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Nanoparticles have gained increasing attention in recent years due to their potential and application in different fields including medicine, cosmetics, chemistry, and their potential to enable advanced materials. To effectively understand and regulate the physico-chemical properties and potential adverse effects of nanoparticles, validated measurement procedures for the various properties of nanoparticles need to be developed. While procedures for measuring nanoparticle size and size Distribution are already established, standardized methods for analysis of their surface chemistry are not yet in place, although the influence of the surface chemistry on nanoparticle properties is undisputed. In particular, storage and preparation of nanoparticles for surface analysis strongly influences the analytical results from various methods, and in order to obtain consistent results, sample preparation must be both optimized and standardized. In this contribution, we present, in detail, some standard procedures for preparing nanoparticles for surface analytics. In principle, nanoparticles can be deposited on a suitable substrate from suspension or as a powder. Silicon (Si) Wafers are commonly used as substrate, however, their cleaning is critical to the process. For sample preparation from suspension, we will discuss drop-casting and spin-coating, where not only the cleanliness of the substrate and purity of the suspension but also its concentration play important roles for the success of the preparation methodology.
For nanoparticles with sensitive ligand shells or coatings, deposition as powders is more suitable, although this method requires particular care in fixing the sample.
Alkali–silica reaction (ASR) is an ongoing problem that causes damage to concrete constructions and reduces their durability. Therefore, minimizing this undesired reaction is of great interest for both safety and economic reasons. Additives containing high aluminium content are very effective in reducing the release of silica and enhancing the durability of concrete; however, the mechanism for this effect is still under discussion. In this study, an enrichment of aluminium in the near‐surface region was observed for natural quartzite rock after storage in Al (OH)3 and metakaolin as aluminium sources, from which we conclude that the formation of aluminosilicate sheets of a few nanometres inhibits the silica release; this hypothesis is supported by high‐resolution spectra of Al 2p, Si 2p and O 1s.
Controlling 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 applicationrelevant functionality like a high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield, calling for a whole nanoobject approach. 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. In addition to demonstrating the potential of this novel whole nanoobject approach for determining architectures of small nanoparticles, the presented results also highlight challenges faced by different sizing and structural analysis methods and method-inherent uncertainties.
Biofouling is a major challenge in the application of textiles, biosensors, and biomedical implants. In the current work, a straightforward method for the solvent-free polymerization of antifouling dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) from mussel-inspired dendritic polyglycerol (MI-dPG) coatings on hydrophilic titanium dioxide (TiO2) and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is reported. Surface characterization is performed by static water contact angle (CA) measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Significant lower CA values are obtained after dPG grafting from MI-dPG-coated TiO2 and MI-dPG coated PDMS. Furthermore, XPS shows a time-dependent increase of the CO bond content upon dPG grafting from MI-dPG-coated TiO2 and MI-dPG-coated PDMS. Analysis of the surface morphology by SEM shows a clear time-dependent increase in the surface roughness upon dPG grafting from MI-dPG-coated TiO2 and MIdPG-coated PDMS. When the viability of two adhesive cell types is studied via LIVE/DEAD staining, a strong reduction in the cell density is observed after the dPG grafting from MI-dPG-coated TiO2 and MI-dPG-coated PDMS (a decrease of >95% in all cases). The combined results show that biocompatible but highly cell-repelling surfaces are efficiently constructed via the grafting of dPG from MI-dPG-coated TiO2 and MI-dPG-coated PDMS.
Efficient water electrolysis requires highly active electrodes. The activity of corresponding catalytic coatings strongly depends on material properties such as film thickness, crystallinity, electrical conductivity, and chemical surface speciation. Measuring these properties with high accuracy in vacuum-free and nondestructive methods facilitates the elucidation of structure−activity relationships in realistic environments. Here, we report a novel approach to analyze the optical and electrical properties of highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts via spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Using a series of differently calcined, mesoporous, templated iridium oxide films as an example, we assess the film thickness, porosity, electrical resistivity, electron concentration, electron mobility, and interband and intraband transition energies by modeling of the optical spectra. Independently performed analyses using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, ellipsometric porosimetry, X-ray reflectometry, and absorption spectroscopy indicate a high accuracy of the deduced material properties. A comparison of the derived analytical data from SE, resonant photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with activity measurements of the OER suggests that the intrinsic activity of iridium oxides scales with a shift of the Ir 5d t2g sub-level and an increase of p−d interband transition energies caused by a transition of μ1-OH to μ3-O species.
We studied the dissolution behavior of β NaYF4:Yb(20%), Er(2%) UCNP of two different sizes in biologically relevant media i.e., water (neutral pH), phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium (DMEM) at different temperatures and particle concentrations. Special emphasis was dedicated to assess the influence of different surface functionalizations, particularly the potential of mesoporous and microporous silica shells of different thicknesses for UCNP stabilization and protection. Dissolution was quantified electrochemically using a fluoride ion selective electrode (ISE) and by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). In addition, dissolution was monitored fluorometrically. These experiments revealed that a thick microporous silica shell drastically decreased dissolution. Our results also underline the critical influence of the chemical composition of the aqueous environment on UCNP dissolution. In DMEM, we observed the formation of a layer of adsorbed molecules on the UCNP surface that protected the UCNP from dissolution and enhanced their fluorescence. Examination of this layer by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and mass spectrometry (MS) suggested that mainly phenylalanine, lysine, and glucose are adsorbed from DMEM. These findings should be considered in the future for cellular toxicity studies with UCNP and other nanoparticles and the design of new biocompatible surface coatings.
In the present work a series of design rules are developed in order to tune the morphology of TiO2 nanoparticles through hydrothermal process. Through a careful experimental design, the influence of relevant process parameters on the synthesis outcome are studied, reaching to the develop predictive models by using Machine Learning methods. The models, after the validation and training, are able to predict with high accuracy the synthesis outcome in terms of nanoparticle size, polydispersity and aspect ratio. Furthermore, they are implemented by reverse engineering approach to do the inverse process, i.e. obtain the optimal synthesis parameters given a specific product characteristic. For the first time, it is presented a synthesis method that allows continuous and precise control of NPs morphology with the possibility to tune the aspect ratio over a large range from 1.4 (perfect truncated bipyramids) to 6 (elongated nanoparticles) and the length from 20 to 140 nm.
Hydrogen economy is a central aspect of future energy supply, as hydrogen can be used as energy storage and fuel. In order tomake water electrolysis efficient, the limiting oxygen evolution reaction (OER) needs to be optimized. Therefore, C-based composite materials containing earth-abundant Fe and Mn were synthesized, characterized and tested in the OER. For pyrolysis temperatures above 700°C N-rich multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are obtained. Inside the tubes Fe3C particles are formed, Fe and Mn oxides are incorporated in the carbon matrix and metal spinel nanoparticles cover the outer surface. The best catalyst prepared at 800°C achieves a low overpotential of 389 mV (at 10 mA/cm2) and high stability (22.6 h). From electrochemical measurements and characterization it can be concluded that the high activity is mainly provided by MWCNT, Fe3C and the metal oxides in the conductive carbon matrix. The metal spinel nanoparticles in
contrast protect the MWCNT from oxidation and thereby contribute to the high stability.
Understanding the correlation between the morphological and functional properties of particulate materials is crucial across all fields of physical and natural sciences. This manuscript reports on the investigation of the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) employed as a capping Agent in the synthesis of SrTiO3 crystals. The crucial influence of PEG on both the shape and size of the strontium titanate particles is revealed, highlighting the effect on the photocurrents measured under
UV–Vis irradiation.
Most real core-shell nanoparticle (CSNP) samples deviate from an ideal core-shell structure potentially having significant impact on the particle properties. An ideal structure displays a spherical core fully encapsulated by a shell of homogeneous thickness, and all particles in the sample exhibit the same shell thickness. Therefore,
analytical techniques are required that can identify and characterize such deviations.
This study demonstrates that by analysis of the inelastic background in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) survey spectra, the following types of deviations can be identified and quantified: the nonuniformity of the shell thickness within a nanoparticle sample and the incomplete encapsulation of the cores by the shell material. Furthermore, CSNP shell thicknesses and relative coverages can be obtained. These results allow for a quick and straightforward comparison between several batches of a specific CSNP, different coating approaches, and so forth. The presented XPS methodology requires a submonolayer distribution of CSNPs on a substrate.
Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-polystyrene polymer CSNPs serve as model systems to demonstrate the applicability of the approach.
Identifying nanomaterials (NMs) according to European Union Legislation is challenging, as there is an enormous variety of materials, with different physico-chemical properties. The NanoDefiner Framework and its Decision Support Flow Scheme (DSFS) allow choosing the optimal method to measure the particle size distribution by matching the material properties and the performance of the particular measurement techniques. The DSFS leads to a reliable and economic decision whether a material is an NM or not based on scientific criteria and respecting regulatory requirements. The DSFS starts beyond regulatory requirements by identifying non-NMs by a proxy Approach based on their volume-specific surface area. In a second step, it identifies NMs. The DSFS is tested on real-world materials and is implemented in an e-tool. The DSFS is compared with a decision flowchart of the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC), which rigorously follows the explicit criteria of the EC NM definition with the focus on identifying NMs, and non-NMs are identified by exclusion. The two approaches build on the same scientific basis and measurement methods, but start from opposite ends: the JRC Flowchart starts by identifying NMs, whereas the NanoDefiner Framework first identifies non-NMs.
Multidrug resistance resulting from a variety of defensive pathways in Cancer has become a global concern with a considerable impact on the mortality associated with the failure of traditional chemotherapy. Therefore, further research and new therapies are required to overcome this challenge. In this work, a cyclic R10 peptide (cR10) is conjugated to polyglycerol-covered nanographene oxide to engineer a nanoplatform for the surmounting of multidrug resistance. The nuclear translocation of the nanoplatform, facilitated by cR10 peptide, and subsequently, a laser-triggered release of the loaded doxorubicin result in efficient anticancer activity confirmed by both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The synthesized nanoplatform with a combination of different features, including active nucleus-targeting, highloading capacity, controlled release of cargo, and photothermal property, provides a new strategy for circumventing multidrug resistant cancers.
Small-area/spot photoelectron spectroscopy (SAXPS) is a powerful tool for the investigation of small surface features like microstructures of electronic devices, sensors or other functional surfaces, and so forth. For evaluating the quality of such microstructures, it is often crucial to know whether a small signal in a spectrum is an unwanted contamination of the field of view (FoV), defined by the instrument settings, or it originated from outside. To address this issue, the d80/20 parameter of a line scan across a chemical edge is often used. However, the typical d80/20 parameter does not give information on contributions from the long tails of the X-ray beam intensity distribution or the electron-optical system as defined by apertures. In the VAMAS TWA2 A22 project “Applying planar, patterned, multi-metallic samples to assess the impact of analysis area in surface-chemical analysis,” new test specimen was developed and tested. The here presented testing material consists of a silicon wafer substrate with an Au-film and embedded Cr circular and square spots with decreasing dimensions from 200 μm down to 5 μm. The spot sizes are traceable to the length unit due to size measurements with a metrological SEM. For the evaluation of the FoV, we determined the Au4f intensities measured with the center of the FoV aligned with the center of the spot and normalized to the Au4f intensity determined on the Au-film. With this test specimen, it was possible to characterize, as an example, the FoV of a Kratos AXIS Ultra DLD XPS instrument.
Aiming at the overall negative surface charge of bacteria, a new strategy of antibacterial agents based on large polymer-modified graphene oxide (GO) sheets is assessed. The presented flexible, polycationic Sheets match the size and charge density of the Escherichia coli surface charge density (2 × 1014 cm−2). These matching parameters create an unspecific but very strong bacteria adsorber by multivalent, electrostatic attraction.
Their interaction with bacteria is visualized via atomic force and confocal microscopy and shows that they effectively bind and wrap around E. coli cells, and thereby immobilize them. The incubation of Gram-negative and -positive bacteria (E. coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA) with these polycationic sheets leads to the inhibition of proliferation and a reduction of the colony forming bacteria over time.
This new type of antibacterial agent acts in a different mode of Action than classical biocides and could potentially be employed in medicinal, technical, or agriculture applications. The presented microsheets and their unspecific binding of cell interfaces could further be employed as adsorber material for bacterial filtration or immobilization for imaging, analysis, or sensor technologies.
How the rock-inhabiting fungus K. petricola A95 enhances olivine dissolution through attachment
(2020)
Free-living and mycorrhizal fungi are able to enhance the weathering of rock and other solid substrates. Deciphering the exact mechanisms of these natural processes requires their experimental simulation. Moreover, by performing these simulations with genetically amenable rock-weathering fungi, one can knock-out certain fungal traits and consequently identify their weathering-relevant function. Here, the effect of the rock-inhabiting fungus, Knufia petricola A95, on the dissolution kinetics of an Fe-bearing olivine (Mg1.86Fe0.19SiO4) is investigated at 25 °C and pH 6 using reproducible batch and mixed flow experiments. The availability of a melanin-deficient mutant (ΔKppks) of K. petricola A95, which produces more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) than the wild type (WT), enables the comparative study of the role of melanin and EPS in olivine dissolution. In abiotic dissolution experiments, the olivine dissolution rate decreased considerably over time at pH 6 but not at pH 3.5. This inhibition of abiotic olivine dissolution at pH 6 was most likely caused by the in-situ oxidation of ferrous Fe and/or the precipitation of ferric hydroxides at the olivine surface. In corresponding biotic experiments at pH 6, both the wild type K. petricola and its melanin-deficient mutant ΔKppks solubilised and bound significant amounts of Fe released by olivine dissolution. Fe oxidation and precipitation were thus prevented and olivine dissolution proceeded faster than in the abiotic experiments. By sequestering Fe directly at the olivine surface, the attached wild type K. petricola cells were particularly efficient at preventing the oxidation of Fe at the mineral surface: the slowdown of olivine dissolution almost completely disappeared. The attachment capacity of these wild type cells is most likely mediated by wild type-specific EPS. Our presented experimental systems allow the oxidation of mineral-released Fe and include a rock-inhabiting fungus, thus simulating chemical, physical and biological conditions that set dissolution rates in a way that is relevant to natural ecosystems.
The present study reports on results of analysis of the elemental composition of thin films by electron probe microanalysis with energy dispersive (ED-EPMA) X-ray spectrometry in conjunction with the dedicated thin-film analysis software package Stratagem and by X-ray fluorescence in its version with a micro-focus X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) source attached to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Two thin-film systems have been analyzed: Fe1-xNix on silicon wafer and Si1-xGex on Al2O3 substrate, in both cases the layers being grown to a thickness of about 200 nm by ion beam sputter deposition. Samples of five different atomic fractions have been produced and analyzed for each thin-film system. Moreover, reference samples with certified elemental composition and thickness have been also available. This study is part of an interlaboratory comparison organized in the frame of standardization technical committee ISO/TC 201 “Surface chemical analysis.” Two laboratories have been analyzed by ED-EPMA (one laboratory standardless and one laboratory using both standardless and with standards variants) and one laboratory by μ-XRF (standardless and with standards). All the elemental compositions obtained with different methods are in very good agreement for the complete two sets of five samples each.
The characteristics of TiO2 coatings can greatly influence their final performance in large‐scale applications. In the present study, self‐assembly of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in multiple layers was selected as a deposition procedure on various substrates. For this, the main prerequisite constitutes the surface modification of both NPs and substrate with, for example, silane coupling agents. A set of functionalized TiO2 NPs has been produced by reaction with either (3‐aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) or (3‐aminopropyl)phosphonic acid (APPA) to functionalize the NP surface with free amino‐groups. Then, the complementary functionalized NP set can be obtained from an aliquot of the first one, through the conversion of free surface amino groups to aldehydes by reaction with glutaraldehyde (GA). Several types of TiO2 NPs differing in size, shape, and specific surface area have been functionalized. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), SEM/ energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), XPS, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and Time‐of‐Flight (ToF)‐SIMS analyses have been carried out to evaluate the degree of functionalization, all the analytical methods employed demonstrating successful functionalization of TiO2 NP surface with APTES or APPA and GA.
Spectroscopy in Catalysis
(2020)
Knowledge-based catalyst development is always an interaction between preparation, analysis and catalytic testing. Only if these three factors fit together can success be expected. For the analytic side of this triangle, spectroscopic methods play a crucial role. Whereas with diffraction, scattering and microscopy, decisive insights into the structure and morphology of the catalysts can be obtained, spectroscopy produces new knowledge about the chemical nature of the catalyst, e.g., its bonding and valence states.
Nanotechnology has enabled the discovery of a multitude of novel materials exhibiting unique physicochemical (PChem) properties compared to their bulk analogues. These properties have led to a rapidly increasing range of commercial applications; this, however, may come at a cost, if an association to long-term health and environmental risks is discovered or even just perceived. Many nanomaterials (NMs) have not yet had their potential adverse biological effects fully assessed, due to costs and time constraints associated with the experimental assessment, frequently involving animals. Here, the available NM libraries are analyzed for their suitability for integration with novel nanoinformatics approaches and for the development of NM specific Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for human and environmental risk assessment, all within the NanoSolveIT cloud-platform. These established and well-characterized NM libraries (e.g. NanoMILE, NanoSolutions, NANoREG, NanoFASE, caLIBRAte, NanoTEST and the Nanomaterial Registry (>2000 NMs)) contain physicochemical characterization data as well as data for several relevant biological endpoints, assessed in part using harmonized Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) methods and test guidelines.
Integration of such extensive NM information sources with the latest nanoinformatics methods will allow NanoSolveIT to model the relationships between NM structure (morphology), properties and their adverse effects and to predict the effects of other NMs for which less data is available. The project specifically addresses the needs of regulatory agencies and industry to effectively and rapidly evaluate the exposure, NM hazard and risk from nanomaterials and nano-enabled products, enabling implementation of computational ‘safe-by-design’ approaches to facilitate NM commercialization.
Hydrocarbons fuel our economy. Furthermore, intermediate goods and consumer products are often hydrocarbon-based. Beside all the progress they made possible, hydrogen-containing substances can have severe detrimental effects on materials exposed to them. Hydrogen-assisted failure of iron alloys has been recognised more than a century ago. The present study aims to providing further insight into the degradation of the austenitic stainless steel AISI 304L (EN 1.4307) exposed to hydrogen. To this end, samples were electrochemically charged with the hydrogen isotope deuterium (2H, D) and analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). It was found that deuterium caused a phase transformation from the original γ austenite into ε- and α’-martensite. Despite their low solubility for hydrogen, viz. deuterium, the newly formed phases showed high deuterium concentration which was attributed to the increased density of traps. Information about the behaviour of deuterium in the material subjected to external mechanical load was gathered. A four-point-bending device was developed for this purpose. This allowed to analyse in-situ pre-charged samples in the ToF-SIMS during the application of external mechanical load. The results indicate a movement of deuterium towards the regions of highest stress.