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Lipid-nanostructure hybrids possess dimensions that are comparable to biological molecules as well as unique and useful physicochemical properties arising from both lipids and nanomaterials. Therefore, the hybrids allow mimicking of the assembled structure and function of subcellular membrane components and monitoring of the membrane-associated reactions in a highly sensitive and controllable manner. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of various lipid-nanostructure hybrids and the use of these structures for applications in nanobiotechnology. We further describe the scientific and practical applications of lipid-nanostructure hybrids for detecting membrane-targeting molecules, interfacing nanostructures with live cells and creating membrane-mimicking platforms to investigate cell–cell communication and intracellular processes.
We report on the promising thermoelectric performance of p-type polycrystalline BiCuSeO, which is a layered oxyselenide composed of conductive (Cu2Se2)2− layers that alternate with insulating (Bi2O2)2+ layers. Electrical transport properties can be optimized by substituting Bi3+ with Ca2+. Moreover, BiCuSeO shows very low thermal conductivity in the temperature ranges of 300 (∼0.9 W m−1K−1) to 923 K (∼0.45 W m−1 K−1). These intrinsically low thermal conductivity values may result from the weak chemical bonds of the material as well as the strong anharmonicity of the bonding arrangement. The combination of the optimized power factor and the intrinsically low thermal conductivity results in a high ZT of ∼0.9 at 923 K for Bi0.925Ca0.075CuSeO.
The gas-sensing performances of the Au NP-embedded silica nanowire can be enhanced by visible light (532 nm) illumination at room temperature, which improves not only sensing response but also recover time.
