TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Fallisch, A. A1 - Petrov, E. P. A1 - Salhany, R. A1 - Forthman, C. A1 - Guttenberg, Z. A1 - Nitschke, R. T1 - Spectral fluorescence standards for the calibration and performance validation of fluorescence microscopes N2 - The standardization and calibration of fluorescence microscopy have become increasingly vital due to the wide-spread use of in life and materials sciences. As the demand for reliable and user-friendly methods to assess micro-scope performance grows, universal calibration tools accessible to both researchers and vendors are needed. To support the standardization of characterization methods in microscopy, it is crucial to provide calibration tools together with standardized operating procedures for their effective implementation. The public-funded project "FluMiKal"* develops calibration tools in the shape of typical microscopic slides to assess key parameters such as spatial resolution, point spread function, spectral sensitivity, linearity and sensitivity of the detection system. The focus is on creating calibration tools that are user-friendly, robust, and versatile in their application. This work addresses the critical parameter of wavelength-dependent spectral sensitivity, which affects the meas-ured signals from the instrument side, yielding instrument-specific data and instrument aging-induced changes over time. For this purpose, μ-slides from ibidi with six channels are used, allowing them to be filled with different solutions containing molecular or nanoscale fluorophores with well-characterized absorption and fluorescence properties. The certified spectral fluorescence standards BAM-F003, F004, F005, and F007 assessed provided as ethanolic solutions by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), cover a broad spectral range from the blue to the near-infrared [1], [2]. Dye-based slide prototypes have been used to determine the spectral sensitivity of confocal microscopes from different vendors with various detector types by acquiring the spectral data of the BAM dyes under standardized measurement conditions, demonstrating the applicability of this concept. Proof-of-concept experiments could demonstrate the proper sealing of the slides. Further experiments will explore long-term stability and their potential as standards for relative intensity calibrations. * FluMiKal is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany (WIPANO FKZ 03TN0047B) [1] doi: 10.1007/4243_2008_028. [2] doi: 10.1007/s00216-024-05723-w. T2 - European Light Microscopy Initiative - ELMI 2025 CY - Heidelberg, Germany DA - 03.06.2025 KW - Fluorescence KW - Advanced material KW - Validation KW - Calibration KW - Method comparison KW - Reference material KW - Dye KW - Fluorescence standard KW - Microscopy KW - CLSM KW - Imaging PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64206 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Reliable measurements of the photoluminescence quantum yield of transparent and scattering luminophores N2 - Optical measurements of transparent solutions of organic dyes and semiconductor quantum dots and scattering materials such as luminescent nanocomposites and microparticles and phosphors dispersed in liquid and solid matrices play an important role in energy conversion, solid-state lighting, medical diagnostics, and security barcoding. A key performance parameter is the photoluminescence quantum yield QY, i.e., the number of emitted per number of absorbed photons. QY of transparent luminophore solutions can be obtained relative to a fluorescence QY standard of known QY.[1] Meanwhile, a first set of certified fluorescence QY standards is available.[2] Such relative QY measurements require a calibrated spectrofluorometer.[1,3] For determining QY of scattering liquid and solid samples, absolute measurements of QY with a calibrated integrating sphere setup are mandatory.[1,4,5] However, scattering QY standards are not available and uncertainties of such measurements have not yet been assessed in interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs). To determine typical sources of uncertainty of absolute QY measurements, we assessed the influence of the measurement geometry and the optical properties of the blank for determining the number of incident photons absorbed by the sample in an ILC using commercial integrating sphere setups and a custom-designed integrating sphere setup. Samples examined included transparent and scattering dye solutions, solid phosphors such as YAG:Ce optoceramics used as LED converter material, and polymer films stained with different amounts of phosphor microparticles. Matching QY values could be obtained for transparent dye solutions and scattering dispersions with a blank with scattering properties closely matching those of the sample, while QY measurements of optoceramic samples with different blanks revealed substantial differences of more than 20 %. Based on our data, we recommend non-absorbing blank materials with a high reflectivity (>95 %) such as a 2 mm-thick PTFE target placed on the sample holder as blanks. T2 - eMRS 2025 Fall Meeting CY - Warsaw, Poland DA - 15.09.2025 KW - Quality assurance KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Advanced material KW - Synthesis KW - Characterization KW - Fluorescence quantum yield KW - Phosphor KW - Absolute KW - Integrating sphere spectroscopy KW - Dye KW - Standardization KW - Reference material KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Uncertainty PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64184 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Soyka, J. P. A1 - Witte, J. F. A1 - Wiesner, A. A1 - Krappe, A. R. A1 - Wehner, D. A1 - Alnicola, N. A1 - Paulus, B. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Eigler, S. T1 - [3]Radialene Fluorophores with pH-Switchable Emission and Stable Absorption Maxima N2 - The first push–pull quino [3]radialene fluorescent dye is reported. Herein, the novel bis(dicyanomethylene)-[3]radialene electron acceptor is connected to a benzimidazole donor. With protonation, a substantial redshift of fluorescence wavelength is observed, while the absorption maximum remains stable. This process is accompanied with an increased fluorescence quantum yield to about 70%. Further, the findings are explained by a combined experimental and theoretical approach, and it is found that vibronic coupling plays a crucial role. This study highlights the yet unexplored potential of [3]radialene-based motifs for the design of environment-responsive fluorophores. KW - DADQ KW - Nanographene KW - fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Synthesis KW - Characterization KW - Advanced material KW - Quantum yield KW - Photophysic KW - pH KW - Probe KW - Sensor KW - Lifetime KW - Polarity PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-642147 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202500669 SN - 1099-0690 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-64214 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - From molecular and nanoscale chromophores with UV/VIS/NIR/SWIR luminescence to multi method characterization of surface coatings N2 - An overview of the research activities of division Biophotonics is presented covering examples for photophysical studies of different types of molecular and nanocrystalline luminophores, luminescent particles, and sensor systems in solution, in dispersion, and in the solid state and multi-method charactreization workflow for the characterization of surface-functionalized engineered nanomaterials. In addition, the importance of reliable optical measurements, particularly standardized workflows for the determination of the key performance parameter luminescence quantum yield of transparent and scattering luminescent samples with fluorescence and integrating sphere spectroscopy, and validated methods for quantifying surface functional groups and ligands on nanomaterials is highlighted. Thereby, also ongoing standardization activities are presented as well as certified reference materials and reference materials from division Biophotonics. T2 - Chinese-German Chemical Association - Annual Meeting CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.08.2025 KW - Quality assurance KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Synthesis KW - Quantum yield KW - Characterization KW - Advanced material KW - Surface KW - Lifetime KW - Sensor KW - Oxygen KW - Ph KW - Standardization KW - Fluorescent probe KW - Reference material PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64181 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tavernaro, Isabella A1 - Sander, P. C. A1 - Andresen, Elina A1 - Schedler, U. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Expanding the Toolbox of Simple, Cost-Efficient, and Automatable Methods for Quantifying Surface Functional Groups on Nanoparticles� Potentiometric Titration N2 - Measuring surface functional groups (FGs) on nanomaterials (NMs) is essential for designing dispersible and stable NMs with tailored and predictable functionality. FG screening and quantification also plays a critical role for subsequent processing steps, NM long-term stability, quality control of NM production, and risk assessment studies and enables the implementation of sustainable and safe(r)-by-design concepts. This calls for simple and cost-efficient methods for broadly utilized FGs that can be ideally automated to speed up FG screening, monitoring, and quantification. To expand our NM surface analysis toolbox, focusing on simple methods and broadly available, cost-efficient instrumentation, we explored a NM-adapted pH titration method with potentiometric and optical readout for measuring the total number of (de)protonable FGs on representatively chosen commercial and custom-made aminated silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs). The accuracy and robustness of our stepwise optimized workflows was assessed by several operators in two laboratories and method validation was done by cross-comparison with two analytical methods relying on different signal generation principles. This included traceable, chemo-selective quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qNMR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), providing the amounts of amino silanes released by particle dissolution and the total mass of the surface coatings. A comparison of the potentiometric titration results with the reporter-specific amounts of surface amino FGs determined with the previously automated fluorescamine (Fluram) assay highlights the importance of determining both quantities for surface-functionalized NMs. In the future, combined NM surface analysis with optical assays and pH titration will simplify quality control of NM production processes and stability studies and can yield large data sets for NM grouping that facilitates further developments in regulation and standardization. KW - Quality assurance KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Synthesis KW - Characterization KW - Advanced material KW - Surface KW - Standardization KW - Reference material KW - Functional group KW - Quantification KW - Coating KW - Automation KW - Potentiometry KW - Method KW - Validation KW - Optical assay KW - Fluram KW - Fluorescamine KW - qNMR KW - Comparison KW - ILC PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-642371 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.5c00062 SN - 2694-250X SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-64237 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Tavernaro, Isabella A1 - Sander, P. A1 - Andresen, Elina A1 - Schedler, U. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Potentiometric and Optical Titration for Cost- Efficient Quantification of Surface Functional Groups on Silica Nanoparticles N2 - Surface chemistry of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) plays a critical role not only in determining their interactions with the environment but also in their stability, safety, and functionality across diverse applications ranging from catalysis to biomedicine. Accurate quantification of surface functional groups (FGs) is therefore essential for quality control, risk assessment, and performance optimization.[1] However, many existing analytical techniques are either cost-intensive, require specialized instrumentation, or lack scalability for routine use. In this study, we present a comparative evaluation of potentiometric and optical titration as two simple, cost-efficient, and automatable methods for quantifying surface functional groups on a variety of surface-modified silica nanoparticles (SiO₂ NPs). These NPs were chosen as they are among the most frequently utilized engineered NMs in the life and material sciences. Potentiometric titration, based on pH monitoring during acid-base neutralization, offers a direct and label-free approach to determine the total amount of FGs. Optical titration provides a complementary method with potential for high-throughput screening. To examine the accuracy and robustness of our stepwise-optimized workflows and the achievable relative standard deviations (RSDs), measurements were performed by multiple operators in two laboratories. Method validation was conducted through cross-comparison with traceable, chemo-selective quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qNMR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A comparison with optical assays highlights the importance of measuring both quantities for comprehensive characterization of surface-modified NMs.[2] A combined NM surface analysis using optical assays and pH titration will simplify quality control of NM production processes and stability studies, and can yield large datasets for NM grouping in sustainable and safe(r)-by-design studies. T2 - eMRS Fall Meeting 2025 CY - Warsaw, Poland DA - 15.09.2025 KW - Fluorescence KW - Advanced material KW - Synthesis KW - Characterization KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Silica KW - Surface analysis KW - Validation KW - qNMR KW - Fluram assay KW - Functional group KW - Quantification KW - Potentiometry KW - Amino groups KW - Fluorescamine KW - Calibration KW - Method comparison PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64205 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Quantifying functional groups and coatings on nanoobjects N2 - Engineered nanomaterials (NM) of different size, shape, chemical composition, and surface chemistry are increasingly used for many key technologies of the 21st century and consumer products. This includes polymer and silica or silica-coated nanoparticles (NP) with covalently bound surface groups, semiconductor quantum dots (QD), metal and metal oxide NP, and lanthanide NP with coordinatively or electrostatically bound ligands, as well as surface-coated nanostructures like micellar encapsulated NP. Decisive for most applications of NMs are their specific surface properties, which are largely determined by the chemical nature and amounts of ligands and functional groups (FGs) on the NM surface. The surface chemistry can strongly affect the physicochemical properties of NM, their charge, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, reactivity, function, stability, and processability and thereby their impact on human health and environment. Knowledge of NM surface chemistry plays an important role for NM functionality and performance in (bio)applications and the fate, exposure, dissolution, transformation, and accumulation of NM, and thus, the potential risks for human health and the environment. This highlights the importance of reliable, validated, and eventually standardized analytical methods for analyzing and quantifying NM surface chemistry for process and quality control of NM production, safe use of NMs, design of novel NM, and sustainable concepts for NM fabrication.[1-3] In this context, interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) are needed to assess method reliability and reference materials with known surface chemistries for establishing surface analytical methods and their performance validation.[2,4] Also, to respond to the increasing number of samples to be analyzed, cost-efficient automation concepts for surface analysis are needed that can be realized with affordable and preferably commercial instrumentation.[5] Here, we provide an overview of analytical methods for FG analysis and quantification used by us for quantifying broadly utilized FGs and ligands on different types of NMs with electrochemical titration methods, optical assays, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and vibrational (IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray based and thermal analysis methods.[1,2] Thereby, method- and material-related challenges are addressed, and the importance of multi-method characterization approaches easing method validation by method cross-validation. Special emphasis is dedicated to simple, versatile, and cost-efficient methods such as optical assays and electrochemical titration methods. T2 - eMRS Fall Meeting 2025 CY - Warsaw, Poland DA - 15.09.2025 KW - Quality assurance KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Synthesis KW - Characterization KW - Advanced material KW - Surface KW - Standardization KW - Reference material KW - Functional group KW - Quantification KW - Coating KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Uncertainty PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64183 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frenzel, F. A1 - Fiedler, S. A1 - Bardan, A. A1 - Güttler, Arne A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Influence of Measurement Geometry and Blank on Absolute Measurements of Photoluminescence Quantum Yields of Scattering Luminescent Films N2 - For a series of 500 μm-thick polyurethane films containing different concentrations of luminescent and scattering YAG:Ce microparticles, we systematically explored and quantified pitfalls of absolute measurements of photoluminescence quantum yields (Φf) for often employed integrating sphere (IS) geometries, where the sample is placed either on a sample holder at the bottom of the IS surface or mounted in the IS center. Thereby, the influence of detection and illumination geometry and sample position was examined using blanks with various scattering properties for measuring the number of photons absorbed by the sample. Our results reveal that (i) setup configurations where the scattering sample is mounted in the IS center and (ii) transparent blanks can introduce systematic errors in absolute Φf measurements. For strongly scattering, luminescent samples, this can result in either an under- or overestimation of the absorbed photon flux and hence an under- or overestimation of Φf. The size of these uncertainties depends on the scattering properties of the sample and instrument parameters, such as sample position, IS size, wavelength-dependent reflectivity of the IS surface coating, and port configuration. For accurate and reliable absolute Φf measurements, we recommend (i) a blank with scattering properties closely matching those of the sample to realize similar distributions of the diffusely scattered excitation photons within the IS, and (ii) a sufficiently high sample absorption at the excitation wavelength. For IS setups with center-mounted samples, measurement geometries should be utilized that prevent the loss of excitation photons by reflections from the sample out of the IS. KW - Quality assurance KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Quantum yield KW - Characterization KW - Silica KW - Scattering KW - Uncertainty KW - Film KW - Pphosphor KW - YAG:Ce KW - LED KW - Converter material KW - Solid material KW - Polymer KW - Composite material KW - Advanced material PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-638304 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06726 SN - 1520-6882 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-63830 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Güttler, Arne T1 - Certified Reference Materials for the Quantification and Standardization of Fluorescence-based Measurements N2 - The size and shape of photoluminescence signals is affected by wavelength-, polarization-, and time-dependent instrumentspecific contributions and the compound- and environment-specific photoluminescence quantum yield. The former hamper the comparability of fluorescence measurements performed on different measuring devices. The commonly relatively done determination of the performance parameter requires suitable quantum yield standards with well-known. The performance of such measurements is, e.g., described in the written standard IEC 62607 currently revised. T2 - Colloquium für Optische Spektrometrie 2025 CY - Jena, Germany DA - 24.09.2025 KW - Quality assurance KW - Fluorescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Advanced material KW - Calibration KW - Characterization KW - Fluorescence quantum yield KW - Phosphor KW - Absolute KW - Integrating sphere spectroscopy KW - Dye KW - Standardization KW - Reference material KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Uncertainty PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64213 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Matiushkina, Anna T1 - Quantification of Citrate Ligands on the Surface of Nanoparticles N2 - In this study, different methods for determining nanoparticle surface ligands including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) are explored to quantify citrate as one of the most popular hydrophilic ligands on the surface of nanoparticles such as iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). The purpose of work is to understand which analytical methods are best suited for surface chemistry analysis of citrate stabilized IONPs and to validate these methods. T2 - SALSA Make and Measure 2024: Interfaces CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 11.09.2024 KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Iron oxide KW - Ligand KW - Quantification KW - Advanced material KW - Surface analysis KW - Functional group PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62310 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -