TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - About Interlaboratory Comparisons (ILCs) and VAMAS N2 - Advanced materials, such as nanomaterials, 2D materials, or thin films, play a crucial role in driving economic development and addressing major challenges in the coming years. These challenges include mitigating the impact of climate change, advancing lightweight engineering, enhancing catalysis, and improving medical applications. To comprehend the performance of these materials and ensure their acceptance across various sectors as safe and sustainable for both humans and the environment, the availability of reference procedures, materials, and data is essential. One versatile tool for establishing such references and evaluating the proficiency of individual laboratories and their competencies is through (international) interlaboratory comparisons (ILC). Notably, initiatives like the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) provide a platform for conducting ILCs. This webinar will showcase various examples of interlaboratory comparisons, illustrating their impact on the development of reference products. T2 - Webinar Building the Foundation: Interlaboratory Comparisons and Reference Products for Advanced Materials CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 16.05.2024 KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Reference products KW - VAMAS KW - Standardisation PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60096 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Morphology Analysis of Graphene Oxide Flakes with SEM - Preparation of an Inter-Laboratory Comparison @VAMAS N2 - Experience gained at BAM within the European project ISGScope on the accurate measureemnt of graphene oxide flakes by electron microscopy is presented. Particularly, factors such as the type of solvent, substrate temperature, but also proper, gentle measurement parameters and image analysis conditions towards automation are highlighted. The measurement procedures in develeopment are being prepared to launch an inter-laboratory comparison under VAMAS (TWA41) as preparatory guidance for future standardisation at ISO. T2 - ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies Plenary Meeting - Graphene Standardisation CY - Teddington, UK DA - 14.11.2022 KW - Graphene oxide flakes KW - SEM KW - Morphology KW - VAMAS KW - Standardisation KW - Sample preparation KW - ISOGScope PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56300 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Measurement of Lateral Size of Graphene Oxide Flakes by SEM - An Update of the VAMAS TWA 41 Project P13 N2 - The progress of the VAMAS interlaboratory comparison Project P13 "Lateral size of graphene oxide flakes by SEM" within the Technical Working Area 41 "Graphene and Related 2D Materials" is presented. The challenges at sample preparation on substrates for accurate measurement and image analysis as well as two different analysis approaches, containing exact guidance how to measure the main descriptors for the lateral size measurement of the imaged graphene oxide flakes with Scanning Electron Microscopy are highlighted. The implementation of the results into the corresponding ISO technical specification AWI/TS 23879 is also discussed and planned, in relation with the AFM part. T2 - The 32nd ISO/TC 229 IEC/TC 113 JWG2 General Meeting CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 06.11.2023 KW - VAMAS KW - ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Graphene oxide flakes KW - SEM PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58813 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Ongoing International Interlaboratory Comparisons on Size, Shape and (Relative) Concentration of Complex Nanoparticles under the Pre-Standardization Platform of VAMAS N2 - Traceable morphological and chemical characterization of nanomaterials with respect to the various possible sizes, size distributions, shapes, and concentrations of real-world nanoparticles (NPs) is a challenging task. Particularly for the nonspherical, non-monodisperse nanoparticles – as typically for most of the commercial particles, including their strong tendency to agglomerate, there is a lack of standard operation procedures providing accurate nanoparticle characterisation. In the framework of the pre-standardisation framework of VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards, www.vamas.org) two interlaboratory comparison (ILC) studies are being carried out under the Technical Working Area (TWA) 34 “Nanoparticle Populations”:i) Project #15 addresses the analysis of the size and shape distribution of TiO2 bipyramidal NPs by traceable imaging methods such as TEM, SEM, STEM-in-SEM, AFM as well as with SAXS as an ensemble method. This ILC is thought as the next level development of the case studies exemplified in the published ISO standards ISO 21363 and ISO 19749. It was agreed to complete the first ILC with the NPs already prepared according to the same procedure on a TEM grid, and, at a later stage, to carry out second ILCs with the same NPs distributed to the participants as liquid suspensions together with protocols for the uniform NP deposition on suited substrates - as developed and optimized within the European project nPSize. Once having good deposition protocols available, the door for automated image analysis gets opened. Corresponding image analysis protocols and reporting templates have been distributed to the ILC participants, too. ii) Project #16: two spherical SiO2 NP samples with bi-modal size distributions in two nominal relative number concentrations were prepared and distributed also as liquid suspensions accompanied by sample preparation, measurement, and image analysis protocols and reporting templates. Here, the NP concentration is the primary parameter to be measured. For the imaging methods it is targeted to measure the relative nanoparticle concentrations (relative populations of the two modes). The results of all the participating laboratories, in both ILCs, compiled in comparative representations will be shown and discussed for the first time. The reduction of the measurement uncertainties associated to the size, shape and number-concentration results induced by the significant improvement of the sample preparation on substrates (as single particles with a high-density coverage), combined with well-defined image analysis procedures will be highlighted. Finally, a very recent 3rd ILC an the determination of lateral size of Graphene Oxide flakes by SEM is presented as project P13 under VAMAS TWA41 Graphene and Related 2D. T2 - Microscopy and Microanalysis 2024 CY - Cleveland, OH, USA DA - 28.07.2024 KW - VAMAS KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Imaging KW - Nanoparticles KW - Electron microscopy KW - Graphene oxide KW - Particle size distribution PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60875 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Physical-chemical Characterization of Graphene-Related 2D Materials: Development of Approaches for Reliable Quantification N2 - An accurate characterisation of the morphological, structural, and chemical properties of nano and advanced materials is key for the understanding of the material functionality and constitutes the basis for future optimisation or even prediction of the product performance. Further, the correlation of the physical-chemical properties with results from biological testing leads to an understanding of the potential toxicological effects so that a minimisation of the materials risks becomes possible. The presentation will highlight with examples the importance of the selection of the relevant parameters/descriptors and particularly their measurement for the reliable characterisation of the morphology, structure, and chemistry of graphene-related 2D-materials (GR2M’s) [1-3]. One crucial aspect is also one of most challenging ones in the characterisation chain: the proper sample preparation, which shall be tailored to the accurate measurement of the defined analytical parameter. Practical examples of measurement of morphological descriptors of GR2M’s, such as equivalent circular diameter (ECD), minimum and maximum Feret, and aspect ratio with electron microscopy, or of the thickness with atomic force microscopy (AFM) will be showed, together with quantitative chemical characterisation with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and, newly, with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with a scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDX) [4] by evaluating accurately the elemental content as the ratio of O/C and the composition of impurities. Another relevant, but challenging part of the characterisation of GR2M’s, particularly as the final products containing mostly low amounts of GR2M’s, is the analysis of homogeneity of the chemical composition by sensitive imaging methods. Examples of successful analysis with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), even if not quantitative, will be showed. T2 - SaferWorldbyDesign Webinars CY - Online meeting DA - 25.03.2025 KW - Graphene-related 2D materials KW - Standardisation KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Physico-chemical characterisation PY - 2025 UR - https://saferworldbydesign.com/webinars/ AN - OPUS4-62791 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Quantitative EDS analysis on graphene related 2D materials N2 - The elemental analysis of solid matter by means of the Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDS) is meanwhile posible as a quick (seconds!) and more and more accurate analysis via standardsless (instantaneous) quantification. The sensitivity & quantification accuracy for light elements (C, O,..) has significantly increased in the recent years. The availability via table-top SEMs with incorporated EDS is also enhanced. Further, the EDS analysis at an SEM is well-standardized, see ISO/TC 202 Microbeam Analysis & VAMAS/ TWA 37 Quantitative Microstructural Analysis in good liaisonships with ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies. It is demostrated that key parameters such as oxygen-to-carbon atomic-% ratio and impurities can be realibly measured, with XPS as a reference method. Various EDS spectrometers and analysis conditions are tested and the validity of the EDS quantification of an ionic liquid of well-defined chemical composition is demonstrated. Next