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The NWRimage system is the first elemental imaging-specific laser ablation instrument, offering breakthrough sub-micron spatial resolution and ultra-fast signal response for high throughput rates.
Laser ablation (LA) systems are used in conjunction with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) systems to detect and analyze tiny amounts of material. As ICP-MS systems have become more sensitive, a need has emerged for LA imaging tools with < 1 micron spatial resolution - a capability not previously available on the market. The NWRimage is provided with a carefully designed aerosol path from point of ablation to injection into the ICP itself. This aerosol path combined with a novel Dual Concentric Injector (DCI) ICP torch, yields < 50ms signal response to accelerate the speed of analysis and enabling enhanced sample throughput. The LA system is used for bio imaging of single cells and medical tissue samples.
The sensitivity of low loss perfluorinated polymer optical fiber (PF-POF) to gamma radiation is investigated for on line radiation monitoring purposes. The radiation induced attenuation (RIA) of a commercial PF-POF based on Cytop material is measured in the visible spectral region. The fiber RIA shows strong wavelength dependence with rapid increase towards the blue side of the spectrum. The wide range of radiation sensitivities is available via careful selection of appropriate monitoring wavelength. The accessible sensitivities span from 1.99 ± 0.01 dBm⁻¹/kGy measured at 890 nm to 140.9 ± 0.6 dBm⁻¹/kGy measured at 460 nm. The fairly high radiation sensitivity as well as its wide tunability makes the fiber a promising candidate for a broad range of applications.
Advanced methods for 3D green density characterization like computed tomography and 3D FE sinter modeling can be utilized for increasing the reliability of sintered components. The experimental in situ observation of sin-tering, however, is currently restricted to silhouette methods, i.e. heating microscopy. For complex shaped sam-ples, in situ shape screening during shrinkage would allow better validation of 3D sinter simulation models. Further, by revealing temporary sinter warpage, 3D high-temperature shape screening would allow to locate potential defects of complex sintered components. Against this background, BAM developed a testing device for in situ 3D high-temperature shape screening for ceramic and glass-ceramic tapes up to 1000°C [1-3]. Current work is focused on dropping this restriction in sample shape and temperature. The poster illustrates the current state of this work and possible applications of the method e.g. in detecting sinter warpage of metallized glass-ceramic LTCC tapes.
The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a fast method to provide multi-elemental analysis of any sample. At the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) the LIBS technique is applied on building materials to measure ingress profiles of harmful species like chloride and alkalis. The ingress depth and the quantitative amount is important for the evaluation of the potential for damage processes like the alkali-silica reaction or chloride-induced corrosion. Concrete as an example is a highly heterogeneous material with 1/7 cement (major component CaO) and 6/7 aggregates (SiO2) with different grain sizes. Due to a scanning procedure a two dimensional element distribution of a concrete surface can be measured. In order to have an automated Separation method to evaluate heterogeneous materials, different cluster algorithm have been tested. Best results have been achieved with the Expectation-Maximization-Algorithm (EM-Algorithm).
In the course of miniaturizing modern technology down to the molecular scale, much remain unknown about the materials behavior and the deviations from the bulk that might arises from confinement effects. Here, a combination of nano-sized relaxation spectroscopies (Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and Specific heat spectroscopy (SHS); employing AC nanochip calorimetry) were utilized to investigate the glassy dynamics of ultra-thin films of Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) and of blends PVME / Polystyrene (PS) 50:50 wt-%,, which are miscible in bulk (thicknesses: ca. 8 nm – 160 nm, film thickness was controlled by ellipsometry, film topography by AFM). Both methods are sensitive to different probes; where SHS senses entropy fluctuations while BDS measures dipole fluctuations. For BDS measurements, a recently developed nano-structured electrode sample arrangement is employed, where ultra-thin films are spin-coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer, sandwiched between a wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers with heights between 35 nm and 70 nm. For PVME films, two thickness independent processes were observed and interpreted to be the α-processes of a bulk-like layer and a process due to an absorbed layer to the substrate. This adsorbed layer further undergoes a confinement effect that results in the localization of the segmental dynamics, which results in an Arrhenius-like temperature dependence. A detailed analysis of the dielectric strengths of both processes reveals that the thickness of the adsorbed layer decreases with increasing temperature, while that of the bulk-like layer increases. For the blend system, by measuring the dynamic Tg in dependence of the film thickness, SHS showed that the Tg of the whole film was strongly influenced by a nanometer-thick surface layer at the polymer/air interface due to a self-assembling process. The dynamic Tg obtained from the SHS measurements decreased with decreasing film thickness. On the other hand, BDS measurements showed a completely different behavior. At high temperatures, the temperature dependence of the relaxation times of the films follows that of bulk-like PS/PVME; obeying the VFT-law. With decreasing temperature, the temperature dependence deviates from the VFT to an Arrhenius law; where the apparent activation energy decreases with decreasing film thickness. This is the first example where confinement induced changes were observed by BDS for ultra-thin films. All results were analyzed in detail in a comprehensive discussion.
Successful implementation of an optical polarimetry measurement setup. Due to wall anchoring interactions HAT6 embedded in an untreated alumina membrane exhibits a radial orientation for pore sizes in between 30 nm and 80 nm. Embedded in large membranes, pore size of 180 nm, HAT6 forms the favored hexagonal columnar phase along the pore axis.
By means of an effective medium (EMA) based approach, it is possible to use spectroscopic ellipsometry to determine the mixing ratios between air and material in porous dielectrics and calculate a quantitative value of the porosity for these materials. As this method is model-based, it is very difficult to provide a quantitative measure for the accuracy of porosity values determined by this method. Valuable additional information can often be obtained by combining ellipsometry with other complementary methods. In the present study, the ellipsometry results were validated by Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) with the option of layer analysis (by the socalled “STRATAGem” approach), gravimetry, and electron microscopy. We analysed porous TiO2 thin layers synthesised by means of a template synthesis approach (evaporation induced self assembly).
Ellipsometry measurements on porous samples are difficult to analyse due to the complexity of the models necessary. Often it is difficult to decide if the measured data contains enough information to successfully determine the target quantities (mixing ratio, dielectric function of the matrix material). One method to decrease the complexity of the fit and therefore use the measurement data most efficiently is a multi-sample analysis. In the present case, multi-sample analysis was used for determining the porosity factors of the individual layers while using one common set of dielectric function values for the matrix in all cases.
While the results of the fit analysis in this case can be used to show the feasibility and also the limitations of the multi-method approach, the porosity values themselves show a promising agreement between the independent methods. It can therefore be concluded that determining porosity values with ellipsometry is in accordance to other methods to the level of accuracy provided by the complementary methodologies.
Advanced oxidation processes have become an important part of research due to their capacity to degrade many environmental pollutants during water treatment. Especially the heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method because it often results in a full mineralization of many hazardous compounds. Incomplete degradation reactions can result in transformation products due to oxidative conditions. The transformation products may have a higher toxicity than the precursor substances and are often only partly removed during water treatment. Since a lot of these compounds are still unknown, transformation products are not detected by target analysis used in sewage treatment plants and are often released into the aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, extensive and effective non-target analytical methods are necessary for the monitoring and identification of the transformation products which can be generated during waste water treatment.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most frequently used photocatalyst because of its inexpensiveness, non-toxicity, chemical stability and its high photocatalytic activity. If TiO2 is irradiated electron-hole pairs are generated on the surface of the TiO2, resulting in the formation of active oxidized species such as hydroxyl radicals which can react with environmental pollutants.
A model system has been developed to simulate photocatalytic reactions in a laboratory scale. The commonly used pharmaceuticals metformin and gabapentin were selected as model substances because of their high input in waste water and the little information about their fate during water treatment. Metformin is the drug of choice for treating type 2 diabetes. More than half of the total amount of pharmaceuticals in the environment are the antidiabetic agent metformin and its major transformation product guanylurea. Gabapentin is used as antiepileptic drug and for the treatment of neuropathic pain. It is found in waste water influent in the high ng/L range.
First results of the optimization of the photocatalyst and its application are shown.
Silicon surface passivation with atomic layer deposited (ALD) thin films has gained more and more interest in the PV community in recent years. With ALD good film quality, accurate thickness control and conformity are reached. Furthermore, ALD is capable of coating difficult substrates such as nanostructured surfaces with the same accuracy as flat surfaces. A variety of materials such as Al2O3, TiO2 and HfO2 demonstrate good surface passivation quality both for front and rear surface of silicon solar cells. In addition of providing good surface passivation, thin films with high refractive index e.g. HfO2, TiO2 and AlN can act simultaneously as antireflection coatings when applied on the front surface of the device. Hence, ALD thin films can reduce both electrical and reflective losses in solar cells.
Thorough investigation of the optical properties of these layers is crucial for several reasons related to their production and use. Optical measurements provide a fast, easy, non-destructive, and in situ capable approach to quality assurance for photovoltaic devices. As the function of the final device is optical, optimisation of the device performance relies strongly on the knowledge of the wide-range dielectric function of the thin layers. In this contribution, we determined the optical constants of ALD generated layers of AlN, Al2O3, TiO2, and HfO2 in a wide spectral range covering the near ultraviolet and the mid-infrared regions by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry. By combining data from a UV-Vis-NIR ellipsometer (Woollam M2000DI) and an FTIR ellipsometer (Sentech Sendira), we can determine the optical constants alongside with the layer thicknesses from one large set of spectroscopic measurements. We consider this a contribution to the metrological treatment of stratified and structured thin films in the optical range by polarisation-sensitive measurement methods.
In recent years, upconversion nanocrystals (UCNC) have shown great promise for biological and medical applications, mainly because of their excitation in the NIR region, which provides minimum fluorescence background and a rather deep penetration into biological samples, as opposed to excitation in the visible or UV region. Moreover, they show a multitude of characteristic narrow emission bands as basis for ratiometric measurements. Commonly, Yb is the sensitizer of choice, because of a comparatively high absorption cross section, simple energy scheme, and rather efficient energy transfer to the activator, mostly Er, Tm or Ho. A main disadvantage of the use of Yb as sensitizer for biological and medical applications is its absorption band at 976 nm and hence the use of an excitation wavelength at which water has a non-negligible absorption. This can lead to significant sample heating, especially at long illumination times or high excitation power densities, and thus, tissue damage or even cell death. A possible solution is the tri-doping of UCNC with Nd as sensitizer, which can be excited efficiently at around 800 nm, where water absorption is at minimum.
The use of Nd as a sensitizer and Yb as a bridge between Nd and the activator Er in NaYF₄ nanocrystals is a relatively new way to overcome the problems of heating of samples in an aqueous environment. Disadvantages can arise from the tri-doping, which can favor non-radiative relaxation due to the more complicated excitation process compared to e.g., simple Yb,Er-doped UCNC, which might lower the upconversion quantum yields in these tri-doped systems. In order to quantify clear advantages, NaYF₄:Yb,Er,Nd nanoparticles were synthesized and spectroscopically studied using an 8 W 804 nm laser diode and a custom-designed Edinburgh instruments FSP980 spectrometer. Wavelength-dependent studies of the emission intensities and the decay kinetics of these tri-doped UCNC at different excitation power densities and excitation pulse widths revealed the clear advantages of preventing water absorption on measurable luminescence signals.
We were able to show the influence of pulse width and excitation power density on the luminescence intensities and decay kinetics lifetimes at different emission wavelengths. Additionally, we can clearly discern power density-dependent and independent peaks in the emission spectra. In summary, we demonstrate that the tri-doping of NaYF₄:Yb,Er,Nd nanoparticles is a very promising approach to render UCNC more efficient and to make them better suitable for biological and medical applications requiring measurements in aqueous environment.
The steadily increasing number of analytes, especially in bioanalytics and environmental contexts, requires the development of efficient and versatile methods for the simultaneous determination of different parameters within a single run. Additionally, these methods should be applicable in conjunction with established platform technologies like flow cytometry.
Fluorescence techniques have proven to fulfill these requirements. Commonly performed spectral multiplexing utilizing a color code suffers from several problems, such as the sensitivity of fluorescence intensity measurements to fluctuations in excitation light intensity and dye concentration and hence, photobleaching and spectral crosstalk limiting the achievable number of detection channels. Moreover, it typically requires different costly excitation light sources.
We introduce the optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) technique based on intensity modulation frequency sweep measurement for distributed disturbance measurement in optical fibres. By evaluating interferometric Rayleigh scattering changes along the fibre, strain and temperature changes are detected with 100 n(epsilon) sensitivity and 10 mK resolution. The vibration frequencies for low frequencies and up to the kHz-range can be obtained from power change evaluation in the spatial domain. This novel OFDR approach is a low-cost alternative for distributed disturbance measurement up to distances of several kilometres.
Industrial piping systems are particularly relevant to public safety and the continuous availability of infrastructure. However, condition monitoring systems based on many discrete sensors are generally not well-suited for widespread piping systems due to considerable installation effort, while use of distributed fibre-optic sensors would reduce this effort to a minimum. Specifically distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is employed for detection of third-party threats and leaks in oil and gas pipelines in recent years and can in principle also be applied to industrial plants. Further possible detection routes amenable by DAS that could identify damage prior to emission of medium are subject of a current project at BAM, which aims at qualifying distributed fibre optic methods such as DAS as a means for spatially continuous monitoring of industrial piping systems. Here, first tests on a short pipe are presented, where optical fibres were applied directly to the surface. An artificial signal was used to define suitable parameters of the measurement system and compare different ways of applying the sensor.
Spontaneous deflagrations are recurring causes for incidents compromising the safety of humans and environment. In order to test the deflagration capability of substances, standard test methods are used according to VDI 2263 or UN-Manual. The test methods have been improved most recently by using an autoclave instead of conducting tests in open systems. The concept of using autoclaves for deflagration tests has been developed further on by varying the autoclave’s size, the substances and the test conditions. New experimental results are presented. On the basis of experimental data, numerical calculations will be developed in order to simulate the propagation of deflagrations.
Amuay accident 2012 is one of similar accidents happened in Buncefield (2005), Jaipur and Puerto Rico (2009), respectively. Since experimental reproduction of such accidents is not always possible numerical simulations help a lot to understand the scenarios on qualitative basis. In this work the accident is reproduced with a CFD model which takes into account the heaviness of the gas (LPG), wind and gravity driven spread. The leak was reported to be located near a number of spherical tanks. The ignition source was presumably the running vehicles on a nearby street. A part of the refinery containing the locations of leakage and ignition was considered as computational domain. The road is located at the eastern boarder. The area contains different tanks, whose height was estimated due to a lack of available data. The diameter was extrapolated from the available image data. Further, a grid of walls is located between a number of tanks. The total domain has a size of 750 m x 400 m x 50 m. An unstructured mesh was created using tetrahedral elements with prism layers at the ground to improve mesh quality in the boundary layer. The mesh has a total number of 775 686 cells.
Long-term completely embedded sensor systems offer innovative possibilities for structural health Monitoring of concrete structures. Measuring of relevant parameters, e.g., temperature, humidity, or indication of corrosion can be performed with low energy sensors.
This allows to implement passive RFID sensor systems without cable connection and battery, which are power supplied exclusively by the electromagnetic field from the external Reader device. To evaluate characteristics and conditions of this concept, a systematical Investigation of the transmission characteristics with variation of relevant parameters, as communication frequency, installation depth, type of concrete, moisture content, etc. is currently carried out in an interdisciplinary research project at BAM. First results are presented in this paper.
Microbial induced corrosion (MIC) is a crucial problem in many technical plants as well as fuel tanks, leading to considerable damage and huge financial losses. Successful prevention of MIC requires the localization of first signs of corrosion as well as the identification of factors influencing the corrosion process.1 Hence, there is a growing need for sensitive and preferably inexpensive tools that enable the early detection of MIC. Of high importance are methods, which provide spatially and time-resolved information and allow the study of changes on metal surfaces as prerequisites for a more detailed analysis of ongoing corrosion processes at a MIC-affected site.2 In this respect, also the determination of corrosion rates can be of interest for the possible prevention of MIC.
In respect of modern approaches in material sciences and highly increased requirements on materials on safety relevant components, quality management and non-destructive testing reclaims a steadily increased meaning. The destructive meaning of measuring the degree of purity is defined in DIN EN 10247 through metallurgical investigations, especially microsections. For and comparable, but non-destructive testing due ultrasonic testing, the material the SEP 1927 is a well-defined industry standard. A novel and alternative way of reference block construction was focused by this work. The proposed amendments, regarding the manufactoring and machining, are less time and cost consuming. Verified by measurements the presented reference block fits the same acoustical characteristics and the requirements of the guideline.
We have studied the influence of gamma rays on physical properties of different commercially available silica optical fibers stepwise irradiated up to a total dose of 100 kGy. The detection of radiation-induced changes in silica glass offers the possibility of using selected optical fibers as distributed radiation sensors. The measurements performed by us were based on optical backscatter reflectometry and Brillouin distributed sensing. The measurement methods enable an analysis of radiation-induced modification of the group refractive index and density of the optical fibers. The most distinct physical effect observed by us concerns the increase of the optical attenuation with rising total radiation doses. Quantitative measurement results indicate a crucial impact of fiber dopants on radiation-induced physical and sensory characteristics of silica optical fibers affected by differences in fiber fabrication techniques. Based on the obtained results, the suitability of distributed Brillouin sensing for dosimetry applications seems to be improved by modifying the refractive index profile of the fiber core.
Fungal secondary metabolites such as phomopsin A (PHO-A) produced by the fungus Diaporthe toxica are referred to as “emerging” mycotoxins. Recently, we developed a biosynthetic approach to gain access to 15N-isotopically labelled PHO-A as internal standard (IS) for PHO-A matrix independent quantification of PHO-A in various commodities. Aim of the present work was to elucidate the applicability of the new IS for accurate quantification and to investigate the phomopsin formation on various legume seeds as well as plant material. In summary, the applicability of the SIDA-HPLC-MS/MS method could be proven and the potential of D. toxica to produce high amounts of phomopsins under unfavorable conditions on lupins and other legume seeds could be shown. Moreover, a novel toxic methylated PHO-A derivative was unveiled in natural samples infested with D. toxica.
The NWRiMAGE provides unique technologies for high-speed imaging with genuine sub-micron ablation. In March 2015 ESI installed the first NWR iMAGE at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) in Berlin, and since then it has undergone extensive use in bio-imaging. The Dual Concentric Injector (DCI), a new interface between laser and plasma, has been integrated into ESI´s TwoVol2 ablation cell. This technology was developed in collaboration with the University of Loughborough, and provides single shot transition at the ICP-MS of < 20 ms with high sample transport efficiency, giving superior signals above background and improve spatial resolution capability. Here we describe some data showing ultra-fast transitions of single shot ablation, sub-micron ablation experiments and rapid acquired imaging.
Immunoassays are analytical methods used to track both clinical and environmental parameters. Antibodies or other proteins with similar recognizing activity, are employed, often immobilized onto a modified surface. Addressable microarrays are based on single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides which are normally used to detect aptamers or relevant gene sequences. The use of antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates allows non-directed antibody immobilization from an immunoassay to be converted into DNA hybridization events on the array. Consequently, the diagnostics platform is multiplexed and addressable. Figure 1 is a model representation of the whole biosensor construct. In brief, a surface is coated with streptavidin, and decorated with biotin-modified oligonucleotides of a controlled size and known sequence. These oligonucleotides on the surface also contain a furan motif, which upon irradiation and in the presence of a photosensitizer, is oxidized via single oxygen to a reactive intermediate which crosslinks the immediate opposing base when hybridized with its complementary strand [1].
Antibody-oligonucleotides conjugates still display several concerns due to their heterogeneicity, difficulty of characterization and high price [2]. The being the case, we aim at developing stable, robust, reproducible and well characterized quimeras for the application on te above described immunoarray. Mild chemical conditions are crucial for the antibody stability, therefore bivalent crosslinkers have been employed [2]. Even though the use of these bilinkers is standard for other substrate conjugation (i.e., enzymes, drug payloads, etc.), there is no literature available on the conjugation of small oligonucleotides (< 30 mer) to antibodies using this method. Several protein-nucleic acid conjugates have been therefore developed, and successfully characterized using MALDI-ToF and gel electrophoresis techniques.
X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns of the high-temperature (HT) cristobalite form of SiO2 and its isoelectronic AlPO4 analogue are essentially influenced by the dynamic disorder of these crystal structures. The nature of this disorder and of the phase transition between the α- and β-form has been the subject of intensive research during the last four decades [1]. By 1989 it became possible to stabilize the HT-form of cristobalite SiO2 at room temperature in laboratory and engineering ceramic industries by applying solid solution forming techniques [2]. However, for the HT-form of cristobalite AlPO4 nothing similar has been known until 2014 when it was discovered that nanocrystalline and stacking-disordered β-cristobalite AlPO4 is the major component of the fly ash of a large incineration facility operated by the waste water treatment authorities of Frankfurt/M. [3]. Previous comprehensive investigations of this fly ash failed to interpret its complex XRD pattern – presumably mainly due to the lack of a matching experimental digital pattern in the Powder Diffraction Database. The present paper reports on a synthesis route that facilitates the crystallization of nanocrystalline and stacking-disordered β-cristobalite AlPO4 that is free of crystalline impurity phases and long-term stable at ambient. Its room temperature XRD pattern is presented with parameters traced back to certified reference materials.
[1] Yuan F. and Huang L., Phys. Rev, B, 2012, 85, 134114. [2] Perrotta J.A., Grubbs D.K., Martin E.S., Dando N.R., McKinstry H.A. and Huang C.-Y., J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 1989, 72, 441. [3] Peplinski B., Adam C., Adamczyk B., Müller R., Michaelis M., Krahl Th. and Emmerling F., Powder Diffraction Journal, 2015, 30, 2, Supp. 1, S31.
In situ investigations using PXRD coupled with Raman spectroscopy permit the evaluation of the formation pathways of milling reactions. The liquid-assisted grinding cocrystallisation of theophylline with benzamide leading to polymorphic compounds was investigated. The dipole moment of the solvent used in the synthesis determines the structure of the polymorphic product. A detailed investigation allows determining the kinetically and thermodynamically favored product. In situ observations of the formation pathway during the grinding process of both polymorphs show that the thermodynamically favored cocrystal is formed in a two-step mechanism with the kinetic cocrystal as intermediate. The evaluation of the mechanochemical formation pathways reveals the importance of in situ investigations for an in depth understanding of mechanochemical synthesis mechanisms. Our study demonstrates that the choice of the solvent in the LAG synthesis is decisive for the controlled formation of a desired polymorphic final product.
A bead suspension array for measuring emerging pollutants and anthropogenic markers in wastewater
(2016)
Background: The assessment of water quality demands for high-throughput and multi-target compatible analytical methods. On the one hand, the influence of sewage on natural surface waters must be routinely monitored - according to the European Water Framework Directive. On the other hand, estimation of removal efficiencies of pollutants, such as drug residues, is in the focus of industrial and public wastewater treatment. Immunoassays, such as ELISA, are often applied in this area owing to their cost-efficiency and high-throughput capability. However, it is only possible to measure a single analyte in one measurement. In contrast, array technology is capable for measuring multiple substances in parallel. Here we present a four-plex bead-based flow cytometric assay for measuring three drugs (carbamazepine, an anti-epileptic drug, diclofenac, an antiphlogistic and caffeine, a psychoactive substance) and the bile acid isolithocholic acid, which is proposed to be used as a fecal marker. The drugs can be detected from 1 to 4 µg/L and the bile acid can be detected up to 72 µg/L in wastewater, requiring a highly sensitive detection method.
Methods: We use core-shell particles as the spherical platform, consisting of a polystyrene core and a silica shell. Such beads can easily be encoded with an organic fluorophore in the core and functionalized with amino groups on the silica shell surface for creating binding sites for antibodies: Therefore, the marker substances are bound to the amino groups via NHS chemistry. The hybrid particles were synthesized in house. Polystyrene was chosen as core material because of its low density and high refractive index, both important requirements for the use in suspension arrays. Easy surface modifications using silane chemistry are accessible on the silica shell. For the determination of the pollutants, the beads are incubated with a mixture of the analyte-specific antibodies. The antibodies undergo a competitive reaction to bind the immobilized molecules on the surface of the beads or the free analyte in the solution, respectively. Bound antibodies can then be visualized via fluorophore-labelled secondary antibodies. For read-out a flow cytometer is used to virtually separate the different dye encoded beads and to measure the resulting Signal intensity of the immunoassay. A four-parametric function was used as calibration curve.
Results: In order to obtain highly selective binding of the antibodies, we investigated different types of silica shell surface modifications to overcome unspecific binding, finding that a PEG-modified surface is suitable to support our immunoassay format. Multiplexed small molecule detection can therefore be realized in a simple mix and read procedure without washing steps.
Conclusion: We presented a multiplexing suspension array for the detection of four marker substances in wastewater samples, based on an indirect immunoassay format with polystyrene core-silica shell microbeads. The resulting multiplexing assay is appropriate to detect the marker substances in the low µg/L range. Therefore, wastewater samples can be measured without further preconcentration.
Diclofenac is a widely used drug against fever, inflammation, pain, and rheumatic diseases. An average of 70 % of the ingested diclofenac is excreted in the urine. Thus, 63 tons are introduced into the water cycle in Germany. Due to insufficient removal of diclofenac in wastewater treatment plants, residues of diclofenac can be found in surface water and sometimes in drinking water It exist a polyclonal against diclofenac and monoclonal antibodies against diclofenac and it`s metabolites. There all based on direct couling of diclofenac on proteins via carboxylic functions. However it was imagined advantageous to introduce a heterobifunctional spacer between the analyte and the carrier protein.
Aceclofeac is commercial available. All other spacers can only be introduced with solid phase synthesis.
A high-performance fiber Bragg grating-based (FBG) sensor device for the detection of small magnetic fields has been developed. Based on a smart multilayer coating exposed over the physical length of the FBG, magnetic fields exhibited by rotating machine parts, power generators or current cable can easily be detected, analysed and evaluated. Consequently, this innovative, in-process and non-contact inspection method leads to an increase in quality and reliability of high-performing machine parts, devices and cables. The basic physical concept is based on a magnetostrictive multilayer coating system that strains the high-resolution FBG element. Subsequently, a fixed relationship between induced magnetic field and wavelength change of the FBG element forms the characteristic sensitivity curve. Intensive tests regarding the characterisation of the magnetic field FBG sensor have been carried out and its performance has been evaluated.
Lanthanide-doped photon upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) exhibit many advantages compared to conventional Stokes-shifted luminescent probes such as organic dyes and quantum dots. Due to the upconversion (UC) process, which describes the conversion of NIR light into shorter wavelength radiation, the limitations of photobleaching, autofluorescence and low penetration depths in tissue shown by classical fluorescent probes absorbing in the UV/vis range are avoided. This makes UCNPs particularly useful for applications in complex samples occurring in bioanalysis, biomedicine and imaging.
Sensing of intracellular pH is of particular interest in biomedical research since structure and function of biomolecules strongly depend on the concentration of protons in their environment. We described previously a UCNP nanosensor for pH based on a resonance energy transfer from hexagonal nanocrystals of NaYF4: Yb3+,Er3+ to a pH-sensitive fluorophore (pHrodoTM Red).[1] The nanocrystals were coated with a thin shell of aminosilane with several nanometer layer thickness for coupling of the pH indicator.
In this contribution we present a new generation of UC nanoprobes that are coated with a layer of highly branched polyethylenimine (PEI). The PEI coating enables a higher coupling of indicator molecules on the particle surface, better signal to reference ratios in ratiometric readout and an improved cellular uptake compared to the aminosilane coated particles due to a more positive zeta potential. Again, pHrodoTM Red is used as pH indicator, sensitized by the 550 nm emission of the UCNPs. The nanoprobes are calibrated by ratiometric dual wavelength readout at 550 nm (reference signal) and 590 nm (sensor signal) and visualized using a scanning confocal fluorescence microscope with 980 nm excitation wavelength. We studied the cellular uptake efficacy of the nanoprobes and determined to which type of compartment, lysosomes, endosomes or cytosol, the probes are targeted to by measuring the pH of their microenvironment. An in situ control was performed in live cells by a treatment with nigericin, whereby the pH of all intracellular compartments is set at extracellular level. Our results suggest that the PEI coating facilitated endosomal escape of the nanoprobes.
Pot experiments are often performed to analyze the plant-availability of phosphorus (P) in P-fertilizers. However, these experiments do not determine the P compounds present in the soil which are responsible for the yield increase. In order to better understand the results of pot experiments we analyzed the soils by P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy to determine the P species and unravel transformation processes. We carried out pot experiments with maize testing different waste water derived recycling P-fertilizers on an acidic and a neutral soil. Soils samples before sowing and after harvest were collected and prepared for analysis. A combination of macro- and µ-XANES spectroscopy was used to determine the chemical state of the overall soil P and to identify P compounds in P-rich spots localized by micro-X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF). P K-edge macro-XANES spectroscopy detected organic P and/or P sorbed onto organic matter or other substrates in the unfertilized and fertilized soils. In addition, µ-XRF mapping in combination with P K-edge µ-XANES spectroscopy evidenced that some P phases present in recycling P-fertilizers (magnesium phosphate and calcium sodium phosphate) react with co-fertilized ammonium nitrate and form highly plant-available ammonium phosphates in the soil. In opposite, apatites were not affected by the presence of ammonium. Thus, for a boost of the plant-availability of P in recycling P-fertilizers these fertilizers should be directly co-fertilized with nitrogen (N) sources that contain a high amount of ammonium instead of nitrate. Possibly, a specific preparation of NP-fertilizers by granulation of recycling P-fertilizers with ammonium compounds and a nitrification inhibitor could enhance the plant-availability of the produced fertilizer whereby they become more competitive to commercially available NP-fertilizers based on phosphate rock.
The widespread use of antibiotics in livestock farming leads to trace residues in food products and wastewater, potentially entailing antimicrobial resistance in food-borne pathogens. The determination of antibiotics in aqueous environments and foodstuff is thus of major concern.
Analytical assays based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as a valuable tool in this field due to the low production costs, stability, format adaptability and the possibility to imprint and thus their ability to recognize a wide variety of target analytes. With regard to optical sensing technologies, however, MIPs have only been used in considerably few applications, especially in fluorescence sensors. This limitation is basically due to the fact that the incorporation of a fluorescently responding moiety into a polymer matrix is challenging. One way to overcome this limitation is to use tailor-made fluorescent indicator monomers for direct transfer of the binding event into an optical signal. If such a monomer is integrated into a thin MIP-shell on microspheres such core/shell particles can be readily used in advanced multiplexing sensory fiber-optic microarrays.
Here, we propose such a fiber-optic microarray based on fluorescent MIP microspheres for antibiotics. The binding behavior and the selectivity of a microarray using these MIP were examined and compared with a non-imprinted polymer (NIP) control, employing the target molecules and other structurally closely related antibiotics.
A way to increase the application range and the lifetime of metallic substrates is their protection by coatings. Here the effect of alumina coatings on common steel substrates having different Chromium content is examined. The background of the investigations is to expand the application possibilities of mechanically good steels to higher temperatures and corrosive atmospheres in the framework of the European project POEMA (“Production of Coatings for New Efficient and Clean Coal Power Plant Materials”) which was introduced to identify materials that can withstand the aggressive conditions arising during the oxyfuel process in modern coal power plants. This process is one possibility to reduce the CO2 emission by firing the coal in oxygen and recirculated flue gas.
Substrate materials were P92 (9% Cr), K44X (19% Cr), and HR3C (25% Cr). The alumina coatings were deposited by a sol-gel-process using boehmite, this is relatively simple and offers application possibilities for a wide technical range without special surface preparations. All samples were dried for 30 minutes at 650° C to remove the organic components and to start the crystallization process of the alumina. For P92 and HR3C the following conditions simulated the oxyfuel process: 650°C in wet flue gas for 300h for the steel P92, the same conditions for 2000 hours for the steel HR3C. K44X was tested at 900°C in laboratory air for 500 hours. As well after drying as after testing TEM characterizations were performed, where the interfaces between steel and coating are of special interest to characterize the microstructure, detect failure mechanisms, and identify diffusion and crystallization processes and so to understand the mode of action of the alumina coating.
The TEM samples were prepared by the lift-out-technique using a FIB Quanta 3D and were investigated in a STEM JEM2200FS at 200kV.
After the coating and drying process all steels show chromium oxide layers directly at the steel surface, they vary in thickness and are island shaped in the case of the steel K44X. Chromium depletion arose more or less in the superficial zones of all samples. After the long term tests K44X showed breakaway oxidation while P92 and HR3C presented intact interfaces. This reveals: Beside the positive impact of the coating not only the Chromium content of a substrate is essential for the formation and self-healing of protective chromium oxide layers during the service time of steels. One has to consider the possibility of the steel to allow a continuously Cr diffusion to the interface and so e renewal of the Cr-oxide layer.
Renewable resources become more and more relevant to maintain energy demands for an increasing global population. Biosynthetic fuels like biodiesel might replace conventional petrochemical fuels, such as diesel. However, more research is needed to characterize the interaction between the different fuels and the polymeric material, especially with respect to ageing and degradation.
The poster will present several interaction and degradation phenomena of high density polyethylene (PE-HD) induced by diesel and biodiesel 1-3. Also the possible influence of microbial growth (fungi and bacteria) is considered. The chosen PE-HDs are typical thermoplastic resins for container and storage tank applications. Degradation of PE-HD will be investigated by changes of the mechanical properties – with main emphasis on the Charpy impact strength 2. Furthermore, with alternating sorption and desorption cycles in combination with oven ageing the co-oxidation 3 of PE-HD in contact with biodiesel will be addressed.
Metal reducing bacteria (MRB) are able to utilize various materials such as iron, uranium and manganese as well as many organic compounds as electron acceptors. This process leads to the conversion of Fe(III) containing passive film species to soluble Fe(II) oxides and hydroxides. The reduction process triggers the acceleration of general and local corrosion processes. Electron transfer mechanisms are not yet fully understood. In literature it has been controversially discussed to which extend secreted electron shuttles contribute to the extracellular electron transfer (EET).
To understand the chemical and electrochemical interaction mechanisms of MRB with steel surfaces this project combines a variety of in-situ techniques. The changes in oxide chemistry on Fe/steel surfaces in the presence of biomolecules and MRB are under investigation using a newly designed electrochemical cell for in situ XANES (x-ray absorption near edge structure) spectroscopy. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (eQCM) studies support the spectroscopic investigations to gain information about the kinetics of attachment processes and changes in biofilm viscosity. The biofilm structure and composition as well as cell viability are investigated by complementary ex situ spectroscopic and microscopic analysis.
Combining spectroscopic techniques and eQCM data with electrochemical measurements, biological processes and the resulting degradation of steel surfaces can be observed in a non-destructive manner. Selecting model systems and a defined biological medium allows the determination of individual effects of diverse surface and environmental parameters. The fundamental understanding of bacterial attachment mechanisms and initial steps of biofilm formation will contribute to the development of new antifouling strategies.
Thiols have a high binding affinity to noble metals and semiconductor (SC) materials. Thiol ligands enable size control and tuning of the surface during the synthesis of nanoparticles (NP), significantly influence their physico-chemical and optical properties, and allow for their bioconjugation via further functional groups. Thus, simple, inexpensive, robust, and fast methods for the quantification of thiol groups and the characterization of thiol-modified or - stabilized nanomaterials including polymers are of considerable importance.
Emissive nanoparticles (NP) are of ever increasing importance in nanotechnology, optical industries, and life sciences. Applicationrelevant properties determining particle performance and biocompatibility depend mainly on surface functional groups or ligands. Coating with polyethylene glycol (PEG) ligands enhances hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of nanomaterials, and enables subsequent binding of biomolecules. Hence, PEGylated particles must be carefully engineered and monitored with simple and fast methods.
The ability to penetrate dielectric materials makes T-rays attractive to reveal discontinuities in polymer and ceramic materials. Changes of travelling time (ToF) and pulse shape due to the interactions of THz pulses with the dielectric material and its inherent discontinuities can be observed. A tomogram of the object under the test can be reconstructed from time of flight diffraction (ToFD) scans if a synthetic focusing aperture (SAFT) algorithm is applied.
Resolution of capacitive sensors can be improved enormously by replacement of the dielectric material between the capacitor plates (e.g. air-dielectric) by a dielectric fluid with high permittivity. High dielectric liquid dispersions of ceramic micro and nano powders should be qualified as dielectric fluid with longtime shelf life.
For this purpose it was necessary to produce stabilized ceramic suspensions with high particle concentration and to investigate sedimentation processes of the particles. Characterization of particles was done by use of zeta potential measurement, gas adsorption measurements (BET), density measurement with gas pycnometer as well as particle sizing by ultrasound spectroscopy and by use of an optical centrifuge.
Shelf life of optimized electrostatic and steric stabilized ceramic suspension was investigated by use of an optical centrifuge, a LUMISizer 651 MW (LUM Ltd.) with STEP technology and front tracking analysis. Two different wave lengths – NIR (865 nm) and blue light (470 nm) were available for examination. Centrifugation measurements with different rotation speed were used to study the rheological behavior and the sedimentation process. By this way it was possible to achieve accelerated stability determination. Measured values could be used to simulate the sedimentation process under gravity acceleration and to predict shelf life for suspensions with different dispersants.
Typically, mycotoxigenic moulds and consequently small percentages of extremely contaminated portions (“hot spots”) are randomly distributed in a cereal lot. Therefore, an efficient sampling procedure for mycotoxin analysis represents a complex challenge for operators involving invasive and cost intensive steps. Establishing an in situ analysis of mycotoxins from the homogeneous gas-phase above cereal crops instead of analysing random samples could address this difficult issue. During studies for microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) indicating an infection with Fusarium, trichodiene was identified as a unique biosynthesis intermediate of trichothecenes - one of the largest groups of the mycotoxin family. The sesquiterpene trichodiene is the only volatile biogenic precursor of the trichothecenes, thus, early and fast in situ detection of this biomarker might be of interest for a potential trichothecene infestation. However, there is no commercial trichodiene standard available needed for the quantification of trichodiene in cereal grains.
The aim of the current project is to develop a fast, easy-to-handle and non-invasive gas-phase quantification of trichodiene in the field. Therefore, trichodiene was prepared by total synthesis based on a tandem orthoester Claisen rearrangement - oxidation - Robinson annulation strategy providing the racemic natural product in 9 steps and 8 % overall yield. Its structure was fully elucidated by NMR and MS. With the reference standard in hand, a protocol was established for the quantitative headspace analysis of trichodiene above crop spikes by GC/MS in the < 10 µg/kg range. Besides a sample survey and a trichodiene - trichothecene correlation study, it is aimed to transfer the validated analytical method from the laboratory into a field-portable analytical system.
The fast and reliable in situ detection of trichodiene as a volatile biomarker for trichothecene mycotoxins will contribute to a reduction of food production/analysis costs and to an improvement of food safety.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) exploits the enhancement of electromagnetic fields in close vicinity of plasmonic nanostructures. The nanometer-scale spatial arrangement of plasmonic metal nanoparticles and analyte molecules has a significant effect on the observed signal enhancements and represents a great challenge in this technique. Especially interesting effects are expected for complex gold nanolenses (AuNLs), consisting of three or more differently-sized AuNPs. We use DNA origami to assemble AuNLs with 10, 20 and 60 nm AuNPs, arranged in three different geometries. Using correlated AFM and Raman spectroscopy, and probing single AuNLs, we systematically examined the SERS properties of the three different assemblies.
Coulometric sensors are applied for trace humidity measurements in various technical gases. The use of this sensor type is demanded in some standards by the European Pharmacopoeia for medical gases. Coulometric sensors allow the measurement of water vapour in gases such as e.g. air, Cl2, H2, N2, N2O, CH4 between the concentration ranging from 0.1 to 2,500 µmol∙mol-1 which corresponds to frost point temperature -90 °C to -10 °C, respectively.
The sensing principle is based on Faraday’s law of electrolysis whereby water is decomposed to hydrogen and oxygen. The sensor signal is the measured electrical current which is proportional to the mass of water that is absorbed on the hygroscopic phosphorous pentoxide layer. The signal is dependent on the gas flow at a given voltage, gas pressure and temperature.
The sensors need to be calibrated to measure the accurate signal for humidity in air. However, the signal is dependent on the type of gas matrix. This dependency has not been quantified so far. Therefore, the impact of reactive gases such as hydrogen and nitrous oxide on the calibration curve was investigated. Furthermore, a possible rationale in relation to the interaction of water with the gas matrix and its impact on the electrode reactions is suggested.
The experimental setup consists of a gas supply, dryer, humidifier, test chamber and reference hygrometer. The test gas is generated by mixing the dry and the wet gas flow. First the carrier gas is dried by an activated carbon filter and then split into two flows. One flow is dried again with a molecular sieve. The other flow is humidified by passing it through a bubbler filled with pure water. After this, the rate of both flows is controlled by mass flow controllers and then mixed with the test gas. A calibrated precision chilled mirror dew-point hygrometer is used as a reference instrument.
The coulometric sensors were exposed to different humidified gases and the sensor signal was recorded till a constant value was obtained. Calibration curves were calculated for the frost point temperature in the range of about -70 °C to -10 °C according to the equation, tf = A + B∙ln(I), (I is the electrolysis current and A, B are constants) followed with a linear regression fit.
Comparison of the results of air and nitrogen showed no significant differences. In contrast, there are remarkable differences for humidified hydrogen and nitrous oxide, respectively.
The difference might be due to increased recombination of hydrogen with the produced oxygen to form new water molecules in humidified hydrogen.
In conclusion, coulometric trace humidity sensor is a robust hygrometer for various technical applications. However it needs to be calibrated for the specific gas matrix.
The understanding of human behavior during evacuation processes is an important matter to improve the safety of infrastructures. In many countries, the implementation of performance based codes enables fire safety engineers to use computer based calculation tools to predict and evaluate pedestrian movement and human behavior in buildings. The models are based on experimentally obtained parameters and theoretical models. Pedestrian behavior can be influenced by the characteristics of the buildings (e.g. type of the building) as well as the characteristics of individuals and the pedestrian group.
This paper shows that the approach of Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) / Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) is imprecise with regard on heterogeneous pedestrian groups, because this concept completely neglected the variability’s in individual pre-movement and movement abilities.
Time-resolved studies on the formation of maghemite nanoparticles combining fast-XANES and SAXS
(2016)
Iron oxide nanoparticles find application in different areas like sensing, magnetic storage media, and biomedicine, due to their magnetic properties and environment-friendliness.
In the present contribution, we report on the in situ investigation of an iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis by coupled X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The combination provides simultaneously information about the size of particles (SAXS) and on the oxidation state and the local structure of the iron atoms (XANES). The co-precipitation synthesis was exemplary studied, using a stabilization agent to decelerate the fast precipitation of the iron oxides. This allows to detect intermediates in situ. The measurements were performed using a custom-made acoustic levitator as sample holder. From the data, a mechanism was derived indicating different phases of particle Formation and oxidation state changes.
In recent years advanced oxidation processes have become an important part of research due to their capacity to degrade many environmental pollutants during water treatment. Especially the heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method because it often results in a full mineralization of many hazardous organic compounds. However incomplete degradation reactions during this process can result in transformation products due to the oxidative conditions. The transformation products may have a higher toxicity than the precursor substances 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 into the aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, extensive and effective non-target analytical methods are necessary for the monitoring and identification of the transformation products which can be generated during waste water treatment. Among various semiconductors, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most frequently used photocatalyst because of its inexpensiveness, non-toxicity, chemical stability and its high photocatalytic activity. If TiO2 is irradiated with light of an energy higher than the band gap of the semiconductor, electron-hole pairs are generated on the surface of the TiO2, resulting in the formation of active oxidized species such as hydroxyl radicals which can react with environmental pollutants. To study photocatalytic reactions, a model system has been developed to simulate environmental relevant conditions for photocatalytic reactions of organic substances on a laboratory scale. The commonly used pharmaceuticals metformin and gabapentin were selected as model substances because of their high input in waste water and the little information about their occurrence, behavior and fate in the environment. Metformin is the drug of choice for treating type 2 diabetes. The drug therapy for diabetes mellitus has increased significantly in recent years. More than half of the total amount of pharmaceuticals in the environment are the antidiabetic agent metformin and its major transformation product guanylurea. Gabapentin is an analogon of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which is used as antiepileptic drug and for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Gabapentin is found in waste water influent in the high ng/L range.
First results of the optimization of the photocatalyst and its application are shown.
In order to provide nutrition for a growing world population pesticides are a necessary tool. Crop protection agents may be considered safe, if handled correctly. Nevertheless, they are subject to transformation processes and metabolisation in the environment and technical installations. Transformation products (TP) and metabolites may exhibit properties other than those of the mother substance. They can be more harmful and thereby pose a threat to environmental and human health. With 19 % market share in 2014, triazole pesticides are the class of organic fungicides which are most commonly used in Germany.1 However, only little data is available concerning their TP and metabolites. During this study the fate of the triazole fungicides propiconazole and difenoconazole in soil and water using model reaction systems mimicking their pathway in the environment and the industrial water treatment is investigated. During application the substances may directly contaminate soil as well as surface waters. Both pesticides are considered persistent in soil and very stable towards aqueous photolysis.2 In this case however, the role of natural organic matter has not yet been examined. Since both pesticides also show moderate mobility in soils they may end up in ground water from which drinking water is produced. During this process, waters are treated with chlorine agents, ozone, and energy-rich UV radiation. Owing to the vigorous conditions the formation of a variety of technical TP can be expected. Additionally, for all environmental compartments the degradation of the fungicides by bacteria is a factor which needs to be taken into account. For this survey, iron-oxidising bacteria of the leptothrix variety were chosen as model organisms. Their potential for the metabolisation of the analytes is investigated. In this work degradation and transformation of the fungicides is monitored using quantitative target analysis. Major components in the reaction mixtures are identified by non-target analysis. GC-EI-MS-spectra, HR-MS-measurements, or the comparison with native standards are utilised for structural elucidation. For identification, products will be isolated and characterised by NMR. Toxicity assessment of these TP is essential to define threshold values in the environment. The model reaction system considering the interaction with organic matter will be presented and possible TP will be shown.
In the last years, secondary low-energy electrons (LEE) emerged as important, if not predominant, reductive pathway in ionizing damage of biomolecules. These electrons are created in copious amount as result of inelastic scattering of high energy radiation at water. Until now, all experiments the quantification of the effects of LEEs on the biomolecular damage was either performed in vacuum with LEE sources or with DNA on surfaces in humid atmosphere.
We present a new experimental setup to irradiate biomolecules with electrons under physiological conditions. In combination with monte carlo simulations this setup makes it possible to determine microdosimetric quantities for biomolecules in liquid environment under electron irradiation.
This opens up new possibilities in radiation research to access the LEE damage under well defined physiological condition, for more complex systems, such as DNA-Protein complexes and even living cells.
This explorative poster presentation examines the role of quality infrastructure (QI) for the wind energy sector in Germany. We interviewed different stakeholders groups - from certification and accreditation bodies to insurance providers and wind energy producers - in order to gain an understanding on how different QI components contribute to the collaboration of the different stakeholder groups. We differentiate between mandatory and voluntary measures. Mandatory laws, according to our interviewees, contribute to the stability of power grids or safety of turbines. Voluntary measures are used to promote confidence among different project participants. Voluntary certifications are also signaling instruments, which help suppliers to enter projects. Accredited services are preferred vis-à-vis non-accredited services. Certifications of entire projects are rather used for non-standard large scale offshore projects. Stakeholders of the wind energy sectors are content with the QI in Germany but also suggest improvements, in particular for mutual acceptance of voluntary test procedures and results.
This work demonstrates the sub-cellular resolution bio-imaging capabilities of the NWRimage system with Dual Concentric Injector (DCI) technology in a practical application. 3T3 fibroblast cells incubated with gold nanoparticles were imaged, demonstrating the sub-cellular imaging capabilities. A laser ablation system specifically designed for rapid, high resolution imaging was employed. The system´s optical layout is optimized to minimize crater diameters. Sensitivity and speed were achieved using the DCI technology for ultra-fast washout times.
Polymers, such as polystyrene, have been successfully analyzed with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) through the addition of e.g. copper or silver salts. This method is often used to establish the polydispersity index of polymer blends.
However, the mechanism of cation addition and the possible interactions between the added salts and the chosen target material are still points of interest. Therefore, the addition of several trifluoroacetate salts to a mixture of polystyrene and matrix
on a range of different target plate materials was systematically investigated, revealing several new interesting aspects of MALDI.
Polystyrene (Mw 1,920 Da) was mixed with a range of trifluoroacetate salts (Li, Na, K, Cs, Ba, Cr, Pd, Cu, Ag, Zn, Al and In, as well as
trifluoroacetic acid) and analyzed with MALDI using 2
-[2E-3-4-tert-butylphenyl)-
2-
methylprop-2-enylidene]ma
lononitrile DCTB) as matrix on different target plate materials (chrome, copper, silver, gold, Ti90/Al6/V4, Inconel® 625, Zinc and stain
less steel) to evaluate the occurrence of redox-reactions.
Polystyrene/salt/matrix solutions were deposited through pneumatic-assisted spraying on microscope slide
-shaped target plate insets of varying material, which, secured with copper tape, fitted a milled out structure from the original target plate. Spectra, obtained on a Bruker Autoflex I MALDI-Time
-of-Flight mass spectrometer, were processed with MATLAB to obtain polystyrene-and matrix
-adduct ion signal intensities for direct comparison between chosen conditions.
The resulting spectra shed light on the MALDI adduct formation process and the cation-polystyrene interactions. It was found
that the following cation
-polystyrene adducts were formed on stainless steel: Al, Li, Na, Cu and Ag, where the yield was found to depend on the sample layer thickness and possibly the cation’s ability to form a complex with either one or two of polystyrene’s phenyl rings, based on the ligand-field and the valence bond theory. With the exception of Al, these salts also formed adducts
and in case of Cu and Ag also sandwich adducts with DCTB. Some alkali salts (e.g. potassium) formed clusters rather than interacting with polystyrene or DCTB, which can be explained with the HSAB theory. Application of TFA salts on a copper surface
led to copper cation formation, resulting in DCTB and polystyrene copper-adduct formation. The same effect occurred for silver substrate. In the absence of copper or silver salts, it is therefore still possible to form their respective adducts by choosing the proper alternative salt (e.g. Li, Cs, Ba, Cr) in combination with either a silver or a copper substrate surface. Incubation tests with copper beads in various salt solutions, before matrix and polystyrene addition, support that copper ions are not generated during the deposition process before the MALDI experiment is carried out, except when trifluoroacetic acid, indium and aluminium
trifluoroacetate are used. For all other salts used on a copper plate, it can therefore be concluded that these copper cation forming redox-reactions are enabled by the input of laser photon energy. Furthermore, it was discovered that copper beads can successfully sequester polystyrene from the sample mixture, indicating the strong bonding of polystyrene to the copper surface.
These findings support that the redox-reactions occur (almost) instantaneously with laser pulse impact at the sample-coated substrate surface.
Characterization of statistical EO-PO copolymers containing different end groups by UPLC/ESI-MS
(2016)
Commercial statistical ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) copolymers of different monomer compositions and different average molar masses were studied by liquid chromatography under critical conditions (LCCC). Theoretical predictions of the existence of a critical adsorption point (CPA) for statistical copolymers with a given chemical and sequence distribution, could be studied and confirmed. An improved way to determine these critical conditions in a copolymer, alongside the inevitable chemical composition distribution (CCD), with the aid of mass spectrometric detection is described. Shift of the critical eluent composition with the monomer composition of the polymers could be observed. Due to the relatively low average molecular weight, broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) and the presumed existence of different end group functionalities as well as sequence distribution, gradient separation only by CCD was not possible. Therefore isocratic separations at the CPA of definite CCD’s were applied. Although the various present distributions partly superimposed the separation process the goal of separation by end group functionality could still be achieved on the basis of the additional dimension of ESI-MS. The existence of HO-H besides the desired AllylO-H end group functionalities could be confirmed and their amount could be estimated.
Multilayer carbon nanomembrances (CNMs) could pave the way for a new ultrathin functional conductive coatings with tunable electrical, optical, and chemical properties. Due to their molecular thickness, they can also be regarded as “interfaces without bulk” separating regions of different gaseous, liquid, or solid components and controlling the materials exchange between them, making them optimal materials for membranes applications. Furthermore, their physical and chemical properties depend strongly on their structure, molecular composition, and the surroundings of either sides, thus allowing for tailored properties. Here, nanolayers of Aromatic p-terphenylthiol (TPT) self-assembled into 2D carbon monolayers (thickness - 1.6 nm) were synthesized and further crosslinked by ion bombardment, forming CNMs. Here, though a recently developed multilayer nanosheets routine, stacks of 5, 10, 15 and 20 TPT sheets where transferred on top of each other forming a multilayered CNMs. However, this transfer routine could introduce some intrinsic defects to the sheets, which would alter the molecular composition and / or structure, thus consequently the CNMs properties. Therefore, it is essential to characterize defects in “pure” TPT nanomembranes, before tailoring the molecular compositions, e.g. adding functional groups. For this reason, broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) was utilized to characterize any defects that could be rasied during preparation. Due the structure of pure TPT membranes, no dipole moment should exsist. However, the presence of other elements, e.g. water or sulphur, would result in a dipole moment that could be probed by BDS.
As a main result, for all different stacked-layer numbers, a clear relaxation process is seen, which moves to higher frequencies with increasing the temperature. The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate of this process is independent of film thickness and can be well described by a common VFT function, hence a corporative motion. This relaxation process was assigned to intrinisic defects in the membranes, introduced during preparation, which was further confimed by a detailed anaylsis of the dielectric strength. This is the first BDS measurment on TPT CNMs.
Many engineering structures are made of composite materials or metal foam. To simulate the deformational behaviour of these structures often requires a high number of discretisation elements. This in turn yields a very large system of linear equations that are extremely time and memory consuming or practically impossible to solve. It is therefore desirable to find an approach to overcome this obstacle.
Many engineering structures are made of composite materials or metal foam. To simulate the deformational behaviour of these structures often requires a high number of discretisation elements. This in turn yields a very large system of linear
equations that are extremely time and memory consuming or practically impossible to solve. It is therefore desirable to find an approach to overcome this obstacle.
Calcium cobaltite is a promising p-type oxide thermoelectric material for high temperature applications due to its high figure of merit between 600 °C and 900 °C in air. The solid-state-reaction is well known for large scale powder synthesis of functional materials. As a high temperature process, the powder synthesis consumes a lot of energy. In different studies, different synthesis conditions were used for the preparation of calcium cobaltite powder. This study showed that a higher energy input (elevated temperatures, longer dwell times, or repeated calcinations) during powder synthesis does not increase but decrease the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity. The same correlation was determined for the densification. As a higher energy input leads to a larger grain size and therefore to a reduced sinter activity, it can be concluded that the thermoelectric properties are correlated with the sinter activity of the powder. These results can be used to minimize the energy demand for the powder synthesis of Ca₃Co₄ O₉.
Since geothermal wells are a feasible energy source to replace fossil fuel supply, many technologies have been developed to take advantage of geothermal energy. Nevertheless, service conditions in geothermal facilities are due to the chemical composition of hydrothermal fluids and temperatures, in many cases, extreme in terms of corrosion.
Therefore, materials selection based on preliminary material qualification is essential to guarantee a secure and reliable operation of the facilities. The corrosion behavior of different high-alloyed metals including Duplex and austenitic stainless steels as well as a nickel alloy have been evaluated in artificial geothermal fluids simulating the conditions in some locations with geothermal potential in Germany as well as two sites in Indonesia. The suitability of carbon steel 25CrMo4, stainless steels X2CrNiMo17-12-2, X2CrNiMo-22-5, X2CrNiMoCuWN25-7-4 and super austenitic steel X1CrNiMoCu32-28-7 in these geothermal fluids obtained by electrochemical measurements and exposure tests is limited. The nickel alloy NiCr23Mo16Al shows an excellent corrosion resistance against pitting corrosion. Excluding its high cost, it is a very good alternative to be used in the construction of geothermal facilities having highly saline brines. Stainless and Duplex steels exhibit a limited corrosion resistance concerning pitting and crevice corrosion. Beside of the higher alloyed materials, also the lowalloyed steel 25CrMo4 could be employed as a constructional material for the geothermal power plant in stagnant highly acidic non Saline environments, as long as the wall thickness of the material vs. corrosion rate is taken into account.
Populations of genetically identical cells that share the same environment can differ markedly in their phenotypes. This phenomenon has been termed phenotypic heterogeneity. While a few molecular mechanisms that lead to heterogeneity in gene expression have been elucidated, it remains unclear how heterogeneity in gene expression is transmitted to heterogeneity in activity; especially in metabolism. Metabolic activity of single bacterial cells can be quantified by labeling the substrate with stable isotopes and by measuring label uptake with nanometer-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). Here we combined NanoSIMS with single-molecule mRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) to link heterogeneity in gene expression and metabolism in nitrogen fixing bacteria. We find that gene expression and metabolic activity are decoupled in single cells. However, heterogeneity in gene expression is correlated with heterogeneity in metabolic activity on the population level. Gene expression kinetics can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that lead to heterogeneity in metabolism.
Polymers are favorable materials for gas separation membranes. In general, gas transport experiments are performed with films in the range of 100 µm thickness. However, in large-scale processes very thin selective polymer layers in the range of 100 nm to 1 µm are used. Moreover, it was shown that thin films behave different compared to thick films with respect to gas transport properties and physical aging as well. Thus, for fundamental research it is important to realize gas transport experiments with thin films. The Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) is a very sensitive method to detect mass changes in the range of nanograms. Therefore, this method enables sorption experiments with thin films or layers attached to the QCM crystal (100 nm up to 1 µm). Here, we present the experimental set-up for using the QCM technique for characterizing the gas sorption behavior of thin polymer films in a temperature controlled pressurized environment (up to 50 bar) - also quartz crystals and crystal holders were optimized. The study aims for the characterization of long-term behavior and physical aging of high-performance polymers for gas separation membranes - such as polyimides and polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) and respective nanocomposites. Especially the differences of the behavior of thin films compared to films with thicknesses up to 100 µm as well as nanofiller induced-effects are adressed.
Experimental characterization of the thermodynamic behavior of multicomponent gas mixtures of accurately known composition with traceability to National Standard is of great importance for testing the current reference equation of state (EoS) for natural gases and related mixtures, GERG-2008. Natural gas composition may change considerably due to the diversity of origins, or the possibility to incorporate hydrogen, biomethane or other non-conventional energy gases.
In this work, density measurements for three synthetic mixtures, representing two biomethane mixtures and a typical natural gas composition, are presented. Results are compared to the current reference EoS for natural gases and related mixtures, i.e., GERG-2008 and AGA8-DC92.
Microcolonial fungi (MCF) are able to survive extreme environmental conditions. This study is focusing on responses to oxidative stress - using the rock fungus Knufia petricola strain A95. Comparative gene expression analyses of a wild type and a PKS mutant are used to identify genes which are especially regulated under oxidative stress conditions to help elucidate mechanisms of cell wall maturation and oxidative stress defence strategies.
Genetic manipulation of protective pigments in a rock-inhabiting model fungus Knufia petricola A95
(2016)
Black ascomycetous microcolonial fungi are persistent inhabitants of rock surfaces, but are especially conspicuous in hostile environments like cold and hot deserts. The unique robustness of MFCs is supported by protective pigments, like melanin and carotenoids. We study the role of these pigments in the stress resistance of the model rock fungus Knufia petricola (Chaetothyriales) strain A95.
Microbiological biofilms on rocks are ubiquitous in nature and their influence on soil formation through rock weathering has been shown (Gorbushina 2007). However, most previous studies on rock weathering are limited to understanding the physical and chemical aspects overlooking the impact of biota. Due to the enormous amounts of variables that come with a biological process, the quantification of its influence is only possible by using well-controlled and simplified laboratory models. Thereby gaining more insight on the impact of rock inhabiting biofilms on mineral weathering. This presentation will show the impact of biotic weathering in terms of olivine dissolution rates
Natural forsterite was incubated in batch reactor flasks with and without a model consortium consisting of the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme and the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola, and submerged in a growth solution (pH 6). The flasks were incubated for 30 days under 25°C, 90 µmol photons/m2s and were shaken at 150 rpm. qPCR was performed to quantify the cell number of both organisms, BET to gather the specific surface of the used olivine and ICP-OES to follow up the change of concentration of the leached out metals.
Our results show that our model consortium, especially K. petricola does increase the dissolution rate of olivine. The pH increased from the initial 6 to around 7.2 for all setups. Initially Mg was preferentially released over Si (Mg/Si of 3.5), until after two days the ratio starts equilibrating around stoichiometric dissolution. During this timeframe the dissolution rate drops by nearly two orders of magnitude, just as observed by Daval et al., (2011). The difference in dissolution rates between the different setups is initially non-existent, but increases over time. After 30 days the setup with K. petricola gives a dissolution rate of 1.08 10-13 moles/cm2s, compared to 9.23 10-14 moles/cm2s for the abiotic setup.
We expect this study to cause awareness on the impact of microbiology on mineral weathering. Additionally it is a starting point for other, more complicated experiments using for instance flow through or drip flow reactors or other minerals.
The role of c-di-GMP in biofilm formation of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme
(2016)
The signaling molecule c-di-GMP is a ubiquitous second messenger in bacterial species including cyanobacteria. C-di-GMP stimulates the biosynthesis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in biofilms and regulates the transition between a motile and a sessile life style in many bacteria. In our study we focus on c-di-GMP function and EPS production associated with biofilm Formation in Nostoc punctiforme, which is known to produce EPS in biofilms and liquid culture.
Within the field of optically excited thermography, full-field thermal imaging is used to characterize materials, to determine thicknesses of layers or to find inhomogeneities such as voids or cracks. Classical light sources, such as flash lamps (impulse heating) or halogen lamps (modulated heating), are hereby specifically used. This has led to the different testing methods lock-in and flash thermography. The VCSEL array promises to merge these excitation methods.
Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) are laser diodes emitting light perpendicular to their surface. Due to the vertical structure they can be arranged in large arrays of many thousand individual lasers and still be controlled like ordinary diode lasers. Recently a high-power albeit very compact version of such a VCSEL-array became available which offers both the fast timing behavior of lasers and large illumination areas. Moreover, it allows a spatial and temporal control of the heating because individual parts of the VCSEL-array can be controlled arbitrarily in frequency, amplitude, and phase.
Although the VCSEL-array has a high potential for a new range of applications, it is too early to proclaim them. As one out of very few labs, we already adopted to this new VCSEL technology and show a thorough characterization and first results obtained with a 2.4 kW device. Specifically, we will discuss
- the linearity between control voltage and optical output
- the minimal pulse duration
- the maximal applicable modulation frequency
- optical projection and its influence on the optical output
- spatial control of the illumination and thermal wave shaping
Our results indicate that a VCSEL-array can be used for conventional impulse (aka flash) thermography whereas pulse duration and power are instantaneously accessible compared to flash lamp excitation. In case of lock-in thermography, we can apply frequencies in excess of 200 Hz without a loss in amplitude or an after glowing of the source, making it attractive for photo thermal applications. Consequently, this means that the VCSEL-array is able to merge the two main excitation methods lock-in and impulse thermography.
In times of the energy revolution, the need for energy efficient separation processes promotes the advancement of new high performance materials for use as highly selective separation membranes. Most promising materials in this field, especially for gas separation, are polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) which were firstly introduced by Budd and McKeown. In this study the permeability of PIM-1 was increased by 439 % by formation of nanocomposites with only 1 wt% of polyhedral oligomeric phenethyl-silsesquioxane (PhE-POSS) within the polymer matrix. As the CO2/CH4 selectivity is fully retained, this leads to a shift in the Robeson plot towards the upper bound. The Robeson plot describes the current state of the art trade-off relation between selectivity and permeability of all known membrane polymers. As molecular mobility is a key factor for gas transport as well as the often observed physical aging of such polymers, our study also includes for the first time, molecular dynamics and conductivity of pure PIM-1 and PIM-1 nanocomposites as investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS).
Advanced methods for 3D green density characterization like computed tomography and 3D FE sinter modeling can be utilized for increasing the reliability of sintered components. The experimental in situ observation of sintering, however, is currently restricted to silhouette methods, i.e. heating microscopy. For complex shaped samples, in situ shape screening during shrinkage would allow much better validation of 3D sinter simulation models. Further, by revealing temporary sinter warpage, 3D high-temperature shape screening would allow to locate potential defects of complex sintered components. Against this background, BAM developed a testing device for in situ 3D high-temperature shape screening for ceramic and glass-ceramic tapes up to 1000°C. Current work is focused on dropping this restriction in sample shape and temperature. The poster illustrates the current state of this work and possible applications of the method e.g. in detecting sinter warpage of metallized glass-ceramic LTCC tapes.
Diverse animal species consume toxins, minerals or secondary compounds as an adaptive response to pathogen infection – a process termed self-medication. Recent studies have also shown that macronutrients can play an important role in an individual’s infection response. For instance African army worm caterpillars select a diet rich in protein and low in carbohydrate upon baculovirus infection. Here we investigate whether dietary choice of macronutrients also plays a role in immunity in the omnivorous cockroach: Blatta orientalis. After challenging individual cockroaches with a common entomopathogenic soil bacterium, Pseudomonas entomophila, we conducted food-choice experiments using two artificial diets differing in their relative protein to carbohydrate ratio. We show for the first time that cockroaches are able to self-select a protein-enriched diet as a response to bacterial infection. This is driven by a sharp decline in carbohydrate intake rather than an increase in protein intake. Additionally, infected cockroaches reduced their overall nutrient intake, which is consistent with an illness-induced anorexia-like response. The feeding pattern of bacteria-challenged individuals returned to normality approx 4 days after challenge. We also investigate whether cockroach survival and hemolymph immunity are enhanced in individuals when restricted to a protein-rich vs. carbohydrate-rich diet. Overall, our findings demonstrate that macronutrient preferences follow a general pattern independent of pathogen type. Furthermore, we show that interactions between nutrition and immunity are highly conserved in evolution, highlighted by the fact that caterpillars and cockroaches diverged some 386 million years ago.
BODIPY fluorophores are popular functional dyes in a multitude of fields in chemistry, physics, and materials sciences due to their excellent properties such as a good photostability, high fluorescence quantum yields, and almost unlimited possibilities for tailoring their properties by chemical functionalization. In sensing applications, BODIPY dyes are widely employed.
In this work, we present an approach for creating a BODIPY-based pocket-like structure for the recognition of volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as benzene and its derivatives. This may lead to the development of sensing devices for this class of compounds, which receive special attention by environmental chemists and regulatory authorities due to severe adverse effects on humans in particular and the environment in general. The low reactivity of benzene-derived hazardous compounds is thereby a major fact that has to be taken into consideration. While for other reactive gaseous compounds, fluorophore-based detection performance is achieved by the chemical modification of the fluorophore itself, e.g. by bond cleavage, addition, oxidation or reduction reactions; this is not possible for many VOCs. Several metal complexes were described for the sensing of benzene and its derivatives, but no organic dyes such as BODIPYs are known with these capabilities. Our unique concept towards BODIPY-based molecules acting as scavengers for VOCs is supposed to overcome the problem of benzene’s low reactivity by enforcing π-π-interactions between the fluorophore and the volatile aromatic analyte in pocket-like molecular structures.
Low-alloyed CrMoV steels, such as T24, are widely used for welded components in fossil power stations due to their excellent creep-strength. Spectacular failure cases in the recent years exhibited severe cracking in T24 welds. The results showed that hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) occurring up to 200 degree Celsius cannot be excluded. Hence, a basic understanding is necessary on how hydrogen affects the material properties of welded microstructures. In this regard, each weld microstructure (HAZ and weld metal) has influence on the HAC susceptibility and respective hydrogen diffusion. Thus, the present contribution summarizes different results obtained from experiments with grades T24 (CrMoV alloy) and T22 (CrMo) and thermally simulated HAZ. Tensile tests were conducted with hydrogen charged specimens and compared to hydrogen-assisted stress corrosion cracking results obtained from slow strain rate tests (SSRT) up to 200 degree Celsius. Electrochemical permeation and degassing experiments were performed to identify a particular weld microstructure influence on hydrogen diffusion and trapping (especially in the HAZ). The results showed that T24 base material has improved resistance to hydrogen-assisted degradation/cracking. In contrast, the as-welded HAZ had remarkably increased susceptibility (tesnile tests at hydrogen concentration of 1 to 2 ppm). SSRT experiments confirmed this at elevated temperatures for both the T24 and the T22. Hence, the evaluation of a particular degradation of the mechanical properties should be performed independently for each weld microstructure. In addition, the HAZ showed decreased diffusion coefficients (at room temperature) of approximately one magnitude compared to the base materials. Trapped hydrogen was determined in the T24 at temperatures up to 120 degree Celsius compared to 75 degree Celsius in the T22. This has to be considered in case of changing operational temperatures, e.g. in the case of start-up and shutdown processes of boiler components.
Genetic manipulation of protective pigments in a rock-inhabiting model fungus Knufia petricola A95
(2016)
Sub-aerial biofilms typically form on bare rock. They consist of 99% cell material and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) metabolising at low water availability. Rock-inhabiting melanised fungi represent an important part of the microbial community in these environments, playing important roles in the colonisation of mineral surfaces, rock weathering and soil formation in the ecological/geochemical context. Different cellular stress responses make rock-inhabiting ascomycetes fit for survival under extremely changing irradiation, as well as water, energy sources and nutrient availability. Melanised, rock-inhabiting fungi possess multiple protective pigments, form facultative symbiotic associations with photobionts and weather minerals. Melanised fungi build a protective layer around the cell that is critical in adhesion to other living partners, for the colonisation of the substrate and in the subsequent damage of the colonised surface. We chose Knufia petricola (Chaetothyriales) as a model species to analyse colonisation of surfaces. The basic physiology of K. petricola strain A95 is studied, its full genome sequence has been prepared for annotation and methods for deleting specific genes have been established. Unique features of K. petricola including the protective pigments (melanin and carotenoids) and EPS/cell wall properties are now being dissected genetically. As K. petricola strain A95 is in the basic clade of Chaetothyriales, it is an ancestor of both important human pathogens including Exophiala and lichens from the Verrucariaceae family. For this reason studies with A95 can help clarify the basis of fungal pathogenicity – as well as explain interactions with microscopic phototrophic partners like unicellular green algae and cyanobacteria. With Knufia petricola we will establish a canon of experimental approaches to characterise and quantify fungi that actively contact inanimate solid materials. The set of methods developed for Knufia will be adapted to heavily melanised and EPS-producing ascomycetes and can be broadly applied to medically important as well as material-colonising fungi.
Populations of genetically identical cells that share the same environment can differ markedly in their phenotypes. This phenomenon has been termed phenotypic heterogeneity. While a few molecular mechanisms that lead to heterogeneity in gene expression have been elucidated, it remains unclear how heterogeneity in gene expression is transmitted to heterogeneity in activity; especially in metabolism. Metabolic activity of single bacterial cells can be quantified by labeling the substrate with stable isotopes and by measuring label uptake with nanometer-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). Here we combined NanoSIMS with single-molecule mRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) to link heterogeneity in gene expression and metabolism in nitrogen fixing bacteria. We find that gene expression and metabolic activity are decoupled in single cells. However, heterogeneity in gene expression is correlated with heterogeneity in metabolic activity on the population level. Gene expression kinetics can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that lead to heterogeneity in metabolism.
The presence of plastic debris and especially small plastic particles in marine ecosystems has been recognized in the 1970`s. Since then various other environmental systems all over the world, like rivers, lakes and biota have been found to be polluted by plastics. Lately, agriculturally used land, waste-water treatment and biogas facilities come into focus as possibly relevant distribution vectors. To monitor the situation and investigate distribution pathways, the need for fast and reliable analytical procedures is high.
Up to now, there is no standard procedure for sampling, concentrating and analyzing plastic particles in environmental samples. Our group recently reported the development of a new analyzing method for microscale plastic particles, thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS). This method consists of thermal extraction of the sample via thermogravimetric analysis, collection of the evolved gaseous decomposition products on a solid-phase adsorber and analysis of the loaded adsorber using Thermal-Desorption-GC-MS. This technique utilizes the characteristic decomposition products of polymers for identification and even quantification of plastics in environmental samples.
In the present work we investigated samples of fermentation residues taken from a biogas plant. The results of sample preparation, concentration and analysis are presented as well as a comparison with alternative methods.
The first analysis of environmental samples shows, that the use of TED-GC-MS is suitable to analyse microplastic in environmental samples. Compared to the micro-spectroscopic methods this method is faster and gives good hints to the occurrence of high loadings of MP in environmental samples. In consequence, the method allows the monitoring of the situation and the investigation of MP distribution pathways in environment, to assess the relevance of various inputs.
Glasses are can serve as exceptionally tight hydrogen barriers e.g. used for hydrogen storage in micro glass containers or cover glasses in micro electronic systems. Respective glass development, however, requires precise measurements of minimal hydrogen permeability, PH2. Recent studies showed that PH2 can be measured down to 2 10-21 mol s-1 Pa-1m-1 by means of Vacuum Hot Extraction (VHE) powder methods [1]. In this respect the isothermal gas release from glass powder particles is fitted in terms of classical diffusion models assuming spherical particles of uniform size thus obtaining the hydrogen diffusion coefficient, DH2. PH2 is then given by D H2 × S H2, where hydrogen solubility, SH2, is obtained from VHE studies of glass powders exposed to hydrogen atmosphere for different exposure time and hydrogen pressure. Measurements of minimal values of hydrogen permeability, however, require a careful evaluation and error discussion of this method. Against that background, we modeled hydrogen degassing during heating and subsequent isothermal annealing of glass powder particles of different shape and particle size distribution by means of COMSOL Multiphysics® [2] and verified related effects on DH2 obtained by the VHE powder method.
Bioglass® 45S5 is mainly used clinically as powders, granules or pastes instead of sintered compacts. This is due to the inherent problem of crystallization during sintering. Recently, new bioactive glasses with improved crys-tallization stability have been developed as promising candidates for manufacturing of sintered powder compacts for bone regeneration, which combine improved sintering behavior with bioactivity. Compared with the well-known Bioglass® 45S5 (SiO2-P2O5-CaO-Na2O) the calcium/alkali oxide ratio was increased, sodium oxide was partially replaced by potassium oxide and up to 3 mol% calcium fluoride were added, in order to stabilize the glass against crystallization. Sintering and crystallization were characterized by heating microscopy, XRD, FTIR, SEM, and DTA. The results show that a sintered density of 88-99 % is achieved in contrast to only 57-67% for Bioglass® 45S5. Whereas Bioglass® 45S5 powder compacts crystallize during sintering, for the new glasses no crystalline phases were detected. Additionally the influence of grain size was characterized. These studies showed that full densification can be attained for particle size < 32 µm, whereas coarser particles pro-gressively increase residual porosity. Observed foaming phenomena, are strongly retarded by crystallization.
In Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy X-Ray photons are used to excite tightly bound core electrons to low-lying unoccupied orbitals of the system. This technique offers insight into the electronic structure of the system as well as useful structural information. In this work, we apply NEXAFS to two kinds of imidazolium based ionic liquids ([CnC1im]+ [NTf2]− and [C4C1im]+ [I]−). A combination of measurements and quantum chemical calculations of C K and N K NEXAFS resonances is presented. The simulations, based on the transition potential density functional theory method (TP-DFT), reproduce all characteristic features observed by the experiment. Further, a detailed assignment of resonance features to excitation centers leads to a consistent interpretation of the spectra.
Background: Fluorescent amplification strategies with nanomaterials are of increasing importance for a wide range of applications in material and life sciences. This includes their use as reporters for optical assays, targeted probes in bioimaging studies and as sensor materials. Some organic dyes with twisted skeleton conformation show enhanced emission upon aggregation (AIE)in contrast to the majority of dyes which reveal aggregation-caused fluorescence quenching (ACQ). Such dyes could be candidates for amplification strategies.
Here we present a series of new hydrophobic pyrrolidinylvinylquinoxaline (PVQ) dyes with different substituents, which are supposed to show AIE. This group of twisted skeleton conformed dyes are emissive in the solid state, as aggregates, and encapsulated in hydrophobic polymer materials.
Results: The PVQ derivatives show strong AIE in ethanol-water-mixtures containing more than 80% water as indicated by the strong increase in fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes upon dye aggregation and nanoparticle formation. The size of the AIE effect and the observed fluorescence enhancement are in good agreement with DFT- and XRD calculations of the torsion angle between the four different substituents and the planar backbone of the dye. In all cases, particles with diameters smaller than 450 nm were formed. The hydrodynamic diameter of the aggregates was controlled by the water content, with an increasing water content causing a decrease of the hydrodynamic diameter. In the presence of polyelectrolytes or surfactants, μm-sized crystals were obtained. Encapsulation of the dyes in preformed polymer particles provides stabil and strongly emissive nanoparticles.
Conclusion: Based on new PVQ, we yielded highly emissive nanoparticles. The correlation between the torsion angle and the AIE effect underlines structural control of AIE by substitution pattern in this dye class. The loading of a polymer matrix with PVQ resulted in stable nanoparticles with varied surface modification. Applications of these effects in fluorescence assays are currently studied.
A 400 m² soil test field with gas injection system was built up, which enables an experimental validation of linear gas sensors for specific applications and gases in an application-relevant scale. Several injection and soil watering experiments with carbon dioxide (CO2) at different days with varying boundary conditions were performed indicating the potential of the method for, e.g., rapid leakage detection with respect to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) issues.
Flow cytometry is a common tool in biological research and clinical analyses. In current developments, there are two different tendencies of interest. Firstly, we face the need for analysis methods that are capable of addressing more and more involved analysis tasks, i.e., an increasing number of fluorescent codes and markers is required. Secondly, low-cost diagnostic tests, e.g. in disease recognition, are needed in routine application.
Lifetime encoding could be an attractive alternative to commonly applied color (spectral) encoding. By combining spectral and lifetime multiplexing, the number of simultaneously detectable codes might be increased by adding lifetime codes to the parameter space. Otherwise, instrumentation costs could be lowered using only lifetime encoding and thus avoiding costly excitation light sources and detectors.
Here, we report on our recent progress in time-resolved flow cytometry using dye-stained lifetime-encoded polymer microparticles as a model system. We could show that the discrimination of two lifetime codes is feasible. Moreover, the simultaneous detection of a spectrally different ligand fluorescence signal excited at the same wavelength as the lifetime code fluorescence could be demonstrated.
Ferritic steels with Cr-contents up to 13 wt. % are used as heat exchanger or boiler tube materials in combustion based power plants. These materials are subject to aggressive corrosion caused by the reaction of the steel with highly corrosive gases under high temperatures up to 650°C. The early stages of corrosion and sulfidation especially and the influence of the Cr-content in the alloy are thereby not understood but of fundamental interest.
Our work shows corrosion mechanisms and presents corrosion models for Fe and different Fe-Cr-alloys under pure SO2 und SO2+O2 atmospheres for different time scales. Modell alloys of high purity are used to focus on the reaction of the intended elements: Fe, Cr, S, and O. Long-time experiments (≥12h) took place in tube furnaces and short-time experiments (≥5min) in a special designed light furnace. Heating and cooling took place under inert atmosphere. The reactive gases were added not until the experimental temperature was reached. Samples were analyzed using high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction using a micro focus setup and electron microscopy including FIB.
Many earlier studies on corrosion and sulfidation on iron based alloys show a higher corrosion rate and material loss when sulfur was present in the atmosphere. In contrast, later studies propose an inhibiting effect of sulfur containing atmospheres. On the one side, most likely due to the formation of a protective layer of Mx(SO4)y -phases at the scale-gas interface. On the other side, a very recent study proposes the theory that MxSy-phases limit the further diffusion of elements. Up to now, no Mx(SO4)y –phases were detected in our samples, but sulfide phases nucleated within the oxide phases. For pure Fe our samples show FeS at the scale-metal interface working as a diffusion barrier for Fe-Cations from the base material in to the oxide scale. The above lying spalled off oxide-sulfide scale shows a wide area of small voids and accumulations of FeS-Crystals at the bottom. Under the main oxide scale a second generation of oxide-sulfide scale starts to form. For the Fe-Cr-alloys the inner oxide scale only shows FeS- and CrS-phases surrounded by hollow space. The here presented study will explain and discuss a new growth model for the shown phenomenon.
Bioglass® 45S5 is mainly used clinically as powders, granules or pastes instead of sintered compacts. This is due to the inherent problem of crystallization during the sintering, which results in poor mechanical properties and reduced bioactivity. Recently, new bioactive glasses with improved crystallization stability have been developed as promising candidates for manufacturing of sintered powder compacts for bone regeneration, which combine improved sintering behavior with bioactivity. Compared with the well-known Bioglass® 45S5 (SiO2-P2O5-CaO-Na2O) the calcium/alkali oxide ratio was increased, sodium oxide was partially replaced by potassium oxide and up to 3 mol% calcium fluoride were added, in order to stabilize the glass against crystallization. The aim of this study was to investigate the sintering and crystallization behavior of these new bioactive glasses.
Sintering and crystallization were characterized by heating microscopy, XRD, FTIR, SEM, and DTA. The results show that a sintered density of 88-99 % is achieved in contrast to only 57-67% for Bioglass® 45S5. In addition, FTIR and XRD analyses show that Bioglass® 45S5 crystallized during sintering while for the new glasses no crystalline phases are detected. The thermal properties of all glasses were studied by DTA measurements, and the influence of grain size was characterized. These studies showed that full densification can be attained for particle size < 32 µm, whereas coarser particles progressively increase residual porosity. Observed foaming phenomena, are strongly retarded by crystallization of beta-HAp.
Advanced methods for 3D green density characterization like computed tomography and 3D FE sinter modeling can be utilized for increasing the reliability of sintered components. The experimental in situ observation of sintering, however, is currently restricted to silhouette methods, i.e. heating microscopy. For complex shaped samples, in situ shape screening during shrinkage would allow much better validation of 3D sinter simulation models. Further, by revealing temporary sinter warpage, 3D high-temperature shape screening allows to locate potential defects of complex sintered components. Against this background, BAM developed a testing device for in situ 3D high-temperature shape screening for ceramic and glass-ceramic tapes up to 1000°C [1-3]. Current work is focused on dropping this restriction in sample shape and temperature. The poster illustrates the current state of this work and possible applications of the method e.g. in detecting sinter warpage of metallized glass-ceramic LTCC tapes.
We investigated the efficiency of phase gratings, i.e., the visibility upon variation of different parameters. Rotating around an axis parallel to the grid lines of the phase grating changes the grating’s shape and thereby the initial distribution of phase shifts. This yields high visibilities for shorter propagation distances than derived from box shapes. Tilting the grating in the scattering plane allows continuous tuning of the grating’s height that corresponds to an ideal phase shift for a particular photon energy. This opens the way for tuning the design energy suitable for the material under investigation
Mechanical characterization of high-density polyethylene in contact with diesel and biodiesel fuels
(2016)
Renewable resources become more and more relevant to maintain energy demands for an increasing global population. Biosynthetic fuels like biodiesel might replace conventional petrochemical fuels, such as diesel. However, more research is needed to characterize the interaction between the different fuels and polymeric materials widely used in the fuel infrastructure as well as for automotive parts. Especially changes in the structural properties and mechanical behavior of the polyethylene (PE-HD) have to be addressed.
The presented work comprises the direct interaction of high density polyethylene (PE-HD) with diesel and biodiesel, resulting in swelling and plasticization. Also long-term degradation phenomena will be discussed.
The chosen PE-HD types are typical thermoplastic resins for container and storage tank applications. The impact of diesel and biodiesel in PE-HD is investigated by changes in the mechanical properties with emphasis on the Charpy impact strength. Furthermore, structural and dynamic influences on the polymeric material induced by diesel and biodiesel are proven in Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). Both methods, Charpy impact strength and DMA, reveal softening effects due to the migration of diesel and biodiesel into the amorphous regions of PE-HD.
Since biodiesel is more prone to oxidative degradation compared to diesel, the fuel/air/polymer-interaction is studied for partly immersed tensile test specimens. Main focus of the evaluation is the co-oxidation. Here, the accelerated deterioration of PE caused by the sorption of the facile oxidation of biodiesel into the solid polymer might be a major degradation mechanism in this context.
The formation of biofilms on different materials provokes high costs in industrial processes, as well as in medical applications. Therefore, the interest in development of new materials with improved surfaces to reduce bacterial colonization rises. In order to evaluate the quality and safety of these new materials, it is highly important to ensure world-wide comparable tests that are relying on statistical evidence. The only way to reach this statistical safety is through a high-throughput Screening under standardized test conditions.
We developed a flow through system for cultivation of biofilm-forming bacteria under controlled conditions with a total capacity for testing up to 32 samples in parallel. Quantification of the surface colonization was done by staining the bacterial cells with a fluorescence marker, followed by epifluorescence microscopy. More than 100 images of each sample were automatically taken and the surface coverage was estimated with the free open source software gmic (http://gmic.eu), followed by a precise statistical evaluation. Overview images of all gathered pictures of the whole material coupon were generated to illuminate the colonization characteristics of the selected bacteria on certain materials.
With this method, differences in bacterial colonization on different materials can be quantified in a statistically validated manner. The innovative and solid test procedure will support the design of improved materials for medical and industrial applications such as implants, ship hulls, pipelines, heat exchangers, aquaculture equipments, photovoltaic-panels and fundaments of wind power plants.
Worldwide BAM Certification of Radigraphic Image Detectors for the NDT Market – Status of 2016
(2016)
The Poster shows the status of 2016 in BAM certification of radiographic image detectors for industrial radiology for nondestructive testing. BAM was generating first the basis by worldwide standardization activities and released later certificates on request of the device manufacturers using these Standards a base for certification.
This work presents first results from repeti-tive CO2 injection experiments performed on a recently built-up 400 m² soil test field with gas injection system. The test field contains 48 membrane-based linear gas sensors that were installed in several depths of the test field. Sensors for measuring meteorological parameters (e.g., wind / rain) and the parameters soil temperature, soil moisture, and groundwater level were installed additionally. A more de-tailed description of the test field setup can be found in. A short description of the mem-brane-based linear gas sensors’ functional prin-ciple can be found in.
Due to their chemical structure, a rigid disk-like aromatic core and flexible alkyl chains attached to the core, discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) can organize and stack themselves into columns in a hexagonal columnar mesophase, a mesophase in between the plastic crystalline and isotropicphase. The overlap of the π orbitals of the aromatic core in the hexagonal columnar mesophase leads to a high charge-carrier mobilitie along the column axis – these columns can be considered as “moleculer nanowires” making liquid crystals a promising class of materials for electronic applications. Previous studies on DLCs showed that the phase behavior of DLCs is susceptible to nano confinement. Here in this study, the thermotropic collective orientational order of 2,3,6,7,10,11 hexakis[hexyloxy] triphenylene (HAT6), a triphenylene based DLC, and the effects of nano confinment on of its phase behavior were investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). HAT6 was embedded into nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide membranes by melt infiltration in the isotropic phase under argon atmosphere. The filled membranes have the thickness of 80 µm and the diameter of 15mm and parallel aligned tubular nanopores having the pore diameters of 25, 40, 80 and 180 nm. The filling degree for each sample was checked by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in order to ensure complete filling. The bulk HAT6 forms, a hexagonal columnar phase between the isotropic phase above 371 K, and the plastic crystalline phase below 340 K. Unlike the bulk, the confined HAT6 forms two peaks in the heat flow during the plastic crystalline-to-hexagonal columnar phase transition, which might be the evidence of two different phase structures close to the wall and in the pore center. Moreover, the isotropic-to-columnar transition of the confined HAT6 shifts with decreasing pore diameter to lower temperatures.
The calibration of fluorescence signals in assays as well as in biological systems is a key requirement. Especially for quantitative studies of living cells, e.g. expression of biomolecules the generation of concentration-proportional analytical statements obtained by the fluorescence intensity plays a significant role. This also applies for cell assays like immunofluorescence assays. Also, the determination of local concentrations of target proteins within cells or within their environment is a major challenge in modern biology.
Proper calibration of the fluorescence imaging systems is the prerequisite to ensure that test results from different instruments and different test environments are comparable. The existing calibration solutions for fluorescence imaging systems, however, mostly depend on simple instrument calibration without reference to absolute physical standards or with insufficient stability for multiple measurements. In order to obtain the necessary quantitative information, it is required to calibrate both instruments and the corresponding assays, ideally with one calibrating system.
We present several new calibration tools for the most commonly used platforms for cytometry, i.e. fluorescence microscope based systems and flow cytometry based systems. They are comprised of ultra-stable fluorophores that are encapsulated in bio- and cell-compatible polymer matrices. Each tool is tailored to the specific requirements of the different read-out platforms. Both re-usable single-color calibration slides for fluorescence microscopes as well as new multi-color calibration beads are presented.
The traceability of the calibration tools to international standards and the wide calibration range of the fluorescence intensity are illustrated. They are thus suitable for calibration of the signal over concentration and quantum yield to that of the targets.
The Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is widely used to characterize the slow crack growth (SCG) behavior of polyolefin materials in “inert” media as well as effects of environmental stress cracking (ESC) in which the medium has decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure tf*. Usually the FNCT is applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal liquid media, such as solutions of Arkopal N 100 (detergent).
Selected relevant PE-HD materials are investigated also in real media and influences of temperature and geometry of specimen and notch are explicitly addressed. The investigations comprise also the ESC behavior of PE-HD in media that are sorbed to a significant extent – such as Diesel and Biodiesel – based on comparison with samples previously saturated with those media.
In the present study, internal damage to an AlSi12CuMgNi alloy reinforced with planar random Al2O3 short fibres was investigated after compression testing. Due to the alloy composition, this composite contains a second reinforcement phase in the form of eutectic Si, which builds interpenetrated networks in the volume and increases the creep resistance and load-bearing capacity of the material. Materials with their fibre plane parallel and transversal to the load direction were characterized in order to investigate the dependence of load partition and damage on fibre plane orientation. In-situ compression testing during neutron diffraction measurements showed that internal damage is strongly influenced by the load partition between matrix and reinforcement. Moreover, micro-computed tomography was performed in the same material after ex-situ compression for damage analysis. In the case of a fibre plane perpendicular to the applied load, breakage and interconnected cracks appeared in a significantly higher volume fraction than with a fibre plane parallel to load.
Maintaining a consistent product quality is critical for the thin film industry. Therefore, the development of highly accurate protocols able to detect variations and nonidealities in manufactured thin film devices is essential and helps improve production quality and decrease manufacturing costs. The present work will discuss the accuracy and reproducibility in the determination of the thickness of thin films relevant for optoelectronic industry using spectroscopic ellipsometry, starting with the importance of set-up calibration, the need for very well defined calibration standards suitable for real devices and not least, the importance of accurate data analysis. As ellipsometry is an indirect method and theoretical modelling is needed to obtain the desired information regarding the investigated samples (e.g. thickness, roughness, optical constants), the model uncertainty has to be discussed and taken into account. If for ideal samples consisting of single layers with well-known optical constants the determination of thickness and roughness is straight forward and pretty accurate, for real samples, more complex theoretical models are needed and extracting accurate information regarding the samples can be very challenging. With careful calibration and a multidisciplinary approach, a combined measurement methodology can be developed enabling reliability, comparability, and accuracy. For production-relevant operation, maintaining the ease of use and scalability of ellipsometry as a technique can also be retained.
Mycotoxins can be found worldwide in foods and feed and cause a variety of mold-related health risks which makes it necessary to further examine their toxic effects and metabolic fate in human and other mammals. Beside standard in vitro and in vivo assays with liver cell preparations or rodents an increasing interest in new simulation methods are playing a growing role. Electrochemistry (EC) is one of these novel techniques and has been used successfully and efficiently in pharmacological and drug research for several years now.
The primary objective of this study was to determine the capability of EC as a supportive and versatile instrument to elucidate metabolic pathways of mycotoxins.
On the example of the food relevant mycotoxin Citrinin a coulometric flow through cell equipped with a carbon working electrode was used to oxidize Citrinin by applying potential between 0.7 and 2.5 V vs. Pd/H2. The electrochemically generated oxidation products were then analyzed by mass-spectrometric detection coupled online to EC (EC-MS) and compared with data from a standard in vitro model with human and rat liver microsomes preparations. To receive a comprehensive assessment of oxidative techniques chemical oxidation by Fenton´s reaction was performed as well.
The obtained LC-MS/MS data confirmed the production of Dihydrocitrinone by all of the three tested oxidation systems and demonstrates the potential of EC-MS for the successful prediction of the main phase I metabolic reactions of mycotoxins, since Dihydrocitrinone is the mainly formed metabolite by humans after intake of Citrinin.
Beside the identified Dihydrocitrinone from electrochemical, enzymatic and chemical oxidation of Citrinin there is still a number of yet unknown compounds. As the next step structural characterization of the generated oxidation products by NMR and X-ray analysis will be enabled by their large-scale production using preparative EC cells.