TY - JOUR A1 - Tehranchi, Ali A1 - Chakraborty, Poulami A1 - López Freixes, Martí A1 - McEniry, Eunan J. A1 - Gault, Baptiste A1 - Hickel, Tilmann A1 - Neugebauer, Jörg T1 - Tailoring negative pressure by crystal defects: Microcrack induced hydride formation in Al alloys N2 - Climate change motivates the search for non-carbon-emitting energy generation and storage solutions. Metal hydrides show promising characteristics for this purpose. They can be further stabilized by tailoring the negative pressure of microstructural and structural defects. Using systematic ab initio and atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that an enhancement in the formation of hydrides at the negatively pressurized tip region of the microcrack is feasible by increasing the mechanical tensile load on the specimen. The theoretical predictions have been used to reassess and interpret atom probe tomography experiments for a high-strength 7XXX-aluminium alloy that show a substantial enhancement of hydrogen concentration at structural defects near a stress-corrosion crack tip. These results contain important implications for enhancing the capability of metals as H-storage materials. KW - Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) KW - Hydrogen storage KW - Ab initio Simulation KW - Microcracks PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-587878 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.7.105401 SN - 2475-9953 VL - 7 IS - 10 SP - 105401-1 EP - 105401-12 PB - American Physical Society (APS) AN - OPUS4-58787 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tavernaro, Isabella A1 - Rajotte, Isabelle A1 - Thibeault, Marie-Pier A1 - Sander, Philipp C. A1 - Kodra, Oltion A1 - Lopinski, Gregory A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Johnston, Linda J. A1 - Brinkmann, Andreas A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Quantifying surface groups on aminated silica nanoparticles of different size, surface chemistry, and porosity with solution NMR, XPS, optical assays, and potentiometric titration N2 - We assessed the quantification of surface amino functional groups (FGs) for a large set of commercial and custom-made aminated silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) with sizes of 20–100 nm, prepared with different sol–gel routes, different amounts of surface amino FGs, and different porosity with four methods providing different, yet connected measurands in a bilateral study of two laboratories, BAM and NRC, with the overall aim to develop standardizable measurements for surface FG quantification. Special emphasis was dedicated to traceable quantitative magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qNMR) performed with dissolved SiO2 NPs. For the cost efficient and automatable screening of the amount of surface amino FGs done in a first step of this study, the optical fluorescamine assay and a potentiometric titration method were utilized by one partner, i.e., BAM, yielding the amount of primary amino FGs accessible for the reaction with a dye precursor and the total amount of (de)protonatable FGs. These measurements, which give estimates of the minimum and maximum number of surface amino FGs, laid the basis for quantifying the amount of amino silane molecules with chemo-selective qNMR with stepwise fine-tuned workflows, involving centrifugation, drying, weighting, dissolution, measurement, and data evaluation steps jointly performed by BAM and NRC. Data comparability and relative standard deviations (RSDs) obtained by both labs were used as quality measures for method optimization and as prerequisites to identify method-inherent limitations to be later considered for standardized measurement protocols. Additionally, the nitrogen (N) to silicon (Si) ratio in the near-surface region of the SiO2 NPs was determined by both labs using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a well established surface sensitive analytical method increasingly utilized for microparticles and nano-objects which is currently also in the focus of international standardization activities. Overall, our results underline the importance of multi-method characterization studies for quantifying FGs on NMs involving at least two expert laboratories for effectively identifying sources of uncertainty, validating analytical methods, and deriving NM structure–property relationships. KW - Advanced Materials KW - Amino Groups KW - Calibration KW - Characterization KW - Functional groups KW - Method Comparison KW - Nano Particle KW - Validation KW - XPS KW - Optical Assay KW - Quantification KW - Surface Analysis KW - Reference Materials KW - Synthesis KW - Fluorescence PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-649992 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5na00794a VL - 7 IS - 21 SP - 6888 EP - 6900 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-64999 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Tavernaro, Isabella A1 - Abram, Sarah-Luise A1 - Homann, Christian A1 - Scholtz, Lena A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Validated and standardized measurements and quantification of surface functionalities on nanoparticles N2 - Surface-functionalized organic and inorganic engineered nanomaterials (NMs) are widely applied in the life and materials sciences. NM performance depends on key factors such as particle size and shape, crystal phase, morphology, chemical composition, and surface chemistry, i.e., surface coatings, functional groups (FGs), and ligands.1 The latter controls their processability and interaction with the environment and largely their possible toxicity. Thus, methods for FG quantification are important tools for quality control of NM production processes and can foster the sustainable development of functional and safe(r) NMs. This underlines the importance of validated and standardized analytical methods for surface analysis and reference materials.2 This encouraged us to explore simple and versatile tools for quantifying common bioanalytically relevant FGs such as optical assays, electrochemical titration methods, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qNMR), and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and to perform a first interlaboratory comparison (ILC) on surface FG quantification.3,4 In a follow-up ILC, BAM and NRC explored qNMR sample preparation, measurement, and data evaluation protocols for commercial and custom-made aminated SiO2 NPs with sizes of 20-100 nm, different amounts of surface amino FGs, and different porosity.5,6 First, the number of amino FGs accessible for a dye reporter was determined with a cost-efficient, automated optical fluorescamine assay. Then, qNMR workflows and protocols were stepwise fine-tuned. The qNMR ILC was complemented by joint XPS measurements. BAM also examined the applicability of fast and automatable potentiometric titrations to screen the total amount of (de)protonable FGs on aminated SiO2 NPs. Our results underline the need to evaluate protocols for FG quantification in ILCs and the advantages of multi-method characterization strategies for efficient method cross validation. T2 - Surface and Micro/Nano Analysis Working Group CY - Paris, France DA - 08.04.2025 KW - Quality assurance KW - Reference material KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Surface analysis KW - XPS KW - Traceability KW - Metrology KW - Calibration KW - Reference data KW - Reference product KW - Digital certificate KW - QNMR KW - Potentiometry PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62969 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tavasolyzadeh, Zeynab A1 - Tang, Peng A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Hweidi, Gada A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Haag, Rainer A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Topolniak, Ievgeniia T1 - 2D and 3D Micropatterning of Mussel‐Inspired Functional Materials by Direct Laser Writing N2 - AbstractThis work addresses the critical need for multifunctional materials and substrate‐independent high‐precision surface modification techniques that are essential for advancing microdevices and sensing elements. To overcome existing limitations, the versatility of mussel‐inspired materials (MIMs) is combined with state‐of‐the‐art multiphoton direct laser writing (DLW) microfabrication. In this way, 2D and 3D MIM microstructures of complex designs are demonstrated with sub‐micron to micron resolution and extensive post‐functionalization capabilities. This study includes polydopamine (PDA), mussel‐inspired linear, and dendritic polyglycerols (MI‐lPG and MI‐dPG), allowing their direct microstructure on the substrate of choice with the option to tailor the patterned topography and morphology in a controllable manner. The functionality potential of MIMs is demonstrated by successfully immobilizing and detecting single‐stranded DNA on MIM micropattern and nanoarray surfaces. In addition, easy modification of MIM microstructure with silver nanoparticles without the need of any reducing agent is shown. The methodology developed here enables the integration of MIMs in advanced applications where precise surface functionalization is essential. KW - Direct laser writing KW - Mussel-inspired materials KW - Polyglycerol KW - Polydopamine KW - Micropatterning PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-588778 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202309394 SN - 1613-6829 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-58877 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tantardini, C. A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Samtsevich, A. A1 - Rota, C. A1 - Kvashnin, A. G. T1 - The Volumetric Source Function: Looking Inside van der Waals Interactions N2 - The study of van der Waals interactions plays a central role in the understanding of bonding across a range of biological, chemical and physical phenomena. The presence of van der Waals interactions can be identified through analysis of the reduced density gradient, a fundamental parameter at the core of Density Functional Theory. An extension of Bader’s Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules is developed here through combination with the analysis of the reduced density gradient. Through this development, a new quantum chemical topological tool is presented: the volumetric source function. This technique allows insight into the atomic composition of van der Waals interactions, offering the first route towards applying the highly successful source function to these disperse interactions. A new algorithm has been implemented in the open-source code, CRITIC2, and tested on acetone, adipic and maleic acids molecular crystals, each stabilized by van der Waals interactions. This novel technique for studying van der Waals interactions at an atomic level offers unprecedented opportunities in the fundamental study of intermolecular interactions and molecular design for crystal engineering, drug design and bio-macromolecular processes. KW - Noncovalent interactions PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-507911 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64261-4 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - 7816 AN - OPUS4-50791 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tannenberg, Robert A1 - Paul, Martin A1 - Röder, Bettina A1 - Gande, S. L. A1 - Sreeramulu, S. A1 - Saxena, K. A1 - Richter, C. A1 - Schwalbe, H. A1 - Swart, C. A1 - Weller, Michael G. T1 - Chemiluminescence biosensor for the determination of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) N2 - Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a crucial biomarker for diagnosing cardiac vascular diseases, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study presents a proof-of-concept chemiluminescence-based immunosensor for rapid and accurate measurement of cTnI, with the potential for online monitoring. The immunosensor incorporates a flow cell design and a sensitive complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera for optical readout. A microfluidic setup was established to enable selective and quasi-online determination of cTnI within ten minutes. The sensor was tested with recombinant cTnI in phosphate buffer, demonstrating measurements in the concentration range of 2–25 µg/L, with a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.6 µg/L (23 pmol/L) achieved using the optimized system. The immunosensor exhibited high selectivity, as no cross-reactivity was observed with other recombinant proteins such as cTnT and cTnC at a concentration of 16 µg/L. Measurements with diluted blood plasma and serum yielded an LoD of 60 µg/L (2.4 nmol/L) and 70 µg/L (2.9 nmol/L), respectively. This biosensor offers a promising approach for the rapid and sensitive detection of cTnI, contributing to the diagnosis and management of acute myocardial infarction and other cardiac vascular diseases. N2 - Das kardiale Troponin I (cTnI) ist ein wichtiger Biomarker für die Diagnose von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen, einschließlich des akuten Myokardinfarkts (AMI). In dieser Studie wird ein auf Chemilumineszenz basierender Immunsensor für die schnelle und genaue Messung von cTnI vorgestellt, der das Potenzial für eine Online-Überwachung hat. Der Immunsensor besteht aus einer Durchflusszelle und einer empfindlichen CMOS-Kamera (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) zur optischen Detektion. Es wurde ein mikrofluidischer Aufbau entwickelt, der eine selektive und quasi Online-Bestimmung von cTnI innerhalb von zehn Minuten ermöglicht. Der Sensor wurde mit rekombinantem cTnI in Phosphatpuffer getestet und zeigte einen Messbereich von 2-25 µg/L, wobei mit dem optimierten System eine Nachweisgrenze (LoD) von 0,6 µg/L (23 pmol/L) erreicht wurde. Der Immunsensor zeigte eine hohe Selektivität, da keine Kreuzreaktivität mit anderen rekombinanten Proteinen wie cTnT und cTnC bei einer Konzentration von 16 µg/L beobachtet wurde. Messungen mit verdünntem Blutplasma und Serum ergaben einen LoD von 60 µg/L (2,4 nmol/L) bzw. 70 µg/L (2,9 nmol/L). Dieser Biosensor bietet einen vielversprechenden Ansatz für den schnellen und empfindlichen Nachweis von cTnI, der zur Diagnose und Behandlung des akuten Myokardinfarkts und anderer kardialer Gefäßerkrankungen beitragen kann. KW - Acute myocardial infarction KW - Heart attack KW - Emergency KW - Diagnosis KW - Cardiac troponin KW - Biomarker KW - Immunosensor KW - Biosensor KW - Chemiluminescence KW - Luminol KW - Peroxidase KW - Monoclonal antibodies KW - Flow injection immunoassay KW - Immunometric assay KW - Immunometric biosensor KW - Microfluidic system KW - Monolithic column KW - Online biosensor PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-575471 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13040455 SN - 2079-6374 VL - 13 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 20 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-57547 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Tache, O. T1 - Synthesis of SiO2 Nanoparticles as reference materials: Metrological measurements and in-situ kinetics in lab with Small Angle X-Ray Scattering N2 - The unambiguous correlation of possible health and sustainability risks to nanoparticle size must be enabled by reliable measurement of nanoparticle size, to ensure comparability and compatibility between results measured under different methods. The NPSIZE project funded by European Metrology Program (EMPIR) develop methods, reference materials and modelling to improve the traceability chain, comparability and compatibility of nanoparticle size measurements. In this work, we present how spherical silica nanoparticles are synthetized with controlled monomodal or bimodal dispersion to be use as reference materials and international round-robin. Improving the fabrication requires a fine understanding of synthesis (1), coupled with an expertise of in-situ or ex-situ analysis methods. This is a new challenge for the analysis : determining not only average characteristics (size, chemical composition and shape ...) but also the concentration and the distribution over the population studied (2). Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (3) allows very precise measurements of the nanoparticles size and concentration that can be directly link to the metric system (4) (metrological traceability) . We developed a SAXS laboratory instrument dedicated to the in-situ characterization of nanoparticles, which enable fast measurements, and the monitoring of the synthesis parameters. Measurement protocols and software processing chain (5) (i.e. size distribution) are also combined & optimized. T2 - CNANO2021 CY - Toulouse, France DA - 25.11.2021 KW - X-ray scattering KW - Silica particles KW - Synthesis KW - Reference materials PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5749256 AN - OPUS4-53931 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sözen, H.I. A1 - Mendive-Tapia, E. A1 - Hickel, Tilmann A1 - Neugebauer, J. T1 - Ab initio investigations of point and complex defect structures in B2-FeAl N2 - We study single-site and two-site defect structures in B2-type Fe-Al alloys by means of density functional theory supercell calculations. The defect formation energies are calculated as functions of the chemical potential, which are used to obtain the dependence of the defect concentrations on Al content at different temperatures. We also examine the converging behavior of the formation energies with respect to the supercell size to study the corresponding limit of dilute defects. The effect of magnetism is investigated by considering nonmagnetic, ferromagnetic, and paramagnetic states, calculations for the latter showing that the magnitude of the local magnetic moments strongly impacts the defect formation energies. The methodological studies are used to provide explanations for the wide spread of defect formation energies reported by experiments and other theoretical investigations. Based on these insights, the stability of the B2-FeAl structure as a function of Al concentration is obtained and discussed. KW - Atomistic models KW - Defects KW - Thermodynamics PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-546956 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.023603 SN - 2475-9953 VL - 6 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - APS CY - College Park, MD AN - OPUS4-54695 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sözen, H.I. A1 - Ener, S. A1 - Maccari, F. A1 - Fayyazi, B. A1 - Gutfleisch, O. A1 - Neugebauer, J. A1 - Hickel, Tilmann T1 - Combined ab initio and experimental screening of phase stabilities in the Ce-Fe-Ti-X system (X = 3d and 4d metals) N2 - One of the main challenges for the synthesis and application of the promising hard-magnetic compound CeFe11Ti is the formation of Laves phases that are detrimental for their thermodynamic stability and magnetic properties. In this paper, we present an ab initio based approach to modify the stability of these phases in the Ce-Fe-Ti system by additions of 3d and 4d elements. We combine highly accurate free-energy calculations with an efficient screening technique to determine the critical annealing temperature for the formation of Ce(Fe,X)11Ti. The central findings are the dominant role of the formation enthalpy at T = 0 K on chemical trends and the major relevance of partial chemical decompositions. Based on these insights, promising transition metals to promote the stability of the hard-magnetic phase, such as Zn and Tc, were predicted. The comparison with suction casting and reactive crucible melting experiments for Ce-Fe-Ti-X (X = Cu, Ga, Co, and Cr) highlights the relevance of additional phases and quaternary elements. KW - Density functional theory KW - Phase stability KW - Energy materials PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-568850 DO - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.7.014410 SN - 2475-9953 VL - 7 SP - 1 EP - 15 AN - OPUS4-56885 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sänger, Johanna Christiane A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - First time additively manufactured advanced ceramics by using two-photon polymerization for powder processing N2 - Methods and materials are presented here, which enable the manufacturing of fine structures using a 3D-printing method known as two-photon polymerization (2PP). As traditional photolithography methods for structuring ceramic slurries do not function with 2PP, due to light scattering on ceramic particles, a novel water-based photoresist with high ceramic loading of extremely well dispersed ceramic nano particles was developed. This photoresist is basically a ceramic slurry containing a photocurable agent and a photoinitiator to be crosslinkable with the 780 nm wavelength femtosecond laser light source of the 2PP machine. It is demonstrated that it is possible to gain a highly transparent and low viscous slurry suitable for 2PP processing. This work shows the development of the slurry, first printing results and the post-printing processes required to form three dimensional ceramic microstructures consisting of alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ). KW - 3D-printing KW - Two-photon polymerization KW - 2PP KW - Ceramic nano particles KW - Slurry KW - Alumina toughened zirconia KW - ATZ KW - Additive manufacturing KW - SchwarzP cells KW - Nano-ceramic-additive-manufacturing photoresin KW - NanoCAM PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-517441 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2020.100040 VL - 4 SP - 100040 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-51744 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sänger, Johanna C. A1 - Riechers, Birte A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Microplastic response of 2PP‐printed ceramics N2 - AbstractTwo‐photon polymerization (2PP) additive manufacturing (AM) utilizes feedstocks of ceramic nanoparticles of a few nanometers in diameter, enabling the fabrication of highly accurate technical ceramic design with structural details as small as 500 nm. The performance of these materials is expected to differ from conventional AM ceramics, as nanoparticles and three‐dimensional printing at high resolution introduce new microstructural aspects. This study applies 2PP‐AM of yttria‐stabilized zirconia to investigate the mechanical response behavior under compressive load, probing the influence of smallest structural units induced by the line packing during the printing process, design of sintered microblocks, and sintering temperature and thereby microstructure. We find a dissipative mechanical response enhanced by sintering at lower temperatures than conventional. The pursued 2PP‐AM approach yields a microstructured material with an increased number of grain boundaries that proposedly play a major role in facilitating energy dissipation within the here printed ceramic material. This microplastic response is further triggered by the filigree structures induced by hollow line packing at the order of the critical defect size of ceramics. Together, these unique aspects made accessible by the 2PP‐AM approach contribute to a heterogeneous nano‐ and microstructure, and hint toward opportunities for tailoring the mechanical response in future ceramic applications. KW - Manufacturing KW - Mechanical properties KW - Microstructure KW - Plasticity KW - Zirconia: yttria stabilized PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-605176 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.19849 SN - 1551-2916 VL - 107 IS - 10 SP - 6636 EP - 6645 PB - Wiley CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-60517 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas ED - Schönhals, Andreas ED - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Epoxy-Based Nanocomposites—What Can Be Learned from Dielectric and Calorimetric Investigations? N2 - Epoxy-based nanocomposites are promisingmaterials for industrial applications (i.e., aerospace, marine, and automotive industries) due to their extraordinary mechanical and thermal properties. Regardless of the broad field of applications, there is still a considerable need to identify their structure–property relationships. Here, a detailed dielectric and calorimetric (DSC and fast scanning calorimetry) study on different epoxy-based nanocomposites was performed. Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) was employed as the polymeric matrix, which was reinforced with three diverse nanofillers that exhibit different interaction strengths with the epoxy matrix (halloysite nanotubes, surface modified halloysite nanotubes, and taurine-modified layered double hydroxide). The structure, molecular mobility, and vitrification behavior are discussed in detail, focusing on the intrinsic structural and dynamic heterogeneity, as well as interfacial properties. KW - Nanocomposites KW - Epoxi nanocomposites KW - Dynamics KW - Interphase KW - Ridis amorphous fraction KW - Dielectric spectroscopy KW - Flash DSC KW - Temparatur modulated Flash DSC KW - Temperature modulated DSC PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89723-9_11 SP - 335 EP - 367 PB - Springer CY - Cham, Switzerland AN - OPUS4-54566 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Qu, Xintong A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Sturm, Heinz ED - Sinapius, M. ED - Ziegmann, G. T1 - Characterization of Polymer Nanocomposites N2 - The complex effect of nanoparticles on an epoxy-based and anhydride cured DGEBA/Boehmite nanocomposite with different particle concentrations is considered in this chapter. A combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry (fast scanning and temperature modulated calorimetry) and dielectric spectroscopy was employed to characterize the structure, vitrification kinetics and the molecular dynamics of the nanocomposites. Firstly, the unfilled polymer was found to be intrinsically heterogeneous, showing regions with different crosslinking density, indicated by two separate dynamic glass transitions. Moreover, the glass transition temperature decreases with increasing nanoparticle concentration, as a result of changes in the crosslinking density. In addition, it was shown that the incorporation of nanoparticles can result in simultaneous increase in the number of mobile segments for low nanoparticle concentrations and on the other hand, for higher loading degrees the number of mobile segments decreases, due to the formation of an immobilized interphase. KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - Epoxy nanocomposites KW - X-ray scattering KW - Differential scanning calorimetry KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Flash DSC PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68523-2_4 SP - 55 EP - 77 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-52698 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Qu, Xintong A1 - Abbasi, M. A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Henning, S. A1 - Li, Z. A1 - Wang, D.-Y. A1 - Schick, C. A1 - Saalwächter, K. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Spatial inhomogeneity, Interfaces and Complex Vitrification Kinetics in a Network Forming Nanocomposite N2 - A detailed calorimetric study on an epoxy-based nanocomposite system was performed employing bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the polymer matrix and taurine-modified MgAL layered double hydroxide (T-LDH) as nanofiller. The -NH2 group of taurine can react with DGEBA improving the interaction of the polymer with the filler. The combined X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy data showed that the nanocomposite has a partially exfoliated morphology. Calorimetric studies were performed with conventional DSC, temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) in the temperature modulated approach (TMFSC) to investigate the vitrification and molecular mobility in dependence of the filler concentration. First, TMDSC and NMR were used to estimate the amount of the rigid amorphous fraction which consists of immobilized polymer segments at the nanoparticle surface. It was found to be 40 wt% for the highest filler concentration, indicating that the interface dominates the overall macroscopic properties and behavior of the material to a great extent. Second, the relaxation rates of the α-relaxation obtained by TMDSC and TMFSC were compared with the thermal and dielectric relaxation rates measured by static FSC. The investigation revealed that the system shows two distinct α-relaxation processes. Furthermore, also two separate vitrification mechanisms were found for a bulk network-former without geometrical confinement as also confirmed by NMR. This was discussed in terms of the intrinsic spatial heterogeneity on a molecular scale, which becomes more pronounced with increasing nanofiller content. KW - Polymer based Nanocomposites PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-523199 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sm01992e SN - 1744-6848 VL - 17 IS - 10 SP - 2775 EP - 2790 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-52319 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Qu, Xintong A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Competition of nanoparticle-induced mobilization and immobilization effects on segmental dynamics of an epoxy-based nanocomposite N2 - The complex effects of nanoparticles on a thermosetting material based on an anhydride cured DGEBA/Boehmite nanocomposite with different particle concentrations is considered. A combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry, including fast scanning calorimetry as well as temperature modulated calorimetry and dielectric spectroscopy, was employed to study the structure, the vitrification kinetics and the molecular dynamics of the nanocomposites. For the first time in the literature for an epoxy-based composite a detailed analysis of the X-ray data was carried out. Moreover, the unfilled polymer was found to be intrinsically heterogeneous, showing regions with different crosslinking density, indicated by two separate dynamic glass transitions. The glass transition temperature decreases with increasing nanoparticle concentration, resulting from a change in the crosslinking density. Moreover, on the one hand, for nanocomposites the incorporation of nanofiller increased the number of mobile segments for low nanoparticle concentrations, due to the altered crosslinking density. On the other hand, for higher loading degrees the number of mobile segments decreased, resulting from the formation of an immobilized interphase (RAF). The simultaneous mobilization and immobilization of the segmental dynamics cannot be separated unambiguously. Taking the sample with highest number of mobile segments as reference state it was possible to estimate the amount of RAF. KW - Nanocomposite PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sm00744g SN - 1744-683X VL - 16 IS - 23 SP - 5406 EP - 5421 PB - Royal Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-50883 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Omar, Hassan A1 - Gawek, Marcel A1 - Hertwik, Andreas A1 - Madkour, Sherif A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Investigation of the behavior of thin polymeric films including the adsorbed layer on the substrate by nano-sized relaxation spectroscopy and complementary methods N2 - Thin polymeric films are of great importance of high number of high-tech applications for instance in sensors and nanoelectronics. Form the scientific point of view thin films with thickness below 100 nm are ideal model systems to study confinement effects on its properties for instance on the molecular relaxation processes. In this contribution an overview is presented about the behavior of different systems as investigated by nanosized relaxation spectroscopy like broadband dielectric spectroscopy employing nano structured capacitors and AC chip calorimetry complimented by ellipsometry. The systems considered are PVME1, PVME/PS blends2,3 P2VP4, PBAC5 and polysulfone6. Besides the film also the adsorbed layer on the substrate prepared by a leaching approach and investigated by AFM is considered.1,4-7. For these investigationsss it is found that the adsorbed layer itself exhibits a relaxation dynamics which might be assigned either to molecular motions or to adsorptions desorption kinetics. T2 - 9. International Discussion Meeting Relaxation Complex Systems CY - Chiba, Japan DA - 12.08.2023 KW - Thin polymer films PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58103 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed A. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Application of Fast Scanning Calorimetry in Soft Matter Research – Two Examples: 1. Polymers for Gas separation membranes 2. Ionic Liquid Crystals N2 - The application of fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) with heating rates in the range from 10 K/s to 10,000 K/s in soft matter research is discussed through two examples. In the first part, FSC is applied to polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). No glass transition could be measured for these polymers by conventional calorimetry before their degradation. By decoupling the time scales of chemical degradation and the glass transition, it could be shown for the first time that PIMs undergo a glass transition. In the second part, FSC is applied to ionic liquid crystals to investigate their molecular mobility. In order to cover a broad dynamical range, FSC is combined with temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry, and temperature-modulated FSC. T2 - Colloqium at the physics department of the Charles university Prague CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 12.11.2024 KW - Fast Scanning Calorimetry PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61670 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed A. A1 - Juranyi, Fanni A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Zorn, Reiner A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Low-Frequency Vibrational Density of State of Janus-Polynorbornenes: The Dependence of the Boson Peak on the Nanophase-Separated Structure N2 - Inelastic incoherent neutron time-of-flight scattering was employed to investigate the low-frequency vibrational density of states (VDOSs) for a series of glassy Janus-poly(tricyclononenes), which consist of a rigid main chain and flexible alkyl side chains. Here, the length of the flexible side chains was systematically varied from propyl to octyl. Such materials have potential applications as active separation layers in gas separation membranes as a green future technology, especially for the separation of higher hydrocarbons. From the morphological point of view, the Janus polynorbornenes undergo a nanophase separation into alkyl side chain-rich nanodomains surrounded by a rigid polynorbornene matrix. Here, the influence of the nanophase-separated structure on the low-frequency VDOS is investigated from a fundamental point of view. The low-frequency VDOSs of these Janus polynorbornene show excess contributions to the Debye type VDOS known as the Boson peak (BP) for all side chain lengths. Due to the high incoherent scattering cross-section of hydrogen, most of the scattering comes from the alkyl side chain-rich domains. Compared to conventional glass-forming materials, in the considered Janus polynorbornenes, the BP has a much lower intensity and its frequency position is shifted to higher values. These experimental results are discussed in terms of the nanophase-separated structure where the alkyl chain-rich domains were constrained by the surrounding matrix dominated by the rigid backbone. With increasing alkyl chain length, the size of the alkyl chain-rich domains increases. The frequency position of the BP shifts linearly to lower frequencies with the size of these nanodomains estimated from X-ray measurements. The obtained results support the sound wave interpretation to the BP KW - Inelastic neutron scattering PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00913 SN - 0024-9297 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-57972 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed A. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Frick, B. A1 - Apple, M. A1 - Mole, R. A. A1 - De Souza, N. R. A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Confined Segmental Diffusion in Nanophase Separated Janus Polynorbornenes as Investigated by Quasielastic Neutron Scattering N2 - A combination of neutron time-of-flight and neutron backscattering spectroscopy was used to investigate the molecular dynamics of Janus polynorbornenes (Janus poly(tricyclononenes)) on a microscopic level. These Janus polynorbornenes, denoted as PTCNSiOR, have a semirigid backbone with −Si(OR)3 side groups attached to it. R represents the length of the alkyl side chain. Here side chain lengths of R = 3 (propyl) and R = 8 (octyl) were considered. It is worth mentioning that these polymers have some potential as active layers in gas separation membranes, especially for the separation of higher hydrocarbons. The combination of time-of-flight and backscattering will ensure a reasonably broad time window for analysis where the incoherent intermediate scattering function SInc(q,t) is considered. Previously, it was shown by X-ray investigations that the system undergoes a nanophase separation into alkyl side chain-rich domains surrounded by a backbone-rich matrix. For PTCNSiOPr (R = 3), the alkyl side-chain-rich domains are truly isolated in the backbone-rich matrix, whereas for PTCNSiOOc (R = 8) these domains percolate through the matrix. Further, it was also previously shown that the alkyl side-chain-rich domains undergo a glass transition. The advantage of neutron scattering experiments discussed here is that besides temporal also spatial information is obtained which will allow conclusions to be drawn about the type of molecular fluctuations. At the lowest measured temperature, the decay in Sinc(q,t) is due to the methyl group rotation. The methyl group dynamics is analyzed in terms of a modified jump-diffusion in a 3-fold potential and yields to a reasonable fraction of hydrogens which contribute to the methyl group rotation. At higher temperatures, the decay in SInc(q,t) is due to both the methyl group rotation and the segmental dynamics in the alkyl side-chain-rich domains. The segmental diffusion is modeled by a sublinear diffusion. For the analysis of the scattering function SInc(q,t) of PTCNSiOPr an elastic scattering due to the immobilized backbone-rich matrix must be taken into account. The analysis reveals that the segmental dynamics is confined by the finite size of alkyl chain-rich domains and that it is intrinsically heterogeneous in nature. Both effects are more pronounced for PTCNSiOPr in comparison to those of PTCNSiOOc. KW - Polynorbornene KW - Quasielastic Neutron Scattering PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608712 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.4c01045 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-60871 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed A. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - De Souza, N. R. A1 - Juranyi, F. A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Inelastic and Quasielastic Neutron Scattering on Polynorbornenes with Bulky Carbocyclic Side groups N2 - This study investigates the molecular mobility and vibrational properties of polynorbornenes with bulky carbocyclic side groups using inelastic and quasielastic neutron scattering techniques. The polymers, synthesized via metathesis and addition polymerization, exhibit varying degrees of microporosity, which ignificantly influences their gas separation performance. By inelastic neutron scattering experiments, it could be shown that all considered polymers have excess contributions to the low frequency vibrational density of states known as the Boson peak. The maximum frequency of the Boson peak correlates to the microporosity of the polymers. This correlation supports the sound wave interpretation of the Boson peak, suggesting that the microporous structure enhances the compressibility of the material at a microscopic length scale. The molecular mobility, particularly the methyl group rotation, was characterized using elastic scans and quasielastic neutron scattering. The study revealed a temperature dependent relaxation process, with the onset of molecular fluctuations observed around 200 K for the polymer containing methyl groups. For the polymer having no methyl groups only elastic scattering is observed. The methyl group rotation was analyzed in terms of a jump diffusion in a threefold potential with three equivalent energy minima. This leads to an almost correct description of the q dependence of the elastic incoherent scattering function when the number of hydrogen nuclei undergoing the methyl group rotation is considered. It was further evidenced that the fraction of methyl undergoing the methyl group rotation increases with increasing temperature. KW - Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity KW - Neutron scattering PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-630297 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2025.128358 SN - 1873-2291 VL - 328 SP - 241 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63029 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Juranyi, F. A1 - Kruteva, M. A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Low-Frequency Vibrational Density of States of Nanophase- Separated Poly(n‑alkyl methacrylate)s: Confined Phonons and Relationship to Specific Heat N2 - This study investigates the low-frequency vibrational Density of states of nanophase-separated poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s (PnMAs) and its relationship to specific heat. This system undergoes a nanophase separation for n > 1 in alkyl side chain-rich domains and a backbone-rich matrix. Using inelastic neutron scattering, the low-frequency vibrational density of states (Boson peak, BP) of PnMAs with varying alkyl side chain lengths (methyl, butyl, hexyl, and octyl) is measured. The results reveal that the BP shifts to higher frequencies with increasing side chain length reaching a maximum. This result indicates a counterbalance of confinement effects and the scattering of the matrix. The behavior of the Boson peak of the PnMAs is compared to other nanophase-separated systems, such as Janus-polynorbornenes and hexakis(n-alkyloxy)triphenylene discotic liquid crystals. The study also explores the connection between the BP and specific heat capacity, showing a linear relationship between the maximum frequency of the BP and the maximum temperature of the specific heat capacity anomaly. Moreover, from the measured vibrational density of states, the specific heat capacity is calculated and compared to experimental results. The comparison reveals qualitative agreement between the calculated and experimental data. These findings provide evidence for the sound wave interpretation of the Boson peak. KW - Inelastic Neutron Scattering PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-636928 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.5c00898 SN - 1520-5835 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-63692 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Zorn, Reiner A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Inelastic and quasielastic neutron scattering experiments on microporous membranes fro green separation processes N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. These polymers are characterized by a high permeability and reasonable permselectivity. The latter point is somehow surprising because for microporous systems a more Knudson-like diffusion is expected then a size dependent temperature activated sieving process. It was argued in the framework of a random gate model that molecular fluctuations on a time scale from ps to ns are responsible for the permselectivity. Here series of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) as well as microporous polynorbornenes with bulky Si side groups and a rigid backbone are considered. The polymers have different microporosity characterized by high BET surface area values. First inelastic time-of-flight neutron scattering measurements were carried out to investigate the low frequency density of state (VDOS). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. It was found that the frequency of the maximum position of the Boson peak correlates with the BET surface area value. Secondly elastic scans as well as quasielastic neutron scattering measurements by a combination of neutron time-of-flight and backscattering have been out. A low temperature relaxation process was found for both polymers. This process was assigned to the methyl group rotation. It was analysed in terms of a jump diffusion in a three-fold potential. The analysis of the dependence of the elastic incoherent structure factor on the scattering vector yields the number of methyl groups which might be immobilized. The neutron scattering experiments were accompanied by fast scanning calorimetry and broadband dielectric investigations as well as atomistic molecular dynamic simulations. T2 - Kolloquiumsvortrag an der Technischen Universität München CY - Garching, Germany DA - 20.11.2023 KW - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-59036 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Molecular Dynamics of nNanophase-Separated Janus Polynorbornenes for gas separation N2 - Janus polytricyclononenes (PTCN) with rigid backbones and flexible n-alkyl (n = propyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl) are novel, innovative materials that show potential in separating hydrocarbons. These superglassy polymers were designed to show an enhanced and controllable gas permeability via flexible alkyl side chains that promote mass transport, as opposed to conventional microporous polymers, where permeability is a function of the free-volume entities. PTCNs, investigated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), show nanophase separation between the n-alkyl side chains and the backbones. The size of the nanodomains increases with the length of the n-alkyl side groups. In addition, for the alkyl chain-rich nanodomains a distinct α-relaxation was found by means of broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC). The glass transition of the backbone-rich domains, which is beyond or near to the degradation of the materials, was evidenced by fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) by decoupling it from decomposition, employing high heating rates up to 104 K/s. Further, Janus PTCNs were studied by quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) employing the backscattering IN16B (ILL, Grenoble) and time of flight FOCUS (PSI, Villigen) instruments. For an overview of dynamic processes setting in at different temperatures inelastic (IFWS) and elastic fixed window scans (EFWS) were conducted. IFWS showed that the segmental motions of alkyl-rich nanodomains shift to higher temperatures with increasing alkyl chain length, which agrees with SAXS and BDS findings. For the lowest side chain lengths an additional low temperature relaxation process was found, assigned to methyl group rotations. T2 - IDS 2022 CY - San Sebastian, Spain DA - 03.09.2022 KW - Gas separation KW - Membranes PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55899 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Supramolecular Polymerization Induced by Confined Structural Water in Small Crown Macrocycle N2 - Structural water, integral to biological systems, i.e., for protein stability and function, has rarely been explored in materials science. Supramolecular polymers, which assemble through non-covalent interactions, offer functionalities such as responsiveness and self-healing. Traditionally, in such systems water is considered as a solvent. Herein, a novel water-induced supramolecular polymer hydrogel is reported, formed by a single crown ether macrocycle with a selenoxide hydrogen bonding receptor and a hydrophobic selenium-substituted core. Structural water was confined in a nanosegregated three-dimensional architecture, maintaining water in a liquid-like state down to -80 °C. Unlike previous studies requiring multiple crown ether units for structural water formation, this single unit system effectively controls structural water and supramolecular polymerization. The presence of confined water was revealed through dielectric and Flash DSC experiments. The resulting hydrogel exhibits exceptional adhesion to hydrophilic surfaces, retaining strength at low temperatures. These findings demonstrate the significant role of a single macrocycle in governing water structure and functionality in supramolecular systems. An expansion of the understanding of water's role beyond a solvent has been achieved, showcasing its potential as a comonomer in material science, particularly in the development of responsive, adhesive supramolecular polymers and hydrogels. T2 - Polydays 2024 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 30.09.2024 KW - Hydrogels KW - Structural water PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61658 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Spatial Inhomogeneity, Interfaces and Complex Vitrification Behavior of Epoxy and Corresponding Nanocomposites by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy and Hyphenated Calorimetry N2 - Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) with inorganic nanofillers dispersed in a polymer matrix have been widely studied from the 1990s, since the pioneering work by Toyota Central Research. The possibility of producing advanced tailor-made, light weight and low-cost materials, inspired academic and commercial research towards numerous potential applications, facilitating PNCs to become a billion-dollar global industry. The introduction of nanoparticles (NPs) to a polymer matrix is expected to result in improved properties. The outstanding performance of PNCs is determined not only by the characteristics of the used components but also by their phase morphology, including the dispersion of NPs and interfacial properties. Understanding of structure-property relationships is particularly important for polymer nanocomposites with high industrial significance, such as epoxy-based materials reinforced with inorganic nanofillers. These PNCs have been successfully adopted by the marine, automotive and aerospace industries, although they are still rarely studied on a fundamental level. Therefore, this thesis aims for a detailed understanding of the structure, molecular mobility and vitrification kinetics first, of two epoxy-based materials with different network structures and second, of the corresponding nanocomposites with different alumina-based nanofillers. The first system considered (EP/T-LDH) was based on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) and taurine-modified layered double hydroxide (T-LDH) NPs. The taurine molecule bears additional functionalities that could enhance the interactions between the matrix and the nanofiller, improving the interphase formation. The seconds system (EP/BNP) was based on DGEBA and methyl tetrahydrophtalic acid anhydride (MTHPA) as a hardener, reinforced with boehmite nanoparticles (BNPs). The comparison of the two systems enables for a comparative study on the effect of different hardeners and the morphology and modification of the alumina-based nanofillers on the material behavior. The materials were investigated employing complementary techniques with different sensitivities and frequency windows. The following methodology was used: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small – and wide – angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), calorimetry in a form of conventional DSC and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC), as well as specific heat spectroscopy (SHS) in a form of temperature modulated DSC, temperature modulated FSC and static FSC by calculating the thermal relaxation rates from the cooperativity approach. The FSC method (based on adiabatic chip calorimetry to probe micrometer-sized samples) was successfully employed in this work, exploiting all its possibilities for the first time in literature for a PNC. Moreover, a systematic analysis technique was established to overcome the problem of vague glass transition regions observed for highly loaded PNCs in the heat flow and heat capacity curves. First, TEM, SAXS/WAXS and indirectly BDS and SHS were employed to obtain the information about the approximate morphology of the PNCs. It was found that epoxy-based materials exhibit a structural heterogeneity in a form of regions with different average crosslinking density. This was indicated by multiple-peak scattering pattern of the polymer matrix and two distinct α-processes (dynamic glass transition) related to the cooperative fluctuation of the epoxy network found by BDS and SHS. This was described for the first time for epoxy-based materials. The two α-relaxations were evidenced differently for the two systems, which is related to different network structures and dipole moments due to the employed hardeners. Nevertheless, structural heterogeneity is an intrinsic feature of these materials, independent of the type of hardener used for the network formation and nanofiller. In addition, matrix inhomogeneities were more pronounced with increasing nanoparticle content. Furthermore, a powerful new technique was applied for X-ray scattering data, using Monte Carlo fits, to describe the NPs dispersion throughout the whole sample volume (as opposed to the local investigations performed by most researches). Additional structural information of the two systems was extracted by BDS and SHS, such as qualitative and quantitative estimation of polymer segments physically adsorbed and/or chemically bonded onto the nanoparticles. Due to the immobilized character of this interphase with respect to the cooperative segmental motions, it is denoted as a rigid amorphous fraction (RAF). For instance, on the contrary to EP/BNP, for EP/T-LDH a dielectrically active process was found, related to the localized fluctuations within RAF. Moreover, the amount of RAF in EP/T-LDH was reaching up to 40 wt % of the system, whereas in EP/BNP it ranged between 1-7 wt %. In the latter case the presence of NPs was found to simultaneously increase and decrease the number of mobile segments, due to the interphase formation and changes in crosslinking density. The difference between the two systems was ascribed to the presence of additional amine functionalities in the T-LDH nanofiller. Second, employing BDS and SHS, a systematic study on the effect of NPs on the segmental dynamics was performed. For example, depending on the nanofiller, the α-processes related to regions with higher crosslinking density was found to shift to higher and lower temperatures with increasing T-LDH and BNPs concentration, respectively. The observed difference is due to the different synergism of the polymer matrix with the nanofiller. Third, a detailed investigation of the vitrification kinetics was performed with DSC and FSC. The concentration dependence of the glass transition temperature was found, similar to the behavior of the α-processes. It was shown that, in parallel to the detected main glass transition, epoxy-based materials can exhibit an additional low temperature vitrification mechanism. As expected from the two distinct α-processes, this behavior was however not discussed in prior studies for an unfilled network former. This finding was correlated to the structural heterogeneity evidenced by other techniques. This thesis, dealing with an in-depth research on the epoxy-based materials that are already successfully employed in numerous applications underlines the necessity of more fundamental research in this field. It shines light on the complexity of these systems and contributes to defining how the structure-property relationships can be determined by combining multiple experimental techniques and analytical methodology. T2 - PhD defense CY - Online meeting DA - 18.12.2020 KW - Interfaces KW - Nanocomposites KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - TMDSC KW - BDS PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-52035 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Spatial Inhomogeneity, Interfaces and Complex Vitrification Behavior of Epoxy-based Materials by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy and Calorimetry N2 - Although in the last decades epoxy-based nanocomposites have been successfully adopted by the marine, automotive and aerospace industries they are still rarely studied on a fundamental level. This work deals with an in-depth comparative investigation of the structure, molecular mobility and vitrification kinetics of three bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA)-based materials with different nanofillers: I) taurine-modified layered double hydroxide (T-LDH), II) boehmite (BNPs) and III) halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). Moreover, the effect of different hardeners (diethylene triamine and methyl tetrahydrophtalic acid anhydride) on the unfilled epoxy matrix is addressed as well. The chosen methodology comprises I) small – and wide – angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) II) calorimetry in the forms of a) conventional DSC and b) static fast scanning calorimetry (FSC), III) broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), as well as IV) specific heat spectroscopy in the forms of a) temperature modulated DSC, and b) temperature modulated FSC. The combination of these techniques proved an intrinsic spatial heterogeneity of epoxy-based materials, evidenced by two separate segmental relaxation processes. Although, depending on the hardener the response of the systems to calorimetric and dielectric investigations was different, in a broader sense similar conclusions can be extracted on the structural heterogeneity. As expected from the two distinct α-processes, it was shown that, in parallel to the main glass transition, epoxy-based materials can exhibit an additional low temperature vitrification mechanism, which was not discussed in prior studies for an unfilled network former. Furthermore, the interfacial region (so-called rigid amorphous fraction) was qualitatively and quantitatively addressed, in dependence of the employed nanofiller structure. T2 - Webinar University of Southern Denmark CY - Online meeting DA - 20.01.2021 KW - BDS KW - Nanocomposites KW - Epoxy KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - TMDSC KW - Flash DSC PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52036 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Spatial Inhomogeneity, Interfaces and Complex Vitrification Behavior of Epoxy-based Materials N2 - This work deals with an in-depth comparative investigation of the structure, molecular mobility and vitrification kinetics of three bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA)-based materials with different nanofillers: taurine-modified layered double hydroxide (T-LDH) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). The chosen methodology comprises I) small – and wide – angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) II) calorimetry in the forms of a) conventional DSC and b) static fast scanning calorimetry (FSC), III) broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), as well as IV) specific heat spectroscopy in the forms of a) temperature modulated DSC, and b) temperature modulated FSC. T2 - Abteilungsseminar 6. - FB 6.6 CY - Online meeting DA - 06.05.2021 KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Epoxy nanocomposites KW - Halloysite nanotubes KW - X-ray scattering KW - Differential scanning calorimetry KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - Flash DSC PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52697 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Resolving the mystery of the molecular dynamics of epoxy-based materials using broadband dielectric spectroscopy and hypheneated calorimetry N2 - A detailed calorimetric and dielectric study on two epoxy-based nanocomposite system was performed employing bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) cured with diethylenetriamine (DETA) and methyl tetrahydrophtalic acid anhydride (MTHPA) aas the polymer matrix and taurine-modified MgAL layered double hydroxide (T-LDH) and boehmite as nanofiller. The molecular dynamics investigation revealed an intrinsic structural heterogeneity of the epoxy materials. Moreover the polymer/particle interphase was qualitatively and quantitavely investigated. T2 - Online International Dielectric Society 2020 Workshop CY - Online meeting DA - 28.09.2020 KW - Interfaces KW - Nanocomposites KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - BDS KW - TMDSC PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51492 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Bio-Based Vitrimers: Cracking the Code of Recyclability, Exchange Reactions and Flame Retardancy N2 - Vitrimers are a promising class of sustainable materials that offer an alternative to traditional epoxy thermosets in line with circular economy principles. Built on covalent adaptive networks (CANs), they can rearrange their chemical bonds in response to external stimuli, giving them properties like recyclability, shape-memory, and self-healing. These materials combine the strength of thermosets with the reprocessability of thermoplastics, making them attractive for next-generation applications. This study focuses on a bio-based vitrimer made from glycerol triglycidyl ether (GTE) and a vanillin-derived imine hardener (VA), which reacts through catalyst-free imine metathesis. To better understand the recyclability mechanisms of such systems, especially the dynamic bond exchange, we apply a comprehensive suite of techniques including dielectric spectroscopy, neutron scattering, mechanical analysis, and calorimetry. By linking molecular dynamics with macroscopic performance, the work aims to support the development of vitrimers as practical, recyclable materials. T2 - EPF2025 - European Polymer Congress CY - Groningen, The Netherlands DA - 22.06.2025 KW - Polymer recycling PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63859 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Nanoscale Confinement Effects in Thin Films of Rigid-Backbone Polymers N2 - Thin polymer films play a crucial role in modern technologies, with applications spanning flexible electronics, membranes, coatings, and nanodevices. Their reduced dimensions result in unique physical behavior, often deviating significantly from bulk properties due to confinement and interfacial effects. In this study, we investigate how nanoscale confinement and polymer–substrate interactions influence the structural and dynamic properties of supported thin films of two rigid-backbone polymers: poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PBAC) and polysulfone (PSU). Emphasis was placed on the development of adsorbed interfacial layers, molecular mobility, and the glass transition behavior as functions of film thickness and thermal history. Using a multimodal experimental approach—including Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS), Differential and Fast Scanning Calorimetry (DSC, FSC), and Ellipsometry—we characterized adsorption kinetics, desorption processes, and segmental dynamics across a wide range of thicknesses and annealing conditions. Special attention was given to the formation and growth regimes of the adsorbed polymer layers, including a newly observed pre-growth stage, and their effect on thermal and dielectric relaxation behavior. To probe dynamics in ultrathin films, two dielectric electrode configurations—crossed electrode capacitors and nanostructured electrodes—were employed, enabling measurements down to 10 nm and isolated adsorbed layer. This comprehensive analysis provides insight into how one-dimensional confinement and interfacial interactions modulate macromolecular behavior, which is critical for the design of functional nanostructured polymeric systems in advanced applications. T2 - 10th International Discussion Meeting on Relaxations in Complex Systems (10thIDMRCS) CY - Barcelona, Spanien DA - 20.06.2025 KW - Thin films PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63858 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Vitrimers – new golden child of polymers? N2 - Vitrimers represent an innovative and promising class of sustainable materials poised as an alternative to conventional epoxy thermosets within the framework of the circular economy. Based on covalent adaptive networks (CANs), vitrimers exhibit dynamic bon d rearrangements upon external stimuli, endowing them with unique properties such as shape memory, self healing, and recyclability. These pioneering materials combine the robust mechanical behavior of classic lightweight thermosets with the inherent mallea bility of thermoplasts, making them highly attractive for next generation sustainable material applications. This study explores the intricate interplay between the nature of CANs and the macroscopic properties of newly developed vitrimers. The investigated material is a bio based vitrimer consisting of a glycerol triglycidyl ether (GTE) resin and a vanillin derived imine hardener (VA). This system represents an ideal biobased substitute for fossil derived epoxy resins and leverages a catalyst free imine metathesis mechanism to enable recycl ability. Despite the advantages of vitrimers, the molecular mechanisms governing their recyclability, particularly the dynamic exchange reactions, remain poorly understood. To gain deeper insights into these mechanisms, this study employs a combination of broadband dielectric spectroscopy , neutron scattering, mechanical spectroscopy, calorimetry, and dynamic thermal investigations. A systematic approach utilizing both standard and innovative characterization techniques is essential to unravel the synergistic relationship between molecular behavior, structure, and thermomechanical performance. This fundamental understanding will help propel vitrimers to the forefront of sustainable material science, advancing their practical implementation as recyclable polymer systems. T2 - Berlin-Brandenburgischer Verband für Polymerforschung Colloquium CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 28.04.2025 KW - Recycling KW - 3R PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64293 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Vitrimers - Rethinking Epoxies Towards Recyclable and Reusable Thermosets N2 - Vitrimers represent an innovative and promising class of sustainable materials poised as an alternative to conventional epoxy thermosets within the framework of the circular economy. Based on covalent adaptive networks (CANs), vitrimers exhibit dynamic bon d rearrangements upon external stimuli, endowing them with unique properties such as shape memory, self healing, and recyclability. These pioneering materials combine the robust mechanical behavior of classic lightweight thermosets with the inherent mallea bility of thermoplasts, making them highly attractive for next generation sustainable material applications. This study explores the intricate interplay between the nature of CANs and the macroscopic properties of newly developed vitrimers. The investigated material is a bio based vitrimer consisting of a glycerol triglycidyl ether (GTE) resin and a vanillin derived imine hardener (VA). This system represents an ideal biobased substitute for fossil derived epoxy resins and leverages a catalyst free imine metathesis mechanism to enable recycl ability. Despite the advantages of vitrimers, the molecular mechanisms governing their recyclability, particularly the dynamic exchange reactions, remain poorly understood. To gain deeper insights into these mechanisms, this study employs a combination of broadband dielectric spectroscopy , neutron scattering, mechanical spectroscopy, calorimetry, and dynamic thermal investigations. A systematic approach utilizing both standard and innovative characterization techniques is essential to unravel the synergistic relationship between molecular behavior, structure, and thermomechanical performance. This fundamental understanding will help propel vitrimers to the forefront of sustainable material science, advancing their practical implementation as recyclable polymer systems. T2 - Fachseminarseminar Flammschutz Heringsdorf CY - Heringsdorf, Germany DA - 26.03.2025 KW - Recycling KW - 3R PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64292 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Syed, F. W. A1 - Saikia, Ujjal A1 - Sun, B. A1 - Kiranbabu, S. A1 - Tehranchi, Ali A1 - Hickel, Tilmann A1 - Zaefferer, S. A1 - Ponge, D. T1 - Interfacial segregation of carbon atoms: the competition between grain boundaries and phase boundaries N2 - The microstructure of a two-phase medium manganese steel is decorated by interfaces whose character is defined by crystallography and the misorientation between adjacent grains, which in turn influences elemental segregation and shapes the resulting decorations. This study investigates how adjacent grain and phase boundaries impact a boundary’s segregation behavior, with a focus on the competition for carbon (C) enrichment in a laminated ferrite (α)- austenite (γ) microstructure subjected to a series of heat treatments. It was found that semicoherent α-γ Kurdjumov-Sachs (KS) phase boundaries show less carbon segregation than general γ grain boundaries. Furthermore, when a γ grain boundary is present at a junction with the phase boundaries, it acts as an extracting agent for C. DFT calculations support these observations, demonstrating that carbon segregation is energetically more favorable at the γ grain boundary compared to the α/γ phase boundary, due to the more negative segregation energy at the former. KW - Defects PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.116842 SN - 1359-6462 VL - 268 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Elsevier Inc. AN - OPUS4-63840 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Surov, A. A1 - Vasilev, N. A1 - Voronin, A. A1 - Churakov, A. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Perlovich, G. T1 - Ciprofloxacin salts with benzoic acid derivatives: structural aspects, solid-state properties and solubility performance N2 - n this work, three new pharmaceutical hydrated salts of ciprofloxacin with selected derivatives of benzoic acid, namely 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid and gallic acid, were obtained and systematically investigated by several solid-state analytical techniques. In situ Raman spectroscopy was applied to elucidate the alternative pathways of the solid forms' formation under mechanochemical conditions. Crystal structure analysis and a CSD survey allowed us to establish a distinct supramolecular motif formed by infinite columnar stacks of ciprofloxacin dimers arranged in the “head-to-tail” manner. An alternative “head-to-head” packing arrangement was only observed in the crystal of the hydrated ciprofloxacin salt with 4-aminobenzoic acid. In addition, the pH-solubility behavior of the solid forms was thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, a distinct structure–property relationship between the specific features of the supramolecular organization of the hydrated salts and their solubility was observed and discussed. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - XRD PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CE00514B VL - 22 IS - 25 SP - 4238 EP - 4249 AN - OPUS4-51818 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sun, Yijuan A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Valderrey, Virginia A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Ratiometric Molecularly Imprinted Particle Probes for Reliable Fluorescence Signaling of Carboxylate-Containing Molecules N2 - In addition to sensitivity, selectivity, and portability, chemical sensing systems must generate reliable signals and offer modular configurability to address various small molecule targets, particularly in environmental applications. We present a versatile, modular strategy utilizing ratiometric molecularly imprinted particle probes based on BODIPY indicators and dyes for recognition and internal referencing. Our approach employs polystyrene core particles doped with a red fluorescent BODIPY as an internal standard, providing built-in reference for environmental influences. A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) recognition shell, incorporating a green-fluorescent BODIPY indicator monomer with a thiourea binding site for carboxylate containing analytes, is grafted from the core particles in the presence of the analyte as the template. The dual-fluorescent MIP probe detects fexofenadine as the model analyte with a change in green emission signal referenced against a stable red signal, achieving a detection limit of 0.13 μM and a broad dynamic range from 0.16 μM to 1.2 mM, with good discrimination against other antibiotics in acetonitrile. By selecting a versatile dye scaffold and recognition element, this approach can be extended to other carboxylate-containing analytes and/or wavelength combinations, potentially serving as a robust multiplexing platform. KW - Core-shell particles KW - Molecular imprinting KW - Pharmaceutical contaminants KW - Self-referenced measurements KW - Fluorescence PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-609385 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c09990 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-60938 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stühler, Merlin R. A1 - Makki, Hesam A1 - Silbernagl, Dorothee A1 - Dimde, Mathias A1 - Ludwig, Kai A1 - Tegner, Bengt E. A1 - Greve, Christopher A1 - Rausch, Konstantin A1 - Herzig, Eva M. A1 - Köhler, Anna A1 - Plajer, Alex J. T1 - Flexibility and Dynamicity Enhances and Controls Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Zinc(II) Metallogels N2 - Supramolecular self-assembly of stacked architectures is typically achieved through hydrogen bonding or π–π interactions between monomers constructed from stable and inert bonds. In contrast, coordinative interactions of early metals promise distinct self-assembly behaviour due to more flexible bonding geometries and a wider range of stabilities and exchange kinetics. In this report we demonstrate that tailoring the flexible coordination sphere of Zinc(II) complexes via subtle ligand modification promotes not only one but also three-dimensional self-assembly both thermodynamically and kinetically into higher-order fibrous morphologies, the latter being elucidated by electron tomography. As a result, coordination chemistry can be translated into both nanoscopic (fibre stiffness) and macroscopic (thermal gel stability) material properties. Utilizing dynamicity enables gelation via subcomponent self-assembly, constructing the supramolecular polymer network simultaneously with the monomer. Furthermore, coordinative dis- and reassembly via metal-ligand exchange reactions involving the first and second coordination spheres allows for control over gelation and emission of the system. Our report links concepts in supramolecular self-assembly and coordination chemistry by leveraging the unique bonding interactions that cannot be achieved for traditional monomers, promising applications in stimuli-responsive optoelectronics. KW - Nanomaterial KW - AFM KW - Organometallic KW - Gel PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-634221 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202507793 SN - 1616-301X SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH GmbH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-63422 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stuff, Maria A1 - Rübner, Katrin A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Rische, N. A1 - Chronz, M. A1 - Kühne, Hans-Carsten ED - Siegesmund, S. ED - Middendorf, B. T1 - Towards a better understanding of tuff stone deterioration N2 - Stone deterioration is the result of a complex interaction of external physical, chemical and biological forces with the mineralogical-petrophysical properties of the stone. With a better understanding of how these properties are linked to material behavior and durability, more effective measures for stone conservation can be developed. Studying these interactions in tuff is particularly complex due to the naturally high heterogeneity of tuff rocks. The first aim of a current research project is to combine the results of recent and older studies on tuff deterioration. Furthermore, the literature overview is complemented by our own investigation of Weibern and Ettringen tuff, with a focus on pore structure characteristics. T2 - STONE - 14th international congress on the deterioration and conservation of stone CY - Meeting was canceled DA - 07.09.2020 KW - Pore structure KW - Weathering KW - Weibern tuff KW - Ettringen tuff PY - 2020 SN - 978-3-96311-172-3 SP - 805 EP - 810 PB - Mitteldeutscher Verlag CY - Halle (Saale) AN - OPUS4-51549 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stratakis, E. A1 - Bonse, Jörn A1 - Heitz, J. A1 - Siegel, J. A1 - Tsibidis, G.D. A1 - Skoulas, E. A1 - Papadopoulos, A. A1 - Mimidis, A. A1 - Joel, A.-C. A1 - Comanns, P. A1 - Krüger, Jörg A1 - Florian, C. A1 - Fuentes-Edfuf, Y. A1 - Solis, J. A1 - Baumgartner, W. T1 - Laser engineering of biomimetic surfaces N2 - The exciting properties of micro- and nano-patterned surfaces found in natural species hide a virtually endless potential of technological ideas, opening new opportunities for innovation and exploitation in materials science and engineering. Due to the diversity of biomimetic surface functionalities, inspirations from natural surfaces are interesting for a broad range of applications in engineering, including phenomena of adhesion, friction, wear, lubrication, wetting phenomena, self-cleaning, antifouling, antibacterial phenomena, thermoregulation and optics. Lasers are increasingly proving to be promising tools for the precise and controlled structuring of materials at micro- and nano-scales. When ultrashort-pulsed lasers are used, the optimal interplay between laser and material parameters enables structuring down to the nanometer scale. Besides this, a unique aspect of laser processing technology is the possibility for material modifications at multiple (hierarchical) length scales, leading to the complex biomimetic micro- and nano-scale patterns, while adding a new dimension to structure optimization. This article reviews the current state of the art of laser processing methodologies, which are being used for the fabrication of bioinspired artificial surfaces to realize extraordinary wetting, optical, mechanical, and biological-active properties for numerous applications. The innovative aspect of laser functionalized biomimetic surfaces for a wide variety of current and future applications is particularly demonstrated and discussed. The article concludes with illustrating the wealth of arising possibilities and the number of new laser micro/nano fabrication approaches for obtaining complex high-resolution features, which prescribe a future where control of structures and subsequent functionalities are beyond our current imagination. KW - Biomimetic surfaces KW - Laser processing KW - Surface functionalization KW - Bioinspiration KW - Bionic materials PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mser.2020.100562 SN - 0927-796X VL - 141 SP - 100562-1 EP - 100562-47 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50927 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stolzenberg, U. A1 - Schmitt Rahner, M. A1 - Pullner, B. A1 - Legall, Herbert A1 - Bonse, Jörn A1 - Kluge, M. A1 - Ortner, A. A1 - Hoppe, B. A1 - Krüger, Jörg T1 - X-ray emission hazards from ultrashort pulsed laser material processing in an industrial setting N2 - Interactions between ultrashort laser pulses with intensities larger than 10^13 W/cm^2 and solids during material processing can lead to the emission of X-rays with photon energies above 5 keV, causing radiation hazards to operators. A framework for inspecting X-ray emission hazards during laser material processing has yet to be developed. One requirement for conducting radiation protection inspections is using a reference scenario, i.e., laser settings and process parameters that will lead to an almost constant and high level of X-ray emissions. To study the feasibility of setting up a reference scenario in practice, ambient dose rates and photon energies were measured using traceable measurement equipment in an industrial setting at SCHOTT AG. Ultrashort pulsed (USP) lasers with a maximum average power of 220 W provided the opportunity to measure X-ray emissions at laser peak intensities of up to 3.3 × 10^15 W/cm^2 at pulse durations of ~1 ps. The results indicate that increasing the laser peak intensity is insufficient to generate high dose rates. The investigations were affected by various constraints which prevented measuring high ambient dose rates. In this work, a list of issues which may be encountered when performing measurements at USP-laser machines in industrial settings is identified. KW - X-ray emission hazards KW - Ultrashort pulsed laser KW - Radiation protection KW - Industrial applications KW - Protection housing PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-538632 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14237163 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 14 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-53863 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stolar, Tomislav A1 - Pearce, Ben K.D. A1 - Etter, Martin A1 - Truong, Khai-Nghi A1 - Ostojić, Tea A1 - Krajnc, Andraž A1 - Mali, Gregor A1 - Rossi, Barbara A1 - Molčanov, Krešimir A1 - Lončarić, Ivor A1 - Meštrović, Ernest A1 - Užarević, Krunoslav A1 - Grisanti, Luca T1 - Base-pairing of uracil and 2,6-diaminopurine: from cocrystals to photoreactivity N2 - We show that the non-canonical nucleobase 2,6-diaminopurine (D) spontaneously base pairs with uracil (U) in water and the solid state without the need to be attached to the ribose-phosphate backbone. Depending on the reaction conditions, D and U assemble in thermodynamically stable hydrated and anhydrated D-U base-paired cocrystals. Under UV irradiation, an aqueous solution of D-U base-pair undergoes photochemical degradation, while a pure aqueous solution of U does not. Our simulations suggest that D may trigger the U photodimerization and show that complementary base-pairing modifies the photochemical properties of nucleobases, which might have implications for prebiotic chemistry. KW - Mechanochemistry KW - In situ monitoring KW - Cocrystals PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608622 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109894 VL - 27 IS - 6 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier Inc. AN - OPUS4-60862 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stolar, Tomislav A1 - Bayram, Dilara A1 - May, Anastasia A1 - Sundermann, Remie A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Meyer, Klas A1 - Myxa, Anett A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Selective mechanochemical conversion of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate waste into hcp and fcu UiO-66 metal–organic frameworks N2 - Single-use plastics strongly contribute to plastic pollution, and less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled globally. Here, we present a selective mechanochemical protocol for converting post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) transparent bottles and coloured textile waste into the porous metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66 materials. We used time-resolved in situ (TRIS) synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy to monitor the depolymerization of PET during ball milling. To convert disodium terephthalate to UiO-66, we developed base and base-free synthetic routes that lead to fcu and hcp UiO-66 phases, respectively, including the first ever synthesis of hcp UiO-66 by mechanochemistry. Our results demonstrate the potential of mechanochemistry to selectively access fcu and hcp UiO-66 phases using post-consumer PET waste. KW - Mechanochemistry PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653958 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MR00126E SN - 2976-8683 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-65395 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stolar, Tomislav A1 - Alić, Jasna A1 - Casali, Lucia A1 - Gugin, Nikita A1 - Baláž, Matej A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A.L. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska ED - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Mechanochemistry: Looking back and ahead N2 - Starting with the discovery of fire and the preparation of food in prehistoric times, mechanochemistry is the oldest form of chemistry that humans have controlled. Mechanochemical practices, such as grinding with a mortar and pestle, continued into the Middle Ages until dedicated scientific studies began in the 19th century. Since then,research in mechanochemistry has shown that many chemicalreactions can be performed via mechanical force without or with small amounts of solvent. Besides being time, material, and energy efficient, mechanochemical reactions often yield products that differ from those obtained in solution. Therefore, not only is mechanochemistry greener and more sustainable than conventional solution chemistry, but it also has the added value of providing new reactivity and selectivity. This is especially important today, when chemists need to invent high-performance materials, intermediates, and products with the use of sustainable feedstocks and develop environmental remediation pathways. At the same time, time-resolved in situ monitoring and computational modeling are necessary for addressing fundamental questions about the atomistic, molecular, and electronic nature of mechanochemical reactivity. Integrating digitalization, robotics, and artificial intelligence tools promises to increase the reproducibility and scalability of mechanochemical processes. Further evolution of mechanochemistry is expected to have a transformative effect on the chemical industry. KW - Mechanochemistry PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653962 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2025.102880 SN - 2451-9294 SP - 1 EP - 27 PB - Elsevier BV AN - OPUS4-65396 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Sustainable mechanochemical reaction engineering: from molecular mechanisms to scalable technology N2 - In this talk, I will present about our quest to fundamentally understand mechanochemical reactions by in situ monitoring studies. Another of our interest is scaling up mechanochemistry. For example, we are now working on developing mechanochemical technology to enable a circular economy of plastics. T2 - Korea-Germany Symposium on Mechanochemistry CY - Jeonju, South Korea DA - 02.10.2024 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Plastic recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62110 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Mechanochemistry: fundamentals to application N2 - In the first part, I will talk about the role of mechanochemistry in prebiotic chemistry. For example, prebiotically plausible pathways to peptides from inactivated amino acids are unclear as most oligomerization approaches rely on thermodynamically disfavored reactions in solution. I will show how a combination of mineral surfaces and mechanochemical activation enables the oligomerization of amino acids to oligopeptides (Figure 1). In the second part, I will show how fundamental studies inspired to use mechanochemistry for the sustainable synthesis of commercially relevant compounds, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.2 We developed a solvent-free thermo-mechanochemical approach for the direct coupling of carboxylic acids and amines, which avoids activators and additives. We applied our methodology for the quantitative synthesis of the active pharmaceutical ingredient moclobemide (Figure 2). T2 - Solutions in Chemistry Conference 2024 CY - Sveti Martin na Muri, Croatia DA - 15.11.2024 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Plastic recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62111 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Thermo mechanochemistry: merging heat and force for discovering new chemical transformations N2 - Mechanochemistry is a hot topic in chemistry, and the number of researchers from academia and industry joining the field is growing. Mechanical action drives chemical reactions forward independently of the solubility of reactants and drastically minimises solvent usage and waste production. Mechanochemistry also provides other advantages, such as faster reaction times, higher yields, altered selectivity, and access to products not obtainable by other methods. Furthermore, recent innovations in mechanochemistry enable conducting chemical reactions by combining force and heat in approach called thermo-mechanochemistry [1]. These conditions typically overcome high activation energies and access products not obtainable by mechanochemistry at ambient temperature conditions. In this talk, I will give an overview to this emerging topic and to our discoveries by thermo-mechanochemistry that include prebiotic peptide bond formation [2], synthesis of amide-based active pharmaceutical ingredient [3], condensation of diamondoid derivatives [4], and manipulation of polymorphic transition temperatures in organic molecular crystals [5]. T2 - Department Seminar at Newcastle University CY - Newcastle, UK DA - 15.09.2023 KW - Mechanochemistry PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-62104 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Sustainable mechanochemical reaction engineering: from molecular mechanisms to scalable technology N2 - In this talk, I will present about our quest to fundamentally understand mechanochemical reactions by in situ monitoring studies. Another of our interest is scaling up mechanochemistry. For example, we are now working on developing mechanochemical technology to enable a circular economy of plastics. T2 - Hokkaido International Workshop on Mechanochemistry CY - Hokkaido, Japan DA - 29.09.2024 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Plastic recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62109 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Grinding away plastic waste: enabling the circular economy of plastics N2 - Single-use plastics are causing plastic pollution, and less than 10% of plastic waste gets recycled globally. Most of it ends up in landfills or is being incinerated in a highly unsustainable manner. Plastic waste in the environment endangers ecosystems, and microplastics in babies raise alarming health concerns. Hence, one of the global priorities is circular economy for plastics which does not further exploit fossil fuel feedstocks. However, current technologies like mechanical recycling are inadequate, and innovative ones such as chemical recycling, i.e., converting plastics back to the starting monomers, are essential. For example, we can use the recycled monomers to make new plastics in a circular manner or upcycle them to other value-added functional materials. Here, I will present a sustainable technology we developed for the chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET represents 10% of global plastic production and dominates in plastic packaging. The technology relies on mechanochemistry (grinding) which uses mechanical action for the chemical breakdown of plastic polymers in an environmentally friendly way. The next step in our research is to use life cycle and techno-economic assessment to validate the sustainability and commercial viability of our technology with the goal of transferring it to real-world industrial application. T2 - Berlin PostDoc Day 2023 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 02.11.2023 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Plastic recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-62103 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Breaking the wall of circular plastics economy N2 - Traditional mechanical recycling cannot process most plastic waste streams and most of the plastic waste currently goes to landfills or incineration. Chemical recycling is a promising technology to mitigate this but is hindered by high costs (due to high process temperatures and production of solvent waste). We developed a cost-efficient technology for chemical recycling of plastic waste that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and minimizes energy consumption. It is based on solvent-free mechanochemistry for depolymerization of plastic polymers at ambient conditions. T2 - Falling Walls Lab Berlin-Adlershof CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 21.09.2023 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-62101 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Breaking the wall of circular plastics economy N2 - Traditional mechanical recycling cannot process most plastic waste streams and most of the plastic waste currently goes to landfills or incineration. Chemical recycling is a promising technology to mitigate this but is hindered by high costs (due to high process temperatures and production of solvent waste). We developed a cost-efficient technology for chemical recycling of plastic waste that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and minimizes energy consumption. It is based on solvent-free mechanochemistry for depolymerization of plastic polymers at ambient conditions. T2 - 2023 Falling Walls Science Summit CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 07.11.2023 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Plastic recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-62102 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Stolar, Tomislav T1 - Upcycling waste PET bottles to porous UiO-66 by mechanochemistry N2 - Single-use plastics are causing plastic pollution, and less than 10% of plastic waste gets recycled globally. Most of it ends up in landfills or gets incinerated in a highly unsustainable manner. Here, I will present a sustainable mechanochemical protocol for the chemical upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to porous UiO-66 metal-organic framework (MOF). In the first step, PET is ball-milled with sodium hydroxide and undergoes alkaline hydrolysis to disodium terephthalate (Na2TP). Time-resolved in situ monitoring of ball milling reaction by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction shows the appearance of crystalline Na2TP after 20 min of milling. However, ex-situ analysis at different milling times by gel permeation chromatography reveals that the depolymerisation step needs more milling for completion. After two hours of ball milling, there are only trace amounts of leftover PET. For upcycling to UiO-66, a zirconium acetate cluster is added to Na2TP together with liquid additives and after milling for T2 - International Conference on Resource Chemistry 2024 CY - Alzenau, Germany DA - 13.03.2024 KW - Mechanochemistry KW - Plastic recycling KW - Circular economy PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62105 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -