Zhihong Nie

Bio: Zhihong Nie is an academic researcher from Fudan University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nanoparticle & Materials science. The author has an hindex of 56, co-authored 150 publications receiving 15625 citations. Previous affiliations of Zhihong Nie include Polish Academy of Sciences & University of Warwick.

Properties and emerging applications of self-assembled structures made from inorganic nanoparticles

Abstract: Just as nanoparticles display properties that differ from those of bulk samples of the same material, ensembles of nanoparticles can have collective properties that are different to those displayed by individual nanoparticles and bulk samples. Self-assembly has emerged as a powerful technique for controlling the structure and properties of ensembles of inorganic nanoparticles. Here we review different strategies for nanoparticle self-assembly, the properties of self-assembled structures of nanoparticles, and potential applications of such structures. Many of these properties and possible applications rely on our ability to control the interactions between the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of the individual nanoparticles. Self-assembly is a powerful technique for controlling the structure and properties of ensembles of inorganic nanoparticles. This article reviews the properties and potential applications of self-assembled structures made from nanoparticles.

Patterning surfaces with functional polymers

Abstract: The ability to pattern functional polymers at different length scales is important for research fields including cell biology, tissue engineering and medicinal science and the development of optics and electronics. The interest and capabilities of polymer patterning have originated from the abundance of functionalities of polymers and a wide range of applications of the patterns. This paper reviews recent advances in top-down and bottom-up patterning of polymers using photolithography, printing techniques, self-assembly of block copolymers and instability-induced patterning. Finally, challenges and future directions are discussed from the point of view of both applicability and strategies for the surface patterning of polymers.

Generation of Monodisperse Particles by Using Microfluidics: Control over Size, Shape, and Composition

Abstract: Herein we describe a versatile new strategy for producing monodisperse solid particles with sizes from 20 to 1000 mm. The method involves the formation of monodisperse liquid droplets by using a microfluidic device and shaping the droplets in a microchannel and then solidifying these drops in situ either by polymerizing a liquid monomer or by lowering the temperature of a liquid that sets thermally. This method has the following features: 1) It produces particles with an exceptionally narrow range of sizes. 2) A new level of control over the shapes of the particles is offered. 3) The mechanism for droplet formation allows the use of a wide variety of materials including gels, metals, polymers, and polymers doped with functional additives. 4) The procedure can be scaled up to produce large numbers of particles. A number of methods exist for making inorganic and organic particles with narrow polydispersity. Inorganic colloids are typically prepared by precipitation reactions from organometallic precursors. Polymer colloids with sizes from 20 nm to approximately 1 mm are usually prepared by a variation of emulsion polymerization techniques. Larger beads are accessible through miniemulsion polymerization,

Electrochemical sensing in paper-based microfluidic devices

Abstract: This paper describes the fabrication and the performance of microfluidic paper-based electrochemical sensing devices (we call the microfluidic paper-based electrochemical devices, µPEDs). The µPEDs comprise paper-based microfluidic channels patterned by photolithography or wax printing, and electrodes screen-printed from conducting inks (e.g., carbon or Ag/AgCl). We demonstrated that the µPEDs are capable of quantifying the concentrations of various analytes (e.g., heavy-metal ions and glucose) in aqueous solutions. This low-cost analytical device should be useful for applications in public health, environmental monitoring, and the developing world.

Self-assembly of metal-polymer analogues of amphiphilic triblock copolymers.

Abstract: Organized arrays of anisotropic nanoparticles show electronic and optical properties that originate from the coupling of shape-dependent properties of the individual nanorods. The organization of nanorods in a controllable and predictable way provides a route to the fabrication of new materials and functional devices. So far, significant progress has been achieved in the self-assembly of nanorod arrays, yet the realization of a range of different structures requires changing the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles. We organized metal nanorods in structures with varying geometries by using a striking analogy between amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymers and the hydrophilic nanorods tethered with hydrophobic polymer chains at both ends. The self-assembly was tuneable and reversible and it was achieved solely by changing the solvent quality for the constituent blocks. This approach provides a new route to the organization of anisotropic nanoparticles by using the strategies that are established for the self-assembly of block copolymers.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

The origins and the future of microfluidics

Abstract: The manipulation of fluids in channels with dimensions of tens of micrometres--microfluidics--has emerged as a distinct new field. Microfluidics has the potential to influence subject areas from chemical synthesis and biological analysis to optics and information technology. But the field is still at an early stage of development. Even as the basic science and technological demonstrations develop, other problems must be addressed: choosing and focusing on initial applications, and developing strategies to complete the cycle of development, including commercialization. The solutions to these problems will require imagination and ingenuity.