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The talk summarizes challenges in microplastic analysis. It shows the preparation of microplastic reference materials as well as the testing on homogeneity and stability. The reference material is used in an international laboratory comparison to compare different detection methods used for microplastic analysis. The methods used were µ-IR (FTIR+LDIR) for number-based methods and TED-GC/MS and Py-GC/MS for mass-based methods. The ILC was done under the umbrella of VAMAS TWA 45. Results of the participants are presented.
Preliminary results of an interlaboratory comparison on microplastics organised by plasticsfate
(2023)
Microplastics are everywhere in the environment, but analytics is challenging. Since harmonisation is missing as well es suitable reference materials, BAM did under th umbrella of VAMAS funded by the EU Horizon 2020 project PlasticsFate a ILC for microplastic detection methods. Methods adressed were IR, Raman, Py-GC/MS and TED-GC/MS. The talk gives a first presentation and evaluation on the results.
The principles of (Hard) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and some application in the field of (core-shell) nanoparticles will be presented. The presentation should answer hoe to get reliable results. Furthermore, examples of the correlation between physical-chemical measurments and toxicological results are given which are crucial for the risk assessment of nanoparticles.
Climate change and increasing demand for electricity require the use of power electronics based on new wide bandgap (WBG) compound semiconductors. Power electronics devices are used in numerous application areas to control and convert electric energy. These may include generation and distribution of renewable energy for green hydrogen, electrification of transport or 5G communication. WBG electronics have much higher efficiency than the silicon-based ones and can operate at higher power densities, voltages, temperatures and switching frequencies with low energy losses. However, defects in the semiconductors can considerably affect the performance of power electronic devices or make their operation even impossible. The presentation will show the application of spectroscopic and imaging ellipsometry as well as white light interference microscopy for defect characterisation in SiC, GaN and Ga2O3 over a wide wavelength range.
We used parameterized modelling of ellipsometric transfer parameters to determine the dielectric properties of bulk materials and thin layers. Imaging ellipsometry offers more information and is an advanced variant of optical microscopy, combining the lateral resolution of optical microscopy with the extreme sensitivity to surface and interface effects of ellipsometry. Surface topography and morphology of different types of defects were additionally investigated with imaging white light interference microscopy. Modern electronic thin film components require complex surface analysis methodologies and hybrid metrology. Hybrid measurement techniques enable fast and non-destructive traceable characterisation of thin film compound semiconductors as well as accurate detection and identification of defects. This methodical approach leads to a better understanding of the materials themselves and of the defect formation mechanisms during manufacturing.
This work aims to enable highly reproducible manufacturing of compound semiconductor power electronics as well as operation monitoring to ensure failure-safety of electronic systems in power electronic devices.
The different defect types on SiC samples are measured with various measurement methods including optical and tactile methods. The defect types investigated include particles, carrots and triangles and they are analyzed with imaging ellipsometry, coherent Fourier scatterometry and atomic force microscopy. Each of these methods measures different properties of the defects and they all together contribute to a complete analysis.
Ellipsometry is a very powerful tool used for accurate material investigation in a wide wavelength range. It is a non-destructive and fast method. Imaging ellipsometry as a combination of optical microscopy and ellipsometry enables spatially resolved measurements when determining the layer thickness and dielectric properties of thin layers. It is known for its high polarisation sensitivity and high contrast for the surface structures. In this contribution we show the application of the imaging ellipsometry for detection of defects in energy materials and quality validation of possible reference materials for nano-electronics.
Defects in wide bandgap semiconductors, in homoepitaxial SiC and heteroepitaxial GaN layers on transparent SiC substrates, can be successfully detected and classified by means of imaging ellipsometry. Correlation of imaging ellipsometry results with results from complementary techniques such as white light interference microscopy as well as atomic force microscopy contribute to understanding of surface topography and defect formation mechanisms. We discuss the potential of different methods for analysing ellipsometric map data for monitoring the defect densities.
Electric properties of materials at the nanoscale can be investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy methods such as scanning microwave microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy. However, development of new robust and easy-to-use calibration methods and calibration standards is essential to increase the traceability of these methods and allow their broad application in industry. We show how imaging spectroscopic ellipsometry can be used for development and monitoring of processing quality of patterned reference samples based on indium tin oxide (ITO) layer with different thickness and conductivity.
Here, we elucidate nonclassical multistep crystallization pathways of transition metal phosphates from aqueous solutions. We followed precipitation processes of M-struvites, NH4MPO4·6H2O, and M-phosphate octahydrates, M3(PO4)2·8H2O, where M = Ni, Co, or NixCo1–x, by using in situ scattering and spectroscopy-based techniques, supported by elemental mass spectrometry analyses and advanced electron microscopy. Ni and Co phosphates crystallize via intermediate colloidal amorphous nanophases, which change their complex structures while agglomerating, condensing, and densifying throughout the extended reaction times. We reconstructed the three-dimensional morphology of these precursors by employing cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). We found that the complex interplay between metastable amorphous colloids and protocrystalline units determines the reaction pathways. Ultimately, the same crystalline structure, such as struvite, is formed. However, the multistep process stages vary in complexity and can last from a few minutes to several hours depending on the selected transition metal(s), their concentration, and the Ni/Co ratio.
Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) with various chemical compositions and surface functionalities are routinely fabricated for industrial applications such as medical diagnostics, drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, energy conversion and storage, opto-electronics, and information storage which improve the quality of life and European prosperity. NP function, performance, interaction with biological species, and environmental fate are largely determined by their surface functionalities. Standardized repeatable surface characterization methods are therefore vital for quality control of NPs, and to meet increasing concerns regarding their safety. Therefore, industry, regulatory agencies, and policymakers need validated traceable measurement methods and reference materials. This calls for fit-for-purpose, validated, and standardized methods, and reference data and materials on the surface chemistry of engineered NPs. Here, we present a concept for the development of such standardized measurement protocols utilizing method cross-validation and interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) with emphasis on both advanced measurement methods such as quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (qNMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and cost-efficient, non-surface specific methods like optical assays and electrochemical titration methods.
X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy (XPS) allows simultaneous irradiation and damage monitoring. Although water radiolysis is essential for radiation damage, all previous XPS studies were performed in vacuum. Here we present near-ambient-pressure XPS experiments to directly measure DNA damage under water atmosphere. They permit in-situ monitoring of the effects of radicals on fully hydrated double-stranded DNA. Our results allow us to distinguish direct damage, by photons and secondary low-energy electrons (LEE), from damage by hydroxyl radicals or hydration induced modifications of damage pathways. The exposure of dry DNA to x-rays leads to strand-breaks at the sugar-phosphate backbone, while deoxyribose and nucleobases are less affected. In contrast, a strong increase of DNA damage is observed in water, where OH-radicals are produced. In consequence, base damage and base release become predominant, even though the number of strand-breaks increases further. Furthermore, first data about the degradation of single-stranded DNA binding-proteins (G5P / GV5 and hmtSSB) under vacuum and NAP-XPS conditions are presented.
Due to the extremely high specific surface area of nanoparticles and corresponding potential for adsorption, the results of surface analysis can be highly dependent on the history of the particles, particularly regarding sample preparation and storage. The sample preparation method has, therefore, the potential to have a significant influence on the results. This report describes an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) with the aim of assessing which sample preparation methods for ToF-SIMS analysis of nanoparticles provided the most intra- and interlaboratory consistency and the least amount of sample contamination. The BAM reference material BAM-P110 (TiO2 nanoparticles with a mean Feret diameter of 19 nm) was used as a sample representing typical nanoparticles. A total of 11 participants returned ToF-SIMS data,in positive and (optionally) negative polarity, using sample preparation methods of “stick-and-go” as well as optionally “drop-dry” and “spin-coat.” The results showed that the largest sources of variation within the entire data set were caused by adventitious hydrocarbon contamination or insufficient sample coverage, with the spin-coating protocol applied in this ILC showing a tendency toward insufficient sample coverage; the sample preparation method or the participant had a lesser influence on results.
In-situ monitoring of water dependent DNA and protein radiation damage by near-ambient-pressure XPS
(2023)
X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy (XPS) allows simultaneous irradiation and damage monitoring. Although water radiolysis is essential for radiation damage, all previous XPS studies were performed in vacuum. Here we present near-ambient-pressure XPS experiments to directly measure DNA damage under water atmosphere. They permit in-situ monitoring of the effects of radicals on fully hydrated double-stranded DNA. Our results allow us to distinguish direct damage, by photons and secondary low-energy electrons (LEE), from damage by hydroxyl radicals or hydration induced modifications of damage pathways. The exposure of dry DNA to x-rays leads to strand-breaks at the sugar-phosphate backbone, while deoxyribose and nucleobases are less affected. In contrast, a strong increase of DNA damage is observed in water, where OH-radicals are produced. In consequence, base damage and base release become predominant, even though the number of strand-breaks increases further.
Surface-functionalized polymer beads encoded with molecular luminophores and nanocrystalline emitters such as semiconductor nanocrystals, often referred to as quantum dots (QDs), or magnetic nanoparticles are broadly used in the life sciences as reporters and carrier beads. Many of these applications require a profound knowledge of the chemical nature and total number of their surface functional groups (FGs), that control bead charge, colloidal stability, hydrophobicity, and the interaction with the environment and biological systems. For bioanalytical applications, also the
number of groups accessible for the subsequent functionalization with, e.g., biomolecules or targeting ligands is relevant. In this study, we explore the influence of QD encoding on the amount of carboxylic acid (COOH) surface FGs of 2 μm polystyrene microparticles (PSMPs). This is done for frequently employed oleic acid and oleylamine stabilized, luminescent core/shell CdSe QDs and two commonly used encoding procedures. This included QD addition during bead formation by a thermally induced polymerization reaction and a post synthetic swelling procedure. The accessible number of COOH groups on the surface of QD-encoded and pristine beads was quantified by two colorimetric assays, utilizing differently sized reporters and electrostatic and covalent interactions. The results were compared to the total number of FGs obtained by a conductometric titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, a comparison of the impact of QD and dye encoding on the bead surface chemistry was performed. Our results demonstrate the influence of QD encoding and the QD-encoding strategy on the number of surface FG that is ascribed to an interaction of the QDs with the carboxylic acid groups on the bead surface. These findings are of considerable relevance for applications of nanoparticle-encoded beads and safe-by-design concepts for nanomaterials.
Since its isolation, graphene has received growing attention from academia and industry due to its unique properties. However, the “what is my material” barrier hinders further commercialization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is considered as a method of choice for the determination of the elemental and chemical composition. In this work the influence of the morphology of graphene particles on the XPS results is studied and investigated as a function of X-ray energy, using conventional XPS with Al K𝜶 radiation and hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES) using Cr K𝜶 radiation. Thereby, the information depth is varied between 10 and 30 nm. For this purpose, two commercial powders containing graphene nanoplatelets with lateral dimensions of either ≈100 nm or in the micrometer range are compared. These larger ones exist as stack of graphene layers which is inspected with scanning electron microscopy. Both kinds of particles are then functionalized with either oxygen or fluorine. The size of the graphene particles is found to influence the degree of functionalization. Only the combination of XPS and HAXPES allows to detect the functionalization at the outermost surface of the particles or even of the stacks and to provide new insights into the functionalization process.
International standards describing reliable protocols will facilitate the commercialization of graphene and related 2D materials. One physico-chemical key property next to flake size and thickness is the chemical composition of the material. Therefore, an ISO standard is under development with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy having a prominent role. With its information depth of around 10 nm which is the similar length scale as the thickness as of particles of 2D materials consisting of a few monolayer XPS seems to be highly suitable for this purpose. Different sample preparation methods like pressing the powders onto adhesive tapes, into recesses, or into solid pellets result in inconsistencies in the quantification. For the validation of the quantification with XPS an interlaboratory comparison was initiated under the auspice of the “Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards” (VAMAS). First results confirm that the sample preparation method (pellet vs. powder) influences the quantification results clearly.
The datasets from (Hard Energy) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microsopy are related to the publication
G. Chemello, X. Knigge, D. Ciornii, B.P. Reed, A.J. Pollard, C.A. Clifford, T. Howe, N. Vyas, V.-D. Hodoroaba, J. Radnik
"Influence of the morphology on the functionalization of graphene nanoplatelets analyzed by comparative photoelectron spectroscopy with soft and hard X-rays"
Advanced Materials Interfaces (2023), DOI: 10.1002/admi.202300116.
International standards describing reliable protocols will facilitate the commercialization of graphene and related 2D materials. One physico-chemical key property next to flake size and thickness is the chemical composition of the material. Therefore, an ISO standard is under development with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy having a prominent role. With its information depth of around 10 nm which is the similar length scale as the thickness as of particles of 2D materials consisting of a few monolayer XPS seems to be highly suitable for this purpose. Different sample preparation methods like pressing the powders onto adhesive tapes, into recesses, or into solid pellets result in inconsistencies in the quantification. For the validation of the quantification with XPS an interlaboratory comparison was initiated under the auspice of the “Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards” (VAMAS). First results confirm that the sample preparation method (pellet vs. powder) influences the quantification results clearly. Considering this effect, a good agreement of the results from the different participants were observed. Similar results were observed for raw, N- and F-functionalized graphene.
Ionizing radiation damage to DNA plays a fundamental role in cancer therapy. X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy (XPS) allows simultaneous irradiation and damage monitoring. Although water radiolysis is essential for radiation damage, all previous XPS studies were performed in vacuum. Here we present near-ambient-pressure XPS experiments to directly measure DNA damage under water atmosphere. They permit in-situ monitoring of the effects of radicals on fully hydrated double-stranded DNA. The results allow us to distinguish direct damage, by photons and secondary low-energy electrons (LEE), from damage by hydroxyl radicals or hydration induced modifications of damage pathways. The exposure of dry DNA to x-rays leads to strand-breaks at the sugar-phosphate backbone, while deoxyribose and nucleobases are less affected. In contrast, a strong increase of DNA damage is observed in water, where OH-radicals are produced. In consequence, base damage and base release become predominant, even though the number of strand-breaks increases further.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is widely used for characterising the chemistry of graphene-related two-dimensional materials (GR2M), however the careful preparation of the sample for analysis is important in obtaining representative quantifications. We report an investigation by three laboratories showing that the preparation method for oxygen-functionalised graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) powders has a significant effect on the homogeneous-equivalent elemental composition measured in XPS. We show that pressing GNP powders onto adhesive tapes, into recesses, or into solid pellets results in inconsistencies in the XPS quantification. The measured oxygen-to-carbon atomic ratio from GNP pellets depends upon the die pressure used to form them and the morphology of the GNPs themselves. We recommend that powder samples of GR2Ms are pelletised prior to XPS analysis to improve repeatability and reproducibility of measurements.
Since its isolation, graphene has received growing attention from academia and industry due to its unique properties. Promising opportunities for applications are discussed in different field like electronics and optoelectronics, detection, and sensing devices, biosystems or chemical and environmental corrosion inhibition. Here, functionalization with elements like oxygen, nitrogen or fluorine can broaden the application, for example in composite materials. However, lack of generally accepted operation procedures hinders the commercialization, the so-called “what is my material” barrier. Therefore, first efforts were done to develop common, reliable, and reproducible ways to characterize the morphological and chemical properties of the industrially produced material.
In this contribution, our efforts in the development of reliable chemical characterizations protocols for functionalized graphene are presented. An ISO standard for the chemical characterization of graphene-related (GRM) is under development with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) having a prominent role. With its information depth of around 10 nm, which is the similar length scale as the thickness of particles of 2D materials consisting of a few monolayers, XPS seems to be highly suitable for the quantitative analysis of (functionalized) GRM. Thereby, different sample preparation methods like pressing the powders onto adhesive tapes, into recesses, or into solid pellets result in inconsistencies in the quantification. Furthermore, different morphologies like stacks of graphene layers (left figure) or irregular particles (right figure) lead to different analysis results for the chemical composition.
For the validation of the quantification with XPS and the further development of standards an international interlaboratory comparison was initiated under the head of the “Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards” (VAMAS). First results are reported showing the suitability of the protocols. Finally, the XPS results are compared with the elemental composition results obtained after quantification with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) as a fast analytical method which is usually combined with electron microscopy.
Ionizing radiation damage to DNA plays a fundamental role in cancer therapy. X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy (XPS) allows simultaneous irradiation and damage monitoring. Although water radiolysis is essential for radiation damage, all previous XPS studies were performed in vacuum. Here we present near-ambient-pressure XPS experiments to directly measure DNA damage under water atmosphere. They permit in-situ monitoring of the effects of radicals on fully hydrated double-stranded DNA. The results allow us to distinguish direct damage, by photons and secondary low-energy electrons (LEE), from damage by hydroxyl radicals or hydration induced modifications of damage pathways. The exposure of dry DNA to x-rays leads to strand-breaks at the sugar-phosphate backbone, while deoxyribose and nucleobases are less affected. In contrast, a strong increase of DNA damage is observed in water, where OH-radicals are produced. In consequence, base damage and base release become predominant, even though the number of strand-breaks increases further.
The glass transition behavior of thin films of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PBAC) was studied employing ellipsometry. The glass transition temperature increases with the reduction of the film thickness. This result is attributed to the formation of an adsorbed layer with a reduced mobility compared to bulk PBAC. Therefore, for the first time, the growth kinetics of the adsorbed layer of PBAC was investigated, prepared by leaching samples from a 200 nm thin film which were annealed for several times at three different temperatures. The thickness of each prepared adsorbed layer was measured by multiple scans using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Additionally, an unannealed sample was measured. Comparison of the measurements of the unannealed and the annealed samples provides proof of a pre-growth regime for all annealing temperatures which was not observed for other polymers. For the lowest annealing temperature after the pre-growth stage only a growth regime with a linear time dependence is observed. For higher annealing temperatures the growth kinetics changes from a linear to a logarithmic growth regime at a critical time. At the longest annealing times the films showed signs of dewetting where segments of the adsorbed film were removed from the substrate (dewetting by desorption). The dependence of the surface roughness of the PBAC surface on annealing time also confirmed that the films annealed at highest temperatures for the longest times desorbed from the substrate.
The microstructure of an apatite-wollastonite (code name AP40) glass-ceramic is analyzed in this study by combining 2D microscopy, phase analysis, X-ray absorption and synchrotron X-ray refraction computed tomography (XCT and SXRCT, respectively). It is shown that this combination provides a useful toolbox to characterize the global microstructure in a wide scale range, from sub-micrometer to millimeter. The material displays a complex microstructure comprising a glassy matrix with embedded fluorapatite and wollastonite small crystals. In this matrix, large (up to 200 μm) spike-shaped structures are distributed. Such microstructural features are oriented around a central sphere, thereby forming a structure resembling a sea urchin. A unique feature of SXRCT, in contrast to XCT, is that internal interfaces are visualized; this allows one to show the 3D distribution of these urchins with exceptionally good contrast. Furthermore, it is revealed that the spike-shaped structures are not single crystals, but rather composed of sub-micrometric crystals, which are identified as fluorapatite and diopside phases by SEM-EDX analysis.
Critical defects, also known as device killers, in wide bandgap semiconductors significantly affect the performance of power electronic devices. We used the methods imaging ellipsometry (IE) and white light interference microscopy (WLIM) in a hybrid optical metrology study for fast and non-destructive detection, classification, and characterisation of defects in 4H–SiC homoepitaxial layers on 4H–SiC substrates. Ellipsometry measurement results are confirmed by WLIM. They can be successfully applied for wafer characterisation already during production of SiC epilayers and for subsequent industrial quality control.
Due to their unique physico-chemical properties, nanoparticles are well established in research and industrial applications. A reliable characterization of their size, shape, and size distribution is not only mandatory to fully understand and exploit their potential and develop reproducible syntheses, but also to manage environmental and health risks related to their exposure and for regulatory requirements. To validate and standardize methods for the accurate and reliable particle size determination nanoscale reference materials (nanoRMs) are necessary. However, there is only a very small number of nanoRMs for particle size offered by key distributors such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and, moreover, few provide certified values. In addition, these materials are currently restricted to polymers, silica, titanium dioxide, gold and silver, which have a spherical shape except for titania nanorods. To expand this list with other relevant nanomaterials of different shapes and elemental composition, that can be used for more than one sizing technique, we are currently building up a platform of novel nanoRMs relying on iron oxide nanoparticles of different shape, size and surface chemistry. Iron oxide was chosen as a core material because of its relevance for the material and life sciences.
One-pot covalent functionalization of 2D black phosphorus by anionic ring opening polymerization
(2022)
In this work, a one-pot approach for the covalent functionalization of few-layer black phosphorus (BP) by anionic ring opening polymerization of glycidol to obtain multifunctional BP-polyglycerol (BP-PG) with high amphiphilicity for near-infrared-responsive drug delivery and biocompatibility is reported. Straightforward synthesis in combination with exceptional biological and physicochemical properties designates functionalized BP-PG as a promising candidate for a broad range of biomedical applications.
As virus outbreaks continue to pose a challenge, a nonspecific viral inhibitor can provide significant benefits, especially against respiratory viruses. Polyglycerol sulfates recently emerge as promising agents that mediate interactions between cells and viruses through electrostatics, leading to virus inhibition.
Similarly, hydrophobic C60 fullerene can prevent virus infection via interactions with hydrophobic cavities of surface proteins. Here, two strategies are combined to inhibit infection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro. Effective inhibitory concentrations in the millimolar range highlight the significance of bare fullerene’s hydrophobic moiety and electrostatic interactions of polysulfates with surface proteins of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, microscale thermophoresis measurements support that fullerene linear polyglycerol sulfates interact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus via its spike protein, and highlight importance of electrostatic interactions within it. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the fullerene binding site is situated close to the receptor binding domain, within 4 nm of polyglycerol sulfate binding sites, feasibly allowing both portions of the material to interact simultaneously.
Reliable and straightforward characterization and analysis of carbon-based nanomaterials on the atomic level is essential to exploring their potential for application. Here we use a combination of highly surface sensitive x-ray photoelectron (XP) spectroscopy and near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) to study and quantify the covalent functionalization of nanographene and single-walled carbon nanotubes with nitrene [2 + 1]-cycloaddition. With this comprehensive analytical approach, we demonstrate that the π-conjugated system of functionalized carbon-based nanomaterials is preserved according to NEXAFS analysis, which is challenging to prove with XP spectroscopy investigation alone. Using this combination of analytical approaches, we show significant similarities after functionalization for various carbon-based nanomaterials. Both analytical methods are strongly suited to study possible post-modification reactions of functionalized carbon-based nanomaterials.
Nanoparticles (NPs) have become important materials for a variety of chemical technologies, including catalysis. One of the main challenges is the reduction of green house gases, such as CO2. One opportunity besides the capturing is the conversion to synthesis gas via the reverse water-gas shift reaction.
A facile and efficient method is described for the solvothermal synthesis of size-tunable, stable, and uniform NiCu core-shell NPs. The diameter of the NPs can be tuned in a range from 6 nm to 30 nm and the Ni:Cu ratio from 30:1 to 1:1. The NPs are structurally characterized with combination of transmission electron microscopy, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption fine structure. Using these analytical methods, a core-shell-shell structure their chemical composition is elucidated. A depletion from the core to the shell is observed, with the core consisting of NiCu alloy, surrounded by an inner Ni-rich shell and an outer NiO shell. The SiO2-supported NiCu core-shell NPs show pronounced selectivity of >99% for CO in the catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO using hydrogen as reactant (reverse water–gas shift reaction).
Since its discovery, graphene has got growing attention in the industrial and application research due to its unique properties . However, graphene has not been yet implemented into the industrial market, in particularly due to the difficulty of properly characterizing this challenging material. As most of other nanomaterials, graphene’s properties are closely linked to its chemical and structural properties, such as number of layers, flake thickness, degree of functionalisation and C/O ratio. For the commercialization, suitable procedures for the measurement and characterization of the ultrathin flakes, of lateral dimensions in the range from µm to tens of µm, are essential.Surface chemical methods, especially XPS, have an outstanding role of providing chemical information on the composition. Thereby, one well-known problem for surface analytical methods is the influence of contamination on the composition as in the case of adventitious carbon. The differentiation between carbon originated from the contamination or from the graphene sample itself is often not obvious, which can lead to altered results in the determination of the composition. To overcome this problem, Hard Energy X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) offers new possibilities due to its higher information depth. Therefore, XPS measurement obtained with Al Kα radiation (E = 1486. 6 eV) were compared with analyses performed with a Cr Kα (E = 5414. 8 eV) excitation on functionalized graphene samples. Differences are discussed in terms of potential carbon contamination, but also of oxygen on the composition of the samples. Measurements are performed on O-, N- and F-functionalized graphene. Different preparation procedures (powder, pellet, drop cast from liquid suspension) will be also discussed, correlation of the results with the flakes morphology as well as their validation with other independent methods are in progress.
Hybrid optical measurement technique for detection of defects in epitaxially grown 4H-SiC layers
(2022)
Recent developments in power electronics require the use of new wide bandgap compound semiconductors. Silicon carbide (SiC) is one of the most promising materials for power electronics due to its outstanding properties and commercial availability. Some types of defects in the SiC substrates or homoepitaxial SiC layers can affect the performance of electronic devices in a serious manner or make its operation even impossible. Optical methods such as imaging ellipsometry (IE) and white light interference microscopy (WLIM) were applied for fast and non-contact investigation of defects in the epitaxially grown 12 µm 4H-SiC layers on 4H- SiC substrates.
Ellipsometry enables the investigation of material properties over a broad spectral range. As a fast and non-destructive method, it is widely used in industry for quality assurance. Despite the wide application of ellipsometry and its high industrial relevance there are some material-specific standards and there have been no generally accepted standards dealing with model validation and measurement uncertainties. The first German standard DIN50989-1: 2018 Ellipsometry – Part1: Principles (currently international standard ISO 23131: 2021) marks the beginning of a 6-part standard series for ellipsometry, which was developed under consideration of GUM.
Luminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are frequently used in the life and material sciences as reporter for bioimaging studies and as active components in devices such as displays, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and sensors. Increasing concerns regarding the use of toxic elements like cadmium and lead, and hazardous organic solvents during QD synthesis have meanwhile triggered the search for heavy-metal free QDs using green chemistry syntheses methods. Interesting candidates are ternary AgInS2 (AIS) QDs that exhibit broad photoluminescence (PL) bands, large effective Stokes shifts, high PL quantum yields (PL QYs), and long PL lifetimes, which are particularly beneficial for applications such as bioimaging, white light-emitting diodes, and solar concentrators. In addition, these nanomaterials can be prepared in high quality with a microwave-assisted (MW) synthesis in aqueous solution. The homogeneous heat diffusion and instant temperature rise of the MW synthesis enables a better control of QD nucleation and growth and thus increases the batch-to-batch reproducibility. In this study, we systematically explored the MW synthesis of AIS/ZnS QDs by varying parameters such as the order of reagent addition, precursor concentration, and type of stabilizing thiol ligand, and assessed their influence on the optical properties of the resulting AIS/ZnS QDs. Under optimized synthesis conditions, water-soluble AIS/ZnS QDs with a PL QY of 65% and excellent colloidal and long-term stability could be reproducible prepared.
Binary photoluminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) are one of the best studied fluorescent nanomaterials, and their unique optoelectronic properties paved the road to many applications in (bio)nanophotonics, optoelectronics, and photovoltaics. However, concerns related to their toxic constituents like cadmium or lead and the emerging interest in greener chemistry synthesis approaches hamper their future applicability. Interesting alternatives for some applications like biosensing or bioimaging are heavy-metal-free ternary QDs like AgInS2 (AIS), CuInS2 (CIS), and quaternary QDs such as AIS-ZnS (ZAIS). In this context, we explored the effect of ligand denticity on the organic-to-aqueous phase transfer of oleylamine-stabilized ZAIS QDs with the hydrophilic ligands mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), and 3-mercapto-2,2-bis(mercaptomethyl)propanoic acid (3MPA), bearing mono-, bi-, and trialkyl thiol groups. Spectroscopic studies of the resulting water-dispersible ZAIS QDs revealed a considerable influence of ligand denticity and ligand-to-QD ratio on the spectral position and width (FWHM; full width at half-maximum) of the photoluminescence (PL) bands, the PL quantum yields (PL QY), and the PL decay kinetics. Thiol capping and phase transfer resulted in a loss in PL by at least a factor of 2. The ligand-induced PL quenching observed particularly for ligands bearing two or three thiol groups was attributed to the facilitated formation of surface-bound disulfides. The best colloidal stability under high dilution conditions was observed for 3MPA.
Protein adsorption at the air–water interface is a serious problem in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) as it restricts particle orientations in the vitrified ice-film and promotes protein denaturation. To address this issue, the preparation of a graphene-based modified support film for coverage of conventional holey carbon transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids is presented. The chemical modification of graphene sheets enables the universal covalent anchoring of unmodified proteins via inherent surface-exposed lysine or cysteine residues in a one-step reaction. Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) trough approach is applied for deposition of functionalized graphene sheets onto commercially available holey carbon TEM grids. The application of the modified TEM grids in single particle analysis (SPA) shows high protein binding to the surface of the graphene-based support film. Suitability for high resolution structure determination is confirmed by SPA of apoferritin. Prevention of protein denaturation at the air–water interface and improvement of particle orientations is shown using human 20S proteasome, demonstrating the potential of the support film for structural biology.
Gold films coated with a graphene sheet are being widely used as sensors for the detection of label-free binding interactions using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). During the preparation of such sensors, it is often essential to subject the sensor chips to a high-temperature treatment in order to ensure a clean graphene surface. However, sensor chips used currently, which often use chromium as an adhesion promoter, cannot be subjected to temperatures above 250 °C, because under such conditions, chromium is found to reorganize and diffuse to the surface, where it is easily oxidized, impairing the quality of SPR spectra. Here we present an optimized preparation strategy involving a three-cycle tempering coupled with chromium (oxide) etching, which allows the graphene-coated SPR chips to be annealed up to 500 °C with little deterioration of the surface morphology. In addition, the treatment delivers a surface that shows a clear enhancement in spectral response together with a good refractive index sensitivity. We demonstrate the applicability of our sensors by studying the kinetics of avidin–biotin binding at different pH repeatedly on the same chip. The possibility to anneal can be exploited to recover the original surface after sensing trials, which allowed us to reuse the sensor for at least six cycles of biomolecule adsorption.
XPS of GR2M
(2022)
Hybrid optical measurement technique for detection of defects in epitaxially grown 4H-SiC layers
(2022)
Recent developments in power electronics require the use of new wide bandgap compound semiconductor. We demonstrate the use of the ellipsometry and white light interference microscopy to detect defects in epitaxially grown SiC layers on SiC substrates. Such hybrid optical metrology methods can be used to better understand the mechanism of the development of the defects as well as their effects on the material´s optoelectronic properties.
In the present talk the basics of the Raman spectroscopy and particularly of Raman microscopy are explained. Advantages and disadvantages of the method are highlighted through selected case studies. In the second part of the lecture examples of correlative imaging with electron, X-ray, ion and optical microscopies from micro- to the nanoscale are highlighted.
Steps Forward in the Application of 3,3’,5,5’- Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in Amperometric Assays
(2022)
Electrochemical methods make great promise to meet the demand for user-friendly on-site devices for monitoring important parameters. Food industry often runs own lab procedures, e.g. for mycotoxin analysis, but it is a major goal to simplify analysis, linking analytical methods with miniaturized technologies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, with photometric detection of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) substrate, 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), form a good basis for sensitive detection. To provide a straight-forward approach for the miniaturization of the detection step, we have studied the pitfalls of the electrochemical TMB detection. By cyclic voltammetry it was found that the TMB electrochemistry is strongly dependent on the pH and the electrode material.
It was found that screen-printed gold electrodes and a highly acidic pH value (pH 1) are well-suited to perform the electrochemical detection of TMB, due to the reversible character of the redox reaction under these conditions. This set-up provides a good signal stability over several measuring cycles, providing the basis for analysing multiple samples. In contrast to this, for carbon screen-printed electrodes, it was found that the signal response has changed after the electrochemical reaction with TMB at pH 1. At a weakly acidic pH value (pH 4), neither with carbon nor with gold electrodes a reproducible electrochemical detection of TMB could be achieved [1].
Based on these findings we created a smartphone-based, electrochemical, immunomagnetic assay for the detection of ochratoxin A and ergometrine in real samples. Therefore, a competitive assay was performed on magnetic beads using HRP and TMB/H2O2 to generate the signal. Enzymatically oxidized TMB was quantified after addition of H2SO4 by amperometry with screen-printed gold electrodes in a custom-made wall-jet flow cell. The results are in good correlation with the established photometric detection method, providing a solid basis for sensing of further analytes in HRP-based assays using the newly developed miniaturized smartphone-based, electrochemical, immunomagnetic assay.
Measurement and calculation of x-ray production efficiencies for copper, zirconium, and tungsten
(2022)
Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is based on physical relations between measured X-ray intensities of characteristic lines and their Xray production efficiency, which depends on the specimen composition. The quality of the analysis results relies on how realistically the physical relations describe the generation and emission of X-rays. Special experiments are necessary to measure X-ray production efficiencies. A challenge in these experiments is the determination of the detection efficiency of the spectrometer as a function of the photon energy. An energy-dispersive spectrometer was used in this work, for which the efficiency was determined at metrological synchrotron beamlines with an accuracy of ±2%. X-ray production efficiencies for the L series and the Kα series of copper and zirconium and for the M and L series of tungsten were determined at energies up to 30 keV in a scanning electron microscope. These experimental values were compared with calculated X-ray production efficiencies using physical relations and material constants applied in EPMA. The objective of the comparison is the further improvement of EPMA algorithms as well as extending the available database for X-ray production efficiencies. Experimental data for the X-ray production efficiency are also useful for the assessment of spectrum simulation software.
The composition of thin films of polymer blends in vertical direction is still under discussion. For explaining the thickness dependence of some properties like the thermal glass transition temperature, a three-layer model has been introduced consisting of an adsorbed layer with a reduced segmental mobility at the substrate, a bulk-like layer in the middle of the film and an outermost surface layer with a higher molecular mobility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ER-XPS) measurements with a varying excitation energy from 400 eV to 1486.6 eV and, herewith, an information depth from 1.5 nm to 10 nm were performed at PVME/PS films with compositions of 25/75 wt% and 50/50 wt% and thicknesses between 15 nm and 190 nm. As expected, it was found that the PVME concentration decreases with increasing information depth. Secondly, a complex correlation between the PVME concentration at the surface and the film thickness was found. The PVME concentration increases with decreasing film thickness until a maximum at 30 nm. For thinner films, the PVME concentration decreases. These data agree with previous investigations obtained with specific heat spectroscopy.
We thank BESSY II (HZB) for the allocation of beamtime at the HE-SGM beamline and for technical support. DFG (Project number 124846229) is acknowledged for financial support.
For test laboratories operating under accreditation schemes like ISO/IEC 17025 (ISO/IEC 17025), as the international reference for testing and calibration laboratories wanting to demonstrate their capacity to deliver reliable results, a periodical control of the critical instrumental parameters of an Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDS) is required.
This periodical check of an EDS is specified with exact procedures and materials in the ISO 15632:2021 ”Microbeam Analysis – Selected instrumental performance parameters for the specification and checking of energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometers for use in electron probe microanalysis” (ISO 15632). The EDS check can be simplified to the acquisition of only one 10 kV spectrum from a dedicated test material, EDS-TM002, which is made available by BAM since 2009 (https://webshop.bam.de/webshop_en/). The optional BAM software “EDX spectrometer check” is destined to automatically evaluate 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. Nearly 200 laboratories have the EDS-TM and associated software package in use.
Practical examples based on various types of artifacts occurred in the EDS spectra and a long-term (>10 years) meticulous observation of the own spectrometers will be discussed. Different types of EDS spectrometers are considered, e.g. Si(Li) and SDD, of various window types (AP, the recent one Si3N4 or even windowless), and with different front contact layers (Au and Ni) (Hodoroaba and Procop, 2014). Evaluation of other parameters or effects such as the deadtime at different count rates or pileup effects is also explained with examples.
This study presents a practical procedure to give access to more information by tilting the sample holder and hence allowing images of a single particle to be recorded at different orientations under the same view angle. From the analysis of these images, extended information on surface roughness of the particle can be extracted. Thus, instead of obtaining 2D information from a single SEM image, three-dimensional (3D) information is obtained from 2D projections recorded at different particle orientations.
CS particles show unique properties by merging individual characteristics of the core and the shell materials. An alteration particularly in their surface roughness affects the final performance of the particles in the targeted application. Quantitative evaluation of the roughness of CS microparticles is, however, a challenging task employing microscopic techniques being scarce and showing large differences in terms of methodology and results.
In our previous work, we have reported a systematic study with a reliable analysis tool, which evaluates profile roughness quantitatively, for individual core-shell microparticles using electron microscopy (EM) images of both types, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and transmission mode SEM (or TSEM). The SEM images contain two-dimensional (2D) information, therefore, provide profile roughness data only from the projection in the horizontal plane (in other words, from the “belly”) of a spherical particle. The present study offers a practical procedure to give access to more information by tilting the sample holder and hence allowing images of a single particle to be recorded at different orientations under the same view angle. From the analysis of these images, extended information on surface roughness of the particle can be extracted. Thus, instead of obtaining 2D information from a single SEM image, three-dimensional (3D) information is obtained from 2D projections recorded at different particle orientations.
Electron microscopy (EM) is the gold standard for the characterisation of the morphology (size and shape) of nanoparticles. Visual observation of objects under examination is always a necessary first step in the characterisation process. Several questions arise when undertaking to identify and count particles to measure their size and shape distribution. In addition to challenges with the dispersion and identification of the particles, more than one protocol for counting particles is in use. This paper focuses on precise rules for the counting of particles in EM micrographs, as this influences the measurement accuracy of the number of particles, thus implicitly affecting the size values of the counted particles. We review and compare four different, commonly used methods for counting, which we then apply in case studies. The impact of the selected counting rule on the obtained final particle size distribution is highlighted. One main aim of this analysis is to support the application of a specific, well-defined counting approach in accordance with regulatory
requirements to contribute to achieving more reliable and reproducible results. It is also useful for the new harmonised measurement procedures for determining the particle size and particle size distribution of nanomaterials.
Catalysts are important components in chemical processes because they lower the activation energy and thus determine the rate, efficiency and selectivity of a chemical reaction. This property plays an important role in many of today’s processes, including the electrochemical splitting of water. Due to the continuous development of catalyst materials, they are becoming more complex, which makes a reliable evaluation of physicochemical properties challenging even for modern analytical measurement techniques and industrial manufacturing.
We present a fast, vacuum-free and non-destructive analytical approach using multi-sample spectroscopic ellipsometry to determine relevant material parameters such as film thickness, porosity and composition of mesoporous IrOx–TiOy films. Mesoporous IrOx–TiOy films were deposited on Si wafers by sol–gel synthesis, varying the composition of the mixed oxide films between 0 and 100 wt%Ir. The ellipsometric modeling is based on an anisotropic Bruggeman effective medium approximation (a-BEMA) to determine the film thickness and volume fraction of the material and pores. The volume fraction of the material was again modeled using a Bruggeman EMA to determine the chemical composition of the materials. The ellipsometric fitting results were compared with complementary methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) as well as environmental ellipsometric porosimetry (EEP).
The fabrication of laser-generated surface structures on titanium and titanium alloys has recently gained remarkable interests, being technologically relevant for applications in optics, medicine, fluid transport, tribology, and wetting of surfaces. The morphology of these structures, and so their chemistry, is influenced by the different laser processing parameters such as the laser fluence, wavelength, pulse repetition rate, the effective number of laser pulses per beam spot area, etc. A simple way to characterize laser-generated surface structures is by means of optical microscopy (OM) or white light interference microscopy (WLIM). The latter can address the surface topography, while having a lateral resolution limit of ~(lambda)/2 (lambda = illumination wavelength). To resolve morphologies with spatial periods significantly smaller than (lambda)/2, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is often used, taking benefit of the reduced de Broglie wavelength associated to the electrons of several keV energy. However, all the above-mentioned techniques lack the necessary depth-resolution to reveal and quantify sub-surface material modifications of these laser-generated structures. Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) represents a promising surface analytical technique for studying laser-induced chemical surface alterations since the method combines a high surface sensitivity with the capability to perform a depth-profiling of the laser-affected surface zone. In this study we combine WLIM and high-resolution SEM with ToF-SIMS to fully characterize the evolution of various types of laser-generated micro- and nanostructures formed on Ti-6Al-4V alloys upon irradiation by near infrared ultrashort laser pulses (1030 nm, 925 fs) at different laser fluence levels, effective number of pulses, and at different pulse repetition rates (1 – 400 kHz). We show how this combined surface analytical approach allows to evaluate alterations in the surface chemistry and topography of the laser-generated surface structures depending on the laser processing parameters
Even though we often do not knowingly recognize them, nanoparticles are present these days in most areas of our daily life, including food and its packaging, medicine, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, pigments as well as electronic products, such as computer screens. The majority of these particles exhibits a core-shell morphology either intendedly or unintendedly. For the purpose of practicability, this core-shell nanoparticle (CSNP) morphology is often assumed to be ideal, namely a spherical core fully encapsulated by a shell of homogeneous thickness with a sharp interface between core and shell material. It is furthermore widely presumed that all nanoparticles in the sample possess the same shell thickness. As a matter of fact, most real CSNPs deviate in several ways from this ideal model with quite often severe impact on how efficiently they perform in a specific application.
The topic of this cumulative PhD thesis is the accurate characterization of the actual morphology of CSNPs by advanced X-ray analytical techniques, namely X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). A special focus is on CSNPs which deviate from an ideal core-shell morphology. In the paper from 2019 nanoparticle shell thicknesses are extracted from the elastic-peak intensities in an XPS spectrum based on an ideal particle morphology. This happens for a series of CSNP samples comprising a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) core and either a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or polystyrene (PS) shell. The same paper as well as the paper from 2020 demonstrate for the first time, that the analysis of the inelastic background in an XPS spectrum of CSNPs can identify and quantify the heterogeneity of the shell and the incomplete encapsulation of the core.
The result from an XPS experiment is always an average across a large nanoparticle ensemble. Deviations from an ideal morphology within a single particle of the sample cannot be assessed separately. As opposed to that, a spatial resolution of 35 nm enables STXM to visualize the interior of single CSNPs which exhibit a sufficient X-ray absorption contrast between core and shell material. In the paper from 2018 a STXM analysis is demonstrated based on the example of the PTFE-PS CSNP samples already mentioned in the previous paragraph.
In the publication from 2021 (Ca/Sr)F₂ core-shell like nanoparticle ensembles for the practical use in, among others, antireflective coatings are investigated. These nanoparticles do not possess a sharp interface between core and shell material, which is why a shell thickness determination as described in the second paragraph is inappropriate. Instead, in-depth profiles of the chemical composition are obtained by XPS experiments based on synchrotron radiation with variable X-ray photon energy to elucidate the internal morphology of the particles. Additionally, theoretical in-depth profiles of Ca and Sr XPS peak intensities are simulated, in order to facilitate the interpretation of the experiments. Thus, an enrichment of CaF₂ at the particle surface was determined, which could hardly have been assessed by any other analytical technique. Because this kind of non-destructive depth profiling by XPS is very demanding, more than usual effort is spent on gapless documentation of the experiments to ensure full reproducibility.
Due to the vast diversity of nanoparticles differing in material, composition and shape, a measurement procedure cannot unalteredly be transferred from one sample to another. Nevertheless, because the papers in this thesis present a greater depth of reporting on the experiments than comparable publications, they constitute an important guidance for other scientists on how to obtain meaningful information about CSNPs from surface analysis.
Here, we present a study on agarose thin-film samples that represent a model system for the exopolysaccharide matrix of biofilms. Povidone-iodide (PVP-I) was selected as an antibacterial agent to evaluate our x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)-based methodology to trace specific marker elements, here iodine, commonly found in organic matrices of antibiotics. The in-depth distribution of iodine was determined by XPS analyses with variable excitation energies and in combination with argon gas cluster ion beam sputter cycles. On mixed agarose/PVP-I nanometer-thin films, both methods were found to solve the analytical task and deliver independently comparable results. In the mixed agarose/PVP-I thin film, we found the outermost surface layer depleted in iodine, whereas the iodine is homogeneously distributed in the depth region between this outermost surface layer and the interface between the thin film and the substrate. Depletion of iodine from the uppermost surface in the thin-film samples is assumed to be caused by ultrahigh vacuum exposure resulting in a loss of molecular iodine (I2) as reported earlier for other iodine-doped polymers.
Morpho-Chemical Characterisation of Me-TiO2 Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photocatalytical Activity
(2022)
The conversion of solar energy into electricity and solar fuels is of crucial importance for a green and sustainable future. Water splitting using semiconductor photo-catalysts is considered a sustainable method to produce clean hydrogen (H2) fuel. Nevertheless, H2 photo-production efficiency remains still low, although extensive research works to understand better the mechanisms of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) are being carried out. In this respect, TiO2 is a key photoactive material, usually employed with a co-catalyst deposited onto the surface to enhance charge carriers’ separation and catalyze surface charge transfer reactions. The deposition of a co-catalyst on the TiO2 nanoparticle surface represents one successful way to enhance the activity of the photocatalyst through a modification of its surface and redox properties. In this context, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy coupled with elemental analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is fundamental for studying and understanding the effect of the nanoparticle morphology on the functional properties of shape-controlled TiO2 crystals (bipyramides, platelets, and elongated particles). Different types of metal-semiconductor combinations, TiO2 shapes and dopant metals (Ag, Pt, etc) and metal concentrations will be discussed.
microscopy (AFM), or X-ray reflectometry. For the additional determination of thin film composition, techniques like X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or mass spectrometry-based techniques can be used. An alternative non-destructive technique is electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). This method assumes a sample of homogenous (bulk) chemical composition, so that it cannot be usually applied to thin film samples. However, in combination with the thin film software StrataGEM, the thickness as well as the composition of such films on a substrate can be determined.
This has been demonstrated for FeNi on Si and SiGe on Al2O3 film systems. For both systems five samples with different elemental composition and a reference were produced and characterised by Korean research institute KRISS using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Rutherford backscattering (RBS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These samples were used for an international round robin test.
In 2021, a new and open-source thin film evaluation programme called BadgerFilm has been released. It can also be used to determine thin film composition and thickness from intensity ratios of the unknown sample and standards (k-ratios).
In this contribution, we re-evaluated the data acquired for the FeNi and SiGe systems using the BadgerFilm software package and compared the resulting composition and thickness with the results of the established StrataGEM software and other reference methods. With the current evaluation, the BadgerFilm software shows good agreement with the composition and thickness calculated by StrataGEM and as the reference values provided by the KRISS.
The recent development of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using excitation sources different from the usual lab-source Mg Kα and Al Kα and spectrometers with more sophisticated lens systems requires flexible approaches for determining the transmission function. Therefore, the approach using quantified peak areas (QPA) was refined.1 A new algorithm allows a more precise estimation of the transmission function which could be shown by comparing the results obtained with the new version with former calculations. Furthermore, next to the established reference materials Cu, Ag and Au, ionic liquids can be used for estimating the transmission function at beamlines with variable excitation energies. Comparison between the measured and stoichiometric composition shows that a transmission function was determined which allows a reasonable quantification.
Nanoforms with at least one dimension below 100 nm have an important part to play in more and more areas of our daily life. Therefore, risk assessment of these materials is becoming increasingly important. In this context, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) considered eleven physico-chemical properties as relevant, of which the following six are essential for the registration: chemical composition, crystallinity, particle size, particle shape, surface chemistry and specific surface area. Four of these priority properties can be obtained with electron microscopy and surface analytics like XPS and ToF-SIMS. The reliability of this data must be ensured, especially for their use for grouping and read across approaches. On the other hand, the “reproducibility” crisis has revealed major shortcomings in the reliability of published data.
In a case study, we show how the quality of the data can be ensured by using existing standards and protocols of each step in the workflow of sample characterization. As exemplary samples, two Al-coated TiO2 samples as nanopowders were selected from the JRC repository, capped either with a hydrophilic or a hydrophobic organic ultrathin shell. SEM results provided the size and shape of the nanoparticles, a first overview about the composition was obtained with EDS. XPS and ToF-SIMS supplied the surface chemistry, especially information about the shell and the coating of the particles. Standards and protocols of all steps of the analytical workflow including preparation and data reduction are discussed regarding reliable and reproducible data. Additionally, uncertainties for the different steps are specified.
Only such a detailed description of all these factors allows a comprehensive physico-chemical characterization of the nanoparticles with understanding of their potential risk assessment.
VAMAS-Enabling international standardisation for increasing the take up of Emerging Materials
(2022)
VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards) supports world trade in products dependent on advanced materials technologies by providing technical basis for harmonized measurements, testing, specification, reference materials and standards. The major tools for fulfilling this task are interlaboratory comparisons (ILC). The organisation structure of VAMAS is presented. It is discussed, how a new technical activity can initiate.
In the face of rising energy demand and the impending climate change the development of a sustainable, fossil-free fuel and chemical production is of global importance. One possible goal is the development of electrochemical conversion processes using catalysts. Porous materials play an important role in such energy applications. The activity and stability of each catalyst is highly dependent on the properties of the coating, i.e., phase composition, crystallinity, accessible surface area, and many other factors. The key to the development of improved catalysts is a better understanding of the relations between their performance, stability and physico-chemical properties. However, the complex morphology of such catalysts constitutes a challenge even for modern analytical techniques. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is a versatile method for studying material properties by using appropriate models (e.g., film thickness, optical and electronic properties). Ellipsometric models need to be validated in order to produce accurate results. In a first step, the model for the ellipsometric fit studies of a calcination series of mesoporous iridium oxide films (300 – 600 °C) was investigated and validated with respect to their material properties.[4] The information on electronic structure of the catalysts shows a direct correlation with electrochemical activities. The development of an environmental electrochemical cell offers the possibility of investigations under operando conditions. Thus, changes in optical and electronic properties can be induced and monitored during the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction.
Core–shell nanoparticles have attracted much attention in recent years due to their unique properties and their increasing importance in many technological and consumer products. However, the chemistry of nanoparticles is still rarely investigated in comparison to their size and morphology. In this review, the possibilities, limits, and challenges of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for obtaining more insights into the composition, thickness, and homogeneity of nanoparticle coatings are discussed with four examples: CdSe/CdS quantum dots with a thick coating and a small core; NaYF4-based upconverting nanoparticles with a large Yb-doped core and a thin Er-doped coating; and two types of polymer nanoparticles with a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) core with either a poly(methyl methacrylate) or polystyrene coating. Different approaches for calculating the thickness of the coating are presented, like a simple numerical modelling or a more complex simulation of the photoelectron peaks. Additionally, modelling of the XPS background for the investigation of coating is discussed. Furthermore, the new possibilities to measure with varying excitation energies or with hard-energy X-ray sources (hard-energy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) are described. A discussion about the sources of uncertainty for the determination of the thickness of the coating completes this review.
Core-shell (CS) particles have been increasingly used for a wide range of applications due to their unique properties by merging individual characteristics of the core and the shell materials. The functionality of the designed particles is strongly influenced by their surface roughness. Quantitative evaluation of the roughness of CS microparticles is, however, a challenging task for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
The SEM images contain two-dimensional (2D) information providing contour roughness data only from the projection of the particle in the horizontal plane. This study presents a practical procedure to achieve more information by tilting the sample holder, hence allowing images of different areas of a single particle to be recorded at different orientations under the same view angle. From the analysis of these images, quasi three-dimensional (3D) information is obtained.
Three types of home-made particles were investigated: i) bare polystyrene (PS) particles, ii) PS particles decorated with a first magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticle shell forming CS microbeads, iii) PS/Fe3O4 particles closed with a second silica (SiO2) shell forming core-shell-shell (CSS) microbeads. A series images of a single particle were taken with stepwise tilted sample holder up to 10° by an SEM with high-resolution and surface sensitive SE-InLens® mode.
A reliable analysis tool has been developed by a script in Python to analyze SEM images automatically and to evaluate profile roughness quantitatively, for individual core-shell microparticles. Image analysis consists of segmentation of the images, identifying contour and the centre of the particle, and extracting the root mean squared roughness value (RMS-RQ) of the contour profile from the particle projection within a few seconds.
The variation in roughness from batch-to-batch was determined with the purpose to set the method as a routine quality check procedure. Flow cytometry measurements provided complementary data. Measurement uncertainties associated to various particle orientations were also estimated.
Catalysts derived from pyrolysis of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising candidates to replace expensive and scarce platinum-based electrocatalysts commonly used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. MOFs contain ordered connections between metal centers and organic ligands. They can be pyrolyzed into metal- and nitrogen-doped carbons, which show electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Furthermore, metal-free heteroatom-doped carbons, such as N-F-Cs, are known for being active as well. Thus, a carbon material with Co-N-F doping could possibly be even more promising as ORR electrocatalyst. Herein, we report the mechanochemical synthesis of two polymorphs of a zeolitic imidazole framework, Co-doped zinc 2-trifluoromethyl-1H-imidazolate (Zn0.9Co0.1(CF3-Im)2). Time-resolved in situ X-ray diffraction studies of the mechanochemical formation revealed a direct conversion of starting materials to the products. Both polymorphs of Zn0.9Co0.1(CF3-Im)2 were pyrolyzed, yielding Co-N-F containing carbons, which are active toward electrochemical ORR.
Whereas the characterization of nanomaterials using different analytical techniques is often highly automated and standardized, the sample preparation that precedes it causes a bottleneck in nanomaterial analysis as it is performed manually. Usually, this pretreatment depends on the skills and experience of the analysts. Furthermore, adequate reporting of the sample preparation is often missing. In this overview, some solutions for techniques widely used in nano-analytics to overcome this problem are discussed. Two examples of sample preparation optimization by au-tomation are presented, which demonstrate that this approach is leading to increased analytical confidence. Our first example is motivated by the need to exclude human bias and focuses on the development of automation in sample introduction. To this end, a robotic system has been de-veloped, which can prepare stable and homogeneous nanomaterial suspensions amenable to a variety of well-established analytical methods, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), field-flow fractionation (FFF) or single-particle inductively coupled mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS). Our second example addresses biological samples, such as cells exposed to nanomaterials, which are still challenging for reliable analysis. An air–liquid interface has been developed for the exposure of biological samples to nanomaterial-containing aerosols. The system exposes transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids under reproducible conditions, whilst also allowing characterization of aerosol composition with mass spectrometry. Such an approach enables correlative measurements combining biological with physicochemical analysis. These case studies demonstrate that standardization and automation of sample preparation setups, combined with appropriate measurement processes and data reduction are crucial steps towards more reliable and reproducible data.
Colours, nano and surface
(2022)
The basic ideas of colours and pigments are presented. The correlation between nanomaterials and colours are explained. Different methods are presented for investigating nanoparticles and their surface. At the end a case study is presented explaining the importance of coating for the properties of nanoparticles.
A facile and efficient methodology is described for the solvothermal synthesis of size-tunable, stable, and uniform NiCu core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) for application in catalysis. The diameter of the NPs is tuned in a range from 6 nm to 30 nm and to adjust the Ni:Cu ratio from 30:1 to 1:1. Furthermore, the influence of different reaction parameters on the final NPs is studied. The NPs are structurally characterized by a method combination of transmission electron microscopy, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray absorption fine structure, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using these analytical methods, it is possible to elucidate a core–shell–shell structure of all particles and their chemical composition. In all cases, a depletion from the core to the shell is observed, with the core consisting of NiCu alloy, surrounded by an inner Ni-rich shell and an outer NiO shell. The SiO2-supported NiCu core–shell NPs show pronounced selectivity of >99% for CO in the catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO using hydrogen as reactant (reverse water–gas shift reaction) independent of size and Ni:Cu ratio.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed on the meniscus of a droplet of ionic liquid 1-propyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide [PMIM]+[NTf2]− (Solarpur®) in ultrahigh vacuum. High-resolution spectra of F 1s, O 1s, N 1s, C 1s, and S 2p are presented along with a survey spectrum and the valence band structure. The spectra presented here were generated using monochromatic Al Kα radiation (1486.6 eV).
With the increasing production of renewable energy and concomitant depletion of fossil resources, the demand for efficient water splitting electrocatalysts continues to grow. Iridium (Ir) and iridium oxides (IrOₓ) are currently the most promising candidates for an efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic medium, which remains the bottleneck in water electrolysis. Yet, the extremely high costs for Ir hamper a widespread production of hydrogen (H₂) on an industrial scale. Herein, the authors report a concept for the synthesis of electrode coatings with template-controlled mesoporosity surface-modified with highly active Ir species. The improved utilization of noble metal species relies on the synthesis of soft-templated metal oxide supports and a subsequent shape-conformal deposition of Ir species via atomic layer deposition (ALD) at two different reaction temperatures. The study reveals that a minimum Ir content in the mesoporous titania-based support is mandatory to provide a sufficient electrical bulk conductivity. After ALD, a significantly enhanced OER activity results in dependency of the ALD cycle number and temperature. The most active developed electrocatalyst film achieves an outstanding mass-specific activity of 2622 mA mg(Ir)⁻¹ at 1.60 V(RHE) in a rotating-disc electrode (RDE) setup at 25 °C using 0.5 m H₂SO₄ as a supporting electrolyte.
The roughness as a property of core–shell (CS) microparticles plays a key role in their functionality. Quantitative evaluation of the roughness of CS microparticles is, however, a challenging task with approaches using electron microscopy images being scarce and showing pronounced differences in terms of methodology and results. This work presents a generalized method for the reliable roughness determination of nonplanar specimens such as CS particles from electron microscopic images, the method being robust and reproducible with a high accuracy. It involves a self-written software package (Python) that analyzes the recorded images, extracts corresponding data, and calculates the roughness based on the deviation of the identified contour. Images of single particles are taken by a dual mode scanning electron microscopy (SEM) setup which permits imaging of the same field-of-view of the sample with high resolution and surface sensitive in SE InLens mode as well as in transmission mode (TSEM). Herein, a new type of polystyrene core–iron oxide shell–silica shell particles is developed to serve as a set of lower micrometer-sized study objects with different surface roughness; the analysis of their images by the semiautomatic workflow is demonstrating that the particles’ profile roughness can be quantitatively obtained.
A pilot study for the thickness measurement of HfO2 films was performed by the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM). The aim of this pilot study was to ensure the equivalency in the measurement capability of national metrology institutes for the thickness measurement of HfO2 films. In this pilot study, the thicknesses of six HfO2 films with nominal thickness from 1 nm to 4 nm were measured by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Reflectometry(XRR), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF), Transmission Electron Spectroscopy (TEM), Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). The reference thicknesses were determined by mutual calibration of a zero-offset method (Medium Energy Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (MEIS) of KRISS) and a method traceable to the length unit (the average thicknesses of three XRR data except the thinnest film). These reference thicknesses are traceable to the length unit because they are based on the traceability of XRR. For the thickness measurement by XPS, the effective attenuation length of Hf 4f electrons was determined. In the cases of XRR and TEM, the offset values were determined from a linear fitting between the reference thicknesses and the individual data by XRR and TEM. The amount of substance of HfO2, expressed as thickness of HfO2 films (in both linear and areal density units), was found to be a good subject for a CCQM key comparison.
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The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM.
1-Propyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Solarpur®), an ionic liquid was purchased from Merck (formerly Sigma Aldrich), was analyzed using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). The liquid is UHV stable, vertically and laterally homogeneous, and is easy to clean; thus, it can be used as a reference material. The HAXPES spectra of Solarpur® obtained using monochromatic Cr Kα radiation at 5414.8 eV include a survey scan, high-resolution spectra of C 1s, O 1s, N 1s, S 2p, S 1s, S 2s, F 1s, and S KLL.
Ellipsometry-based approach for the characterization of mesoporous thin films for H2 technologies
(2021)
Porous thin layer materials are gaining importance in different fields of technology and pose a challenge to the accurate determination of materials properties important for their function. In this work, we demonstrate a hybrid measurement technique using ellipsometry together with other independent methods for validation. Ellipsometry provides information about the porosity of different mesoporous films (PtRuNP/OMC = 45%; IrOx = 46%) as well as about the pore size (pore radius of ca. 5 nm for PtRuNP/OMC). In addition, the electronic structure of a material, such as intraband transitions of a mesoporous IrOx film, can be identified, which can be used to better understand the mechanisms of chemical processes. In addition, we show that ellipsometry can be used as a scalable imaging and visualization method for quality assurance in production. These require accurate and traceable measurements, with reference materials playing an important role that include porosity and other related properties. We show that our novel analytical methods are useful for improving analytical work in this entire field.
Hydrogen production via water electrolysis will be an essential cornerstone in development of sustainable, fossil-free fuel and chemical production on a global scale. The activity and stability of each catalyst is highly dependent on the properties of the coating, i.e., phase composition, crystallinity, accessible surface area, and many other factors. The key to developing improved catalysts is a better understanding of the relationships between their performance, stability, and physicochemical properties. However, these relationships can be complex and are also strongly influenced by the reaction environment. Therefore, operando analysis of the catalyst material during catalysis at realistic potentials and current densities is highly desirable. However, many analytical techniques cannot be applied in liquid environments at realistic potentials and current densities.
We propose environmental ellipsometric analysis in a dedicated electrochemical flow cell as a method to evaluate gas evolution reactions operando under realistic working conditions. Figure 1 illustrates schematically the developed technique. Key factors to success are highly active model-type catalysts, a suitable sample environment, and a deep understanding of the appropriate model development, as well as concise cross validation with numerous other analytical techniques.
The method was developed and validated by analyzing a calcination series (300 – 600 °C) of mesoporous templated IrOx films ex-situ and operando under oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. The employed environmental electrochemical spectroscopic ellipsometric (ECSE) analysis revealed during OER the change of optical and electronic properties, i.e. the dielectric functions, resistivity and band-to-band transitions (p-d band transitions). Film thickness and porosity were validated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray reflectometry (XRR) or ellipsometric porosimetry (EP), electrical and electronic properties by means of conductivity measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy. The electronic structures of the catalysts from valence electron energy loss spectra (VEELS) derived from ε1 and ε2 from SE measurements reveal a direct correlation with electrochemical activities in OER.
In the presentation reversible and irreversible potential-dependent changes of the catalyst properties during operation will be discussed along with the dynamics of gas formation, transport and dissolution at different potentials.
Dr Martin Seah, NPL, was the initiator, founder, and first chairman of the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) at the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance, Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM) at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), the international organization established by the Metre Convention. This tribute letter summarizes his achievements during his chairmanship and his long-running impact on the successful work of the group after his retirement.
ISO 18516:2019 Surface chemical analysis—Determination of lateral resolution and sharpness in beam-based methods with a range from nanometres to micrometres revises ISO 18516:2006 Surface chemical analysis—Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy—Determination of lateral resolution. It implements three different methods delivering parameters useful to express the lateral resolution: (1) the straight edge method, (2) the narrow line method and (3) the grating method. The theoretical background of these methods is introduced in ISO/TR 19319:2013 Surface chemical analysis—Fundamental approaches to determination of lateral resolution and sharpness in beam-based methods. The revised International Standard ISO 18516 delivers standardized procedures for the determination of the (1) effective lateral resolution by imaging of square-wave gratings, the (2) lateral resolution expressed as the parameter D12–88 characterizing the steepness of the sigmoidal edge spread function (ESF) determined by imaging a straight edge and (3) the lateral resolution expressed as the full width of half maximum of the line spread function (LSF), wLSF, determined by imaging a narrow line. The last method also delivers information on the shape of the LSF, which characterizes an individual imaging instrument. Finally, the implementation of all three standardized methods in the field of imaging laboratory X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is shortly presented. This part of the letter is based on the use of a new test sample developed at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. This test sample displays a micrometre scaled pattern motivated by the resolving power of recent imaging XPS instruments.
Thermally stable carbon nitride nanostructures have potential applications in surface coatings and automotive fields. In this work, hydrogenated nitrogen-rich carbon nitride nanoparticles have been synthesised via low-pressure low-power plasma vapour deposition technique from methane/Nitrogen gas mixture in a dry process. Thermal stability of the initially prepared hydrogenated carbon Nitride structures has been analysed by near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS, insitu), Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and nuclear reaction Analysis (NRA). Thermal studies reveal the excellent stability of the material and nitrogen-rich characteristics (N/C ratio 0.5e0.2 ± 0.01). The obtained results suggest transformation of sp3-rich as-deposited carbon Nitride into sp2-carbon phase with more graphitic features upon thermal annealing. Such in-situ thermal studies of plasma deposited carbon nitrides confirm the conversion of sp3-rich phase to sp2-rich carbon phase at the critical temperature (about 450 K), without a huge loss in nitrogen content. The analysis revealed that the material is a stable plasma deposit after this critical temperature up to >1100 K. Additionally, super hydrophilic carbon nitride nanostructure transforms into a hydrophobic surface after thermal annealing.
These thermally stable hydrophobic carbon nitride nanoparticles could be used as a promising material for the hydrophobic coatings for various applications, especially for harsh conditions.
X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy (XPS) allows simultaneous irradiation and damage monitoring. Although water radiolysis is essential for radiation damage, all previous XPS studies were performed in vacuum. Here we present near-ambient-pressure XPS experiments to directly measure DNA damage under water atmosphere. They permit in-situ monitoring of the effects of radicals on fully hydrated double-stranded DNA. Our results allow us to distinguish direct damage, by photons and secondary low-energy electrons (LEE), from damage by hydroxyl radicals or hydration induced modifications of damage pathways. The exposure of dry DNA to x-rays leads to strand-breaks at the sugar-phosphate backbone, while deoxyribose and nucleobases are less affected. In contrast, a strong increase of DNA damage is observed in water, where OH-radicals are produced. In consequence, base damage and base release become predominant, even though the number of strand-breaks increases further.
For the large-scale generation of hydrogen via water electrolysis the design of long term stable and active catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains a key challenge. Most catalysts suffer from severe structural corrosion that becomes even more pronounced at fluctuating potentials. Herein, MnCo based cubic particles were prepared via a hydrothermal approach, in which the edge length of the micron-sized particles can be controlled by changing the pH value of the precursor solution. The cubes are composed of varying amounts of MnCo2O4, CoCO3 and a mixed (Mn/Co)CO3 phase. Structure–activity relationships were deduced revealing a volcano-type behavior for the intrinsic OER activity and fraction of spinel oxide phase.
A low overpotential of 0.37 V at 10 mA cm−2 and a stability of more than 25 h was achieved in 1.0 M KOH using a rotating disc electrode (RDE) setup. The best performing catalyst material was successfully tested under dynamic process conditions for 9.5 h and shows a superior catalytic activity as anode for the Overall water splitting in an electrolyser setup in 1.0 M KOH at 333 K compared to a reference NiCo-spinel catalyst.
In recent years, the fabrication of laser-generated surface structures on metals such as titanium surfaces have gained remarkable interests, being technologically relevant for applications in optics, medicine, fluid transport, tribology, and wetting of surfaces.
The morphology of these structures, and so their chemistry, is influenced by the different laser processing parameters such as the laser fluence, wavelength, pulse repetition rate, laser light polarization type and direction, angle of incidence, and the effective number of laser pulses per beam spot area.
However, the characterization of the different surface structures can be difficult because of constraints regarding the analytical information from both depth and the topographic artifacts which may limit the lateral and depth resolution of elemental distributions as well as their proper quantification. A promising technique to investigate these structures even at the nano-scale is Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), a very surface sensitive technique that at the same time allows to perform depth-profiling, imaging and 3D-reconstruction of selected ion-sputter fragment distributions on the surface.
In this study we combine chemical analyses such as Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses with ToF-SIMS to fully characterize the evolution of various types of laser-generated micro- and nanostructures formed on Ti and Ti alloys at different laser fluence levels, effective number of pulses and at different pulse repetition rates (1 – 400 kHz), following irradiation by near-infrared ultrashort laser pulses (925 fs, 1030 nm) in air environment or under argon gas flow.
We show how this combined surface analytical approach allows to evaluate alteration in the surface chemistry of the laser-generated surface structures depending on the laser processing parameters and the ambient environment.
Controlling the thickness and tightness of surface passivation shells is crucial for many applications of core-shell nanoparticles (NP). Usually, to determine shell thickness, core and core/shell particle are measured individually requiring the availability of both nanoobjects. This is often not fulfilled for functional nanomaterials such as many photoluminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QD) used for bioimaging, solid state lighting, and display technologies as the core does not show the application-relevant functionality like a high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield. This calls for a whole nanoobject approach. Moreover, the thickness of the organic coating remains often unclear.
By combining high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a novel whole nanoobject approach is developed representatively for an ultrabright oleic acid-stabilized, thick shell CdSe/CdS QD with a PL quantum yield close to unity. The size of this spectroscopically assessed QD, is in the range of the information depth of usual laboratory XPS. Information on particle size and monodispersity were validated with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and compared to data derived from optical measurements. The results of the different methods match very well within the different measurement uncertainties. Additionally, results obtained with energy-resolved XPS using excitation energies between 200 eV and 800 eV are discussed with respect to a potential core/shell intermixing.
Moreover, the future application potential of this approach correlating different sizing and structural methods is discussed considering the method-inherent uncertainties and other core/multi-shell nanostructures.
Reliable characterization of materials at the nanoscale regarding their physio-chemical properties is a challenging task, which is important when utilizing and designing nanoscale materials. Nanoscale materials pose a potential toxicological hazard to the environment and the human body. For this reason, the European Commission amended the REACH Regulation in 2018 to govern the classification of nanomaterials, relying on number-based distribution of the particle size.
Suitable methods exist for the granulometric characterization of monodisperse and ideally shaped nanoparticles. However, the evaluation of commercially available nanoscale powders is problematic. These powders tend to agglomerate, show a wide particle size distribution and are of irregular particle shape.
Zinc oxide, aluminum oxide and cerium oxide with particle sizes less than 100 nm were selected for the studies and different preparation methods were used comparatively.
First, the nanoparticles were dispersed in different dispersants and prepared on TEM-supported copper grids. Furthermore, individual powders were deposited on carbon-based self-adhesive pads. In addition, the samples were embedded by hot mounting and then ground and polished.
The prepared samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (including the transmission mode STEM-in-SEM) and Dynamic Light scattering. The software package ImageJ was used to segment the SEM images and obtain the particle sizes and shapes and finally the number-based particles size distribution with size expressed as various descriptors.
Quaternary semiconductor nanocrystals like AgInS2-ZnS solid solution quantum dots (QDs) are a highly promising material for material science and biomedical applications due to their tunable photoluminescence (PL), their high quantum yields (QY), and their low cytotoxicity1. A red shift of the PL into the NIR and SWIR region could further increase their application potential. Copper doping has been proven to be a suitable approach for bathochromically shifting the PL of QDs2. The synthesis of copper doped AgInS2-ZnS QDs from a single-source-precursor should enable an easily scalable synthesis with high reproducibility.
A particle roughness analysis tool, based on electron microscopy images (SEM and TEM). The influence of various parameters on the calculated roughness was also investigated: the setting of the proper threshold, accelerating voltage, etc. The samples were gradually tilted to extend imaging information of more than only one projection. Furthermore, the measurement uncertainty of the profile roughness of particles associated to various orientations was estimated.
Welcome to the poster Towards Determination of Surface Roughness from a SEM Image, a contribution from BAM in Berlin, Germany. This work is part of the MamaLoCA project, which aims to develop a biosensor for the detection of mycotoxins in cereals. Biosensors come in a great variety, one of which makes use of microscopic beads produced by homogenous coating of polystyrene microspheres. The beads are functionalized by decorating them with bioreceptors – in our case antibodies – which then specifically react with the analyte – in our case mycotoxins – and emit an electrical or optical signal. The functionalization of the beads depends on the surface roughness because this determines the amount and orientation of binders. In other words, the surface roughness affects the accessibility to the binding sites and influences device sensitivity, hence its quantitative determination is an important step in evaluating the quality of the biosensor in general.
The presented solution to the problem of the estimation of surface roughness relies in the repetitive characteristics on the surface of the beads. A SEM image of the bead shows a raspberry like microparticle with a variation of grayscale values, which arise from the secondary electron yield. The principle of the measurement measures the variation of grayscale values along a circumference of a circle centred in the centre of the particle and with an arbitrary radius. The grayscale value variation along the given circumference gives the so-called z-modulation or the lateral profile. By performing Fast Fourier Transform on this profile we obtain the power spectrum as a function of the spatial frequencies through which the grayscales vary. The maximal value for spatial frequency then reveals the most common feature along one given circumference. Surface roughness then is the feature frequency in the spatial domain. This calculation is repeated for several concentric circles with different radii over the particle.
The results for the same particle but recorded at two different accelerating voltages show that the applied method has a potential to reveal the roughness. Interpretation of results from an SE InLens SEM image obtained using 3 kV shows that surface roughness is about 21 nm, which is in a good agreement with an alternative method given in a different presentation. The results from the 10 kV are underestimated due to the loss of surface sensitivity on the SE InLens detection at high voltages.
In conclusion, this method shows promise in determining quantitatively the surface roughness from a single SEM image and its validation is being sought using 3D SEM images and AFM methods.
A particle roughness analysis tool, based on electron microscopy (EM) images. The influence of various parameters on the calculated roughness was also investigated: the setting of the proper threshold, accelerating voltage, etc. The samples were gradually tilted to extend imaging information of more than only one projection. Furthermore, the measurement uncertainty of the profile roughness of particles associated to various orientations was estimated.
Electrochemical methods offer great promise in meeting the demand for user-friendly on-site devices for Monitoring important parameters. The food industry often runs own lab procedures, for example, for mycotoxin analysis, but it is a major goal to simplify analysis, linking analytical methods with smart technologies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, with photometric detection of 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB),form a good basis for sensitive detection. To provide a straightforward approach for the miniaturization of the detectionstep, we have studied the pitfalls of the electrochemical TMB detection. By cyclic voltammetry it was found that the TMB electrochemistry is strongly dependent on the pH and the electrode material. A stable electrode response to TMB could be achieved at pH 1 on gold electrodes. We created a smartphonebased, electrochemical, immunomagnetic assay for the detection of ochratoxin A in real samples, providing a solid basis forsensing of further analytes.
The composition of the surface layer in dependence from the distance of the polymer/air interface in thin films with thicknesses below 100 nm of miscible polymer blends in a spatial region of a few nanometers is not investigated completely. Here, thin films of the blend poly vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/polystyrene (PS) with a composition of 25/75 wt% are investigated by Energy Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ER-XPS) at a synchrotron storage ring using excitation energies lower than 1 keV. By changing the energy of the photons the information depth is varied in the range from ca. 1 nm to 10 nm. Therefore, the PVME concentration could be estimated in dependence from the distance of the polymer/air interface for film thicknesses below 100 nm. Firstly, as expected for increasing information depth the PVME concentration decreases. Secondly, it was found that the PVME concentration at the surface has a complicated dependence on the film thickness. It increases with decreasing film thickness until 30 nm where a maximum is reached. For smaller film thicknesses the PVME concentration decreases. A simplified layer model is used to calculate the effective PVME concentration in the different spatial regions of the surface layer.
ISO Technical Report 23173 describes methods by which electron spectroscopies, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and synchrotron techniques, can be employed to calculate the Coating thicknesses and compositions of nanoparticles. The document has been developed to review and outline the current state-of-the-art for such measurements. Such analyses of core–shell nanoparticles are common within the literature, however the
methods employed are varied; the relative advantages and disadvantages of These methods, and the optimal usage of each may not be clear to the general analyst. ISO Technical Report 23173 aims to clarify the methods that are available, describe them in clear terms, exhibit examples of their use, and highlight potential issues users may face. The information provided should allow analysts of electron spectroscopy data to make clear choices regarding the appropriate analysis of electron spectroscopy data from coated nanoparticle systems and provide a basis for understanding and comparing results from different methods and systems.
The publicly available document encapsulates the first version of the Catalogue of Services of the future EC4Safenano Centre (CoS 2019).
The CoS 2019 is structured in 12 Service Categories and 27 Service Topics, for each of the 12 categories considered. This architecture configures a 12 x 27 matrix that allows ordering the potential EC4Safenano offer in 324 types of services/groups of services.
Each type of service/group of services is described, in a simple and friendly way, by means of a specific service sheet: the EC4Safenano - Service Data Sheet (EC4-SDS). These EC4-SDSs allow structuring and summarizing the information of each service, providing the customer with a concise view of characteristics of the service and also the contact details with the service provider.
The CoS 2019 deploys a map of services consisting of a set of 100 EC4-SDSs, covering 7 of the 12 Service Categories and 17 of the 27 Service Topics.
The harmonization of services is visualized as a future necessary step in EC4Safenano, in order to strengthen the offer and provide added value to customers with a growing offer of harmonized services in future versions of the CoS.
The information contained in this document is structured in 3 main sections, as follows:
• Catalogue structure. This section describes in short the main characteristics of the CoS 2019.
• Catalogue content. This section represents the core part of the document and encapsulates the set of 100 SDSs displaying the offer proposed by the CoS 2019.
• Online Catalogue. This section describes the resources implemented by EC4Safenano to facilitate the on-line consultation of the CoS 2019 by customers and other interested parties.
The coming years are expected to bring rapid changes in the nanotechnology regulatory landscape, with the establishment of a new framework for nano-risk governance, in silico approaches for characterisation and Risk assessment of nanomaterials, and novel procedures for the early identification and management of nanomaterial risks. In this context, Safe(r)-by-Design (SbD) emerges as a powerful preventive approach to support the development of safe and sustainable (SSbD) nanotechnology-based products and processes throughout the life cycle. This paper summarises the work undertaken to develop a blueprint for the deployment and operation of a permanent European Centre of collaborating laboratories and research organisations supporting safe Innovation in nanotechnologies. The proposed entity, referred to as “the Centre”, will establish a ‘one-stop shop’ for nanosafety-related services and a central contact point for addressing stakeholder questions about nanosafety. Its operation will rely on significant business, legal and market knowledge, as well as other tools developed and acquired through the EU-funded EC4SafeNano project and subsequent ongoing activities. The proposed blueprint adopts a demand-driven service update scheme to allow the necessary vigilance and flexibility to identify opportunities and adjust its activities and services in the rapidly evolving regulatory and nano risk governance landscape.
The proposed Centre will play a major role as a conduit to transfer scientific knowledge between the Research and commercial laboratories or consultants able to provide high quality nanosafety services, and the end-users of such services (e.g., industry, SMEs, consultancy firms, and regulatory authorities). The Centre will harmonise service provision, and bring novel risk assessment and management approaches, e.g. in silico methodologies, closer to practice, notably through SbD/SSbD, and decisively support safe and sustainable innovation of industrial production in the nanotechnology industry according to the European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.
Rising energy demand and the impending climate change require the development of a sustainable, fossil-free fuel and chemical production on a global scale. Hydrogen production via water electrolysis will be a fundamental cornerstone in this endeavor. The activity and stability of respective electrode coatings strongly depends on the coating's properties, i.e. phase composition, crystallinity, electrical conductivity, accessible surface, wettability and many other factors. The key to the development of improved catalysts is a better understanding of the relations between their performance, stability and physicochemical properties. However, those relations can be complex, and are strongly influenced also by the reaction environment. Hence, operando analysis of the catalyst material during catalysis at realistic potentials and current densities is highly desirable. Yet, many analytical techniques cannot be applied in liquid environments at realistic potentials and current densities.
We propose environmental ellipsometric analysis in a dedicated electrochemical flow cell as a new method to evaluate gas evolution reactions operando under realistic working conditions. Figure 1 illustrates schematically the developed technique. Key factors to success are highly active model-type catalysts with template-controlled porosity, a suitable sample environment, a deep understanding of the spectroscopic method and respective model development, as well as concise cross validation with numerous other analytical techniques.
The method was developed and validated by analyzing a calcination series (300 - 600°C) of mesoporous templated IrOx films ex-situ and operando under oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. The employed environmental electrochemical spectroscopic ellipsometric analysis (ECSE) revealed during OER the change of optical and electronic properties, i.e. the dielectric functions (real ε1 and imaginary part ε2), electrical and electronic properties such as resistivity (ρ) and band-to-band transitions (p-d band transitions). Film thickness and porosity were validated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray reflectometry (XRR) or ellipsometric porosimetry (EP), electrical and electronic properties by means of conductivity measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy. The electronic structures of the catalysts from valence electron energy loss spectra (VEELS) derived from the real (ε1) and imaginary part (ε2) of the dielectric function from SE measurements reveal a direct correlation with electrochemical activities in OER.
In the presentation reversible and irreversible potential-dependent changes of the catalyst properties during operation will be discussed along with the dynamics of gas formation, transport and dissolution
Rising energy demand and the impending climate change require the development of a sustainable, fossil-free fuel and chemical production on a global scale. Hydrogen production via water electrolysis will be a fundamental cornerstone in this endeavor. The activity and stability of respective electrode coatings strongly depends on the coating's properties, i.e. phase composition, crystallinity, electrical conductivity, accessible surface, wettability and many other factors. The key to the development of improved catalysts is a better understanding of the relations between their performance, stability and physicochemical properties. However, those relations can be complex, and are strongly influenced also by the reaction environment. Hence, operando analysis of the catalyst material during catalysis at realistic potentials and current densities is highly desirable. Yet, many analytical techniques cannot be applied in liquid environments at realistic potentials and current densities.
We propose environmental ellipsometric analysis in a dedicated electrochemical flow cell as a new method to evaluate gas evolution reactions operando under realistic working conditions. Figure 1 illustrates schematically the developed technique. Key factors to success are highly active model-type catalysts with template-controlled porosity, a suitable sample environment, a deep understanding of the spectroscopic method and respective model development, as well as concise cross validation with numerous other analytical techniques.
The method was developed and validated by analyzing a calcination series (300 - 600°C) of mesoporous templated IrOx films ex-situ and operando under oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. The employed environmental electrochemical spectroscopic ellipsometric analysis (ECSE) revealed during OER the change of optical and electronic properties, i.e. the dielectric functions (real ε1 and imaginary part ε2), electrical and electronic properties such as resistivity (ρ) and band-to-band transitions (p-d band transitions). Film thickness and porosity were validated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray reflectometry (XRR) or ellipsometric porosimetry (EP), electrical and electronic properties by means of conductivity measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy. The electronic structures of the catalysts from valence electron energy loss spectra (VEELS) derived from the real (ε1) and imaginary part (ε2) of the dielectric function from SE measurements reveal a direct correlation with electrochemical activities in OER.
In the presentation reversible and irreversible potential-dependent changes of the catalyst properties during operation will be discussed along with the dynamics of gas formation, transport and dissolution at different potentials.
Electrochemical water splitting is an environmentally friendly technology to store renewable energy in the form of chemical fuels. Among the earth-abundant first-row transition metal-based catalysts, mixed Ni-Fe oxides have shown promising performance for effective and low-cost catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media, but the synergistic roles of Fe and Ni cations in the OER mechanism remain unclear. In this work, we report how addition of Ni changes the reactivity of a model iron oxide catalyst, based on Ni deposited on and incorporated in a magnetite Fe3O4(001) single crystal, using a combination of surface science techniques in ultra-high vacuum such as low energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-energy ion scattering (LEIS), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM) in air, and electrochemical Methods such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in alkaline media. A significant improvement in the OER activity is observed when the top surface presents an iron fraction among the cations in the range of 20-40%, which is in good agreement with what has been observed for powder catalysts. Furthermore, a decrease in the OER overpotential is observed following surface aging in electrolyte for three days. At higher Ni load, AFM shows the growth of a new phase attributed to an (oxy)-hydroxide phase which, according to CV measurements, does not seem to correlate with the surface activity towards OER. EIS suggests that the OER precursor species observed on the clean and Ni-modified surfaces are similar and Fe-centered, but form at lower overpotentials when the surface Fe:Ni ratio is optimized. We propose that the well-defined Fe3O4(001) surface can serve as a model System for understanding the OER mechanism and establishing the structure-reactivity relation on mixed Fe-Ni oxides.
As part of the development of a library of accurate and efficient methods for measurement of nanoparticle properties, we develop and optimize a method for the efficient analysis of nanoparticle size distribution from suspensions via microprinting and digital analysis of electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) images, with the ultimate aim of automated quantitative concentration analysis (calculated from drop volume). A series of different nanoparticle suspensions (gold, latex, and SiO2 in varying sizes and concentrations) were printed onto TEM grids in a 4 x 4 array in the concentration range 7x10^8 to 1x10^11 nanoparticles/mL and imaged with SEM. Concentrations and printing conditions (temperature, relative humidity) were varied in order to minimize the coffee-ring effect.
Biofilm formation and microbially influenced corrosion of the iron-reducing microorganism Shewanella putrefaciens were investigated on stainless steel surfaces preconditioned in the absence and presence of flavin molecules by means of XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge structure) analysis and electrochemical methods. The results indicate that biofilm formation was promoted on samples preconditioned in electrolytes containing minute amounts of flavins. On the basis of the XANES results, the corrosion processes are controlled by the iron-rich outer layer of the passive film. Biofilm formation resulted in a cathodic shift of the open circuit potential and a protective effect in terms of pitting corrosion. The samples preconditioned in the absence of flavins have shown delayed pitting and the samples preconditioned in the presence of flavins did not show any pitting in a window of −0.3- to +0.0-V overpotential in the bacterial medium. The results indicate that changes in the passive film chemistry induced by the presence of minute amounts of flavins during a mild anodic polarization can change the susceptibility of stainless steel surfaces to microbially influenced corrosion.
In this breakout session first, an introduction is given on the planning and organisation of an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) under the pre-standardisation plattform VAMAS within the newly formed technical working area TWA 45 Micro and Nano Plastics in the Environment. An update with the ILCs on micro- and nanoplastic performed so far is also given. In the third part, the requirements for a reference materials are presented. The needs from the different H2020 micro- and nanoplastic projects are collected and compiled in an ILC matrix for joint activities as the next steps.
2D nanomaterials have garnered widespread attention in biomedicine and
bioengineering due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, poor functionality, low solubility, intrinsic toxicity, and nonspecific interactions at biointerfaces have hampered their application in vivo. Here, biocompatible polyglycerol units are crosslinked in two dimensions using a graphene-assisted strategy leading to highly functional and water-soluble polyglycerols nanosheets with 263 ± 53 nm and 2.7 ± 0.2 nm average lateral size and thickness, respectively.
A single-layer hyperbranched polyglycerol containing azide functional
groups is covalently conjugated to the surface of a functional graphene template through pH-sensitive linkers. Then, lateral crosslinking of polyglycerol units is carried out by loading tripropargylamine on the surface of graphene followed by lifting off this reagent for an on-face click reaction. Subsequently, the polyglycerol nanosheets are detached from the surface of graphene by slight acidification and centrifugation and is sulfated to mimic heparin sulfate proteoglycans. To highlight the impact of the two-dimensionality of the synthesized polyglycerol sulfate nanosheets at nanobiointerfaces, their efficiency with respect to herpes Simplex
virus type 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 inhibition is compared to their 3D nanogel analogs. Four times stronger in virus Inhibition suggests that 2D polyglycerols are superior to their current 3D counterparts.2D nanomaterials have garnered widespread attention in biomedicine and bioengineering due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, poor functionality, low solubility, intrinsic toxicity, and nonspecific interactions at biointerfaces have hampered their application in vivo. Here, biocompatible polyglycerol units are crosslinked in two dimensions using a graphene-assisted strategy leading to highly functional and water-soluble polyglycerols nanosheets with 263 ± 53 nm and 2.7 ± 0.2 nm average lateral size and thickness, respectively.
A single-layer hyperbranched polyglycerol containing azide functional groups is covalently conjugated to the surface of a functional graphene template through pH-sensitive linkers. Then, lateral crosslinking of polyglycerol units is carried out by loading tripropargylamine on the surface of graphene followed by lifting off this reagent for an on-face click reaction. Subsequently, the polyglycerol nanosheets are detached from the surface of graphene by slight acidification and centrifugation and is sulfated to mimic heparin sulfate proteoglycans. To highlight the impact of the two-dimensionality of the synthesized polyglycerol sulfate nanosheets at nanobiointerfaces, their efficiency with respect to herpes Simplex virus type 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 inhibition is compared to their 3D nanogel analogs. Four times stronger in virus Inhibition suggests that 2D polyglycerols are superior to their current 3D counterparts.