TY - JOUR A1 - Bender, P A1 - Balceris, C. A1 - Ludwig, F A1 - Posth, O A1 - Bogart, L. K. A1 - Szczerba, Wojciech A1 - Castro, A A1 - Nilsson, L A1 - Costo, R A1 - Gavilan, H A1 - Gonzalez-Alonso, D A1 - de Pedro, I A1 - Barquin, L. F. A1 - Johansson, C T1 - Distribution functions of magnetic nanoparticles determined by a numerical inversion method N2 - In the present study, we applied a regularized inversion method to extract the particle size, magnetic moment and relaxation-time distribution of magnetic nanoparticles from small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), DC magnetization (DCM) and AC susceptibility (ACS) measurements. For the measurements the particles were colloidally dispersed in water. At first approximation the particles could be assumed to be spherically shaped and homogeneously magnetized single-domain particles. As model functions for the inversion, we used the particle form factor of a sphere (SAXS), the Langevin function (DCM) and the Debye model (ACS). The extracted distributions exhibited features/peaks that could be distinctly attributed to the individually dispersed and non-interacting nanoparticles. Further analysis of these peaks enabled, in combination with a prior characterization of the particle ensemble by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, a detailed structural and magnetic characterization of the particles. Additionally, all three extracted distributions featured peaks, which indicated deviations of the scattering (SAXS), magnetization (DCM) or relaxation (ACS) behavior from the one expected for individually dispersed, homogeneously magnetized nanoparticles. These deviations could be mainly attributed to partial agglomeration (SAXS, DCM, ACS), uncorrelated surface spins (DCM) and/or intra-well relaxation processes (ACS). The main advantage of the numerical inversion method is that no ad hoc assumptions regarding the line shape of the extracted distribution functions are required, which enabled the detection of these contributions. We highlighted this by comparing the results with the results obtained by standard model fits, where the functional form of the distributions was a priori assumed to be log-normal shaped. KW - SAXS KW - Small-angle X-ray scattering KW - Nanoparticle PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-429373 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa73b4 SN - 1367-2630 VL - 19 SP - 073012, 1 EP - 073012, 19 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. AN - OPUS4-42937 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szczerba, Wojciech A1 - Costo, R. A1 - Veintemillas-Verdaguer, S. A1 - del Puerto Morales, M. A1 - Thünemann, Andreas T1 - SAXS analysis of single- and multi-core iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles N2 - This article reports on the characterization of four superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles stabilized with dimercaptosuccinic acid, which are suitable candidates for reference materials for magnetic properties. Particles p1 and p2 are single-core particles, while p3 and p4 are multi-core particles. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals a lognormal type of size distribution for the iron oxide cores of the particles. Their mean radii are 6.9 nm (p1), 10.6 nm (p2), 5.5 nm (p3) and 4.1 nm (p4), with narrow relative distribution widths of 0.08, 0.13, 0.08 and 0.12. The cores are arranged as a clustered network in the form of dense mass fractals with a fractal dimension of 2.9 in the multi-core particles p3 and p4, but the cores are well separated from each other by a protecting organic shell. The radii of gyration of the mass fractals are 48 and 44 nm, and each network contains 117 and 186 primary particles, respectively. The radius distributions of the primary particle were confirmed with transmission electron microscopy. All particles contain purely maghemite, as shown by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy KW - Superparamagnetic nanoparticles KW - Iron oxide KW - Reference materials KW - SAXS KW - Small-angle x-ray scattering KW - XANES KW - X-ray absorption near-edge structure KW - X-ray absorption fine structure PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-395948 DO - https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576717002370 SN - 1600-5767 VL - 50 IS - Part 2 SP - 481 EP - 488 PB - (IUCr) International Union of Crystallography AN - OPUS4-39594 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mandel, K. A1 - Szczerba, Wojciech A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Riesemeier, Heinrich A1 - Girod, Matthias A1 - Sextl, G. T1 - Nitric acid-stabilized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles studied with X-rays N2 - Agglomerated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can easily and in large scale be precipitated from iron salt solutions. Although the process is well known, it is ambiguously either assumed that magnetite or maghemite is obtained. The first part of our study clarifies this question using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. For further processing of the nanoparticles, i.e., for giving them a surface functionality or incorporating them into composites, it is important to break the agglomerates and individualize the particles at first. This can effectively be done with nitric acid treatment. The influence of this process on the particles chemistry and structure was analyzed in great detail using X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, and smallangle X-ray scattering. In contrast to our expectation, no oxidation from magnetite (Fe3O4) to maghemite (γ- Fe2O3) was found; the formal valence of the particles in any case is magnetite (Fe3O4). Instead, an increase in the particles' surface disorder was discovered from X-ray absorption analyses and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The acid treatment roughens and distorts the surface of the nanoparticles which is connected with an increased spin disorder. KW - XANES KW - EXAFS KW - SAXS KW - Coprecipitation KW - Iron oxide spectra KW - Ferrofluid PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1066-3 SN - 1388-0764 SN - 1572-896X VL - 14 IS - 8 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Kluwer CY - Dordrecht AN - OPUS4-26357 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szczerba, Wojciech A1 - Riesemeier, Heinrich A1 - Thünemann, Andreas T1 - Bond length cntraction in gold nanoparticles N2 - The structure of nanoparticles typically differs from its bulk counterpart. Predominantly, the structures of gold nanoparticles have been under exceedingly intense discussion since the discovery of their high catalytic activity. We found an increasing bond length contraction with decreasing particle size for citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution as determined by in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Particle sizes and size distributions were determined by small-angle X-ray scattering. The analysis of the obtained EXAFS spectra employing ab initio calculations reveals that the Au–Au bond length undergoes a contraction of 2 pm for nanoparticles with a radius of 2.9 nm. NIST reference material RM 8011 gold nanoparticles with a radius of 4.4 nm exhibit a smaller contraction of approximately 1 pm. Finally, gold atoms in RM 8013 particles with a radius of 25.7 nm show distances of 288 pm— identical to the distance in gold foil—and exhibits bulk-like properties. The observed bond length contraction of gold nanoparticles in solution is significantly smaller than previously reported for gold nanoparticle deposited on surfaces, which is up to 15 pm. This indicates that the bond length contraction effect of 'free' and 'surfaceimmobilized' nanoparticles differ fundamentally. Such difference could be essential for the understanding of nanoparticle-supported catalysis. KW - Small-angle X-ray scattering KW - SAXS KW - EXAFS KW - XAFS KW - Nanoparticle KW - Gold PY - 2010 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-4200-z SN - 1618-2642 SN - 1618-2650 VL - 398 IS - 5 SP - 1967 EP - 1972 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-22173 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Girod, Matthias A1 - Vogel, Stefanie A1 - Szczerba, Wojciech A1 - Thünemann, Andreas T1 - How temperature determines formation of maghemite nanoparticles N2 - We report on the formation of polymer-stabilized superparamagnetic single-core and multi-core maghemite nanoparticles. The particle formation was carried out by coprecipitation of Fe(II) and Fe(III) sulfate in a continuous aqueous process using a micromixer system. Aggregates containing 50 primary particles with sizes of 2 nm were formed at a reaction temperature of 30 °C. These particles aggregated further with time and were not stable. In contrast, stable single-core particles with a diameter of 7 nm were formed at 80 °C as revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) coupled in-line with the micromixer for particle characterization. X-ray diffraction and TEM confirmed the SAXS results. X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) identified the iron oxide phase as maghemite. KW - Iron Oxide Nanoparticles KW - Micromixer KW - SAXS KW - XANES KW - Carboxydextran KW - Nanotechnology PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2014.09.057 SN - 0304-8853 VL - 380 SP - 163 EP - 167 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-32564 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -