Amorphous Research Articles

Green Synthesis, Characterization and Pharmaceutical Applications of Biocompatible Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Heliotropium rariflorum Stocks.

Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles are safe, non-toxic, and biocompatible. These NPs are used in food packaging materials, self-cleaning glass, ceramics, deodorants, sunscreens, paints, coatings, ointments, lotions, and as preservatives. This study explored the biological potential of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using H. rariflorum. Methods: In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans, Penicillium notatum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus solani were determined. Antioxidant activity was explored using the DPPH radical scavenging method. In vivo analgesic, antipyretic and sedative potential of synthesized nanoparticles was investigated using a mouse model. Results: SEM with various magnification powers showed that some particles were spherical while some were aggregated, flake-shaped, and hexagonal with rough and irregular surfaces. The EDX analysis revealed Zn (12.63%), O (22.83%) and C (63.11%) with trace quantities of Si (0.40%), Ca (0.54%) and P (0.49%). The XRD pattern indicated an amorphous state, with no peaks observed throughout the spectrum. The UV-visible spectrophotometry revealed a characteristic absorption peak at 375 nm, indicating the presence of ZnO nanoparticles. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) displayed several small peaks between 1793 and 2370 cm-1, providing evidence of the presence of different kinds of organic compounds with different functional groups. ZnO-NPs showed dose-dependent antibacterial and antifungal potential against all strains. Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were the most susceptible strains. The nanoparticles exhibited a maximum antioxidant effect of 85.28% at 100 μg/mL. In this study, the acute toxicity test showed no mortality, and normal behavior was observed in mice at ZnO-NP doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg. For analgesic and antipyretic activities, a two-way ANOVA revealed that dose, time, and the interaction between dose and time were significant. In contrast, the samples had a non-significant effect on sedative activity. Conclusions: This innovative study suggests a potential use of plant resources for managing microbes and treating various diseases, providing a scientific basis for the traditional use of H. rariflorum.

Partial crystallization in Pd-BMG systems: From understanding structure towards influencing functionality through temperature-time series

Small quantities of crystalline domains created in an amorphous matrix are seen as an active driver for enhanced properties in bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). We investigated partial crystallization and phase transformations through a series of isotherms at 370°C performed on amorphous Pd-based BMG samples with the nominal composition of Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 (Pd-BMG) and a density of 9.425 g/cm3. X-ray based methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and phase enhanced micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) have been pushed to their limits for studying atomic structure and morphology, while time available before crystallization has additionally been investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and are combined with optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and hardness measurements for their mechanical properties. We reveal that Pd-based BMG samples isothermally treated at 370 °C start to crystallize after 20 min and still undergo phase transformations and recrystallization even after being fully crystalline after 60 min of the isothermal treatment. Interestingly, 3D phase enhanced micro-computed tomography shows a clear separation of two domains of slightly different densities. We highlight X-ray tomographic scans, allowing the 3D spatial visualization of extremely low-density contrast in different material domains, thus providing a multi-scale physical description of the Pd-BMG system. Interesting is the fact, that the re-crystallization is not homogenous and the crystalline domains can reach large size of (100–200 μm) in an amorphous matrix.

Single‐Luminophore Molecular Engineering for Rapidly Phototunable Solid‐State Luminescence

AbstractSmart materials enabling emission intensity or wavelength tuning by light stimulus have attracted attention in cutting‐edge fields. However, due to the general limitation of the dense molecular stacking (in solid states, especially in crystals) on photoresponsivity, constructing rapidly phototunable solid‐state luminescent systems remains challenging. Herein, we present a new luminophore that serves as both a photoresponsive and a luminous group with enhanced conformational freedom to attain this goal, namely, relying on photoexcitation‐induced molecular conformational change of an ionized persulfurated arene based on weak intermolecular aliphatic C−H⋅⋅⋅π interaction. Together with the phosphorescence characteristic of the molecule itself, rapidly enhanced phosphorescence upon irradiation can be observed in a series of phase states, like solution state, crystal, and amorphous state, especially with a high photoresponsive rate of 0.033 s−1 in crystal state that is superior to the relevant reported cases. Moreover, a rapidly phototunable afterglow effect is achieved by extending this molecule into some polymer‐based doping systems, endowing the system with unique dynamic imaging and fast photopatterning capabilities. This single‐luminophore molecular engineering and underlying mechanism have implications for building other condensed functional materials, principally for those with stimuli responses in solid states.

Modeling of fluence-dependent hole-burned spectra and hole-growth kinetics using multiple two-level system model.

Numerical formalism is presented that perfectly describes resonant low-temperature hole-burned spectra (including zero-phonon holes, ZPHs) and spectral hole-growth dynamics of Al-phthalocyanine tetrasulphonate embedded in hyperquenched glassy water films over more than seven orders of fluence magnitude (0.4 µJ/cm2-5.9 J/cm2). Frequency changes during spectral hole-burning (HB) are traditionally explained with the help of a single extrinsic two-level-system (TLSext) associated with impurity molecules. The new multiple two-level system (n-TLSext) models and data analysis presented in this work show that each chromophore in an amorphous medium can couple with multiple independent TLSext, which maintain perfect photo-memory, allowing a full return of the photoproduct to the initial ("preburn") state. Modeling reveals that the experimentally observed narrow photoproduct peak at higher energies, in close vicinity of the zero-phonon hole (ZPH), reflects a dynamical feature of the HB process populating so-called "terminal" states (states that do not interact with laser excitation). Within the n-TLSext model, each chromophore possesses multiple possibilities to create a photoproduct when in interaction with the burning laser, i.e., chromophores can interact with burning laser-light multiple times until reaching the terminal states. Due to phonon-assisted absorption, terminal states are typically at higher energies than the ZPH, in agreement with the hole burned spectra reported for many molecules embedded in various amorphous solids. However, many HB systems reveal both blue- (high-energy) and red-shifted (low-energy) antiholes (i.e., photoproducts). We suggest that future modeling of resonant holes in various proteins using our n-TLSext model will provide more insight on the complexity of the protein energy landscape.

Elastic properties of Fe95-yNb2Mo2Cu1Siy-xBx (x=5-8, y=20-26) at % amorphous alloys

Amorphous materials exhibit complex atomic structures characterized by the absence of long-range order, in contrast to the well-defined periodicity of crystalline materials. This structural complexity is further pronounced in compositions such as FeMCuSiB (M = Nb, Mo, W and Ta), which incorporate elements with varying atomic radii and valencies. The Young's modulus of structures generated using traditional methods, such as melt-quenching and random packing, shows poor agreement with experimental data. In this study, we employ hybrid methods for generating the structures, which involve randomly packing elements without overlap, followed by thermalization at room temperature using Ab-initio Molecular Dynamics simulations. The Young's modulus evaluated from these structures aligns well with values measured using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. Additionally, we utilize these structures to determine other elastic moduli including the bulk modulus and tetragonal shear modulus and find that the obtained values are consistent with the expected range for these compounds. We attribute the improved accuracy to a more representative approximation of the amorphous structure and the direct application of energy-strain relationships, rather than stress-strain relationships, for elastic moduli determination. Our methodology facilitates reliable predictions of the physical properties of amorphous materials and contributes to the design of FeMCuSiB (M = Nb, Mo, W and Ta) alloys with enhanced mechanical properties.

Amorphous Exsolution of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles in SrTiO3: A Path to High Activity and Stability in Photoelectrochemical Water‐Splitting

Exsolution creates metal nanoparticles embedded within perovskite oxide matrices, promoting optimal exposure, even distribution, and robust interactions with the perovskite structure. Fe3O4, an oxidized form of Fe, is an attractive catalyst for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water‐splitting due to its strong light absorption, excellent electrical conductivity, and chemical stability. However, exsolving Fe is challenging, often requiring harsh reduction conditions that can decompose the perovskite. Herein, hybrid composites are fabricated for PEC water‐splitting by reductively annealing a solution of SrTiO3 photoanode and Fe cocatalyst precursors. In situ transmission electron microscopy reveals uniform, high‐density Fe particles exsolving from amorphous SrTiO3 films, followed by film‐crystallization at elevated temperatures. This innovative process extracts entire Fe dopants while maintaining structural stability, even at doping levels exceeding 50%. Upon air exposure, the embedded Fe particles oxidize to Fe3O4, forming a Schottky junction and enhancing light absorption. These conditions yield a high activity of 5.10 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (an 11.86‐fold improvement over SrTiO3) from the 30% Fe‐doped SrTiO3, with excellent stability (97% retention) over 24 h. Theoretical calculations indicate that in the amorphous state, FeO bonds weaken while TiO bonds remain strong, promoting selective exsolution. The mechanisms driving amorphous exsolution versus crystal exsolution are elucidated.

High‐precision numerical simulation method for thermal–mechanical coupling in rubbers

AbstractImproving the precision of numerical simulations in thermal–mechanical coupling for amorphous polymer materials is crucial for their effective utilization. To enhance the precision of rubber numerical simulations, this study proposed a method considering the temperature and strain rate to establish tensile testing conditions based on the principle of time–temperature equivalence. Additionally, to obtain more precise parameters for hyperelastic constitutive equations, stress relaxation experiments were conducted to determine a set of stress values under complete rubber stress relaxation, which were used to fit the hyperelastic components of the hyper‐viscoelastic algorithm. A finite element model of rubber rebound was established, and a hyperelastic model based on loss factor and a hyperelastic model based on Prony series (hyper‐viscoelastic) were used to calculate the temperature changes caused by rubber rebound coefficient and energy dissipation during the rebound process at 110, 120, and 130°C. We compared the calculation results of these two algorithms with experimental data to verify their accuracy. The research results show that the average error of the rebound coefficient of the hyperelastic algorithm at three temperatures is 3.63%, and the average error of the rebound coefficient of the hyper‐viscoelastic algorithm at these three temperatures is 0.93%. The comparison with the rebound test results shows that the hyper‐viscoelastic method is more accurate and better captures the viscoelastic hysteresis of rubber, but the model calculation time is longer. In addition, at the moment of rebound sample impact, the maximum temperature rise amplitude of the hyperelastic algorithm sample impact position is 2.60, 1.75, and 0.91°C, which are 110, 120, and 130°C, respectively; The maximum heating amplitudes of the hyper‐viscoelastic algorithm are 2.05, 1.35, and 0.61°C. The hyper‐viscoelastic algorithm is closer to the actual test results.Highlights Applied the principle of time–temperature equivalence. Determination of material parameters using the hyper‐viscoelastic algorithm. Calculated the temperature change during the rubber rebound process.

Change of crystallinity and optical transmittance of K2Ni(SO4)2·6H2O single crystal by heat treatment

Potassium nickel sulfate hexahydrate (KNISH) was prepared and grown as single crystal from the supersaturated aqueous solution at 309 K using slow evaporation method. Thermal measurements were achieved for the prepared crystal. The dehydration process, structural phase transitions and melting point of the obtained material were detected. Crystal structure and optical transmittance of KNISH crystal were studied through heat treatment. At 370 K, the dehydration process started to convert KNISH to the anhydrous phase KNIS and the crystallinity decreased gradually until the material became totally amorphous at 383 K. The anhydrous KNIS stayed at the amorphous state from 383 K to 629 K where it transformed again to the crystalline state with different structure. The heat treatment under dehydration temperature did not affect the efficiency of KNISH crystal for using as ultraviolet light filter and sensor. Above dehydration temperature, the obtained anhydrous phase KNIS is not suitable for these applications.

Investigating Charge-Induced Transformations of Metal Nanoparticles in a Radically-Inert Liquid: A Liquid-Cell TEM Study.

We present a novel in situ liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM) approach to study the behavior of metal nanoparticles under high-energy electron irradiation. By utilizing a radically-inert liquid environment, we aim to minimize radiolysis effects and explore the influence of charge-induced transformations. We observed complex dynamics in nanoparticle behavior, including morphological changes and transitions between amorphous and crystalline states. These transformations are attributed to the delicate interplay between charge accumulation on the nanoparticles and enhanced radiolysis, suggesting a significant role for charge-assisted processes in nanoparticle evolution. Our findings provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms driving nanoparticle behavior at the nanoscale and demonstrate the potential of liquid-cell TEM for studying complex physicochemical processes in controlled environments.

Customizable Self-Microemulsifying Rectal Suppositories by Semisolid Extrusion 3D Printing.

Objectives: This study aims to create an innovative self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) suppository for ibuprofen (IBU) using semisolid extrusion (SSE) three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. Methods: Based on solubility studies and the ability to form a transparent microemulsion upon dilution, a selected oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant were utilized to prepare SMEDDS-3DPS containing IBU. The optimal formulation consisted of 10% Triacetin, 80% Gelucire 48/16, and 10% Tetraethylene glycol. SSE 3D printing was employed to create three different-sized suppositories with varying drug contents. These suppositories were assessed for their physicochemical properties, content uniformity, and dissolution profiles. Results: The prepared mixture exhibited suitable physical properties for printing, with nano-sized emulsion droplets providing a large surface area for improved drug absorption in the rectum. Characterization techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that IBU was present in the formulation in an amorphous state. Additionally, in vitro dissolution tests demonstrated that SMEDDS-3DPS had a significantly higher initial dissolution rate compared with IBU powder. Conclusions: This research suggests that SMEDDS-3DPS, as a rectal IBU dosage form, can enhance the rectal bioavailability of IBU. It demonstrates the versatility of 3D printing as a novel manufacturing method for lipid-based suppositories and highlights the simplicity and adaptability of SSE 3D printing technology in producing customized suppositories tailored to individual patient needs, surpassing traditional methods.

Characterisation and Hydrochloric Acid Leaching of Rare Earth Elements in Discard Coal and Coal Fly Ash

Rare earth elements (REEs) have been identified as valuable and critical raw materials, vital for numerous technologies and applications. With the increasing demand for and supply gap in REEs, many research studies have focused on alternative sources of REEs. This study involved an elemental and mineralogical characterisation of discarded coal from a coal plant and coal fly ash (CFA) from a power station in South Africa for REE presence. XRD results revealed that the discard coal sample consisted mainly of kaolinite, pyrite, siderite, quartz, calcite, gypsum, and muscovite, whereas CFA contained abundant glassy amorphous phases, alumina silicates, quartz, gypsum, calcite, and minute levels of muscovite and hematite. SEM-EDAX showed REE-carrying grains containing phosphorus in both discard coal and CFA samples. This was followed by investigating the leaching potential of REEs using hydrochloric acid from discard coal and CFA. This research’s potential impact is possibly providing a new and sustainable source of REEs. For that purpose, multiple batch leaching tests were performed to investigate the effects of temperature and acid concentration on the leaching efficiencies of REEs from discard coal and CFA. The experimental results indicated that temperature strongly influences REE leaching efficiency, while acid concentration has a lesser impact. This study identifies the best leaching conditions for the total REE recovery as 1 M HCl and 80 °C for discard coal and CFA.

Synthesis of Co/Co3O4 Heterostructure in N-Doped Porous, Amorphous Carbon: A Superior Electrochemical Sensor for Sensitive Determination of Alectinib in Various Fluids.

Highly crystallized Co and Co3O4 nanoparticles embedded in an N-doped amorphous carbon matrix have been successfully fabricated by the molten-salt-assisted method using KClO3 and zeolitic imidazolate framework-12 (ZIF-12). Pyrolysis of ZIF-12 with different concentrations of KClO3 leads to embedded Co and Co3O4 nanoparticles in a conductive amorphous carbon network. The impact of salt concentration on the morphology and electrochemical performance of these composites was investigated for electrochemical sensor applications. By employing a straightforward and efficient technique, Co/Co3O4 heterostructures were successfully synthesized in N-doped porous amorphous carbon. The Co/Co3O4 carbon heterostructures were optimized by varying the salt concentration, resulting in a significant electrochemical sensor performance for detecting ALC in both bulk and biological fluids. The sensor demonstrates excellent sensitivity (62.97 nmol/L) and selectivity toward ALC, with a wide linear range (0.2-2 μM) and a low detection limit (18.89 nM). Furthermore, it displays remarkable stability and reproducibility, positioning it as a strong contender for practical use in pharmaceutical analysis and biomedical research. This study presents a significant advancement in electrochemical sensing technology and underscores the potential of Co/Co3O4 heterostructures in the development of high-performance sensors for detecting bioactive compounds in complex matrices.

π-Conjugation-Induced In Situ Nanoscale Ordering of Spiro-OMeTAD Boosts the Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Spiro-OMeTAD hole transport materials typically exhibit an amorphous state in perovskite solar cells. However, the lack of structural ordering leads to weak intermolecular interaction, inferior carrier transfer, and poor stability in devices. Herein, we developed a π-conjugation-induced short-range ordering strategy to modulate the stacking order of spiro-OMeTAD during film formation. A clear molecular ordering at the nanoscale is observed, which enhances intermolecular π-π stacking in spiro-OMeTAD and enables effective carrier extraction and favorable energy level alignment. The nanoscale-ordered spiro-OMeTAD allows the achievement of perovskite solar cells with a champion efficiency of 25.37%, surpassing devices utilizing amorphous spiro-OMeTAD (23.52%). The unencapsulated device demonstrates enhanced operational stability by retaining 98% of its initial efficiency under continuous 1 sun equivalent illumination at 60 °C for 840 h. This work establishes a significant and valid modulation concept for the stacking order of organic transport materials, paving the way for the development of efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.

Nanowires made of ternary alloys – synthesis features and magnetic properties

Nanowires of FexCoyCu(100–x–y) and FexNiyCu(100–x–y) alloys have been studied. The features of obtaining such structures by the matrix synthesis method have been investigated. Elemental analysis of nanowires grown at sequentially increasing voltages revealed a significant decrease in the amount of copper, as well as a change in the ratio of the main magnetic elements. X-ray phase analysis showed that FeCoCu is a three-component solid solution, while FeNiCu contains three phases of solid solutions: FeCu with copper content up to 80%, FeNi with high iron content, and NiCu in an amorphous or fine-crystalline state with nickel content up to 80%. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that the addition of copper can lead to a change in the angle of magnetic moment misalignment in nanowires, which correlates with magnetometry data.

Inertia effect of deformation in amorphous solids: A dynamic mesoscale model

Shear transformation (ST), as the fundamental event of plastic deformation of amorphous solids, is commonly considered as transient in time and thus assumed to be an equilibrium process without inertia. Such an approximation however poses a major challenge when the deformation becomes non-equilibrium, e.g., under the dynamic and even shock loadings. To overcome the challenge, this paper proposes a dynamic mesoscale model for amorphous solids that connects microscopically inertial STs with macroscopically elastoplastic deformation. By defining two dimensionless parameters: strain increment and intrinsic Deborah number, the model predicts a phase diagram for describing the inertia effect on deformation of amorphous solids. It is found that with increasing strain rate or decreasing ST activation time, the significant inertia effect facilitates the activation and interaction of STs, resulting in the earlier yield of plasticity and lower steady-state flow stress. We also observe that the externally-applied shock wave can directly drive the activation of STs far below the global yield and then propagation along the wave-front. These behaviors are very different from shear banding in the quasi-static treatment without considering the inertia effect of STs. The present study highlights the non-equilibrium nature of plastic events, and increases the understanding of dynamic or shock deformation of amorphous solids at mesoscale.

Strain‐Induced Structural Rearrangement Towards a White‐Light‐Emitting Adamantane‐Type Cluster Dimer

AbstractGroup 14/16 adamantane‐type hybrid clusters of the type [(RT)4E6] (T=group 14 element, E=group 16 element, R=organic group) have been reported to emit white‐light when irradiated in an amorphous state with a continuous‐wave (CW) infrared laser diode. This effect is enhanced if the cluster core is varied from a binary to a more complex composition. To further explore this phenomenon, we synthesized clusters with a multinary R/R’‐T/T’‐E/E’ composition, including isolobal replacement of E with CH2, in [(2‐NpSi){CH2Sn(S)Ph}3] (1, Np=naphthyl). When expanding one of the CH2 moieties to a C2H4 group, thus generating a R/R’‐T/T’‐E/E’/E’’ cluster composition, we unexpectedly observed a dimerization of the initially formed, yet non‐isolable adamantane‐like cluster [(2‐NpSi){CH2Sn(S)Ph}2{C2H4Sn(S)Ph}] (2) to [(2‐NpSi){CH2Sn(S)Ph}2{C2H4Sn(S)Ph}]2 (3), exhibiting a heretofore unprecedented cluster architecture. Both monomeric 1 and dimeric 3, show white‐light emission as thin films. The nonlinear optical response of the compounds was also modelled with DFT methods.

Thermodynamics of the Fredrickson-Andersen model on the Bethe lattice.

The statics of the Fredrickson-Andersen model (FAM) of the liquid-glass transition is solved on the Bethe lattice (BL). The kinetic constraints of the FAM imply on the BL an ergodicity-breaking transition to a (glassy) phase where a fraction of spins of the system is permanently blocked, and the remaining "free" spins become nontrivially correlated. We compute several observables of the ergodicity-broken phase, such as the self-overlap, the configurational entropy, and the spin-glass susceptibility, and we compare the analytical predictions with numerical experiments. The cavity equationsthat we obtain allow us to define algorithms for fast equilibration and accelerated dynamics. We find that at variance with spin-glass models, the correlations inside a state do not exhibit a critical behavior.

Study on microwave absorbing properties of reduced graphene oxide@Co/Fe81.5Si3B9P3C1Cu1Ti1.5 amorphous nanocrystalline composite

Electromagnetic pollution problems and military stealth technology need to be solved, the development of new wave absorbing materials has been imminent. In this study, reduced graphene oxide@Co (rGO@Co) powder is obtained by alcoholthermal method, afterwards the different contents of rGO@Co powders are also compounded with Fe81.5Si3B9P3C1Cu1Ti1.5 nanocrystalline powder by high-energy ball milling, obtaining rGO@Co/Fe81.5Si3B9P3C1Cu1Ti1.5 nanocrystalline composite powder, and powder morphology, the nuclear layer structure, soft magnetic properties and corresponding absorbing properties of the materials are studied. The research results are that rGO coats Co and Fe-based nanocrystalline of double magnetic cores in the composite powder, which realizes the synergy of the two magnetic cores to enhance the magnetic loss, is also compatible with the dielectric loss of rGO, and also improves the impedance matching. The minimum reflection loss (RLmin) is −44.18 dB, and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is 5.03 GHz in the amorphous nanocrystalline alloy matrix. When the addition of rGO@Co powder is 1 wt%, the RLmin of composite powder is −52.41 dB (3 mm), which is increased by 18.6 %. The EAB is 6.07 GHz (2 mm), which is increased by 20.7 %.

Triggering Reversible Intercalation-Conversion Combined Chemistry for High-Energy-Density Lithium Battery Cathodes.

Combining intercalation and conversion reactions maximizes the utilization of redox-active elements in electrodes, providing a means for overcoming the current capacity ceiling. However, integrating both mechanisms within a single electrode material presents significant challenges owing to their contrasting structural requirements. Intercalation requires a well-defined host structure for efficient lithium-ion diffusion, whereas conversion reactions entail structural reorganization, which can undermine intercalation capabilities. Based on the previous study that successfully demonstrated reversible intercalation-conversion chemistry in amorphous LiFeSO4F, this study aims to provide an in-depth understanding on how this can be enabled. Experimental and theoretical investigations of a model system based on tavorite-structured LiFeSO4F revealed that amorphization governs the activation and reversibility of the combined reactions. Enhanced reversibility is achieved through the facile migration of transition metals within the amorphous matrix. Unexpectedly, it is found that amorphization also narrowed the voltage gap between the intercalation and conversion reactions. This voltage-gap reduction is explained by the thermodynamic metastability of the amorphous phase. The applicability of the approach to other intercalation hosts is further demonstrated, showing that amorphization enables reversible intercalation and conversion. These findings suggest a new strategy that leverages the full potential of intercalation and conversion reactions, introducing new avenues for cathode design.

Variations in the root mycobiome and mycorrhizal fungi between different types of Vanilla forest farms on Réunion Island.

The mycorrhizal fungi of cultivated Vanilla spp. have mainly been studied in America, while a recent study has investigated them on Réunion Island (Indian Ocean). However, there are many different types of cultivation on Réunion, from shade-house crops to forest farms of endemic or exotic trees. Here we fill a gap in the study of the root mycobiome of Vanilla by sampling vines in forest plantations on recent lava flows in the southeast of Réunion. Specifically, we aimed to characterize the fungal communities between terrestrial and epiphytic roots, between forest farms that differ mainly in the species of trees, and between Vanilla roots and ECM-like roots of nearby trees. By sequencing fungal ITS2, we showed that the Vanilla root mycobiome is diverse and differed between the root types and forest farms. Epiphytic and terrestrial roots host endophytic fungi, while a putative rust with visible urediniospores was abundant in terrestrial roots mainly. Other pathogens were detected in epiphytic roots (Colletotrichum) with no sign of disease. Following sequencing and electron microscopy, Tulasnellaceae, characterized by imperforate parenthesomes and cell wall expansion with an amorphous matrix, were shown to be the main mycorrhizal fungi in both vanilla root types. Interestingly, the dominant Tulasnellaceae OTU was found in ECM-type roots of trees belonging to the ectomycorrhizal family Sapotaceae. Further observations are needed to confirm the ectomycorrhizal association of endemic trees with Tulasnella. Moreover, labeling experiments will be instrumental in investigating the transfer of nutrients between the trees and the Vanilla through the network of mycorrhizal associations in the soil.