TY - JOUR A1 - Afantitis, A. A1 - Melagraki, G. A1 - Isigonis, P. A1 - Tsoumanis, A. A1 - Varsou, D. D. A1 - Valsami-Jones, E. A1 - Papadiamantis, A. A1 - Ellis, L.-J. A. A1 - Sarimveis, H. A1 - Doganis, P. A1 - Karatzas, P. A1 - Tsiros, P. A1 - Liampa, I. A1 - Lobaskin, V. A1 - Greco, D. A1 - Serra, A. A1 - Kinaret, P. A. S. A1 - Saarimäki, L. A. A1 - Grafström, R. A1 - Kohonen, P. A1 - Nymark, P. A1 - Willighagen, E. A1 - Puzyn, T. A1 - Rybinska-Fryca, A. A1 - Lyubartsev, A. A1 - Jensen, K. A. A1 - Brandenburg, J. G. A1 - Lofts, S. A1 - Svendsen, C. A1 - Harrison, S. A1 - Maier, D. A1 - Tamm, K. A1 - Jänes, J. A1 - Sikk, L. A1 - Dusinska, M. A1 - Longhin, E. A1 - Rundén-Pran, E. A1 - Mariussen, E. A1 - El Yamani, N. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Tropsha, A. A1 - Cohen, Y. A1 - Lesczynski, J. A1 - Hendren, C. O. A1 - Wiesner, M. A1 - Winkler, D. A1 - Suzuki, N. A1 - Yoon, T. H. A1 - Choi, J.-S. A1 - Sanabria, N. A1 - Gulumian, M. A1 - Lynch, I. T1 - NanoSolveIT Project: Driving nanoinformatics research to develop innovative and integrated tools for in silico nanosafety assessment JF - Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal N2 - Nanotechnology has enabled the discovery of a multitude of novel materials exhibiting unique physicochemical (PChem) properties compared to their bulk analogues. These properties have led to a rapidly increasing range of commercial applications; this, however, may come at a cost, if an association to long-term health and environmental risks is discovered or even just perceived. Many nanomaterials (NMs) have not yet had their potential adverse biological effects fully assessed, due to costs and time constraints associated with the experimental assessment, frequently involving animals. Here, the available NM libraries are analyzed for their suitability for integration with novel nanoinformatics approaches and for the development of NM specific Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for human and environmental risk assessment, all within the NanoSolveIT cloud-platform. These established and well-characterized NM libraries (e.g. NanoMILE, NanoSolutions, NANoREG, NanoFASE, caLIBRAte, NanoTEST and the Nanomaterial Registry (>2000 NMs)) contain physicochemical characterization data as well as data for several relevant biological endpoints, assessed in part using harmonized Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) methods and test guidelines. Integration of such extensive NM information sources with the latest nanoinformatics methods will allow NanoSolveIT to model the relationships between NM structure (morphology), properties and their adverse effects and to predict the effects of other NMs for which less data is available. The project specifically addresses the needs of regulatory agencies and industry to effectively and rapidly evaluate the exposure, NM hazard and risk from nanomaterials and nano-enabled products, enabling implementation of computational ‘safe-by-design’ approaches to facilitate NM commercialization. KW - Nanoinformatics KW - Hazard assessment KW - (Quantitative) Structure-Active Relationships KW - Safe-by-design KW - Predictive modelling PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-505952 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2020.02.023 VL - 18 SP - 583 EP - 602 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50595 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sobina, E. A1 - Zimathis, Anett A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - de Santis Neves, R. A1 - Galhardo, C. E. A1 - De Robertis, E. A1 - WANG, H. A1 - Mizuno, K. A1 - Kurokawa, A. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang T1 - Final report of CCQM-K136 measurement of porosity properties (specific adsorption, BET specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore diameter) of nanoporous Al2O3 JF - Metrologia N2 - The CCQM-K136 key comparison for determination of the porosity properties of aluminum oxide has been organized jointly by the surface and micro/nano analysis working groups of CCQM to test the abilities of the metrology institutes to measure the porosity properties (specific adsorption, BET specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore diameter) of nanoporous Al2O3. Ural Scientific Research Institute for Metrology (UNIIM) acted as the coordinating laboratory for this comparison with BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) as co-coordinating laboratory. Five NMIs and one DI participated in this key comparison. All participants used a gas adsorption method, here nitrogen adsorption at 77.3 K, for analysis according to the international standards ISO 15901-2 and 9277. KW - BET specific surface area KW - Specific adsorption KW - Pore diameter KW - Specific pore volume KW - Nanoporous Al2O3 PY - 2016 UR - http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0026-1394/53/1A/08014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/53/1A/08014 SN - 0026-1394 SN - 1681-7575 VL - 2016 IS - 53 Technical Supplement SP - Article 08014, 1 EP - 39 PB - IOPscience AN - OPUS4-38282 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kasper, J. A1 - Hermanns, M. A1 - Bantz, C. A1 - Maskos, Michael A1 - Stauber, R. A1 - Pohl, C. A1 - Unger, R. E. A1 - Kirkpatrick, J.C. T1 - Inflammatory and cytotoxic responses of an alveolar-capillary coculture model to silica nanoparticles: comparison with conventional monocultures JF - Particle and fibre toxicology N2 - To date silica nanoparticles (SNPs) play an important role in modern technology and nanomedicine. SNPs are present in various materials (tyres, electrical and thermal insulation material, photovoltaic facilities). They are also used in products that are directly exposed to humans such as cosmetics or toothpaste. For that reason it is of great concern to evaluate the possible hazards of these engineered particles for human health. Attention should primarily be focussed on SNP effects on biological barriers. Accidentally released SNP could, for example, encounter the alveolar-capillary barrier by inhalation. In this study we examined the inflammatory and cytotoxic responses of monodisperse amorphous silica nanoparticles (aSNPs) of 30 nm in size on an in vitro coculture model mimicking the alveolar-capillary barrier and compared these to conventional monocultures. Methods Thus, the epithelial cell line, H441, and the endothelial cell line, ISO-HAS-1, were used in monoculture and in coculture on opposite sides of a filter membrane. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTS assay, detection of membrane integrity (LDH release), and TER (Transepithelial Electrical Resistance) measurement. Additionally, parameters of inflammation (sICAM-1, IL-6 and IL-8 release) and apoptosis markers were investigated. Results Regarding toxic effects (viability, membrane integrity, TER) the coculture model was less sensitive to apical aSNP exposure than the conventional monocultures of the appropriate cells. On the other hand, the in vitro coculture model responded with the release of inflammatory markers in a much more sensitive fashion than the conventional monoculture. At concentrations that were 10-100fold less than the toxic concentrations the apically exposed coculture showed a release of IL-6 and IL-8 to the basolateral side. This may mimic the early inflammatory events that take place in the pulmonary alveoli after aSNP inhalation. Furthermore, a number of apoptosis markers belonging to the intrinsic pathway were upregulated in the coculture following aSNP treatment. Analysis of the individual markers indicated that the cells suffered from DNA damage, hypoxia and ER-stress. Conclusion We present evidence that our in vitro coculture model of the alveolar-capillary barrier is clearly advantageous compared to conventional monocultures in evaluating the extent of damage caused by hazardous material encountering the principle biological barrier in the lower respiratory tract. KW - Silica nanoparticles KW - Alveolar-capillary coculture model KW - Cytotoxicity PY - 2011 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-254217 DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-8977-8-6 SN - 1743-8977 VL - 8 IS - 6 SP - 1 EP - 16(?) PB - BioMed Central CY - London AN - OPUS4-25421 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ahmed, R. A1 - Vaishampayan, A. A1 - Cuellar-Camacho, J. L. A1 - Wight, D. J. A1 - Donskyi, Ievgen A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Grohmann, E. A1 - Haag, R. A1 - Wagner, O. T1 - Multivalent Bacteria Binding by Flexible Polycationic Microsheets Matching Their Surface Charge Density JF - Advance Material Interfaces N2 - Aiming at the overall negative surface charge of bacteria, a new strategy of antibacterial agents based on large polymer-modified graphene oxide (GO) sheets is assessed. The presented flexible, polycationic Sheets match the size and charge density of the Escherichia coli surface charge density (2 × 1014 cm−2). These matching parameters create an unspecific but very strong bacteria adsorber by multivalent, electrostatic attraction. Their interaction with bacteria is visualized via atomic force and confocal microscopy and shows that they effectively bind and wrap around E. coli cells, and thereby immobilize them. The incubation of Gram-negative and -positive bacteria (E. coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA) with these polycationic sheets leads to the inhibition of proliferation and a reduction of the colony forming bacteria over time. This new type of antibacterial agent acts in a different mode of Action than classical biocides and could potentially be employed in medicinal, technical, or agriculture applications. The presented microsheets and their unspecific binding of cell interfaces could further be employed as adsorber material for bacterial filtration or immobilization for imaging, analysis, or sensor technologies. KW - Surface charge KW - Bacteria KW - Graphene oxide KW - Escherichia coli KW - XPS PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-509651 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201902066 VL - 7 IS - 15 SP - 1902066 PB - WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-50965 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kim, K.J. A1 - Jang, J. S. A1 - Kim, A. S. A1 - Suh, J.K. A1 - Chung, Y.-D. A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Wirth, Thomas A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Kang, H. J. A1 - Popov, O. A1 - Popov, I. A1 - Kuselman, I. A1 - Lee, Y. H. A1 - Sykes, D. E. A1 - Wang, M. A1 - Wang, H. A1 - Ogiwara, T. A1 - Nishio, M. A1 - Tanuma, S. A1 - Simons, D. A1 - Szakal, C. A1 - Osborn, W. A1 - Terauchi, S. A1 - Ito, M. A1 - Kurokawa, A. A1 - Fujiimoto, T. A1 - Jordaan, W. A1 - Jeong, C. S. A1 - Havelund, R. A1 - Spencer, S. A1 - Shard, A. A1 - Streeck, C. A1 - Beckhoff, B. A1 - Eicke, A. A1 - Terborg, R. T1 - CCQM pilot study P-140: Quantitative surface analysis of multi-element alloy films JF - Metrologia N2 - A pilot study for the quantitative surface analysis of multi-element alloy films has been performed by the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM). The aim of this pilot study is to ensure the equivalency in the measurement capability of national metrology institutes for the quantification of multi-element alloy films. A Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) film with non-uniform depth distribution was chosen as a representative multi-element alloy film. The atomic fractions of the reference and the test CIGS films were certified by isotope dilution - inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry. A total number counting (TNC) method was used as a method to determine the signal intensities of the constituent elements, which are compared with their certified atomic fractions. The atomic fractions of the CIGS films were measured by various methods, such as Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis and Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDX). Fifteen laboratories from eight National Metrology Institutes (NMIs), one Designated Institute (DI) and six non-NMIs participated in this pilot study. Although the average atomic fractions of 18 data sets showed rather poor relative standard deviations of about 5.5 % to 6.8 %, they were greatly improved to about 1.5 % to 2.2 % by excluding 5 strongly deviating data sets from the average atomic fractions. In this pilot study, the average expanded uncertainties of SIMS, XPS, AES, XRF and EPMA were 3.84%, 3.68%, 3.81%, 2.88% and 2.90%, respectively. These values are much better than those in the key comparison K-67 for composition of a Fe-Ni alloy film. As a result, the quantification of CIGS films using the TNC method was found to be a good candidate as a subject for a CCQM key comparison. KW - CCQM KW - Pilot study KW - Surface analysis KW - Alloy films KW - CIGS PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/52/1A/08017 SN - 0026-1394 SN - 1681-7575 VL - 52 IS - Technical Supplement SP - Article 08017 PB - Inst. of Physics Publ. CY - Bristol AN - OPUS4-35306 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kasper, J. A1 - Hermanns, M.I. A1 - Bantz, C. A1 - Koshkina, Olga A1 - Lang, Thomas A1 - Maskos, Michael A1 - Pohl, C. A1 - Unger, R. E. A1 - Kirkpatrick, C.J. T1 - Interactions of silica nanoparticles with lung epithelial cells and the association to flotillins JF - Archives of toxicology N2 - Amorphous silica nanoparticles (aSNPs) gain increasing popularity for industrial and therapeutic claims. The lung with its surface area of 1006#8211;140 m² displays an ideal target for therapeutic approaches, but it represents also a serious area of attack for harmful nanomaterials. The exact nature of the cytotoxic effects of NPs is still unknown. Furthermore, cellular pathways and the destiny of internalized NPs are still poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the cytotoxicity (MTS, LDH) and inflammatory responses (IL-8) for different-sized aSNPs (30, 70, 300 nm) on our lung epithelial cells line NCI H441 and endothelial cell line ISO-HAS-1. Additionally, colocalization studies have been conducted via immunofluorescence staining for flotillin-1- and flotillin-2-bearing endocytic vesicles. Subsequently, the relevance of flotillins concerning the viability of aSNP-exposed epithelial cells has been evaluated using flotillin-1/2 depleted cells (siRNA). This study reveals the relevance of the nanoparticle size regarding cytotoxicity (MTS, LDH) and inflammatory responses (IL-8), whereat the smaller the size of the nanoparticle is, the more harmful are the effects. All different aSNP sizes have been incorporated in flotillin-1- and flotillin-2-labelled vesicles in lung epithelial and endothelial cells, which display a marker for late endosomal or lysosomal structures and appear to exhibit a clathrin- or caveolae-independent mode of endocytosis. Flotillin-depleted H441 showed a clearly decreased uptake of aSNPs. Additionally, the viability of aSNP-exposed cells was reduced in these cells. These findings indicate a contribution of flotillins in as yet unknown (clathrin or caveolae-independent) endocytosis mechanisms and (or) endosomal storage. KW - Silica nanoparticles KW - Alveolar-capillary barrier KW - Lung epithelial cells KW - Endothelial cells KW - Endocytosis KW - Flotillin-1 KW - Flotillin-2 KW - Cytotoxicity KW - Inflammatory response PY - 2012 UR - http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00204-012-0876-5 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-012-0876-5 SN - 0340-5761 SN - 1432-0738 SP - 1 EP - 13(?) PB - Springer CY - Berlin ; Heidelberg [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-26195 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kasper, J. A1 - Herrmanns, M.I. A1 - Bantz, C. A1 - Utech, S. A1 - Koshkina, Olga A1 - Maskos, Michael A1 - Brochhausen, C. A1 - Pohl, C. A1 - Fuchs, S. A1 - Unger, R. E. A1 - Kirkpatrick, C.J. T1 - Flotillin-involved uptake of silica nanoparticles and responses of an alveolar-capillary barrier in vitro JF - European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics N2 - Drug and gene delivery via nanoparticles across biological barriers such as the alveolar-capillary barrier of the lung constitutes an interesting and increasingly relevant field in nanomedicine. Nevertheless, potential hazardous effects of nanoparticles (NPs) as well as their cellular and systemic fate should be thoroughly examined. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the effects of amorphous silica NPs (Sicastar) and (poly)organosiloxane NPs (AmOrSil) on the viability and the inflammatory response as well as on the cellular uptake mechanisms and fate in cells of the alveolar barrier. For this purpose, the alveolar epithelial cell line (NCI H441) and microvascular endothelial cell line (ISO-HAS-1) were used in an experimental set up resembling the alveolar-capillary barrier of the lung. In terms of IL-8 and sICAM Sicastar resulted in harmful effects at higher concentrations (60 µg/ml) in conventional monocultures but not in the coculture, whereas AmOrSil showed no significant effects. Immunofluorescence counterstaining of endosomal structures in NP-incubated cells showed no evidence for a clathrin- or caveolae-mediated uptake mechanism. However, NPs were enclosed in flotillin-1 and -2 marked vesicles in both cell types. Flotillins appear to play a role in cellular uptake or trafficking mechanisms of NPs and are discussed as indicators for clathrin- or caveolae-independent uptake mechanisms. In addition, we examined the transport of NPs across this in vitro model of the alveolar-capillary barrier forming a tight barrier with a transepithelial electrical resistance of 560 ± 8 Ω cm². H441 in coculture with endothelial cells took up much less NPs compared to monocultures. Moreover, coculturing prevented the transport of NP from the epithelial compartment to the endothelial layer on the bottom of the filter insert. This supports the relevance of coculture models, which favour a differentiated and polarised epithelial layer as in vitro test systems for nanoparticle uptake. KW - Silica nanoparticles KW - Alveolar-capillary barrier KW - NP uptake KW - NP-transport KW - Endocytosis KW - Flotillin-1/-2-dependent uptake/trafficking PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2012.10.011 SN - 0939-6411 SN - 1873-3441 VL - 84 IS - 2 SP - 275 EP - 287 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-28841 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - König, R. A1 - Scholz, G. A1 - Scheurell, K. A1 - Heidemann, D. A1 - Buchem, I. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Kemnitz, E. T1 - Spectroscopic characterization of crystalline AIF3 phases JF - Journal of fluorine chemistry N2 - A comprehensive spectroscopic characterization of all known crystalline AlF3 phases (α-, β-, η-, κ-, θ-AlF3) is presented for the first time in this study. Beside their X-ray diffraction powder patterns, which were already published in the literature, 27Al and 19F MAS NMR, FT IR and XPS spectroscopic techniques were applied for all phases in a consistent manner. For all phases prepared the utilization of 27Al satellite transition (SATRAS) NMR allowed to determine the quadrupolar parameters of the aluminium sites including their distributions. In addition, η-AlF3 was isolated with high phase purity and characterized following a new preparation path different from those known so far in the literature. KW - Crystalline aluminium fluorides KW - Solid state NMR KW - FT IR KW - XPS PY - 2010 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluchem.2009.10.015 SN - 0022-1139 SN - 1873-3328 VL - 131 IS - 1 SP - 91 EP - 97 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-20991 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Anzt, H. A1 - Bach, F. A1 - Druskat, S. A1 - Löffler, F. A1 - Loewe, A. A1 - Renard, B. Y. A1 - Seemann, G. A1 - Struck, A. A1 - Achhammer, E. A1 - Aggarwal, P. A1 - Appel, F. A1 - Bader, M. A1 - Brusch, L. A1 - Busse, C. A1 - Chourdakis, G. A1 - Dabrowski, P. W. A1 - Ebert, P. A1 - Flemisch, B. A1 - Friedl, S. A1 - Fritzsch, B. A1 - Funk, M. D. A1 - Gast, V. A1 - Goth, F. A1 - Grad, J. A1 - Hegewald, J. A1 - Hermann, S. A1 - Hohmann, F. A1 - Janosch, S. A1 - Kutra, D. A1 - Linxweiler, J. A1 - Muth, Thilo A1 - Peters-Kottig, W. A1 - Rack, F. A1 - Raters, F. H. C. A1 - Rave, S. A1 - Reina, G. A1 - Reißig, M. A1 - Ropinski, T. A1 - Schaarschmidt, J. A1 - Seibold, H. A1 - Thiele, J. P. A1 - Uekermann, B. A1 - Unger, S. A1 - Weeber, R. T1 - An environment for sustainable research software in Germany and beyond: current state, open challenges, and call for action JF - F1000 Research N2 - Research software has become a central asset in academic research. It optimizes existing and enables new research methods, implements and embeds research knowledge, and constitutes an essential research product in itself. Research software must be sustainable in order to understand, replicate, reproduce, and build upon existing research or conduct new research effectively. In other words, software must be available, discoverable, usable, and adaptable to new needs, both now and in the future. Research software therefore requires an environment that supports sustainability. Hence, a change is needed in the way research software development and maintenance are currently motivated, incentivized, funded, structurally and infrastructurally supported, and legally treated. Failing to do so will threaten the quality and validity of research. In this paper, we identify challenges for research software sustainability in Germany and beyond, in terms of motivation, selection, research software engineering personnel, funding, infrastructure, and legal aspects. Besides researchers, we specifically address political and academic decision-makers to increase awareness of the importance and needs of sustainable research software practices. In particular, we recommend strategies and measures to create an environment for sustainable research software, with the ultimate goal to ensure that software-driven research is valid, reproducible and sustainable, and that software is recognized as a first class citizen in research. This paper is the outcome of two workshops run in Germany in 2019, at deRSE19 - the first International Conference of Research Software Engineers in Germany - and a dedicated DFG-supported follow-up workshop in Berlin. KW - Research Software KW - Sustainable Software Development KW - Academic Software KW - Software Infrastructure KW - Software Training KW - Software Licensing PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-522029 DO - https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.23224.2 VL - 9 SP - 1 EP - 35 AN - OPUS4-52202 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kim, K. J. A1 - Kim, A. S. A1 - Jang, J. S. A1 - Suh, J. K. A1 - Wirth, Thomas A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Araujo, J. R. A1 - Archanjo, B. S. A1 - Galhardo, C. E. A1 - Damasceno, J. A1 - Achete, C. A. A1 - Wang, H. A1 - Wang, M. A1 - Bennett, J. A1 - Simons, D. A1 - Kurokawa, A. A1 - Terauchi, S. A1 - Fujimoto, T. A1 - Streeck, C. A1 - Beckhoff, B. A1 - Spencer, S. A1 - Shard, A. T1 - Measurement of mole fractions of Cu, In, Ga and Se in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films JF - Metrologia N2 - CCQM key comparison K-129 for the quantitative analysis of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) films has been performed by the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM). The objective of this key comparison is to compare the equivalency of the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) for the measurement of mole fractions of Cu, In, Ga and Se in a thin CIGS film. The measurand of this key comparison is the average mole fractions of Cu, In, Ga and Se of a test CIGS alloy film in the unit of mole fraction (mol/mol). Mole fraction with the metrological unit of mol/mol can be practically converted to atomic fraction with the unit of at%. In this key comparison, a CIGS film with certified mole fractions was supplied as a reference specimen to determine the relative sensitivity factors (RSFs) of Cu, In, Ga and Se. The mole fractions of the reference specimen were certified by isotope dilution - inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ID-ICP/MS) and are traceable to the SI. A total number counting (TNC) method was recommended as a method to determine the signal intensities of the constituent elements acquired in the depth profiles by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). Seven NMIs and one DI participated in this key comparison. The mole fractions of the CIGS films were measured by depth profiling based-SIMS, AES and XPS. The mole fractions were also measured by non-destructive X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analysis and Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDX). In this key comparison, the average degrees of equivalence uncertainties for Cu, In, Ga and Se are 0.0093 mol/mol, 0.0123 mol/mol, 0.0047 mol/mol and 0.0228 mol/mol, respectively. These values are much smaller than that of Fe in a Fe-Ni alloy film in CCQM K-67 (0.0330 mol/mol). This means that the quantification of multi-element alloy films is possible by depth profiling analysis using the TNC method. KW - CIGS KW - Key comparison KW - CCQM KW - SIMS KW - XPS KW - AES KW - XRF KW - EPMA PY - 2016 UR - http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0026-1394/53/1A/08011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/53/1A/08011 SN - 0026-1394 SN - 1681-7575 VL - 53, Technical Supplement SP - Article 08011, 1 EP - 19 PB - IOP Publishing AN - OPUS4-38110 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Khani, M. A1 - Mehdipour, E. A1 - Faghani, A. A1 - Guday, G. A1 - Donskyi, Ievgen A1 - Haag, R. A1 - Adeli, M. T1 - Preparation of graphene oxide by cyanuric chloride as an effective and non-corrosive oxidizing agent JF - RSC ADVANCES N2 - In this work, we report a new method for the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) using cyanuric chloride as a non-corrosive oxidizing agent. The mild conditions, simple purification, and scalability of this method are significant advantages over common approaches in which harsh oxidizing agents are used. Moreover, a major drawback with the Hummers' method, the production of toxic gases, is not an issue with this process. This method is a safe and large-scale alternative for the production of GO under mild conditions. KW - Graphene oxide KW - Synthesis KW - XPS KW - AFM KW - IR KW - TGA PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c6ra23702a SN - 2046-2069 VL - 6 IS - 116 SP - 115055 EP - 115057 PB - The Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-39111 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaur, I. A1 - Ellis, L.-J. A1 - Romer, I. A1 - Tantra, R. A1 - Carriere, M. A1 - Allard, S. A1 - Mayne-L'Hermite, M. A1 - Minelli, C. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Potthoff, A. A1 - Rades, Steffi A1 - Valsami-Jones, E. T1 - Dispersion of nanomaterials in aqueous media: Towards protocol optimization JF - Journal of Visualized Experiments N2 - The sonication process is commonly used for de-agglomerating and dispersing nanomaterials in aqueous based media, necessary to improve homogeneity and stability of the suspension. In this study, a systematic step-wise approach is carried out to identify optimal sonication conditions in order to achieve a stable dispersion. This approach has been adopted and shown to be suitable for several nanomaterials (cerium oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon nanotubes) dispersed in deionized (DI) water. However, with any change in either the nanomaterial type or dispersing medium, there needs to be optimization of the basic protocol by adjusting various factors such as sonication time, power, and sonicator type as well as temperature rise during the process. The approach records the dispersion process in detail. This is necessary to identify the time Points as well as other above-mentioned conditions during the sonication process in which there may be undesirable changes, such as damage to the particle surface thus affecting surface properties. Our goal is to offer a harmonized approach that can control the Quality of the final, produced dispersion. Such a guideline is instrumental in ensuring dispersion quality repeatability in the nanoscience community, particularly in the field of nanotoxicology. KW - Dispersion of nanomaterials KW - Aqueous media KW - Protocol development PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-435886 UR - https://www.jove.com/video/56074 DO - https://doi.org/10.3791/56074 SN - 1940-087X IS - 130 SP - e560741, 1 EP - e560741, 23 PB - MyJove Corp. CY - Cambridge, MA, USA AN - OPUS4-43588 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Pelster, A. A1 - Tyler, B.J. A1 - Kösgen, M. A1 - Kassenböhmer, R. A1 - Peterson, R.E. A1 - Stöver, M. A1 - Arlinghaus, H. F. T1 - Improved 3D-imaging of a sirolimus/probucol eluting stent coating using laser postionization secondary neutral mass spectrometry and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry JF - Biointerphases N2 - Implantable drug delivery systems that provide controlled and sustained release of a therapeutic agent are used in a wide variety of applications. Drug eluting stents, which are used to treat coronary artery disease, are among the most widespread of these devices, with an estimated 3x10⁶ implants annually worldwide. Controlling the rate of drug release from these devices relies on precise control of the three dimensional (3D)-distribution of the drug, so methods for measuring this distribution are of great importance. The aims of this work were to determine how 3D-imaging of polymer-free sirolimus/probucol drug eluting stent coatings could be improved through the use of laser postionization secondary neutral mass spectrometry (Laser- SNMS) and Ar cluster sputtering with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and to optimize conditions for this analysis. In this study, 3D-imaging of a sirolimus/probucol dual drug eluting stent has been investigated using Laser-SNMS and ToF-SIMS. Laser-SNMS studies of pure sirolimus and probucol were undertaken using 30 keV Bi₃⁺ primary Ions and a 157 nm excimer postionization laser. Under optimal conditions, a greater than 100-fold increase in detected ion yield was observed for Laser-SNMS when compared to ToF-SIMS, although ToF-SIMS provided equal or greater yields for higher mass characteristic ions. Although the optimal laser power density for detecting probucol (5x10⁶W/cm²) was significantly lower than the optimum for sirolimus(7x10⁷W/cm²), an intermediate laser power density of 1x10⁷W/cm² was sufficient to allow imaging of both drugs. Using individual selected ion signals, ToF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS produced similar images of the two drug species. When using, however, a multivariate approach (Maximum autocorrelation factors), Laser-SNMS provided significant improvements in image contrast and small area detection when compared to ToF-SIMS. Following optimization of the technique, 3D-images of the dual drug eluting stent coating were obtained using 10 keV Ar₂₀₀₀⁺ cluster ions for sputtering and 30 keV Bi₃⁺ cluster ions for Analysis for both ToF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS. This work demonstrates the advantages of Laser-SNMS for 3D-imaging of pharmaceutical devices, which has not been previously published. Both ToF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS revealed that the outermost surface of the drug eluting coating contained pure sirolimus to a depth of a few tens of nanometers, with a few channels of sirolimus extending to a depth of around 1 lm. Below about 1 lm, the two drugs were uniformly mixed. Using the 10 keV Ar₂₀₀₀⁺ sputter beam, the authors were able to sputter through the complete drug coating (~6 μm) without observing any accumulated damage in the organic layer. The two techniques showed complementary strengths: ToF-SIMS offers faster data collection and better detected ion yield for larger characteristic ions than Laser-SNMS, and Laser-SNMS offers significantly enhanced detected ion yield for smaller fragment ions, allowing for improved Image contrast and Resolution of smaller features. KW - Imaging ToF SIMS KW - Eluting stent PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4964687 SN - 1934-8630 SN - 1559-4106 VL - 11 IS - 4 SP - 041001-1 EP - 041001-10 PB - AVS: Science & Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing AN - OPUS4-38272 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kovacevic, E. A1 - Strunskus, T. A1 - Santhosh, N. M. A1 - Zavasnik, Z. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Sauvage, T. A1 - Ammar, M.-R. A1 - Cvelbar, U. A1 - Berndt, J. T1 - Thermal stability studies of plasma deposited hydrogenated carbon nitride nanostructures JF - Carbon N2 - Thermally stable carbon nitride nanostructures have potential applications in surface coatings and automotive fields. In this work, hydrogenated nitrogen-rich carbon nitride nanoparticles have been synthesised via low-pressure low-power plasma vapour deposition technique from methane/Nitrogen gas mixture in a dry process. Thermal stability of the initially prepared hydrogenated carbon Nitride structures has been analysed by near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS, insitu), Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and nuclear reaction Analysis (NRA). Thermal studies reveal the excellent stability of the material and nitrogen-rich characteristics (N/C ratio 0.5e0.2 ± 0.01). The obtained results suggest transformation of sp3-rich as-deposited carbon Nitride into sp2-carbon phase with more graphitic features upon thermal annealing. Such in-situ thermal studies of plasma deposited carbon nitrides confirm the conversion of sp3-rich phase to sp2-rich carbon phase at the critical temperature (about 450 K), without a huge loss in nitrogen content. The analysis revealed that the material is a stable plasma deposit after this critical temperature up to >1100 K. Additionally, super hydrophilic carbon nitride nanostructure transforms into a hydrophobic surface after thermal annealing. These thermally stable hydrophobic carbon nitride nanoparticles could be used as a promising material for the hydrophobic coatings for various applications, especially for harsh conditions. KW - Carbon nanoparticles KW - Hydrogenated nanostructures KW - Plasma deposition KW - NEXAFS KW - Thermal annealing PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-536163 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2021.08.008 SN - 0008-6223 VL - 184 SP - 82 EP - 90 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-53616 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -