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We present an in situ PXRD investigation of the mechanochemical cocrystal formation of pyrazinamide with pimelic acid in two milling jar materials. DFT calculations of the two synthesized polymorphs suggest that the relative stability is based on a conformation change of pyrazinamide in the cocrystal.
A scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) based methodology is introduced for determining the dimensions (shell thickness, core and total diameter) of core-shell nanoparticles which exhibit a strong x-ray absorption contrast and a sharp interface between core and shell material. A low radiation dosage during data acquisition and, therefore, less x-ray beam induced damage of the sample is achieved by recording STXM images only at two predetermined energies of maximum absorption contrast instead of recording a stack of images across the whole absorption edge. A model core-shell nanoparticle, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) cores with polystyrene (PS) shell, investigated at the HERMES beamline is presented for demonstration. This STXM based methodology yields particle dimensions in good agreement with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results (deviation equal or less than 10%). Extension of this methodology to core-shell nanoparticles with inorganic core and organic shell will also be presented and the challenges encountered will be highlighted.
The analysis of nanomaterials is current an important task - especially in case of risk assessment, as the properties of these material class are not well understood currently. The rather high surface area of these objects renders their interactions significantly different to their corresponding bulk. Thus, the surfaces chemical composition has to be investigated to get a better understanding and prediction of the nanomaterials' behavior. ToF-SIMS has proven as a powerful tool to determine said chemical composition. Its superior surface sensitivity allows us to study mainly the utmost atomic layer and therefore gives us an idea of the interactions involved. Here, we show first result from the validation of the method for the analysis of polystyrene and gold nanoparticles. ToF-SIMS will be compared to other methods like XPS, T-SEM or REM. Furthermore, principle component analysis (PCA) will be used to detect the influence of different sample preparation performed by an innovative microfluidic device. ToF-SIMS imaging is desired to be implemented for single particle detection as well.
Controlled deposition of nanoparticles by electrospray for improved analysis by imaging techniques
(2018)
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).
Hybrid materials have attracted growing interest during the last decade, particularly due to their extraordinary properties. Cycloalyphatic-epoxy oligosiloxane (CEO) resin was shown to be a good candidate as a barrier material for the encapsulation purposes. Incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles such as Boehmite (BA) into polymers was observed to modify their specific characteristics, in particular, thermal, thermo-oxidative and barrier ones. In this work, novel BA-embedded organic inorganic hybrid nanocomposite material was engineered by combining the advantageous properties of hybrid polymers and nanoparticle enhancement effect. Impacts of particles on the photocuring kinetics, degree of crosslinking and the resultant changes in the thermal properties of the cured films were investigated. CEO synthesis via condensation reaction was confirmed by 1H and 29Si NMR. The particle distribution within the films was verified by SEM including transmission mode coupled with EDX elemental analysis. Photocuring kinetics and thermal properties of the films were studied by in situ FTIR spectroscopy and DSC with TGA, respectively.
The quantification of radiation induced damage to DNA in aqueous en-
vironment is of fundamental interest for dosimetry and its application
in radiation-therapy and protection. We present a combined experi-
mental and simulational approach to quantify and compare radiation
induced damage to biomolecules in liquid environment for a wide range
of primary radiation sources e. g. photons, electrons or ions and tar-
gets, such as DNA, proteins or cells.[1] To show its viability, we will
apply this method to an experimentally challenging systems, the di-
rect irradiation of plasmid DNA (pUC19) in water with electrons as
primary particles. Here we combine Geant4 electron-scattering simula-
tions with calculations concerning the diffusion and convection induced
movement of the biomolecules, within a coarse-grained model of the
irradiated liquid. Additionally a microscopic target model for the plas-
mid DNA based on the relation of lineal energy and radiation quality
is used to calculate the effective target volume.
Zearalenone (ZEN) and its sulfate and glucoside conjugates have been detected in (a broad variety of) food and feed commodities1. Both conjugated derivatives are formed as part of fungal or plant secondary metabolism and thus, belong to the group of modified mycotoxins2. After consumption of contaminated foodstuff, the conjugates can be hydrolyzed by human intestinal microbiota leading to liberation of ZEN that implies an underestimation of the true ZEN exposure. In order to include ZEN conjugates in routine analysis, as well as for toxicological investigation reliable standards are needed.
The objective of the present study was to develop a simple and economic method for biosynthesis of ZEN conjugates. Preceding experiments on the biotransformation of ZEN by Rhizopus and Aspergillus species showed a mixed metabolite formation3. Therefore, these known ZEN conjugating fungal strains were screened for their potential to selectively synthesize the ZEN derivatives ZEN-14-sulfate (Z14S), ZEN-14-glucoside (Z14G) and ZEN-16-glucoside (Z16G). The screening was conducted by adding ZEN to liquid fungal cultures. Cultivation conditions and ZEN incubation time were varied. All media samples were analyzed for metabolite formation by HPLC-MS/MS. Z14S was exclusively formed by A. oryzae. Under optimized conditions a specific biosynthesis of Z14G by R. oryzae and Z16G by R. oligosporus was achieved. After liquid-liquid-extraction and preparative chromatographic cleanup 1H-NMR purities of ≥ 73% for Z14S, ≥ 82% for Z14G and ≥ 50% for Z16G were obtained. In addition, a consecutive biosynthesis was developed by first using Fusarium graminearum for ZEN biosynthesis on rice based liquid medium. After inactivation of Fusarium the subsequent conjugation reaction was conducted utilizing Aspergillus and Rhizopus species under the various optimized conditions.
In this study an easy and cost-efficient biosynthesis for Z14S, Z14G and Z16G was developed. The developed biosynthesis could be also used for other metabolites like ZEL conjugates. Our results of the in vitro screening indicate also the formation of a ZEL-glucoside and α ZEL-sulfate as major metabolites by R. oryzae. In sum, under optimized cultivation conditions fungi can be easily utilized for a targeted and stereospecific synthesis of ZEN conjugates.
Surface characterisation of biofilms by nearambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(2018)
The XPS information depth of approximately 10 nm is in the same size range as the outer membrane of the gram-negative bacteria, which makes XPS a suitable tool for determining the elemental composition of the bacterial surface and monitor changes caused by outer stress like dehydration or exposure to antimicrobials. However, bacteria are inherently in a hydrated state, and therefore only compatible to ultra-high vacuum after extensive sample preparation, which may degrade the sample constituents. This issue is addressed by the development of near-ambient pressure (NAP)-XPS, which enables bacteria and biofilms to be characterised in their native wet state. Artificial biofilms, bacteria and biofilms of Escherichia coli have been characterised with the laboratory NAP-XPS instrument EnviroESCA from SPECS GmbH, at pressures ranging from high vacuum to 12 mbar, and in both humid and dry environment. By studying biological samples in their native wet state, new insight about composition and transport of drugs through cell membranes and the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of biofilms can be obtained.
In recent years, substantial efforts have been devoted to investigating nanoscopic confinement of polymers, and its effect on glassy dynamics. Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) was used to study the dynamics of ultra-thin films of PVME/PS 50/50 wt% blend, employing a novel nano-structured capacitor sample arrangement. The investigated system shows a complex dynamic behavior. First, an α-relaxation, related to a bulk-like layer was found. Second, an α’-relaxation was observed, characteristic for dynamically asymmetric blends, where the out of equilibrium dynamics is attributed to weakly-cooperative PVME segments relaxing within a frozen environment of PS segments. Thirdly, for thinnest films, an Arrhenius-like process was dominant in the dielectric spectra, indicating localized fluctuations of the segments. Relaxation rates of this process resembled that of the degenerated α-relaxation of the adsorbed layer, found for pure PVME, thus it was assigned accordingly. For thinnest films, this process undergoes a further confinement, due to the topological constraints, introduced by PS. Such multiple confinement effect has not been reported for ultra-thin films of polymer blends, before this study.
The polymer matrix region near a filler surface, termed as the interface, witnessed increasing interest, due to its possible influence on the macroscopic properties of the nanocomposite. The interphase is expecting to have different segmental dynamic, as compared to the pure matrix, which can percolate into the entire system. Here, the segmental dynamics of epoxy/Boehmite nanocomposite was studied by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy. It was found that an artificial relaxation process is present in the nanocomposite, on the contrary to the pure epoxy system. It was assigned to constrained fluctuations of polymer chains in the interfacial region, due to the nanofiller. However, the overall dynamic Tg of the system decreased with increasing filler concentration, indicating higher segmental mobility. This was in accordance with Temperature Modulated DSC investigations of specific heat capacity of the system, which was found to increase with increasing filler concentration, up to 10 wt%, indicating increasing mobility of the polymer matrix segments. Surprisingly, for the highest filler content, the heat capacity decreases, implying a formation of an immobilized rigid amorphous phase in the interfacial region.
Collective Orientational Order and Phase Behavior of a Discotic Liquid Crystal under Confinement
(2018)
Discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) are a promising class of soft matter for electronic applications. This is due to their ability to self-organize into columns in a hexagonal columnar mesophase, driven by the overlapping of the π orbitals of their aromatic cores. This leads to a high charge-carrier mobility along the column axis. Previous studies on DLCs showed that their properties, such as phase transition temperatures and enthalpies, are susceptible to nanoconfinement. In this study, 2,3,6,7,10,11 hexakis[hexyloxy] triphenylene (HAT6) was confined into parallel aligned cylindrical nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes by melt infiltration. Furthermore, the pore surfaces of a series of membranes were chemically modified, resulting in a more hydrophobic pore surface than the unmodified ones. Collective orientational order and phase behavior of HAT6 confined into modified and unmodified nanopores of AAO were investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry respectively.
Hyperbranched polyamine ester (HPAE)/ kaolinite nanocomposites were papered via an ex situ (solution-based) method. The kaolinite has been modified by dodecylamine (DCA). SAXS measurements revealed that the Ka interlayer space increased from 0.71 to 3.6 nm-1. A partly exfoliated structure of the HPA/Ka-DCA nanocomposites was proved by SAXS and TEM. By a combination of BDS and SHS, the relaxation properties of the nanocomposites were investigated in dependence on frequency and temperature. The activation energies of γ-relaxation for the nanocomposites were lower than the values found for the pure HPAE. The segmental dynamics (α- relaxation) was found to be screened out by the conductivity contribution. While it is retrieved by SHS employing AC-chip calorimetry. A systematic change of the dynamic glass transition estimated by AC-chip calorimetry was observed, which is in agreement with a behavior expected for a confined sample. The confinement effect of the Ka-DCA nanofillers reduces the glass transition temperature Tg and enhances, meanwhile, the electrical conductivity of the polymer. By comparing the temperature dependence of the dynamic glass transition measured with SHS and that of the dc conductivity measured by dielectric spectroscopy, a decoupling in their temperature dependencies was found.
With increasing concentration of the nanofiller, which results in a stronger glass-formation behavior, this decoupling becomes weaker.
One of the biggest problems in high-voltage silicone rubber insulation cable accessories is the damage on electrical treeing, initiated by partial discharges. The electrical treeing starts at unavoidable imperfections inside the material or at interfaces. The damage is usually irreversible and leads around the starting points to a partial destruction of the material. To prolong the lifetime and thereby to increase the assurance of the structural component commonly, for mechanical improvement constituted filler is modified to obtain a self-healing silicone rubber. Damage mechanism is analysed to address the filler to the damage mode.
Thin film solar cells made of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) suffer from high costs, since the rare elements indium and gallium are used for a multitude of technical applications. The concept of micro-concentrator CIGSe solar cells allows substantial material saving. Therefore a reliable bottom up process for the preparation of the absorber islands is required. In addition, this also results in an increase of solar cell efficiency. We show that the indium islands can be grown at predefined locations by novel methods of surface treatment before indium deposition. By this, regular island patterns with a well-defined morphology have been obtained. The controlled deposition of copper, followed by selenization in a PVD system, and selective etching of copper selenides yields polycrystalline CIGSe micro islands with promising material properties. For the samples, we proof ways to place a non-conducting layer in between CIGSe islands to insulate the front and back contact. This layer is obtained by spin-coating and curing a novolak based resist. At first, the photovoltaic active absorber islands is completely covered by the resin. The top of the islands can be stripped by plasma etching for front contacting. A characterization of the obtained devices provided evidence for their functionality.
Controlled electrospray deposition of nanoparticles for improved analysis by electron microscopy
(2018)
Of many experimental techniques for measuring particle sizes and size distributions, electron microscopy (EM) is 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. 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).
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No 604347.
Coming as response to the needs expressed by The European Commission mandating CEN, CENELEC and ETSI to develop European standards for methods that can characterize reliably manufactured nanomaterials, a new European metrology research project ‘nPSize - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements’ has received funding for the next three years. The project will develop methods, reference materials and modelling to improve the traceability chain, comparability and compatibility for nanoparticle size measurements to support standardization.
nPSize has selected only those nanoparticle sizing techniques which are able to provide traceable results: electron microscopy (SEM, TSEM and TEM), AFM and SAXS. Metrologists from national metrological or designated institutes (PTB, LNE, LGC, VSL, SMD and BAM) will work together with scientists with know-how in development of new nano reference nanoparticles (CEA, University of Turin, LGC, BAM) and with experts in advanced data processing, e.g. by machine learning (POLLEN). With the support of DIN, the project outcomes will be channelized to standardization bodies such as ISO/TC 229 ‘Nanotechnologies’/JWG 2 ‘Nanoparticle Measurement and Characterization’ (SEM, TSEM and TEM), CEN/TC 352 ‘Nanotechnologies’ (SEM, TSEM and TEM), ISO/TC 201/SC 9 (AFM), ISO/TC 24/SC 4 (SAXS).
Three technical work packages will ensure input for impact to standardization community, nanoparticle manufacturers, instrument manufacturers, and (accredited) service laboratories:
- WP1 Performance and traceability of characterization methods
- WP2 Reference materials - Preparation and Characterization
- WP3 Modelling and development of measurement procedures
Well-defined non-spherical nanoparticles shapes such as cubes, platelets, bipyramids, rods/acicular will be developed, with mono- and polydisperse size distribution, as well as with accurate particle number concentration (by SAXS and isotopically enrichment for ICP-MS).
Physical modelling of the signal for TSEM, SEM, 3D-AFM and SAXS will be used to feed machine learning modeling from a-priori measurement data. Further, data fusion will be developed for hybrid sizing techniques: SEM with TSEM/TEM, SEM/TSEM with AFM, SEM/TSEM with SAXS with the final aim of improving the true shape and size of non-spherical nanoparticles by a better estimation of the measurement uncertainties.
In the second half-time of the project dedicated workshops (focused on method improvement and reference materials development) will be organized to disseminate the gained knowledge to end-users. Further, a data library with relevant tagged measurement data is planned to be organized and made publicly available. Inter-laboratory comparisons based on the newly developed multi-modal nano reference materials will be organized preferably within VAMAS/TWA 34 ‘Nanoparticle populations’.
In well-annealed thin polymer films, with non-repulsive polymer/substrate interactions, an irreversibly adsorbed layer is expected to form. These adsorbed layers have shown great potential for technological applications. However, their growth kinetics and molecular dynamics are still not fully understood. This is partially due to the hard accessibility of these layers in thin films. Here, the irreversibly adsorbed layers of homopolymer thin films are revealed by solvent-leaching experiments. First, the growth kinetics of these layers is investigated as a function of annealing times and original film thickness. The thickness, topography and quality of the adsorbed layer is controlled with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Secondly, the molecular mobility of the adsorbed layer is investigated with Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). A recently developed nanostructured capacitor is employed to measure the adsorbed layers with a free surface layer. The results are quantitatively compared and discussed with respect to recently published work.
Multivariate analysis of MALDI imaging mass spectrometry data of mixtures of single pollen grains
(2018)
Here, we present an advanced approach to identify pollen grains in mixtures based on:
- a simplified sample preparation procedure
- MALDI imaging mass spectrometry
- chemometric tools
Our goals are to:
- explore the biomolecular variations in pollen
- determine species-specific peak patterns
- discriminate and identify single pollen grains in mixtures using MSI
The compatible solute and osmolyte ectoine is an effective protectant of biomolecules and whole cells against heating, freezing and high salinity. The protection of cells (human Keratinocytes) by ectoine against ultraviolet radiation was also reported by various authors, although the underlying mechanism is not yet understood. We present results on the irradiation of biomolecules (DNA) with ionizing radiation (high energy electrons) in fully aqueous environment in the presence of ectoine and high salt concentrations. The results demonstrate an effective radiation protection of DNA by ectoine against the induction of single strand breaks by ionizing radiation. The effect is explained by an increased in low-energy electron scattering at the enhanced free-vibrational density of states of water due to ectoine, as well as the action of ectoine as an OH-radical scavenger. This was demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Monte-Carlo simulations (Geant4).
Ellipsometry is well known as a highly sensitive and reproducible surface analysis technique. However, in a context of metrological applications, the most important property of a measurement process is accuracy, relying on statistical precision, (reproducibility) and trueness (in an absolute sense versus a given standard). The latter is much more difficult to achieve. In this presentation, we discuss the possibility of establishing ellipsometry in a diverse metrological landscape by means of defining standard procedures and best practice methodologies for the measurement and for calibration purposes. The most important task of this approach is to determine the model-inherent uncertainty, originating from parameter coupling. We achieve this by means of sensitivity analysis of the parameters resulting from the fit process. We discuss the definition of reference materials by which accuracy can be made available for ellipsometry, passed along between ellipsometry laboratories and for other measurement techniques. The determination of uncertainty is presented in this work for a number of examples involving difficult analysis models employed for samples from different production environments. We present a standardization initiative with the goal to disseminate this work into an international standard alongside an inter-laboratory study comparing the results for complex samples gained by laboratories with different instrumentation. We also present the results gained within EURAMET projects focused on the metrology of materials with strong non-idealities used in photovoltaics and other energy technology.
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.
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’.
The importance of molecular conformation for polymorphism and its repercussions in terms of tight control over the industrial production of crystalline organic materials with highly reproducible physicochemical properties has long been recognized. Efforts to understand how a crystallization solvent can direct the formation of a polymorph containing a specific molecular conformation are, however, relatively scarce. Nicotinic acid (NA) and its hydroxyl derivatives (2-, 4-, 5-, and 6-hydroxynicotinic acids) are very good models for such studies. Indeed, regardless of the solvent, NA always crystallizes as a single polymorph with the molecule in the same neutral conformation. In contrast, the hydroxyl derivatives are prone to polymorphism and solvate formation and, depending on the crystallization conditions, the molecules in the crystal lattice can exhibit hydroxyl, oxo, or zwitterionic conformations. The present study focused on 5-hydroxynicotinicacid (5HNA) shows that by judicious selection of the solvent it is possible to obtain 1:1 solvates, where solvation memory is not completely lost and the tautomer preferred in solution persists in the crystalline state: zwitterionic in 5HNA·H2O and neutral in 5HNA·DMSO. Nevertheless, upon thermal desolvation the obtained materials evolve to the same unsolvated form where the molecule is in a zwitterionic conformation. The structures of 5HNA·H2O and 5HNA·DMSO obtained from single crystal-ray diffraction are discussed and compared with that of 5HNA solved from powder data. The energetics of the dehydration/desolvation process was also fully characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Calvet microcalorimetry.
UCST-type thermoresponsive polymers (i.e. that phase separate from solution upon cooling) present a tremendous potential not only in aqueous media with applications in the field of drug delivery, diagnostic and microfluidic applications, but also in water/alcohol mixtures, where they can be used for instance in sensing systems for alcohol-soluble drugs. However, only a few thermoresponsive polymers have been reported that present an UCST in a relevant temperature range and “green” solvents such as water or ethanol.
In this context, acrylamide-based monomers can be very useful building blocks for designing novel non-ionic UCST-type polymers because of their hydrophilic nature (with the appropriate side chain) and propensity to form hydrogen bonds. We will present our latest results on the UCST-type thermoresponsive behaviour of acrylamide- and/or 2,6-diaminopyridine-based homopolymers and copolymers in water or water/alcohol mixtures, and give some insights about the rational design of UCST polymers relying on H-bonding.
The analysis of nanomaterials is currently an important task - especially in case of risk assessment – as the properties of these material class are not well understood. The rather high surface area of these objects renders their interactions significantly different to their corresponding bulk. Thus, the surface’s chemical composition must be investigated to get a better understanding and prediction of the nanomaterials’ behavior. ToF-SIMS and XPS have proven to be powerful tools to determine the general chemical composition. The superior surface sensitivity of ToF-SIMS furthermore allows us to study mainly the utmost atomic layer and thus gives us an idea of the interactions involved. Here, we present initial data on the analysis of Hyflon®-polystyrene core-shell nanoparticles which can be used as a model system due to the known preparation and a rather good chemical as well as physical separation of core and shell. Furthermore, principle component analysis (PCA) will be used to detect the influence of sample preparation and for a better separation of different samples. ToF-SIMS imaging is desired to be implemented for single particle detection as well.
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.
The damage caused by ionizing radiation to DNA and proteins is the reason to treat cancer by radiation therapy. A better understanding of the molecular processes and quantification of the different damaging mechanisms is the prerequisite to develop more efficient therapies. Hereby the understanding of the processes involved in the damage to DNA are of key interest due to its central role in reproduction and mutation.
For radiation with low linear energy transfer (LET), most of the damage is caused by the secondary particles produced by scattering of the ionizing radiation with water. Thereby a multitude of species are produced, whereby especially kinetic low energy electrons, prehydrated electrons, OH-radicals and ions are of importance. With higher LET the relative amount of the direct damaging effects increases. This is especially important considering the increased usage of high LET nucleons in radiation therapy. Therefore, the quantification of the contribution to DNA damage of direct and indirect effects and the different secondary species is of high interest due to the increase of radio biological efficiency when applying high LET radiation.
Here we present an approach to investigate the relative contributions to DNA strand break yield for radiation of different LET within a single electron microscope in combination with electron scattering simulations.
The interphase between the inorganic filler and the polymer matrix is considered as one of the most important characteristics of inorganic/polymer nanocomposites. The segmental dynamics of this interphase is expected to be altered as compared to the pure matrix, which might percolate into the entire system. For instance, it was found that a so-called Rigid Amorphous Phase (RAF) is formed by adsorption of segments onto the nanoparticles yielding to its immobilization. The RAF is available from the decrease of the specific heat capacity Δcp in the glass transition region of the nanocomposites. Here, precise Temperature Modulated DSC (TMDSC) was employed to study Δcp of epoxy/Boehmite nanocomposites with different nanofiller concentrations. Surprisingly, the investigated system showed an increase of Δcp with increasing filler concentration up to 10 wt%. This implies an increased fraction of mobile segments, and is in accordance with the found decreased value of the glass transition temperature Tg. Although for higher filler contents Tg further slightly decreases, Δcp decreases in contrary, indicating a formation of RAF. This behavior was discussed as a competition of mobilization effects, due to an incomplete crosslinking reaction, and the formation of RAF.
Reliable standards are required to support research and development as well as end-user in application. Appropriate standards have to fulfill three requirements: small uncertainty, easy to use and low overall costs of application. For calibration of microscopes at nanoscale and/or element analysis special requirements for standards are given, which are challenging in manufacture.
The EU recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU) should allow the identification of a particulate nanomaterial based on the number-based metric criterion according to which at least 50% of the constituent particles have the smallest dimension between 1 and 100 nm. Within the European Project NanoDefine (www.nanodefine.eu) a two-tier approach has been developed, whereby firstly a screening method is applied for the rough classification as a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial, and for borderline cases a confirmatory method (imaging methods or field flow fractionation) must be considered.
One of the measurement methods well suited to particulate powder is the determination of volume-specific surface area (VSSA) by means of gas adsorption as well as skeletal density. The value of 60 m2/cm3 corresponding to spherical, monodisperse particles with a diameter of 100 nm constitutes the threshold for decisioning if the material is a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial. The correct identification of a nanomaterial by VSSA method (positive test) is accepted by the EU recommendation.
However, the application of the VSSA method is associated also by some limitations. The threshold of 60 m2/cm3 is dependent on the particle shape. For particles containing micro-pores or having a microporous coating, false positive results will be produced.
Furthermore, broad particle size distributions – as typically for ceramic materials – as well as multi-modal size distributions make necessary to adjust the threshold.
Based on examples of commercially available ceramic powders, the applicability of the VSSA approach will be tested (in relation with SEM and TEM measurements) in order to expand the actual knowledge and
improve the method.
The EC’s recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU) should allow the identification of a particulate nanomaterial based on the number-based metric criterion according to which at least 50% of the constituent particles have the smallest dimension between 1 and 100 nm. However, it has been recently demonstrated that the implementation of this definition for regulatory purposes is conditioned by the large deviations between the results obtained by different sizing methods or due to practical reasons such as high costs and time-consuming (SEM, TEM).
Within the European project NanoDefine (www.nanodefine.eu) a two-tier approach has been developed, whereby firstly a screening method is applied for the rough classification as a nano-/non-nanomaterial, and for borderline cases a confirmatory method (imaging methods or field flow fractionation) must be considered.
One of the measurement methods well suited to particulate powder is the determination of volume-specific surface area (VSSA) by means of gas adsorption as well as skeletal density. The value of 60 m2/cm3 corresponding to spherical, monodisperse particles with a diameter of 100 nm constitutes the threshold for decisioning if the material is a nano- or non-nanomaterial. The correct identification of a nanomaterial by VSSA method is accepted by the EU recommendation.
However, the application of the VSSA method is associated also by some limitations. The threshold of 60 m2/cm3 is dependent on the particle shape, so that it changes considerably with the number of nano-dimensions of the particles. For particles containing micro-pores or having a microporous coating false positive results will be produced. Furthermore, broad particle size distributions make necessary to adjust the threshold. Based on examples of commercially available ceramic powders, the applicability of the VSSA approach will be tested (in relation with SEM and TEM measurements) in order to expand the actual knowledge and to improve this good available and agglomeration tolerant method.
Thin mesoporous metal oxide films are versatile and attractive candidates for several energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. Due to their high surface area and ordered pore structure, mesoporous metal oxides demonstrate higher activities. The performance of the porous films is affected by properties like size and shape of the mesopores as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The exact determination and metrological evaluation of the complex morphology of thin mesoporous films requires a new analytical approach employing to combined data of different analytical methods. In this contribution we present a novel evaluation procedure for spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) to analyse thin mesoporous iridium oxide films.
Mesoporous iridium oxide films were prepared via dip-coating of a solution containing a triblock-copolymer as structure directing agent and an iridium precursor in ethanol. Deposited films were calcined in air at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C. Their morphology was studied with SEM and an electron probe microanalysis (EPMA)and correlated via SE with a Bruggeman effective medium approximation (BEMA). The developed SE model described the film thickness as well as the porosity.
Figure 1a shows a top-view SEM image of mesoporous IrO2 film calcined at 375 °C. The image reveals that the films exhibit a well-ordered mesopore structure with an average pore diameter of 16 nm and a periodic distance between pore centres of 24 nm (FFT inset). Figure 1b is a parity plot of film thicknesses determined by cross-section SEM versus SE of IrO2 film samples prepared at different calcination temperatures. The porosity from the SE model is in good agreement to the porosity values obtained by EPMA.
The contribution will assess in detail the novel approach to analyse the morphology and porosity of thin metal oxide films with spectroscopic ellipsometry. Moreover, the advantages of the new developed approach will be discussed as well as combination of datasets from multiple measurements to development new methods for innovative energy technologies.
The damage caused by ionizing radiation to DNA and proteins is the reason to treat cancer by radiation therapy. A better understanding of the molecular processes and quantification of the different damaging mechanisms is the prerequisite to develop more efficient therapies. Hereby the understanding of the processes involved in the damage to DNA are of key interest due to its central role in reproduction and mutation.
For radiation with low linear energy transfer (LET), most of the damage is caused by the secondary particles produced by scattering of the ionizing radiation with water. Thereby a multitude of species are produced, whereby especially kinetic low energy electrons, prehydrated electrons, OH-radicals and ions are of importance.
With higher LET the relative amount of the direct damaging effects increases. This is especially important considering the increased usage of high LET particles in radiation therapy. Therefore, the quantification of the contribution to DNA damage of direct and indirect effects and the different secondary species is of high interest due to the increase of radio biological efficiency when applying high LET radiation.
Here we present an approach to investigate the relative contributions to DNA strand break yield for radiation of different LET within a single electron microscope in combination with electron scattering simulations.
Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) of iron is usually attributed to sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) which act upon the metal by the reactiveness of hydrogen sulfide, and by withdrawal of the available electrons (Fe → Fe²⁺ + 2e⁻ ; E° = 0.47 V) in electrical contact through surface attachment. Also methanogenic archaea are supposed to cause MIC. Because they do not produce hydrogen sulfide, withdrawal of electrons may be their main corrosive mechanism; however, mechanistic details and kinetics of the overall process are poorly understood. Precipitation of siderite (4Fe + 5HCO₃⁻ + 5H⁺ → 4FeCO₃ + CH₄ + 3H₂O) can lead to an insulating layer on the metal surface and lower the corrosion rate. Still, the extent of FeCO₃ precipitation may be significantly influenced by environmental conditions such as pH and advective processes.
To investigate the corrosive potential of methanogens, we studied strains isolated from marine sediments (Methanococcus maripaludis 14266, 2067, Methanobacterium-affiliated strain IM1), crude oil tanks (Methanococcus maripaludis Mic1c10, KA1) and the oral cavity (Methanobrevibacter oralis) in a closed (batch) culture, and in a sand-packed flow-through cell with pH control and simulation of a fluctuating environment. Results indicate that the rates of iron corrosion due to coupled methanogenesis (up to 0.3 mm/yr) are comparable to that caused by SRM. Surface analyses of the metal showed severe pitting. Such knowledge and deeper understanding also from an electrokinetic point of view may not only provide further models in microbial electrophysiology, but also contribute to mitigation strategies in MIC.
INTRODUCTION: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provides elemental and chemical information from the outermost ~10 nm of the sample surface. This is in the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the outer bacterial membrane of gram-negative bacteria, as well as outer membrane molecules as exopolysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides, commonly attached to the cell surface. With the development of near-ambient pressure (NAP)-XPS, bacteria can be analysed with minimal sample preparation. This is in contrast to ultra-high vacuum XPS, where complex sample preparation including freeze-drying or fast-freezing is required, a treatment that may introduce artefacts or degrade the biological constituents.
METHODS: EnviroESCA is a laboratory based NAP-XPS instrument, equipped with a monochromated Al Kα radiation source and a differentially pumped energy analyser connected to an exchangeable sample environment, a basic build-up is displayed in Figure 1c. It allows for measurements in various gas-atmospheres, including water vapor, which makes it possible to characterise bacteria and other biological samples close to their natural, hydrated state. Artificial model-biofilms of exopolysaccharides, planktonic Pseudomonas Fluorescens and biofilms of Escherichia Coli have been characterised in hydrated and dried state.
RESULTS: High-resolution XPS-spectra from carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous can be assigned to carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in general agreement with litterature2,3. Especially the carbon 1s peak is of interest (see Figure 1a and b), which reveal components originating from aliphatic carbon, single bounded carbon and double bounded/acetal carbon. A series of measurements of an E. coli biofilm from 11 mbar in humid environment to 1 mbar air reveal changes in the C1s peak, which suggests that the bacterial surface undergo substantial change.
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS:
Bacterial samples can be analysed under near-ambient pressure conditions in various states of hydration with minimal sample preparation. Such investigations of bacterial cell wall surfaces are essential for studying biological interfaces at work.
To investigate early stage corrosion processes of stainless steel 1.4301 taking place during the biofilm formation of the organism Shewanella putrefaciens electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a multielectrode approach has been used. The multielectrode array consisted of up to 25 electrically isolated electrodes made of stainless steel wires of diameters ranging from 100 µm to 500 µm. They were connected to a multichannel microelectrode analyzer (MMA) electrically coupled through zero resistance ammeters. Current flow between electrodes in the array as well as changes in impedance of individual electrodes over time were recorded and analyzed with respect to the onset of localized corrosion and biofilm formation. The results were complemented by optical microscopy, SEM and AFM images which were taken immediately after the respective experiment. To verify that the multielectrode arrays correctly indicated the initial stages of the corrosion process and of biofilm formation they were introduced in a flow cell reaction vessel containing test specimens made from stainless steel 1.4301, which were checked regularly for signs of localized corrosion and biofilms. Preceding results with the multielectrode array in solutions containing high amounts of chloride ions and hydrogen peroxide at low pH also showed that it is possible with the MMA to monitor individual electrodes becoming local anodes as local corrosion set in, while the remaining electrodes predominantly acted as cathodes.
For years there have been more and more reports on the presence of drugs in the aquatic environment. Due to the demographic change, the consumption of pharmaceuticals has risen sharply. After taking the drugs, they are partly metabolized in the human body. However, the metabolism is not complete so that both the metabolites and non-metabolized amounts of the parent compounds are excreted. These compounds reach the waste water and afterwards the sewage treatment plants. In sewage treatment plants transformation products can be formed by the oxidative conditions during wastewater treatment processes. The transformation products may have a higher toxicity than the actual environmental pollutants and are often only partly removed during the waste water treatment. Since a lot of these compounds are still unknown, the transformation products are not detected by target analysis used in sewage treatment plants and are often released undetected in the aquatic ecosystems. The released substances may be subject to additional transformation processes in the environment. Pharmaceuticals produced in high amounts can be already detected in the μg/L range in water bodies worldwide.
Metformin and its major transformation product guanylurea are one of the main representatives. Metformin is the drug of choice for treating type 2 diabetes. The drug therapy for diabetes mellitus has increased significantly in recent years. In the year 2015 1500 tons of metformin were prescribed in Germany (for statutory insured persons). Metformin is not metabolized in the human body and is excreted unchanged therefore concentrations between 57 μg/L and 129 μg/L are found in German waste water treatment plants influents.
In this work the transformation of the antidiabetic drug metformin is investigated. The degradation of metformin is initialize by commercial water treatment techniques like UV-radiation or noncommercial techniques like heterogenous photocatalysis based on titanium dioxide. The degradation of metformin and resulting transformation products are analyzed by LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS.
In this contribution we describe an in-situ study of the crystallization of simvastatin in three solvents. The studies were carried out by solvent evaporation at the µSpot beamline using acoustically levitated solution droplets in combination with simultaneous X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and imaging analysis.
Near-ambient pressure XPS makes it possible to characterise samples not compatible to ultra-high vacuum, and enables the study of liquid-solid, gas-liquid and gas-solid interfaces. NAP-XPS meas-urements of biofilms, suspended nanoparticles and metal-organic frameworks were performed with EnviroESCA developed by SPECS.
An interesting application is surface characterisation of biofilms, which are bacterial communities embedded in a self-produced polysaccharide matrix. Various model systems ranging from pure polysaccharides of alginate to biofilms harvested directly from the growth medium have been char-acterised in humid conditions[1].
NAP-XPS also makes it possible to characterise nanoparticles in solution. Silver nanoparticles in aqueous solution were characterised and the Ag 3d-spectrum compared to spectra obtained of dried nanoparticles in UHV-conditions[2]. The binding energy of the Ag 3d-core level peak was shifted by 0,6 eV towards higher binding energy for suspended nanoparticles compared to the dried sample measured in UHV. This can be assigned to a change in surface potential at the water-nanoparticle interface.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are suitable materials for gas storage of small molecules due to their nanoporous, crystalline structure. However, instability in humidity remains an issue for many types of MOFs. XPS-measurements of the MOF-structure HKUST-1 were performed in various NAP-conditions to assess the stability of the sample and its interaction with the gas molecules as water, methanol and pyridine.
The exploration of metal phosphonates chemistry has gained great interest during the last decades, because of their structural diversity. Transition metal phosphonates are promising candidates for an application as electrocatalysts in oxygen evolution reactions (OER).
Here, we present the in situ investigation of mechanochemical syntheses of different manganese phosphonates by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Nitrilotri(methylenephosphonic acid) and N,N-Bis(phosphonomethyl)glycine were chosen as ligands. The liquid-assisted milling process can be divided into three steps, including an amorphous stage. One of the products has not been obtained by classical solution chemistry before.
These metal phosphonates and/or their derivatives are considered to be active in electrochemical energy conversion. The verification of their applicability is one of the topics of our resent research.
Mechanochemistry is known for short reaction times, nearly quantitative conversions, and decreasing amount of solvents. Among organic syntheses, the Knoevenagel condensation is an important C-C bond forming reaction. We investigated the reaction of benzaldehyde derivates (nitro- and fluoro-derivates) with malononitrile syntheses by a combination of different in situ investigation techniques.
Mechanochemistry is a versatile approach for green and fast synthesis of pure substances. By milling the reactants, various organic, inorganic, and metal-organic compounds can be obtained in high yields. Although mechanochemistry is widely used, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood making mechanochemical reactions difficult to predict. Metal phosphonates are metal-organic compounds accessible by grinding. Because of their structural diversity, the exploration of the chemistry of metal phosphonates has gained considerable interest during the last decades. Transition metal phosphonates are promising candidates for an application as electrocatalysts in oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, we present the in situ investigation of the mechanochemical synthesis of a manganese(II)-phosphonate by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and thermography. The product has not been obtained by classical solution chemistry before and its crystal structure was determined from PXRD data. The milling process can be divided into different steps, with the product crystallization corresponding with the highest temperature rise. The activity of this metal phosphonate towards OER was measured and is presented here.
Mechanochemistry is a versatile approach for green and fast synthesis of pure substances. The exploration of the chemistry of metal phosphonates has gained considerable interest during the last decades due to their structural diversity. We synthesized manganese phosphonates in milling reactions. The mechanochemical reactions were investigated in situ to reveal the underlying mechanisms.
We report a new method for top-down one-pot, gram-scale production of high-quality nanographene from graphite under mild conditions. The nanographene sheets had a very low oxygen content, comparable to that of nanographene grown by chemical vapor deposition. This method is easily scalable and comparatively mild, opening the door to an environmentally friendly process to produce high-quality nanographenes.
Nanographene sheets were further covalently functionalized using a non-destructive [2+1] cycloaddition reaction that left the π-conjugated system intact.
Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) of iron is usually attributed to sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) which act upon the metal by the reactiveness of hydrogen sulfide, and by withdrawal of the available electrons in electrical contact with the metal. Methanogenic archaea can also cause MIC by directly withdrawing electrons from the iron surface for methanogenesis. However, the mechanistic details and kinetics of the overall process are poorly understood. Precipitation of siderite, a by-product of methanogenesis, (4Fe + 5HCO3 + 5H+ 4FeCO3 + CH4 + 3H2O) can lead to an insulating layer on the metal surface and lower the corrosion rate. Still, the extent of FeCO3 precipitation may be significantly influenced by environmental conditions such as pH and advective processes.
Microbiologically influence corrosion (MIC) has become a big concern due the increased usage of different metals by our society. Microorganisms can use metal as an electron donor, causing unpredictable but serious damages. Nowadays it is known that besides sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), other microorganisms including acetogens, iron oxidizers and methanogens can also induce MIC. Current studies related to methanogen-induced MIC (MI-MIC) mainly focused on environmental isolates from the oil and gas industry (e.g. Methanococcus maripaludis) with industrial materials e.g. iron. However, MI-MIC can occur in many other environments as well, including the oral cavity. Methanobrevibacter oralis is a methanogen isolated from the human oral cavity and was found more frequently in patients suffering from peri-implantitis/periodontitis. Titanium-implants removed from those patients have also showed clear signs of corrosion. The aim of our study is to establish and analyze corrosion potentials of dental metals (e.g. titanium) by oral methanogens. Periodontal pockets samples from patients suffering from periodontitis/peri-implantitis were taken for methanogenic and SRB enrichments. Stainless steel, pure titanium or Ti-6Al-4V alloy was used for corrosion studies. Corrosion rates and methane production were measured using weight-loss method and gas chromatography, respectively. Metal surfaces were visualized with scanning electron microscopy. Microbial communities in the dental pockets of healthy people and patients will be compared using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Overall, this is the first study investigating the susceptibility of different dental implant materials to corrosion using human-related Archaea. The outcomes of this study can be further explored for a variety of clinical applications.
Collective Orientational Order and Phase Behavior of a Discotic Liquid Crystal under Confinement
(2018)
Discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) are a promising class of soft matter for electronic applications. This is due to their ability to self-organize into columns in a hexagonal columnar mesophase, driven by the overlapping of the π orbitals of their aromatic cores. This leads to a high charge-carrier mobility along the column axis. Embedding liquid crystals into nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) results in a 2D nanoconfinement of these materials. This confinement affects their properties, compared to the bulk, such as phase transition temperatures and enthalpies, molecular mobility, and crystallization.
In this study, 2,3,6,7,10,11 hexakis[hexyloxy] triphenylene (HAT6) was confined into parallel aligned cylindrical nanopores of AAO membranes by melt infiltration. The membrane as confining hosts used have varying pore diameters, from 10 nm to 160 nm, covering a broad pore size range, thus, a better understanding of the confinement effect on phase behavior and molecular configuration in the pores. Furthermore, it is aimed to obtain axial ordering or to increase degree of axial ordering by chemically modifying the surfaces of the pores. Therefore, the pore surfaces the membranes were chemically modified, resulting in a more hydrophobic pore surface than the unmodified ones. The phase behavior was explored by a power-compensated DSC allowing the detecting of small changes in the phase behavior. In the literature, dielectric spectroscopy was demonstrated as a method to monitor molecular order inside the pores. Here, we also investigate the collective orientational order, corresponding to dominating molecular ordering, by dielectric spectroscopy.
Over the past decades research on the molecular dynamics of miscible polymer blends are of topical interest in the literature, in an attempt to understand the segmental mobilty of individual components, as it is affected by blending. In general, miscible polymer blends exhibit a complex behavior of the molecular mobility. For an A/B blend the relaxation times of component A and component B are affected by the spatial local compositional heterogeneity, present in binary systems on a microscopic level, regardless of the macroscopic homogeneity. Here, a combination of broadband dielectric and specific heat spectroscopy was employed to study the dynamically asymmetric PVME/PS blend with seven different compositions, focusing on samples with high PS contents. Considering that PS is dielectrically invisible, BDS is a powerful technique to study the response of PVME, as it is affected by PS segments. In this work the well-known binary relaxation times distribution of PVME in a blend, originating from the spatial local heterogeneity, was studied over ten decades in frequency, for the first time in literature. Secondly, one of the detected processes, α’-relaxation, shows a crossover from high-temperature behavior (system in equilibrium) towards a low temperature regime, where PS undergoes the thermal glass transition, resulting in confined segmental dynamics of PVME within a frozen network of PS. Here, we introduce a precise mathematical tool to distinguish between the temperature dependency regimes of the process, and examine the composition dependence of the crossover temperature, detected by dielectric spectroscopy. Moreover, the dielectric data was compared in detail with results obtained by specific heat spectroscopy. This comparison provides new insights in the dynamics and dynamic heterogeneity of the PVME/PS blend system.
Since discovery of discotic liquid crystals (DLCs), consisting of a disklike rigid aromatic core and flexible alkyl chains attached to the core, dating back to Chandrasekhar’s work in 1977, they have been extensively investigated to reveal their fundamental properties and potential for applications. The researches on DLCs in last decades showed that DLCs can be considered as promising materials for organic electronic applications since they exhibit one dimensional high charge mobility along the column axis in a columnar mesophase. The mobilies of the rigid aromatic core and the flexible alkyl chains can influence their application properites, e.g. the charge carrier mobility, therefore, it needs to be explored in detailed.
In this study, a series of dipole functionalized triphenylene-based discotics, forming a columnar mesophase, were investigated to reveal the influence of the functionalization on phase behavior, molecular dynamics and as well as conductivity. The molecular mobility of the discotics was probed by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). In addition to conductivity and localized dynamics, glassy dynamics were also observed. The phase behavior of the material was explored by a power-compansated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Beside the phase transition temperatures and enthalpies, thermal glass transitions were found for all the materials. Moreover, the glassy dynamics were further investigated by Flash DSC, which is a chip-based calorimetry technique allows fast heating and cooling rates as high as 10000K/s.
Dynamics of nanoscopically confined PVME in thin films of an asymmetric miscible PVME/PS blend
(2018)
In recent years, substantial efforts have been devoted to investigating nanoscopic confinement of polymers, and its effect on glassy dynamics. Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) was used to study the dynamics of ultra-thin films of PVME/PS 50/50 wt% blend, employing a novel nano-structured capacitor sample arrangement. The investigated system shows a complex dynamic behavior. First, an α-relaxation, related to a bulk-like layer was found. Second, an α’-relaxation was observed, characteristic for dynamically asymmetric blends, where the out of equilibrium dynamics is attributed to weakly-cooperative PVME segments relaxing within a frozen environment of PS segments. Third, for thinnest films, an Arrhenius-like process was dominant in the dielectric spectra, indicating localized fluctuations of the segments. Relaxation rates of this process resembled that of the degenerated α-relaxation of the adsorbed layer, found for pure PVME [1], thus it was assigned accordingly. For thinnest films, this process undergoes a further confinement, due to the topological constraints, introduced by PS. Such multiple confinement effect has not been reported for ultra-thin films of polymer blends, before this study [2].
[1] Madkour, S. et al. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 7535.
[2] Madkour, S. et al. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 37289.
The present study repeats electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) measurements with the thin film analysis software Stratagem on an Fe-Ni thin films on silicon and reports - for the first-time – results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide substrate.
If the very good EPMA/Stratagem results for the FeNi system were expected due to previous studies, the data obtained for the SiGe films are particularly valuable, because of the challenging insulator substrate of Al2O3. The conductivity of the Si1-xGex surface necessary for charging-free analysis was ensured by applying conductive copper tape onto film surface down to sample stage. Four accelerating voltages, 15, 20, 25 and 30 kV, have been applied, so that the Ge Kα X-ray line at 9.87 keV could be excited.
Over the past decades, the growing industry working for lightweight constructions has demanded materials exhibiting improved properties such as higher mechanical modulus and strength, better chemical resistance and lower costs of production.
It is known that especially nanofibers tend to enhance the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of polymers. Therefore, some types of nanofibers are already being used embedded in polymeric matrix of sports equipment, aircraft parts and automobile components. However, nanofibers are a relatively new material category, the consequences of which for mankind are not yet fully known. Nanofibers detached from polymeric materials can be released into the environment during, e.g., processing and aging. The risks in dealing with such nanofibers are generally unknown, even if further studies of health aspects are being carried out. Problems always arise when the fibers can penetrate the cells, thus the mechanical rigidity of nanofibers is a key factor in assessing the risks. Common methods describe the geometry of nanofibers. These methods are necessary, but not sufficient to describe the mechanical properties, as for during manufacture and aging these properties may change; the modulus and strength values may differ from those of the original fibers.
Different experimental techniques for nanomechanical testing have been studied using the atomic force microscope, the scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope, showing promising results.
This project aims to evaluate the bending stiffness of CNTs with an experimental setup within the Dynamic Scanning Electron Microscope. Based on the Euller-Bernoulli beam theory, the Young’s modulus of CNTs can be obtained using the resonance frequency of mechanically excited nanofibers, its dimensions and density. The resonance frequency is acquired by extracting the signals of the secondary electrons when the nanofibers show significant vibration movement, also possible to be seen on the microscope images. The electronic signals of the secondary electrons are filtered and treated by a lock-in amplifier, so the corresponding amplitude and phase values can be evaluated. This method could be applied to any nanofiber that has the shape similar to a symmetric beam.
For the determination of porosity of Ir oxide thin films, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) can be used as part of a combined SEM/EDS/STRATAGem analysis. The mass deposition (in μg cm-2) of films was calculated with the analysis software STRATAGem via k-values measured with EDS. The average density of coated films was obtained from the mass deposition and the film thickness as measured by the cross-section SEM. The porosity was calculated by dividing the average film density by the bulk (theoretical) density of the film material.
Film porosities were counterchecked by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) using the Bruggeman effective medium approximation (BEMA).
The results obtained by both analytical approaches/methods used, SEM/EDS/STRATAGem and SE were in good agreement.
The formation and alignment of gel fibres in alkanes (solvents) was investigated. The gel fibres consist of small amphiphilic molecules containing a C60 molecule and a small ligand chain. Under the right conditions, these self-assemble in core-shell micelles, which themselves pack into micron-sized fibre-like structures. These can be aligned using a strong magnetic field, as investigated using SANS with a 17T superconducting magnet at a range of field strengths.
Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) of iron is usually attributed to sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) which act upon the metal by the reactiveness of hydrogen sulfide, and by withdrawal of the available electrons in electrical contact with the metal. Methanogenic archaea are supposed to cause MIC. Because they do not produce hydrogen sulfide, withdrawal of electrons may be their main corrosive mechanism; however, mechanistic details and kinetics of the overall process are poorly understood. Precipitation of siderite (4Fe + 5HCO3 + 5H+ 4FeCO3 + CH4 + 3H2O) can lead to an insulating layer on the metal surface and lower the corrosion rate. Still, the extent of FeCO3 precipitation may be significantly influenced by environmental conditions such as pH and advective processes.
Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) of iron is usually attributed to sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) which act upon the metal by the reactiveness of hydrogen sulfide, and by withdrawal of the available electrons in electrical contact with the metal. Methanogenic archaea are supposed to cause MIC. Because they do not produce hydrogen sulfide, withdrawal of electrons may be their main corrosive mechanism; however, mechanistic details and kinetics of the overall process are poorly understood. Precipitation of siderite (4Fe + 5HCO3 + 5H+ 4FeCO3 + CH4 + 3H2O) can lead to an insulating layer on the metal surface and lower the corrosion rate. Still, the extent of FeCO3 precipitation may be significantly influenced by environmental conditions such as pH and advective processes.
Polynuclear aluminium species (Al13 keggin cluster) find application in different areas like water purification [1], contaminant transport [2], and as pilling clays with high specific surface areas[3], due to their strong binding ability to aggregates and high positive charge.
In the present contribution, we report on the in situ investigation of the Al13 sulfate synthesis by synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Al13 cluster were crystallized by precipitating hydrolyzed aluminum solutions by the addition of sodium sulfate. The measurements were performed using a custom-made acoustic levitator as sample holder. The study provides information about the intermediates during the crystallization process. From the data, a mechanism was derived indicating the influence of the crystallization process.
We present the synthesis of four mesoporous templated iron oxides: Ferrihydrite, Hematite, Maghemite, Magnetite/Maghemite and the influence of water on the crystallization mechanism and the kinetics. The absence of water stabilize the ferrihydrite structure. By monitoring the dissolution in situ by using a QCMB and ex situ microscopy we got details in the dissolution mechanism of ferrihydrite.
Synchrotron XPS in the soft-X-ray regime is suitable for the detection of light elements commonly found in biological samples. Various model systems of biofilms have been developed and characterised at synchrotron- and lab-based facilities. By obtaining the chemical composition at various information depths, the vertical distribution of iodine in an artificial biofilm have been determined.
In the development of certified reference materials (CRM), it is necessary to examine appropriate materials in advance for homogeneity and stability to meet the criteria of a CRM.
In this case, the materials properties are characterized at the actual time without being possible to give a prognosis for suitability in the following years.
It is, therefore, necessary to follow the certified material parameters via a monitoring system over the years on sale.
For the current development of CRMs, the gained experience from long-term stability studies about the first generation of porous CRMs is significant. This experience is useful to better assess the suitability of candidate materials and thus develop higher quality CRMs in the future.
A comparison between the gas sorption CRM materials silica, activated carbons, alpha alumina and anatase titanium oxides will illustrate the importance of long-term stability studies on porous CRMs.
Data analysis of SAS measurements has been dominated by the classical curve fitting approach. This method finds optimal parameters of a scattering model composed of analytical expressions. SASfit represents such a classical curve fitting toolbox: it is one of the mature programs for small-angle scattering data analysis and has been available and used for many years. The latest developments [1] will be extended by improving the interoperability of the extensive data base of models with third-party analysis software. An updated format of model definitions is also presented, which allows model function plug-ins to be used with the Python language.
To complement the classical curve fitting method, the user-friendly opensource Monte Carlo regression package McSAS was developed. Most importantly, the form-free Monte Carlo approach of McSAS means that it is not necessary to provide any further mathematical restrictions to the Parameter distribution. Future developments include separating the core optimization from the GUI (allowing 'headless' integration), as well as parallel computing which reduces the computing time proportional to the number of available computing cores. The headless mode is presented by an example of Operation within interactive programming environments such as a Jupyter notebook.
The promising results of Monte Carlo based data analysis for determining form-free Parameter distributions motivated the evaluation of the method with dynamic light scattering (DLS) data. For this purpose, the method was adapted for analyzing correlation curves such as those from multi-angle dynamic light scattering (DLS) data. The development of McDLS intends to overcome limitations of existing methods at reliably determining the modality of size distributions. An example of Monte Carlo based data analysis of multimodal DLS measurements will be presented.
Mechanochemistry is widely applicable for the synthesis of inorganic, metal-organic, and organic compounds. It is known for short reaction times, nearly quantitative conversions, and decreasing amount of solvents, which opens the field to more environmentally friendly syntheses routes. Among organic syntheses, the Knoevenagel condensation is an important C-C bond forming reaction leading to α,β-unsaturated compounds. To gain more information on the underlying processes, we investigated the syntheses by a combination of different in situ investigation techniques, including synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and thermography. This combination provides information on the structural changes and temperature influences during milling. Benzaldehyde derivates (nitro- and fluoro-derivates) reacted with malononitrile to the respective benzylidenemalononitriles. The in situ investigations show direct and quantitative conversions. In the case of the fluorinated benzaldehyde derivates we showed the possibility of using liquid substrates in mechanochemical organic synthesis. Surprisingly, after crystallization from a viscous state, the material was suitable for single-crystal X-ray analysis.
Due to the growing number of engineered nanomaterials (NM) the need for a reliable risk assessment for these materials is today bigger than ever before. Especially the nanomaterial’s surface or shell directly interacts with its environment and therefore is a crucial factor for NM’ toxicity or functionality.
Especially, titania is one of the NM with the greatest technological importance. It is used for a large number of applications and can be found in food, cosmetics, glasses, mirrors, paints to mention only a few. In 2012, experts estimate[d] the annual European nano-titania production or utilization at an amount of more than 10,000 t.
Great progress has been achieved in the area of NM investigation and characterization during the past decade. A variety of publications provide information about technological innovation as well as hazard potential, which means the potential risk on human health and ecosystems. However, enhanced data harmonization and well-defined standards for nanomaterial analysis, could significantly improve the reliability of such studies which often suffers from varying methods, parameters and sample preparations. To develop a suitable approach for the NM’s risk assessment, the ACEnano project aims at establishing a toolbox of verified methods. The size of this well-structured European project allows to handle even those big challenges like data harmonization and standardization.
Due to its powerful combination of superior surface sensitivity and lateral resolution down to the Nano regime, ToF-SIMS could become one of these toolbox methods. Supported by multivariate data analysis such as principal component analysis (PCA), the method can be used for sub-classification of nanomaterial families using slight differences in surface chemistry.
Here, we show a PCA supported classification of titania nanoparticles from various sources (NIST, JRC, BAM) with ToF-SIMS. Parameters like size, shell, pre-preparation and crystal system cause variance in the data and allow us to distinguish the species from each other. Moreover, this variance in the data also occurs and can be used for investigation when we compare our measurements of particle ensembles with those of grown titania films. The carefully selected and refined peaks allow a reasonable particle categorization and further a reliable allocation of blank feeds, which introduces a promising approach for NM characterization in the context of NM risk assessment.
The test material EDS-TM001 together with an accompanying software package, “EDX spectrometer check”, have been made available in 2009 by BAM to be employed by EDS (energy dispersive spectrometer) users to check the performance of an EDS attached to the SEM. Particularly for test laboratories operating under accreditation schemes like ISO/IEC 17025, a periodical control of the critical instrumental parameters in end-user laboratories is required. With EDS-TM001 or EDS-TM002 (second generation) test material, this periodical check is reduced to the acquisition of only one 10 kV spectrum. The software “EDX spectrometer check” is destined to evaluate automatically this spectrum and determine the performance of the EDS in terms of energy resolution and calibration as well as possible alteration of low-energy efficiency due to detector contamination. Energy resolution can be compared with the specified values according to the international ISO standard ISO 15632:2012. EDS-TM is a synthetic material consisting of a thick layer of C, Al, Mn, Cu and Zr in a well-defined composition, deposited on a steel (in case of EDS-TM001) or silicon (in case of EDS-TM002) substrate. Meanwhile, more than one hundred laboratories (most of them located in Germany) use the EDS-TM001 or EDS-TM002 test material for the periodical check of their EDS. A detailed description of the test material and software together with examples of application was published recently. New results and gained experiences will be presented as well.
Three current research projects performed at BAM’s Division for Surface Analysis and Interfacial Chemistry are presented that tackle important challenges with regard to the characterization of nanomaterials: 1) The characterization at ambient pressure, 2) the investigation of core-shell nanoparticles, and 3) the characterization of non-spherical particles by electron microscopy.
1) Surface analytical techniques such as Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) or Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) typically require measurements in ultra-high vacuum. However, for many applications (e.g. catalysis and nanotoxicology) it is important to know the surface chemical properties of nanomaterials at ambient conditions. Therefore, near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) was used to investigate nanoparticles in suspension. The used instrumental set-up allows to directly insert nanoparticle suspensions into the analysis chamber and to measure without prior sample preparation. Compared to dry reference samples measured under high-vacuum, a shift towards higher binding energies was observed for silver nanoparticles in water, indicating a change of surface potential at the water-nanoparticle interface.
2) To determine the dimensions of core-shell nanoparticles (shell thickness, core and total diameter), scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) was used. The analyzed model system consists of a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) core surrounded by a polystyrene (PS) shell, providing a strong X-ray absorption contrast at the C K-edge and a well-defined interface. The introduced STXM‐based methodology yields particle dimensions in agreement with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results and provides additional information such as the position of the particle core, which cannot be extracted from a SEM micrograph.
3) The accurate measurement of size distributions of non-spherically shaped nanoparticles (representing most of the industrial nanoparticulate materials) is a challenging analytical task. High-resolution electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) is best suited to access the shape of individual nanoparticles. To fill the gap between ideal, monodisperse particles of spherical shape and complex real-world samples, BAM has started the work to develop reference nanoparticles of controlled shape, such as TiO2 platelets, bipyramids, and elongated particles. Results of a recent ISO inter-laboratory comparison will be shown with emphasis on the measurement parameters, descriptors and data analysis.
Due to their excellent combination of ductility, strength and corrosive resistance, austenitic stainless steels (ASS) are widely used in many industrial applications. Thus, these steel grades can be found as structural components in the (petro-)chemical industry, in offshore applications and more recent for storage and transport of hydrogen fuel. Steels employed for these applications are exposed to aggressive environments and hydrogen containing media. The ingress and accumulation of hydrogen into the microstructure is commonly observed during service leading to a phenomenon called “hydrogen embrittlement”. A loss in ductility and strength, the formation of cracks and phase transformations are typical features of this hydrogen-induced degradation of mechanical properties.
Although, great efforts are made to understanding hydrogen embrittlement, there is an ongoing debate of the underlying mechanisms. This knowledge is crucial for the safe use and durability of components on the one side and the development of new materials on the other.
Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was proven to be a powerful tool for depicting the distribution of the hydrogen isotope deuterium in the microstructure of austenitic and duplex steels. The combination with imaging techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), delivering structural and morphological information, creates a comprehensive picture of the hydrogen/deuterium-induced effects in the materials. All the gathered data is treated with principal component analysis (PCA) and data fusion to enhance the depth of information.
The mobility of hydrogen and deuterium in a steel microstructure is affected by external mechanical stress. To investigate the behaviour of deuterium in a strained microstructure, a new in situ experimental approach was developed. This gives the possibility of analysing samples in the SIMS instrument simultaneously to four-point-bending-tests.
Specimens made from ASS AISI 304L were electrochemically charged with deuterium instead of hydrogen. This necessity stems from the difficulty to separate between artificially charged hydrogen and hydrogen existing in the pristine material or adsorbed from the rest gas in the analysis chamber. Nonetheless, similar diffusion, permeation and solubility data allow to draw qualitative conclusions from the experiments, which are relevant for the application addressed.
Laser-induced plasma (LIP) has drawn significant amount of attentions in the past decades, particular in elemental analyses for solid or liquid samples. Through proper focusing of the highly energetic laser beam, the plasma can also be ignited in the ambient air, where airborne analytes can be ionized. Such an effect enabled the use of airborne LIP as an ambient ionization source for mass spectrometric analyses. In contrast to other ambient desorption/ionization sources, airborne LIP does not require a specific discharge medium or expensive gas stream. Meanwhile, the airborne LIP produces reagent ion species for both proton-transfer and charge-transfer reactions in addition to the vacuum ultraviolent photons that are capable of promoting single photon ionization, which can be utilized to ionize polar and non-polar analytes. In order to gauge the analytical performance of airborne LIP, it is critical to understand the undergoing chemistry and physics during and after the plasma formation.
Due to the ambient nature of airborne LIP, the variations of air composition and flow strongly affect the plasma behaviors. Preliminary result suggested the addition of a laminar flow of nitrogen gas favored the formation of protonated species (MH+) against the molecular ones (M+). Although the gas addition approach cannot fully tune the ionization process towards the specific production of pseudo-molecular species versus molecular ones, the alternation of molecular ion formation can be used for analyte recognitions through post processing of the ion patterns. The pulsed character of the used lasers makes the reagent ion equilibrium both transient- and highly fluid-dynamically controlled. The acoustic shock-waves induced by the airborne LIP get affected by an applied gas streams towards the plasma center, influencing the molecular-ion and ion-ion interactions in the near proximity of the plasma.
To understand the airborne LIP formation, the temporally and spatially resolved optical emission spectra were recorded. The results will be correlated to time-resolved mass-spectrometric investigations of the ion profile during different stages of the plasma formation. As one example, the formation of pyrylium ion originating from aromatic compounds will be highlighted.
A femto-second pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) procedure for the generation of titanium oxide nanoparticles (NP) is reported with the purpose of understanding morphology and structure of the newly generated NPs. Ablation duration was varied for optimization of NP generation processes between 10 and 90 min. Surface morphology of NPs as well as their size and shape (distribution) were analysed by various complementary electron microscopy techniques, i.e. SEM, TSEM and TEM. The crystalline structure of titanium oxide particles was investigated by XRD and HR-TEM. Concentration of generated titanium oxide NPs in liquid was analysed by ICP-MS. A mix of crystalline (mainly anatase), partly crystalline and amorphous spherical titanium oxide NPs can be reported having a mean size between 10 and 20 nm, which is rather independent of the laser ablation (LA) duration. A second component consisting of irregularly shaped, but crystalline titanium oxide nanostructures is co-generated in the LA water, with more pronounced occurrence at longer LA times. The provenance of this component is assigned to those spherical particles generated in suspension and passing through the converging laser beam, being hence subject to secondary irradiation effects, e. g. fragmentation.
Among the very few techniques to localize hydrogen (H) at the microscale in steels, Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was proven to be a reliable tool. The necessity to detect hydrogen stems from its deleterious effects in metals, that are often used as structural components and to obtain better understanding of the underlying metallurgical mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) which are still unclear.
Austenitic stainless steels are nowadays commonly used in a wide variety of application, from hydrogen transport and storage facilities to petrochemical and offshore applications where they are exposed to aggressive environments and therefore prone to HE. One of the greater risks in the austenitic class is the embrittlement of the material due to the instability of the γ austenite and its transformation into a brittle α martensitic phase. This transformation takes place due to the local stresses that are induced by the uptake of hydrogen during service. Nonetheless, it was shown that this transformation can occur as an artefact during SIMS analysis itself where Cs-sputtering is necessary not only to remove surface contaminations but mainly to enhance H/D secondary ion yield.
In the following contribution we show the influence of different sputtering conditions on AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel in order to distinguish the artefact from the hydrogen induced transformation. The material was charged electrochemically in a deuterium based electrolyte. Deuterium (D) must be in these experiments as a replacement for hydrogen which cannot be used because adsorbed hydrogen superimposes hydrogen originating from charging the sample in the SIMS images. ToF-SIMS analyses were conducted by ToF SIMS IV (IONTOF GmbH, Münster, Germany). The experiments were carried out on deuterium charged and non-charged samples. The structural characterization was carried out by SEM and EBSD examinations before and after charging, both with a Leo Gemeni 1530VP field-emission scanning electron microscope and a Zeiss Supra 40 instrument (Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Oberkochen, Germany). The results showed that the use of 1keV Cs+ beam induces stacking faults while higher sputter beam energies results in γ→α transformation.
The reduction of harmful emissions to the environment is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. To achieve this goal, it is inevitable to shift from using fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Within this transition, hydrogen can play a key role serving as fuel in transportation and as means for energy storage.
The storage and transport of hydrogen using austenitic stainless steels as the infrastructure, as well as the use of these grades in hydrogen containing aggressive environments, remains problematic. The degradation of the mechanical properties and the possibility of phase transformation by ingress and accumulation of hydrogen are the main drawbacks. Advanced studies of the behaviour of hydrogen in austenite is necessary to fully understand the occurring damage processes. This knowledge is crucial for the safe use of components in industry and transportation facilities of hydrogen.
A powerful tool for depicting the distribution of hydrogen in steels, with high accuracy and resolution, is time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). We here present a comprehensive research on the hydrogen degradation processes in AISI 304L based on electrochemical charging and subsequent ToF-SIMS experiments. To obtain furthermore information about the structural composition and cracking behaviour, electron-backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed afterwards. All the gathered data was treated employing data fusion, thus creating a thorough portrait of hydrogen diffusion and its damaging effects in AISI 304L.
Specimens were charged with deuterium instead of hydrogen. This necessity stems from the difficulty to separate between artificially charged hydrogen and traces existing in the material or adsorbed from the rest gas in the analysis chamber. Similar diffusion and permeation behaviour, as well as solubility, allow nonetheless to draw onclusions from the experiments.
The pollution of marine, limnic and terrestrial environments with plastic waste and the potential impact especially on biota and humans has received increasing attention in recent years. Special focus is on particles smaller than 5 mm, the so-called microplastics. Consequently, possible regulations of emission and remediation efforts require sound information on the occurrence and fate of microplastics in the respective environmental compartments.
Microplastics (MP) differ from classical organic pollutants in biota or the environment in that they do not consist of clearly defined low-molecular weight compounds but of polymer particulates with varying sizes and chemical compositions. This leads to specific challenges regarding the analytical techniques to be employed for their identification and quantification.
Microplastics are defined as polymer particle in the size range between 1 µm and 5 mm and cover a wide range of polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate in variable geometric shapes. Properties relevant for environmental microplastics are polymer type, particle form and size distribution, surface morphology (aging status) and total mass fraction contained in a given sample. Polymer identification and particle size estimation using optical methods (IR and Raman spectroscopy) are time consuming and complicated by surface characteristics as a result of weathering, soiling, and microbial colonisation. Total mass fractions of MP in environmental samples can be determined by thermo-analytical methods.
There are currently no standardised methods for sampling, sampling preparation, or detection of MP in environmental samples. So far, qualitative and quantitative investigations are done by research institutes and have not reached the routine laboratory community. The near future will see harmonisation efforts of MP mass fraction determination in environmental matrices by thermo-analytical procedures.
The immediate need for reference materials during method development and comparison is outlined with regard to relevant matrix/polymer compositions, existing regulations and currently achievable detection limits. Examples for solid environmental matrix reference materials are discussed regarding the challenges encountered with matrices and polymer types as well as homogeneity testing and property value characterisation.
During the last years, there has been a rapid rise in the use of nanomaterials in consumer products. Especially silver nanoparticles are frequently used because of their well-known optical and antimicrobial properties. However, the toxicological studies focusing on silver nanoparticles are controversial, either claiming or denying a specific nano-efffect. To contribute to localizing nanoparticles in toxicological studies and to investigate the interaction of particles with cells, a fluorescent marker is often used to monitor their transport and possible degradation. A major problem, in this context is the issue of binding stability of a fluorescent marker which is attached to the particle.
In order to overcome this problem we provide an investigation of the binding properties of fluorescence-labeled BSA to small silver nanoparticles. Therefore, we synthesized small silver nanoparticles which are stabilized by poly(acrylic acid). The particles are available as reference candidate material and were thoroughly characterized in an earlier study. The ligand was exchanged by fluorescence marked albumin (BSA-FITC). The adsorption of the ligands was monitored by dynamic light scattering (DLS). To verify that the observed effects on the hydrodynamic radius originate from the successful ligand exchange and not from agglomeration or aggregation we used small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The fluorescent particles were characterized by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Afterwards, desorption of the ligand BSA-FITC was monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy and the uptake of particles in different in vitro models was studied.
The particles are spherical and show no sign of aggregation after successful ligand exchange. The fluorescence intensity is quenched significantly by the presence of the silver cores as expected, but the remaining fluorescence intensity was high enough to use these particles in biological investigations. Half-life of fluorescence labeling on the particle was 21 d in a highly concentrated solution of non-labeled BSA. Thus, a very high dilution and long incubation times are needed to remove BSA-FITC from the particles. Finally, the fluorescence-labeled silver nanoparticles were used for uptake studies in human liver and intestinal cells, showing a high uptake for HepG2 liver cells and almost no uptake in differentiated intestinal Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, we showed production of fluorescence-marked silver nanoparticles. The fluorescence marker is strongly adsorbed to the silver surface which is crucial for future investigations in biological matrices. This is necessary for a successful investigation of the toxicological potential of silver nanoparticles.
In-situ SAXS techniques
(2018)
This project studies the orientation of nanoparticles under the influence of external stimuli such as electric fields, magnetic fields and ultra-sonic vibrations. A set of functional sample holders that fit inside the sample chamber of a state-of-the-art Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) machine, called the “Multi-scale Analyzer for Ultrafine Structures” (MAUS).
The MAUS has been custom engineered to serve as a miniaturized Synchrotron, thus enabling standard material to be characterized to a high standard. Our work is needed to detail the fine characterization of reference nano-particles, not only on the nano-scale, but also coupled with external agents.
A second aim of this project is to verify a few proof-of-concept designs for the alignment of nano-particles. Where the alignment of nano-particles In-Situ is intended to further develop 3D printing technologies, and SAXS is an ideal choice to study the alignment of an oriented ensemble.
For more information about the MAUS;
https://www.bam.de/Content/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2018/AnalyticalSciences/2018-01-31-mit-maus-an-die-spitze-der-nano-forschung.html
This poster deals with improvements and characteriztion of small-angle scattering limitations, by looking at the trifecta of Data collection and uncertainty propagation, data analysis methodologies, and real-world tests. It is found that - with appropriate care and instrumentation - accuracies of 1% on mean nanomaterial sizes, and 10% on the size distribution width as well as the volume fraction can be achieved.
The utilization of silver nanoparticles in consumer related products has significantly increased over the last decade, especially due to their antimicrobial properties. Today they are used in a high variety of products ranging from food containers over children toys and textiles. Therefore, research on the toxicological potential of silver nanoparticles becomes increasingly important for a high amount of studies. Unfortunately, the results of these studies are extremely diverse and do not lead to a consistent evaluation. The central problem lies in the use of a wide range of silver nanoparticles, which show a broad size distribution. To overcome this problem we report on the synthesis and application of small silver nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (R = 3.1 nm, σ = 0.6 nm). The poly(acrylic acid) stabilized particles are thoroughly characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The particles are highly stable and show no aggregation for more than six months. It is foreseen to use these thoroughly characterized nanoparticles as reference material to compare the catalytic and biological properties of functionalized silver nanoparticles. As a first step the particles are used in the first world-wide inter-laboratory comparison of SAXS. Furthermore, the stabilizing ligand PAA can be easily exchanged by biomolecules to modify the surface functionality. Replacements of PAA with glutathione (GSH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been performed as examples. With this flexible system first applications regarding biological application in an artificial digestion procedure have been performed. Thereby the changes in size distribution and aggregation state were monitored by SAXS. Additionally these particles show a high catalytic activity of (436 ± 24) L g-1 s-1 in the reduction of 4- nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. This activity is two orders of magnitude higher than for other silver particles in the literature.
Ever since increasing a reaction’s yield while shortening the reaction time is the main objective in synthesis optimization. Microwave reactors meet these demands. In literature however their usage is under discussion due to claims of the existence of non-thermal effects resulting from the microwave radiation. Especially for nano-reference-material syntheses it is of crucial importance to be aware of influences on the reaction pathway. Therefore, we compare ultra-small silver nanoparticles with mean radii of 3 nm, synthesized via conventional and microwave heating.
We employed a versatile one-pot polyol synthesis of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) stabilized silver nanoparticles, which display superior catalytic properties. No microwave specific effects in terms of particle size distribution characteristics, as derived by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), are revealed. Due to the microwave reactor’s characteristics of a closed system, syntheses can be carried out at temperatures beyond the solvent’s boiling point. Particle formation was accelerated by a factor of 30 by increasing the reaction temperature from 200 °C to 250 °C. The particle growth process follows a cluster coalescence mechanism.
A post-synthetic incubation step at 250 °C induces a further growth of the particles while the size distribution broadens. Thus, utilization of microwave reactors enables an enormous decrease of the reaction time as well as the opportunity of tuning the particles’ size. Possibly, decomposition of the stabilizing ligand at elevated temperatures results in reduced yields. A temperature of 250 °C and a corresponding reaction time of 30 s represent a compromise between short reaction times and high yields.
The test material EDS-TM001 together with an accompanying software package, “EDX spectrometer check”, have been made available in 2009 by BAM to be employed by EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer) users to check the performance of an EDS attached to the SEM. Particularly for test laboratories operating under accreditation schemes like ISO/IEC 17025, a periodical control of the critical instrumental parameters in end-user laboratories is required. With EDS-TM001 or EDS-TM002 (second generation) test material, this periodical check is simplified to the acquisition of only one 10 kV spectrum. The software “EDX spectrometer check” is destined to evaluate automatically this spectrum and determine the performance of the EDS in terms of energy resolution and calibration, as well as possible alteration of low-energy Efficiency due to detector contamination. Energy resolution can be compared with the specified values according to the international ISO standard ISO 15632:2012. EDS-TM is a synthetic material consisting of a 6 μm thick layer of C, Al, Mn, Cu and Zr deposited on a steel (in case of EDS-TM001) or silicon (in case of EDS-TM002) substrate. The chemical composition of EDS-TM was chosen such as to give nearly equal intensities of the low energy lines in a 10 kV spectrum, thus, making it very sensitive against spectrometer efficiency changes. Meanwhile, about 150 laboratories use the EDS-TM001 or EDS-TM002 test material for the periodical check of their EDS. A detailed description of the test material and software together with examples of application was published recently. New results and gained experiences will be presented as well. When the FWHM of the X-ray lines in the EDS-TM spectrum are determined, the spectrum background must be subtracted accurately. The applied physical background subtraction procedure is robust and takes into account the transmission of the detector window. While the previous version considers only Moxtek AP windows, the new version includes selection of silicon Nitride window and the case of windowless detector. Moreover, the new version allows importing of spectra in Bruker spx-format and EMSA/MSA files from EDAX TEAM software.
Windowless detectors have been also tested demonstrating long-term stability after repeated heating and cooling cycles. In this case, the appropriate Background subtraction is decisive for accurate detector characterization. Detailed results will be presented.
It was demonstrated in the past that the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) can be applied to determine accurately both elemental composition and thickness of thin films by using the dedicated software package for thin film analysis Stratagem. A relatively small number of film materials such as pure metallic films of platinum and nickel, binary alloys of Fe-Ni, and Pt-Ni-Co ternary alloy films has been reported in literature as working successfully. Further, the software can be applied ‘inversely’, i.e., by feeding it with the thickness of the film and using the determined mass coating, one can easily calculate the film density, which for porous layers leads us to the true film porosity.
The present study repeats measurements on an already tested system of Fe-Ni thin films on silicon and reports for the first-time results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide substrate. Standard-based and standardless EPMA (with EDS) results were used in combination with Stratagem for the quantification.
Further, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) can be used for the determination of elemental composition and thickness of such films as well. In this case, XRF with a μ-focus X-ray source (μ-XRF) attached to a SEM was applied. For quantification, a fundamental parameter (FP) approach has been used to calculate standard-based and standardless results. Compared to EPMA, XRF has a larger information depth and a higher elemental sensitivity because of a generally lower background.
Both thin film systems have been chosen as samples of an international round robin test (RRT) organised in the frame of standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 201 ‘Surface chemical analysis’, under the lead of KRISS. The main objective of the RRT is to compare the results of atomic fractions of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy films obtained by different surface Analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) applied in the depth-profiling operation mode.
Five samples of different atomic fractions of each thin film system, i.e., Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex, have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition on silicon and Al2O3 wafers, respectively. Reference FeNi and SiGe films with well-known elemental composition and thickness have been also supplied for standard-based analysis. The atomic fractions of all the samples including the references have been certified by RBS (Rutherford backscattering spectrometry) and ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy).
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material, as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques and requires new approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution, we characterise thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at an SEM.
Mesoporous iridium oxide - titanium oxide (IrOx-TiOx) films were prepared via dip-coating of a solution containing a triblock-copolymer as structure-directing agent, an iridium precursor as well as a titanium precursor in ethanol. IrOx-TiOx films were synthesized with different amounts of iridium and calcined in air. The SEM micrographs reveal for all films the achievement of a well-ordered mesoporous structure and homogeneous films with thicknesses between 67 nm and 152 nm.
For the determination of film elemental composition and porosity, EPMA can be used as part of a combined SEM/EDS/STRATAGem analysis. Elemental compositions and mass depositions (in μg cm-2) of IrOx-TiOx films were calculated with the thin film analysis Software STRATAGem via k-values measured with SEM/EDS. Pure bulk Ir, TiO2 and Si were measured as references. The average density of the films was obtained from the mass Deposition and the film thickness as measured by cross-section SEM. The porosity was then extracted from the measured average film density divided by a theoretical bulk density. The latter is calculated from the weight fractions of IrOx and TiOx as determined with STRATAGem and the bulk mass densities of IrO2 and TiO2 (rutil) from literature.
The fitting results of the k-values from the STRATAGem software, which are in fair agreement with the measured k-values.
The application of the SEM/EDS/STRATAGem approach for accurate porosity determination on pure mesoporous TiOx films and pure porous IrOx films has been recently demonstrated.
The porosities of pure IrOx, TiOx and mixed IrOx-TiOx films in this study have been determined. The contribution will assess in detail the advantages and limitations of the combined SEM/EDS/STRATAGem analysis for the morphology and porosity of thin metal oxide films. Moreover, the comparison with other measurement techniques and the combination of datasets from multiple measurements will be discussed.
Microbeam analysis data are of continuously improving quality, this owing mainly to developments in instrumentation (hardware and software) and computer performance. The knowledge and skills of the operators must be also kept correspondingly updated. To be deemed as technically competent, the laboratories must be accredited according to an accreditation scheme, mostly following ISO/IEC 17025.
International standards are able to provide requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics of methods, instruments or samples with the final goal that these can be used consistently in accredited laboratories. In the field of electron microscopy and microbeam Analysis standardisation and metrology are terms that are encountered rather seldom at major conferences and scientific publications. Several ISO standards already published and used successfully by a large part of the electron microscopy and microbeam analysis community. For example, file formats such as EMSA/MSA for spectral-data exchange or tagged image file format (TIFF) for SEM images; procedures for the specification of X-ray spectrometers, the specification of certified reference materials (CRMs), and for measurement of average grain size by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD); and guidelines for calibrating image magnification in SEM or TEM. A main task of ISO technical committee TC 202 ‘Microbeam Analysis’ is to identify feasible projects/proposals needed to be developed into new international standards, particularly in respect to recent technology, such the silicon drift detector (SDD).
As far as the metrological aspects are regarded, The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) through the Consultative Committee for the Amount of Substance (CCQM) is concerned with the metrological aspect in Chemistry and Biology. In particular, the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) assists in identifying and establishing inter-laboratory work to test the consistency as well as to improve the traceability of spatially resolved chemical surface analysis at the micro and nanoscale. Examples of recent projects on quantitative microbeam analysis at low energies, such as the quantification of light elements such as carbon and nitrogen will be presented.
The significant sources of measurement uncertainty will be emphasized. These are: quality of the unknown and the reference materials used, the quantification model, instrumental parameters like take-off-angle, spectrometer efficiency, and particularly the beam current. The crucial importance of working with uniform and well-defined measurement and data evaluation protocols will be discussed in compliance with the ISO document “Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM)”.
Another international platform where pre-standardisation work can be organised is VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards). International collaborative Projects aim at providing the technical basis for harmonised measurements, testing, specifications, and standards to be further developed at ISO level. One key point of VAMAS activities is constituted by inter-laboratory comparisons for high-quality data. In the field of microbeam analysis, the technical working area (TWA) 37 Quantitative Microstructural Analysis deals with corresponding projects. Good ideas, e.g., on analysis at low energies, are particularly encouraged by directly contacting the author. Support and guidance will be supplied.
The simultaneous detection of different analytes has gained increasing importance in recent years, especially in the fields of environmental and health monitoring. Particularly suitable formats for multiplexing are bead-based assays. The beads employed need to fulfil size and density requirements important for instance for flow cytometry and shall exhibit an as high as possible surface area for anchoring capture probes to allow for low limits of detection. Core/shell particles are ideally suited in this sense because of their modularity in design and adaptability for various (bio)analytical assays. Here, polystyrene particles coated with different kinds of mesoporous silica shells are presented, possessing distinctly higher surface areas in comparison to non-porous core/shell particles. Different factors such as pH and amount and type of mediator salt used during shell preparation were evaluated with shell inspection by scanning/transmission scanning electron microscopy (SEM/tSEM) being key to architecture control of the monodisperse particles.
For a cytometric model assay, the optimized core/shell particles were functionalized with capture oligonucleotides for DNA detection. After covalent attachment of single-stranded DNA to the silane-modified silica surface, a hybridisation assay using labelled t-DNA complementary strands was carried out to demonstrate particle performance, showing how tailoring of the shell’s surface area controls sensitivity and dynamic range of the assay. Finally, a multiplex assay for the determination of DNA from different human papilloma virus (HPV) lines was developed. Using our optimized particles, we were able to detect down to 10 amolμl‒1, which is an improvement of one order of magnitude compared to assays using non-porous particles reported in the literature. In addition, multiplexed detection could successfully be demonstrated.
We developed a setup for time- and lateral-resolved X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. A dispersive element is placed behind the sample to investigate. The broadband incoming beam transmits the sample, is then dispersed and finally collected by a position sensitive detector. This allows the recording of a whole X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) or extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum in a single shot. The dispersive element is a Si(111) crystal, bent by means of a so called wafer bender, developed in house. Our setup is very flexible, easy to adjust and allows a time resolution down to one second which can be used to follow chemical reactions with dynamics on this time scale.
Inorganic nanoparticles are used to improve the performance of epoxy as the matrix phase in fiber-reinforced composites used for aerospace applications. The effectiveness of nanofillers on property enhancement of thermosetting polymers depends on many factors including the interaction between the functional groups of nanofillers and the polymer reactants. In the current work, we study the effect of boehmite nanoparticles (BNPs) on properties of anhydride-cured bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether (DGEBA). Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and a high-resolution force measurement approach called intermodulation atomic force microscopy (ImAFM) were carried out to investigate the thermomechanical and nanomechanical properties of this material, respectively. It was found that BNPs lead to decrease of glass transition temperature (Tg) and crosslink density of the polymer network meanwhile significantly enhancing the Young’s modulus. Besides formation of a soft interphase near the particles, significant changes in local stiffness of polymer matrix far from the interphase was observed with ImAFM. Thus, boehmite induces long-range chemical alteration on the matrix. This effect has a higher impact on overall composite properties compared to the formation of interphase which is only a short-range effect. The local chemical evaluations on the soft interphase using an infrared-AFM method (NanoIR) revealed the accumulation of anhydride hardener near the boehmite interface. Based on these observations the effect of boehmite on the curing of epoxy is hypothesized to be governed by the strong interaction between boehmite and the anhydride. This interaction causes changes the ratio of reactants in the epoxy mixture and hence alteration of curing pathway and the network architecture. In future studies we examine this hypothesis by measuring the thermomechanical properties of cured epoxies in which the epoxy-hardener ratio is systematically altered and further comparing to those properties of nanocomposites shown in the current study.
Nanoparticles (NP) have become important materials for a variety of chemical technologies. The enhanced surface-area-to-volume ratio of NPs, making them excellent for use as catalyst, in analytical assays, and for antimicrobial applications.
Nickel NPs have exhibited immense potential as important catalyst for the Sabatier reaction, i.e. converting waste to energy via transformation of CO2 into CH4, and could replace the rare earth elements such as Ru, PT, or Rh. In this work we describe the solvothermal synthesis of monometallic and bimetallic nickel nanoparticles.
Monodisperse monometallic Ni NPs were synthesized using Oleylamin as solvent and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were investigated using small angle scattering (SAXS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), showing that the NPs are stable while the surface is not entirely covered. However, Ni has a high propensity to undergo oxidation, and becoming deactivated by coke formation. Hence, we further explore the preparation of bimetallic NPs, where a second metal is added to stabilize the Ni.
Bimetallic Cu-Ni NPs were synthesized by simultaneous solvothermal reduction. These bimetallic NPs exhibit excellent catalytic properties are promising candidates to be used as catalysts for efficient energy storage.
We present the synthesis of monodisperse monometallic Ni nanoparticles (NPs) and bimetallic NiCu respectively NiCo NPs. The NPs were investigated using SAXS, STEM, EDX, and XANES, showing that the NPs are size tunable and stable while the surface is not entirely covered. Nickel NPs have exhibited immense potential as important catalyst for the Sabatier reaction, i.e. converting waste to energy via transformation of CO2 into CH4.
Nanoparticles (NPs) have become important materials for a variety of chemical technologies. The enhanced surface-area-to-volume ratio of NPs, making them excellent for use as catalyst, in analytical assays, and for antimicrobial applications.
Nickel NPs have exhibited immense potential as important catalyst for the Sabatier reaction, i.e. converting waste to energy via transformation of CO2 into CH4, and could replace the rare earth elements such as Ru, PT, or Rh. In this work we describe the solvothermal synthesis of monometallic and bimetallic nickel nanoparticles.
Monodisperse monometallic Ni NPs were synthesized using Oleylamin as solvent and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were investigated using small angle scattering (SAXS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), showing that the NPs are stable while the surface is not entirely covered. However, Ni has a high propensity to undergo oxidation, and becoming deactivated by coke formation. Hence, we further explore the preparation of bimetallic NPs, where a second metal is added to stabilize the Ni.
Bimetallic Cu-Ni NPs were synthesized by simultaneous solvothermal reduction. These bimetallic NPs exhibit excellent catalytic properties are promising candidates to be used as catalysts for efficient energy storage.
Small Area Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful tool for investigating small surface features. It is often unclear, if the signal in the spectrum is an unwanted contamination of the Field of View (FoV) or is it originated from outside. The reason is, that XPS-spectra are affected by beam shapes. Scheithauer proposed to measure Pt apertures of different diameters and normalize the Pt4f count rate by a second measurement on the Pt metal. New reference materials were developed and tested in the VAMAS TWA2 A22 Project.
The elemental analysis of seawater is often critical to the understanding of marine chemistry, marine geochemistry, and the deep-sea ecosystems. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with the advantage of rapid multi-elements detection, has a great potential for in-situ elemental analysis of seawater. In practice, it is crucial to create a compact, low cost and power saving instrument for the long-term deep-sea observation. A recently appeared diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser seems to be a promising candidate as it is both compact and robust. Additionally, its high repetition rate up to hundreds of kHz can provide a considerable throughput for LIBS analysis. However, the DPSS lasers operate at moderate pulse energies, usually less than one mJ, which cannot sustain stable breakdowns in bulk water. To ensure stable laser-induced plasmas underwater with such a μJ-DPSS laser, we introduced an ultrasound source to assist the breakdown process. The phase interface and mass flow generated by the near-field ultrasound can greatly reduce the breakdown threshold and enhance element-specific emissions. Meanwhile, the high repetition-rate pulses can also improve the breakdown probability and generate unique emission lines originated from the water molecule. We further demonstrate that the high repetition-rate DPSS laser combined with the Echelle spectrometer can provide effective quantitative analysis for metal elements in bulk water.
Toxicological studies have shown that some types of carbon nanotubes may provoke asbestos-like effects including chronic inflammation and lung cancer. Inhaled carbon nanotubes may reach the deep lung tissue. Alveolar macrophages are responsible to remove such foreign objects from the alveoli in a process called phagocytosis. If a macrophage fails to uptake a nanotube completely, cell lesions may give rise to inflammation. It is currently assumed that short, flexible and long as well as granularly agglomerated (tangled) nanofibres are clearable by macrophages, whereas biodurable long and rigid nanotubes may persist in lung tissue. The flexural rigidity of nanofibres is therefore believed to be an important material property that governs fibre toxicity and needs to be investigated. The present work aims at determining the rigidity of nanofibres by detecting their resonance frequencies using a Dynamic Scanning Electron Microscope (DySEM) setup. By depositing and fixing a nanofibre to an oscillating support, it can be excited to vibrations and treated as a cantilevered beam. This way, its elastic modulus can be determined via Euler-Bernoulli’s beam theory. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were deposited on high frequency piezoelectric quartz crystals mounted on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) holder. When introduced into the SEM chamber and connected to a frequency-sweeping waveform generator, the quartz crystal actuates the deposited fibre. A lock-in amplified processes the secondary electron detector signal resulting from the electron beam modulated by the vibrating nanofibre. Whenever a fibre resonance is detected, the SEM image of the fibre is stored to identify the fibre oscillation mode. The found resonance frequencies and modes allow determining the elastic modulus accordingly. Since the frequency spacing of resonances is predicted by Euler-Bernoulli, the mode number can be identified and elastic modulus values be averaged. A significant number of individual MWCNTs were classified according to their level of rigidity. The applicability and reliability of the method will be discussed.
Toxicological studies have shown that some types of carbon nanotubes may provoke asbestos-like effects including chronic inflammation and lung cancer. Inhaled carbon nanotubes may reach the deep lung tissue. Alveolar macrophages are responsible to remove such foreign objects from the alveoli in a process called phagocytosis. If a macrophage fails to uptake a nanotube completely, cell lesions may give rise to inflammation. It is currently assumed that short, flexible and long as well as granularly agglomerated (tangled) nanofibres are clearable by macrophages, whereas biodurable long and rigid nanotubes may persist in lung tissue. The flexural rigidity of nanofibres is therefore believed to be an important material property that governs fibre toxicity and needs to be investigated. The present work aims at determining the rigidity of nanofibres by detecting their resonance frequencies using a Dynamic Scanning Electron Microscope (DySEM) setup. By depositing and fixing a nanofibre to an oscillating support, it can be excited to vibrations and treated as a cantilevered beam. This way, its elastic modulus can be determined via Euler-Bernoulli’s beam theory. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were deposited on high frequency piezoelectric quartz crystals mounted on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) holder. When introduced into the SEM chamber and connected to a frequency-sweeping waveform generator, the quartz crystal actuates the deposited fibre. A lock-in amplified processes the secondary electron detector signal resulting from the electron beam modulated by the vibrating nanofibre. Whenever a fibre resonance is detected, the SEM image of the fibre is stored to identify the fibre oscillation mode. The found resonance frequencies and modes allow determining the elastic modulus accordingly. Since the frequency spacing of resonances is predicted by Euler-Bernoulli, the mode number can be identified and elastic modulus values be averaged. A significant number of individual MWCNTs were classified according to their level of rigidity. The applicability and reliability of the method will be discussed.
Toxicological studies have shown that some types of carbon nanotubes may provoke asbestos-like effects including chronic inflammation and lung cancer. Inhaled carbon nanotubes may reach the deep lung tissue. Alveolar macrophages are responsible to remove such foreign objects from the alveoli in a process called phagocytosis. If a macrophage fails to uptake a nanotube completely, cell lesions give rise to inflammation. It is currently assumed that short, long and flexible, and granularly agglomerated (tangled) nanofibres are clearable by macrophages, whereas biodurable long and rigid nanotubes persist in the lung tissue. The flexural rigidity of nanofibres is therefore believed to an important material property that governs fibre toxicity and needs to be investigated. The present work aims at determining the rigidity of nanofibres by detecting their resonance frequencies using a Dynamic Scanning Electron Microscope (DySEM) setup. By depositing and fixing a nanofibre to an oscillating support, it can be excited to vibrations and treated as a cantilevered beam. This way, its elastic modulus can be determined via Euler-Bernoulli’s beam theory. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were deposited on high frequency piezoelectric quartz crystals mounted on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) holder. When introduced into the SEM chamber and connected to a frequency-sweeping waveform generator, the quartz crystal actuates the deposited fibre. A lock-in amplified processes the secondary electron detector signal resulting from the electron beam modulated by the vibrating nanofibre. Whenever a fibre resonance is detected, the SEM image of the fibre is stored to identify the fibre oscillation mode. The found resonance frequencies and modes allow determining the elastic modulus according. Since the frequency spacing of resonances is predicted by Euler-Bernoulli, the mode number can be checked and elastic modulus values be averaged. A significant number of MWCNTs have been classified according to their level of rigidity. The applicability and reliability of the method will be discussed.