The advent of nanotechnology, and the need to understand the chemical composition at the
nanoscale, has stimulated the convergence of IR and Raman spectroscopy with scanning …

This article focuses on the atomic force microscopy-infrared (AFM-IR) technique and its
recent technological developments. Based on the detection of the photothermal sample …

The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between
nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain …

The electrocaloric effect demands the maximized degree of freedom (DOF) of polar domains
and the lowest energy barrier to facilitate the transition of polarization. However, optimization …

Earth has been habitable for 4.3 billion years, and the earliest rock record indicates the
presence of a microbial biosphere by at least 3.4 billion years ago—and disputably earlier …

Abstract The Archean era (4 to 2.5 billion years ago, Ga) yielded rocks that include the
oldest conclusive traces of life as well as many controversial occurrences. Carbonaceous …

Life harnessing light energy transformed the relationship between biology and Earth—
bringing a massive flux of organic carbon and oxidants to Earth's surface that gave way to …

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been extensively used for the nanoscale
characterization of polymeric materials. The coupling of AFM with infrared spectroscope …

Silk is a natural fiber renowned for its outstanding mechanical properties that have enabled
the manufacturing of ultralight and ultrastrong textiles. Recent advances in silk processing …

Using natural deep eutectic solvents (NDES) for green extraction of lentinan from shiitake
mushroom is a high-efficiency method. However, empirical and trial-and-error methods …