6 Materialchemie
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Eingeladener Vortrag
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Mechanochemistry is increasingly used for synthesizing soft matter materials including metal organic compounds and cocrystals. The ever-increasing interest in this method is contrasted by a limited mechanistic understanding of the mechanochemical reactivity and selectivity. Time-resolved in situ investigations of milling reactions provide direct insights in the underlying mechanisms. We introduced a setup enabling in situ investigation of mechanochemical reactions using synchrotron XRD combined with Raman spectroscopy. The specific combination allows to study milling processes comprehensively on the level of the molecular and crystalline structure and thus obtaining reliable data for mechanistic studies. We discuss our recent results investigating the formation of (polymorphic) cocrystals. First investigations of a mechanochemical synthesis under controlled temperature which allow determining the activation barrier are presented.6 Furthermore, X-ray diffraction and in situ Raman spectroscopy coupled with thermography revealed a low temperature increase during milling reactions due to the mechanical impact and clear temperature increases as a result of the reaction heat. Our results indicate that in situ investigation of milling reactions offer a new approach to tune and optimize mechanochemically synthesized compounds.
The test material EDS-TM001 together with an accompanying software package, “EDX spectrometer check”, have been made available in 2009 by BAM to be employed by EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer) users to check the performance of an EDS attached to the SEM. Particularly for test laboratories operating under accreditation schemes like ISO/IEC 17025, a periodical control of the critical instrumental parameters in end-user laboratories is required. With EDS-TM001 or EDS-TM002 (second generation) test material, this periodical check is simplified to the acquisition of only one 10 kV spectrum. The software “EDX spectrometer check” is destined to evaluate automatically this spectrum and determine the performance of the EDS in terms of energy resolution and calibration, as well as possible alteration of low-energy Efficiency due to detector contamination. Energy resolution can be compared with the specified values according to the international ISO standard ISO 15632:2012. EDS-TM is a synthetic material consisting of a 6 μm thick layer of C, Al, Mn, Cu and Zr deposited on a steel (in case of EDS-TM001) or silicon (in case of EDS-TM002) substrate. The chemical composition of EDS-TM was chosen such as to give nearly equal intensities of the low energy lines in a 10 kV spectrum, thus, making it very sensitive against spectrometer efficiency changes. Meanwhile, about 150 laboratories use the EDS-TM001 or EDS-TM002 test material for the periodical check of their EDS. A detailed description of the test material and software together with examples of application was published recently. New results and gained experiences will be presented as well. When the FWHM of the X-ray lines in the EDS-TM spectrum are determined, the spectrum background must be subtracted accurately. The applied physical background subtraction procedure is robust and takes into account the transmission of the detector window. While the previous version considers only Moxtek AP windows, the new version includes selection of silicon Nitride window and the case of windowless detector. Moreover, the new version allows importing of spectra in Bruker spx-format and EMSA/MSA files from EDAX TEAM software.
Windowless detectors have been also tested demonstrating long-term stability after repeated heating and cooling cycles. In this case, the appropriate Background subtraction is decisive for accurate detector characterization. Detailed results will be presented.
It was demonstrated in the past that the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) can be applied to determine accurately both elemental composition and thickness of thin films by using the dedicated software package for thin film analysis Stratagem. A relatively small number of film materials such as pure metallic films of platinum and nickel, binary alloys of Fe-Ni, and Pt-Ni-Co ternary alloy films has been reported in literature as working successfully. Further, the software can be applied ‘inversely’, i.e., by feeding it with the thickness of the film and using the determined mass coating, one can easily calculate the film density, which for porous layers leads us to the true film porosity.
The present study repeats measurements on an already tested system of Fe-Ni thin films on silicon and reports for the first-time results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide substrate. Standard-based and standardless EPMA (with EDS) results were used in combination with Stratagem for the quantification.
Further, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) can be used for the determination of elemental composition and thickness of such films as well. In this case, XRF with a μ-focus X-ray source (μ-XRF) attached to a SEM was applied. For quantification, a fundamental parameter (FP) approach has been used to calculate standard-based and standardless results. Compared to EPMA, XRF has a larger information depth and a higher elemental sensitivity because of a generally lower background.
Both thin film systems have been chosen as samples of an international round robin test (RRT) organised in the frame of standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 201 ‘Surface chemical analysis’, under the lead of KRISS. The main objective of the RRT is to compare the results of atomic fractions of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy films obtained by different surface Analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) applied in the depth-profiling operation mode.
Five samples of different atomic fractions of each thin film system, i.e., Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex, have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition on silicon and Al2O3 wafers, respectively. Reference FeNi and SiGe films with well-known elemental composition and thickness have been also supplied for standard-based analysis. The atomic fractions of all the samples including the references have been certified by RBS (Rutherford backscattering spectrometry) and ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy).
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material, as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques and requires new approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution, we characterise thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at an SEM.
Mesoporous iridium oxide - titanium oxide (IrOx-TiOx) films were prepared via dip-coating of a solution containing a triblock-copolymer as structure-directing agent, an iridium precursor as well as a titanium precursor in ethanol. IrOx-TiOx films were synthesized with different amounts of iridium and calcined in air. The SEM micrographs reveal for all films the achievement of a well-ordered mesoporous structure and homogeneous films with thicknesses between 67 nm and 152 nm.
For the determination of film elemental composition and porosity, EPMA can be used as part of a combined SEM/EDS/STRATAGem analysis. Elemental compositions and mass depositions (in μg cm-2) of IrOx-TiOx films were calculated with the thin film analysis Software STRATAGem via k-values measured with SEM/EDS. Pure bulk Ir, TiO2 and Si were measured as references. The average density of the films was obtained from the mass Deposition and the film thickness as measured by cross-section SEM. The porosity was then extracted from the measured average film density divided by a theoretical bulk density. The latter is calculated from the weight fractions of IrOx and TiOx as determined with STRATAGem and the bulk mass densities of IrO2 and TiO2 (rutil) from literature.
The fitting results of the k-values from the STRATAGem software, which are in fair agreement with the measured k-values.
The application of the SEM/EDS/STRATAGem approach for accurate porosity determination on pure mesoporous TiOx films and pure porous IrOx films has been recently demonstrated.
The porosities of pure IrOx, TiOx and mixed IrOx-TiOx films in this study have been determined. The contribution will assess in detail the advantages and limitations of the combined SEM/EDS/STRATAGem analysis for the morphology and porosity of thin metal oxide films. Moreover, the comparison with other measurement techniques and the combination of datasets from multiple measurements will be discussed.
Microbeam analysis data are of continuously improving quality, this owing mainly to developments in instrumentation (hardware and software) and computer performance. The knowledge and skills of the operators must be also kept correspondingly updated. To be deemed as technically competent, the laboratories must be accredited according to an accreditation scheme, mostly following ISO/IEC 17025.
International standards are able to provide requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics of methods, instruments or samples with the final goal that these can be used consistently in accredited laboratories. In the field of electron microscopy and microbeam Analysis standardisation and metrology are terms that are encountered rather seldom at major conferences and scientific publications. Several ISO standards already published and used successfully by a large part of the electron microscopy and microbeam analysis community. For example, file formats such as EMSA/MSA for spectral-data exchange or tagged image file format (TIFF) for SEM images; procedures for the specification of X-ray spectrometers, the specification of certified reference materials (CRMs), and for measurement of average grain size by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD); and guidelines for calibrating image magnification in SEM or TEM. A main task of ISO technical committee TC 202 ‘Microbeam Analysis’ is to identify feasible projects/proposals needed to be developed into new international standards, particularly in respect to recent technology, such the silicon drift detector (SDD).
As far as the metrological aspects are regarded, The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) through the Consultative Committee for the Amount of Substance (CCQM) is concerned with the metrological aspect in Chemistry and Biology. In particular, the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) assists in identifying and establishing inter-laboratory work to test the consistency as well as to improve the traceability of spatially resolved chemical surface analysis at the micro and nanoscale. Examples of recent projects on quantitative microbeam analysis at low energies, such as the quantification of light elements such as carbon and nitrogen will be presented.
The significant sources of measurement uncertainty will be emphasized. These are: quality of the unknown and the reference materials used, the quantification model, instrumental parameters like take-off-angle, spectrometer efficiency, and particularly the beam current. The crucial importance of working with uniform and well-defined measurement and data evaluation protocols will be discussed in compliance with the ISO document “Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM)”.
Another international platform where pre-standardisation work can be organised is VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards). International collaborative Projects aim at providing the technical basis for harmonised measurements, testing, specifications, and standards to be further developed at ISO level. One key point of VAMAS activities is constituted by inter-laboratory comparisons for high-quality data. In the field of microbeam analysis, the technical working area (TWA) 37 Quantitative Microstructural Analysis deals with corresponding projects. Good ideas, e.g., on analysis at low energies, are particularly encouraged by directly contacting the author. Support and guidance will be supplied.
The simultaneous detection of different analytes has gained increasing importance in recent years, especially in the fields of environmental and health monitoring. Particularly suitable formats for multiplexing are bead-based assays. The beads employed need to fulfil size and density requirements important for instance for flow cytometry and shall exhibit an as high as possible surface area for anchoring capture probes to allow for low limits of detection. Core/shell particles are ideally suited in this sense because of their modularity in design and adaptability for various (bio)analytical assays. Here, polystyrene particles coated with different kinds of mesoporous silica shells are presented, possessing distinctly higher surface areas in comparison to non-porous core/shell particles. Different factors such as pH and amount and type of mediator salt used during shell preparation were evaluated with shell inspection by scanning/transmission scanning electron microscopy (SEM/tSEM) being key to architecture control of the monodisperse particles.
For a cytometric model assay, the optimized core/shell particles were functionalized with capture oligonucleotides for DNA detection. After covalent attachment of single-stranded DNA to the silane-modified silica surface, a hybridisation assay using labelled t-DNA complementary strands was carried out to demonstrate particle performance, showing how tailoring of the shell’s surface area controls sensitivity and dynamic range of the assay. Finally, a multiplex assay for the determination of DNA from different human papilloma virus (HPV) lines was developed. Using our optimized particles, we were able to detect down to 10 amolμl‒1, which is an improvement of one order of magnitude compared to assays using non-porous particles reported in the literature. In addition, multiplexed detection could successfully be demonstrated.
Some critical discussion of the state of the art of uncertainty evaluationin Instrumented Indentation Testing IIT
Nowadays the Instrumented Indentation Testing (IIT), in the nano range often named as nano indention, is one of the most commonly used methods to determine the mechanical properties of materials in the micro and nano range. This method is already extensive standardized in ISO 14577 part 1-4. In the past, the application of this standard in testing praxis shows that the established values have an excellent precision.If an uncertainty is calculated, the range of values within which the true value is asserted to lie with some level of confidencewill be known. In part 1 of ISO 14577 [1] two methods for evaluation of the uncertainty in IIT are mentioned:
Method 1 for determining uncertainty considers only those uncertainties associated with the overall measurement performance of the testing machine with respect to the reference blocks.
Method 2calculates a combined uncertainty from individual contributions. These may be grouped into random and systematic uncertainties.
Both methods will be described in detail using examples from the dailyexperimental praxis. The comparabilityof both methods will be critically discussed. Finally, it will be showedhow the calculated uncertaintiescan be used for performancetests and product specifications.
Acknowledgement
This work was performed under the support of the EMPIR project 17NRM05Advancing measurement uncertainty̶ comprehensiveexamples for key international standards
References
[1] ISO 14577 part 1 (2017)
In recent years superglassy polymers exhibiting intrinsic microporosity established a new perspective for a number of applications, especially for gas separation membranes as These polymers Combine extremely high permeabilities with attractive selectivities. The essential factor governing the structure Formation in the solid film or layer is either a contorted rigid Backbone (polymers of intrinsic microporosity - PIMs) or extremely bulky side groups (polynorbornenes and polytricyclonenenes).
For a deeper understanding of both types of such high-Performance polymers for gas separation membranes and their further development broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) can provide a substantial contribution.
BDS addresses molecular relaxations characterizing the dynamics of the solid polymer as a major factor determining the gas transport properties but also the physical aging behavior which is an essential issue for such polymers.
BDS is applied on PIMs where fluctuations of molecular dipoles connected to the backbone can be directly monitored. Furthermore, also polynorbornenes were investigated which carry no dipole moment in their repeat unit - the high resolution of modern equipment allows for the detailed analysis also for very small dielectric losses originating from partially oxidized moieties or marginal catalyst residues.
Additionally, from interfacial polarization phenomena, such as Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) polarization due to blocking of charge carriers at internal interfacial boundaries on a mesoscopic length scale, valuable information on the intrinsic microporosity and its changes induced by physical aging can be obtained.
Finally, also conductivity can be characterized in detail in such polymeric systems revealing contributions of interactions of aromatic moieties (π-π-stacking) or the drift motion of charge carriers. These features also determine the structure formation in the solid state.
Measurement of elemental composition of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy thin films by EMPA and µ-XRF
(2019)
It was demonstrated in the past that the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) can be applied to determine accurately both elemental composition and thickness of thin films by using the dedicated software package for thin film analysis Stratagem. A relatively small number of film materials such as pure metallic films of platinum and nickel, binary alloys of Fe-Ni, and Pt-Ni-Co ternary alloy films has been reported in literature as working successfully. Further, the software can be applied ‘inversely’, i.e., by feeding it with the thickness of the film and using the determined mass coating, one can easily calculate the film density, which for porous layers leads us to the true film porosity.
The present study repeats measurements on an already tested system of Fe-Ni thin films on silicon and reports for the first-time results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide substrate. Standard-based and standardless EPMA (with EDS) results were used in combination with Stratagem for the quantification.
Further, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) can be used for the determination of elemental composition and thickness of such films as well. In this case, XRF with a μ-focus X-ray source (μ-XRF) attached to a SEM was applied. For quantification, a fundamental parameter (FP) approach has been used to calculate standard-based and standardless results. Compared to EPMA, XRF has a larger information depth and a higher elemental sensitivity because of a generally lower background.
Both thin film systems have been chosen as samples of an international round robin test (RRT) organised in the frame of standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 201 ‘Surface chemical analysis’, under the lead of KRISS. The main objective of the RRT is to compare the results of atomic fractions of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy films obtained by different surface Analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) applied in the depth-profiling operation mode.
Five samples of different atomic fractions of each thin film system, i.e., Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex, have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition on silicon and Al2O3 wafers, respectively. Reference FeNi and SiGe films with well-known elemental composition and thickness have been also supplied for standard-based analysis. The atomic fractions of all the samples including the references have been certified by RBS (Rutherford backscattering spectrometry) and ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy).
If the particle size decreases, the ratio of surface area to volume increases considerably. This provides benefits for all surface-driven processes that run faster or at lower temperatures than larger particles. However, handling and characterization of the nanopowders are much more difficult. Particularly polydisperse powders with irregular shape, as grinding products, represent a challenge. Granulometry in the submicron and nanoscale often leads to incorrect results without knowledge of particle morphology.
This presentation demonstrates potentials of using the volume-specific surface area (SV or VSSA) in the granulometric characterization of nanopowders, for instance, correlations between the volume-specific surface area and the median particle size are discussed considering the particle morphology and the model of the logarithmic normal distribution.
Moreover, the presentation deals with the optimal dispersion of nanopowders during sample preparation. Indirect ultrasound device with defined cooling was developed to prevent both contamination by sonotrode abrasion and sample changes by heat.
Successful granulometric characterization of nanopowders demands both improved dispersion technology and very often an effective combination of two or more measurement methods.
The 44th Meeting of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) Steering Committee has just taken place at NIST in Boulder (CO, USA). BAM participates with significant contributions in Technical Working Areas on nanoparticle and surface chemistry characterization, but also has positioned itself to new global material challenges and trends in the developement of advanced materials and their characterization, such as thermal properties, self-healing materials, and micro- and nanoplastic.
Everything SAXS
(2019)
Experimenting on MAUS
(2019)
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are suitable materials for gas storage of small molecules due to their nanoporous, crystalline structure. The extensively studied MOF HKUST-1 consist of Cu(II)-dimers in a paddlewheel structure, with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) as organic linker. Instability to humidity remains an issue for many types of MOFs, and for HKUST-1, it has been found that exposure to water vapor creates a surface barrier which reduces the gas uptake rate.
Near-ambient pressure XPS (NAP-XPS) is a promising method for investigations of the stability and interaction of HKUST-1 with various gas molecules. The oxidation state of copper can be monitored before, during and after exposure to various gases. This does not only provide information on the stability of the MOFs, but also on the interaction with the gas molecules and the reversibility of the processes.
NAP-XPS measurements of HKUST-1 exposed to methanol, pyridine and water vapor were performed with EnviroESCA, a laboratory NAP-XPS instrument developed by SPECS. Cu 2p, O 1s and C 1s core level spectra were acquired in pressure ranging from 10-5 to 8 mbar to assess the oxidation state of copper and the stability of the organic linker. HKUST-1 does not show interaction with pyridine, but there are indications of copper-reduction upon exposure to methanol and water vapor. Radiation induced damage is considered and two different approaches for determining the ratio of Cu(I) to Cu(II) will be discussed.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) are a universal phenomenon that can be observed on almost any material after the irradiation by linearly polarized laser beams, particularly when using ultrashort laser pulses with durations in the femtosecond to picosecond range.
During the past few years significantly increasing research activities have been reported in the field of LIPSS, since their generation in a single-step process provides a simple way of nanostructuring and surface functionalization towards the control of optical, mechanical, biological, or chemical surface properties. In this contribution the mechanisms of formation and current applications of LIPSS are reviewed, including the colorization of technical surfaces, the control of surface wetting properties, the mimicry of the natural texture of animal integuments, the tailoring of surface colonization by bacterial biofilms, the advancement of medical pacemakers, and the improvement of the tribological performance of nanostructured metal surfaces.
It is a well-known story that copolymers beside their molar mass distribution (MMD) can exhibit a functionality type distribution (FTD), a copolymer composition distribution (CCD), a monomer sequence distribution (MSD) and additionally different topologies within one sample. Nowadays a wide range of different analytical separation techniques and multi-detection possibilities are available.
The challenge consists in a clever combination of these techniques coordinated with the heterogeneity to be investigated.
A number of applications will be presented from e.g. topology elucidation of branched EO-PO “academic” copolymers to copolymer composition of partially broadly distributed progressively tailored “industrial relevant” copolymers consisting of e.g. polyamides, polycarbonates and polysiloxanes.
Multidimensional separation techniques will be demonstrated with focus on mass spectrometric detection techniques (ESI-/MALDI-TOF-MS) coupled online or semi-online to prior separation.
Materials with a high acid resistance are required in different important infrastructures. Examples include repair systems for sewer structures, where biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion is the major degradation mechanism. Low-calcium alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have been repeatedly observed to exhibit high acid resistance. However, the reasons for the high acid resistance of these materials were not fully under¬stood until recently, and the use of highly alkaline activator solutions to produce AAMs appears to hamper their commercial uptake. These issues have been tackled by characterising one-part AAMs and studying their alteration when exposed to sulfuric acid.
One-part AAMs were synthesized by mixing blends of solid silica and sodium aluminate with water, and subsequent curing at 60–80 °C. Acid resistance testing was performed according to DIN 19573, i.e. exposure to sulfuric acid at pH = 1 for 70 days. Characterisation of the cured and the acid-exposed materials was done by XRD, ATR-FTIR, SEM as well as 29Si, 27Al and 1H MAS NMR spectroscopy, including cross-polarisation and double-resonance methods.
Materials synthesized from industrial silicas were gel-zeolite composites, containing a substantial amount of unreacted ‘excess’ silica, while materials synthesized from rice husk ash were fully amorphous, containing ‘excess’ hydrous alumina. The sulfuric acid resistance of mortars based on these binders conformed to the requirements of DIN 19573 for sewer repair applications. The high acid resistance was caused by precipitation of silica gel at the mortar–solution interface, inhibiting further degradation. The presence of alumina gel may inhibit bacterial activity, potentially further improving performance in sewer environments.
The phase assemblage of silica/sodium aluminate-based one-part AAMs can be adjusted via choice of the silica starting material. Properly designed materials exhibit excellent acid resistance, caused by precipi¬tation of silica gel which protects subjacent regions, and they may also inhibit bacterial activity.
Im Vortrag wird die Problematik Mikroplastik eingeführt und ein Probenset aus dem Mittelmeer mit ersten Ergebnissen besprochen. Die Alterung von Polymeren im Umweltkontext sowie Möglichkeiten der Analyse von Polymeralterungsfortschritten werden diskutiert. Die thermoanalytische Methode mit Zersetzungsgasanalytik (TED-GC-MS) wird eingeführt und deren Einsatzmöglichkeiten in der Thematik umrissen.
We developed a setup for time- and lateral-resolved X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. A dispersive element is placed behind the sample to investigate. The broadband incoming beam transmits the sample, is then dispersed and finally collected by a position sensitive detector. This allows the recording of a whole X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) or extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum in a single shot. The dispersive element is a Si(111) crystal, bent by means of a so called wafer bender, developed in house. Our setup is very flexible, easy to adjust and allows a time resolution down to one second which can be used to follow chemical reactions with dynamics on this time scale.
Femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures: from light localization to applications
(2019)
This presentation reviews the current state in the field of Laser-induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS). These surface nanostructures are a universal phenomenon and can be generated on almost any material by irradiation with intense linearly polarized laser radiation. LIPSS are formed in a “self-ordered” way and are often accompanying material processing applications. They can be produced following a single-step process and enable surface functionalization through the adaption of optical, mechanical and chemical surface properties. Their structural sizes typically range from several micrometers down to less than 100 nanometers exhibiting a clear correlation with the polarization direction of the laser radiation. Various types of surface structures are classified, relevant control parameters are identified, and their material specific formation mechanisms are analyzed for different types of inorganic solids, i.e., metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics, through time-resolved optical experiments and theoretical simulations. Finally, technological applications featuring surface functionalization in the fields of optics, fluidics, medicine, and tribology are discussed.
Formation of interphases between inorganic nanofillers and thermoplastic matrices are usually correlated to short-range interactions which does not exceed more than tens of nanometers away from the surface of the filler. Nevertheless, in nanocomposites with thermosetting matrices, the effect of nanofillers on the properties of the matrix is not limited to the immediate vicinities, but a long-range property alteration of the bulk polymer may be observed. The interaction between nanofillers and the polymer can disturb the curing reaction and alters the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the polymer network in the matrix phase. In our studies, we aim to investigate short and long-range interphases of a nanocomposite system consisting of a thermosetting matrix (DGEBA) filled with an inorganic nanoparticle (boehmite). For this purpose, a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based approaches is implemented. Scanning kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) was used to map the compositional contrast and the interphase with different electrical properties than the bulk. The mechanical properties of the interphase were probed by high resolution intermodulation AFM. (ImAFM). Furthermore, infrared spectroscopy AFM (AFM-IR) is used to investigate the chemical structure of the matrix at different distances from the nanoparticle. SKPM and (AFM-IR) measurements both show a long-range (to 10 µm) effect of boehmite on the chemical structure and surface potential of the bulk epoxy, respectively, whereas ImAFM force measurements reveals a short-range mechanical interphase between the filler and the matrix. The AFM-IR demonstrated the existence of unreacted anhydride hardener at the interphase. This indicates the preferential absorption of anhydride on the surface of boehmite. The consequence of such a selective interaction between the inorganic filler and the epoxy components is disturbance of the epoxy-hardener stoichiometric ratio, the curing mechanism. and the alteration of bulk properties of the matrix.
Nanoparticles (NP) have become important materials for a variety of chemical technologies. The enhanced surface-area-to-volume ratio of NPs, making them excellent for use as catalyst, in analytical assays, and for antimicrobial applications.
Nickel NPs have exhibited immense potential as important catalyst for the Sabatier reaction, i.e. converting waste to energy via transformation of CO2 into CH4, and could replace the rare earth elements such as Ru, PT, or Rh. In this work we describe the solvothermal synthesis of monometallic and bimetallic nickel nanoparticles.
Monodisperse monometallic Ni NPs were synthesized using Oleylamin as solvent and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were investigated using small angle scattering (SAXS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), showing that the NPs are stable while the surface is not entirely covered. However, Ni has a high propensity to undergo oxidation, and becoming deactivated by coke formation. Hence, we further explore the preparation of bimetallic NPs, where a second metal is added to stabilize the Ni.
Bimetallic Cu-Ni NPs were synthesized by simultaneous solvothermal reduction. These bimetallic NPs exhibit excellent catalytic properties are promising candidates to be used as catalysts for efficient energy storage.
We present the synthesis of monodisperse monometallic Ni nanoparticles (NPs) and bimetallic NiCu respectively NiCo NPs. The NPs were investigated using SAXS, STEM, EDX, and XANES, showing that the NPs are size tunable and stable while the surface is not entirely covered. Nickel NPs have exhibited immense potential as important catalyst for the Sabatier reaction, i.e. converting waste to energy via transformation of CO2 into CH4.
Nanoparticles (NPs) have become important materials for a variety of chemical technologies. The enhanced surface-area-to-volume ratio of NPs, making them excellent for use as catalyst, in analytical assays, and for antimicrobial applications.
Nickel NPs have exhibited immense potential as important catalyst for the Sabatier reaction, i.e. converting waste to energy via transformation of CO2 into CH4, and could replace the rare earth elements such as Ru, PT, or Rh. In this work we describe the solvothermal synthesis of monometallic and bimetallic nickel nanoparticles.
Monodisperse monometallic Ni NPs were synthesized using Oleylamin as solvent and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were investigated using small angle scattering (SAXS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), showing that the NPs are stable while the surface is not entirely covered. However, Ni has a high propensity to undergo oxidation, and becoming deactivated by coke formation. Hence, we further explore the preparation of bimetallic NPs, where a second metal is added to stabilize the Ni.
Bimetallic Cu-Ni NPs were synthesized by simultaneous solvothermal reduction. These bimetallic NPs exhibit excellent catalytic properties are promising candidates to be used as catalysts for efficient energy storage.
Using magnetic materials for energy conversion as an example, this lecture shows how X-ray tomography investigations can contribute to structure elucidation in composites and solid samples. The components are tested non-destructively in order to characterize cracks, pores and other defects and their influence on the functional properties three-dimensionally and in good time in the life cycle of the material. If you combine microtomography with other methods of magnetic material characterization, you can make unique statements about the structure and the functional properties.
Using magnetic materials for energy conversion as an example, this lecture shows how X-ray tomography investigations can contribute to structure elucidation in composites and solid samples. The components are tested non-destructively in order to characterize cracks, pores and other defects and their influence on the functional properties three-dimensionally and in good time in the life cycle of the material. If you combine microtomography with other methods of magnetic material characterization, you can make unique statements about the structure and the functional properties.
The test material EDS-TM001 together with an accompanying software package, “EDS spectrometer check”, have been made available in 2009 by BAM to be employed by EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer) users to check the performance of an EDS with a SEM. With EDS-TM001/002 test material, this periodical check is simplified to the acquisition of only one 10 kV spectrum. The software “EDS spectrometer check” is destined to evaluate automatically this spectrum and determine the EDS performance in terms of energy resolution and calibration, as well as possible alteration of low-energy efficiency due to detector contamination. Energy resolution can be compared with the specified values according to the international ISO standard ISO 15632:2012.
EDS-TM is a synthetic material consisting of a 6 μm thick layer of C, Al, Mn, Cu and Zr deposited on a steel (EDS-TM001) or silicon (EDS-TM002) substrate. The chemical composition of EDS-TM was chosen such as to give nearly equal intensities of the low energy lines in a 10 kV spectrum, thus, making it very sensitive against spectrometer efficiency changes. New results and gained experiences will be presented.
When the FWHM of the X-ray lines in the EDS-TM spectrum are determined, the spectrum Background must be subtracted accurately. The applied physical background subtraction procedure is robust and considers the transmission of the detector window. While the previous version considers only Moxtek AP windows, the new software version includes selection of silicon nitride window and the case of windowless detector.
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of thin porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material as well as the homogenous dispersion of the active species within the porous matrix. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques and requires new approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution we characterize thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by complementary analysis of SEM/EDS, ToF-SIMS, NanoSIMS, AES and spectroscopic ellipsometry.
Mesoporous iridium oxide - titanium oxide (IrOx-TiOx) films can be prepared by a well-established Synthesis route via soft-templating. IrOx-TiOx films are very sensitive to the conditions of synthesis. Analysis by SEM and NanoSIMS imaging suggests IrOx-TiOx films with and without a homogenous dispersion of IrOx within the TiOx film matrix under different synthesis conditions.
Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis in the depth-profile mode as well as cross-section line-scan AES measurements of an inhomogeneous IrOx-TiOx film indicate the presence of an IrOx-rich Phase dispersion both at the surface of IrOx-TiOx film as well as within the film.
The contribution will assess in detail the sensitivity of the synthesis conditions and the characterization of the thin metal oxide films. Moreover, the correlation between and comparison to other measurement techniques will be discussed.
The elemental analysis of seawater is often critical to the understanding of marine chemistry, marine geochemistry, and the deep-sea ecosystems. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with the advantage of rapid multi-elements detection, has a great potential for in-situ elemental analysis of seawater. In practice, it is crucial to create a compact, low cost and power saving instrument for the long-term deep-sea observation. A recently appeared diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser seems to be a promising candidate as it is both compact and robust. Additionally, its high repetition rate up to hundreds of kHz can provide a considerable throughput for LIBS analysis. However, the DPSS lasers operate at moderate pulse energies, usually less than one mJ, which cannot sustain stable breakdowns in bulk water. To ensure stable laser-induced plasmas underwater with such a μJ-DPSS laser, we introduced an ultrasound source to assist the breakdown process. The phase interface and mass flow generated by the near-field ultrasound can greatly reduce the breakdown threshold and enhance element-specific emissions. Meanwhile, the high repetition-rate pulses can also improve the breakdown probability and generate unique emission lines originated from the water molecule. We further demonstrate that the high repetition-rate DPSS laser combined with the Echelle spectrometer can provide effective quantitative analysis for metal elements in bulk water.
New reference material candidates for traceable size measurement of nonspherical nanoparticles
(2019)
Size measurement of nanoparticles (NP) becomes a challenging analytical problem when non-spherical shapes must be traceably measured. However, most industrial NPs have irregular shapes and broad size distribution making it often more complex to follow European regulatory to identify a material as a nanomaterial according to which accurate measurement of the smallest dimension and its size Distribution is necessary.
The European research project nPSize - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements aims to fill this gap by developing potential non-spherical reference nanoparticles, measurement procedures and physical modelling to improve the traceability chain, comparability and compatibility for NP size measurements between different methods. Therefore, new model NP with well-controlled shape has been synthesized and are supposed to be systematically characterized using the traceable methods scanning/transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering.
Following NP candidates are under investigation with respect to their homogeneity and stability: (i) titania nanoplatelets (10-15 nm thickness x 50-100 nm lateral), (ii) titania bipyramides (~60 nm length x 40 nm width), (iii) titania acicular particles (100 nm length x 15-20 nm width; aspect ratio 5.5/6), (iv) gold nanorods (~10 nm width x 30 nm length), and (v) gold nanocubes (~55 nm x 55 nm x 55 nm). In addition, sample preparation procedures as well as measurement analysis procedures with evaluation of appropriate measurands and descriptors for each material class and method are being developed to support standardization. To underpin the traceability of the size measurement of nonspherical NP, physical modelling of the signals in e.g. electron microscopy techniques will be used and in combination, the implementation of machine learning is aimed to facilitate measurement Analysis procedures, especially regarding the accurate thresholding/segmentation of the NPs.
Bacterial samples are typically freeze dried or cryo-prepared prior to XPS analysis to allow for measurements in ultra-high vacuum (UHV). The sample environment in the near-ambient pressure (NAP) XPS instrument EnviroESCA allows for measurements in up to 15 mbar water vapor, thus, sample preparation is no longer restricted to UHV-compatible techniques. For instance, biofilms grown in medium can be transferred directly from the medium to the measurements chamber, maintaining a humid environment throughout the measurements. Considering the complexity of bacterial samples, sample preparation must be carefully considered in order to obtain meaningful and reproducible results.
In this talk, various strategies for sample preparation of bacteria and biofilms for NAP-XPS measurements will be discussed. Model systems of planktonic bacteria, artificial biofilms resembling the exopolysaccharide matrix and biofilms have been characterised in various conditions. The stability and homogeneity of the samples was assessed by monitoring the C1s core level peak at different sample locations. The quality of the XPS-spectra is also influenced by the gas environment, which will be exemplified by core level spectra of P. Fluorescens acquired in air, water vapor and ultra-high vacuum.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are suitable materials for gas storage of small molecules due to their nanoporous, crystalline structure. The extensively studied MOF HKUST-1 consist of Cu(II)-dimers in a paddlewheel structure, with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) as organic linker. Instability to humidity remains an issue for many types of MOFs, and for HKUST-1, it has been found that exposure to water vapor creates a surface barrier which reduces the gas uptake rate.
Near-ambient pressure XPS (NAP-XPS) is a promising method for investigations of the stability and interaction of HKUST-1 with various gas molecules. The oxidation state of copper can be monitored before, during and after exposure to various gases. This does not only provide information on the stability of the MOFs, but also on the interaction with the gas molecules.
NAP-XPS measurements of HKUST-1 exposed to methanol, pyridine and water vapor were performed with EnviroESCA, a laboratory NAP-XPS instrument developed by SPECS. Cu 2p, O 1s and C 1s core level spectra and Cu LMM Auger spectra were acquired at pressures ranging from high vacuum to 4 mbar to assess the oxidation state of copper and the stability of the organic linker. Reference measurements in argon atmosphere were conducted in order to have reference spectra with similar full width of half maxima (FHWM) as the spectra measured in reactive atmospheres. Peak fit analysis of the Cu 2p3/2 core level spectra shows that, as expected, the photoelectron signal mainly originates from Cu(II) species. The contribution from Cu(I) is negligible for samples exposed to argon and methanol, but approximately 4% for samples exposed to water vapor and 8% for samples exposed to pyridine. Within the error of the peak fit analysis, there are no changes in relative Cu(II) percentage with increasing water, methanol or pyridine exposure time pointing to saturation reached already at the lowest time of exposure.
3D coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) is anoptical, non-contact and rapide measurement technique using a defined bandwidth of white light at normal incidence. White light interference microscopy (WLIM) providest here-dimensional surface topometry data up to a resolution of 0.4 µm lateral and 0.1 nm vertical. Three operating modi, surface, films and advanced films, enable measurements of step heights, roughness, wear volume, cone angle, surface pattern and layer thickness. Traceability to SI system is ensured by certified standards (PTB/NIST) within a DAkkS DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 accredited lab.
Analysis of Elemental Composition of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex Alloy Thin Films by EPMA and μ-XRF
(2019)
The present study reports on measurements on thin Fe-Ni films on silicon and first-time results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide Substrate by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Standard-based and standardless EPMA (with EDS) results were used in combination with the thin film analysis software Stratagem for the quantification.
Further, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) can be used for the determination of elemental composition and thickness of such films as well. In this case, XRF with a μ-focus X-ray source (μ-XRF) attached to a SEM was applied. For quantification, a fundamental parameter (FP) approach has been used to calculate standard-based and standardless results.
Both thin film systems have been chosen as samples of an international round robin test (RRT) organised in the frame of standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 201 ‘Surface chemical analysis’, under the lead of KRISS. The main objective of the RRT is to compare the results of atomic fractions of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy films obtained by different surface Analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) applied in the depth-profiling operation mode.
Five samples of different atomic fractions of each thin film system, i.e., Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex, have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition on silicon and Al2O3 wafers, respectively. Reference FeNi and SiGe films with well-known elemental composition and thickness have been also supplied for standard-based analysis. An excellent agreement has been obtained between the atomic fractions determined by EPMA and µ-XRF with the KRISS certified values.zeige mehr
There are different ways how to prove the quality of the analytical results obtained in a laboratory, e.g. use of validated standard operation procedures, participation in proficiency testing exercises, use of certified reference materials, etc. International standards provide requirements, specifications, Guidelines or characteristics of methods, instruments or samples with the final goal that these can be used consistently in accredited laboratories. In the field of electron microscopy and microbeam analysis standardization and metrology are terms which are encountered rather seldom at major conferences and scientific publications. Nevertheless, spectra formats like EMSA/MSA for spectral-data exchange or tagged image file format (TIFF) for SEM, guidelines for performing quality assurance procedures or for the specification of X-ray spectrometers as well as of certified reference materials (CRMs) in EPMA, or measurement of average grain size by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), or guidelines for calibrating image magnification in SEM or TEM are ISO standards already published and used successfully by a large part of the electron microscopy and microbeam analysis community. A main and continuous task of ISO/TC 202 and its subcommittees is to identify and evaluate feasible projects/proposals to be developed into new international standards, particularly with respect to recent but established technology, such the silicon drift detector (SDD) EDS.
An international platform in the frame of which pre-standardization work can be organized is VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards). International collaborative projects involving aim at providing the technical basis for harmonized measurements, testing, specifications, and standards to be further developed at ISO level. One key point of VAMAS activities is constituted by inter-laboratory comparisons for high-quality data. In the field of microbeam analysis, the technical working area (TWA) 37 Quantitative Microstructural Analysis deals with corresponding projects. Good ideas, e.g. on analysis of low-Z materials/elements and at low energies are particularly encouraged by directly contacting the author. Support and already available guidance will be supplied.
Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, by means of inelastic neutron scattering, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) and the molecular mobility were investigated for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid).
The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers.
Elastic fixed window scans were measured on a neutron backscattering spectrometer to have an overview about the molecular dynamics at a time scale of ca. 1 ns. The temperature dependence of the estimated mean squared displacement shows a step-like increase in the temperature range from 100 K to 250 K indicating the onset of some molecular mobility. The nature of this motional process was analyzed in detail by quasielastic neutron scattering combining Time-of-Flight and backscattering where the data are discussed with regard to both the q- and the temperature dependence.
The cleaning of black carbon covered Italian marble and limestone sculptures is a challenging task for restorers and scientists, especially when black soot is penetrated into the porous surface of a stone.
Numerous sculptures of the Bode-Museum underwent two domestic fires at the repository in Berlin in May 1945, where soot damaged the surface of these artworks. Promising results in removing black layers were achieved by the application of modified gels to artificially weathered and sooted Carrara marble mockups. However, transferring the cleaning method to original samples requires a cautious proceeding with respect to short-term and long-term implications. To understand physico-chemical reactions, the analytics of gel-treated marble surfaces is of essential importance.
Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were used to gain insights into surface chemistry and the distribution of chemical groups or fragments and enable a deeper understanding of the functionality of the applied gels and of the efficiency of tested cleaning processes. Depth profiling by ToF-SIMS is introduced as a tool to study the penetration behavior of applied cleaning chemicals.
The contribution presents the analytical methods, their possibilities and challenges, and summarizes initial results of this study.
The present study reports on measurements on thin Fe-Ni films on silicon and first-time results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide Substrate by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Standard-based and standardless EPMA (with EDS) results were used in combination with the thin film analysis software Stratagem for the quantification.
Further, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) can be used for the determination of elemental composition and thickness of such films as well. In this case, XRF with a μ-focus X-ray source (μ-XRF) attached to a SEM was applied. For quantification, a fundamental parameter (FP) approach has been used to calculate standard-based and standardless results.
Both thin film systems have been chosen as samples of an international round robin test (RRT) organised in the frame of standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 201 ‘Surface chemical analysis’, under the lead of KRISS. The main objective of the RRT is to compare the results of atomic fractions of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy films obtained by different surface Analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) applied in the depth-profiling operation mode.
Five samples of different atomic fractions of each thin film system, i.e., Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex, have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition on silicon and Al2O3 wafers, respectively. Reference FeNi and SiGe films with well-known elemental composition and thickness have been also supplied for standard-based analysis. An excellent agreement has been obtained between the atomic fractions determined by EPMA and µ-XRF with the KRISS certified values.
The characteristics of TiO2 coatings can greatly influence their final performance in large-scale applications. In the present study self-assembly of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in multiple layers was selected as a deposition procedure on various substrates. For this, the main prerequisite constitutes the surface modification of both NPs and substrate with e.g. silane coupling agents. A set of functionalized TiO2 NPs has been produced by reaction with either (3- aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) or (3-aminopropyl)phosphonic acid (APPA) to functionalize the NP surface with free amino-groups. Then, the complementary functionalized NP set can be obtained from an aliquot of the first one, through the conversion of free surface amino-groups to aldehydes by reaction with glutaraldehyde (GA). Several types of TiO2 NPs differing in size, shape and specific surface area have been functionalized. FTIR, TGA, SEM/EDS, XPS, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and ToF-SIMS analyses have been carried out to evaluate the degree of functionalization, all the analytical methods employed demonstrating successful functionalization of TiO2 NP surface with APTES or APPA and GA.
New reference material candidates for traceable size measurement of non-spherical nanoparticles
(2019)
New model nanoparticles with well-controlled shape were synthesized within the EMPIR project nPSize - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements. Their systematic characterization takes place by the traceable methods scanning/transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. Following reference nanoparticle candidates are under investigation with respect to their homogeneity and stability: titania nanoplatelets (10-15 nm x 50-100 nm), titania bipyramides (~60 nm x 40 nm), titania acicular particles (100 nm x 15-20 nm; aspect ratio 5.5/6), gold nanorods (~10 nm x 30 nm), and gold nanocubes (~55 nm x 55 nm x 55 nm).
Two epoxy-based nanocomposites with different nanofillers (layered double hydroxide and boehmite) were investigated employing temperature modulated DSC, flash DSC and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Detailed investigation on the molecular mobility of the two systems showed the effect of the fillers on the structure of the bulk epoxy matrix and the interface formed at the polymer/particle interface
In well-annealed thin polymer films, with non-repulsive polymer/substrate interactions, an irreversibly adsorbed layer is expected to from. These adsorbed layers have shown greate potential for technological applications. However, their growth kinetics and molecular dynamics are still not fully understood. This is partly due to the hard accessibility of these layers in thin films. Here, the irreversibly adsorbed layers of homopolymer thin films are revealed by solvent-leaching experiments. First, the growth kinetics of these layers is investigated as a function of annealing time, annealing temperature, leaching time and the original filme thickness. The film thickness, topography and the quality of the adsorbed layer is controlled by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Secondly, the molecular mobility of the adsorbed layer is investigated by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). A recently developed nanostructured capacitor arrangement is employed to measure the layer with a free surface. The results are quantitatively compared and discussed with respect to recently published work.
Our aim is to develop a new method for full field X ray fluorescence imaging at the BAM line @ BESSY II. We will combine an energydispersive array detector for X rays with a coded aperture to get high resolution images . In coded aperture imaging , an object is projected through a mask , producing many overlapping images on the detector . The first part of the project is to perform raytracing simulations to get realistic data and to develop a reconstruction method that allows to get the Information about the investigated object out of the projected image .
In recent years, the improved understanding of the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) has led to an emerging variety of applications that modify the optical, mechanical and chemical properties of many materials. Such structures strongly depend on the laser beam polarization and are formed usually after irradiation with ultrashort linearly polarized laser pulses. The most accepted explanation for the origin of the structures is based on the interference of the incident laser radiation with electromagnetic surface waves that propagate or scatter at the surface of the irradiated materials. This leads to an intensity modulation that is finally responsible for the selective ablation in the form of parallel structures with periods ranging from hundreds of nanometers up to some micrometers. The versatility when forming such structures is based on the high reproducibility with different wavelength, pulse duration and repetition rate laser sources, customized micro- and nanometric spatial resolutions, and the compatibility with industrially relevant processing speeds when combined with fast scanning devices. In this contribution, we review the latest applications in the rapidly emerging field of surface functionalization through LIPSS, including biomimetic functionalities on fluid transport, control of the wetting properties, specific optical responses in technical materials, improvement of tribological performance on metallic surfaces and bacterial and cell growth for medical devices, among many others.
Challenges in Traceable Size Measurement of Non-Spherical, Non-Monodisperse Nanoparticles - nPSize
(2019)
Size measurement of nanoparticles (NP) becomes a challenging analytical problem when non-spherical shapes must be traceably measured. However, most industrial NPs have irregular shapes and broad size distribution making it often more complex to follow European regulatory to identify a material as a nanomaterial according to which accurate measurement of the smallest dimension and its size Distribution is necessary.
The European research project nPSize - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements aims to fill this gap by developing potential non-spherical reference nanoparticles, measurement procedures and physical modelling to improve the traceability chain, comparability and compatibility for NP size measurements between different methods. Therefore, new model NP with well-controlled shape has been synthesized and are supposed to be systematically characterized using the traceable methods scanning/transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering.
Following NP candidates are under investigation with respect to their homogeneity and stability: (i) titania nanoplatelets (10-15 nm thickness x 50-100 nm lateral), (ii) titania bipyramides (~60 nm length x 40 nm width), (iii) titania acicular particles (100 nm length x 15-20 nm width; aspect ratio 5.5/6), (iv) gold nanorods (~10 nm width x 30 nm length), and (v) gold nanocubes (~55 nm x 55 nm x 55 nm). In addition, sample preparation procedures as well as measurement analysis procedures with evaluation of appropriate measurands and descriptors for each material class and method are being developed to support standardization. To underpin the traceability of the size measurement of nonspherical NP, physical modelling of the signals in e.g. electron microscopy techniques will be used and in combination, the implementation of machine learning is aimed to facilitate measurement Analysis procedures, especially regarding the accurate thresholding/segmentation of the NPs.zeige mehr
Functional materials for energy conversion are important technology drivers needed for the implementation of low carbon energy. Therefore, researchers commonly focus on improving the intrinsic properties of a functional material. However, for applications, the extrinsic properties are at least as important as the intrinsic ones. Consequently, it is important to investigate and understand the external and internal structure of semi-finished products and especially defect dependent properties. The extrinsic properties may change during application and the life cycle of the material as well as through processing and molding steps.
Our studies show how X-ray tomographic (XCT) investigations can contribute to structure investigations in composites and massive samples using the example of magnetic materials for energy conversion. The components are tested non-destructively in 3D in order to localize and characterize cracks, pores, inclusions as well as other defects and their influence on the functional properties and also “in-time” during the life cycle of the material. Exsitu and in-situ experiments performed with non-destructive XCT are predestinated to follow damaging mechanisms of materials under certain load conditions, atmospheres or liquids, e.g. went through several working cycles of a functional material. By combining microtomography with other methods of magnetic and classical material characterization, unique statements about the structure and the functional properties can be made.
From the applications point of view, sometimes complex, three-dimensional geometries are needed to fully exploit the functional properties of the materials, e.g. to ensure a high surface area for heat exchange. Since many functional materials are brittle and difficult to form, shaping is often a big challenge. In principle, additive manufacturing processes offer the possibility to produce complex, porous components from poorly formable alloys.
If all stages of additive manufacturing are accompanied by X-ray tomographic imaging, the process of finding the optimal parameters for material processing can be significantly accelerated.
Based on the quality control of the initial powder material used and also investigations of the shape and arrangement of defects within the molten structure and their relationship with the melting path scanning strategy, Xray tomography has proven to be an ideal tool for additive manufacturing, even for functional materials. Overall, tomographic methods are important tools for the development of functional materials to application maturity.
It was found for inorganic/polymer nanocomposites that a so-called Rigid Amorphous Phase (RAF) is formed in the interfacial region by adsorption of polymer segments onto the nanoparticles. The segmental dynamics of RAF is expected to be altered, as compared to the pure matrix, which might percolate into the entire system, affecting the overall nanocomposite properties. Here, the structure and molecular mobility of epoxy-based PNCs with different nanofillers (layered double hydroxide and boehmite) was studied by a combination of calorimetric and X-Ray scattering techniques. Temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) showed that depending on the nanofiller, RAF can reach up to 40 wt % of the system or, on the contrary, the overall mobility of the matrix might increase due to the presence of particles. Such contrasting results, including the high amount of RAF, which was never shown before for epoxy-based PNCs, emphasize the importance of interfaces. Additionally, glass transition and glassy dynamics were investigated by a novel technique, Flash DSC (heating rates up to 10 kK/s) employed for the first time to a thermosetting system and electrospun fibers, which did not result in their degradation. It was used to study both the vitrification kinetics and glassy dynamics of the PNCs, for instance further confirming the presence of RAF and its impact on the overall material properties.
The mechanochemical formation of the ionic cocrystals of glucose (Glc) and sodium salts is presented. Products are formed by co-milling Glc with three sodium salts (NaCl, NaBr, NaI). The reaction pathways of the three ionic cocrystals were investigated using our tandem approach comprising a combination of in situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.
The presentation summarizes our recent results on the coupled electrochemical methods for high resolution corrosion studies. The combination of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) and multielectrode (MMA) based real-time corrosion monitoring was presented as a new method for achieving high time resolution in local electrochemical analysis. Correlative imaging by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was demonstrated as a tool for the investigation of local corrosion processes initiated by the intermetallic particles (IMPs) on AA2024-T3 aluminium alloy.
Biofouling constitutes a major challenge in the application of biosensors and biomedical implants, as well as for (food) packaging and marine equipment. In this work, an antifouling surface coating based on the combination of mussel-inspired dendritic polyglycerol (MI-dPG) and an amine-functionalized block copolymer of linear polyglycerol (lPG−b−OA11, OA = oligo-amine) was developed. The coating was compared to a MI-dPG surface which was postfunctionalized with commercially available amine-terminated Polyethylene glycol (HO−PEG−NH2) of similar molecular weight. In the current work, These coatings were compared in their chemical stability, protein fouling characteristics, and cell fouling characteristics. The lPG−b−OA11-functionalized coating showed high chemical stability in both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions and reduced the adhesion of fibrinogen from human plasma with 99% and the adhesion of human serum albumin with 96%, in comparison to the bare titanium dioxide substrate. Furthermore, the Proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was reduced with 85% when the lPG−b−OA11 system was compared to bare titanium dioxide. Additionally, a reduction of 94% was observed when the lPG−b−OA11 system was compared to tissue culture polystyrene.
Synchrotron based absorption edge tomography for the analysis of 3D printed polymer embedded MOF
(2019)
Absorption edge tomography, also known as differential tomography at absorption edges, is a method which exploits the sudden change of the attenuation coefficient, when the photon energy crosses the absorption edge of an element. Synchrotron radiation is the best source for absorption edge tomography, because of its small bandwidth, high intensity and easily adjustable photon energy. The synchrotron beamline BAMline at the synchrotron radiation facility BESSY II in Berlin, which is operated by the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), provides a monochromatized beam in a photon energy range from 5 keV up to 80 keV with a bandwidth of 2%, when the double multilayer monochromator is used. Together with the microtomography setup, this enables differential tomography with submicron resolution at the K edge of the elements from chromium up to the lanthanides, and up to uranium, when the L edges are used as well.
In this work, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) embedded in polymer are characterized using differential tomography. MOFs are microporous structures of metal ions, coordinated by organic linker molecules, that can be used in a broad field of applications, especially in gas storage and catalysis. In this work, polymer embedded MOFs were extruded into filaments, which were subsequently used for 3d-printing to profit from the specific properties of the MOFs in polymeric materials combined with the arbitrary shapes provided by 3d-printing. For the extrusion, different polymer classes like ABS, polyester- and polyetherurethanes, as well as different MOFs (ZIF-8, ZIF-67, HKUST-1) were used to create MOF containing filaments with a nominal diameter of 3.0 mm. Differential tomography at the edges of the Zn, Co, and Cu was then used to find the distribution of the corresponding MOF in the filament and to analyze the shape of the inclusions.
Metal phosphonates are promising materials for applications in fuel cells, due to their high proton conductivity and higher chemical and thermal stability compared to the industry standard (e.g. Nafion®). Additionally, metal phosphonates are precursors to porous carbon materials with evenly distributed centers for ORR catalysis. As a fast and sustainable synthesis, mechanochemistry is the synthesis method of choice. Thorough characterization is carried out by XRD, MAS-NMR, XAS, BET, and DVS.
The performance of functional coatings and adhesively joined hybrid components relies strongly on the stability of the polymer-metal interface. With the increasing utilization of multi-material structures in the automotive and aerospace industry, it is of great scientific and technical interest to understand the processes leading to interface degradation and to develop novel strategies to increase corrosion and delamination resistance.
The aim of this project is to develop thin epoxy-based films and their carbon nanofiller loaded composites on aluminium alloy AA2024-T3 as a model system and to investigate their interfacial stability under corrosive and coupled corrosive-mechanical load. Spin coating was used for the layer-by-layer deposition of poly[(o-cresyl glycidyl ether)-co-formaldehyde] and poly-(ethylenimine) bi-layers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results indicate a very homogeneous and dense film with low surface roughness. Carbon nanofillers were introduced either by mixing into the coating components or in between individual layers to control the separation between the carbon nanofillers and alloy surface. The film chemistry and barrier properties were characterized by means of spectroscopic and electrochemical methods, respectively. The degradation and delamination behavior of the epoxy-based films was characterized by means of in situ AFM corrosion experiments. The quantitative imaging (QI) mode allowed the observation of hydrogen-generation induced blister formation during exposure to corrosive electrolyte and how the local corrosion processes evolved with exposure time. Complementary energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis was performed to correlate the corrosion behavior with the different intermetallic particle chemistries and distributions. The presentation will summarize our results on the effect of interface chemistry and carbon nanofiller – alloy separation on the initiation of local corrosion processes on thin film covered AA2024-T3 aluminium alloys.
In service, most materials are operated under simultaneous corrosive and mechanical load and there are very few methods capable for testing material degradation under these conditions, especially when it comes to high resolution analysis. For this purpose, in this work, a tensile module capable of uniaxial stretching and compression with up to 5 kN force was integrated into an AFM stage. The elimination of the need for sample unmounting and remounting and the resulting possibility of keeping the sample under constant mechanical load during AFM measurements not only enables a precise positioning of the area of interest but also allows for the analysis of processes in the elastic deformation regime.
This methodology was demonstrated for two case studies. Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (SKPFM) was used as the main tool to characterize the deformation behavior. Moreover, a flexible electrochemical measurement cell was used to enable electrochemical analysis by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) during AFM measurements at different levels of strain. The in situ AFM results are complemented by microstructure analysis by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD).
In the first case study, the deformation induced delamination of a thin organic coating on AA2024 T3 aluminium alloy was investigated as a function of alloy surface treatment. The formation of cracks in the insulating passive film enabled an early detection of deformation processes by means of SKPFM. The second case study focused on the comparison of corrosion and deformation behavior of conventional and additively manufactured 316 stainless steels. In comparison to the conventional 316 stainless steel, the effect of processing was clearly detectable on the additively manufactured material as zones of inhomogeneous potential, which also affected the initiation of local corrosion processes. The contribution will provide detailed information on the new AFM setup and summarize our results from both case studies.
Analysis of elemental composition of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy thin films by EPMA and µ-XRF
(2019)
The present study reports on measurements on thin Fe-Ni films on silicon and first-time results of analysis on Si-Ge thin films deposited on a non-conductive aluminium oxide Substrate by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Standard-based and standardless EPMA (with EDS) results were used in combination with the thin film analysis software Stratagem for the quantification.
Further, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) can be used for the determination of elemental composition and thickness of such films as well. In this case, XRF with a μ-focus X-ray source (μ-XRF) attached to a SEM was applied. For quantification, a fundamental parameter (FP) approach has been used to calculate standard-based and standardless results.
Both thin film systems have been chosen as samples of an international round robin test (RRT) organised in the frame of standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 201 ‘Surface chemical analysis’, under the lead of KRISS. The main objective of the RRT is to compare the results of atomic fractions of Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex alloy films obtained by different surface Analysis techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) applied in the depth-profiling operation mode.
Five samples of different atomic fractions of each thin film system, i.e., Fe1-xNix and Si1-xGex, have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition on silicon and Al2O3 wafers, respectively. Reference FeNi and SiGe films with well-known elemental composition and thickness have been also supplied for standard-based analysis. An excellent agreement has been obtained between the atomic fractions determined by EPMA and µ-XRF with the KRISS certified values.
An inter-laboratory comparison on the particle size, expressed as mean diameter d, of nanoscaled SiO2 (#14 BAM Silica (see NanoValid DoW, D.5.41/5.42)) has been performed. The majority of participants used Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). A few used Electron Microscopy as method. Following methods had been applied by only one partner, respectively: Small Angle X-ray Scattering, Analytical Ultracentrifugation, Atomic Force Microscopy and Atomizer with electric mobility spectrometer.
A selected series of dipole functionalized triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) was synthesized and investigated in a systematic way to reveal the phase behavior and molecular dynamics. The later point is of particular importance to understand the charge transport in such systems which is the key property for their applications such as organic field effect transistors, solar cells or as nanowires in molecular electronics, and also to tune the properties of DLCs. The mesomorphic properties were studied by polarizing optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry, which were compared to the corresponding unfunctionalized DLC. The molecular dynamics were investigated by a combination of state-of-the-art broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and advanced calorimetry such as fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) and specific heat spectroscopy (SHS). Besides localized fluctuations, surprisingly multiple glassy dynamics were detected for all materials for the first time. Glassy dynamics were proven for both processes unambiguously due to the extraordinary broad frequency range covered. The α1-process is attributed to fluctuations of the alky chains in the intercolumnar space because a polyethylene-like glassy dynamics is observed. This corresponds to a glass transition in a confined three-dimensional space. The α2-process found at temperatures lower than α1-process, is assigned to the fluctuation of translational in plane movements of the triphenylene core inside distorted columns. This can be considered as a glass transition of a one-dimensional fluid. Therefore, obtained results are of general importance to understand the glass transition, which is an unsolved problem of condensed matter science.
The Dark Side of Science
(2019)
The Joint Summer School of the two Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN) “BioCapture” and “GlycoImaging”, funded by the EU within the Horizon 2020 framework programme, which are both devoted to the development of new methods for cancer biomarker and cancer cell detection, will take place at the Adlershof Campus of BAM. 19 Early stage researchers of both projects will convene, discuss their own science and plan future collaborative research. Training in scientific writing (instructor: Luita Spangler, Free University of Berlin), an employability workshop (Antti Kapanen, University of Applied Sciences Berlin) and first contacts with the “dark side of science” (Brian R. Pauw, BAM) will complement the programme of the summer school.
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques and requires new approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution we characterize thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at an SEM.
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques and requires new approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution we characterize thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at an SEM.
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques and requires new approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution we characterize thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at an SEM.
Advanced wastewater treatment by the application of activated carbon is used to eliminate organic micropollutants in large scale wastewater treatment plants. However, underlying adsorption processes are unclear. On the one hand, compositions of wastewater differ and are very complex. On the other hand, activated carbons have physicochemical properties which impair investigations on adsorption mechanisms, since they are non-graphitic, non-graphitizable and have a highly disordered microstructure. This leads to their large surface areas and internal pore structure but also implies heteroatoms and functional groups. These are not easily accessible for research but affect the adsorption of organic micropollutants. Thermogravimetric analysis and evolved gas analysis can provide valuable insights into these kinds of systems. First, pyrolysis makes functional surface groups accessible, e.g. through decarboxylation, which facilitates characterisation of activated carbons. Second, adsorbates can be investigated by thermal desorption or decomposition, depending on the sorption conditions of the organic micropollutants. Single component systems as well as multi component systems with competing organic background matter are compared for various activated carbons. Surprising distinctions in the adsorption mechanisms will be presented.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures: from nanoscaled light localization to applications
(2019)
In this contribution the current state in the field of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) is reviewed. This includes the mechanisms of formation and current applications, particularly the colorization of technical surfaces, the control of surface wetting properties, the tailoring of surface colonization by bacterial biofilms, and the improvement of the tribological performance of nanostructured metal surfaces.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) with ~500–700 nm period were produced on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) surfaces upon scan processing in air by a Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. The tribological performance of the surfaces were qualified in linear reciprocating sliding tribological tests against balls made of different materials using different oilbased lubricants. Extending our previous work, we studied the admixture of the additive 2-ethylhexyl-zinc-dithiophosphate to a base oil containing only anti-oxidants and temperature stabilizers. The presence of this additive along with the variation of the chemical composition of the counterbodies allows us to explore the synergy of the additive with the laseroxidized nanostructures.
Secondary fluorescence is an inevitable effect that has to be taken into account in any algorithm for quantitative electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) as an additional correction. Moreover, secondary fluorescence worsens spatial resolution of EPMA. Secondary fluorescence is excited both by characteristic radiation and by the X-ray continuum. In most cases the correction is small. There are, however, cases, e.g. the determination of low heavy metal concentration in a light matrix, where the contribution of secondary fluorescence exceeds 10% of the measured X-ray line intensity.
For secondary fluorescence correction the measured X-ray line intensity has to be divided by the correction factor (1+I_flchar/I_p +I_flcont/I_p )≈(1+I_flchar/I_p )(1+I_flcont/I_p ) in order to get those intensity I_p, which is excited only by the primary electrons. I_flchar and I_flcont mean the calculated characteristic and continuums fluorescence intensities. In order to get the intensity of fluorescence radiation, the absorption of the exciting radiation in the specimen, the photoionization probability and the self-absorption of the emitted line must be calculated. The critical quantity is the X-ray yield of the exciting atoms in case of fluorescence by characteristic radiation and the bremsstrahlung yield of the specimen in case of continuum fluorescence. In the former case it is reasonable to apply the same physical model to calculate I_flchar and I_p.
µ-FTIR spectroscopy is a widely used technique in microplastics research. It allows to simultaneously characterize the material of the small particles, fibers or fragments, and to specify their size distribution and shape. Modern detectors offer the possibility to perform two-dimensional imaging of the sample providing detailed information. However, datasets are often too large for manual evaluation calling for automated microplastic identification. Library search based on the comparison with known reference spectra has been proposed to solve this problem.
To supplement this ‘targeted analysis’, an exploratory approach was tested. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to drastically reduce the size of the data set while maintaining the significant information. Groups of similar spectra in the prepared data set were identified with cluster analysis. Members of different clusters could be assigned to different polymer types whereas the variation observed within a cluster gives a hint on the chemical variability of microplastics of the same type. Spectra labeled according to the respective cluster can be used for supervised learning. The obtained classification was tested on an independent data set and results were compared to the spectral library search approach.
Synchrotron radiation sources with their unique properties in terms of intensity, polarization and adjustability offer a wide range of possibilities in materials research. A basic introduction about the creation and special properties of synchrotron radiation will be given. Examples of current work at BAMline, the high-energy measuring facility of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing at the synchrotron BESSY, are used to illustrate the possibilities and limitations of existing measuring methods. It will be shown how the formation of corrosion layers can be tracked, how the abrasion of implants leads to the introduction of heavy metals into the surrounding bone matrix and how the detection of smallest impurities in gold is possible by optimizing the measuring conditions. Finally, an outlook at the hardware and software developments to be expected in the coming years is given.
Bundling analytical capacities to understand phase formation in recycling of functional materials
(2019)
Transitioning from combustion engine-driven transportation to e-mobility demands a paradigm shift – from a system geared to maximize energy efficiency (i.e. fuel consumption) to a system that may be constrained by the availability of high technology (critical) metals required for electrical energy storage systems and drives. In the wake of these developments efforts in securing new resources of these metals from recycling of end-of-life products are increasing steadily.
Recycling of Li-Ion batteries has recently been evaluated. The results pinpoint to a critical need for understanding slag Formation and its dependence on metal components like Mn under extreme conditions. This will allow researchers to predict optimal Operation setting and to react quickly to changing market demands (which may be Li or Co at one point but may also shift to Ni or rare earth elements (REE)). The long-term goal is to control the formation of specific phases in slags allowing for a Maximum yield of elements of interest and optimal recovery in the separation processes that follows. The combination of data on the physical micro structure and local chemistry of the multi-Phase products during and after processing will help to understand and derive thermodynamic and kinetic data on its formation.
In this paper we are giving an overview on the analytical challenges and approaches to provide robust data on local element concentration and species (especially Mn which is a common component of next generation Li-ion batteries cathodes), spanning the dimensions from the nanometer scale to the bulk material. The complementary interactions of X-rays and electrons make them ideal probes to collect Interface and “in-depth” information. Before- and -after studies as well as in situ structural changes and Phase (trans)formation, changes in elemental and elemental species (e.g. oxidation state) distribution may be tracked by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence microscopy and X-ray Absorption spectroscopy. The application of such advanced analytical tools will not only provide essential clues during early lab-based experiments towards the development of new recycling technologies, but may also be deployed for on-line and in-line monitoring of industrial processes.
An inter-laboratory comparison on the surface charge, expressed as zeta potential ζ, of nanoscaled SiO2 has been performed using #14 BAM Silica (see D.5.41/5.42) nanoparticles. The comparability of results delivered by participants has been tested.
The Task 5.4 of NanoValid is designed to test, compare and validate current methods to measure and characterize physicochemical properties of selected engineered nanoparticles. The measurand is Surface charge expressed as zeta-Potential. The measurements are to be accompanied by estimates of the uncertainties at a confidence level of 95%, deduced from the standard uncertainties. Therefore an uncertainty budget comprising statistical (Type A) and systematic (Type B) errors has to be established and delivered for the measurand. The protocol comprises two Annexes addressing the establishment of uncertainty budgets following GUM. The final goal of the comparison is to identify those methods of measurement which have potential as reference methods in pc characterization of nanoparticles for the determination of a given measurand.
This Report describes an inter-laboratory comparison aiming on the establishment of the used method (BET) as a reference method. Another purpose was the certification of the porous reference material #15 BAM Titania as CRM BAM-P110 (cf. D 5.41/42). The certified values determined by nitrogen ad-sorption at 77.3 K according to the international standards ISO 15901-2 and ISO 9277 are summarized in the Table below.
Most industrial nanoparticles have non-spherical shapes and also possess polydisperse size distributions, and due to their agglomeration/ aggregation state are difficult (or even impossible) to be addressed individually. Further, driven by regulatory purposes related to the identification of a material as a nanomaterial, the accurate measurement of the smallest dimension of a (nano)particulate material makes the analysis even more complex.
In the first phase of the EU Project nPSize - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements (https://www.bam.de/Content/DE/Projekte/laufend/nPSize/npsize.html), the efforts are focused on synthesis of nanoparticles of well-defined, non-spherical shape. Following candidates of reference materials (CRM) with certifiable particle size (distribution) are under characterization with respect to their homogeneity and stability: (i) titania nanoplatelets (10-15 nm thickness x 50-60 nm lateral), (ii) titania bipyramides (~60 nm length x 40 nm width), (iii) titania acicular particles (100 nm length x 15-20 nm width; aspect ratio 5.5/6), (iv) gold nanorods (~10 nm width x 30 nm length), and (v) gold nanocubes (~55 nm x 55 nm x 55 nm).
In X-ray fluorescence (XRF), a sample is excited with X-rays, and the resulting characteristic radiation is detected to detect elements quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantification is traditionally done in several steps:
1. Normalization of the data
2. Determination of the existing elements
3. Fit of the measured spectrum
4. Calculation of concentrations with fundamental parameters / MC simulations / standard based
The problem with standard based procedures is the availability of corresponding standards. The problem with the calculations is that the measured intensities for XRF measurements are matrix-dependent. Calculations must, therefore, be performed iteratively (= time consuming) in order to determine the chemical composition.
First experiments with gold samples have shown the feasibility of machine learning based quantification in principle. A large number of compositions were simulated (> 10000) and analyzed with a deep learning network. For first experiments, an ANN (Artificial Neural Network) with 3 hidden layers and 33x33x33 neurons was used. This network learned the mapping of spectra to concentrations using supervised learning by multidimensional regression. The input layer was formed by the normalized spectrum, and the output layer directly yielded the searched values. The applicability for real samples was shown by measurements on certified reference materials.
A central challenge to ensure the sustainable production and use of nanotechnologies is to understand and effectively control the risks along the industrial innovation value chain. Knowledge about nanotechnology processes and nanosafety issues (hazards, fate, risk...) is growing rapidly but the effective use of this knowledge for risk management by market actors is lagging behind.
EC4SafeNano (European Centre for Risk Management and Safe Innovation in Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies) promotes a harmonized vision of expertise in risk assessment and management for the public and private sectors to enable the safe development and commercialization of nanotechnology.
EC4SafeNano is operated together by major European risk institutes with the support of numerous associated partners, gathering all stakeholders involved in Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies (regulators, industry, society, research, service providers...).
In a case study the surface chemical transformations upon 2 different ageing procedures (long-term UV irradiation or swimming pool water) of a representative set of titanium dioxide nanoparticles has been investigated. The materials have been analyzed by various analytical techniques. Each method addresses different aspects of the complex endpoint surface chemistry. The multi technique approach allows evaluation of the capabilities and limitations of the applied methods regarding their suitability to address the endpoint surface chemistry and their sensitivity to identify even small surface chemical transformations.
Results:
- To obtain a comprehensive picture, it is insufficient to concentrate on a single analysis technique.
- By using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in combination with principal component analysis (PCA) it was possible to identify even subtle changes in the surface chemistry of the investigated materials.
- A general trend that was observed for the UV-aged samples is the decrease of organic material on the nanomaterial surface.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 723623.
Small-angle scattering (SAS) offers a reliable route to characterize the nanostructure of large amounts of material with a minimum of tedium, for example, easily extracting size distributions and volume fractions. There are a variety of analysis programs available while the evaluation of SAS measurements has been dominated by the classical curve fitting approach. SASfit represents such a classical curve fitting toolbox: it is one of the mature programs for SAS data analysis and has been available and used for many years. The latest developments will be presented and a scattering function of a mass fractal model of branched polymers in solution is provided as an example for implementing a plug-in.
Alternatively to classical curve fitting, part two presents the latest developments of the user-friendly open-source Monte Carlo regression package McSAS. The form-free Monte Carlo nature of McSAS means, it is not necessary to provide further restrictions on the mathematical form of the parameter distribution: without prior knowledge, McSAS is able to extract complex multimodal or odd- shaped parameter distributions from SAS data. The headless mode is presented by an example of operation within interactive programming environments such as a Jupyter notebook.
No matter whether you are doing X-ray diffraction or scattering, at wide or small angles, in a lab or at a synchrotron, you will need a bespoke sequence of up to twenty different corrections before it gets about right (at our latest count). Our library now does this automatically and reliably to get you the data you deserve – in absolute units and with uncertainty estimates – without the pain. This talk will highlight the development of the modular library, the sequence and its foundation, show its applicability to real-world datasets, and highlight a possible way forward
Heating oil storage tanks made of polyethylene grades have been on the market in Germany since the early 1970s. To ensure safety, their replacement is recommended by tank manufacturers after a period of 30 years. Polyethylene is subject to ageing by alteration of the properties during its life cycle. The degree of degradation and the nature of the process mainly depend on the chemical alteration of the polyethylene, the wall thickness of the tank and the environmental conditions. There are no data available on the long-term behaviour of the polyethylene grades, especially after a service life of more than 30 years.
The aim of this investigation was to find a suitable test method to determine the factual degree of damage in comparison to the uncontaminated polyethylene grades. Material data of the used polyethylene grades are available because the BAM was the competent authority for the tests and expert reports for the approval of these tanks until the middle of the 1990s. Therefore, tank sections from the bottom, the shell and the roof of 22 individual storage tanks produced of polyethylene grades A and B have been examined by Melt Flow Rate (MFR) and Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR). Their service life was in the range between 20 and 41 years.
The MFR measurements of the tank sections showed differences in the values depending on the weight which was used (5 kg or 21.6 kg). An increase of the MFR was determined for the samples of polyethylene grade A, whereas a reduction of the MFR values was measured for most samples of polyethylene grade B. This grade is mainly subject to the internal ageing by cross-linkages, increased degree of branched molecules and loss of the plasticizer.
ATR analysis exhibits an absorption band at 909 cm‒1 predominantly in samples of polyethylene grade A indicating chain scission and concomitantly formed terminal vinyl groups. This absorption band can be used for the characterization of the ageing of the polyethylene grades.
Near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) is a less traditional form of XPS that allows samples to be analyzed at relatively high pressures, i.e., at greater than 2500 Pa. With NAP-XPS, XPS can probe moderately volatile liquids, biological samples, porous materials, and/or polymeric materials that outgas significantly. In this submission, we show survey, C 1s, O 1s, and N
1s narrow scans from an aqueous solution of a common protein, bovine serum albumin. The C 1s peak envelope is well fit to four symmetric peaks of equal width that correspond to carbon bonded to carbon and hydrogen (C-1), carbon singly bonded to oxygen (C-2), carbonyl and/or amide carbon (C-3), and carboxyl carbon (C-4). Two possible peak fits are considered for the N 1s and O 1s peak envelopes. The N 1s signal is fit to four peaks that correspond to amine (—NH2), Amide (OvCZNH2), ammonium (—NH3 +), and N2(g) nitrogen, and alternatively to three peaks that correspond to amine, amide, and N2(g) nitrogen. The O 1s peak envelope is similarly fit to three and four components.
Measurement of nanoparticle size (distribution) becomes a challenging analytical problem when non-spherical nanoparticles must be accurately measured. Most industrial nanoparticles have not only non-spherical shapes but also possess polydisperse size distributions, and due to their agglomeration/aggregation state are difficult (or even impossible) to be addressed individually. Moreover, driven by regulatory purposes related to the identification of a material as a nanomaterial, the accurate measurement of the smallest dimension of a (nano)particulate material makes the analysis even more complex.
In the first phase of the EU Project nPSize - Improved traceability chain of nanoparticle size measurements (https://www.bam.de/Content/DE/Projekte/laufend/nPSize/npsize.html), the efforts are focused on synthesis of nanoparticles of well-defined, non-spherical shape. Following candidates of reference materials (CRM) with certifiable particle size (distribution) are under characterization with respect to their homogeneity and stability: (i) titania nanoplatelets (10-15 nm thickness x 50-60 nm lateral), (ii) titania bipyramides (~60 nm length x 40 nm width), (iii) titania acicular particles (100 nm length x 15-20 nm width; aspect ratio 5.5/6), (iv) gold nanorods (~10 nm width x 30 nm length), and (v) gold nanocubes (~55 nm x 55 nm x 55 nm).
There are different ways how to prove the quality of the results obtained by electron microscopy and related microanalysis techniques, e.g. use of validated standard operation procedures, participation in proficiency testing exercises, use of certified reference materials, etc. International standards are able to provide requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics of methods, instruments or samples with the final goal that these can be used consistently in accredited laboratories. In the field of electron microscopy and microbeam analysis standardization and metrology are terms which are encountered rather seldom at major conferences and scientific publications. Nevertheless, spectra formats like EMSA/MSA for spectral-data exchange or tagged image file format (TIFF) for SEM, guidelines for performing quality assurance procedures or for the specification of X-ray spectrometers as well as of certified reference materials (CRMs) in EPMA, or measurement of average grain size by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), or guidelines for calibrating image magnification in SEM or TEM are ISO standards already published and used successfully by a large part of the electron microscopy and microbeam analysis community. A main and continuous task of ISO/TC 202 and its subcommittees is to identify and evaluate feasible projects/proposals needed to be developed into new international standards, particularly in respect to recent but established technology, such the silicon drift detector (SDD) EDS one.
Another international platform in the frame of which pre-standardization work can be organized is VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards). International collaborative projects involving aim at providing the technical basis for harmonized measurements, testing, specifications, and standards to be further developed at ISO level. One key point of VAMAS activities is constituted by inter-laboratory comparisons for high-quality data. In the field of microbeam analysis, the technical working area (TWA) 37 Quantitative Microstructural Analysis deals with corresponding projects. Good ideas, e.g. on analysis of low-Z materials/elements and at low energies are particularly encouraged by directly contacting the author. Support and already available guidance will be supplied.
Secondary fluorescence is an inevitable effect that has to be taken into account in any algorithm for quantitative electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) as an additional correction. Moreover, secondary fluorescence worsens spatial resolution of EPMA, as discussed once more in two recent papers. Secondary fluorescence is excited both by characteristic radiation and by the X-ray continuum. In most cases the correction is small. There are, however, cases, e.g. the determination of low heavy metal concentration in a light matrix, where the contribution of secondary fluorescence exceeds 10% of the measured X-ray line intensity.
For secondary fluorescence correction the measured X-ray line intensity has to be divided by the correction factor (1+I_flchar/I_p +I_flcont/I_p )≈(1+I_flchar/I_p )(1+I_flcont/I_p ) in order to get those intensity I_p, which is excited only by the primary electrons and enables the determination of specimen composition. I_flchar and I_flcont mean the calculated characteristic and continuums fluorescence intensities. In order to get the intensity of fluorescence radiation, the absorption of the exciting radiation in the specimen, the photoionization probability and the self-absorption of the emitted line must be calculated. This can be performed in a straightforward way. The critical quantity is the X-ray yield of the exciting atoms in case of fluorescence by characteristic radiation and the bremsstrahlung yield of the specimen in case of continuum fluorescence. In the former case it is reasonable to apply the same physical model to calculate I_flchar and I_p.
Outline
- maging ellipsometry: oncept and setup
- Basic theory: ellipsometry on tilted/curved surfaces
- Geometric considerations
- Tilt-induced cross-polarization
- Application: coating analysis on microlensarray
- Mueller-Matrix Imaging
- Conversion to Delta-Psi Image
- Layer-thickness of ITO coating
How to write your thesis
(2019)
The SAWG was established as an ad-hoc working group in 2003 before being established as a permanent working group. The first comparison was in 2007. Dr Unger recalled the terms of reference for the group, which paralleled those of the CCQM itself, with a focus on spatially resolved chemical surface analysis at the micro- and nano-scale. The group also had a remit to act as a forum for exchange of information on research and development of surface analysis, establish contact with relevant stakeholders and promote the development of SI traceable chemical surface measurements. The group currently had participants from 18 institutes, although five had not sent participants to recent meetings.
Reporting progress on studies, Dr Unger said that P-190CCQM-K-157 (measurement of HfO2 in thin film) had been completed, and the subsequent K-157 approved is ongoing and that for CCQM-K153 (Measurement of Specific Adsorption of N2 and Kr on nonporous SiO2 at liquid nitrogen temperature by BET) was at the draft B was completed stageand distributed to CCQM WG chairpersons for approval.
Dr Unger reported that CCQM-K-153 had covered measurement of specific absorption of nitrogen or krypton on nonporous silica at liquid nitrogen [ambient] temperature. This included an application of the BET method, a standard method for determination of surface area. This fitted into the ‘nonporous’ region of the SAWG measurement space, which included microporous, mesoporous and microporous regions. Of these regions, CCQM-K136 and CCQM-K153 demonstrated capability in meso- and microporous media respectively. CCQM-K153 involved two measurands; amount of absorbed gas at liquid nitrogen temperature, expressed as specific absorption, and the BET surface area. Specific absorption could in principle be traceable to the SI; BET was operationally defined. Five institutes participated. A detailed uncertainty budget was available for both measurands. Results had been excellent, with all laboratories agreeing well within their uncertainties and all in agreement with the reference value.
Reporting on CCQM P190, Dr Unger described the study objective measurand (amount of substance of HfO2 in a thin film), samples and methods. After showing transmission electron microscope images obtained in the study, he briefly reviewed the conclusions. The study identified a need to handle carbon contamination, harmonise the XPS measurement protocol, determine emission angle and identify a consensus value for attenuation length. These conclusions had informed the design of the proposed ongoing K157 study approved at the 24th Meeting of te CCQM.
The group planned a number of comparisons for the next three years:
2019: A pilot study on the amount of substance in a thin organic layer (previously approved).
2020: CCQMK-157, Measurement of the amount of substance of HfO2; A Key comparison on specific gas adsorption on microporous samples and a Pilot study on Homogeneous surface composition of an ionic liquid.
2021: A key comparison measuring the amount of substance in a thin organic layer.
Dr Unger additionally described a recently proposed pilot study to examine chemical composition in a deep nanoscale layer. This was important for the electronics industry. Four participants had expressed interest. The measurand will be the amount of Ir(ppy)2(acac) in a thin organic layer within an organic layer stack on a silicon substrate. He also reported that SAWG had started work on characterisation of graphene material grown by chemical vapour decomposition (CVD). The work would examine coverage on the substrate, number of layers, level of disorder, uncertainty budgets associated with the measurement, and data analysis. A link to VAMAS Technical Work Area 41 “Graphene and Related 2D Materials“ would also be established.
Looking forward, Dr Unger said the group had established a task group on application of Raman spectroscopy. This had important applications but was currently seen as qualitative. He presented the terms of reference for the task group for approval by the CCQM.
Dr Unger reviewed the SAWG activities that have progressed the state of the art in measurement science. He listed the past and ongoing comparisons that had addressed new and challenging measurement problems, and drew attention to a number of key publications in surface analysis. He additionally described stakeholder engagement activities, including collaboration with VAMAS, input to ISO TC 201, contributions to Euramet projects, and contributions to two recent stakeholder workshops.
This report describes a standard operation procedure for dispersion of nanomaterials in liquids prior to toxicological or ecotoxicological testing. Main factors, who determine the state of agglomeration and aggregation of ENMs after dispersion are specific energy input, particle concentration and fluid composition. The method was validated in two round robin tests, where two typical nanomaterials (a nanopowder and a nanodispersion) were investigated. One main result arising out of the data comparison was that only those participants, who were able to follow the instructions in the SOPs completely, received similar results regarding particle size and zeta potential. The SOP is easy to adapt for other types of nanomaterials. The results provide the standardization process and were presented at DIN working group.
Everything SAXS
(2019)
Up until several years ago, tensile and compressive tests have been exclusively carried out as single-sample tests within a tensile, hardness or universal testing machine. The availability of centrifuge technology changed this situation in 2013 in several ways because centrifugal force is used as testing force within a rotational reference frame.
Firstly, multiple-sample strength testing became feasible for both tensile load condi-tions, e.g. determination of composite, bonding or adhesive strength, and compressive load conditions, e.g. hardness, compressibility and compactibility. Secondly, there is no need for a two-sided sample clamping and double-cardanic suspensions as samples are simply inserted using a one-sided sample support. Thirdly, shear forces can be avoided by means of guiding sleeves which steer test stamps acting as mass bodies for either tensile or compressive testing. Fourthly, up to eight samples can be tested under identical conditions within a very short period of time, typically within 15 minutes including sample loading and unloading. Hence, either a reliable statistics (of identical samples) or a ranking (of different samples) can be derived from one test run.
The bench-top test system is described in detail and demonstrated that centrifugal force acts as testing force in an appropriate way because Euler and Coriolis force do not affect the testing results. Examples for both tensile strength testing, i.e. bonding strength of adhesives-bonded joints and adhesive strength of coatings, and compres-sive strength testing, i.e. Vickers-, Brinell- and ball indentation hardness and deter-mination of spring constants, are presented, discussed and compared with conven-tional tests within tensile, hardness or universal testing machines.
At present, a maximum testing force of 6.5 kN can be realized which results at test stamp diameters of 5 mm, 7 mm, and 10 mm in tensile or compressive stress values of 80 MPa, 160 MPa, and 320 MPa. For tensile strength, this is already beyond bonding strength of cold- and warm-curing adhesives. Moreover, centrifuge technology is compliant to standards such as EN 15870, EN ISO 4624, EN ISO 6506/6507 and VDI/VDE 2616. Programmable test cycles allow both short-term stress and log-term fatigue tests. Based on a variety of examples of surface and bonding technology, applications in both fields R&D and QC are presented. Meanwhile, centrifuge technology is also accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.
This presentation reviews the current state in the field of Laser-induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS). These surface nanostructures are a universal phenomenon and can be generated on almost any material by irradiation with intense linearly polarized radiation. LIPSS are formed in a “self-ordered” way and are often accompanying material processing applications. They can be produced in a single-step process and enable surface functionalization through the adaption of optical, mechanical and chemical surface properties. Their structural sizes typically range from several micrometers down to less than 100 nanometers and show a clear correlation with the polarization direction of the laser radiation. Various types of surface structures are classified, relevant control parameters are identified, and their material specific formation mechanisms are analyzed for different types of inorganic solids, i.e., metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics, through time-resolved optical experiments and theoretical simulations. Finally, technological applications featuring surface functionalization in the fields of optics, fluidics, medicine, and tribology are discussed.
Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, by means of inelastic neutron scattering, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) and the molecular mobility were investigated for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid).
The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers.
Elastic fixed window scans were measured on a neutron backscattering spectrometer to have an overview about the molecular dynamics at a time scale of ca. 1 ns. The temperature dependence of the estimated mean squared displacement shows a step-like increase in the temperature range from 100 K to 250 K indicating the onset of some molecular mobility. The nature of this motional process was analyzed in detail by quasielastic neutron scattering combining Time-of-Flight and backscattering where the data are discussed with regard to both the q- and the temperature dependence.
Porous materials play an important role in several fields of technology, especially for energy applications like photovoltaics, electrolysis or batteries. The activity of porous films is affected by properties like porosity, film thickness, chemical composition of the material as well as the crystallinity of the framework. The complex morphology of such porous films constitutes a challenge for modern analytical techniques and requires approaches employing the combination/complementation of data of different analytical methods. In this contribution we characterize thin mesoporous iridium-titanium mixed oxide film properties by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE).
Mesoporous iridium oxide - titanium oxide (IrOx-TiOx) films were prepared via dip-coating of a solution containing a triblock-copolymer as structure-directing agent, an iridium precursor as well as a titanium precursor in ethanol. Deposited films with different amounts of iridium (0 wt%Ir to 100 wt%Ir) were synthesized and calcined in air. The thin films were analyzed with SE using the Bruggeman effective medium approximation (BEMA) for modelling. The results were compared with electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) as part of a combined SEM/EDS/STRATAGem Analysis.
In the last years, the implementation of imaging ellipsometry in the variety of optical characterization techniques has shown tremendous potential to analyze the topology of surfaces in the lateral dimension. In the later studies, this contrast-rich surface images were affiliated with changes of the refraction indices, Absorption bands or layer thicknesses. However, it was realized that additional factors like curvature or scattering can have a great Impact on the ellipsometric readout of the analyzed system. In this study, we focus on the systematic evaluation of structural anomalies and inhomogenities of several Basic systems. This includes spherical particles as a model for microscopic curved surfaces in a range of 0.25 to 25 μm in diameter. In the macroscopic regime several conventional convex lenses were analyzed. Additional affords were made to generate microscopic concave model systems by applying nanoindentation with a spherical indentation unit. With this method calottes with a depth of 0.04 to 2 μm and radius of 2.5 μm were made. The macroscopic counterpart is delivered by conventional concave lens systems. For all systems, a variety of different bulk materials was investigated. This includes metal oxides, metals and polymers as well as combinations of each by applying coatings on the bulk materials with different layer thicknesses.
To analyze these structural anomalies and inhomogenities properly, Mueller-Matrix imaging ellipsometry is the method of choice to address cross- and depolarization effects that occur due to the curved surfaces.
Supplementary methods were used for an independent characterization of the topological properties of all structural anomalies and inhomogenities. This includes AFM and SEM for the microscopic samples (microparticles and nanoindented holes) and white light interferometry for the macroscopic lenses.
This study results in a systematic screening of different coated and uncoated material systems with a topology that does not fit into conventional ellipsometry and thus is analyzed by Muller-Matrix imaging ellipsometry. This will help in quality control and is a contribution to the understanding of the polarizing effects of non-ideal Systems analyzed by ellipsometry.