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1. The role of solar photolysis in the atmospheric removal of methacrolein oxide and the methacrolein oxide—water van‐der Waals complex in pristine environments

   https://doi.org/10.1111/php.14007  

   Guidry, Lily M; Bardash, Londyn A; Yigiter, Aylin; Ravi, Satyam; Marchetti, Barbara; Karsili, Tolga_N V (August 2024, Photochemistry and Photobiology)

   Abstract Biogenic hydrocarbons are emitted into the Earth's atmosphere by terrestrial vegetation as by‐products of photosynthesis. Isoprene is one such hydrocarbon and is the second most abundant volatile organic compound emitted into the atmosphere (after methane). Reaction with ozone represents an important atmospheric sink for isoprene removal, forming carbonyl oxides (Criegee intermediates) with extended conjugation. In this manuscript, we argue that the extended conjugation of these Criegee intermediates enables electronic excitation of these compounds, on timescales that are competitive with their slow unimolecular decay and bimolecular chemistry. We show that the complexation of methacrolein oxide with water enhances the absorption cross section of the otherwise dark S₁state, potentially revealing a new avenue for forming lower volatility compounds via tropospherically relevant photochemistry. 

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2. Beyond denitrification: The role of microbial diversity in controlling nitrous oxide reduction and soil nitrous oxide emissions

   https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15545  

   Shan, Jun; Sanford, Robert A.; Chee‐Sanford, Joanne; Ooi, Sean K.; Löffler, Frank E.; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T.; Yang, Wendy H. (June 2021, Global Change Biology)

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3. Effect of electrode and oxide properties on the filament kinetics during electroforming in metal-oxide-based memories

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-022-00770-2  

   Zhang, Kena; Ren, Yao; Ganesh, Panchapakesan; Cao, Ye (April 2022, npj Computational Materials)

   Abstract We developed a physical model to fundamentally understand the conductive filament (CF) formation and growth behavior in the switching layer during electroforming process in the metal-oxide-based resistive random-access memories (RRAM). The effects of the electrode and oxide layer properties on the CF morphology evolution, current-voltage characteristic, local temperature, and electrical potential distribution have been systematically explored. It is found that choosing active electrodes with lower oxygen vacancy formation energy and oxides with small Lorenz number (ratio of thermal and electrical conductivity) enables CF formation at a smaller electroforming voltage and creates a CF with more homogeneous morphology. This work advances our understanding of the kinetic behaviors of the CF formation and growth during the electroforming process and could potentially guide the oxide and electrode materials selection to realize a more stable and functional RRAM. 

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4. Advances in the Tribological Performance of Graphene Oxide and Its Composites

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153587  

   Wakchaure, Mayur B; Menezes, Pradeep L (August 2025, Materials)

   Graphene oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, has attracted significant attention in tribological applications due to its unique structural, mechanical, and chemical properties. This review highlights the influence of GO and its composites on friction and wear performance across various engineering systems. The paper explores GO’s key properties, such as its high surface area, layered morphology, and abundant functional groups. These features contribute to reduced shear resistance, tribofilm formation, and improved load-bearing capacity. A detailed analysis of GO-based composites, including polymer, metal, and ceramic matrices, reveals those small additions of GO (typically 0.1–2 wt%) result in substantial reductions in coefficient of friction and wear rate, with improvements ranging between 30–70%, depending on the application. The tribological mechanisms, including self-lubrication, dispersion, thermal stability, and interface interactions, are discussed to provide insights into performance enhancement. Furthermore, the effects of electrochemical environment, functional group modifications, and external loading conditions on GO’s tribological behavior are examined. Despite these advantages, challenges such as scalability, agglomeration, and material compatibility persist. Overall, the paper demonstrates that GO is a promising additive for advanced tribological systems, while also identifying key limitations and future research directions. 

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5. Exploring the Enhancement of Exchange Bias in Innovative Core/Shell/Shell Structures: Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Co-Oxide/Co and Co-Oxide/Co/Co-Oxide Inverted Nanostructures

   https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13050880  

   Ghoshani, Maral; Mozaffari, Morteza; Acet, Mehmet; Hosseini, Mahshid; Vashaee, Daryoosh (March 2023, Nanomaterials)

   In this study, we investigate the enhancement of exchange bias in core/shell/shell structures by synthesizing single inverted core/shell (Co-oxide/Co) and core/shell/shell (Co-oxide/Co/Co-oxide) nanostructures through a two-step reduction and oxidation method. We evaluate the magnetic properties of the structures and study the effect of shell thickness on the exchange bias by synthesizing various shell thicknesses of Co-oxide/Co/Co-oxide nanostructures. The extra exchange coupling formed at the shell–shell interface in the core/shell/shell structure leads to a remarkable increase in the coercivity and the strength of the exchange bias by three and four orders, respectively. The strongest exchange bias is achieved for the sample comprising the thinnest outer Co-oxide shell. Despite the general declining trend of the exchange bias with Co-oxide shell thickness, we also observe a nonmonotonic behavior in which the exchange bias oscillates slightly as the shell thickness increases. This phenomenon is ascribed to the dependence of the antiferromagnetic outer shell thickness variation at the expense of the simultaneous opposite variation in the ferromagnetic inner shell. 

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