steps are to launch a corresponding VAMAS interlaboratory comparison and to discuss within ISO/TC 229 towards inclusion of EDS as a routine method for the elemental analysis of GR2M into the ISO/TS 23359 Nanotechnologies — Chemical characterization of GR2Ms in powders and suspensions. T2 - Annual Microscopy Community Meeting for the National Research Council in Canada CY - Online meeting DA - 18.11.2025 KW - Graphene-related 2D materials (GR2M) KW - Elemental analysis KW - Light elements KW - SEM/EDS KW - Standardisation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64766 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Measurement of Lateral Dimensions of Particles & Flakes (2D) by Imaging Methods N2 - An overview with the basics of size and shape measurement of particles and 2D structures according to established methodologies (and popular imaging processing software packages) with imaging techniques is given. Main descriptors are explained based on practical cases are determined interactively at the flipchart. T2 - MaterialsWeek 2024 CY - Limassol, Cyprus DA - 17.06.2024 KW - Nanoparticles KW - 2D materials KW - Lateral dimensions KW - ISO KW - Imaging PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60454 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Correlative Morphological-Chemical Imaging of Nanostructured Materials N2 - Newly developed methodical approaches with an emphasis on correlative imaging analysis of morphology and chemistry of nanomaterials will be presented. Correlative imaging by high-resolution SEM with STEM-in-SEM as well as with EDS, and further with AFM, or with the new technique TKD (Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction) will be explained on various examples of nanostructures, both as starting materials and as embedded/functionalized nanoparticles in products. The unique analytical benefits of the Auger electron probe as a veritable nano-tool for the local surface chemistry will be highlighted. Examples of hybrid analysis of the bulk of nanomaterials by X-ray Spectroscopy and the highest surface-sensitive methods XPS and ToF-SIMS as advanced surface characterization methods available in the Competence Centre nano@BAM will be showed. Particularly for the spatially resolved analysis of the chemistry of nanostructures, such in-depth and lateral gradients of chemistry within mesoporous thin layers, or the completeness of the shells of core-shell nanoparticles, the latter methods are inherent. Other dedicated developments like approaches for the quantitative determination of the porosity of thin mesoporous layers by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) with SEM or the quantitative determination of the roughness of particle surface by high-resolution imaging with electron microscopy will be also presented. T2 - Conference on Applied Surface and Solid Material Analysis AOFKA 2023 CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 11.09.2023 KW - Correlative imaging KW - Electron microscopy KW - X-ray spectroscopy KW - Nanostructures PY - 2023 UR - https://aofka23.scg.ch/ AN - OPUS4-58338 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Correlative imaging analysis of non-spherical nanoparticles N2 - It sounds like being a simple analytical task, it is definitely not. The way toward accurate measurement of the size distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) with complex shape, having a broad size polydispersity, with inhomogeneous chemistry, and with a high degree of agglomeration/aggregation is very challenging for all available analytical methods. Particularly for the NPs with complex shape, the access to the smallest dimension (as e.g. required for regulatory purposes) can be enabled only by using imaging techniques with spatial resolution at the nanoscale. Moreover, the full 3D-chacterisation of the NP shape can be provided either by advanced characterization techniques like 3D-TEM tomography or by correlative analysis, i. e. synergetic/complementary measurement of the same field-of-view of the sample with different probes. Examples of the latter type of analysis are: i) electron microscopy for the lateral dimensions and AFM for the height of the NPs, ii) SEM with STEM-in-SEM (also called T-SEM), iii) Electron Microscopy with TKD (Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction) for determination of the geometrical orientation of crystalline NPs, iv) Raman and SEM for e.g. thickness of graphen flakes, or v) Electron Microscopy for descriptive NP shape and SAXS for the NP concentration, the latter as a NP property able to be measured with higher and higher accuracy. For all these types of measurement, reference NPs are necessary for the validation of the measured size. Particularly non-spherical reference NPs are still missing. Examples of such new reference NPs as characterized by the correlative analyses enumerated above will be presented in detail in the contribution. T2 - 2021 Fall Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) CY - Online meeting DA - 20.9.2021 KW - Nanoparticles KW - Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) KW - Correlative imaging KW - Electron microscopy KW - AFM KW - TiO2 KW - VAMAS PY - 2021 UR - https://www.european-mrs.com/meetings/2021-fall-meeting AN - OPUS4-53367 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Micro and Nano Plastics in the Environment N2 - The VAMAS/TWA 45 Project 2 “Development of standardized methodologies for characterisation of microplastics with microscopy and spectroscopy methods” involving 85 participants around the world is primarily discussed with respect to the results received and a first data evaluation. Status of the Project "Guidelines for defining reference materials for plastic degradation in marine environment" is reported and two new project proposals are presented: "Development of standardized methodologies for characterisation of nanoplastics (starting soon, BAM as leader?) and "Development of analytical protocols for the identification and quantification of microplastics of fibrous shape (still in negotiation)". T2 - Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) 48th Steering Committee Meeting CY - New Delhi, India DA - 09.10.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Nanoplastics KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - VAMAS KW - Reference materials KW - ISO PY - 2023 UR - https://www.nplindia.org/index.php/amcsnzt_2023/ AN - OPUS4-58539 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - CUSP inter-laboratory comparisons N2 - In this breakout session first, an introduction is given on the planning and organisation of an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) under the pre-standardisation plattform VAMAS within the newly formed technical working area TWA 45 Micro and Nano Plastics in the Environment. An update with the ILCs on micro- and nanoplastic performed so far is also given. In the third part, the requirements for a reference materials are presented. The needs from the different H2020 micro- and nanoplastic projects are collected and compiled in an ILC matrix for joint activities as the next steps. T2 - The European Research Cluster to Understand the Health Impact of Micro- and Nanoplastics (CUSP) Launching Event CY - Online meeting DA - 10.06.2021 KW - Microplastic KW - Nanoplastic KW - Inter-laboratory comparison KW - VAMAS KW - Reference material PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52808 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Correlative physic-chemical analysis of advanced materials and BAM’s green and zero-related advanced materials activities – Benefits and challenges by examples N2 - Following points are presented: - Nanomaterials BAM, as research materials & CRMs, incl pre-standardization, automated analysis & automated synthesis - 2D-materials BAM HEurope ACCORDs approach Green Deal inspired correlative imaging based characterisation for safety profiling of 2D materials - Sample preparation @BAM , inclusion to standards - Thin Films @BAM as Reference Material Candidates, i) mesoporous, ii) HEA - Substitutional,Transition Me oxides as electrocatalysts a project @BAM - Sustainable mechanochemical reaction engineering projects @BAM. T2 - VAMAS Workshop Advanced Materials Challenges and Standardization Needs for a Greener World CY - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil DA - 25.09.2024 KW - Nanomaterials KW - Advanced materials KW - 2D materials KW - Sample preparation KW - Thin films KW - Reference materials KW - Safety KW - Automation PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61404 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Ciornii, Dmitri A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Braun, U. T1 - Requirements for inter-lab comparison studies and cooperation with CUSP and JRC N2 - Results from different methods applied to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) analysis show that there are large gaps in harmonisation with respect to terminology, size classes, sample preparation protocols and, finally, to the comparability of the measurands and descriptors. Within the European research cluster to understand the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics (CUSP) working group WG3-Inter-Laboratory Comparisons an overview of the existing detection methods revealing advantages and disadvantages regarding the analytical tasks is being compiled. There is a clear need to develop high class characterized reference materials for MNPs in the size ranges of 100-10 µm and smaller than 10 µm, so that these can be used to validate methods and to make results comparable. Inter-laboratory comparisons (ILCs) on model samples with complex matrices regarding mass, or water samples for number-based methods, will help us to advance the process of harmonization as well as to train users early in process of developing new methods. We plan to keep all five CUSP projects well-connected also with the 'outside' MNP projects and ILCs and to extract the optimum of needs, capabilities, and efforts in order to launch new VAMAS ILCs which should expand already available ones. T2 - CUSP Meeting and General Assembly of PlasticsFatE CY - Online meeting DA - 13.12.2021 KW - CUSP KW - Microplastic KW - Inter-lab comparison KW - VAMAS KW - Reference materials PY - 2021 UR - https://cusp-research.eu/about/ AN - OPUS4-54036 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -