bulk melts. A similar approach could be employed to describe rippling phenomena on larger scales.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Why a good catalyst can turn out detrimental to good polymerization

Steps at metal surfaces are chemically active sites, and hence they have an enormous influence on catalytic reactions. However, their higher catalytic activity does not necessarily imply improving the efficiency in more complex reactions, such as Ullmann coupling. Here, by investigating the interplay of step and terrace sites in the polymerization of 4,4″-dibromo-para-terphenyl molecules on Au to form poly-p-phenylene (PPP), we demonstrate that the restriction in molecular diffusion imposed by steps makes polymerization difficult. Combining a battery of surface-sensitive techniques, we have monitored the entire Ullmann polymerization process across different crystal planes by using a crystal surface macroscopically curved around the (111) plane. With this approach, it is possible to smoothly tune the step type and density across the sample, while keeping all reaction parameters identical, to prove that despite the significant reduction of debromination temperature near atomic steps, there is a delay in the formation of long PPP chains at densely stepped planes. Thus, we disentangle the different reaction steps and determine how to speed up and optimize the entire process through a proper choice of the vicinal orientation of the substrate.The authors acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MAT2016-78293-C6-R and PID2019-107338RB-C63), from the Basque Government (IT-1255-19), from the Spanish Research Council (ILINKC20002), from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the program Interreg POCTEFA (contract EFA 194/16 TNSI), and from the European Research Council (grant agreement 635919).Peer reviewe

Effect of Ni substitution on the antiferromagnetic domains of cobalt oxide

9 pags., 8 figs.We present a spatially resolved X-ray magnetic linear dichroism study of high quality micron-sized mixed nickel-cobalt oxide (NCO) crystals. NixCo1-xO was prepared in-situ by high-temperature oxygen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on a Ru(0001) single crystal substrate. To check the effect of incorporating Ni into the cobalt oxide films, three different compositions were prepared. The element-specific XMLD measurements reveal strong antiferromagnetic contrast at room temperature and magnetic domains up to one micron in size, reflecting the high structural quality of the NCO islands. By means of vectorial magnetometry, the antiferromagnetic spin axis orientation of the domains was determined with nanometer spatial resolution, and found to depend on the stoichiometry of the prepared crystals.This research was funded by the SciMat Priority Research Area budget under the program Excellence Initiative - Research University at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków - Grant No. 75.1920.2021, by Projects No. PID2021-124585NB-C31 and PID2021-124585NB-C33 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ‘‘ERDF A way of making Europe’’ and by Projects No. TED2021-130957B-C54 and TED2021-130957B-C51 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the ‘‘European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR’’. C.G.-M. acknowledges financial support from grant RYC2021-031181-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the ‘‘European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR’’.Peer reviewe