TY - JOUR A1 - Wollschläger, Nicole A1 - Palasse, L. A1 - Häusler, Ines A1 - Dirscherl, K. A1 - Oswald, F. A1 - Narbey, S. A1 - Ortel, Erik A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Characterization of the inner structure of porous TiO2 nanoparticle films in dye sensitive solar cells (DSSC) by focused ion beam (FIB) tomography and transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) N2 - A combined methodical approach is tested for the first time with respect to the characterization of the inner structure of porous TiO2 layers infiltrated with ruthenium molecular sensitizer as typically used in modern dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Their performance is directly linked to the surface area ‘offered’ by the pore Network to the dye. The micrometer thick layer employed was manufactured by screen-printing of a starting TiO2 powder constituted of shape-controlled, bipyramidal anatase nanoparticles (NPs) on FTO/glass substrates. The analytical methods exploited in our study are Focused Ion Beam (FIB) slicing followed by 3D reconstruction as well as the new approach transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) technology in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). While the first method results in the visualization of the 3D pore network within the TiO2 layer, the second one can be successfully applied to analyze the crystal orientation of grains (i.e. NPs in our case) in nanometer resolution. Moreover, size and shape distribution of the TiO2 NPs within the layer can be extracted. SEM in transmission mode and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to verify the dimensional data obtained by the new combined methodical approach. Its analytical benefits but also the challenges and limitations are highlighted. KW - Transmission Kikuchi diffraction KW - Focused ion beam tomography KW - Titanium dioxide KW - Nanoparticles KW - Porosity KW - Particle size KW - DSSC PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2017.06.030 SN - 1044-5803 SN - 1873-4189 VL - 131 SP - 39 EP - 48 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-40875 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Manley, P. A1 - Voigt, R. A1 - Ahiboz, D. A1 - Becker, C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Metasurface Enhanced Sensitized Photon Upconversion: Toward Highly Efficient Low Power Upconversion Applications and Nanoscale E-Field Sensors N2 - Large-scale nanoimprinted metasurfaces based on silicon photonic crystal slabs were produced and coated with a NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) layer. UCNPs on these metasurfaces yield a more than 500-fold enhanced upconversion emission compared to UCNPs on planar surfaces. It is also demonstrated how the optical response of the UCNPs can be used to estimate the local field energy in the coating layer. Optical simulations using the finite element method validate the experimental results and the calculated spatial three-dimensional field Energy distribution helps us to understand the emission enhancement mechanism of the UCNPs closely attached to the metasurface. In addition, we analyzed the spectral shifts of the resonances for uncoated and coated metasurfaces and metasurfaces submerged in water to enable a prediction of the optimum layer thicknesses for different excitation wavelengths, paving the way to applications such as electromagnetic field sensors or bioassays. KW - Nanoparticles KW - Upconversion KW - Metasurface KW - Field sensor KW - Emission enhancement KW - Photonic crystal PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02548 VL - 20 IS - 9 SP - 6682 EP - 6689 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-51427 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yadav, Anur A1 - Iost, R. M. A1 - Neubert, T. J. A1 - Baylan, S. A1 - Schmid, Thomas A1 - Balasubramanian, Kannan T1 - Selective electrochemical functionalization of the graphene edge N2 - We present a versatile and simple method using electrochemistry for the exclusive functionalization of the edge of a graphene monolayer with metal nanoparticles or polymeric amino groups. The attachment of metal nanoparticles allows us to exploit surface-enhanced Raman scattering to characterize the chemistry of both the pristine and the functionalized graphene edge. For the pristine patterned graphene edge, we observe the typical edge-related modes, while for the functionalized graphene edge we identify the chemical structure of the functional layer by vibrational fingerprinting. The ability to obtain single selectively functionalized graphene edges routinely on an insulating substrate opens an avenue for exploring the effect of edge chemistry on graphene properties systematically. KW - Graphene KW - Nanoparticles KW - Nanosciences KW - Surface-enhanced Raman scattering KW - Atomic force microscopy PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-474357 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/C8SC04083D SN - 2041-6520 VL - 10 IS - 3 SP - 936 EP - 942 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-47435 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN ED - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan ED - Unger, Wolfgang ED - Shard, A. G. T1 - Characterization of nanoparticles - Measurement processes for nanoparticles N2 - Characterization of Nanoparticles: Measurement Processes for Nanoparticles surveys this fast growing field, including established methods for the physical and chemical characterization of nanoparticles. The book focuses on sample preparation issues (including potential pitfalls), with measurement procedures described in detail. In addition, the book explores data reduction, including the quantitative evaluation of the final result and its uncertainty of measurement. The results of published inter-laboratory comparisons are referred to, along with the availability of reference materials necessary for instrument calibration and method validation. The application of these methods are illustrated with practical examples on what is routine and what remains a challenge. In addition, this book summarizes promising methods still under development and analyzes the need for complementary methods to enhance the quality of nanoparticle characterization with solutions already in operation. KW - Nanoparticles KW - Characterization method KW - Sample preparation KW - Inter-laboratory comparison KW - Standardisation KW - Measurement uncertainty KW - Case studies PY - 2020 SN - 978-0-12-814182-3 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/C2017-0-00312-9 SP - 1 EP - 566 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-50284 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -