TY - CONF A1 - Mrkwitschka, Paul T1 - Standardized Chemical Composition Analysis of Graphene Oxide Flakes with SEM/EDS and XPS Works Reliably N2 - Reliable quantification of the chemical composition of graphene-related 2D materials as powders and liquid suspensions is a challenging task. Analytical methods such as XPS, ICP-MS, TGA and FTIR are recommended to be used in ongoing projects at standardization bodies. The specific parameters to be measured are also defined, e.g. the oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) concentration ratio, the trace metal impurities, or the functional groups present [1]. In this contribution, for the first time, the results of a systematic study on the capability of SEM/EDS to reliably quantify the O/C ratio in a well-defined and well-characterized graphene oxide material [2] are presented. It is expected that the quantitative EDS analysis of light elements emitting characteristic X-ray lines below 1 keV to be provided with significantly larger measurement uncertainties than the analysis of elements with an atomic number of 11 (Na) or above [3]. The robustness of the SEM/EDS results obtained at various measurement conditions (various excitation energies) is tested by comparing the results to the established XPS analysis [4], which has been carried out on the same samples. A crucial step in sample preparation from liquid suspension with graphene oxides flakes onto a substrate for analysis with both XPS and EDS. It is demonstrated that if a closed and enough thick drop-cast deposited spot is succeeded to be deposited on a substrate, both surface-sensitive XPS analysis and bulk-characterizing EDS result in very similar elemental composition of oxygen and carbon. Hence, theoretical, expected O/C atomic ratio values for pure graphene oxide of ~0.5 [1] are achieved (with both methods), see Figure 1. Further, the effect of untight deposited material enabling co-analysis of the (silicon) substrate, is evaluated for both methods, XPS and EDS. To note that all the EDS results in this study have been quantified standardless. The effect of the variation of beam voltage on the result of the quantification of the O/C ratio is shown in Figure 2. No clear tendency is visible by varying the kV, which is a confirmation of the quality of the standardless analysis at the used EDS spectrometer. The results of this study demonstrate the reliability of the reference measurement protocol for SEM/EDS to be introduced into ISO/DTS 23359, including the dedicated sample preparation, particularly for the cases when the concentration of the GO flakes in stock liquid suspension is low. Further, also the consideration of this GO material as one of the very few available as a commercial material on the market as the very first GO reference material with regard to its morphology as well as chemical composition. Both the standard measurement procedure and the candidate reference material will immensely contribute to characterise reliably the chemical composition of graphene-related 2D materials with SEM/EDS as one of the most widely used methods in analytical laboratories. T2 - Microscopy and Microanalysis 2025 CY - Salt Lake City, UTAH, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Graphene oxide flakes KW - SEM/EDS KW - XPS KW - O/C ratio KW - Impurities PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64085 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Liaison report from VAMAS with ISO/TC 202 Microbeam Analysis N2 - The progress in the activities on Microbeam Analysis under VAMAS/TWA 37 is reviewed. Particularly the liaison with the new projects within the ISO technical committee TC 202 is presented and discussed with respect to the possibility of identifying and launching related VAMAS projects/inter-laboratory comparisons. The recently started project FIB sample processing for TEM is presented. Next projects in the pipeline involving EBSD and TKD are shortly announced. The need of more promotion for the engagement of more experts from industry and academia at national, European and international level is highlighted. Also, the competition with the other technical working areas (on 'nano' or materials-related) is critically discussed. T2 - 29th Annual Meeting of ISO/TC 202 Microbeam Analysis CY - Online meeting DA - 28.11.2022 KW - VAMAS KW - ISO/TC 202 KW - Microbeam Analysis KW - EBSD KW - Electron microscopy KW - Thin films PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56424 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Chemello, Giovanni T1 - Towards Reproducible Analysis Workflows for Reliable Structural and Chemical Composition of Industrial Graphene N2 - The scientific and technological interest in graphene has been growing more and more in the late years due to its outstanding properties and diverse promising applications. However, graphene implementation into the industrial market is still limited and many challenges are yet to be addressed before this material can become suitable for the large-scale production. One of the most crucial challenge to overcome is to develop reliable and reproducible ways to characterize the material properties which can heavily affect the product performance. In our study the chemical composition of nine different samples of industrial graphene, graphene oxide and functionalized graphene were investigated. The samples were analysed both in form of powder and pellets. A comparative characterisation of the chemical composition was performed through X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). XPS depth resolution is in the order of 10 nm, while for EDX the analysis was performed at two different energy levels, i.e. 5 keV and 15 keV, and thus varying the analysis depth from 200 nm to 2000 nm. The XPS measurement area is 300x700 µm² while the EDX measurement was performed by analysing a grid of 25 locations (5x5) of 150 x 150 ?m2 area, covering the whole pellet surface of 5 mm diameter and then calculating the mean of the elemental concentration. The results of the elemental concentration values from XPS and EDX analyses show a good agreement for all the elements presents in the samples, despite the different spatial resolutions of the two techniques. Therefore, the samples appear homogeneous both in the lateral and vertical directions. The results relative to powder and pellets samples do not differ in a significant way except for a slight increase in the carbon content regarding the pellet samples, probably due to a minor contamination effect introduced through pressing. Nevertheless, pellets samples appear to be quite representative for the material while being much more convenient in terms of handling and safety compared to nano-powders and providing a regular flat surface for EDX analysis. Finally, this approach correlating XPS and EDS represents a simple, fast and reliable way for characterizing the chemical composition and the homogeneity of industrial graphene. This study is part of the project Standardisation of structural and chemical properties of graphene (ISO-G-SCoPe) which has received funding from the EMPIR programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement No. 19NRM04. T2 - SALSA Make and Measure... and Machines CY - Online meeting DA - 16.09.2021 KW - Graphene KW - XPS KW - EDX KW - Graphene functionalisation PY - 2021 UR - https://fakultaeten.hu-berlin.de/en/mnf/forschung_internationales/grs/salsa/SALSA_MM AN - OPUS4-53463 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - 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 - Matthews, Lauren T1 - Rapid Desease Monitoring with Resistive-Pulse Sensing in Nanopipettes N2 - Following parts of the research project as proceeded at University of Birminngham are presented: Translocation, Experiments, Synthesis of DNA Structures, Antibody, Biomarker, Binding. Following works have been carried out at BAM: High Resolution Electron Microscopy, Dedicated Sample Preparation, Surface Analysis Methods. T2 - UoB-BAM Chemistry Theme Meeting CY - Online meeting DA - 15.05.2024 KW - Nanopipettes KW - Sensing KW - Diagnosis KW - Surface analysis PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60451 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 - Chemello, Giovanni T1 - Correlative analysis through XPS and EDX measurements for accurate chemical composition of industrial Graphene N2 - The scientific and technological interest in graphene has been growing more and more in the late years due to its outstanding properties and diverse promising applications. However, graphene implementation into the industrial market is still limited and many challenges are yet to be addressed before this material can become suitable for the large-scale production. One of the most crucial challenge to overcome is to develop reliable and reproducible ways to characterize the material properties which can heavily affect the product performance. In our study the chemical composition of nine different samples of industrial graphene, graphene oxide and functionalized graphene were investigated. The samples were analysed both in form of powder and pellets. A comparative characterisation of the chemical composition was performed through X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). XPS depth resolution is in the order of 10 nm, while for EDX the analysis was performed at two different energy levels, i.e. 5 keV and 15 keV, and thus varying the analysis depth from 200 nm to 2000 nm. The XPS measurement area is 300x700 µm² while the EDX measurement was performed by analysing a grid of 25 locations (5x5) of 150 x 150 ?m2 area, covering the whole pellet surface of 5 mm diameter and then calculating the mean of the elemental concentration. The results of the elemental concentration values from XPS and EDX analyses show a good agreement for all the elements presents in the samples, despite the different spatial resolutions of the two techniques. Therefore, the samples appear homogeneous both in the lateral and vertical directions. The results relative to powder and pellets samples do not differ in a significant way except for a slight increase in the carbon content regarding the pellet samples, probably due to a minor contamination effect introduced through pressing. Nevertheless, pellets samples appear to be quite representative for the material while being much more convenient in terms of handling and safety compared to nano-powders and providing a regular flat surface for EDX analysis. Finally, this approach correlating XPS and EDS represents a simple, fast and reliable way for characterizing the chemical composition and the homogeneity of industrial graphene. This study is part of the project ?Standardisation of structural and chemical properties of graphene? (ISO-G-SCoPe) which has received funding from the EMPIR programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement No. 19NRM04. T2 - 2021 Fall Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) CY - Online meeting DA - 20.9.2021 KW - Graphene KW - XPS KW - EDS KW - Standardisation KW - Graphene functionalization PY - 2021 UR - https://www.european-mrs.com/meetings/2021-fall-meeting AN - OPUS4-53462 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Radnik, Jörg T1 - Reliable chemical characterization of industrial graphene related materials N2 - International standards describing reliable protocols will facilitate the commercialization of graphene and related 2D materials. One physico-chemical key property next to flake size and thickness is the chemical composition of the material. Therefore, an ISO standard is under development with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy having a prominent role. With its information depth of around 10 nm which is the similar length scale as the thickness as of particles of 2D materials consisting of a few monolayer XPS seems to be highly suitable for this purpose. Different sample preparation methods like pressing the powders onto adhesive tapes, into recesses, or into solid pellets result in inconsistencies in the quantification. For the validation of the quantification with XPS an interlaboratory comparison was initiated under the auspice of the “Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards” (VAMAS). First results confirm that the sample preparation method (pellet vs. powder) influences the quantification results clearly. Considering this effect, a good agreement of the results from the different participants were observed. Similar results were observed for raw, N- and F-functionalized graphene. T2 - Graphene CY - Manchester, England, UK DA - 27.06.2023 KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy KW - Functionalized graphene KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - VAMAS PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57895 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 -