Analytische Chemie
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Eingeladener Vortrag
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Die Prüfprobleme bei Verbundwerkstoffen sind im wesentlichen bestimmt durch die Zweckbestimmung des betreffenden Gegenstandes, die materielle und organisatorische Basis für die Verwirklichung des Vorhabens, die untersuchende und vergleichende Auswahl geeigneter Stoffe und Verarbeitungsverfahren und durch die bestätigende und deshalb meist komplexe Prüfung seiner Funktion mit vorgegebenem Leitwert und darauf bezogenen Variablen bei oft nicht als Konstanten beherrschbaren Parametern.
Die erfolgreiche Lösung einer solchen Aufgabe setzt voraus die ausreichende Kenntnis physikalischer, chemischer, mechanischer und technologischer Eigenschaften von verfügbaren und preiswürdigen Stoffen und Stoffzuständen, deren Beeinflußbarkeit und deren Auswirkungen auf den angestrebten Zweck einschließlich erwünschter belangloser oder auch unerwünschter aber erträglicher oder zusätzlich zu kompensierender Nebenwirkungen. Dafür wiederum braucht man ausreichende qualitative und quantitative Vorstellungen über die mit der angestrebten Funktion zusammenhängenden physikalischen Vorgänge, mechanischen Anstrengungen und chemischen Einwirkungen in dem so bedingten Verbundsystem von Werkstoffen entsprechender Eigenschaften. Aufgaben dieser Art sind z. B. Konstruktionen für die Wandlung, Verteilung, Nutzung oder Abwehr von Energie für die Herstellung, die Verarbeitung und den Transport von Stoffen, für die Darstellung von Wohnung, Kleidung und Nahrung sowie jener materiellen und organisatorischen Voraussetzungen, die dem Menschen als Gesellschaftswesen und über den physischen Bereich hinaus dienen.
Hinweisende Beispiele zeigen, daß die Problematik der Prüfung von Verbundwerkstoffen am zuverlässigsten erfaßt und beherrscht werden kann, wenn die Kenntnis der Eigenschaften von Stoffen und Materialien dem konstruktiv zu behandelnden Funktionszweck entspricht, dadurch eine souveräne Auswahl im Sinne einer weiter reichenden Kombination einzelner hervorragender Eigenschaften möglich ist und das Geplante als geschaffene Wirklichkeit durch den prüfenden Versuch und die beobachtete Bewährung bestätigt wird.
Wirbelstromprüfung an Eisenbahnschienen - Integration der Wirbelstromtechnik in Ultraschallprüfzüge
(2004)
Eisenbahnschienen sind betriebsbedingt hohen mechanischen Belastungen ausgesetzt. Es ist notwendig, Schädigungen möglichst frühzeitig zu detektieren und hinsichtlich ihrer Schädigungstiefe zu bewerten, um sie durch gezielte Schienenbearbeitung (Schleifen, Hobeln, Fräsen) rechtzeitig zu beseitigen. Mit der bisher in Schienenprüfzügen eingesetzten Ultraschalltechnik lassen sich die Oberflächenfehler nur schwer detektieren. Eine Bewertung der Schädigungstiefe ist nicht möglich. Die Wirbelstromtechnik stellt als oberflächennahes Verfahren der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung eine ideale Ergänzung zur volumenhaften Ultraschallprüfung dar. Es wurde ein Wirbelstromprüfsystem entwickelt, das eine Detektion und Tiefenbewertung von Oberflächenfehlern bei einer Prüfgeschwindigkeit von bis zu 100 km/h und einem Messpunktabstand von 1 mm ermöglicht. Das Wirbelstromsystem kann in das vorhandene Ultraschallsystem integriert werden. Dieses beginnt mit der Übernahme der Dateinamen zur Speicherung der Messdaten, dem synchronen Start und Stopp der Messung, Ortssynchronisation über gemeinsamen Wegtakt und externe Kilometrierung bis hin zur gemeinsamen Darstellung der Prüfergebnisse. Die unterschiedlichen Ultraschallsysteme der verschiedenen Prüfzüge erfordern eine flexible Konfigurierbarkeit der Schnittstelle (Digital-IO, LAN). Wegen des enormen Umfanges der Urdaten ist es erforderlich, die Auswertung der Wirbelstromdaten so weit wie möglich zu automatisieren. Als Ergebnis der automatisierten Auswertung erhält der Prüfer Angaben über Lage, Art und Häufigkeit von Fehlern sowie die maximale Schädigungstiefe. Nebenbei ist das Wirbelstromsystem auch in der Lage, Schweißnähte in den Schienen zu detektieren. Da die Schweißnähte auch optisch zu erkennen sind, stellen sie ein wichtiges Merkmal zum Auffinden von Fehlstellen dar.
Following to a brief introduction of BAM the procedures are explained how to prepare reference materials in analytical chemistry. Examples are given for collecting and presenting data in welding, thermomechanical properties and tribology. The use of data for modelling safety in technology and chemistry is demonstrated. Finally there is in outlook on the World Materials Research Institut Forum (WMRIF) and recommendations for action.
A GPR antenna array was investigated for automated measurement of wave propagation velocity as a measure of the ballast quality. This goes beyond the regular application of conventional radar systems offering only qualitative structural information. The new approach provides a fast NDT method for the classification of ballast fouling. A main advantage of the multi-offset radar is that regular ballast digging for velocity evaluation can be avoided and travel time can be directly transformed into an equivalent depth by using the automatically evaluated velocity. Fast monitoring of ballast fouling condition can reduce maintenance cost significantly by supporting the works necessary for ballast cleaning and furthermore this method reduces interruption time for a better railway service.
Declining European natural gas resources and increasing legislation mean that diversification towards ‘non-conventional gases’ is essential. Accurate and traceable measurements of the composition of non- conventional gases are required to ensure gases can be transported in existing pipeline networks, and used with existing appliances. The EMRP ‘Characterisation of energy gases’ project is successfully developing a metrology infrastructure to underpin these measurements. New standards and methods have been developed for biogas composition, biogas impurities, coal mine gases, refinery gases and environmentally-friendly odorants. The project is set to conclude in 2013 with the challenging analysis of a series of real non-conventional gas samples.
Am Beispiel der Ertüchtigung einer Brücke in Bremen wird gezeigt, wie mit den zerstörungsfreien Prüfverfahren (ZfP) Radar- und Ultraschall die genau Lage vorgespannte Bewehrung gefunden bzw. bestätigt werden kann. Im Rahmen von Ertüchtigungsmaßnahmen an Spannbetonbrücken werden häufig Kernbohrungen durchgeführt, die die vorhandenen Spannbewehrungen nicht beschädigen dürfen. Es wird die Vorgehensweise beschrieben, wie mit ZfP ein wesentlicher Beitrag geleistet wird, das Risiko einer Beschädigung zu minimieren und somit eine bessere Planungssicherheit für die Ertüchtigungsmaßnahmen zu schaffen. Dabei werden auch die Grenzen der bei den Verfahren aufgezeigt.
The presentation was an invited talk for the final meeting of the Mara Nord Project. Projects purpose is to demonstrate the potential of GPR method use in road condition measurement and rehabilitation planning to the Nordic market. This will be achieved through cooperation between Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The presentation gives an overview of road condition measurement and rehabilitation planning in Germany and several different kind of GPR applications in Germany.
Applications of X-ray refraction to non-destructive characterization of ceramics and composites
(2013)
X-ray refraction is analogous to visible light deflection by matter, with two main differences: 1- convex objects cause divergence (i.e., the refraction index n is smaller than 1), and 2- deflection angles are very small, from a few seconds to a few minutes of arc (i.e., n is near to 1). Trivially but importantly, deflection of X-rays is also sensitive to the orientation of the object boundaries. These features make X-ray refraction techniques extremely suitable to a) detect defects such as pores and microcracks, and quantify their densities in bulk (light) materials, and b) evaluate porosity and particle properties such as orientation, size, and spatial distribution (by mapping). While X-ray refraction techniques cannot in general image single defects, their detectability is simply limited by the wavelength of the radiation.
We will thereby show the application of X-ray refraction 2D mapping (topography) and tomography to different sorts of problems in ceramic science and technology: 1) Sintering of SiC green bodies; 2) Porosity analysis in diesel particulate filter silicates; 3) fiber de-bonding in metal and polymer matrix composites; 4) micro-cracking of glass-precursor -eucryptite. We will see that the use of X-ray refraction analysis yields quantitative results, also directly usable in available models.
Symmetry and Euler angles
(2014)
Computational Advances
(2014)
Schlaffe und vorgespannte Bewehrungen in Stahlbetonbauwerken lassen sich in einer Tiefe von etwa 30 – 35 cm gut mit dem Radarverfahren orten. In der Praxis zeigt sich aber häufig, daß der zeitliche Aufwand für eine Radarmessung stark variieren kann. Gründe dafür sind zum einen die Komplexität der Bewehrung im Betonbauteil, zum anderen aber auch die Unsicherheit des Anwenders bei der Durchführung der Radarmessung. Die Frage, ob die Bewehrung schon mit der Messung entlang einer einzelnen Messlinie gefunden werden kann, oder ob eine flächige Messung notwendig ist, kann häufig nicht schnell und einfach beantwortet werden.
Bei flächigen Radarmessungen ist ein wesentlicher Punkt dabei die Frage, wie dicht das Messraster sein soll. In der Praxis stellt sich häufig im Nachhinein heraus, daß ein weniger dichtes Raster mit einem Messlinienabstand von 10 cm oder 20 cm statt eines dichteren Rasters von z. B. 5 cm Messlinienabstand keine merkliche Verschlechterung des Ergebnisses beim Orten der Bewehrung liefert. Der zeitliche Aufwand für eine Radarmessung kann sich deshalb bei einer aufgabenbezogenen Wahl des Messrasters im Vergleich zur ursprünglichen Messung um deutlich mehr als die Hälfte verringern. Seltener tritt in der Praxis der Fall auf, daß ein Messraster zu groß gewählt wurde.
Anhand von Praxisbeispielen werden die Unterschiede von Radarergebnissen bei einer Variation von Messrastern gezeigt. Die Wahl eines aufgabenbezogenen Messrasters wird ebenso wie die Wahl einer geschickten Antennenpolarisation bei der Ortung vorgespannter Bewehrung betrachtet und der Einfluss der Antennenpolarisation auf den Aufwand der Radarmessung diskutiert. Abschließend wird ein kurzer Ausblick gegeben, was für ein Potential dichte Messraster trotzdem in der Forschung haben können.
Hydroformylation in microemulsions under mild reaction conditions is investigated using a Rhodium-based catalyst yields high selectivity of 98:2 of the desired linear product. A successful mini-plant operation for over 130 hours was performed. Online concentration monitoring of the system was done using 785nm Raman spectrometer.
Der Vortrag stellt die aktuellen Forschungsschwerpunkte zum Thema Prozessanalytik an der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) vor und nennt aktuelle Entwicklungsfelder mit dem Ziel gemeinsamer F&E-Projekte. Zunächst wird die Prozessindustrie und ihre Wertschöpfungskette vorgestellt. Daraus ergibt sich eine Motivation für Prozessanalytik. Zwischen der Prozessanalytik in der Pharmazeutische Industrie und der Chemischen Industrie bzw. Verfahrenstechnik gibt es Unterschiede, die herausgearbeitet werden. Der Vortrag schließt mit Technologiewünschen und Technologievisionen und nennt Konkrete Beispiele für Visionen für PAT, insbesondere im Kontext des Zukunftsprojekts „Industrie 4.0“
Die quantitative Bestimmung der Haftfestigkeit von Beschichtungen ist von entscheidender Bedeutung sowohl für die Entwicklung als auch für die Qualitätssicherung. In einer Vergleichsstudie zur Haftfestigkeit von optischen und ophthalmischen Schichten wurde mit Hilfe der Zentrifugentechnologie der Einfluss verschiedener Parameter (Substratdicke, Oberflächenvorbehand-lung, Haftvermittler) auf die Haftfestigkeit optischer Schichten auf silikatischen und ophthalmischer Schichten auf polymeren Substraten untersucht.
Zur Bestimmung der Haftfestigkeit in der physikalisch korrekten Dimension Kraft pro Fläche im Stirnabzug stehen die Ein-Proben-Prüfung mit der Zugprüfmaschine und die Mehr-Proben-Prüfung mittels Zentri- fugentechnologie zur Verfügung. Die Zentrifugentechnologie wurde ausgewählt, da die Prüfung von bis zu acht Proben unter nahezu identischen Versuchsbedingungen und somit eine statistisch gesicherte Bestimmung der Haftfestigkeit möglich sind.
Es konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass die Substratdicke einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die gemessene Haftfestigkeit hat. Dies entspricht den Erwartungen, da es sich bei der Haftfestigkeit um eine System- eigenschaft des Schicht-Substrat-Systems handelt. Bei den Delaminationsbrüchen (DF) konnte zwischen Delamination des metallischen Reflektors (DF-R) und Delamination des Dielektrikums (DF-D) unter- schieden werden. Im Fall hinreichender Haftfestigkeit der Beschichtung traten auch Adhäsionsbrüche am Interface zum und Kohäsionsbrüche im Klebstoff auf. Nachfolgende Untersuchungen werden sich mit alternativen Klebstoffen und weiterentwickelten Fügestrategien befassen.
Air-coupled ultrasound has been applied increasingly as a non-destructive testing method for lightweight construction in recent years. It is particularly appropriate for composite materials being used in automotive and aviation industry. Air-coupled ultrasound transducers mostly consist of piezoelectric materials and matching layers. However, their fabrication is challenging and their signal-to-noise ratio often not sufficient for many testing requirements. To enhance the efficiency, air-coupled ultrasound transducers made of cellular polypropylene have been developed. Because of its small density and sound velocity, this piezoelectric ferroelectret matches the small acoustic impedance of air much better than matching layers applied in conventional transducers. In our contribution, we present two different methods of spherical focusing of ferroelectret transducers for the further enhancement of their performance in NDT applications. Measurements on carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) samples and on metal adhesive joints performed with commercially available focused air-coupled ultrasound transducers are compared to measurements executed with self-developed focused ferroelectret transducers.
Introduction to PowderCell
(2015)
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi which have diverse detrimental effects on humans, animals and crops. Traceable worldwide in foods and animal feeds, these contaminants cause manifold diseases and extensive economic losses. Therefore, European legislation set maximum levels of distinct mycotoxins to minimize the risks for the buying public. But standardized food analysis techniques fail to detect masked mycotoxins, whose research increasingly moves to the fore in recent years. They are formed from detoxification metabolism of plants as well as from fungi, which conjugate for example with glucosides or dihexosides. All masked mycotoxins have one thing in common: They are not detectable with standard methods, thereby contributing to the overall exposure and pose an additional health risk for the consumer.
The dissertation work will focus on the following potential new group of masked toxins. Food safety relevant mycotoxins like zearalenone and ochratoxin A possess one or more 1,3-dicarbonyl moieties. Latter are principally able to form thermodynamically stable chelate complexes with metal cations. First investigations at BAM showed interactions between zearalenone and copper ions and it is conceivable that they possibly build a complex. Our main focus is now to identify, characterize and quantify 1,3-dicarbonyl mycotoxin metal complexes as potential candidates within the group of conjugated mycotoxins.
We will simulate processes of biotransformation and identify distinct metabolites by electrochemistry coupled to liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (EC-HPLC-MS). The obtained knowledge contributes to a better understanding of masked mycotoxins and an improved monitoring of foods and feeds, to ensure food safety.
Titanium dioxide is one of the most studied metal oxides due to its interesting chemical, surface, electronic and (photo)catalytic properties. These properties provide this material of multisectorial applications, ranging from healthcare, photocatalysis, smart materials with self cleaning and self sterilizing properties and solar energy harvesting (photovoltaics and water photosplitting). However it is difficult to correlate the functional properties of TiO₂ nanomaterials to the properties at single nanoparticle level due to the high polydispersity in shape, size and surface properties of the currently available TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) Although intensive experimental and theoretical studies have been conducted on the reactivity of different surfaces of metal oxides such as TiO₂ [1,2] much less attention is paid on the dependence of functional properties, like photocatalytic activity, dye adsorption, open circuit potential and fill factor in dye sensitized solar cells, on crystal facets in different orientations [3]. One of the goal of SETNanoMetro is the development of design rules to tune crystal facets of TiO₂ NPs in order to optimize and control functional properties. By tuning the ratio of different facets, the functional properties would be correspondingly changed. In the present work we have developed a series of design rules in order to obtain sets of anatase TiO₂ NPs with low polydispersity and to tune their shape and their size though hydrothermal processing of Ti(IV)-Triethanolamine complex in presence of different shape controllers (OH-, triethanolamine, fluoride). Through a careful experimental design the influence of many process parameters (pH, temperature, shape controller type and concentration) on the synthesis outcome (size, shape and polydispersity), a predictive soft model was developed. The model is able to predict reasonably well the synthesis outcome allowing to tune the shape factor from 5 (prisms) to 1.5 (bipyramids) to 0.2 (platelets). This allows to control the main crystal facets exposed ranging from (100) to (001).
The concreting of prefabricated concrete structures can lead to insufficient bonding or even to remaining cavities. Honeycombs (aggregate clusters without cement) represent potential weakening of the structure and need to be detected non-destructively. In our study we tested the capability of ground penetrating radar (GPR) techniques for this purpose. We applied GPR in reflection mode and zero-offset profiling (ZOP) transmission mode on a precast concrete twin wall with built-in honeycombs. GPR measurements were performed as two channel measurement with ground coupled antennas with centre frequencies of 1.5 GHz and 2.6 GHz mounted to an automated scanner system.
Our findings show that ZOP transmission measurements are a more efficient method to detect voids in reinforced concrete structures compared to reflection mode measurements. This holds for both the effort needed for the measurement and the evaluation as well as the validity of the data. Honeycombs (basically representing voids) are usually characterized by strongly reduced amplitudes and earlier arrivals of the transmitted wave.
This project aims to develop capacity to produce certified reference materials (CRMs) for environmental analysis by transferring know-how between the partners and combining their skills to focus on environmental CRM production. The production process includes good manufacturing practices for processing materials, method development, the validation and application of homogeneity, stability and characterisation tests, the calculation of individual uncertainties (between-unit inhomogeneity, long term stability, characterisation) and combination of uncertainties to determine overall uncertainty of the matrix reference materials. An inter laboratory comparison registered as a EURAMET project is set as the ultimate project outcome, confirming the partners’ capabilities in applying newly acquired skills.
Due to recent advances in technical developments of NMR instruments such as acquisition electronics and probe design, detection limits of components in liquid mixtures were improved into the lower ppm range (approx. 5–10 ppm amount of substance). This showed that modern NMR equipment is also suitable for the observation of hydrocarbon samples in the expanded fluid phase or gas phase. Since Quantitative NMR spectroscopy (qNMR) is a direct ratio method of analysis without the need of calibration it was used to determine impurities in appropriate liquid and liquefied hydrocarbon isomers up to C6, which are used for preparation of primary gas standards, e.g., natural gas or exhaust gas standards. At the same time it is possible to yield structural information with a minimum of sample preparation. Thus, cross contaminations between different isomers of the observed hydrocarbons and their (NMR-active) impurities can be identified and quantified.
In general, most quantitative organic chemical measurements rely on the availability of highly purified compounds to act as calibration standards. The traceability and providence of these standards is an essential component of any measurement uncertainty budget and provides the final link of the result to the units of measurement, ideally the SI. The more recent increase in the use of qNMR for the direct assessment of chemical purity however can potentially improve the traceability and reduce the uncertainty of the measured chemical purity at a reduced cost and with less material. For example the method has beneficially been used by National Measurement institutes for recent CCQM comparisons including the CCQM–K55 series of purity studies.
Traditional ‘indirect’ methods of purity analysis require that all impurities are identified and quantified, leading to a minimum of 4 individual analytical methods (organic impurities, water, solvents, inorganic residue). These multiple technique approaches measure an array of different chemical impurities normally present in purified organic chemical compounds. As many analytical methodologies have compound-specific response factors, the accuracy and traceability of the purity assessment is dependent on the availability of reference materials of the impurities being available.
qNMR provides the most universally applicable form of direct purity determination without need for reference materials of impurities or the calculation of response factors but only exhibiting suitable NMR properties. The development of CRMs addressing qNMR specific measurement issues will give analysts compounds ideally suited for the analytical method and also provide full characterisation of qNMR related parameters to enable more realistic uncertainty budgets. These materials will give users the tools to exploit qNMR more easily and enable them to speed up analytical method development and reduce the time and financial burden of multiple analytical testing.
The design of sample flow cells, commonly used in online analytics and especially for medium resolution NMR spectroscopy (MR-NMR) in low magnetic fields, was experimentally and theoretically investigated by 1H-NMR and numerical simulations. The flow pattern was characterised to gain information about the residence time distribution and mixing effects. Both 1H-NMR imaging and spectroscopy were used to determine the characteristics of flow cells and their significance for on-line measurements such as reaction monitoring or hyphenated separation spectroscopy. The volume flow rates investigated were in the range from 0.1 to 10 ml/min, typically applied in the above mentioned applications. When compared to those commonly used in high-field NMR, the special characteristics of flow cells for MR-NMR were revealed by various NMR experiments and compared with CFD simulations. The influence of the design of the inlet and outlet on the flow pattern was investigated as well as the effect of the length of the cell. For practical use, a numerical estimation of the inflow length was given. In addition, it was shown how experiments on the polarisation build-up revealed insight into the flow characteristics in MR-NMR.
Online NMR spectroscopy is an excellent tool to study complex reacting multicomponent mixtures and gain process insight and understanding. For online studies under process conditions, flow NMR probes can be used in a wide range of temperature and pressure. This paper compiles the most important aspects towards quantitative process NMR spectroscopy in complex multicomponent mixtures and provides examples. After NMR spectroscopy is introduced as an online method and for technical samples without sample preparation in deuterated solvents, influences of the residence time distribution, pre-magnetization, and cell design are discussed. NMR acquisition and processing parameters as well as data preparation methods are presented and the most practical data analysis strategies are introduced.
Reliable analysis of chemical indicators in water, sediment and soil samples for the purpose of environmental pollution assessment poses one of the greatest analytical challenges, having in mind the complexity of sample matrix and low concentrations of pollutants. Organics (pesticides, PAHs, PCBs, etc.) and heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb and As) represent target parameters. Laboratories performing sampling and tests in this field regulated by respective EU directives [1], need strong support in terms of providing them with appropriate matrix CRMs enabling the process of quality control. NMIs and DIs with proven metrological capabilities for the production and certification of such materials are necessary for the provision of quality data. This project is aiming to develop capacity to produce CRMs for environmental analysis by transferring the theoretical and practical know-how between the partners and combining their skills to focus on environmental CRM production in accordance with ISO Guide 34 [2]. Production process includes good manufacturing practices for processing materials, method development and validation for homogeneity, stability and characterisation tests, characterisation of selected analytes together with additional information about matrix constituents, the calculation of individual uncertainties (between units inhomogeneity, long term stability, characterisation) and combination of uncertainties to determine overall uncertainty of the matrix reference materials. Inter laboratory comparison registered as EURAMET project is set as the ultimate project outcome, confirming the partners’ capabilities in applying newly acquired skills.
Resolving overlapping peaks of multiple components. Relative primary analytical method - Fundamental relationship of qNMR.
Troubleshooting Samples Analytics:
Impurities in products: unexpected & unwanted occurrence, unknown identity, analytical method unclear, often various analytical methods, necessary, short response time important (< 1 d), benefits: allocation of its source within hours safes cost
• Investigations planned, coordinated and documented by TSA team
• Variety of analytical methods available
In recent years, elemental imaging of biological samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is gaining in importance. Latest improvements regarding spatial resolution (down to 1 µm) and washout time make LA-ICP-MS particularly interesting for single cell analysis.
Many current nanomaterials can serve as contrast agents in cellular or tissue imaging, drug delivery vehicles or therapeutics, whereas others can cause toxic effects. In order to evaluate nano-bio interactions, the number of nanoparticles (NPs) inside cells as well as their localisation within cellular substructures is of particular interest.
LA-ICP-MS was used to study the NP pathway from uptake, via intracellular processing up to cell division. Fibroblast cells were incubated with different metallic NPs under varying experimental conditions. For LA analysis the cells were fixed with formaldehyde and dried.
Our results show that LA-ICP-MS is able to localise NP aggregates within cellular substructures. The NPs accumulate in the perinuclear region in the course of intracellular processing, e.g. multivesicular fusion and endosomal maturation, but do not enter the nucleus [1, 2]. A strong dependence of NP uptake on concentration and incubation time was found. Additionally, the number of NPs internalized by individual cells was determined and variations within the cell population became visible.
A new laser ablation system providing a short washout time (50 ms) together with small spot sizes (< 4 µm) and high repetition rates allows high spatial resolution applications. First results of cell imaging will be shown.
The findings demonstrate the potential of LA-ICP-MS enabling insight into NP uptake and intracellular distribution dependent on experimental parameters.
Excelling in brevity but lacking in applicability, the 2011 EU nanomaterial definition has become a source of anguish for scientists and industry alike. Repeated pleas and discussions with our own envoy have demonstrated the strength of their resolve: this definition is unlikely to change. Manufacturers of many materials (cosmetics, pigments, foodstuffs, etc.) will have to characterise and label all their products accordingly, a task still impossible for lack of a clear metrological approach towards this goal. Therefore, the onus has fallen on the scientists to come up with a practicable measurement technique allowing inexpensive classification covering large swathes of the material landscape. Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) probes the size range in question, and can - with due care - deliver a bulk-averaged volume-weighted size distribution. Like any other real-world measurement method, however, it is not (and can never be) a universal solution. This presentation will clarify the SAXS technique, provide several application examples for nanomaterial characterisation, and will detail the limitations and pitfalls that accompany its abilities. At the end of this presentation, you will have the information to judge whether the technique is amenable to your materials or not.
Thermoresponsive polymers have shown great potential in applications such as bioseparation, drug delivery and diagnostic. Only few thermoresponsive polymers that present an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in a relevant temperature range, i.e. phase separate from solution upon cooling, have been reported so far. Moreover, the most studied UCST type polymers namely polybetaines are difficult to use under physiological conditions, which significantly restricts their potential applications. Therefore, UCST polymers with sharp and robust phase transition in physiological conditions (in the presence of salts, ions etc.) are highly needed in order to extend the range of applications of this class of polymers. Herein, a robust UCST-type copolymer of acrylamide (AAm) and acrylonitrile (AN) (poly(AAm-co-AN)) was prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and its thermo-induced aggregation behavior in aqueous media was studied. At temperature below the UCST, the copolymer chains were aggregated together. The aggregate size was found to be larger with increasing AN contents and became smaller upon dilution of the copolymer solutions. While above the UCST, the copolymer chains were expanded and weekly associated in solution. The association between the copolymer chains formed smaller aggregates with increasing the AN contents or the dilution of the solutions. A model is proposed to explain such aggregation-association behavior of the Fig. 1.
Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the proposed thermos-induced aggregation behavior of the poly(AAm-co-AN) in aqueous solution.
This lecture is an introduction to ICP-MS with a double focusing magnetic sector mass analyzer. It offers fundamental background, a thorough discussion of analytical features, and state of the art information on applications. Different types of double focusing instruments also are considered. Specific topics include fundamental aspects of ICP-MS (physical properties of a double focusing instrument, operational characteristics in comparison with quadrupole instruments); analytical characteristics (spectral and non-spectral interferences, figures of merit in low and high resolution modes, blanks and memory effects, HPLC and GC interfaces), and applications (industrial including ultra-pure reagents and alloys, environmental, geological, and biomedical materials).
The presentation gave an overview of the topic, the aims and the task allocation of the M-ERA.NET founded project named “Nanohype”.
In this project four research teams working hand in hand on computational modeling, synthesis and experimental validation to design novel metal-shelled Upconversion-NP combining plasmonic interactions.
As Ph.D. student at the BAM I am responsible for the optical characterization (measurements of lifetimes, Quantum Yields and PL emissions ) of these promising novel systems.
Analytical methods require efficient and versatile strategies to measure an increasing number of analytes that can be used in conjunction with established platforms like flow cytometry. Spectral multiplexing suffers from problems such as spectral crosstalk and often requires different excitation light sources increasing instrumentation costs. Thus, the number of distinguishable reporters with intensity-based barcodes is limited. An alternative can be lifetime encoding for discrimination of fluorophores based on their fluorescence decay kinetics.
We report on the suitability of µm-sized polymer particles stained with organic dyes for lifetime encoding. These dyes are excitable at a standard laser diode wavelength and detectable within a single spectral window. For lifetime-based discrimination, these dyes display sufficiently different luminescence decay kinetics. We present the spectroscopic properties of these beads and address challenges like the limited number of detectable photons in a flow for the reliable discrimination. These studies are expected to pave the road to new applications of fluorescence lifetime multiplexing for time-domain flow cytometry.
Industrial quality control (QC) nowadays requires the visualization of surface modifications from the macro-scopic to the microscopic or even nanoscopic scale. This is a prerequisite to the evaluation of functionality and reliability, the detection of defects and their separation of artefacts. The diversity of applications ranges from low-E glazings and solar panels, micro- and optoelectronics, micro- and smart devices to sensor-on-chip and lab-on-chip systems [1]. Optical microcopy (light, confocal laser scanning, white light interference) as established QC-tool is operated at normal incidence, i.e. p- and s-polarization are undistinguishable. Either light-intensity in terms of grey scale and colour or intensity-correlated effects of phase shifts are used. In case of ellipsometry, operated at oblique incidence, p- and s-polarization matter, and amplitude ratios and phase shifts upon reflection are measured. Hence, information content must be much higher.
The visualization of surface modifications may be very challenging for coating/substrate systems of either al-most identical optical constants, e.g. transparent films on substrates of the same material, or minor film thick-ness, substance quantity and affected area, e.g. ultra-thin or island films. Ellipsometry gives access to the con-trast of intensity (I), amplitude ratio (Ψ), and phase shift (Δ) with nanometer-scaled vertical and micrometer-scaled lateral sensitivity, one is able to identify tiny changes within an unmodified surface. As both mapping ellipsometry (ME) and imaging ellipsometry (IE) are operated in the optical far-field, surface inspection is also possible on the macroscopic scale. Near the Brewster-angle of the bare, undamaged, clean, and fresh substrate, the contrast to add-on and sub-off features is superior.
Fig. 1 shows three examples of ellipsometric imaging, i.e. a thin SnO:Ni film on SiO2/Si (Fig. 1a), a dried stain of an anti-body solution on cyclo-olefin-polymer (COP) shown in Fig. 1b, and a polyimide film residue on SiO2/Si (Fig. 1c). For all of these examples, ellipsometry provides much better contrast between substrate and surface modification than optical microscopy, sometimes primarily caused by the oblique incidence (Figs. 1a and 1c), in other cases related to the phase sensitivity of ellipsometry (Fig. 1b). Other examples are laser surface modifications and the corrosion of glass. In these cases, optical microscopy and IE yield to similar results, how-ever only ellipsometry gives access to modelling.
Further investigated coating/substrate systems are 100Cr6 steel, native oxide on silicon, borosilicate glass, and the polymer polycarbonate with deposited films of graphene and ta-C:H, printed and dried pattern of liquids such as water, cleaning agents, and dissolved silicone. Besides imaging ellipsometry, referenced spectral ellipsometry (RSE) has been applied, combining the advantages of both optical microscopy (fast measurement) and ellipsometry (high sensitivity to tiny modifications).
Photoluminescence techniques are amongst the most widely used tools in the material and life sciences, with new and exciting applications continuously emerging, due to their many advantages like comparative ease of use, unique sensitivity, non-invasive character, and potential for multiplexing, remote sensing, and miniaturization. Drawbacks are , however, signals, that contain unwanted wavelength- and polarization contributions from instrument-dependent effects, which are time-dependent due to the aging of instrument components, and difficulties to measure absolute fluorescence intensities. Thus, there is a considerable need for standards for intensity, spectral, and temporal fluorescence quantities to meet the increasing need for instrument performance validation and global trends to harmonize physicochemical measurements. In this respect, instrument calibration strategies together with different types of fluorescence standards are presented as well as design concepts for robust, easy-to-use, and format-adaptable fluorescence standards useable for the determination of different fluorescence parameters and a broad variety of fluorescence techniques.
Gas sensors are an important tool in various areas for example in industrial process control as well as Gas sensors are an important tool in various areas for example in industrial process control as well as safety applications or in research. A useful gas detector should be selective, precise, stable and cost-effective. In the present research a surface based gas detection technique is investigated using the SPR effect with ellipsometric readout. This technique is called surface plasmon resonance enhanced ellipsometry (SPREE).
The sensor consists of a gold layer (40 nm) top-coated with a doped metal-oxide (M:SnOₓ,
5 nm). The coating is added by magnetron sputtering with doped targets with different doping concentrations. It could be shown that, without the top-coating, these type of sensors can detect various gases, e.g. CO, H2, O2, O3, He, N2, with sensitivities down to the ppm range (in air).
The goal of the present study is to characterize the additional coating materials in dependence of the coating conditions. With the help of the doped-metal oxide, the sensitivity increases dramatically by a factor of 100. Additionally, a selectivity for specific gases is observed which depends on the doping conditions of the coating. Changing the properties of the plasma coating process and the doping metal gives access to a variety of different layers and enables us to find the best conditions.
Permeability estimation from spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements is based on a fundamental premise that the characteristic relaxation time (t) is related to the effective hydraulic radius (reff) controlling fluid flow. The approach requires a reliable estimate of the diffusion coefficient of the ions in the electrical double layer. Others have assumed a value for the diffusion coefficient, or postulated different values for clay versus clay-free rocks. We examine the link between t and reff for an extensive database of sandstone sampleswhere mercury porosimetry data confirm that reff is reliably determined from a modification of the Hagen-Poiseuille equation assuming that the electrical tortuosity is equal to the hydraulic tortuosity. Our database does not support the existence of 1 or 2 distinct representative diffusion coefficients but instead demonstrates strong evidence for 6 orders of magnitude of variation in an apparent diffusion coefficient that is well correlated with both reff and the specific surface area per unit pore volume (Spor). Two scenarios can explain our findings: (1) the length-scale defined by t is not equal to reff and is likely much longer due to the control of pore surface roughness; (2) the range of diffusion coefficients is large and likely determined by the relative proportions of the different minerals (e.g. silica, clays) making up the rock. In either case, the estimation of reff (and hence permeability) is inherently uncertain from SIP relaxation time.