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Investigating the mechanism and kinetics of the mechanochemical synthesis of multi-component systems
(2023)
Mechanochemistry is a promising and environmentally friendly approach for synthesizing (novel) multicomponent crystal systems. Various milling parameters, such as milling frequency, milling time, and ball diameter have been shown to influence the mechanisms and rates of product formation. Despite increasing interest in mechanochemistry, there is still limited understanding of the underlying reactivity and selectivity mechanisms.
Various analytical techniques have been developed to gain insight into the mechanochemical transformations, including powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray adsorption spectroscopy, NMR, Raman spectroscopy and thermography. Using these techniques, we have studied the formation of (polymorphic) cocrystals, organometallic compounds and salts, and elucidated the influence of milling parameters and reaction sequences on the formation mechanism and kinetics.
For example, our study of the mechanochemical chlorination reaction of hydantoin revealed that normalisation of the kinetic profiles to the volume of the grinding ball clearly showed that physical kinetics dominate the reaction rates in a ball-milling transformation. Attempts to interpret such kinetics in purely chemical terms risk misinterpretation of the results.
Our results suggest that time-resolved in situ investigation of milling reactions is a promising way to fine-tune and optimise mechanochemical processes.
Mechanochemistry emerges as a potent, environmentally friendly, and straightforward approach for crafting novel multicomponent crystal systems. Various milling parameters, including milling frequency, time, filling degree of the milling jar, ball diameter, vessel size, degree of milling ball filling, and material of jars, are recognized influencers on the mechanisms and rates of product formation. Despite the growing interest in mechanochemistry, there exists a gap in understanding the mechanistic aspects of mechanochemical reactivity and selectivity. To address this, diverse analytical methods and their combinations, such as powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, NMR, Raman spectroscopy, and thermography, have been developed for real-time, in situ monitoring of mechanochemical transformations.
This discussion centers on our recent findings, specifically investigating the formation of (polymorphic) cocrystals and metal-organic frameworks. Through these studies, we aim to unravel the impact of milling parameters and reaction sequences on the formation mechanism and kinetics. Notably, in the mechanochemical chlorination reaction of hydantoin, normalizing kinetic profiles to the volume of the milling ball unequivocally demonstrates the conservation of milling reaction kinetics. In this ball-milling transformation, physical kinetics outweigh chemical factors in determining reaction rates. Attempting to interpret such kinetics solely through chemical terms poses a risk of misinterpretation. Our results highlight that time-resolved in situ investigations of milling reactions provide a novel avenue for fine-tuning and optimizing mechanochemical processes.
Use of the solvent-free mechanochemical method for a sustainable preparation of pharmaceuticals
(2023)
With the growing interest in environmental issues on the part of governments and institutions, pharmaceutical industries are asked to reduce their environmental footprint. Given the major impact related to the use of solvents, the development of methodologies less solvent demanding is nowadays even more urgent. In light of that, mechanochemistry would be a suitable solvent-free technology since it promotes the activation of the chemical reactions between (generally) solid materials via inputs of mechanical energy. Since such reactions may occur outside the kinetic and thermodynamic rules of conventional solution chemistry, the main limit of mechanochemistry is the poor mechanistic understanding of the solid-state transformations involved, which is still hindering a widespread use of the method, as well a scale-up to the industrial level. However, the development of methods for real-time monitoring of the mechanochemical reactions enables obtaining (in)accessible information on reaction intermediates, new products, or reaction time, thus getting closer to a better understanding of the mechanistic behaviour. With the rules of this chemistry becoming increasingly clear, the new reaction pathways of mechanochemistry wouldn’t represent a limit anymore, but an asset, that may lead to lot of opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry.
A crucial aspect of ensuring sustainable raw material utilization to meet global demand lies in the efficient recovery and reuse of critical elements and compounds. Phosphate, PO43-, and many transition metals e.g. Ni and Co are listed as critical raw materials (CRMs) due to their indispensable role in numerous industrial processes. However, these elements can also exert harmful environmental impacts, with phosphorus being a major contributor to anthropogenic eutrophication and transition metal ions acting as toxic pollutants, particularly in ground- and wastewaters. Typically, separate pathways have been considered to extract hazardous substances such as transition metals or phosphate, independently from each other. Here, we report the crystallization pathways of transition metal phosphate (TMP) compounds, M-struvite and M-phosphate octahydrate with M = Ni2+, Co2+, NixCo1-x2+, NH4MPO4∙6H2O, M3(PO4)2∙8H2O from aqueous solutions. The co-precipitation of these particular TMP compounds from industrial and agricultural wastewaters has high potential as a P- and 3d metal recovery route.
For efficient extraction and transformation of the TMPs, a comprehensive understanding of their nucleation and crystallization pathways from aqueous solutions is required. While the crystallization mechanisms of magnesium or calcium phosphate-bearing phases have been researched for many decades (e.g. struvite, apatite), investigations into TMP materials are relatively scarce and often focus on the adsorption of transition metals on the surface instead of their actual incorporation in minerals. In our study, we investigated in detail the precipitation process of several Co and Ni phosphates using ex- and in-situ spectroscopic-, spectrometric- and diffraction-/scattering-based techniques. We show that the crystallization behavior of TMPs, indeed deviates from a classical crystallization paradigm and follows a non-classical multi-step pathway. Our work extends the understanding of TMP crystallization by elucidating the formation of amorphous precursors preceding the final crystalline phase This time-dependent transition of the transition metal precursor phases can be observed by electron-imaging/tomography depicting a progressively changing amorphous solids until their ultimate reconfiguration to a crystal (Figure 1). Here, the two-metallic NixCo1-x-mixtures deviated anomalously in their reaction kinetics, crystallization outcome and participation of both metals from their pure endmembers. By measuring the crystallization with in-situ X-ray scattering and pH using a flow-through setup geometry, a complex prolonged interplay among nucleating entities e.g. and amorphous or crystalline solids could be observed in the metal phosphate mixtures reaching equilibrium after almost two and a half hours (Figure 2). Our results provide a holistic perspective on the crystallization behavior of transition metal phosphate phases, shedding light on their unique nucleation and growth kinetics involving structural and chemical transformations of the intermediate phases.
Bonds and local atomic environments are crucial descriptors of material properties. They have been used to create design rules and heuristics for materials. More and more frequently, they are used as features in machine learning. Implementations and algorithms (e.g., ChemEnv and LobsterEnv) for identifying these local atomic environments based on geometrical characteristics and quantum-chemical bonding analysis are nowadays available. Fully automatic workflows and analysis tools have been developed to use quantum-chemical bonding analysis on a large scale and for machine-learning approaches. The latter relates to a general trend toward automation in density functional-based materials science. The lecture will demonstrate how our tools, that assess local atomic environments, helped to test and develop heuristics and design rules and an intuitive understanding of materials.
Liaison of ISO/TC 202 Microbeam Analysis with VAMAS/TWA 37 Quantitative Microstructural Analysis
(2023)
The progress in 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 identification and launching corresponding VAMAS projects. The ongoing project "FIB sample processing for TEM" is presented in detail.
Mechanochemistry is an effective, environmentally benign, and facile method for the synthesis of new multicomponent crystal systems. Different milling parameters are known to affect the mechanisms and rates of product formation: milling frequency, milling time, filling degree of the milling jar, ball diameter and vessel size, degree of milling ball filling, and material of jars. The increasing interest in mechanochemistry is contrasted by a limited mechanistic understanding of the mechanochemical reactivity and selectivity.
Different analytical methods and their combinations have been developed for the time resolved in situ monitoring of mechanochemical transformations, including powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray adsorption spectroscopy, NMR, Raman spectroscopy, and thermography.
Here we will discuss our recent results investigating the formation of (poly-morphic) cocrystals[1,3], metal-organic compounds, and salts, thereby elucidating the influence of milling parameters and reaction sequences on the formation mechanism and kinetics. For the mechanochemical chlorination reaction of hydantoin normalizing the kinetic profiles to the volume of the milling ball showed clearly that milling reaction kinetics are conserved. Here physical kinetics dominate reaction rates in a ball-milling transformation. Attempting to interpret such kinetics in purely chemical terms risk misinterpreting the results.
Our results indicate that time-resolved in situ investigation of milling reactions offer a new approach to tune and optimize mechanochemical processes.
While a lage amount of research on high entropy alloys is oriented towards mechanical properties and the microstructural improvement it is also necessary to keep an eye on the environment that potential application materials will be submitted to. The Co-Cr-Fe-Ni based high entropy family has shown great potential over the years of high entropy research and some candidate alloys are chosen for an insight into their corrosion behaviour. Several atmospheres are studied, i.e. O2, H2O, SO2 and a mix thereof in argon as well as synthetic air. Just as for classic alloys, the chromium is the most important element in terms of protection agains further corrosion. The addition of manganese, as in case of the “Cantor alloy” CrMnFeCoNi, overpasses Cr when it comes to oxygen affinity and thus counteracts the layer formation of Cr2O3. Even without Mn, a temperature chosen too high will also affect the formation of the chromium oxide layer and spall it off, annulling its protective potential. We can also observe how trace elements influence the layer formation. These effects and their mechanisms will be discussed for the alloys CrFeNi, CoCrNi, CrMnFeCoNi and variations of Al10Co25Cr8Fe15Ni36Ti6 using a combination of electron microscopy, thermodynamic calculations and x-ray diffraction.
Titanium and its alloys are known to allow the straightforward laser-based manufacturing of ordered surface nanostructures, so-called high spatial frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures (HSFL). These structures exhibit sub-100 nm spatial periods – far below the optical diffraction limit. The resulting surface functionalities are usually enabled by both, topographic and chemical alterations of the nanostructured surfaces. For exploring these effects, multi-method characterizations were performed here for HSFL processed on Ti–6Al–4V alloy upon irradiation with near-infrared ps-laser pulses (1030 nm, ≈1 ps pulse duration, 1–400 kHz) under different laser scan processing conditions, i.e., by systematically varying the pulse repetition frequency and the number of laser irradiation passes. The sample characterization involved morphological and topographical investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), tactile stylus profilometry, as well as near-surface chemical analyses hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and depth-profiling time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). This provides a quantification of the laser ablation depth, the geometrical HSFL characteristics and enables new insights into the depth extent and the nature of the non-ablative laser-induced near-surface oxidation accompanying these nanostructures. This allows to answer the questions how the processing of HSFL can be industrially scaled up, and whether the latter is limited by heat-accumulation effects.
Although the use of noble metal catalysts can increase the efficiency of hydrogen evolution reaction, the process is still limited by the characteristics of the metal-hydrogen (M−H) bond, which can be too strong or too weak, depending on the metal employed. Studies revealed that the hydrogen affinity for the metal surface (i.e. H absorption/desorption) is regulated also by the potential at the metal nanoparticles. Through controlled periodic illumination (CPI) of a series of metal/TiO2 suspensions, here we demonstrated that an increase of the HER efficiency is possible for those photodeposited metals which have a Tafel slope below 125 mV. Two possible explanations are here reported, in both of them the M−H interaction and the metal covering level play a prominent role, which also depend on the prevailing HER mechanism (Volmer-Heyrovsky or Volmer-Tafel).
Liaison activities within ISO/TC 202 'Microbeam Analysis' which are relevant to ISO/TC 229 'Nanotechnologies' are reported acoording to the structure defined by ISO/TC229 Nanotechnologies Liaisons Coordination Group (NLCG): new standards/documents, coordination issues, and further detailed specific information, e.g. publications, events, comments.
The energy crisis becomes more prominent in higher altitude countries like Germany, with higher annual energy demand. Thus, the generation of higher energy density fuel like hydrogen from renewable resources become the only way to solve the zero-emission energy system while avoiding the expensive batteries as an energy storage option. Therefore, water electrolysis cells to produce hydrogen and oxygen by storing of solar/wind energy in chemical bonds is a fruitful alternative for renewable and long-term energy generation. Thus, designing inexpensive water-splitting electrocatalyst material becomes a field of research of utmost importance. High entropy metal hydroxide organic frameworks (HE-MHOFs) are composed of high entropy hydroxide layer inside MOFs, resulting in a high degree of structural complexity and diversity than conventional MOFs. The concept of ‘high entropy’ refers to multiple types of metal ions (Metal = TM) in a near equimolar ratio in the same framework, creating a high degree of disorder and many possible structural configurations. Here, the HE-MHOF successfully synthesized by a conventional solvothermal process, crystallizes in the single phase with significant lattice distortion. A special-quasi-random (SQS) structure was simulated with equimolar compositions (~20% TM = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) and a comparison was made with the ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy), XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure) and XAFS (X-ray absorption fine structure) observations. Further, the elemental mapping (Energy dispersive Spectroscopy) of HE-MHOF shows the presence of all five different metals in the same crystallite to substantiate the ‘high entropy’ state of the MOF. The HE-MHOF offers improved thermal stability than mono-metallic MHOF and exhibit unique properties compared to traditional monometallic (Ni2+) MOF variants. Firstly, to elucidate the effect of the multimetallic system on the catalytic performance, we have performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate pre-redox cycles involved in the catalytic activation of HE (and Ni)-MOFs. HE-MHOF is further investigated as an electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to its special high entropy hydroxide layered structure and electronic properties. Our DFT results have examined the traditional proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps involving the single transition-metal site. The scrutiny of d-band centers and their behaviour in catalytic upgradation is investigated with density of states (DOS) analysis. It exhibits outstanding performance towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) comparable to the experimental findings, which is also comparable to state-of-the-art OER catalysts based on precious metals such as iridium oxide and platinum carbon. We have considered different electrolyte solutions to elucidate the fast kinetics oxygen evolution reaction in the presence of various external nucleophilic anions. In hydroxyl-based MOFs, electrolytes' influence can substantially enhance catalytic activities. Here, with the help of DFT simulations, we have investigated the effect of the nucleophilicity of anion on each elementary reaction involved in the PCET mechanism of OER.
Metal-organic framework-based biocomposites (MOF-biocomposites) are promising materials for biosensing, biocatalysis, and delivery of biopharmaceuticals. One of the most studied MOFs for bioapplications is ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework 8) due to its high surface area, high thermal and chemical stability, and low cytotoxicity. The conventional synthesis of ZIF-8-biocomposites called biomimetic mineralization includes mixing selected biomolecules 2-methylimidazole, and soluble Zn2+ source in water.[3] Despite the high efficiency of the method, it does not allow for large-scale production and is restricted to hydrophilic biomolecules. Aimed at developing a scalable and versatile approach, we adapted our recently-reported ZIF-8 reactive extrusion for biocomposite production.
We selected bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an inexpensive model biomacromolecule for the preparation of biocomposites. The synthesis of BSA@ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI (Three-Tec Gmbh) at a mild temperature of 40 °C. Automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH) was used to supply the reagent mixture consisting of 2-methylimidazole, zinc source, and BSA. To initiate the reaction, a catalytic amount of EtOH was added using a peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). Powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the extrudates.
Highly crystalline and pure BSA@ZIF-8 with different BSA loadings was isolated after washing the extrudate with EtOH and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The EtOH feeding rate was optimized by following the protein encapsulation efficiency at a BSA mass fraction of 10%. A continuous extruder operation under optimized conditions showed good reproducibility and capability of producing biocomposites on the kilograms scale. These results provide highly valuable information for cheap and large-scale production of ZIF-8-based biocomposites. Due to the lack of restrictions on molecule size and solubility, our proof-of-concept study may significantly expand the selection of biomolecules for immobilization in ZIF-8, making the method applicable to various functional applications
We report the scale-up of a batch solid synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for reactive extrusion. The crystalline product forms in the extruder directly under the mixture of solid 2-methylimidazole and basic zinc carbonate in the presence of a catalytic amount of liquid. The process parameters such as temperature, liquid type, feeding rate, and linker excess were optimized using the setup specifically designed for in situ Raman spectroscopy. Highly crystalline ZIF-8 with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1816 m2 g–1 was quantitatively prepared at mild temperature using a catalytic amount of ethanol and a small excess of the linker. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of metal–organic framework (MOF) syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
Optimizing the Green Synthesis of ZIF-8 by Reactive Extrusion Using In Situ Raman Spectroscopy
(2023)
ZIF-8 is a prominent member of the zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) subfamily of MOFs which possesses high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stabilities. Different routes have been explored to achieve the large-scale production of ZIF-8. However, these synthetic procedures are often inconsistent with the principles of sustainable chemical manufacturing. Aimed at developing scalable and greener production of ZIF-8, we adapted our previously reported in-batch „mix and wait“ synthesis[2] to continuous extrusion. To optimize the process, in-situ Raman spectroscopy was applied. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of MOF syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
The synthesis of ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI equipped with an automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH, Switzerland) and peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). The process was monitored in six different zones using a Raman RXN1TM analyzer (Kaiser Optical Systems, France) with a non-contact probe head. PMMA screw-in parts, which are transparent to Raman laser radiation, were specially manufactured to provide the laser focus within the barrel. PXRD, TGA, N2 adsorption measurements, and SEM were used as complementary techniques to characterize the extrudates.
The batch ‘mix and wait’ synthesis of ZIF-8, consisting of bringing solid basic zinc carbonate and 2-methylimidazole in contact in a closed vial, was successfully adapted to reactive extrusion. The crystalline ZIF-8 continuously forms in the extruder under the mixing of solid reagents in the presence of a catalytic amounts of H2O or EtOH. The temperature, type of liquid, feeding rate, and excess of linker were optimized using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Pure and highly crystalline ZIF-8 was isolated at 40 °C by adding a catalytic amount of EtOH and a linker excess of 25%. The resulting material has excellent porosity with the BET surface area slightly exceeding that of the reference Basolite® Z1200 (1816 vs. 1734 m2 g–1). The reaction could yield ~ 3 kg d–1 assuming a continuous operation, with a space-time yield of ca. 67,000 kg m–3 d–1. The present method was compared to the published pathways based on Green Chemistry principles and proved to have the highest potential for large-scale production of ZIF-8.
Metal-organic framework-based biocomposites (MOF-biocomposites) are promising materials for biosensing, biocatalysis, and delivery of biopharmaceuticals. One of the most studied MOFs for bioapplications is ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework 8) due to its high surface area, high thermal and chemical stability, and low cytotoxicity. The conventional synthesis of ZIF-8-biocomposites called biomimetic mineralization includes mixing selected biomolecules 2-methylimidazole, and soluble Zn2+ source in water. Despite the high efficiency of the method, it does not allow for large-scale production and is restricted to hydrophilic biomolecules. Aimed at developing a scalable and versatile approach, we adapted our recently-reported ZIF-8 reactive extrusion for biocomposite production.
We selected bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an inexpensive model biomacromolecule for the preparation of biocomposites. The synthesis of BSA@ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI (Three-Tec Gmbh) at a mild temperature of 40 °C. Automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH) was used to supply the reagent mixture consisting of 2-methylimidazole, zinc source, and BSA. To initiate the reaction, a catalytic amount of EtOH was added using a peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). Powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the extrudates.
Highly crystalline and pure BSA@ZIF-8 with different BSA loadings was isolated after washing the extrudate with EtOH and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The EtOH feeding rate was optimized by following the protein encapsulation efficiency at a BSA mass fraction of 10%. A continuous extruder operation under optimized conditions showed good reproducibility and capability of producing biocomposites on the kilograms scale. These results provide highly valuable information for cheap and large-scale production of ZIF-8-based biocomposites. Due to the lack of restrictions on molecule size and solubility, our proof-of-concept study may significantly expand the selection of biomolecules for immobilization in ZIF-8, making the method applicable to various functional applications
A cobalt(III) complex, [Co(L)3](DMF) (1) of Schiff base ligand HL, 2-((E)-(benzylimino)methyl)-4-bromophenol is prepared and single crystal X-ray structural analysis have also been performed. The structures of complex 1 showed hexa-coordinated mononuclear systems that adopt octahedral geometry. The complex has also exhibited the supramolecular networks through non-covalent interactions like H-bonding, C–Hπ stacking. Moreover, the complex 1 is very effective in the catalytic fixation of carbon dioxide in propergyl alcohols to produce α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates. The catalytic production of α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates have been carried out through carboxylative cyclization of propargyl alcohols using CO2 balloon of 1 atm pressure at 80 ◦C. Solvent free condition (green synthesis) made this catalytic protocol eco-friendly towards the environment. Utilizing various substrates of propargyl alcohols moderate to high percentage yield (62–95%) of respective α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates product have been isolated over this catalytic reaction. Besides, the theoretical calculations (DFT) was performed for the prediction of probable mechanism of the catalytic reaction
We show that mechanochemically driven polymorphic transformations can require extremely long induction periods, which can be tuned from hours to days by changing ball milling energy. The robust design and interpretation of ball milling experiments must account for this unexpected kinetics that arises from energetic phenomena unique to the solid state. Detailed thermal analysis, combined with DFT simulations, indicates that these marked induction periods are associated with processes of mechanical activation. Correspondingly, we show that the pre‐activation of reagents can also lead to marked changes in the length of induction periods. Our findings demonstrate a new dimension for exerting control over polymorphic transformations in organic crystals. We expect mechanical activation to have a much broader implication across organic solid‐state mechanochemistry.
We report the scale-up of a batch solid synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for reactive extrusion. The crystalline product forms in the extruder directly under the mixture of solid 2-methylimidazole and basic zinc carbonate in the presence of a catalytic amount of liquid. Highly crystalline ZIF-8 with a Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area of 1816 m2 g−1 was quantitatively prepared at mild temperature using a catalytic amount of ethanol and a small excess of the linker. Extruded ZIF-8 is an affordable alternative to commercial Basolite Z1200 as a reference material for H2 cryoadsorption.
An introductory lecture on the Dark Side of Science; what it is, why it exists, and what can be done to fight it. This lecture illuminates the increasing prevalence of fraudulent scientific work (e.g. faked data, manipulated images, paper mills) with plenty of examples and sources. The second section expands on the driving forces that caused this phenomenon to emerge, largely driven by pressures from management, peers and the researcher themselves. The third section expands on methods and tools that can be used to educate and arm oneself against this phenomenon. The 2023 edition includes new examples of larger fraudulent bodies of work emerging, and the problems posed by the arrival of LLMs.
Microplastics are solid polymeric particles with a size of 1-1000 μm (ISO/TR21960:2020), which can be emitted from mismanaged waste into the environment, where microplastic is now ubiquitous. What happens to the microplastics after ending up in the environment, which risks entail and what effects it has are not sufficiently clarified up to now. The most certain issue is that the plastic particles in the environment are exposed to natural ageing, are fragmenting and degrading, such that the potential risk to ecosystems and humans is increasing due to the formation of smaller and smaller particles, potentially even including nanoplastics, if these are ingested before their further degradation. Therefore, and in view of a possible registration of polymers under REACH in the future, it is necessary to investigate the degradation of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) regarding hydrolysis stability to evaluate possible risks and effects to the environment.
In the present studies, one thermoplastic polyurethane – with and without hydrolysis stabilizer – is exposed to different pH buffers at 50°C for 14 days to investigate hydrolysis depending to different pH values (acid, alkali and neutral) based on OECD guideline TG111. The hydrolysis behavior of the TPUs is characterized by surface sensitive techniques and on bulk properties. First degradation effects can be detected by SEC. Hydrolysis, especially under acidic and basic conditions, leads to chain scissions to lower molecular masses. Furthermore, the degradation products which indicate the structure of the bulk material were detected by thermo-analytical methods like TGA-FTIR for the small degradation products and the thermo extraction/desorption-gaschromatography/mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) for bigger degradation products. Acidic and basic hydrolysis shows the same degradation behavior which is caused by a preferred scission of the ester and urethane functionalities. Surface-sensitive techniques such as XPS demonstrate less carboxylic acid formation at acidic than at alkaline pH value in the TPU without stabilator, where as the TPU with stabilator ages to the same extent in both pH ranges. Altogether, the hydrolysis of TPUs – independently of added stabilizer or not – in acid and alkali environment is accelerated compared to the neutral hydrolysis.
Due to their favorable properties and high porosity, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have recently received much limelight for key technologies such as energy storage, optoelectronics, sensorics, and catalysis. Despite widespread interest in these materials, fundamental questions regarding the zinc coordination environment remain poorly understood. By focusing on zinc(II)2-methylimidazolate (ZIF-8) and its tetrahedrally coordinated analogues with Br-, Cl-, and H-substitution in the 2-ring position, we aim to clarify how variations in the local environment of Zn impact the charge distribution and the electronic properties of these materials. Our results from densityfunctional theory confirm the presence of a Zn coordinative bond with a large polarization that is quantitatively affected by different substituents on the organic ligand. Moreover, our findings suggest that the variations in the Zn coordination induced by the functionalization have a negligible effect on the electronic structure of the considered compounds. On the other hand, halogen terminations of the ligands lead to distinct electronic contributions in the vicinity of the frontier region which ultimately reduce the band gap size by a few hundred millielectron volts. Experimental results obtained from X-ray absorption spectroscopy (Zn K-edge) confirm the trends predicted by theory and, together with them, contribute to a better understanding of the structure−property relationships that are needed to tailor ZIFs for target applications.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) represent a unique route for functionalizing materials through the fabrication of surface nanostructures. Commercial AISI 316L stainless steel (SS316L) surfaces are laser treated by ultraviolet 300 ps laser pulses in a laser line scanning (LLS) approach. Processing parameters are optimized (pulse energy of 2.08 µJ, pulse repetition frequency of 300 kHz, and suitable laser scan and sample displacement rates) for the generation of low spatial frequency LIPSS over a large 25 × 25 mm2 area. Different angles of incidence of the laser radiation (0°, 30°, and 45°) and different linear laser beam polarizations (s and p) produce a plethora of rippled surface morphologies at distinct grains. Scanning electron microscopy and 2D Fourier transforms, together with calculations of the optical energy deposited at the treated surfaces using Sipe's first-principles electromagnetic scattering theory, are used to study and analyze in detail these surface morphologies. Combined with electron backscattering diffraction, analyses allow associating site-selectively various laser-induced-surface morphologies with the underlying crystalline grain orientation. Resulting grain orientation maps reveal a strong impact of the grain crystallographic orientation on LIPSS formation and point toward possible strategies, like multi-step processes, for improving the manufacturing of LIPSS and their areal coverage of polycrystalline technical materials.
Inspired by the chemistry of mussel adhesive proteins, polydopamine (PDA has been shown as one of the most versatile platforms for altering the properties and incorporating new functionalities to nearby any material surface despite its nature. Rich chemistry of PDA enables broad variety of surface modification and diverse secondary reactions that makes it extremely interesting for a wide range of application including biomedical field, e.g., drug delivery, adhesives, cell adhesion, biosensing. Despite high potential of polydopamine, the lack of deposition control and precision in existed methods limits their applications in microdevices and miniaturized functional systems like, for example, MEMS, microfluidic and sensorics.
Herein, we demonstrate a novel maskless approach for surface micropatterning with polydopamine based on Multiphoton Lithography that overcomes present limitations. Neither strong oxidants, metal ions nor adjustment of pH to alkaline is required by this technique. The spatial resolution down to 0.8 µm has been achieved which is at least an order of magnitude smaller than shown by other existed methods. We are able to control the morphology and thickness of the micropattern by altering fabrication parameters allowing structure gradient.
Apart from the glass substrate, we achieved PDA patterning at surfaces of different nature such as polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene terephthalate, silicon wafers, and fluorinated glass coverslips. Post-modification of polydopamine micropatterns with protein enzyme like trypsin is demonstrated to highlight its sensing potential.
Presented in this work microfabrication technique empowers advanced applications of mussel-inspired materials in single-molecule bioassays, sensors and other complex microdevices.
Text Multiphoton lithography (MPL) has recently attracted significant research interest as a versatile tool capable of producing 2D and 3D micro- and nanoscopic features with high spatial resolution. The integrity of MPL microstructures, or their ability to respond to external stimuli, is of critical importance. However, achieving the desired properties of fabricated microcomponents for a specific application remains a challenge.
In this work, we present new MPL materials based on epoxy-acrylate interpenetrating networks (IPNs). We aim at 3D microstructures, whose properties can be easily tuned by varying the ratio of the IPN components and fabrication parameters (Figure 1). The resulting library of 3D microstructures was investigated for their thermal and mechanical properties using highly-sensitive space-resolved methods. Flash scanning calorimetry revealed the influence of both, IPN composition and fabrication parameters, on glass transition temperature and material fragility. AFM force-distance curve and intermodulation methods were used to characterize the mechanical properties with a lateral resolution of 1 micron and 4 nm, respectively. The deformation, stiffness and elastic behavior are discussed in detail in relation to the morphology. Moreover, we found that some 3D IPN microstructures exhibit fully elastic behavior. Our funding encourages the further development of IPN systems as versatile and easily tunable MPL materials.
AbstractThis work addresses the critical need for multifunctional materials and substrate‐independent high‐precision surface modification techniques that are essential for advancing microdevices and sensing elements. To overcome existing limitations, the versatility of mussel‐inspired materials (MIMs) is combined with state‐of‐the‐art multiphoton direct laser writing (DLW) microfabrication. In this way, 2D and 3D MIM microstructures of complex designs are demonstrated with sub‐micron to micron resolution and extensive post‐functionalization capabilities. This study includes polydopamine (PDA), mussel‐inspired linear, and dendritic polyglycerols (MI‐lPG and MI‐dPG), allowing their direct microstructure on the substrate of choice with the option to tailor the patterned topography and morphology in a controllable manner. The functionality potential of MIMs is demonstrated by successfully immobilizing and detecting single‐stranded DNA on MIM micropattern and nanoarray surfaces. In addition, easy modification of MIM microstructure with silver nanoparticles without the need of any reducing agent is shown. The methodology developed here enables the integration of MIMs in advanced applications where precise surface functionalization is essential.
To date, there are very few technologies available for the conversion of low-temperature waste heat into electricity. Thermomagnetic generators are one approach proposed more than a century ago. Such devices are based on a cyclic change of magnetization with temperature. This switches a magnetic flux and, according to Faraday’s law, induces a voltage.
Here we give an overview on our research, covering both materials and systems. We demonstrate that guiding the magnetic flux with an appropriate topology of the magnetic circuit improves the performance of thermomagnetic generators by orders of magnitude. Through a combination of experiments and simulations, we show that a pretzel-like topology results in a sign reversal of the magnetic flux. This avoids the drawbacks of previous designs, namely, magnetic stray fields, hysteresis and complex geometries of the thermomagnetic material.
Though magnetocaloric materials had been the first choice also for thermomagnetic generators, they require some different properties, which we illustrate with Ashby plots for materials selection. Experimentally we compare La-Fe-Co-Si and Gd plates in the same thermomagnetic generator. Furthermore, we discuss corrosion and deterioration under cyclic use is a severe problem occurring during operation. To amend this, composite plates using polymer as a matrix have been suggested previously.
Since the function of materials is controlled by properties and processes on the atomic scale, ab initio based high-throughput methods are valuable strategies in materials design. For computational efficiency, they are however often restriction to T=0K calculations, while many technologically relevant materials properties and thermodynamic stabilities change when going from low to high temperatures. On the other hand, the constantly increasing performance of digital tools for simulation and data-driven science enables more targeted material development including these kinds of finite-temperature effects. A flexible infrastructure, including data management and workflow solutions is required to make this symbiosis user-friendly efficient. Within this presentation, examples from ab initio thermodynamics for the design of phase stabilities in hard-magnetic alloys and defect-phases in advanced high-strength steels will be demonstrated. We will discuss physical concepts with a focus at the impact of magnetic excitations. At the same time, the examples will be used to derive requirements and present solutions for a digital infrastructure. An outlook will be given to current strategies with the NDFI initiative NFDI-MatWerk.
Thermodynamic bulk phase diagrams have become the roadmap used by researchers to identify alloy compositions and process conditions that result in novel materials with tailored microstructures. On the other hand, recent progress in experimental atomic-scale characterization techniques allows one to study the local chemical composition at individual defects such as interfaces, grain boundaries, dislocations and surfaces. They show that changes in the alloy composition can drive not only transitions in the bulk phases present in a material, but also in the concentration and type of defects they contain. Defect phase diagrams, using chemical potentials as thermodynamics variables, provide a natural route to study these chemically driven defects. Our results show, however, that the direct application of thermodynamic approaches can fail to reproduce the experimentally observed defect formation.
Therefore, we extend the concept to metastable defect phase diagrams to account for kinetic limitations that prevent the system from reaching equilibrium. We use ab initio calculations based on density functional theory to quantify the extension of regions where defect formation is expected. We successfully applied this concept to explain the formation of large concentrations of planar defects in supersaturated Fe2Nb Laves phases. In addition, we identify in a joint study with experiments conditions and structures in Mg-Al-Ca alloys for defect phase occurrence. The concept offers new avenues for designing materials with tailored defect structures.
Suitable material solutions are of key importance in designing and producing components for engineering systems – either for functional or structural applications. Materials data are generated, transferred, and introduced at each step along the complete life cycle of a component. A reliable materials data space is therefore crucial in the digital transformation, both in academia and industry.
Therefore, the consortium NFDI MatWerk aims to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the standardized digital representation of materials science and engineering (MatWerk). The goal is to seamlessly integrate decentralized data and metadata, experimental and computational workflows, and a materials ontology to maximize interoperability and reproducibility of materials data processing. To this end, data use profiles of participant projects from different sub-disciplines are analyzed to identify the most relevant scientific scenarios within MatWerk.
Similarly, the Plattform MaterialDigital (PMD) is committed to provide a prototypical infrastructure for the digitalization of materials in an industrial context implemented by decentralized data servers, semantic data schemas and digital workflows. The standards, methods, and tools developed within the PMD are deployed and consolidated within the context of currently more than 20 BMBF-funded academic and industrial research consortia. Scientific workflow environments represent a major focus area, including efforts to improve the definition and representation of digital workflows, as well as their distribution in form of a workflow store.
In this presentation we will describe the overarching visions behind these initiatives, their status, and progress of dissemination with a focus on the workflow activities. Following the philosophy of both consortia, specific examples will be used to demonstrate innovative and pragmatic solutions.
Defect-hydrogen interaction in Al alloys: Challenges and benefits revealed by ab initio calculations
(2023)
Climate change motivates the search for light-weight materials for transportation and energy storage solutions. As one of the challenges, the deleterious effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of metallic alloys is known to reduce the applicability of metallic alloys, motivating the characterization and simulation of hydrogen-defect interactions in these materials. In this work, the interaction of hydrogen with planar defects in aluminium has been investigated by means of ab initio simulations.
On the one hand, two distinct types of GBs have been considered – the Σ11(113) [011] with a close-packed interface structure and the Σ5(210) [001] with a more open interface structure – in order to reveal the mechanisms governing the H segregation energetics. The investigations are afterwards extended to the impact of solutes in the Al alloy. Two scenarios are compared: Their segregation to the grain boundaries and their binding in precipitates. We therewith gained insights into the role of the solute size on the structural and chemical embrittlement in absence and presence of hydrogen. A thermodynamic assessment of the impact of solutes onto H chemisorption in the interfacial vicinity is provided by performing a high-throughput analysis for potential alloying candidates. The identified trends of the solute-H interactions are used to examine the relative importance of changes in hydrogen enhanced decohesion as a thermodynamic effect.
On the other hand, the interaction of hydrogen with defects can be beneficial for the formation of metal hydrides. To enhance the formation and stability of such often highly volatile hydrides we have consider a novel concept: tailoring and employing the negative pressure of microstructural and structural defects to enhance H solubility and thus hydride formation. Using systematic ab initio and atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that an enhancement in the formation of hydrides at the negatively pressurized crack tip region is feasible by increasing the mechanical tensile load on the specimen. The theoretical predictions have been used to reassess and interpret atom probe tomography experiments for a high-strength 7XXX-aluminium alloy that show a substantial enhancement of hydrogen concentration at structural defects near a stress-corrosion crack tip. Based on these insights we derive strategies for enhancing the capability of metals as H-storage materials.
Thermodynamic bulk phase diagrams have become the roadmap used by researchers to identify alloy compositions and process conditions that result in novel materials with tailored microstructures. On the other hand, recent progress in experimental atomic-scale characterization techniques allows one to study the local chemical composition at individual defects such as interfaces, grain boundaries, dislocations and surfaces. They show that changes in the alloy composition can drive not only transitions in the bulk phases present in a material, but also in the concentration and type of defects they contain. Defect phase diagrams, using chemical potentials as thermodynamics variables, provide a natural route to study these chemically driven defects. Our results show, however, that the direct application of thermodynamic approaches can fail to reproduce the experimentally observed defect formation.
Therefore, we extend the concept to metastable defect phase diagrams to account for kinetic limitations that prevent the system from reaching equilibrium. We use ab initio calculations based on density functional theory to quantify the extension of regions where defect formation is expected. We successfully applied this concept to explain the formation of large concentrations of planar defects in supersaturated Fe2Nb Laves phases. In addition, we identify in a joint study with experiments conditions and structures in Mg-Al-Ca alloys for defect phase occurrence. The concept offers new avenues for designing materials with tailored defect structures.
Extensive experimental observations indicate the presence of nano-voids and the increase of free volume along the grain boundaries in hydrogen contaminated metals. This rate-dependent phenomenon motivates theoretical investigations of the underlying mechanisms. Here, a hydrogen enhanced cross-slip (HECS) mechanism in the close vicinity of the grain boundaries is demonstrated by direct molecular dynamics simulations. To this end, the interaction of the screw dislocations with a variety of symmetric tilt grain boundaries in H-charged and H-free bicrystalline nickel specimens is examined. The presence of segregated hydrogen atoms at the grain boundaries induces a stress field in their vicinity, and thus the barrier for cross-slip of screw dislocations considerably decreases. The enhanced crossslip of dislocations facilitates the formation of jogs. These jogs can form vacancies during the glide process. This mechanism shows nano-scale evidence of enhanced vacancy formation and subsequent increase in the free volume along the grain boundaries in the presence of H. This increase of the free-volume along the grain boundary dmaages the material and induce further embrittlement in addition to the direct effect of hydrogen in decreasing the fracture energy.
Suitable material solutions are of key importance in designing and producing components for engineering systems – either for functional or structural applications. Materials data are generated, transferred, and introduced at each step along the complete life cycle of a component. A reliable materials data space is therefore crucial in the digital transformation of an industrial branch.
Therefore, the “Innovation Platform MaterialDigital (PMD) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the standardized digital representation of materials science and materials engineering. With its partners (KIT, Fraunhofer IWM, FIZ, Leibnitz IWT, BAM, MPIE), the PMD is committed to build up a materials science data space. To achieve this the PMD provides a prototypical infrastructure for the digitalization of materials implemented by decentralized data servers, standardized data schemas and digital workflows. Following the FAIR principles, it will promote the semantic interoperability across the frontiers of materials classes.
Standards, methods, and tools developed within the platform are deployed and consolidated within the context of currently near 20 BMBF-funded academic and industrial research consortia and made available to the material science community in general. In this context scientific workflows represent a major focus area, represented within the platform by the workflow frameworks pyiron and SimStack. In consequence, the platform is building up a digital library in form of a workflow store along with common standards for the definition and representation of digital workflows.
In this presentation we will describe the status of our Platform MaterialDigital with a focus on the workflow activities. The current status and the vision for dissemination of the solutions developed in the PMD within the community are provided.
Material science problems have intrinsically multiscale and multiphysics characters, and require us to employ a combination of methods on different time and length scales to resolve critical features. Normally creating workflows that connect data in multiple scales and various methods is a cumbersome task. Pyiron, an integrated development environment (IDE) for material science, contains modules for the atomistic as well as continuum scale that make a seamless connection possible. To this end, it provides a high-level coherent language in a unified workflow platform to study materials, for example, with density functional theory (DFT) simulations in the same framework as with the finite element method (FEM). In this work, in addition to the introduction of different features in pyiron and its continuum module, a couple of exemplary workflows are demonstrated, bridging the scales in pyiron. One such workflow is analyzing the elastoplastic response of metallic alloys, where the elastic properties of the system are dependent on the atomistic composition and structure of the alloy. We use pyiron atomistics to model the dependence of elastic moduli on the atomistic composition of Al-Mg alloys. Benefiting from the integration of DAMASK in the continuum module of pyiron, the model can be used as an input to simulate the elastoplastic response of the alloy under various loadings. In addition, finite element simulations using the FEniCS package are currently integrated into the continuum module and will be demonstrated in the presentation.
Thermodynamic bulk phase diagrams have become the roadmap used by researchers to identify alloy compositions and process conditions that result in novel materials with tailored microstructures. Recent experimental studies show that changes in the alloy composition can drive not only transitions in the bulk phases present in a material, but also in the concentration and type of defects they contain. Defect phase diagrams in combination with density functional theory provide a natural route to study these chemically driven defects. Our results show, however, that direct application of thermodynamic approaches can fail to reproduce the experimentally observed defect formation. Therefore, we extend the concept to metastable defect phase diagrams to account for kinetic limitations that prevent the system from reaching equilibrium. We successfully applied this concept to explain the formation of large concentrations of planar defects in supersaturated Fe-Nb solid solutions and to identify in a joint study with experiments conditions in Mg-Al-Ca alloys for defect phase occurrence. The concept offers new avenues for designing materials with tailored defect structures.
Understanding segregation to grain boundaries, and eventually their defect phase diagrams, is critical to enable rational grain boundary engineering for alloys design. Here, we discuss the progress and challenges one may face when generating such a database of defect-solute interactions, in the context of studying of grain boundary segregation of solutes and impurities in Fe GBs. To compute the large number of relevant defect-solute interactions we have performed high-throughput ab initio calculations using efficient and highly automated workflows using pyiron. We study has been performed across a representative set of coincident-site-lattice (CSL) type tilt GBs. Based on the large ab-initio datasets, we extract and analyse the chemical and structural trends observed in the solute segregation behaviour across the periodic table. The features which are most important in evaluating site segregation are presented and discussed.
Suitable material solutions are of key importance in designing and producing components for engineering systems – either for functional or structural applications. Materials data are generated, transferred, and introduced at each step along the complete life cycle of a component. A reliable materials data space is therefore crucial in the digital transformation and an important prerequisite for machine learning in materials science.
Therefore, the consortium NFDI MatWerk aims to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the standardized digital representation of materials science and engineering (MatWerk). The goal is to seamlessly integrate decentralized data and metadata, experimental and computational workflows, and a materials ontology to maximize interoperability and reproducibility of materials data processing. To this end, data use profiles of participant projects from different sub-disciplines are analyzed to identify the most relevant scientific scenarios within MatWerk.
Similarly, the Plattform MaterialDigital (PMD) is committed to provide a prototypical infrastructure for the digitalization of materials in an industrial context implemented by decentralized data servers, semantic data schemas and digital workflows. The standards, methods, and tools developed within the PMD are deployed and consolidated within the context of currently more than 20 BMBF-funded academic and industrial research consortia. Scientific workflow environments represent a major focus area, including efforts to improve the definition and representation of digital workflows, as well as their distribution in form of a workflow store.
In this presentation we will describe the overarching visions behind these initiatives, their status, and progress of dissemination with a focus on the workflow activities and the connection to machine learning applications. Following the philosophy of both consortia, specific examples will be used to demonstrate innovative and pragmatic solutions.
Since the function of materials is controlled by properties and processes on the atomic scale, ab initio based high-throughput methods are valuable strategies in materials design. For computational efficiency, they are however often restriction to T=0K calculations, while many technologically relevant materials properties and thermodynamic stabilities change when going from low to high temperatures. On the other hand, the constantly increasing performance of digital tools for simulation and data-driven science enables more targeted material development including these kinds of finite-temperature effects. A flexible infrastructure, including data management and workflow solutions is required to make this symbiosis user-friendly efficient. Within this presentation, examples from ab initio thermodynamics for the design of phase stabilities in hard-magnetic alloys and defect-phases in advanced high-strength steels will be demonstrated. We will discuss physical concepts with a focus at the impact of magnetic excitations. At the same time, the examples will be used to derive requirements and present solutions for a digital infrastructure. An outlook will be given to current strategies with the NDFI initiative NFDI-MatWerk.
Thermodynamic bulk phase diagrams have become the roadmap used by researchers to identify alloy compositions and process conditions that result in novel materials with tailored microstructures. On the other hand, recent progress in experimental atomic-scale characterization techniques allows one to study the local chemical composition at individual defects such as interfaces, grain boundaries, dislocations and surfaces. They show that changes in the alloy composition can drive not only transitions in the bulk phases present in a material, but also in the concentration and type of defects they contain. Defect phase diagrams, using chemical potentials as thermodynamics variables, provide a natural route to study these chemically driven defects. Our results show, however, that the direct application of thermodynamic approaches can fail to reproduce the experimentally observed defect formation.
Therefore, we extend the concept to metastable defect phase diagrams to account for kinetic limitations that prevent the system from reaching equilibrium. We use ab initio calculations based on density functional theory to quantify the extension of regions where defect formation is expected. We successfully applied this concept to explain the formation of large concentrations of planar defects in supersaturated Fe2Nb Laves phases. In addition, we identify in a joint study with experiments conditions and structures in Mg-Al-Ca alloys for defect phase occurrence. The concept offers new avenues for designing materials with tailored defect structures.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are one of the most promising alternative green energy technologies that deliver high energy density without CO2 emissions. The proton conductivity of proton exchange membranes (PEM) contributes to the overall efficiency of a PEMFC. Materials being used as PEMs must exhibit high proton conductivity at the working conditions of the targeted PEMFC. To date, Nafion and Nafion-like polymers with acidic functionality are widely used as membrane materials due to their high proton conductivity in the range of 10-1 to 10-2 Scm-1 at higher relative humidity. However, these materials suffer from high costs, hazardous production process, and poor performance at high temperatures, limiting their versatility.
In this context, crystalline porous materials are recognized as promising proton conductors for the proton exchange membrane (PEM) in fuel cell technology, owing to their tunable framework structure. However, it is still challenging bulk synthesis for real-world applications of these materials. Herein, we present mechanochemical gram-scale synthesis of series of mixed ligand metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and metal hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (MHOFs) using phenylene diphosphonic acid and 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid with different bipyridyl type of ligands, respectively. In all cases, the existence of extensive hydrogen bonds with amphiprotic uncoordinated phosphonate hydroxyl and oxygen atoms, the frameworks exhibited high proton conductivity. The study demonstrates the potential of green mechanosynthesis for preparations of framework-based proton conducting materials in bulk scale for green energy generation.
Energetic materials (explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, and gas generators; EM) release large amounts of energy when initiated by mechanical loading and have many technological applications including in energy storage and propulsion. The accidental initiation of an EM – particularly in the wrong setting – has the potential to be catastrophic. Unfortunately, there is little understood about what determines the sensitivity of a given EM. This poses severe restrictions on our ability to design new and safer EMs.
Aiming to better understand the initiation mechanisms of EMs, we here investigate the reactivity of simple, isomorphous azides (MN3 M=Li, Na). Both metal azides contain the same explosophoric azido anions, but differ significantly in their reactivity, presumably owing to different bonding interactions between the anion and the metal cation. This interaction offers a promising probe for X-ray spectroscopy and quantum chemical simulations. In noting that mechanical initiation results from mechanical impact – with high local pressures – we are particularly interested in identifying how this bonding interaction changes as a function of pressure.
This interaction offers a promising probe for X-ray spectroscopy and quantum chemical simulations. In noting that mechanical initiation results from mechanical impact – with high local pressures – we are particularly interested in identifying how this bonding interaction changes as a function of pressure.
Here we show results from DFT simulations that indicate a shift in electronic structure and changes in the metal-azide bond with increasing pressure, which is further investigated through experimental XAS spectra. Together, our results show promising insights into the behaviour of simple metal azide EMs.
Bacterial biofilms pose serious problems in medical and industrial settings. One of the major societal challenges lies in the increasing resistance of bacteria against biocides used in antimicrobial treatments, e.g., via overabundant use in medicine, industry, and agriculture or cleaning and disinfection in private households. Hence, new efficient bacteria-repellent strategies avoiding the use of biocides are strongly desired. One promising route to achieve bacteria-repellent surfaces lies in the contactless and aseptic large-area laser-processing of technical surfaces. Tailored surface textures, enabled by different laser-processing strategies that result in topographic scales ranging from nanometers to micrometers may provide a solution to this challenge. This article presents a current state-of-the-art review of laser-surface subtractive texturing approaches for controlling the biofilm formation for different bacterial strains and in different environments. Based on specific properties of bacteria and laser-processed surfaces, the challenges of anti-microbial surface designs are discussed, and future directions will be outlined.
Noble metal-free nanoparticles (NPs) based on multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) were synthesized using a one-step pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLALs) method for the electrochemical reduction of CO2. Laser ablation was performed in pure water or poly-(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)-containing an aqueous solution of Al8Cr17Co17Cu8Fe17Ni33 MPEA targets. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements combined with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping were used to characterize the structure and composition of the laser-generated MPEA nanoparticles (MPEA-NPs). These results confirmed the presence of a characteristic elemental distribution of a core-shell phase structure as the predominant NP species. The electrocatalytic performance of the laser-generated MPEA-NPs was characterized by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) demonstrating an enhanced electrocatalytic CO2 activity for PDADMAC-stabilized NPs. The findings of these investigations indicate that MPEAs have great potential to replace conventional, expensive noble metal electrocatalysts.
AbstractWe report on gold clusters with around 62 gold atoms and a diameter of 1.15±0.10 nm. Dispersions of the clusters are long‐term stable for two years at ambient conditions. The synthesis was performed by mixing tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4 ⋅ 3 H2O) with the ionic liquid 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([Emim][DCA]) at temperatures of 20 to 80 °C. Characterization was performed with small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), UV‐Vis spectroscopy, and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. A three‐stage model is proposed for the formation of the clusters, in which cluster growth from gold nuclei takes place according to the Lifshitz‐Slyozov‐Wagner (LSW) model followed by oriented attachment to form colloidal stable clusters.
Mechanochemistry has proven to be a highly effective method for the synthesis of organic compounds. We studied the kinetics of the catalyst-free Knoevenagel reaction between 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and malononitrile, activated and driven by ball milling. The reaction was investigated in the absence of solvents (neat grinding) and in the presence of solvents with different polarities (liquid-assisted grinding). The reaction was monitored using time-resolved in situ Raman spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Our results indicate a direct relationship between solvent polarity and reaction kinetics, with higher solvent polarity leading to faster product (2-(4-nitrobenzylidone)malononitrile) formation. For the first time, we were able to isolate and determine the structure of an intermediate 2-(hydroxy(4-nitrophenyl)methyl)malononitrile based on PXRD data.
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.