TY - JOUR A1 - Onyenso, Gabriel A1 - AI-Zawity, Jiwar A1 - Farahbakhsh, Nastaran A1 - Schardt, Annika A1 - Yadigarli, Aydan A1 - Vakamulla Raghu, Swathi Naidu A1 - Engelhard, Carsten A1 - Müller, Mareike A1 - Schönherr, Holger A1 - Killian, Manuela S. T1 - Novel Ag-modified zirconia nanomaterials with antibacterial activity N2 - The outcome of an implant procedure largely depends on the implant's surface properties. Biomaterials are now designed to have surfaces with multifunctionality, such as favorable tissue integration and the ability to combat bacterial adhesion and colonization. Herein, we report on a simple approach to improve the antibacterial properties of zirconia nanotubes (ZrNTs) coatings by decorating with silver nanoparticles (AgNP), achieved through electrochemical anodization of a zirconium–silver alloy (Zr–Ag). The AgNPs were shown to partially consist of Ag2O, potentially enhancing the availability of Ag+ ions for antibacterial activity. The modified ZrNTs were characterized using SEM, EDS, ToF-SIMS, and XPS to determine their structural morphology and chemical composition, and were further subjected to antibacterial testing. The silver and zirconium ion release behavior was monitored via ICP-MS. ZrNTs decorated with AgNP exhibit strong antimicrobial activity (>99% bacterial killing) against both S. aureus and E. coli. Antimicrobial tests indicate that the antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive pathogen S. aureus was improved by a factor of 100 compared to unmodified ZrNTs, while unmodified ZrNTs already showed a comparable reduction of viable Gram-negative E. coli. This strategy illustrates a straightforward and effective modification that optimizes the interface between the host environment and the biomaterial surface to meet the very important criteria of biocompatibility and active antibacterial response. KW - Mass Spectrometry KW - Nanoparticles KW - Advanced Materials KW - ICP-MS KW - Antimicrobial material KW - ToF-SIMS PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653990 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra07099f SN - 2046-2069 VL - 16 IS - 3 SP - 2286 EP - 2297 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-65399 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fogang, S. G. A1 - Temgoua, Ranil C. T. A1 - Deussi Ngaha, M. C. A1 - Kougoum Thieda, V. A1 - Fotsop, C. G. A1 - Averie Vomo, L. A1 - Teikam Kenda, G. A1 - Ngueko Makengue, Y. P. A1 - Deffo, G. A1 - Njanja, E. ED - Teamgoua, Ranil C. T. T1 - Room-Temperature Co-Precipitation Synthesis of Magnetite Nanoparticles and Application as Electrocatalytic Platform for Agricultural Pesticides Sensing in Water N2 - This work presents a straightforward room-temperature co-precipitation method for the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4NPs) and application as electrocatalytic material for the simultaneous determination of diuron (DR) and thiabendazole (TBZ) pesticides in water for the first time. The Fe3O4NPs were synthesized using an aqueous-based approach and immobilized onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. Comprehensive characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have confirmed the successful formation of well-crystallized Fe3O4NPs with an average crystallinity size of 61.62 nm. Electrochemical studies demonstrated strong electrostatic interactions between GCE/Fe3O4NPs and [Ru(NH3)6]3+. The electrochemical behavior of both pesticides were established by CV, while sensing parameters were optimized through differential pulse voltammetry. Under optimal conditions, the sensor achieved detection limits of 0.398 and 0.480 μM for DR and TBZ, respectively, with good selectivity and reproducibility. The practical utility of the sensor was successfully demonstrated through analysis of real water samples, offering a cost-effective solution for environmental monitoring applications. KW - Nanoparticles KW - Electrochemical sensors KW - Environmental analysis KW - Quality assurance PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.70022 SN - 1521-4109 VL - 37 IS - 7 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-63942 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Batatia, Ilyes A1 - Benner, Philipp A1 - Chiang, Yuan A1 - Elena, Alin M. A1 - Kovács, Dávid P. A1 - Riebesell, Janosh A1 - Advincula, Xavier R. A1 - Asta, Mark A1 - Avaylon, Matthew A1 - Baldwin, William J. A1 - Berger, Fabian A1 - Bernstein, Noam A1 - Bhowmik, Arghya A1 - Bigi, Filippo A1 - Blau, Samuel M. A1 - Cărare, Vlad A1 - Ceriotti, Michele A1 - Chong, Sanggyu A1 - Darby, James P. A1 - De, Sandip A1 - Della Pia, Flaviano A1 - Deringer, Volker L. A1 - Elijošius, Rokas A1 - El-Machachi, Zakariya A1 - Fako, Edvin A1 - Falcioni, Fabio A1 - Ferrari, Andrea C. A1 - Gardner, John L. A. A1 - Gawkowski, Mikołaj J. A1 - Genreith-Schriever, Annalena A1 - George, Janine A1 - Goodall, Rhys E. A. A1 - Grandel, Jonas A1 - Grey, Clare P. A1 - Grigorev, Petr A1 - Han, Shuang A1 - Handley, Will A1 - Heenen, Hendrik H. A1 - Hermansson, Kersti A1 - Ho, Cheuk Hin A1 - Hofmann, Stephan A1 - Holm, Christian A1 - Jaafar, Jad A1 - Jakob, Konstantin S. A1 - Jung, Hyunwook A1 - Kapil, Venkat A1 - Kaplan, Aaron D. A1 - Karimitari, Nima A1 - Naik, Aakash A. A1 - Csányi, Gábor T1 - A foundation model for atomistic materials chemistry N2 - Atomistic simulations of matter, especially those that leverage first-principles (ab initio) electronic structure theory, provide a microscopic view of the world, underpinning much of our understanding of chemistry and materials science. Over the last decade or so, machine-learned force fields have transformed atomistic modeling by enabling simulations of ab initio quality over unprecedented time and length scales. However, early machine-learning (ML) force fields have largely been limited by (i) the substantial computational and human effort required to develop and validate potentials for each particular system of interest and (ii) a general lack of transferability from one chemical system to the next. Here, we show that it is possible to create a general-purpose atomistic ML model, trained on a public dataset of moderate size, that is capable of running stable molecular dynamics for a wide range of molecules and materials. We demonstrate the power of the MACE-MP-0 model—and its qualitative and at times quantitative accuracy—on a diverse set of problems in the physical sciences, including properties of solids, liquids, gases, chemical reactions, interfaces, and even the dynamics of a small protein. The model can be applied out of the box as a starting or “foundation” model for any atomistic system of interest and, when desired, can be fine-tuned on just a handful of application-specific data points to reach ab initio accuracy. Establishing that a stable force-field model can cover almost all materials changes atomistic modeling in a fundamental way: experienced users obtain reliable results much faster, and beginners face a lower barrier to entry. Foundation models thus represent a step toward democratizing the revolution in atomic-scale modeling that has been brought about by ML force fields. KW - Materials Design KW - Thermal Conducitivity KW - Nanoparticles KW - Batteries PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-647829 DO - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0297006 SN - 0021-9606 VL - 163 IS - 18 SP - 1 EP - 89 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-64782 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Habibimarkani, Heydar A1 - Abram, Sarah-Luise A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Sahre, Mario A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Radnik, Jörg T1 - In-depth analysis of FeNi-based nanoparticles for the oxygen evolution reaction N2 - This study investigates the effect of varying iron-to-nickel ratios on the catalytic performance of Fe-Ni oxide nanoparticles (NPs) for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Addressing the issue of high energy wastage due to large overpotentials in OER, we synthesized and characterized different NP catalysts with different Fe: Ni oxide ratios. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were employed to determine the morphology, elemental and phase composition of the NPs. Furthermore, in-depth profiling with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) revealed that iron predominantly exists as oxide, while nickel exhibits both metallic and oxidic forms depending on the Fe content. XPS indicated an enrichment of iron at the NP surface, whereas HAXPES and EDS data agreed on the bulk stoichiometry. The assessment of the catalytic activity via cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the Fe: Ni ratio of 2:3 exhibited superior performance, characterized by lower overpotential and a smaller Tafel slope. KW - Fe-Ni oxide KW - Nanoparticles KW - OER KW - Catalytic performance KW - Cyclic voltammetry PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626932 UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-92720-3 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92720-3 VL - 15 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-62693 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schardt, Annika A1 - Schmitt, Johannes A1 - Engelhard, Carsten T1 - Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with nanosecond time resolution N2 - In this proof-of-principle study, we present our contribution to single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) developments with a novel in-house built data acquisition system with nanosecond time resolution (nanoDAQ) and a matching data processing approach. The new system can continuously sample the secondary electron multiplier (SEM) detector signal and enables the detection of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as small as 7.5 nm with the commercial single quadrupole ICP-MS instrument used in this study. Recording of the SEM signal by the nanoDAQ is performed with a dwell time of approximately 4 ns. A tailored method was developed to process this type of transient data, which is based on determining the temporal distance between detector events that is denoted as event gap (EG). We found that the inverse logarithm of EG is proportional to the particle size and that the number of detector events corresponding to a particle signal distribution can be used to calibrate and determine the particle number concentration (PNC) of a nanoparticle dispersion. Due to the high data acquisition frequency, a statistically significant number of data points can be obtained in 60 s or less and the main time limitation for analyses is merely the sample uptake time and rinsing step between analyte solutions. At this stage, the data processing method provides average information on complete data sets only and will be adapted to enable particle-by-particle analysis with future hardware/software revision. KW - ICP-MS KW - Nanoparticles KW - Nanosecond time resolution KW - Single particle detection PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-612706 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ja00373f SN - 1364-5544 SN - 0267-9477 VL - 39 IS - 2 SP - 389 EP - 400 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-61270 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Fengchan A1 - Oiticica, Pedro Ramon Almeida A1 - Abad-Arredondo, Jaime A1 - Arai, Marylyn Setsuko A1 - Oliveira, Osvaldo N. A1 - Jaque, Daniel A1 - Fernandez Dominguez, Antonio I. A1 - de Camargo, Andrea Simone Stucchi A1 - Haro-González, Patricia T1 - Brownian Motion Governs the Plasmonic Enhancement of Colloidal Upconverting Nanoparticles N2 - Upconverting nanoparticles are essential in modern photonics due to their ability to convert infrared light to visible light. Despite their significance, they exhibit limited brightness, a key drawback that can be addressed by combining them with plasmonic nanoparticles. Plasmon-enhanced upconversion has been widely demonstrated in dry environments, where upconverting nanoparticles are immobilized, but constitutes a challenge in liquid media where Brownian motion competes against immobilization. This study employs optical tweezers for the three-dimensional manipulation of an individual upconverting nanoparticle, enabling the exploration of plasmon-enhanced upconversion luminescence in water. Contrary to expectation, experiments reveal a long-range (micrometer scale) and moderate (20%) enhancement in upconversion luminescence due to the plasmonic resonances of gold nanostructures. Comparison between experiments and numerical simulations evidences the key role of Brownian motion. It is demonstrated how the three-dimensional Brownian fluctuations of the upconverting nanoparticle lead to an “average effect” that explains the magnitude and spatial extension of luminescence enhancement. KW - Upconversion KW - Plasmon enhancement KW - Optical tweezers KW - Brownian motion KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-603551 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00379 VL - 24 IS - 12 SP - 3785 EP - 3792 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-60355 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Muguruza, A.R. A1 - Odyniec, M.L. A1 - Manhota, M. A1 - Habib, Z. A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Blair, J.M.A. A1 - Kuehne, S.A. A1 - Walmsley, A.D. A1 - Pikramenou, Z. T1 - Antibiotic entrapment in antibacterial micelles as a novel strategy for the delivery of challenging antibiotics from silica nanoparticles N2 - Silica materials are popular in biomedical applications as composites and drug delivery platforms due to their low toxicity and biocompatibility. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are attractive drug delivery systems based on their porous silica framework with high surface area. In the preparation of mesoporous silica frameworks, most commonly, MCM-41, the efficient removal of the template responsible for introducing porous networks, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), is a critical step due to the template’s high toxicity in the environment and human health. In this work, we present a new one-pot approach of introducing challenging antibiotics within a silica framework without the need of toxic templates, but instead using micelle formation by an antibacterial agent. We demonstrate that micelles formed by cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), a known antibacterial agent, entrap antibiotics such as rifampicin and ciprofloxacin. Extensive NMR studies elucidate the precise localisation of the antibiotic within the CPC micelle. Ciprofloxacin is placed between the outer and palisade region while rifampicin is located further into the hydrophobic CPC micelle core. In both cases, the formation of the silica framework can be built around the CPC-antibiotic loaded micelles. The resulting silica nanoparticles show loading of both CPC and antibiotic agents, porosity and dual antibacterial release upon disruption of the micelle within the silica framework. The design not only provides a strategy of a therapeutic design to form porous frameworks but also highlights the potential of precise antibiotic dose and release in nanoparticle systems. KW - Silica KW - Nanoparticles KW - Antibiotics KW - Drug delivery KW - Surfactants PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2023.112841 SN - 1387-1811 VL - 363 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier Inc. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-58534 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sordello, F. A1 - Prozzi, M. A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Pellegrino, F. T1 - Increasing the HER efficiency of photodeposited metal nanoparticles over TiO2 using controlled periodic illumination N2 - Although the use of noble metal catalysts can increase the efficiency of hydrogen evolution reaction, the process is still limited by the characteristics of the metal-hydrogen (M−H) bond, which can be too strong or too weak, depending on the metal employed. Studies revealed that the hydrogen affinity for the metal surface (i.e. H absorption/desorption) is regulated also by the potential at the metal nanoparticles. Through controlled periodic illumination (CPI) of a series of metal/TiO2 suspensions, here we demonstrated that an increase of the HER efficiency is possible for those photodeposited metals which have a Tafel slope below 125 mV. Two possible explanations are here reported, in both of them the M−H interaction and the metal covering level play a prominent role, which also depend on the prevailing HER mechanism (Volmer-Heyrovsky or Volmer-Tafel). KW - Controlled periodic illumination KW - Hydrogen evolution reaction KW - Titanium dioxide KW - Photoreforming KW - Volcano plot KW - Sabatier KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-589875 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2023.115215 VL - 429 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-58987 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paul, Maxi B. A1 - Böhmert, Linda A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Loeschner, Katrin A1 - Givelet, Lucas A1 - Fahrenson, Christoph A1 - Braeuning, Albert A1 - Sieg, Holger T1 - Influence of artificial digestion on characteristics and intestinal cellular effects of micro-, submicro- and nanoplastics N2 - The production of plastics is rising since they have been invented. Micro, submicro- and nanoplastics are produced intentionally or generated by environmental processes, and constitute ubiquitous contaminants which are ingested orally by consumers. Reported health concerns include intestinal translocation, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Every digestive milieu in the gastrointestinal tract does have an influence on the properties of particles and can cause changes in their effect on biological systems. In this study, we subjected plastic particles of different materials (polylactic acid, polymethylmethacrylate, melamine formaldehyde) and sizes (micro- to nano-range) to a complex artificial digestion model consisting of three intestinal fluid simulants (saliva, gastric and intestinal juice). We monitored the impact of the digestion process on the particles by performing Dynamic Light Scattering, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation. An in vitro model of the intestinal epithelial barrier was used to monitor cellular effects and translocation behavior of (un)digested particles. In conclusion, artificial digestion decreased cellular interaction and slightly increased transport of all particles across the intestinal barrier. The interaction with organic matter resulted in clear differences in the agglomeration behavior. Moreover, we provide evidence for polymer-, size- and surface-dependent cellular effects of the test particles. KW - Toxicology KW - Nanoparticles KW - Dynamic Light Scattering KW - Nanoplastics KW - Microplastics KW - Reference Method KW - Reference Material PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-593947 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2023.114423 SN - 0278-6915 VL - 184 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-59394 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sieg, Holger A1 - Schaar, Caroline A1 - Fouquet, Nicole A1 - Böhmert, Linda A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Braeuning, Albert T1 - Particulate iron oxide food colorants (E 172) during artificial digestion and their uptake and impact on intestinal cells N2 - Iron oxide of various structures is frequently used as food colorant (E 172). The spectrum of colors ranges from yellow over orange, red, and brown to black, depending on the chemical structure of the material. E 172 is mostly sold as solid powder. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of nanoscaled particles in E 172 samples, often to a very high extent. This makes it necessary to investigate the fate of these particles after oral uptake. In this study, 7 differently structured commercially available E 172 food colorants (2 x Yellow FeO(OH), 2 x Red Fe2O3, 1 x Orange Fe2O3 + FeO(OH) and 2 x Black Fe3O4) were investigated for particle dissolution, ion release, cellular uptake, crossing of the intestinal barrier and toxicological impact on intestinal cells. Dissolution was analyzed in water, cell culture medium and artificial digestion fluids. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was employed for determination of the specific surface area of the colorants in the digestion fluids. Cellular uptake, transport and toxicological effects were studied using human differentiated Caco-2 cells as an in vitro model of the intestinal barrier. For all materials, a strong interaction with the intestinal cells was observed, albeit there was only a limited dissolution, and no toxic in vitro effects on human cells were recorded. KW - Toxicology KW - Nanoparticles KW - Small-angle X-ray scattering KW - SAXS PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-593935 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2024.105772 VL - 96 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier BV AN - OPUS4-59393 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -