TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Inter-laboratory comparison on shape of bipyramidal TiO2 nanoparticles by TEM N2 - The TiO2 material selected for the present inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) was the bipyramidal anatase UT001 batch synthesized hydrothermally by University of Turin in the frame of the EU/FP7 Project SETNanoMetro and carefully prepared on TEM grids by BAM to be distributed to the ILC participants. A clear measurement protocol including data analysis and reporting (including an xls reporting template) has been also prepared by BAM. 14 of 18 participants have measured and reported results which have been already checked by BAM as being conform to the agreed protocol. After receiving the last results (of 4 participants) the ILC data evaluation will be carried out by BAM in line with agreed ISO/TC229 procedures as for the other case sudies. T2 - Annual Meeting of ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies CY - Singapore, Republic of Singapore DA - 07.11.2016 KW - TiO2 KW - Nanoparticles KW - Inter-laboratory comparison KW - Shape KW - TEM KW - Particle size distribution PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-38868 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Available particle-sizing techniques at work for the classification as a nanomaterial - How reliable it really is? N2 - The capability of currently available particle sizing techniques for reliable classification of materials that potentially fall under the EU Definition of a nanomaterial is discussed. A systematic quantitative evaluation of the sizing techniques is presented together with representative case studies of analysis of industrially relevant materials. Recommendations on the most appropriate and efficient use of techniques for different types of material are given. T2 - Frontiers of Nanomaterial Characterization CY - Tokyo, Japan DA - 28.05.2017 KW - Nanomaterial classification KW - Nanoparticles KW - Number-weighted median size KW - Particle size analysis KW - Characterization techniques PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-40474 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Evaluation of particle sizing techniques for implementation of the EC Definition of a nanomaterial N2 - Many techniques are available for measuring particle size distribution. For ideal materials (spherical particles, well dispersed) it is possible to evaluate the Performance of these methods. The performance of the analytical instrumentation for the purpose of classifying materials according to EC Definition is unknown. In this work the performance of commercially available particle sizing techniques on representative NanoDefine set of real-world testing materials (RTM) and quality control materials (QCM) for the implementation of the Definition is evaluated. T2 - Final NanoDefine Outreach Event Classification of nanomaterials according to the EU definition CY - Brüssel, Belgium DA - 19.09.2017 KW - Nanomaterial classification KW - Particle sizing techniques KW - Nanoparticles KW - EC definition of a nanomaterial PY - 2017 UR - http://www.nanodefine.eu/index.php/nanodefine-meetings/125-final-outreach-event-2017 AN - OPUS4-42507 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Volume specific surface area (VSSA) by BET: concept and demonstration on industrial materials N2 - Volume specific surface area (VSSA) as measured by BET constituites a simple and reliable solution to (most) powders. Porous, coated, polydisperse/multimodal materials are to be treated with care, i.e. doubled by analysis with electron microscopy or more advanced BET analysis (e.g. t-plot)for each material in part. T2 - Final NanoDefine Outreach Event: Classification of nanomaterials according to the EU definition CY - Brüssel, Belgium DA - 19.09.2017 KW - VSSA KW - BET KW - Nanoparticles KW - Powder KW - Nanomaterial classfication PY - 2017 UR - http://www.nanodefine.eu/index.php/nanodefine-meetings/125-final-outreach-event-2017 AN - OPUS4-42509 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Measurement of nanoparticle size and shape distribution – Current situation and outlook N2 - The EC Recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial, based solely on size of the constituent particles, foresees development of harmonised measurement methods ensuring ‘consistent results across materials and over time’. The EU/FP7 research project NanoDefine has been exclusively dedicated to support the implementation of this EC Recommendation for the European Union’s legislation. For the first time, measurement techniques able to determine the size of nanoparticles have been evaluated systematically on a well-defined set of quality control materials (spherical, monodisperse) as well as industrial materials of complex shapes and considerable polydispersity. Particularly based on the analytical performance of the measurement techniques as tested on the challenging real-world particulate materials, it was possible to formulate recommendations for use of a new tiered approach consisting of screening and confirmatory techniques. Thus, a consistent framework of guidance for nanomaterial identification according to the EC Definition has been issued in form of the NanoDefiner e-tool, with a transparent decision flow scheme and an extensive user manual. Selected examples of analysis and classification as nano-/non-nanomaterials will be given, highlighting the limits of applicability of the available measurement techniques in dependence on sample properties. On some recent relevant developments in sample preparation – as a crucial part for an accurate analysis - will be also reported. Further, ISO/TC 229 ‘Nanotechnologies’ activities aiming at establishing accurate TEM and SEM measurement of NP size and shape as robust, traceable, standard procedures are highlighted. With participation of BAM, study groups have been organizing inter-laboratory comparisons on well-selected NP systems according to the market needs, such as aggregated or shape-controlled titania nano-powder for which size and shape distribution of primary particles must be measured accurately. T2 - Symposium Preparation, Characterization and Processing of Nano and Submicron Powders CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 14.06.2018 KW - Nanoparticles KW - Nanomaterial KW - EC definition KW - Nanoparticle size distribution PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-45191 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Shape controlled TiO2 nanoparticles as candidates for nano-CRM’s – an ISO case study N2 - Extraction of true, 3D shape (and size) of non-spherical nanoparticles (NPs) is associated with errors by conventional 2D electron microscopy using projection images. Significant efforts within the ISO technical committee TC 229 ‘Nanotechnologies’ are aimed at establishing accurate TEM and SEM measurement of NP size and shape as robust, standard procedures. Study groups have been organizing inter-laboratory comparisons on well-selected NP systems according to the market needs, such as aggregated titania nano-powder for which size and shape distribution of primary crystallites of irregular shape must be measured accurately. To be noticed is e. g. the fact that the measurement procedure allows only manual selection of the particles clearly distinguishable for analysis as well as manual definition of the contour of the imaged NPs. An inter-laboratory exercise on titania NPs (pure anatase, grown by hydrothermal synthesis) of well-defined non-spherical shape, i.e. bipyramidal has been recently started within ISO/TC 229 under similar conditions as for the irregular shaped titania. Overlapped particles were allowed to be considered, as long as they are clearly distinguishable. One decisive NP selection criterion was to analyze only those NPs with a roundness value below 0.7, i.e. the NPs laying on the support foil and, hence, with projection areas clearly deviating from perfect circles (R=1). The overall evaluation (for 15 labs) of the size descriptors (area, Feret, minFeret, perimeter) and shape descriptors (aspect ratio, roundness, compactness, extent) by analysis of variance is just to be finished and included in ISO/WD 21363 Nanotechnologies -- Protocol for particle size distribution by transmission electron microscopy. T2 - NanoWorkshop 2018 (Workshop on reference nanomaterials, current situation and needs: development, measurement, standardization) CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 14.05.2018 KW - Titanium oxide KW - Nanoparticles KW - Shape-controlled KW - Electron microscopy KW - Reference material PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44996 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Controlled deposition of nanoparticles by electrospray for improved analysis by imaging techniques N2 - Of many experimental techniques for measuring particle sizes and size distributions, electron microscopy (EM) is still considered as the gold standard, especially in the nano range (1–100 nm). Furthermore, high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) in conjunction with EM can be applied to individual NPs. Preparation of an EM sample for generic particulate materials is a difficult task. Usually the particles in a suspension are deposited on a support. However, this procedure includes the drying of larger solvent amounts on the substrate itself, and this can affect the spatial distribution of the deposited particles. One possibility to overcome this is the use of an electrospray system, where the suspension of particles is sprayed onto the substrate in charged droplets that are so small that they either dry off on the substrate immediately without affecting the position of particles, or even already during their flight time to the substrate. Additionally, the charging of particles minimizes agglomeration and aggregation, maximizing the collection of the EM grids. The prototype of an electrospray deposition system from RAMEM under its trademark IONER (www.ioner.eu) was tested. Electrospray is theoretically described since a long time, but no dedicated commercial instruments are available for the preparation of TEM grids yet, apart from electrostatic deposition of aerosols.2 Several materials have been sprayed onto TEM grids and the resulting particle distributions were evaluated. Operation parameters such as the sample flow-rate, capillary – substrate distance, electric field strength and sampling period length have been optimized. It was found that the particles deposited by electrospray generally show a much more homogeneous spatial distribution on the substrate and a substantial increase of the number of single particles (suited to automatic analysis). T2 - RSC-NPL Symposium: Nanoparticle concentration – critical needs and state-of-the-art measurement CY - London, UK DA - 24.04.2018 KW - Electrospray deposition KW - Nanoparticles KW - Electron microscopy PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44802 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Volume specific surface area (VSSA) by BET as a reliable metric for (nano)particle size analysis for powders N2 - We discuss the role of the volume specific surface area (VSSA) as determined from the specific surface area measured by the (extended) Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique, in the identification process of powdered nano- and non-nanomaterials in line with the EU definition of nanomaterial. Results obtained in the NanoDefine project demonstrate that under appropriate conditions, VSSA can be used as proxy to the number-based particle size distribution. The extent of agreement between nano/non-nano classification by electron microscopy (EM) and classification by VSSA is investigated systematically on a large set of diverse particulate substances, representing most of the cases expected in regulatory practice. Thus, parameters such as particle shape, size polydispersity/multi-modality, and particle (inner or coating) porosity are evaluated. Based on these results, we derive a tiered screening strategy for powders, involving the use of VSSA for the purpose of implementing the definition of nanomaterial, and recommend it for inclusion in a technical guidance for the implementation of the definition. T2 - RSC-NPL Symposium: Nanoparticle concentration – critical needs and state-of-the-art measurement CY - London, UK DA - 24.04.2018 KW - Nanoparticles KW - Nanomaterial KW - Particle size distribution KW - BET KW - VSSA PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44801 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements N2 - The overall objective of project Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements is to improve the traceability chain for nanoparticle size measurements. The main impact will be achieved by manifold contributions to standard documents for CEN/TC 352 “Nanotechnologies”, which directly addresses the research needs of CEN, CENELEC and ETSI mandated by EC to develop standards for methods and reference materials to accurately measure the size and size distribution of nanoparticles. This will take place in collaboration with ISO/TC229 ‘Nanotechnologies’, ISO/TC24/SC4 ‘Particle characterization’ and ISO/TC201 ‘Surface analysis’/ SC9 ‘Scanning probe microscopy’. T2 - EMPIR 2017 Review Conference CY - Monaco DA - 9.11.2017 KW - Nanoparticles KW - Traceability KW - Electron micrsocopy KW - Size KW - Shape PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-43019 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Characterization of Porous, TiO2 Nanoparticle Films Using On-Axis TKD in SEM – a New Nano-Analysis Tool for a Large-Scale Application N2 - A combined methodical approach is tested with respect to the characterization of the inner structure of porous TiO2 layers as typically used in modern dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Their performance is directly linked to the surface area of the pore network. The micrometer thick layer employed was manufactured by screen-printing of a starting TiO2 powder constituted of shape-controlled, bipyramidal anatase nanoparticles 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). 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. T2 - Microscopy & Microanalysis 2017 Meeting CY - St. Louis, MO, USA DA - 06.08.2017 KW - Porous layers KW - TiO2 KW - Nanoparticles KW - Size and shape distribution KW - TKD KW - SEM PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-41660 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -