Electron-Holes Are in Quarantine!

Submitted by Tushar Debnath
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU)

The girls (electrons) and boys (holes) are in quarantine (confined) in different rooms (domains) of a house (nanocrystal) called “Mn-doped Perovskite Nanocrystals” due to the creation of different small rooms by the red bricks (Mn impurity) within a single nano-house, by displacing the bricks (unit cells) and know as “Ruddlesden–Popper defects”. The high-resolution image of such single Mn-doped Perovskite Nanocrystals was obtained from atomically resolved high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM).

Jellyfish Janus Particle

Submitted by Sarah Perry
University of Massachusetts Amherst

An SEM image of a 1.5 micron diameter polystyrene-poly(acrylic acid) Janus particle. The underwater effect was added in Photoshop, preserving the morphology and shape of the particle. (Credit: Nicholas Sbalbi)

Opaline Lake

Submitted by Golnaz Isapour
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Self-assembly of colloidal crystals are one the most amazing phenomena in photonics. This picture captures self-assembly of aqueous colloidal gels, within microspheres or freely floating on a hydrophobic substrate, displaying brilliant structural colors. Optical Microscope- Dark field in Reflection- Objective x10.

It's Not Too Late

Submitted by Artis Linarts
Riga Technical University, Institute of Technical Physics

Optical image of thin film PVDF dielectric breakdown during corona triode polarization as a shadow of Bonsai tree showing similarities to the recent west coast wildfire apocalypse. A reminder that we are all responsible for carbon footprint!

Love of Two Nanoparticles

Submitted by Fei Han
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

A TEM image of two head-to-head hollow nanoparticles. These well-designed hollow fullerene nanoparticles have hydrophobic interaction at their openings, and thus they will be naturally attracted by each other. I tried to give them lives, to show a special romance at the nanoscale.

Nano Christmas Tree

Submitted by Venkatarao Selamneni
BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus

It is a high magnification FESEM image of NiS grown on cellulose paper using hydrothermal synthesis method. The morphology looks like Nano Christmas Trees.

Goldfish

Submitted by Shuohan Huang
Missouri University of Science and Technology

Ceramic goldfish found in Lake MXene of possibilities. The main part of the scene, including the fish and MXene rocks is a colored SEM image of a sample of multilayer Ti3C2 MXene. The seaweed does not belong to the original image and was added for a stronger artistic expression. The SEM image was acquired using an FEI Helios Nanolab Dual-beam microscope at 5 kV accelerating voltage, 6500x magnification and 5 mm working distance.

The Dark Spirit of CNTs

Submitted by Sara Al Nasser
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

An SEM image of a Buckypaper membrane of CNTs and bio-polymer. the ghost like shape was noticed in the CNTs entanglements and was highlighted using Photoshop.

Mxene Chameleon

 Submitted by Kartik Nemani
Indiana University-Purdue University

MXene Chameleon waiting for MAX. A freeze dried flake of Ti3C2 MXene. The morphology and shape of the flake are preserved while rendering it to look like a Chameleon holding on to a branch under a moonlit night. The eye and the leg are artistically added to highlight the creature. Created by Kartik Nemani, Prasanna R. and Babak Anasori.

Blooms for Batteries

 Submitted by Muhammad Ihsan Ul Haq
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The artwork represents a collection of carbon coated Na3V2(PO4)3 blooms, which is advanced cathode for sodium ion batteries. The rational assembly of nanoflakes under optimized conditions yielded flower-like structure of ~1 to 4 µm size. The image was taken using a JEOL JSM-67000F scanning electron microscope and different colours were added using image editing software without exploitation of the actual image.

It's ALIVE!

 Submitted by Laura Rivera-Tarazona
The University of Texas at Dallas

Fluorescence image of a shape-morphing living composite coated on a glass slide. Hybrid material is made of baker's yeast embedded in a polyacrylamide hydrogel. Only living cells that can proliferate in the patterned region are able to deform the hydrogel matrix and expand it to read the word "ALIVE".  NOTE: The idea of this image is to create a lenticular moving picture that shows how the living composite morphs from flat to a 3D structure. 

 (Thermoplastic) Flower in the Sun

Submitted by Amber Hubbard
North Carolina State University
 
Stimuli-responsive polymers have gained increasing attention for their applications ranging from soft robotic grippers to actuators. By controlling strain within thin thermoplastic sheets, these small grippers can transform into three-dimensional shapes based on a photothermal response and withstand loads >24,000 times their own mass.