TY - JOUR A1 - Dittrich, Maria A1 - Paulo, Carlos A1 - Knabe, Nicole A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Zaitsev, Vladimir A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Microscopic Raman study of fungal pigment using the genetically amenable rock inhabitant Knufia petricola as a model organism N2 - Fungal pigments such as melanin and carotenoids are distinctive markers of animal and plant pathogenic fungi as well as their environmental relatives. These complex pigments play important roles in pathogenicity and stress tolerance while also being useful as biomarkers. Accordingly, it is important to be able to identify in situ the pigments in black fungi, a group of clinical and environmental importance. In this study, wild-type and genetically modified strains of Knufia petricola A95 and wild fungal cells attached to ancient rock were investigated for their spectroscopic and microscopic Raman features and morphological appearance. Knockout mutants of melanin synthesis genes pks1 (polyketide synthase), sdh1 (scytalone dehydratase), and both pks1 and the carotenoid synthesis gene phd1 (phytoene desaturase) were studied We applied two different Raman microscopes using two lasers, with 633 nm and 488 nm wavelengths. We analyzed and compared Raman spectra between the measured reference substances and the mutant and wild-type strains. In the wild strain WT:A95, the peaks close to melanin peals were found at 1353 cm−1 and 1611 cm−1. There are no characteristic melanin peaks at 1580–1600 cm−1 and around 1350 cm−1 at the spectrum of the Δpks1/Δphd1 mutant and the Δsdh1 mutant. The Δpks1 mutant spectrum has the peaks at the beta-carotene v2 C-C in-plane stretch at 1155 cm−1 and v3 C-CH3 deformation at 1005 cm−1. The peaks of carotenoids and melanin were found in all mutants and the wild strain, except the Δpks1/Δphd1 mutant. Raman spectra allow for discrimination between the various pigments. Hence, interactions between natural fungal melanin, as well as other protective pigments, and complex environmental matrices can be characterized on a range of spatial and temporal scales. KW - Raman Spectroscopy KW - Instrumentation KW - Analytical Chemistry KW - Knufia petricola KW - Confocal microscopy KW - Atomic and Molecular Physics and Optics PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2023.123250 SN - 1386-1425 VL - 303 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier BV AN - OPUS4-58792 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Monikh, F. A. A1 - Baun, A. A1 - Hartmann, N. B. A1 - Kortet, R. A1 - Akkanen, J. A1 - Lee, J.-S. A1 - Shi, H. A1 - Lahive, E. A1 - Uurasjärvi, E. A1 - Tufenkji, N. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Wiesner, Yosri A1 - Grossart, H.-P. A1 - Peijnenburg, W. A1 - Kukkonen, J. V. K. T1 - Exposure protocol for ecotoxicity testing of microplastics and nanoplastics N2 - Despite the increasing concern about the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), there are no harmonized guidelines or protocols yet available for MNP ecotoxicity testing. Current ecotoxicity studies often use commercial spherical particles as models for MNPs, but in nature, MNPs occur in variable shapes, sizes and chemical compositions. Moreover, protocols developed for chemicals that dissolve or form stable dispersions are currently used for assessing the ecotoxicity of MNPs. Plastic particles, however, do not dissolve and also show dynamic behavior in the exposure medium, depending on, for example, MNP physicochemical properties and the medium’s conditions such as pH and ionic strength. Here we describe an exposure protocol that considers the particle-specific properties of MNPs and their dynamic behavior in exposure systems. Procedure 1 describes the top-down production of more realistic MNPs as representative of MNPs in nature and particle characterization (e.g., using thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry). Then, we describe exposure system development for short- and long-term toxicity tests for soil (Procedure 2) and aquatic (Procedure 3) organisms. Procedures 2 and 3 explain how to modify existing ecotoxicity guidelines for chemicals to target testing MNPs in selected exposure systems. We show some examples that were used to develop the protocol to test, for example, MNP toxicity in marine rotifers, freshwater mussels, daphnids and earthworms. The present protocol takes between 24 h and 2 months, depending on the test of interest and can be applied by students, academics, environmental risk assessors and industries. KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Cryo milling PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-023-00886-9 SN - 1754-2189 SP - 1 EP - 38 PB - Nature Protocols AN - OPUS4-58557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Anker, A. S. A1 - Annadurai, V. A1 - Balazs, D. M. A1 - Bienert, Ralf A1 - Bouwman, W. G. A1 - Breßler, Ingo A1 - Breternitz, J. A1 - Brok, E. S. A1 - Bryant, G. A1 - Clulow, A. J. A1 - Crater, E. R. A1 - De Geuser, F. A1 - Del Giudice, A. A1 - Deumer, J. A1 - Disch, S. A1 - Dutt, S. A1 - Frank, K. A1 - Fratini, E. A1 - Garcia, P. R. A. F. A1 - Gilbert, E. P. A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Hallett, J. A1 - Hohenschutz, M. A1 - Hollamby, M. A1 - Huband, S. A1 - Ilavsky, J. A1 - Jochum, J. K. A1 - Juelsholt, M. A1 - Mansel, B. W. A1 - Penttilä, P. A1 - Pittkowski, R. K. A1 - Portale, G. A1 - Pozzo, L. D. A1 - Rochels, L. A1 - Rosalie, Julian M. A1 - Saloga, Patrick E. J. A1 - Seibt, S. A1 - Smith, A. J. A1 - Smith, G. N. A1 - Spiering, G. A. A1 - Stawski, Tomasz M. A1 - Taché, O. A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Toth, K. A1 - Whitten, A. E. A1 - Wuttke, J. T1 - The human factor - Results of a small-angle scattering data analysis round robin N2 - A round-robin study has been carried out to estimate the impact of the human element in small-angle scattering data analysis. Four corrected datasets were provided to participants ready for analysis. All datasets were measured on samples containing spherical scatterers, with two datasets in dilute dispersions and two from powders. Most of the 46 participants correctly identified the number of populations in the dilute dispersions, with half of the population mean entries within 1.5% and half of the population width entries within 40%. Due to the added complexity of the structure factor, far fewer people submitted answers on the powder datasets. For those that did, half of the entries for the means and widths were within 44 and 86%, respectively. This round-robin experiment highlights several causes for the discrepancies, for which solutions are proposed. KW - Round Robin KW - Data analysis KW - Small-angle scattering KW - Nanomaterials KW - Interlaboratory comparability KW - Nanostructure quantification KW - Methodology KW - MOUSE PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-587091 DO - https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576723008324 SN - 1600-5767 VL - 56 IS - 6 SP - 1618 EP - 1629 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-58709 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kittner, Maria A1 - Kerndorff, A. A1 - Ricking, M. A1 - Bednarz, M. A1 - Obermaier, N. A1 - Lukas, M. A1 - Asenova, M. A1 - Bordós, G. A1 - Eisentraut, Paul A1 - Hohenblum, P. A1 - Hudcova, H. A1 - Humer, F. A1 - István, T. G. A1 - Kirchner, M. A1 - Marushevska, O. A1 - Nemejcová, D. A1 - Oswald, P. A1 - Paunovic, M. A1 - Sengl, M. A1 - Slobodnik, J. A1 - Spanowsky, K. A1 - Tudorache, M. A1 - Wagensonner, H. A1 - Liska, I. A1 - Braun, U. A1 - Bannick, C. G. T1 - Microplastics in the Danube River Basin: A First Comprehensive Screening with a Harmonized Analytical Approach N2 - In this study, carried out within the Joint Danube Survey 4, a comprehensive microplastic screening in the water column within a large European river basin from its source to estuary, including major tributaries, was realized. The objective was to develop principles of a systematic and practicable microplastic monitoring strategy using sedimentation boxes for collection of suspended particulate matter followed by its subsequent analysis using thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In total, 18 sampling sites in the Danube River Basin were investigated. The obtained suspended particulate matter samples were subdivided into the fractions of >100 μm and <100 μm and subsequently analyzed for microplastic mass contents. The results showed that microplastics were detected in all samples, with polyethylene being the predominant polymer with maximum contents of 22.24 μg/mg, 3.23 μg/mg for polystyrene, 1.03 μg/mg for styrene-butadiene-rubber, and 0.45 μg/mg for polypropylene. Further, polymers such as different sorts of polyester, polyacrylates, polylactide, and natural rubber were not detected or below the detection limit. Additional investigations on possible interference of polyethylene signals by algae-derived fatty acids were assessed. In the context of targeted monitoring, repeated measurements provide more certainty in the interpretation of the results for the individual sites. Nevertheless, it can be stated that the chosen approach using an integrative sampling and determination of total plastic content proved to be successful. KW - Thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS), monitoring KW - Microplastics KW - River KW - Suspended particulate matter (SPM) KW - Sedimentation box (SB) PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-551444 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.1c00439 VL - 2 IS - 7 SP - 1174 EP - 1181 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-55144 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zutta Villate, J. M. A1 - Viviana Rojas, J. A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Anselmo Puerta, J. T1 - Synthesis of 198Au nanoparticles sub 10 nm due optimization on local dose by Monte Carlo simulations for cancer treatment N2 - To enhance the biological effects of radiation damage in cancerous cells, we present an alternative approach to the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNP), focusing on the synthesis and characterization of highly monodisperse, spherical radioactive gold nanoparticles 198AuNP. The size of the AuNP size was optimized with the help of Geant4/TOPAS particle scattering simulations, and energy deposition per nm3 per decay for varying radii (2–10 nm) was evaluated. This work is the foundation for ongoing experimental work to evaluate cell death induced by 198AuNP which aims for the use of radioactive gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment. KW - AuNP KW - Beta decay KW - Beta particle KW - Brachytherapy KW - Cancer treatment KW - Nanoparticles KW - Nanoparticle KW - DNA KW - DNA damage KW - Dosimetry KW - Energy deposit KW - Gamma ray KW - Geant4 KW - Geant4-DNA KW - Gold Nanoparticles KW - LEE KW - Low energy electrons KW - MCS KW - Microdosimetry KW - Monte-Carlo simulation KW - NP KW - Synthesis KW - TEM KW - OH radicals KW - Particle scattering KW - Radiation damage KW - Radiationtherapy KW - Radioactive decay KW - Radiolysis KW - Simulation KW - TOPAS KW - TOPAS-nbio PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08355-5 SN - 1588-2780 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-55132 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 - Fahmy, Alaa A1 - Omar, Hassan A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Friedrich, J. T1 - Structure of plasma deposited acrylic acid‐allyl alcohol copolymers N2 - Copolymer thin films with two types of functional groups have excellent performance as sensors, for example. The formation and deposition of allyl alcohol‐acrylic acid copolymer films by pulsed high frequency plasma is a complex process. As usual, the chemical composition of the top surface of the films was investigated by XPS and FTIR measurements. Furthermore, contact angle measurements with water were used to characterise the hydrophilicity and wettability of the polymer films. After plasma deposition, a significant decrease in functional groups (OH and COOH) was observed compared to the classically copolymerised equivalent. The remaining functional groups, i.e. the majority of these groups, were sufficient for application as sensor layers. Segmental mobility and conductivity, important for sensor applications, were analysed by broadband dielectric spectroscopy. KW - Plasma Polymerization PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-578349 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/ppap.202300071 SN - 1612-8850 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Wiley online library AN - OPUS4-57834 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A. L. A1 - Silbernagl, Dorothee A1 - Yasuda, N. A1 - Feiler, Torvid A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - An atomistic mechanism for elasto-plastic bending in molecular crystals N2 - Mechanically flexible single crystals of molecular materials offer potential for a multitude of new directions in advanced materials design. Before the full potential of such materials can be exploited, insight into their mechanisms of action must be better understood. Such insight can be only obtained through synergistic use of advanced experimentation and simulation. We herein report the first detailed mechanistic study of elasto-plastic flexibility in a molecular solid. An atomistic origin for this mechanical behaviour is proposed through a combination of atomic force microscopy, μ-focus synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, ab initio simulation, and computed elastic tensors. Our findings suggest that elastic and plastic bending are intimately linked and result from extensions of the same molecular deformations. The proposed mechanism bridges the gap between contested mechanisms, suggesting its applicability as a general mechanism for elastic and plastic bending in organic molecular crystals. KW - Mechanical property KW - Mechanical flexibility KW - Organic crystal PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-577722 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2SC06470G SN - 2041-6520 VL - 14 IS - 13 SP - 3441 EP - 3450 PB - Royal Society of Chemisty (RSC) CY - London/Cambridge AN - OPUS4-57772 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wiesner, Yosri A1 - Bednarz, Marius A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Bannick, Claus Gerhard A1 - Ricking, Mathias A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - A promising approach to monitor microplastic masses in composts N2 - Inputs of plastic impurities into the environment via the application of fertilizers are regulated in Germany and the EU by means of ordinances. Robust and fast analytical methods are the basis of legal regulations. Currently, only macro- and large microplastic contents (>1 mm) are measured. Microplastics (1–1,000 µm), are not yet monitored. Thermal analytical methods are suitable for this purpose, which can determine the mass content and can also be operated fully automatically in routine mode. Thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) allows the identification of polymers and the determination of mass contents in solid samples from natural environments. In accordance with the German or European Commission (EC) Fertiliser Ordinance, composting plants should be monitored for microplastic particles with this method in the future. In this context a compost plant was sampled. At the end of the rotting process, the compost was sieved and separated in a coarse (>1 mm) and a fine fraction (<1 mm). The fine fraction was processed using density separation comparing NaCl and NaI as possible salt alternative and screened for microplastic masses by TED-GC/MS with additional validation and quality assurance experiments. With TED-GC/MS total microplastics mass contents of 1.1–3.0 μg/mg in finished compost could be detected with polyethylene mainly. What differs much to the total mass of plastics in the coarse fraction with up to 60 μg/mg, which were visually searched, identified via ATR-FTIR and gravimetrically weighted. KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Compost KW - Monitoring KW - Soil PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-586688 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2023.1281558 SN - 2673-4486 VL - 4 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne AN - OPUS4-58668 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Madkour, Sherif A. A1 - Gawek, Marcel A1 - Penner, P. A1 - Paneff, F. A1 - Zhang, X. A1 - Gölzhäuser, A. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Can Polymers be Irreversibly Adsorbed on Carbon Nanomembranes? A Combined XPS, AFM, and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy Study N2 - Carbon nanomembranes are synthetic two-dimensional sheets with nanometer thickness, macroscopic lateral dimensions, and high structural homogeneity. They have great application potential in various branches of nanotechnology. Because of their full carbon structure, it is not clear whether macromolecules like poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) can be irreversibly adsorbed on their surface. Here, irreversible adsorption means that the polymer chains cannot be removed by a leaching process, which is assumed in technological transfer processes. However, if polar defects are present on the carbon nanomembranes (CNMs), it may occur that polymers can be irreversibly adsorbed. To address this question, PMMA was spin-coated on top of CNMs, annealed for a specific time at different temperatures, and then tried to be removed by a acetone treatment in a leaching approach. The samples were investigated in detail by atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and broadband dielectric spectroscopy, where the latter method has been applied to CNMs for the first time. Unambiguously, it was shown that PMMA can be adsorbed on the surface of CNMs after annealing the sample above the glasstransition temperature of PMMA. The general occurrence of polar defects on the surface of CNMs and the adsorption of polymers open opportunities for advanced innovative hybrid materials combining the properties of the CNM with those of the polymer. KW - Carbon Nanomembranes KW - Irreversible adsorption KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - XPS spctroscopy KW - Atomic force microscopy PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.2c01320 SN - 2637-6105 VL - 4 IS - 11 SP - 8377 EP - 8385 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-56067 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fritzsche, Sven A1 - Jaenisch, Gerd-Rüdiger A1 - Pavasaryte, Lina A1 - Funk, Alexander T1 - XCT and DLW: Synergies of Two Techniques at Sub-Micrometer Resolution N2 - Direct Laser Writing (DLW) and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) both offer unique possibilities in their respective fields. DLW produces full three-dimensional (3D) polymer structures on the microscale with resolutions below 100 nm. The fabricated structures can be analysed by XCT or X-ray microscopy (XRM), which incorporates additional X-ray lenses, in three dimensions down to a minimal basic spatial resolution of about 500 nm or 50 nm, respectively. In this work, two different DLW structures are analysed via XCT. Internal defects are detected and analysed for the purpose of quality control. Defects and structures with sizes down to 1.5 µm are successfully analysed. A 3D reconstruction and internal, hidden features of the fabricated structures are shown and discussed. In a first-of-its-kind study, we demonstrate the detectability of a single-voxel line inside a fabricated structure that would not be detectable with SEM or light microscopy. Furthermore, the direct fabrication on a PET substrate is shown to overcome the high X-ray absorbance of commonly used glass substrates. Attenuation spectra of SZ2080 and glass substrates are compared to a fabrication route direct on a 170 µm PET foil. The practical aspects of XCT measurements for DLW structures on different substrates will be discussed. KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Two-photon polymerization KW - X-ray microscopy KW - XCT KW - 2PP KW - Direct laser writing PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-560525 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/app122010488 VL - 12 IS - 20 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-56052 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bauer, J. A1 - Miclea, P.-T. A1 - Braun, U. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Turek, M. A1 - Hagendorf, C. T1 - Microplastic detection and analysis in water samples N2 - Microplastic detection in water samples becomes important for tracing microplastic sources. Microplastic may harm desalination facilities by blocking filters and disturbing the marine food chain. Thermo analytical methods such as pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, and spectroscopic methods like (micro) Raman spectroscopy or (micro) Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy in combination with appropriate filters and sample preparation are suitable for analyzing microplastics on a scale from 1 µm to 1000 µm fast and unambiguous. While the thermo analytical methods are suitable for larger sample volumes, Raman spectroscopy and Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy are able to detect and analyze single microplastic particles for instance in bottled water. Machine learning algorithms ensure a reliable classification of different plastic materials. T2 - International Conference on Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Desert Climate 2019 CY - Ar-Rayyan, Qatar DA - 02.12.2019 KW - Microplastics KW - Water samples PY - 2022 SP - 111 EP - 113 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-56240 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cordsmeier, Leo A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin T1 - DNA Stability in Biodosimetry, Pharmacy and DNA Based Data-Storage: Optimal Storage and Handling Conditions N2 - DNA long-term stability and integrity is of importance for applications in DNA based bio-dosimetry, data-storage, pharmaceutical quality-control, donor insemination and DNA based functional nanomaterials. Standard protocols for these applications involve repeated freeze-thaw cycles of the DNA, which can cause detrimental damage to the nucleobases, as well as the sugar-phosphate backbone and therefore the whole molecule. Throughout the literature three hypotheses can be found about the underlying mechanisms occurring during freeze-thaw cycles. It is hypothesized that DNA single-strand breaks during freezing can be induced by mechanical stress leading to shearing of the DNA molecule, by acidic pH causing damage through depurination and beta elimination or by the presence of metal ions catalyzing oxidative damage via reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we test these hypotheses under well defined conditions with plasmid DNA pUC19 in high-purity buffer (1xPBS) at physiological salt and pH 7.4 conditions, under pH 6 and in the presence of metal ions in combination with the radical scavengers DMSO and Ectoine. The results show for the 2686 bp long plasmid DNA, that neither mechanical stress, nor pH 6 lead to degradation during repeated freeze-thaw cycles. In contrast, the presence of metal ions (Fe2+) leads to degradation of DNA via the production of radical species. KW - DNA KW - DNA stability KW - Pharmacy KW - Reference material KW - pUC19 KW - Strand break KW - SSB KW - Dosimetry KW - Biodosimetry KW - Biologisches Dosimeter KW - DNA Dosimeter KW - Quality control KW - Plasmid DNA KW - DNA data storage KW - Nucleobase KW - Base damage KW - Base loss KW - DNA degradation KW - Metal ions KW - ROS KW - OH radical KW - Fenton Reaction KW - H2O2 KW - DNA based data storage KW - Freezing KW - Thawing KW - Mechanical stress KW - pH KW - Beta elimination KW - Ectoine KW - Ectoin KW - THP(B) KW - Radical scavenger KW - DMSO KW - Buffer KW - lN2 KW - DNA vortexing KW - AGE KW - SYBR Gold KW - Gel electrophoresis KW - DNA long term storage KW - DNA reference material PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-557148 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202200391 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Wiley-VCH GmbH AN - OPUS4-55714 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Klöckner, P. A1 - Seiwert, B. A1 - Eisentraut, Paul A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Reemtsma, T. A1 - Wagner, S. T1 - Characterization of tire and road wear particles from road runoffindicates highly dynamic particle properties N2 - Tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) are heteroagglomerates of tire rubber and other particles deposited on the road surface and one of the main contributors to non-exhaust emissions of automobile traffic. In this study, samples from road environments were analyzed for their TRWP contents and concentra- tions of eight organic tire constituents. TRWP concentrations were determined by quantifying Zn in the density fraction < 1.9 g/cm ³and by thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) and the concentrations ranged from 3.7 to 480 mg TRWP/g. Strong and statistically signif- icant correlations with TRWPs were found for 2-hydroxybenzothiazole and 2-aminobenzothiazole, indi- cating that these substances may be suitable markers of TRWPs. The mass distribution of TRWPs in road dust suggests that the main mass fraction formed on roads consists of coarse particles ( > 100 μm). Data for a sedimentation basin indicate that the fine fraction ( < 50 μm) is preferentially transported by road runoffinto receiving waters. The size distribution and density data of TRWP gathered by three different quantitation approaches also suggest that aging of TRWPs leads to changes in their particle density. An improved understanding of the dynamics of TRWP properties is essential to assess the distribution and dissipation of this contaminant of emerging concern in the environment. KW - Tire Wear KW - Density separation KW - Microplastic KW - Urban PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116262 VL - 185 SP - 116262 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-51256 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Bühlmeyer, A. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Laschat, S. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Electrical conductivity and multiple glassy dynamics of crow-ether based columnar liquid crystals N2 - The phase behavior of two unsymmetrical triphenylene crown ether-based columnar liquid crystals (CLCs) bearing different lengths of alkyl chains, KAL465 and KAL468, was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A plastic crystalline (Cry), columnar liquid crystalline (Colh) and an isotropic phase were observed along with two glass transitions in the Cry phase. The molecular mobility of the KAL compounds was further studied by a combination of broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and advanced calorimetric techniques. By the BDS investigations, three dielectric active relaxation processes were observed for both samples. At low temperatures, a γ-process in the Cry state was detected and is assigned to the localized fluctuations taking place in the alkyl chains. An α2-process takes place at higher temperatures in the Cry phase. An α3 process was found in the Colh mesophase. The advanced calorimetric techniques consist of fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) and specific heat spectroscopy (SHS) employing temperature modulated DSC and FSC (TMDSC and TMFSC). The advanced calorimetric investigations revealed that besides the α2 process in agreement with BDS, a second dynamic glass transition (α1-process) is present which is not observed by dielectric spectroscopy. The results are in good agreement with the glass transitions detected by DSC for this process. The temperature dependences of the relaxation rates of the α1 , α2 and α3 processes are all different. Therefore, different molecular assignments for the relaxation processes are proposed. In addition to the relaxation processes, a conductivity contribution was explored by BDS for both KAL compounds. The conductivity contribution appears in both Cry and Colh phases, where the conductivity increases by ca. one order of magnitude at phase transition from the crystalline to the hexagonal phase. KW - Columnar Liquid Crystal PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c06854 VL - 124 IS - 39 SP - 8728 EP - 8739 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-51374 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Famy, A. A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the Dielectric Properties and the Homogeneity of Plasma Poly(acrylic acid) Thin Films N2 - For the first time, structure−electrochemical relationships of thin films of a plasma-polymerized acrylic acid/carbon dioxide AA/CO2 (75/25%) copolymer modified by implanted silver nanoparticles are discussed. The pulsed plasma polymerization of AA/CO2 was utilized and adjusted to obtain a maximal amount of COOH Groups forming an almost uncross-linked polymer structure. The prepared polymer layer is rinsed by a silver nitrate solution to impregnate Ag+ ions. This step is followed by its reduction of Ag+ with NaBH4 as a chemical route in comparison to the reduction by sunlight as an ecofriendly photoreduction method. The chemical composition and morphology of the topmost surface layer of the AA/CO2 polymer thin film were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Moreover, the molecular mobility, conductivity, and thermal stability of the polymer layer were analyzed using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of the AA/ CO2 polymer thin film were studied in the presence of Ag+ ions or Ag0. It was found that a cross-linked polymer layer with a smooth surface and high conductivity was obtained in the presence of Ag+/ Ag0. KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06712 SN - 1932-7447 VL - 124 IS - 41 SP - 22817 EP - 22826 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-51468 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Omar, Hassan A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Henning, S. A1 - Li, Z. A1 - Wang, D.-Y. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Calorimetric and Dielectric Investigations of Epoxy-Based Nanocomposites with Halloysite Nanotubes as Nanofillers N2 - Epoxy nanocomposites are promising materials for industrial applications (i.e., aerospace, marine and automotive industry) due to their extraordinary mechanical and thermal properties. Here, the effect of hollow halloysite nanotubes (HNT) on an epoxy matrix (Ep) was the focus of the study. The structure and molecular mobility of the nanocomposites were investigated using a combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry (differential (DSC) and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC)) and dielectric spectroscopy. Additionally, the effect of surface modification of HNT (polydopamine (PDA) and Fe(OH)3 nanodots) was considered. For Ep/HNT, the glass transition temperature (Tg) is was de-creased due to a nanoparticle-related decrease of the crosslinking density. For the modified system, Ep/m-HNT, the surface modification resulted in enhanced filler–matrix interactions leading to higher Tg values than the pure epoxy in some cases. For Ep/m-HNT, the amount of interface formed between the nanoparticles and the matrix ranged from 5% to 15%. Through BDS measurements, localized fluctuations were detected as a β- and γ-relaxation, related to rotational fluctuations of phenyl rings and local reorientations of unreacted components. A combination of calorimetry and BDS dielectric spectroscopy revealed a dynamic and structural heterogeneity of the matrix, as confirmed by two glassy dynamics in both systems, related to regions with different crosslinking densities. KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - Epoxy nanocomposites KW - Halloysite nanotubes KW - X-ray scattering KW - Differential scanning calorimetry KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Flash DSC PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-526668 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13101634 VL - 13 IS - 10 SP - 1634 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-52666 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fahmy, Alaa A1 - Saied, M. A. A. A1 - Morgan, N. A1 - Abdelbary, H. A1 - Bahy, S. M. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Friedrich, J. F. T1 - Modified polyvinyl chloride membrane grafted with an ultra-thin polystyrene film: structure and electrochemical properties N2 - The work explores the synthesis and the properties of a novel composite membrane System based on modified polystyrene (PS) grafted onto a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane. PVC membranes were prepared by solution-casting followed by exposure to an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with O2 to obtain an activated Surface for grafting PS to it. Moreover, the thus prepared membranes were chemically modified furthermore by amination with polyethyleneimine or sulfonation with 4 M sulfuric acid. The membrane surface characteristics such as wettability, structure and morphology were investigated using water contact angle measurements, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy experiments. The thermogravimetric stability and electrolytic responses of the membranes were studied utilizing TGA, ion exchange capacity (IEC), and solvent uptake. A significant result of plasma and chemical modification was to produce a membrane material with low permeability. Thus, the methanol permeability of the sulfonated membranes measured for 12 h was measured to 2.34$10� 8 cm2 s� 1 compared to 177.00$10� 8 cm2 s� 1 of Nafion 117®which is considered as a benchmark. This result indicates that the prepared sulfonated samples are an innovative and effective material for decreasing the methanol crossover in fuel cells to a great extent. This makes the PVC-g-St membranes are promising and attractive as new materials for polyelectrolyte membrane for fuel cells. KW - Electrolyte membrane KW - Fuell cells PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-526794 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.04.018 VL - 12 SP - 2273 EP - 2284 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-52679 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Alentiev, D. A1 - Bermeshev, M. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular Dynamics of Janus Polynorbornenes: Glass Transitions and Nanophase Separation N2 - For the first time, dielectric and calorimetric investigations of an homologous series of Janus polynorbornenes with rigid main backbones and flexible -Si(OR)3 side groups, of differing length alkyl chains (R = Propyl, Butyl, Hexyl, Octyl, Decyl) is reported. Generally, this class of polymers has some potential for applications in the field of gas separation membranes. Two dielectrically active processes are observed at low temperatures, denoted as β- and α- relaxation. The former can be assigned to localized fluctuations, whilst the latter is related to the glassy dynamics of the flexible -Si(OR)3 side groups, creating a nanophase separation in both the alkyl chain rich and backbone rich domains. This is confirmed through temperature modulated DSC measurements and X-ray scattering experiments. The glass transition temperatures of the backbone rich domains, which are beyond or near to their degradation temperatures in terms of conventional DSC, are determined for the first time using Fast Scanning Calorimetry employing both fast heating and cooling rates. This is complimented with scattering experiments that show how the size of the alkyl chain rich domains increases with chain length. Alongside these results, a significant conductivity contribution was observed for all poly(tricyclononenes) with -Si(OR)3 side groups, which is interpreted in terms of a percolation model. KW - Polynorbornenes KW - Broadband Dielectric Spectrscopy KW - Advanced calorimetry PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01450 VL - 53 IS - 17 SP - 7410 EP - 7419 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-51196 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wurzler, Nina A1 - Sobol, Oded A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Özcan Sandikcioglu, Özlem T1 - Preconditioning of AISI 304 stainless steel surfaces in the presence of flavins—Part I: Effect on surface chemistry and corrosion behavior N2 - Stainless steel AISI 304 surfaces were studied after a mild anodic polarization for oxide growth in the presence and absence of two derivatives of vitamin B2 (riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide) that can be secreted by metal‐reducing bacteria and act as a chelating agent for iron species. The alterations in oxide chemistry were studied by means of surface‐sensitive techniques such as X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis. The complementary electrochemical characterization revealed a preferential growth of an oxide/hydroxide iron‐rich film that is responsible for an altered pit initiation and nucleation behavior. These findings suggest that as the corrosion behavior is determined by the interplay of the chemical and electronic properties, only a mild anodic polarization in the presence of redox‐active molecules is able to alter the chemical and electronic structure of the passive film formed on stainless steel AISI 304. This helps to achieve a profound understanding of the mechanisms of microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) and especially the possible effects of the redox‐active biomolecules, as they may play an important role in the corrosion susceptibility of stainless steel surfaces. KW - Corrosion KW - Stainless steel KW - Surface analysis PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-528117 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.202012191 VL - 72 IS - 6 SP - 974 EP - 982 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-52811 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -