Chemie und Prozesstechnik
Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (1176)
- Vortrag (1068)
- Posterpräsentation (442)
- Beitrag zu einem Tagungsband (175)
- Forschungsdatensatz (56)
- Sonstiges (30)
- Buchkapitel (24)
- Forschungsbericht (23)
- Dissertation (15)
- Beitrag zu einem Sammelband (13)
- Preprint (13)
- Handbuch (5)
- Video (5)
- Zeitschriftenheft (Herausgeberschaft für das komplette Heft) (3)
- Sammelband (Herausgeberschaft für den kompletten Band) (2)
- Tagungsband (Herausgeberschaft für den kompletten Band) (1)
- Newsletter (1)
Sprache
- Englisch (3052) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Nanoparticles (114)
- Fluorescence (111)
- Concrete (89)
- LIBS (81)
- Mechanochemistry (72)
- Quantum yield (71)
- Ultrasound (71)
- SAXS (69)
- Non-destructive testing (68)
- XPS (61)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 1 Analytische Chemie; Referenzmaterialien (1086)
- 6 Materialchemie (975)
- 8 Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung (775)
- 6.1 Oberflächen- und Dünnschichtanalyse (348)
- 6.3 Strukturanalytik (323)
- 1.1 Anorganische Spurenanalytik (276)
- 8.2 Zerstörungsfreie Prüfmethoden für das Bauwesen (232)
- 1.2 Biophotonik (210)
- 4 Material und Umwelt (186)
- 8.5 Röntgenbildgebung (169)
Paper des Monats
- ja (27)
The importance of molecular conformation for polymorphism and its repercussions in terms of tight control over the industrial production of crystalline organic materials with highly reproducible physicochemical properties has long been recognized. Efforts to understand how a crystallization solvent can direct the formation of a polymorph containing a specific molecular conformation are, however, relatively scarce. Nicotinic acid (NA) and its hydroxyl derivatives (2-, 4-, 5-, and 6-hydroxynicotinic acids) are very good models for such studies. Indeed, regardless of the solvent, NA always crystallizes as a single polymorph with the molecule in the same neutral conformation. In contrast, the hydroxyl derivatives are prone to polymorphism and solvate formation and, depending on the crystallization conditions, the molecules in the crystal lattice can exhibit hydroxyl, oxo, or zwitterionic conformations. The present study focused on 5-hydroxynicotinicacid (5HNA) shows that by judicious selection of the solvent it is possible to obtain 1:1 solvates, where solvation memory is not completely lost and the tautomer preferred in solution persists in the crystalline state: zwitterionic in 5HNA·H2O and neutral in 5HNA·DMSO. Nevertheless, upon thermal desolvation the obtained materials evolve to the same unsolvated form where the molecule is in a zwitterionic conformation. The structures of 5HNA·H2O and 5HNA·DMSO obtained from single crystal-ray diffraction are discussed and compared with that of 5HNA solved from powder data. The energetics of the dehydration/desolvation process was also fully characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Calvet microcalorimetry.
Carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) is a commonly applied technique for determination of hydrogen in welded joints using a thermal conductivity device (TCD) for quantitative measurement. The CGHE is based on the accelerated hydrogen effusion due to thermal activation at elevated temperatures. The ISO 3690 standard suggests different specimen geometries as well as necessary minimum extraction time vs. temperature. They have the biggest influence on precise hydrogen determination. The present study summarizes the results and experience of numerous test runs with different specimen temperatures, geometries and factors that additionally influence hydrogen determination. They are namely: specimen surface (polished/as-welded), limited TCD sensitivity vs. specimen volume, temperature measurement vs. effects of PID-furnace controller as well as errors due to insufficient data assessment. Summarized, the temperature is the driving force of the CGHE. Two different methods are suggested to increase the heating rate up the reach the desired extraction temperature without changing the experimental equipment. Suggestions are made to improve the reliability of hydrogen determination depended on the hydrogen signal stability during extraction accompanied by evaluation of the recorded data. Generally, independent temperature measurement with calibration specimens is useful for further data analysis, especially if this data is used for calculation of trapping kinetics by thermal desorption analysis (TDA).
A presentation held for the seminar "Ausgewählte analytische Methoden der Physik" hosted by Prof. Birgit Kanngießer at TU Berlin. The first part focus on depth-dependent XPS-measurements (XPS, synchrotron HAXPES) to obtain a concentration profile of iodine in an artificial biofilm. In the second part, NAP-XPS measurements of various bacterial samples are presented.
Z02 is one of the three technically supporting projects at the CSMC. In collaboration with Z01 and Z03, it aims at bridging the gap between humanities and natural sciences and technology. To that purpose, we set up a laboratory with a range of high-end instruments, most of them mobile, allowing thorough non-destructive analysis of manuscripts. In addition to working on constantly improving the laboratory and the methods of analysis, a substantial part of our activities is dedicated to service, by supporting different research projects conducted at the center.
In this talk, we will present our equipment and the possibilities offered by the different techniques available regarding the different kinds of missions: typology and classification of inks, provenance studies, recovery of faded inscriptions and palimpsests, reconstruction of the history of manuscripts, authentication and dating. We will give a brief overview of our past and ongoing activities in the frame of the second phase of the CSMC. Finally, a selection of three projects will be presented in greater detail to highlight the possibilities of our laboratory and the diversity of missions which can be carried out:
- Support of project C08 on East Frankish manuscripts containing collections of formulae
- Identifying color materials applied in Muhammad Juki's Shahnamah with non-invasive combined methods
- Checking for the presence of metals in the Herculaneum papyri
Raw data from metabolomics experiments are initially subjected to peak identification and signal deconvolution to generate raw data matrices m × n, where m are samples and n are metabolites. We describe here simple statistical procedures on such multivariate data matrices, all provided as functions in the programming environment R, useful to normalize data, detect biomarkers, and perform sample classification.
“Fluxomics” refers to the systematic analysis of metabolic fluxes in a biological system and may uncover novel dynamic properties of metabolism that remain undetected in conventional metabolomic approaches. In labeling experiments, tracer molecules are used to track changes in the isotopologue distribution of metabolites, which allows one to estimate fluxes in the metabolic network. Because unidentified compounds cannot be mapped on pathways, they are often neglected in labeling experiments. However, using recent developments in de novo annotation may allow to harvest the information present in these compounds if they can be identified. Here, we present a novel tool (HiResTEC) to detect tracer incorporation in high-resolution mass spectrometry data sets. The software automatically extracts a comprehensive, nonredundant list of all compounds showing more than 1% tracer incorporation in a nontargeted fashion. We explain and show in an example data set how mass precision and other filter heuristics, calculated on the raw data, can efficiently be used to reduce redundancy and noninformative signals by 95%. Ultimately, this allows to quickly investigate any labeling experiment for a complete set of labeled compounds (here 149) with acceptable false positive rates. We further re-evaluate a published data set from liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization (LC-ESI) to demonstrate broad applicability of our tool and emphasize importance of quality control (QC) tests. HiResTEC is provided as a package in the open source software framework R and is freely available on CRAN.
A 2-dimensional high-throughput screening method is presented to select peptide sequences from large peptide libraries for precision formulation additives, having a high capacity to specifically host a drug of interest and provide tailored drug release properties. The identified sequences are conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to obtain peptide-PEG conjugates that proved to be valuable as solubilizers for small organic molecule drugs to overcome limitations of poor water-solubility and low bio-availability. The 2D-screening method selects peptide sequences on both (i) high loading capacities and (ii) preferred drug-release capabilities as demonstrated on an experimental Tau-protein aggregation inhibitor/Tau- deaggregator with potentials for an anti-Alzheimer disease drug (BB17). To enable 2D-screening, a one-bead one-compound (OBOC) peptide library was immobilized on a glass slide, allocating individual beads to permanent positions. While the first screening step involved incubation of the supported OBOC library with BB17 to identify beads with high drug binding capacities by fluorescence scanner readouts, the second step reveals release properties of the high capacity binders by incubation with blood plasma protein model solutions. Efficiently peptides with high BB17 capacities and either keeper or medium or fast releaser properties can be identified by direct sequence readouts from the glass slide supported resin beads via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Four peptides are synthesized as peptide-PEG solubilizers representing strong, medium, weak releasers and non-binders. Loading capacities reached up to 1:3.4 (mol drug per mol carrier) and release kinetics (fast/medium/slow) are in agreement with the selection process as investigated by fluorescence anisotropy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The ability of BB17/conjugate complexes to inhibit the aggregation of Tau4RDΔK (four repeat Tau ((M)Q244-E372 with deletion of K280), 129 residues) in N2a cells is studied by a Tau-pelleting assay showing the modulation of cellular Tau aggregation. Promising effects such as the reduction of 55% of total Tau load are observed for the strong releaser additive. Studies of in vitro Thioflavin S Tau-aggregation assays show half-maximal inhibitory activities (IC50 values) of BB17/conjugates in the low micro-molar range.
In the field of optically excited thermography, flash lamps (impulse shaped planar heating) and halogen lamps (modulated planar heating) have become established for the specific regimes of impulse and lock-in thermography. Flying-spot laser thermography is implemented by means of a rasterized focused laser, e. g. for crack detection (continuous wave operation) and photothermal material characterization (high-frequency modulated). The availability of novel technologies, i. e. fast and high-resolution IR cameras, brilliant innovative light sources and high-performance data acquisition and processing technology will enable a paradigm shift from stand-alone photothermal and thermographic techniques to uniform quantitative measurement and testing technology that is faster and more precise. Similar to an LED array, but with irradiance two orders of magnitude higher, a new type of brilliant laser source, i. e. the VCSEL array (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser), is now available. This novel optical energy source eliminates the strong limitation to the temporal dynamics of established light sources and at the same time is spectrally clearly separated from the detection wavelength. It combines the fast temporal behavior of a diode laser with the high optical irradiance and the wide illumination area of flash lamps. In addition, heating can also be carried out in a structured manner, because individual areas of the VCSEL array can be controlled independently of each other. This new degree of freedom enables the development of completely new thermographic NDT methods.
Diclofenac (DCF) is a widely used drug against fever, inflammation, pain, and rheumatic diseases. An average of 70 % of the ingested diclofenac is excreted in the urine. Thus, 63 tons per year are introduced into the water cycle in Germany. Due to insufficient removal of diclofenac in wastewater treatment plants, residues of diclofenac can be found in surface water and sometimes in drinking water. In order to establish an immunoassay, an anti-DCF antibody was required. Some antibody developments have been reported, based on an immunogen resulting from direct coupling of diclofenac to proteins via the carboxylic function. Finally, we used a monoclonal antibody, clone F01G21.
The impact of nanoparticles, NPs, at the single cell level has become a major field of toxicological research and different analytical methodologies are being investigated to obtain biological and toxicological information to better understand the mechanisms of cell–NP interactions. Here, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the single cell measurement mode (SC-ICP-MS) is proposed to study the uptake of silver NPs, AgNPs, with a diameter of 50 nm by human THP-1 monocytes in a proof-ofprinciple experiment. The main operating parameters of SC-ICP-MS have been optimized and applied for subsequent quantitative analysis of AgNPs to determine the number of particles in individual cells using AgNP suspensions for calibration. THP-1 cells were incubated with AgNP suspensions with concentrations of 0.1 and 1 µg/mL for 4 and 24 hours. The results reveal that the AgNP uptake by THP-1 monocytes is minimal at the lower dose of 0.1 µg/mL (roughly 1 AgNP per cell was determined), whereas a large cell-to-cell variance dependent on the exposure time is observed for a 10 times higher concentration (roughly 7 AgNPs per cell). The method was further applied to monitor the AgNP uptake by THP-1 cells differentiated macrophages incubated at the same AgNP concentration levels and exposure times demonstrating a much higher AgNP uptake (roughly from 9 to 45 AgNPs per cell) that was dependent on exposure concentration and remained constant over time. The results have been compared and validated by sample digestion followed by ICP-MS analysis as well as with other alternative promising techniques providing single cell analysis.
Dye-stained micrometer-sized polymer beads are important tools in the life sciences with applications in biomedical, biochemical, and clinical research. Here, bead-based assays are increasingly used, for example, in DNA sequencing and the detection of autoimmune diseases or pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, stained beads are employed as calibration tools for fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry methods with increasing complexity. To address the requirements concerning the relevant fluorescence features, the spectroscopic properties of representative polymer beads with diameters ranging from about 1 to 10 μm stained with varying concentrations of rhodamine 6G were systematically assessed. The observed dependence of the spectral properties, fluorescence decay kinetics, and fluorescence quantum yields on bead size and dye loading concentration is attributed to different fluorescence characteristics of fluorophores located in the particle core and near-surface dye molecules. Supported by the fluorescence anisotropy measurements, the origin of the observed alteration of fluorescence features is ascribed to a combination of excitation energy transfer and polarity-related effects that are especially pronounced at the interface of the bead and the surrounding medium. The results of our studies underline the need to carefully control and optimize all Parameters that can affect the fluorescence properties of the dye-stained beads.
Using an infrared camera for radiometric imaging allows the contactless temperature measurement of multiple surface pixels simultaneously. From the measured surface data, a sub-surface structure, embedded inside a sample or tissue, can be reconstructed and imaged when heated by an excitation light pulse. The main drawback in radiometric imaging is the degradation of the spatial resolution with increasing depth, which results in blurred images for deeper lying structures. We circumvent this degradation with blind structured illumination, combined with a non-linear joint sparsity reconstruction algorithm. The ground-breaking concept of super-resolution can be transferred from optics to thermographic imaging.
Optical lock-in thermography is a completely contactless and very sensitive NDT technique. As an optical source of energy, incandescent (i.e. halogen) lamps are most commonly used because they are relatively inexpensive and offer high irradiances at the test site. However, they are strongly restricted by their low modulation bandwidth with a maximum modulation frequency of only about 1 Hz. The use of high-power kilowatt-class laser sources, e.g. diode laser arrays, pushes this constraint beyond 100 Hz, see Fig.1. This allows for the exploration of the near-surface region of metals and layer systems with better and more accurate penetration depth and depth resolution. Moreover, these lasers are virtually free of any additional thermal radiation that could interfere with the “true” thermal response emitted from the heated sample. In turn, they can be easily used in a one-sided test configuration.
Using the one-dimensional solution to the thermal heat diffusion equation together with the absorptance of the material which is illuminated with a harmonically modulated light source, we can calculate the temperature oscillation at the surface of a solid. As a second step, we calculate the corresponding oscillation of the total thermal emission using Stefan-Boltzmann law as a first order approximation and taking into account the emissivity of the material. Within this framework we can calculate the minimal irradiance of a light source necessary to provoke a measurable signal within a thermographic camera at a noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of 30 mK. In Fig. 2 this relationship is displayed for a wide spectrum of modulation frequencies and for a number of different light sources scaled to the same electrical input power and illumination area. Using this figure, it is now easily possible to analyze the range of materials to be tested using lock-in thermography, since only the materials (dotted lines) below the irradiance-vs-frequency curves (solid lines) are heated in excess of the camera’s NETD. This figure clearly shows that laser sources considerably increase the application range of lock-in thermography, since especially for metals with a high reflectance and high thermal diffusivity a high irradiance is vitally important to allow for lock-in texting.
We present current activities with kilowatt-class high-power laser sources for advanced lock-in thermography and focus on the application of laser arrays that offer a very high irradiation strength over a large sample area beyond the mentioned advantages.
Optical lock-in thermography is a completely contactless and very sensitive NDT technique. As an optical source of energy, incandescent lamps are most commonly used because they are relatively inexpensive and offer high irradiances at the test specimen. However, they are strongly restricted by their low modulation bandwidth with a maximum modulation frequency of only about 1 Hz. The use of high-power kilowattclass laser sources, e.g. diode laser arrays, pushes this constraint beyond 100 Hz. This allows for the exploration of the near-surface region of metals and layer systems with better and more accurate penetration depth and depth resolution. Moreover, these lasers are virtually free of any additional thermal radiation that could interfere with the “true” thermal response emitted from the heated sample. In turn, they can be easily used in a one-sided test configuration. We present current activities with kilowatt-class highpower laser sources for advanced lock-in thermography and focus on the application of laser arrays that offer a very high irradiation strength over a large sample area beyond the mentioned advantages.
Optical lock-in thermography is a completely contactless and very sensitive NDT technique. As an optical source of energy, incandescent lamps are most commonly used because they are relatively inexpensive and offer high irradiances at the test specimen. However, they are strongly restricted by their low modulation bandwidth with a maximum modulation frequency of only about 1 Hz. The use of high-power kilowatt-class laser sources, e.g. diode laser arrays, pushes this constraint beyond 100 Hz. This allows for the exploration of the near-surface region of metals and layer systems with better and more accurate penetration depth and depth resolution. Moreover, these lasers are virtually free of any additional thermal radiation that could interfere with the “true” thermal response emitted from the heated sample. In turn, they can be easily used in a one-sided test configuration.
We present current activities with kilowatt-class high-power laser sources for advanced lock-in thermography and focus on the application of laser arrays that offer a very high irradiation strength over a large sample area beyond the mentioned advantages.
The detection of cracks before the failure is highly significant when it comes to safety-relevant structures. Crack detection in metallic samples at high surface temperature is one of the challenging situation in manufacturing industries. Laser thermography has already proved its detection capability of surface cracks in metallic samples at room temperature. In this work a continuous wave (CW) laser use to generate a laser, which is using to scan the metal surface with notch. The corresponding heat distribution on the surface monitored using infrared thermal (IR) camera. A simplified 3D model for laser thermography is developed and validated with experimental results. A dedicated image processing algorithm developed to improve the detectability of the cracks. To understand the dependency of surface temperature, laser power, laser scanning speed etc. in defect detection, we carried out parametric studies with our validated model. Here we report the capability of laser thermography in crack detection at elevated temperature.
Fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs) are very promising nanomaterials for a broad range of applications because of their high photostability, presumed selective luminescence, and low cost at which they can be produced. In this respect, CNDs are superior to well-established semiconductor quantum dots and organic dyes. However, reported synthesis protocols for CNDs typically lead to low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and low reproducibility, resulting in a poor understanding of the CND chemistry and photophysics. Here, we report a one-step synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (N-CNDs) from various carboxylic acids, Tris, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid resulting in high PLQY of up to 90%. The reaction conditions in terms of starting materials, temperature, and reaction time are carefully optimized and their influence on the photophysical properties is characterized. We find that citric acid-derived N-CNDs can result in a very high PLQY of 90%, but they do not Show selective luminescence. By contrast, acetic acid-derived N-CNDs show selective luminescence but a PLQY of 50%. The chemical
composition of the surface and core of these two selected N-CND types is characterized among others by high-Resolution synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using single isolated N-CND clusters. The results indicate that photoexcitation occurs in the N-CND core, whereas the emission properties are determined by the N-CND surface groups.
Due to their toxicity and widespread application for mining and industrial purposes, cyanides are ranking among the most important inorganic pollutants which should be tested and monitored not only in the aquatic environment, but also in soils and soil-like materials. Reference materials of soils with relevant contents of cyanide to ensure reliable test results of laboratories are rare today.
New certified reference material (CRM) BAM-U116/CGL306 “Cyanide in soil” was produced within a framework of cooperation between Central Geological Laboratory (CGL) of Mongolia and Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) of Germany in 2013-2017.
The CRM BAM-U116/CGL306 represents a mixture of a sandy soil collected from a contaminated former gasworks area in the Berlin region (Germany) and an unpolluted sandy soil from Nalaikh region (Mongolia). The bulk candidate material for this reference material was prepared at CGL CRM Laboratory exclusively destined to the preparation of reference materials and equipped with modern technical equipment. Homogeneity, stability and shelf life were studied in full compliance with ISO Guide 35. The CRM was evaluated as sufficiently homogeneous. Statistical evaluation of certification analysis was performed using software packages SoftCRM and ProLab Plus. Certified value of total cyanide of the CRM is 12.0 mg/kg and expanded uncertainty was assigned as 0.8 mg/kg.
The intended purpose of this material is the verification of analytical results obtained for the mass fraction of total cyanide in soils and soil-like materials applying the standardized procedure ISO 11262:2011. As any reference material, it can also be used for routine performance checks (quality control charts) or validation studies.
In flash thermography, the temperature transient is strongly influenced by the temporal shape of the heating pulse for samples with high thermal diffusivity or very thin samples. Here, we present a closed phenomenological approximation of the temporal shape of pulses of Xe-flash lamps. It is a non-stitched solution, has a simple Laplace transform and is suitable for different lamps and energy settings. It is demonstrated that simulated temperature transients, based on this approximation, are well consistent with experimental data.
The fundamental properties of a polymeric material are ultimately governed by its structure, which mainly relies on monomercomposition and connection, topology, chain length, and polydispersity. Thus far, these structural characteristics are typicallyset ex situ by the specific polymerization procedure, eventually limiting the future design space for the creation of moresophisticated polymers. Herein, we report on a single photoswitchable catalyst system, which enables in situ remote controlover the ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide and further allows regulation of the incorporation of trimethylene carbonateand δ -valerolactone monomers in copolymerizations. By implementing a phenol moiety into a diarylethene-type structure,we exploit light-induced keto–enol tautomerism to switch the hydrogen-bonding-mediated monomer activation reversiblyON and OFF. This general and versatile principle allows for exquisite external modulation of ground-state catalysis of a livingpolymerization process in a closed system by ultraviolet and visible light and should thereby facilitate the generation of newpolymer structures.
Surface characterisation of Escherichia coli under various conditions by near-ambient pressure XPS
(2018)
Bacteria are inherently in a hydrated state and therefore not compatible to ultra-high vacuum techniques such as XPS without prior sample preparation involving freeze drying or fast freezing.
This has changed with the development of near-ambient pressure (NAP)-XPS, which makes it possible to characterise the bacterial surface with minimal sample preparation. This paper presents NAP-XPS measurements of Escherichia coli under various NAP conditions: at 11 mbar in a humid environment, at 2 mbar after drying in the chamber, pre-dried at 4 mbar, and at 1 mbar after overnight pumping at 10^−4 mbar. The high-resolution spectra of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are presented and found to be in general agreement with XPS measurements from freeze-dried and fast-frozen bacteria. However, it was found that the amount of carbon components associated with polysaccharides increases relative to aliphatic carbon during drying and increases further after overnight pumping. This implies that drying has an impact on the bacterial surface.
The technique of painting on the reverse side of glass was rediscovered by artists in the early 20th century. The artist group “Der Blaue Reiter” around Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc got in touch with this technique in 1908 and 1909. In the following years it gained great popularity, especially in Germany. Nevertheless, the technique has not received its due appreciation in art history. It was considered as stained glass. However, the paint layers are applied cold, hence this artistic technique doesn’t involve a firing step.
Our multidisciplinary project investigates the art historic backgrounds, the painting techniques and materials of modern reverse paintings on glass. More than 1000 paintings from ~100 artists were discovered in the framework of our project. A selection of 60 paintings could be analyzed using non-invasive, in-situ methods such as Raman and VIS spectroscopy, Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). In this paper we want to point out the key role of Raman spectroscopy for our research. It offers the unique opportunity to measure paint layers from both sides. (front = through the glass; reverse = directly on the paint layer).
Small-molecule oxoanions are often imprinted noncovalently as carboxylates into molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), requiring the use of an organic counterion. Popular species are either pentamethylpiperidine (PMP) as a protonatable cation or tetraalkylammonium (TXA) ions as permanent cations. The present work explores the influence of the TXA as a function of their alkyl chain length, from methyl to octyl, using UV/vis absorption, fluorescence titrations, and HPLC as well as MD simulations. Protected phenylalanines (Z-L/D-Phe) served as templates/analytes. While the influence of the counterion on the complex stability constants and anion-induced spectral changes shows a monotonous trend with increasing alkyl chain length at the prepolymerization stage, the cross-imprinting/rebinding studies showed a unique pattern that suggested the presence of adaptive cavities in the MIP matrix, related to the concept of induced fit of enzyme−substrate interaction. Larger cavities formed in the presence of larger counterions can take up pairs of Z-X-Phe and smaller TXA, eventually escaping spectroscopic detection. Correlation of the experimental data with the MD simulations revealed that counterion mobility, the relative distances between the three partners, and the hydrogen bond lifetimes are more decisive for the response features observed than actual distances between interacting atoms in a complex or the orientation of binding moieties. TBA has been found to yield the highest imprinting factor, also showing a unique dual behavior regarding the interaction with template and fluorescent monomer. Finally, interesting differences between both enantiomers have been observed in both theory and experiment, suggesting true control of enantioselectivity. The contribution concludes with suggestions for translating the findings into actual MIP development.
Probe 1, which contains an anilinopyridine chromophore and an azaoxa macrocyclic subunit, presented an absorption band centered at 340 nm in acetonitrile. Addition of Fe(III), Cr(III) and Hg(II) induced the growth of a new absorption band at 430 nm (with color change from colorless to yellow), whereas in the presence of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II), less marked changes were observed. The color changes observed upon addition of Fe(III), Cr(III) and Hg(II) were ascribed to the formation of 1:1 stoichiometry complexes with probe 1. Coordination of Fe(III), Cr(III) and Hg(II) with the pyridine fragment of 1 induced an enhancement of the charge transfer character accompanied with a marked bathochromic shift that was reflected in a color change from colorless to yellow. The strength of the interaction between probe 1 and Fe(III) cation was modulated upon interaction with anions. Of all the anions tested, only cyanide was able to induce the bleaching of the yellow 1·Fe(III) complex solution. This bleaching was ascribed to
the formation of 1·Fe(III)-CN complex that restored, to some extent, the optical features of the free probe allowing the chromogenic sensing of cyanide. Besides, 1·Fe(III) complex was used to detect
cyanide in acetonitrile-water 90:10 v/v mixtures with good recoveries.
Additively manufactured test specimens made of polyamide 12 (PA 12) by Laser Sintering (LS) as well as of acrylnitril-butadien-styrol (ABS) by Fused Layer Modeling (FLM), were tested with active thermography. For this, two different excitation methods (flash and impulse excitation) were used and compared, regarding the suitability for the detection of constructed and imprinted defects. To increase the quality of the thermograms, data processing methods like thermal signal reconstruction (TSR) and Fourier-Transformation were applied. Furthermore, the long-term stability of the probes towards environmental stress, like UV-radiation, heat, water contact and frost is being investigated in the presented project with artificial weathering tests.
Active thermography with flash and halogen light excitation is used as a method for non-destructive testing of 3D-printed polymer components. Test specimens with artificial defects have been generated, using laser sintering and fused layer modeling. These test specimens have been investigated in different measurement configurations with both excitation methods. Afterwards, the different measurement conditions were compared regarding their capability to detect the defects. Furthermore, advanced analysis methods are used, to fully exploit the capabilities of these techniques.
The molecular dynamics and ionic conductivity of ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) forming a columnar mesophase, two linear-shaped tetramethylated guanidinium triflates ILCs having different lengths of alkyl chains, were investigated by a combination of Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) and Specific Heat Spectroscopy (SHS). Three processes were detected by BDS; at low temperature γ-process, at higher temperatures α-process and at even higher temperatures conductivity. The γ-process indicates localized fluctuations, and the α-process designates cooperative fluctuations. Slightly different restrictions were found for conductivity processes of LC536 and LC537 due to the slightly different lengths of alky chains. The conductivity mechanisms in the plastic crystalline and the columnar mesophase have been revealed by BDS and different charge carriers were assigned for the different phases. Furthermore, the cooperative dynamics were also probed by SHS. The cooperative dynamics probed by the different techniques (BDS and SHS) compared, and assigned to the different restrictions on the cooperativity due to the difference in the sensitivity of the techniques.
We synthesized and characterized a set of ultrasmall hexagonal-phase NaGdF4: 20% Yb3+, 2% Er3+ upconversion nanoparticles with core diameters of 3.7 ± 0.5 nm. In order to assess passivation effects and the influence of possible core−shell intermixing and to identify optimum particle structures for combined imaging in the visible and near-infrared (vis−NIR: 410−850 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR: 1520 nm), NaYF4 shells of varying thicknesses (monolayer to 10 nm) were introduced and the influence of this parameter on the upconversion and downshifting photoluminescence of these particles was studied at different excitation power densities. This included excitation power-dependent emission spectra, slope factors, quantum yields, and excited state decay kinetics. These measurements revealed enhancement factors of the upconversion quantum yield of >10 000 in the low power region and an excitation power density-independent quantum yield of the downshifted emission at 1520 nm between 0.1 and 14%. The optimized shell thickness for combined vis and SWIR imaging was identified as 5 nm. Moreover, lifetimes and quantum yields can be continuously tuned by shell thickness which can be exploited for lifetime multiplexing and encoding. The fact that we did not observe a saturation of the upconversion quantum yield or the excited state decay kinetics with increasing shell thickness is ascribed to a strong intermixing of the active core with the inert shell during the shelling procedure. This indicates the potential of spectroscopic tools to detect cation intermixing.
Systematic errors in the evaluation of uncorrected data from thermographic lock-in measurements
(2018)
Lock-in thermography (LT) is based on the correct evaluation of phase differences between the temperature oscillations at different surface regions of the object under test during periodic heating. Since the usual heating procedures contain a DC component, the actual heating pattern achieved is not harmonic. This causes systematic deviations when phase differences are determined by means of harmonic analysis, e.g. with FFT analysis. The resulting errors depend clearly on the ratio between DC and AC amplitude, which is demonstrated at simulated and experimentally recorded temperature transients. Further experimental LT data obtained by different oscillating energy inputs showed a variety of possible shapes of transients with different DC components.
In order to test their suitability different non-destructive methods were performed to inspect a GFRP plate with artificial defects. These defects were manufactured by means of thin PTFE sheets inserted between two plies in three different depth. The inspection methods were microwave reflection, flash thermography and phased array ultrasonics, all applied to the same specimen. Selected results are shown for all methods demonstrating opportunities and limits of the particular inspection methods. The achieved detection limits and further application aspects are compared directly to provide a useful information for the planning of inspection tasks.
Foundations
(2018)
IAPR participates in the EMPIR 16SRT02, entitled ‘Certified forensic alcohol reference materials - ALCOREF’ funded by EURAMET as an external funded partner. The Research in this project will address the needs for better enforcement of drink-driving legislation in several European countries, by building up long-term capacities for the production and certification of forensic alcohol reference materials, suitable for the calibration of evidential breath alcohol analyzers. The certification procedure includes characterization of the materials, assessment of homogeneity, stability, and uncertainty estimation. An interlaboratory comparison will be conducted to test the materials and capabilities developed. EMPIR 16SRT02-ALCOREF project is coordinated by BAM (DE).
Monitoring of the absolute water content in porous materials based on embedded humidity sensors
(2018)
Moisture transport monitoring may indicate the onset of deterioration in porous building materials Prior to damage occurring. Most moisture measurement systems provide only qualitative values, require extensive calibration, or are destructive. Thus, non-destructive and calibration-free monitoring Systems are required. Our approach of moisture monitoring is to embed sensors that measure the relative humidity.
In our experiment, screed samples are monitored during the Hydration and evaporation process. Every test sample is equipped with 10 embedded sensors which measure the relative humidity across the sample thickness. Based on Hillerborg’s approach, the relative humidity is converted into the corresponding pore saturation. In our study, the free water is computed without knowledge of the Sorption isotherm. The free water in the pore system is predicted and validated. The predicted weight decrease corresponds conclusively to gravimetrically measured weights. The embedded sensors yield the absolute liquid water content and enable an experimental, non-destructive monitoring of liquid water in porous materials.
An improved algorithm for calibration-free laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF LIBS) is presented which includes several novel features in comparison with previously proposed similar algorithms. In particular, it allows using spectral lines with arbitrary optical thickness for the construction of Saha-Boltzmann plots, retrieves the absorption path length (plasma diameter) directly from a spectrum, replaces the Lorentzian line profile function by the Voigt function, and allows for self-absorption correction using pre-calculated and tabulated data rather than approximating functions. The tabulated data embody the solutions of the radiative transfer equation for numerous combinations of optical thicknesses and line widths. The algorithm is thoroughly verified with synthetic spectra.
Laser-induced plasmas are widely used in many areas of science and technology; examples include spectrochemical analysis, thin film deposition, material processing, and even jet propulsion. Several topics will be addressed. First, general phenomenology of laser-induced plasmas will be discussed. Then, a chemical model will be presented based on a coupled solution of Navier-Stokes, state, radiative transfer, material transport, and chemical (Guldberg-Waage) equations. Results of computer simulations for several chemical systems will be shown and compared to experimental observations obtained by optical imaging, spectroscopy, and tomography. The latter diagnostic tools will also be briefly discussed. Finally, a prospective application of laser-induced plasma and plasma modeling will be illustrated on the example of calibration-free MC LIBS (Monte Carlo Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy), in which concentrations of elements in materials are found by fitting model-generated and experimental spectra.
Moisture testing and mapping
(2018)
Selected resonance states of the deuterated formyl radical in the electronic ground state X^2A´ are computed using our recently introduced dynamically pruned discrete variable representation [H. R. Larsson, B. Hartke, and D. J. Tannor, J. Chem. Phys. 145, 204108 (2016)]. Their decay and asymptotic distributions are analyzed and, for selected resonances, compared to experimental results obtained by a combination of stimulated emission pumping and velocity-map Imaging of the product D atoms.
The theoretical results show good agreement with the experimental kinetic energy distributions. The intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution is analyzed and compared with previous results from an effective polyad Hamiltonian. Specifically, we analyzed the part of the wavefunction that remains in the interaction region during the decay. The results from the polyad Hamiltonian could mainly be confirmed. The C=O stretch quantum number is typically conserved, while the D-C=O bend quantum number decreases. Differences are due to strong anharmonic coupling such that all resonances have major contributions from several zero-order states. For some of the resonances, the coupling is so strong that no further zero-order states appear during the dynamics in the interaction region, even after propagating for 300 ps.
Accuracy of calibration-free (CF) methods in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) depends on experimental conditions and instrumental parameters that must match a CF LIBS model. Here, the numerical study is performed to investigate effects of various factors, such as the optical density, plasma uniformity, line overlap, noise, spectral resolution, electron density and path length on the results of CF-LIBS analyses. The effects are examined one-by-one using synthetic spectra of steel slag samples that fully comply with the mathematical model of the method. Also, the algorithm includes several new features in comparison with previously proposed CF algorithms. In particular, it removes limits on the optical thickness of spectral lines that are used for the construction of the Saha-Boltzmann plot; it retrieves the absorption path length (Plasma diameter) directly from spectral lines; it uses the more realistic Voigt line profile function instead of the Lorentzian function; and it employs the pre-calculated and tabulated thin-to-thick line ratios instead of approximating functions for selfabsorption correction.
Minimally invasive injection of calcium phosphate cement into bone defects in aged sheep vertebrae has been used as a model for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. One of the therapeutic criteria is a compression test of non-treated or treated vertebral bodies. In the present study, an in situ compression test with a stepwise load increase was performed with small spongiosa cylinders from the vertebrae under continuous monitoring by μCT. This allows localization of bone cracks and the visualization of correct placement and form of the bone cylinder. In addition, the effects of an uneven load distribution on the sample due to an irregular shape and a subsequent underperformance of the test sample can be excluded by controlling its shape under increasing load. There was a good agreement between the measured data and those obtained by simulated load-dependent transformation on the basis of a digital volume correlation between consecutive compression tests on the bone surface under the assumption of homogeneous bone material. Mechanic simulation was executed by directly using structural voxel data, resulting in maps of Von Mise stresses and predicted displacements.
Statistic process control as well as process capability demand for calibrated determination of layer thicknesses in various industries, e.g. automotive, aerospace, microelectronics manufacturing. Calibration requires well know and well characterized samples. A calibration laboratory accredited according to DIN EN ISO 17025 has the objective to distribute standards traceable to SI units to industrial laboratories for quality control of manufacturing of various products. Especially, the thickness determination of thin metallic coatings e.g. from galvanic processes or layer deposition using X-Ray Fluorescence can be significantly improved by customized calibration samples. This is essential as the measurement uncertainty directly correlates to the capability performing reliable control of processes with high yield. For calibration laboratories, the validation of results using round robins and the direct comparison to national metrology institutes is a prerequisite to demonstrate the competence to perform calibration services.
In this paper a strategy to obtain traceability and validation for thin alloy layers as well as first results are presented. The combined use of the accredited method for determination of mass per area from measurement of mass and area combined with standard free X-Ray Fluorescence as well as chemical analysis of dissolved samples with thin layers is deployed for material systems as NixZn1-x as well as NixP1-x. The obtained results are compared to reference free X-Ray Fluorescence at the BESSY II laboratories of Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. An excellent agreement of the obtained measured values as mass per unit area and alloy concentrations from the different applied methods within the measurement uncertainty was observed for NixP1-x showing the successful performed traceability of the calibration samples to SI units in combination with a validation of results by national metrology institutes and the round robin approach.
Due to the increasing consumption of cereals worldwide, monitoring of growth, storage and processing is becoming more crucial. Particularly when stored, infested grains breed fungal clusters (“hot spots”) in which mycotoxins greatly exceed allowed maximum levels. Because of their unpredictable presence, current sampling and procedures for mycotoxin analysis are complex and contain invasive and cost intensive steps.
A possible approach to avoid sampling inaccuracies is the non-invasive analysis of the homogeneous gas phase above the crops, instead of analyzing random samples. However, this procedure requires microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC´s) being released by the samples. Previous investigations revealed trichodiene to be a precursor in trichothecenes biosynthesis – one of the largest mycotoxin groups with more than 180 compounds. Due to its non-functionalized sesquiterpene structure, quantification of trichodiene using Headspace GC-MS methods is possible (e.g. [1]). Thereby, it could be used as biomarker for trichothecene contamination in foodstuff.
However, further studies are necessary. The correlation between trichodiene concentration in the gas phase and trichothecenes mass fraction in the sample must be examined closely to draw conclusions about the trichothecene content in samples. Realizing this idea, would widely extend the applicability of trichodiene and enormously simplify trichothecene quantification. Hence, this first step of an ongoing study aims to develop a laboratory reference method using trichodiene as volatile biomarker to quantify trichothecenes in cereals. Static headspace and SPME-enrichment coupled to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed. In a second step, this reference method is intended to validate new approaches for fast on-site screening of trichodiene in cereals.
Air-coupled ultrasonic testing (ACUT) has experienced rapid growth within the last years. It is especially well suited to inspection of lightweight structures consisting of composite materials and adhesive joints. Uniform coupling and easy maintenance are its advantages compared to contact technique. However, the impedance mismatch between the transducer and air poses a major challenge to the development of ACUT transducers. Commercially available air-coupled transducers consist of a piezocomposite material and matching layers. Their fabrication is difficult in handling and their signal-to-noise ratio sometimes not sufficient for various testing requirements. However, there are several innovative approaches using other materials and other physical principles to transmit and receive an ultrasonic pulse. We present a review of the latest advances in research on air-coupled transducers for non-destructive testing, including previously unpublished results. We recognize two major directions as most promising: ferroelectrets and thermoacoustic transducers. Ferroelectrets are charged cellular polymers exhibiting piezoelectric properties. Their small acoustic impedance is matched to air better than matching layers applied in conventional air-coupled transducers. Applying bias voltage to a ferroelectret receiver is the latest development in this field, which increased the received signal by 12 to 15 dB. Thermoacoustic transducers use heat to initiate an ultrasonic wave, acting as transmitters. The working principle is known from nature as thunder and lightning: thermal energy of an electrically heated material, which can also be air, is converted into acoustic energy. Some thermoacoustic transmitters consist of a conductive layer with a thickness in the nanometer range deposited on a solid substrate. Another possibility is to use an electric spark. For the first time, measurements of the sound field of an electric spark up to 500 kHz were performed. Thermoacoustic transducers enable excitation of extremely broadband pulses while producing high pressure levels, which opens new possibilities for advanced signal processing.
Composite pressure vessels consist of an internal liner (Steel, aluminum, or plastic) which stores the liquid or gas and CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) which serves as pressure resistance. These vessels comprise some advantages compared with conventional vessels made of steel or aluminum and their application grew strongly over the last decade. The reason for this trend is the tremendous weight saving.
However, the long-time behavior for filling and discharging cycles and the creep strength of composite vessels is not fully understood. Therefore, BAM started an internal project to investigate degradation of these material systems. Normally, high-frequency eddy current testing (HF-ET, f > 10 MHz) is deployed for CFRP due to the low conductivity of the fibers, which is in the order of 0.01 MS/s, and the capacitive coupling between them. Nevertheless, in some cases conventional ET can be applied.
Some first results using conventional ET for detecting leakages in the internal liners are already presented. This contribution gives an update of our investigation using both conventional and high-frequency ET. Therefore, we developed an ET equipment based on a vector network analyzer using frequencies between 300 kHz and 2 GHz. The focus concerns the study of the aging effects.
Alternariol (AOH) and Alternariol monomethylether (AME) are two secondary metabolites of Alternaria fungi which can be found in various foodstuffs like tomatoes, nuts and grains. Due to their toxicity and potential mutagenic activity the need for the development of high-throughput methods for the supervision of AOH- and AME-levels is of increasing interest. As the availability of both native and labelled AOH and AME analytical standards is very limited we herein wish to present a novel concise approach towards their synthesis employing a ruthenium-catalyzed ortho-arylation4 as the key step.
Singlet oxygen generation potential of two novel free-base-porphyrin photocatalysts was investigated. The freebase-porphyrin-sensitized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were tested for the degradation of the model pollutant Bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous solution, for the first time. MNPs with either cubic or spherical shape were synthesized using the sonochemical approach, followed by sensitizing with photoactive 4,4′,4′′,4′′′- (Porphine-5,10,15,20-tetrayl)tetrakis(benzoic acid) (TCPP). The resulted photocatalysts were characterized in detail by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, spectral techniques and vibrating sample magnetometry. The electron spin resonance experiments have confirmed the high activity of the photocatalysts through the efficient formation of singlet oxygen in solution. The optimum operational parameters for BPA degradation were established as follows: 1.0 μmol L−1 BPA, 1.0 g L−1 of photocatalyst, 100 μmol L−1 H2O2, under UVA irradiation. In these conditions, the results for both photocatalysts revealed that after only 10 min of reaction, over 64% and ca. 90% of BPA have been removed from solution in the absence and presence of H2O2, respectively. Whereas after 60 minutes of treatment, only 24% of BPA in real wastewater effluent samples were removed under UVA irradiation in the absence of H2O2, showing the high complexity of real wastewater. Moreover, both photocatalysts were successfully used for BPA removal in three consecutive runs, without significant loss of catalytic features.
The Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) for prismatic structures is an efficient method for the simulation of acoustic behavior. Hence a further development of the method is of great interest. The wave propagation can be calculated for isotropic and anisotropic materials in solids. As for many applications the acoustic behavior in fluids and the behavior in case of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is subject of research, the implementation of a fluid model in SBFEM for prismatic structures is needed. In case of FSI the coupling between fluid and solid domains can be performed without additional effort when describing both domains in the same variables. Hence a displacement-based fluid description is used. As the discretized formulation leads to spurious modes, a penalty method to suppress the unphysical behavior is chosen. To validate the derived model a comparison with analytical solutions of purely fluid domains is made. As to verify that in case of FSI the model shows the right behavior, dispersion curves of water-filled pipes are calculated and compared to results obtained with Comsol.
Processing ultrasonic data by coda wave interferometry to monitor load tests of concrete beams
(2018)
Ultrasonic transmission measurements have been used for decades to monitor concrete elements, mostly on a laboratory scale. Recently, coda wave interferometry (CWI), a technique adapted from seismology, was introduced to civil engineering experiments. It can be used to reveal subtle changes in concrete laboratory samples and even large structural elements without having a transducer directly at the place where the change is taking place. Here, several load tests until failure on large posttensioned concrete beams have been monitored using networks of embedded transducers. To detect subtle effects at the beginning of the experiments and cope with severe changes due to cracking close to failure, the coda wave interferometry procedures had to be modified to an adapted step-wise approach. Using this methodology, we were able to monitor stress distribution and localize large cracks by a relatively simple technique. Implementation of this approach on selected real structures might help to make decisions in infrastructure asset management.