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Revealing surface functionalities of micro- and nanoplastic particles’ surface by means of XPS
(2024)
Over the last 20 years, many researchers, politicians, and citizens themselves have become increasingly aware of the growing plastic problem of our time. Inadequate recycling concepts, collection points, and careless dumping of plastic products in the environment lead to an accumulation of plastic. External weather influences can cause these to degrade and fractionate, so that today microplastics (1-1000 µm, ISO/TR 21960:2020) [1] of different polymer materials can be detected in all parts of the world.
The precautionary principle applies to microplastics. The particles can break down further to form nanoplastics (<1 µm, ISO/TR 21960:2020) [1]. Whether microplastics or nanoplastics pose a toxicological hazard is being investigated in a variety of ways. Valid results are still pending, however, investigations into the frequency, transport, possible sinks and entry paths must be taken into account. This is why monitoring of microplastics is already required in the revision of the Drinking Water Framework Directive [2]. The same is still pending in the final version of the revision of the Waste Water Framework Directive this year, but is expected.
Nanoplastics are particularly under discussion for having a toxic effect on humans and animals, as these particles are small enough to be absorbed by cells. For targeted toxicological studies, it is important to have test and reference materials that resemble the particles found in the environment. To mimic environmental samples, these materials should also have an irregular shape and show aging at the surface, which can be detected with XPS or SEM/EDS.
BAM in collaboration with the EMPIR project "PlasticTrace" works on a reference material candidate of nano-sized polypropylene (nano-PP) [3]. The nano-PP vials were tested for homogeneity with PTA and further characterized with bulk and surface-sensitive techniques. An SEM image and a corresponding XPS spectrum are presented in Figure 1. Raman measurements as well as XPS indicate an aged surface.
Nanopipettes are a type of solid-state nanopore with needle-like geometry. Their applications range from imaging, sensing, diagnostics, and use as injectors. The response of nanopipette sensors is highly dependent on the size, geometry and chemical properties of the sensing region. As nanopipettes are increasingly tuned and modified for specific analytes, a better understanding of the surface chemistry and morphology of the inner channel is necessary. For exploring these effects, quartz nanopipettes were modified by gas phase silanization, a well-utilised technique in the field to enhance performance of nanopipettes, and further functionalised with a metal bis thiolate complex, to aid in chemical analysis. The inner channel of the sensing region was exposed with focused ion beam (FIB) milling as a dedicated sample preparation method for nanoscale surface analysis. The sample characterisation involved scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and low-energy energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results demonstrate the first steps towards full characterisation of nanopipettes at the nanoscale, notably with access to the inner channel. The methods used here can be applied to gain further understanding of the response of these sensors to complex analytes, and allow for the study of different surface functionalisation at the all-important sensing region.
Nanopipettes are a type of solid-state nanopore with needle-like geometry. Their applications range from imaging, sensing, diagnostics, and use as injectors. The response of nanopipette sensors is highly dependent on the size, geometry and chemical properties of the sensing region. As they are increasingly tuned and modified for specific analytes, a better understanding of the surface chemistry and morphology of the inner channel is necessary. With the aim of developing a comprehensive approach for characterisation of such nanopipettes, this research focuses on combining surface-sensitive analysis methods with advanced sample preparation techniques. Quartz substrates were modified by gas phase silanization, a well-utilised technique in the field to enhance performance of nanopipettes, and further functionalised with a metal bis thiolate complex, to aid in chemical analysis. The sample characterisation involved scanning electron microscopy (SEM), low-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Using focused ion beam (FIB) milling under gentle conditions, the inner surface of quartz nanopipettes was exposed whilst preserving the integrity of the overall structure (see figure). Owing to the challenging analysis conditions, modification and analysis of flat quartz substrates has been performed in parallel for optimisation purposes. The results demonstrate the first steps towards full characterisation of nanopipettes at the nanoscale, notably with access to the inner channel. The methods used here can be applied to gain further understanding of the response of these sensors to complex analytes and allow for the study of different surface functionalisations at the all-important sensing region.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a class of synthetic organofluorine chemicals extensively utilized in the manufacturing of various materials such as firefighting foams, adhesives, and stain- and oil-resistant coatings. In recent years, PFAS have been considered as emerging environmental contaminants, with particular focus on perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), the most prevalent type among PFAS. PFCAs are characterized by a fully fluorinated carbon backbone and a charged carboxylic acid headgroup. Notably, they have been designated as Substances of Very High Concern and added to the REACH Candidate List due to their persistence in the environment, non-biodegradability and toxicological effects.
Conventional techniques for the analysis of PFCA, such as GC-MS, HRMS and HPLC-based methods, are laborious, not portable, costly and require skilled personnel. In contrast, fluorescence assays can be designed as easy-to-operate, portable and cost-effective methods with high sensitivity and fast response, especially when analyte binding leads to a specific increase of a probe’s emission. Integration of such probes with a carrier platform and a miniaturized optofluidic device affords a promising alternative for PFCA monitoring.
Here, a novel guanidine BODIPY fluorescent indicator monomer has been synthesized, characterized, and incorporated into a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the specific detection of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The MIP layer was formed on tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride doped silica core particles for optical internal reference and calibration-free assays. Such system allows selective and reliable detection of PFCA from surface water samples, with minimum interference by competitors, matrix effects and other factors. Integration of the assay into an opto-microfluidic setup resulted in a miniaturized and easy-to-operate detection system allowing for micromolar detection of PFOA in less than 15 minutes from surface water sample.
Graphene and graphene-oxide (GO) are advanced materials which – similar to other graphene-related 2D materials (GR-2M) - are already used for instance in catalysis processes, biomedical applications, in inks and resins, or as composite materials for the aviation industry. The lateral/structural characterization of graphene oxide (GO) flakes is a challenging task, with steps like sample preparation, representative image selection and exact determination of the particle size distribution of well-defined size and shape descriptors being crucial for an accurate analysis. To ensure that safe-by-design principles are met within the various application fields, the commercial material must be thoroughly characterized and specified through well-known and standardized procedures.
GO flakes with different degrees of complexity were selected to assess the requirements for an accurate evaluation of their physico-chemical properties. These samples show inherent features with complex nanoscale characteristics such as porosity and edge roughness; further, the lateral size (quantified via equivalent circular diameter (ECD), minimum Feret and maximum Feret) of isolated and overlapping particles deposited on a substrate span over several orders of magnitude (nano to micron scale). The samples showed different degrees of agglomeration (and possible aggregation) with sizes ranging between submicron to a few tens of micrometers.
One focus is the automated segmentation and evaluation of images obtained by electron microscopy. The GO samples appear translucent with well-defined contrast between single and overlapping flakes both with the secondary electron detector of type InLens as well as with SEM in the transmission mode (STEM) utilizing a dedicated sample holder. To this end it is of utmost importance for the accurate image segmentation to carefully select thresholds both manually and through semi-automatic approaches using well-known threshold algorithms such as “IsoData” and pre-defined segmentation applications such as the ParticleSizer software package.
Further specific challenges in identifying and extracting key features of selected graphene oxide flakes are being discussed and approaches towards accurate and representative characterization are presented.
Knowledge representation in the materials science and engineering (MSE) domain is a vast and multi-faceted challenge: Overlap, ambiguity, and inconsistency in terminology are common. Invariant and variant knowledge are difficult to align cross-domain. Generic top-level semantic terminology often is too abstract, while MSE domain terminology often is too specific.
This poster presents an approach to create and maintain a comprehensive and intuitive MSE-centric terminology by developing a mid-level ontology–the PMD core ontology (PMDco)–via MSE community-based curation procedures.
The PMDco is designed in direct support of the FAIR principles to address immediate needs of the global experts community and their requirements. The illustrated findings show how the PMDco bridges semantic gaps between high-level, MSE-specific, and other science domain semantics, how the PMDco lowers development and integration thresholds, and how to fuel it from real-world data sources ranging from manually conducted experiments and simulations as well as continuously automated industrial applications.
This study provides insights into the properties of 316L stainless steel produced by additive manufacturing using fused filament fabrication (FFF). One key finding is particularly noteworthy: in significant contrast to cold-rolled 316L, FFF316L develops a pronounced martensite phase after fabrication. The comprehensive comparative analysis shows that FFF316L not only retains the ferrite volume content, but that this is also significantly influenced by the build-up direction. Despite the sintering process, which typically involves densification of the material, a pore volume fraction of 8.45 % remains, which influences the mechanical properties. Although FFF316L has lower elastic
modulus and tensile strength values compared to cold-rolled 316L, its ductility is still competitive. The study further reveals that deformation-induced martensite forms at the intersections of the deformation twins and ferrite islands form at the grain boundaries during the compression and sintering phases. These findings highlight the challenges associated with FFF316L in specific application fields and signal the need to continue to carefully evaluate and improve the development of manufacturing technologies.
Lithium-ion batteries are a key technology for tackling challenges in energy and climate crisis, but up to 30 % are discarded right after production. Quality is closely related to the homogeneity of the used materials and coatings. Fluorine compounds, both in the polymer and from degradation of the electrolyte, are of special interest for the formation and aging of LIBs. Glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) emerged as a fast and convenient method for depth-profiling of battery materials. However, fluorine remains a spectroscopic challenge due to a high excitation energy and only few strong emission lines in the UV/Vis spectral range.
We investigated the partial substitution of argon with neon in the plasma gas. The main emission line at 685.603 nm was monitored by both photo multiplier tube (PMT) with Czerny-Turner monochromator at 20 µm slit-size, and charge-coupled device (CCD) with 1200 lines/mm grating. For calibration, we used a set of hot-pressed copper cylinders with varying calcium fluoride amount fraction, ranging from 1.6 % to 4.4 %. Plasma gas mixtures with a mole fraction of 5 %, 10 % and 20 % neon in argon were used. Sensitivity in comparison to pure argon was increased by factor 4, 7 and 14, respectively. In general, PMT detection was more sensitive than CCD. As expected, sputter rates decreased with higher neon content in the plasma gas. Depth-profiling of the cathodes was performed in pulsed mode at constant voltage and pressure, which resulted in stable plasma conditions. We achieve matrix-independent quantitative information on fluorine distribution by correction based on sputter rates.
This advancement in GD-OES provides a more accurate analytical approach for evaluating the homogeneity of lithium-ion battery materials, potentially leading to more sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing processes.
For a deep process understanding of the laser powder bed fusion process (PBF-LB/M), recording of the occurring surface temperatures is of utmost interest and would help to pave the way for reliable process monitoring and quality assurance. A notable number of approaches for in-process monitoring of the PBF-LB/M process focus on the monitoring of thermal process signatures. However, due to the elaborate calibration effort and the lack of knowledge about the occurring spectral directional emissivity, only a few approaches attempt to measure real temperatures. In this study, to gain initial insights into occurring in the PBF-LB/M process, measurements on PBF-LB/M specimens and metal powder specimens were performed for higher temperatures up to T = 1290 °C by means of the emissivity measurement apparatus (EMMA) of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE, Wuerzburg, Germany). Also, measurements at ambient temperatures were performed with a suitable measurement setup. Two different materials—stainless steel 316L and aluminum AlSi10Mg—were examined. The investigated wavelength λ ranges from the visible range (λ-VIS = 0.40–0.75 µm) up to the infrared, λ = 20 µm. The influence of the following factors were investigated: azimuth angle φ, specimen temperature TS, surface texture as for PBF-LB/M surfaces with different scan angles α, and powder surfaces with different layer thicknesses t.
This paper outlines significant advancements in our previously developed aerial gas tomography system, now optimized to reconstruct 2D tomographic slices of gas plumes with enhanced precision in outdoor environments. The core of our system is an aerial robot equipped with a custom-built 3-axis aerial gimbal, a Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) sensor for CH4 measurements, a laser rangefinder, and a wide-angle camera, combined with a state-of-the-art gas tomography algorithm. In real-world experiments, we sent the aerial robot along gate-shaped flight patterns over a semi-controlled environment with a static-like gas plume, providing a welldefined ground truth for system evaluation. The reconstructed cross-sectional 2D images closely matched the known ground truth concentration, confirming the system’s high accuracy and reliability. The demonstrated system’s capabilities open doors for potential applications in environmental monitoring and industrial safety, though further testing is planned to ascertain the system’s operational boundaries fully.
Following the new paradigm of materials development, design, and optimization, digitalization is the main goal in materials sciences and engineering (MSE) which imposes a huge challenge. In this respect, the quality assurance of processes and output data as well as the interoperability between applications following FAIR principles are to be ensured. For storage, processing, and querying of data in contextualized form, Semantic Web technologies (SWT) are used since they allow for machine-actionable and human-readable knowledge representations needed for data management, retrieval, and (re)use.
The project ‘platform MaterialDigital’ (PMD) aims to bring together and support interested parties from both industrial and academic sectors in a sustainable manner in solving digitalization tasks and implementing digital solutions. Therefore, the establishment of a virtual material data space and the systematization of the handling of hierarchical, process-dependent material data are focused. Core points to be dealt with are the development of agreements on data structures and interfaces implemented in distinct software tools and to offer users specific support in their projects. Furthermore, the platform contributes to a standardized description of data processing methods in materials research. In this respect, selected MSE methods are semantically represented on a prototypical basis which are supposed to serve as best practice examples with respect to knowledge representation and the creation of knowledge graphs used for material data.
Accordingly, this poster presentation illustrates demonstrators developed and deployed within the PMD project. Semantically anchored using the mid-level PMD Core Ontology (PMDco), they address data transformation leading to a novel data management which is based on semantic integrated data. The PMD data acquisition pipeline (DAP), which is fueled by traditional, diverse data formats, and a pipeline applying an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) as data source are displayed. Additionally, the efficient combination of diverse datasets originating from different sources is demonstrated by the representation of a use case dealing with the well-known Orowan relation.
Multiphoton lithography (MPL), an emerging microfabrication technique, shows great potential in a variety of applications ranging from tissue engineering to soft micro-robotics. Fabricated micro-objects often are expected to undergo shape morphing or bending. Furthermore, ensuring precise property tuning becomes detrimental for the functionality of MPL microstructures. Herein, we present novel MPL materials based on interpenetrating networks (IPNs), which effectively combine the advantages of acrylate and epoxy thermoset systems. A library of 3D MPL IPN microstructures with high 3D structural stability and tailored thermal and micromechanical properties is achieved. MPL laser velocity and fabrication power can be used to tune the morphology and therefore properties of IPN. New IPN microstructures with materials Young's moduli of 4 to 6 MPa demonstrate susceptibility to deformation with high to fully elastic response. Such soft elastic materials hold immense promise within morphable microsystems, soft micro-robotics and cell engineering applications.
Fully automated and decentralized fused filament fabrication of ceramics for remote applications
(2024)
Manufacturing of ceramic components in remote (i.e., geographically isolated) settings poses significant challenges where access to conventional manufacturing facilities is limited or non-existent. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) enables the rapid manufacturing of ceramic components with complex geometries. Parts formed by FFF require subsequent debinding and sintering to reach full density. Debinding and sintering are typically executed in separate steps with different equipment, necessitating extensive human handling which hinders process automation and may be challenging for the operator in isolated environments. This poster presents an innovative approach: the integration of all process steps into a single, fully automated system, streamlining the process and minimizing human involvement. Our system combines a dual extrusion filament printer with a porous and heat-resistant ceramic print bed. The porous print bed enables mechanical interlocking of the first printed layers, ensuring adhesion and structural integrity during FFF. Ceramic parts are printed onto thin sacrificial rafts, which are built using an interface material with the same binder as the ceramic filament. After the print is completed, the heat-resistant print bed with all parts is transferred seamlessly with a carrier system into a high-temperature furnace for debinding and sintering. During sintering the sacrificial raft is disintegrated, allowing for unconstrained sintering of the ceramic parts and easy removal of the finished parts. In conclusion, our integrated approach enables significant advancements in the fabrication of complex ceramic components in remote environments with increased efficiency and minimal human handling.
Since microplastics (MPs) can be found everywhere and are becoming a problem of high concern, it is necessary to understand their occurrence and fate in the environment. However, to obtain data of high quality is very challenging, since measurement operating procedures differ from laboratory to laboratory. Currently, there are no standardized methods to analyze microplastics. One promissing possibility to adress standardization of the methodology and operating procedures are interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs). In this contribution we report the first results of an ILC on microplastic detection methods organized under the pre-stantdardisation plattform of VAMAS (www.vamas.org/twa45/) as Project 2 “Development of standardized methodologies for characterisation of microplastics with microscopy and spectroscopy methods”, within the Technical Working Area TWA 45 “Micro and Nano Plastics in the Environment”. The ILC has gathered 84 participants all over the world representing all continents. BAM, as the project leader, produced a set of reference microplastic materials, which have been distributed to all the participants together with the measurement protocols and reporting data templates.
Microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNP) are spread all over the world in various types, shapes and sizes making it very challenging to accurately analyse them. Each sampling procedure, sample preparation method and detection technique needs suitable reference materials to validate the method for accurate results. Furthermore, the effects of these MNPs should be evaluated by risk and hazard assessment with test particles close to reality. To better understand MNP behavior and aid in clarification of their interactions with organisms, we produced several MNP materials by top-down procedure and characterized their properties. Since surface properties mostly determine particles’ toxicity, the aim of the present study was to determine which functional groups are present on MNPs and how the surface can be affected by the production process and particle’s environment.
Monitoring of microplastics in food matrices is crucial to determinate the human exposure. By direct ingestion microplastics could be released in the food during the production, through packaging and by consumer’s use. The absence of standard methods to quantify and detect different size range and type of microplastics has led to difficult and time consuming procedural steps, poor accuracy and lack of comparability. In this work, matrix characterization and laboratory experiments were used to investigate the efficiency of sample preparation in milk powder. This information is crucial to compile a standard procedure for sample preparation and digestion of common milk powder to detect different particle sizes and types of polymers. Charaterisation is done by TGA and TOC measurements.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) enable a large variety of different surface functionalizations for applications in the fields of optics, fluidics, tribology, or medicine. Moreover, high spatial frequency LIPSS (HSFL) provide an appealing and straightforward way for the generation of surface nanostructures featuring spatial periods even below 100 nm – far beyond the optical diffraction limit. However, the imposed surface functionalities are usually caused by both, topographic and chemical surface alterations. For exploring these effects in detail, multi-method characterization was performed here for HSFL processed on Ti-6Al-4V alloy upon irradiation with near-infrared ps-laser pulses (1030 nm wavelength, ~1 ps pulse duration, 1 – 400 kHz pulse repetition rate) under different scan processing conditions. The subsequent sample characterization involved morphological and topographical investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), stylus profilometry (SP), as well as near-surface chemical analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and depth-profiling time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The results allow to qualify the laser ablation depth, the geometrical HSFL characteristics and provide detailed insights into the depth extent and the nature of the ps-laser-induced near-surface oxidation arising from the laser-processing in ambient air and into the relevance of heat-accumulation effects at high pulse repetition rates. Moreover, the direct comparison of the HAXPES and XPS data reveals the role of surface-covering organic contaminants adsorbed from the ambient atmosphere without ion-sputter depth profiling. Furthermore, reduction of the oxides by sputtering can be avoided.
Nowadays, people spend most of their time indoors. Thus, a good indoor air quality is important. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from furniture and building materials can cause health complaints1. Quantitative VOC-emission testing is carried out under standardized conditions in emission test chambers. In the presented project an emission reference material (ERM) is developed that emits a defined mixture of VOCs which is required for quality assurance and -control (QA/QC) measures. Porous materials (e.g zeolites, activated carbons, MOFs or aerogels) are used as reservoir materials and impregnated with VOC. The porous materials are selected, among others, by their pore size, pore size distribution, polarity and availability. Due to their regular pore structure zeolites are tested at first. For a prediction of the emission profile, the ERM is supposed to exhibit a constant emission rate over time. The aim is a stability of ≤ 10 % change in the emission rate over a minimum of 14 days.
Method
For impregnation, the material is placed into an autoclave inside a rotatable basket. The VOC is added and the autoclave is closed. Afterwards, CO2 is inserted. The closed system is then heated to the supercritical point of CO2 (31 °C, 73.75 bar). In this state, the CO2 acts as solvent for the VOC. By rotating the basket, the distribution of the VOC is ensured. After a few minutes, the pressure is decreased slowly and the CO2 is released. For the determination of the emission profile, the impregnated sample is placed into an emission test chamber. These chambers can be operated either with dry or humid air (50 ± 5 % rel. humidity). Every second to third day, air samples are taken and analyzed by gas chromatography. For an ideal impregnation, several different pressures and temperatures as well as impregnation times are tested.
Results
Two zeolite materials tested in dry air conditions reach emission profiles with a decrease of less than 10 % over 14 days (heptane and toluene, respectively). Further it was discovered that smaller pellets of the same zeolite show better results than bigger particles. When the pore size of a zeolite is too small, e.g. 0.3 nm, the VOC cannot be absorbed sufficiently. The main disadvantage of zeolites is their hygroscopicity because it has a large impact on the release of VOC when they are used in emission test chambers under standardized test conditions (23 °C, 50 % rel. humidity). Activated carbons have emission profiles with a larger change over 14 days. However, the high hydrophobicity allows measurements in humid air conditions which was not possible with the before mentioned hygroscopic zeolites. It is possible to impregnate powdered materials as well, and thus powdered non-hygroscopic (n.h.) zeolites were impregnated. Their emission profiles are comparable to those of the activated carbons. The use of methylated hygroscopic zeolites with a decrease in hygroscopicity did not yield successful emission measurements. The change over 14 days is calculated only for the stable phase (~250–300 h).
The desired stability of ≤ 10 % change of the emission rate over 14 days could already be reached under dry testing conditions. Further investigations under humid conditions show that zeolites with high Si/Al-ratios are non-hygroscopic and comparable to activated carbons (20–30 % change). The next step is to reduce the change in the emission rate of these materials to the aimed ≤ 10 % over 14 days.
Since nowadays people spend most of their time indoors, a healthy environment is essential. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from furniture and building materials are reported to cause health complaints. Therefore, the usage of low emitting materials will improve the indoor air quality. Quantitative VOC emission testing is usually conducted in emission test chambers under specified controlled conditions as described in DIN 16000-9 and DIN EN 16516.
For reasons of quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) and for a better comparability of test results from different laboratories, suitable emission reference materials (ERM) are needed. Here, it is important to have a homogenous material with known emission rates over a specific time. Different approaches can be found in literature, inter alia polymer films loaded with the target compound to be released again, or a lacquer material to which a VOC mixture is added. After curing of the lacquer, the material can be loaded into a test chamber. Drawback of those approaches are their relatively fast decreasing emission profiles. For QC/QA purposes according to the test standards, VOC sources with constant emission profiles are desirable.
The EU-funded research project MetrIAQ “Metrology for the determination of emissions of dangerous substances from building materials into indoor air” is working on a multi-component ERM with an envisaged instability of ≤ 10 % in the emission rate over at least 14 days.
Within a doctoral thesis porous materials are impregnated with VOCs. Supercritical CO2 is used as solvent. Thus, the impregnated material does not contain any solvent that may show a measurable amount of emission in the emission test chamber. Furthermore, CO2 has the benefits to have a good availability and low costs. For the selection of porous materials several properties like the pore size, the surface, and the interaction with the components in the atmosphere need to be considered. The impregnation method is optimised while the different porous materials are tested. For the selection of porous materials the pores need to be large enough for the VOC molecules, further influence of the pore size is tested.
SWIR luminescent nanomaterials – key chemical parameters for bright probes for in vivo bioimaging
(2024)
A current challenge for studying physio-pathological phenomena and diseaserelated processes in living organisms with non-invasive optical bioimaging is the development of bright optical reporters that enable deep tissue penetration, a high detection sensitivity, and a high spatial and temporal resolution. The focus of this project are nanomaterials, which absorb and emit in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) between ~900–2500 nm where scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence of the tissue are strongly reduced compared to the visible and NIR.
Zirconium chloro fluoride as catalyst for C-F bond activation and HF transfer of fluoroalkanes
(2024)
In this work1, we have successfully synthesised amorphous zirconium chloro fluoride (ZCF), which exhibits medium lewis acidity. In addition to investigating the local coordination sphere around the Zr atoms and the material properties, we were able to establish a catalytic behavior of ZCF in C-F bond activation reactions. We present the first heterogeneous catalyst that performs dehydrofluorination of a fluoroalkane and consecutive hydrofluorination of an alkyne at room temperature.
Interactions between a polymer and a substrate interface play a vital role in understanding the improvement in thin film material properties as well as serving as a model for nanocomposites. For any non-repulsive polymer-substrate interactions, polymer segments form an irreversibly adsorbed layer and show a slowdown in the glassy dynamics and thus an increase in the thermal glass transition temperature compared to the bulk-like values. The growth kinetics of the adsorbed layer showed a deviation for both poly (bisphenol-A carbonate) (PBAC) and polysulfone (PSU), two bulky polymers containing a functional group (phenyl ring) in the backbone.
Kemnitz et al. developed a fluorolytic route to access metal fluorides 2 such as AlF3 3 and MgF2 4 which possess a high surface area. In aluminium-based systems, the synthetic approach led to amorphous xerogels that can be further converted into Lewis superacids.3 Still, despite zirconium oxide being described as a stronger Lewis acid than other metal oxides 4 zirconium fluoride-based materials have only recently been reported or investigated. 6 In this work we extend the class of amorphous Lewis acidic heterogeneous catalysts to an amorphous ZrF4 that is active in C-F bond activation.
Currently, mandatory requirements and recommendations for the detection of irregularities in laser beam welded joints are based on classic micrographs as set out in the standard ISO 13919-1:2019. Compared to classic micrographs, computed tomography enables a non-destructive, three-dimensional and material-independent mode of operation, which delivers much more profound results. Even in building material testing, methods with limited informative value can be checked and supplemented by CT examinations.
The motivation and overall objective of the project are to develop electrocatalysts that are free of noble metals (e.g., Pt or Au) and are instead based on medium and high entropy alloys (MEA\HEA) of transition metals for the electrochemical reduction of CO2.
The MEA\HEA are multi principal element alloys (MPEAs) consisting of more than three elements with almost equal alloying proportions, forming solid solutions without intermetallic phases. In such a crystal structure, the individual elements are well mixed, and each atom has different nearest neighbours. In catalysis, especially in selectivity, it is precisely this atomic chaos that matters. Due to the large number of possible combinations of elements, these materials offer excellent conditions to tune their functional properties for specific applications.
Especially, catalyst systems in which Cu is combined with another metallic component show a significant increase in catalytic efficiency compared to monometallic systems. Since the catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability of electrocatalysts strongly depend on the size and surface, systematic studies on the influence of the organic stabilizers on heterogeneous catalysis are also of interest.
The focus of this project is to design Cu-based MEA\HEA electrocatalysts on the atomic level. For this purpose, base alloys will be prepared, processed into high-purity nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation, and tested as electrocatalysts.
Multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) nanoparticle electrocatalysts have the potential to provide a cost-effective and efficient alternative to noble metal electrocatalysts. The chemically complex nature and the high configurational entropy of MPEAs offer advantages in tailoring catalytic activity, product selectivity, and improved stability under harsh reaction conditions. Cu-containing bimetallic catalyst systems have already been demonstrated to lead to a significant increase in catalytic efficiency compared to monometallic systems. Thus, this project aims at the design of Cu-containing MPEAs and nanoparticle electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction reaction.
In this project, base alloys were prepared by means of arc melting with subsequent homogenization treatments and processed by pulsed laser ablation in water and organic solvents into high-purity nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Electrochemical testing was performed both on bulk alloy samples and nanoparticle film coated glassy carbon electrodes by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Nanoparticle coated electrodes have been investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) to assure a homogeneous distribution on the electrode surface. The presentation will summarize our initial results on the electrocatalytic activity of Cu-MPEA system for carbon dioxide reduction.
Wear behavior of innovative niobium carbide cutting tools in ultrasonic-assisted finishing milling
(2023)
The resources of niobium exceed the ones of tungsten by an order of magnitude. With 92%, Brazil is today the main global producer of niobium. Hence, niobium carbides (NbC) are a sustainable and economic alternative to conventionally used cutting materials, especially tungsten carbides (WC). Moreover, NbC can be used in Ni alloy matrix and thus offer significant advantages by substituting WC in Co matrix as cutting materials in terms of health risks and raw material price and supply risk. Based on recent studies which found an increased performance of NbC compared to WC cutting tools in machining higher strength steels, the composition NbC12Ni4Mo4VC was chosen for finish machining of a high-strength steel S960QL in this study. The experiments were carried out on an ultrasonic-assisted 5-axis milling machine using NbC tools specially made to benchmark them with commercially available coated WC cutting inserts. In addition, the influence of a coating system for the NbC inserts is tested and evaluated for its performance in the cutting process. Tool wear and cutting force analyses are implied to identify optimal parameter combinations as well as tool properties for the novel NbC tool. Together with the oscillation of ultrasonic-assisted milling, the loads on the component surface and the tool can be reduced and the wear behavior of the novel NbC tool can be refined. These milling tests are accompanied by standardized wear tests, i.e., pin-on-disc, between the aforementioned material combinations, and the results are correlated with each other. Finally, the behavior when using hard-to-cut materials such as Ni alloys, or innovative materials such as iron aluminide is also being tested, as these are constantly in the focus of machining optimization. With this strategy, comprehensive knowledge is achievable for future efficient application of NbC for milling tools, which have already been researched for decades using WC.
This study details a thorough analysis of leaky and waveguide modes in biperiodic diffractive nanostructures. By tuning diffraction orders and subsequently confining local density of optical states at two distinct resonance wavelengths, we present a highly sensitive refractive index biosensing platform that can resolve 35.5 to 41.3 nm/RIU of spectral shift for two separate biological analytes.
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are becoming increasingly important, not only for the manufacture of parts, but also as repair technology that complement existing production technologies. Powder bed fusion of metals by laser beam (PBF-LB/M) combines the freedom in design with high achievable accuracy, making it ideal as a repair approach. However, there are still challenges in adapting process for repair applications. When mounting parts inside PBF-LB/M machines, their real position within the build volume is unknown. One goal of a repair process is to minimize the offset between the base component and the additively manufactured structure to reduce additional rework. For a minimum offset between component and additively manufactured structure, the actual position of the component has to be identified with high precision within the machine coordinate system (MCS). In this work a process setup is presented that allows the actual position of a gas turbine blade to be detected inside a PBF-LB/M machine. A high resolution camera with 65 megapixel is used for this purpose. The presented setup is implemented on a SLM 280 HL PBF-LB/M machine. In addition to the setup, a novel repair workflow using PBF-LB/M is presented. The developed setup and workflow consider inaccuracies in the component and camera mounting, as well as process inaccuracies. This includes keystone distortion correction by homography. The machine setup and workflow are used to repair a real gas turbine blade. Subsequently the offset between the turbine blade and the additivley manufactured structure is validated by 3D scanning the repaired part. The maximum offset is 160 µm. The presented approach can be extended to other geometries and PBF-LB/M machine manufacturers. The high-resolution camera approach is platform independent, which facilates the market penetration of PBF-LB/M repair processes.
The main solidification parameters, namely the crystal axis, the growth rate, and the cross-sectional area of the columnar crystal control the primary microstructure and thus the final weld seam properties.
Limited understanding of solidification parameters due to complexities in experimental and theoretical weld pool boundary determination and
its mathematical description.
Application of local Lamé curves for efficient weld pool boundary reconstruction Derivation of general analytical solutions for the main solidification parameters of a two-dimensional columnar crystal growth during laser beam welding of thin steel sheets.
The Lamé curves approximation technique was successfully applied for the reconstruction of the rear part of the two-dimensional steady-state weld pool boundary. General analytical expressions for the main solidification parameters, namely the crystal axis, the growth rate and the cross-sectional area of the crystal were derived.
The derived expressions and herewith obtained results were verified and validated by comparing them to known theoretical solutions and experimental measurements. Dimensionless analysis of the influence of the size and shape of the rear weld pool boundary on the solidification parameters was provided.
The derived general solutions and the analysis provided allow for critical welding parameters to be estimated and adapted accordingly to improve the welding process.
Surface functionalized silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NP) gained great interest in the life and material sciences, as they can be used e.g. as drug carriers, fluorescent sensors, and multimodal labels in bioanalytical assays and imaging applications. They are highly stable, are easily produced and modified on a large scale at low cost and can be labeled or stained with a multitude of sensor dyes. These dye modified particle conjugates have several advantages as compared to conventional molecular probes like enhanced brightness, ease of designing ratiometric systems by combining analyte-sensitive and inert reference dyes, and increased photostability. Moreover, stained nanoparticles can enable the use of hydrophobic dyes in aqueous environments.
Here we present our work on multicolored sensors for the measurement of pH, oxygen and saccharides utilizing amorphous SiO2 NPs.
Electrocatalysis is and will continue to play a central role in the development of a new and modern sustainable economy, especially for chemicals and fuels. The storage of excess electrical energy into chemical energy by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is a feasible solution in this economic sector. A major drawback of electrical energy lies in the storage. Therefore, hydrogen is discussed as promising alternative. Fortunately, this issue can be effectively addressed through the implementation of chemical storage mechanisms. Due to their abundance on Earth and inherent stability in alkaline solutions, transition-metal oxides have become one of several viable alternatives to conventional noble-metal catalysts. Since FeNi oxide is one of the most active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrolysis, it has been the subject of extensive research.
A series of different types of FeNi oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with atomic ratios covering a broad range, and various sizes with specific stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric iron and nickel ratios was synthesized and characterized by the combination of surface analysis techniques, such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed the coexistence of mixed and unmixed iron and nickel NPs with comparable sizes in the range of 30–40 nm across all ratios. The synthesis technique displayed control over the iron-nickel ratio, as evidenced by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) data. The presence of magnetite (Fe3O4) was detected in all samples investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the existence of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) was shown in the Fe2Ni by XRD analysis. For the cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements, the NPs were deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes using Nafion® as an ionomer, and 1 M KOH was employed as the electrolyte. Subsequently, the NPs/Nafion® electrode was transferred into the ToF-SIMS chamber to allow surface analysis and depth profiling.
The ToF-SIMS analysis revealed distinct peaks corresponding to Fe, Ni, and other peaks associated with Nafion®, whereas a straightforward correlation between the Ni.Fe ratio and the SIMS peak pattern is not possible.
The catalytic activity towards OER was evaluated through CV measurements, where the Fe2Ni3 ratio exhibited the most favorable performance, displaying a lower overpotential.
Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) with various chemical compositions and surface functionalities are routinely fabricated for industrial applications such as medical diagnostics, drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, energy conversion and storage, opto-electronics, and information storage which improve the quality of life and European prosperity. NP function, performance, interaction with biological species, and environmental fate are largely determined by their surface functionalities. Standardized repeatable surface characterization methods are therefore vital for quality control of NPs, and to meet increasing concerns regarding their safety. Therefore, industry, regulatory agencies, and policymakers need validated traceable measurement methods and reference materials. This calls for fit-for-purpose, validated, and standardized methods, and reference data and materials on the surface chemistry of engineered NPs. Here, we present a concept for the development of such standardized measurement protocols utilizing method cross-validation and interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) with emphasis on both advanced measurement methods such as quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (qNMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and cost-efficient, non-surface specific methods like optical assays and electrochemical titration methods.
Electrocatalysis is and will continue to play a central role in the development of a new and modern sustainable economy, especially for chemicals and fuels. The storage of excess electrical energy into chemical energy by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is a feasible solution in this economic sector. A major drawback of electrical energy lies in the storage. Therefore, hydrogen is discussed as promising alternative. Fortunately, this issue can be effectively addressed through the implementation of chemical storage mechanisms. Due to their abundance on Earth and inherent stability in alkaline solutions, transition-metal oxides have become one of several viable alternatives to conventional noble-metal catalysts. Since FeNi oxide is one of the most active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrolysis, it has been the subject of extensive research.
A series of different types of FeNi oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with atomic ratios covering a broad range, and various sizes with specific stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric iron and nickel ratios was synthesized and characterized by the combination of surface analysis techniques, such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed the coexistence of mixed and unmixed iron and nickel NPs with comparable sizes in the range of 30–40 nm across all ratios. The synthesis technique displayed control over the iron-nickel ratio, as evidenced by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) data. The presence of magnetite (Fe3O4) was detected in all samples investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the existence of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) was shown in the Fe2Ni by XRD analysis. For the cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements, the NPs were deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes using Nafion® as an ionomer, and 1 M KOH was employed as the electrolyte. Subsequently, the NPs/Nafion® electrode was transferred into the ToF-SIMS chamber to allow surface analysis and depth profiling.
The ToF-SIMS analysis revealed distinct peaks corresponding to Fe, Ni, and other peaks associated with Nafion®, whereas a straightforward correlation between the Ni.Fe ratio and the SIMS peak pattern is not possible.
The catalytic activity towards OER was evaluated through CV measurements, where the Fe2Ni3 ratio exhibited the most favorable performance, displaying a lower overpotential.
Engineered and tailored nanomaterials (NM) are of great interest in the life and material sciences, as they can be used, e.g., as drug carriers, barcodes, fluorescent sensors, and multimodal labels in bioanalytical assays and imaging applications. Their performance and safety depend not only on their particle size, size distribution, and morphology, but also on their surface chemistry, i.e., the total number of surface functional groups (FG) and the number of FG accessible for subsequent functionalization with ligands or biomolecules, which in turn determines surface charge, colloidal stability, biocompatibility, and toxicity. It also underlines the importance of validated analytical methods that provide accurate information on these application-relevant physicochemical properties with a known uncertainty. In the case of FG quantification, this calls for robust, fast, inexpensive, and reliable methods which allow for the characterization of a broad variety of NM differing in size, chemical composition, and optical properties.
Methods
Aiming at the development of simple, versatile, and multimodal tools for the quantification of bioanalytically relevant FG such as amine, carboxy, thiol, and aldehyde functionalities, we investigated and compared various analytical methods commonly used for FG quantification. This includes electrochemical titration methods, dye-based optical assays, and other instrumental analytical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), and thermal analysis methods.
Results
Here, we will present examples for different types of NMs and FGs including results from a currently running interlaboratory comparison (ILC) with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to pave the road for method standardization.
Innovative aspects
• Surface analysis
• Performance and safety of nanomaterials
• Standardization
Knowledge representation in the materials science and engineering (MSE) domain is a vast and multi-faceted challenge: Overlap, ambiguity, and inconsistency in terminology are common. Invariant and variant knowledge are difficult to align cross-domain. Generic top-level semantic terminology often is too abstract, while MSE domain terminology often is too specific.
In this presentation, an approach how to maintain a comprehensive and intuitive MSE-centric terminology composing a mid-level ontology–the PMD core ontology (PMDco)–via MSE community-based curation procedures is shown.
The PMDco is designed in direct support of the FAIR principles to address immediate needs of the global experts community and their requirements. The illustrated findings show how the PMDco bridges semantic gaps between high-level, MSE-specific, and other science domain semantics, how the PMDco lowers development and integration thresholds, and how to fuel it from real-world data sources ranging from manually conducted experiments and simulations as well as continuously automated industrial applications.
Use of the solvent-free mechanochemical method for a sustainable preparation of pharmaceuticals
(2023)
With the growing interest in environmental issues on the part of governments and institutions, pharmaceutical industries are asked to reduce their environmental footprint. Given the major impact related to the use of solvents, the development of methodologies less solvent demanding is nowadays even more urgent. In light of that, mechanochemistry would be a suitable solvent-free technology since it promotes the activation of the chemical reactions between (generally) solid materials via inputs of mechanical energy. Since such reactions may occur outside the kinetic and thermodynamic rules of conventional solution chemistry, the main limit of mechanochemistry is the poor mechanistic understanding of the solid-state transformations involved, which is still hindering a widespread use of the method, as well a scale-up to the industrial level. However, the development of methods for real-time monitoring of the mechanochemical reactions enables obtaining (in)accessible information on reaction intermediates, new products, or reaction time, thus getting closer to a better understanding of the mechanistic behaviour. With the rules of this chemistry becoming increasingly clear, the new reaction pathways of mechanochemistry wouldn’t represent a limit anymore, but an asset, that may lead to lot of opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry.
A series of aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal based bichromophores is readily synthesized by Buchwald-Hartwig amination and Ullmann reaction in moderate to good yields. The aminated aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals are emissive in the solid state and in the aggregate, but not in solution, thus, they are AIEgens (aggregation induced emission chromogens). Aggregation is induced by fractional alternation of the solvent mixture, here by increasing the water fraction of ethanol/water mixtures. For most derivatives, the emission upon induced aggregation stems solely from the aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal chromophore, regardless whether excitation occurs at the absorption maximum of the triarylamine or the aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal. Therefore, a pronounced energy transfer from the triarylamine donor to the aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal acceptor can be inferred. The color of the emission can be controlled by choosing the para-aroyl substituent. A partial energy transfer could also be observed for some bichromophores, leading to aggregation-induced dual emission (AIDE). In addition, four examples of aminated diaroyl-S,N-ketene acetals were added to the compound library. The electron-withdrawing properties of the additional aroyl group provide a bathochromic shift of the emission band of the aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal. These bichromophores also show AIDE and in one case even aggregation-induced white light emission as a result of additive color mixing.
Algal biofilm façades are an alternative to traditional green façades which can help to improve biodiversity and air quality within cities. They present a low maintenance approach in which subaerial algae are grown directly on concrete substrates. The intrinsic bioreceptivity of the substrate is a critical factor in successful facade colonisation. Existing research has identified several environmental and material properties which influence concrete bioreceptivity, however a consensus has yet to be made on which properties are most influential and how the interaction between properties may promote algal biofilm growth under specific conditions.
Even after autoclaving for 2 weeks in the temperature range of 120 to 200 °C, CEM I paste with a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5 still contains some low-crystalline C-S-H. The conversion of low-crystalline C-S-H to crystalline is faster with increasing temperature. The observed low-crystalline and crystalline C-S-H phases (reinhardbraunsite, jaffeite) indicate that the samples have not reached equilibrium yet under these experimental conditions. However, there is a good agreement between experiment and thermodynamic modelling for the other solids indicating that the used datasets are suitable for this application.
We report the scale-up of a batch solid synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for reactive extrusion. The crystalline product forms in the extruder directly under the mixture of solid 2-methylimidazole and basic zinc carbonate in the presence of a catalytic amount of liquid. The process parameters such as temperature, liquid type, feeding rate, and linker excess were optimized using the setup specifically designed for in situ Raman spectroscopy. Highly crystalline ZIF-8 with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1816 m2 g–1 was quantitatively prepared at mild temperature using a catalytic amount of ethanol and a small excess of the linker. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of metal–organic framework (MOF) syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
Optimizing the Green Synthesis of ZIF-8 by Reactive Extrusion Using In Situ Raman Spectroscopy
(2023)
ZIF-8 is a prominent member of the zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) subfamily of MOFs which possesses high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stabilities. Different routes have been explored to achieve the large-scale production of ZIF-8. However, these synthetic procedures are often inconsistent with the principles of sustainable chemical manufacturing. Aimed at developing scalable and greener production of ZIF-8, we adapted our previously reported in-batch „mix and wait“ synthesis[2] to continuous extrusion. To optimize the process, in-situ Raman spectroscopy was applied. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of MOF syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
The synthesis of ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI equipped with an automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH, Switzerland) and peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). The process was monitored in six different zones using a Raman RXN1TM analyzer (Kaiser Optical Systems, France) with a non-contact probe head. PMMA screw-in parts, which are transparent to Raman laser radiation, were specially manufactured to provide the laser focus within the barrel. PXRD, TGA, N2 adsorption measurements, and SEM were used as complementary techniques to characterize the extrudates.
The batch ‘mix and wait’ synthesis of ZIF-8, consisting of bringing solid basic zinc carbonate and 2-methylimidazole in contact in a closed vial, was successfully adapted to reactive extrusion. The crystalline ZIF-8 continuously forms in the extruder under the mixing of solid reagents in the presence of a catalytic amounts of H2O or EtOH. The temperature, type of liquid, feeding rate, and excess of linker were optimized using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Pure and highly crystalline ZIF-8 was isolated at 40 °C by adding a catalytic amount of EtOH and a linker excess of 25%. The resulting material has excellent porosity with the BET surface area slightly exceeding that of the reference Basolite® Z1200 (1816 vs. 1734 m2 g–1). The reaction could yield ~ 3 kg d–1 assuming a continuous operation, with a space-time yield of ca. 67,000 kg m–3 d–1. The present method was compared to the published pathways based on Green Chemistry principles and proved to have the highest potential for large-scale production of ZIF-8.
Metal-organic framework-based biocomposites (MOF-biocomposites) are promising materials for biosensing, biocatalysis, and delivery of biopharmaceuticals. One of the most studied MOFs for bioapplications is ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework 8) due to its high surface area, high thermal and chemical stability, and low cytotoxicity. The conventional synthesis of ZIF-8-biocomposites called biomimetic mineralization includes mixing selected biomolecules 2-methylimidazole, and soluble Zn2+ source in water. Despite the high efficiency of the method, it does not allow for large-scale production and is restricted to hydrophilic biomolecules. Aimed at developing a scalable and versatile approach, we adapted our recently-reported ZIF-8 reactive extrusion for biocomposite production.
We selected bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an inexpensive model biomacromolecule for the preparation of biocomposites. The synthesis of BSA@ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI (Three-Tec Gmbh) at a mild temperature of 40 °C. Automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH) was used to supply the reagent mixture consisting of 2-methylimidazole, zinc source, and BSA. To initiate the reaction, a catalytic amount of EtOH was added using a peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). Powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the extrudates.
Highly crystalline and pure BSA@ZIF-8 with different BSA loadings was isolated after washing the extrudate with EtOH and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The EtOH feeding rate was optimized by following the protein encapsulation efficiency at a BSA mass fraction of 10%. A continuous extruder operation under optimized conditions showed good reproducibility and capability of producing biocomposites on the kilograms scale. These results provide highly valuable information for cheap and large-scale production of ZIF-8-based biocomposites. Due to the lack of restrictions on molecule size and solubility, our proof-of-concept study may significantly expand the selection of biomolecules for immobilization in ZIF-8, making the method applicable to various functional applications
The long-term global goals of achieving almost net zero carbon emissions in the next decades are closely linked to the development of highly efficient components in plant, process and energy engineering, and their sustainable and resource-saving production. Plant components must increasingly withstand tribological loads in addition to high thermal, mechanical, and corrosive stresses. Such combined stresses demand high-performance alloys economically tailored to the application for wear protection and components produced as semi-finished products, via additive manufacturing (AM) or claddings via deposition welding. For instance, the protection of special components made of less cost-intensive materials, e.g., steel in process engineering for screw machines or exhaust gas separation, is feasible applying cost-intensive Ni- or Co-based hard-phase claddings.
Today an increasing number of above-mentioned applications demand precise finishing machining of components to ensure defined compact surfaces with a high integrity and complex contours. Contour milling is standard process for finishing machining of metals. Especially, the desired properties of wear resistant materials (e.g., high strength, hard precipitations) imply significant challenges for milling processes and tools, leading frequently to uneconomic milling conditions due to intolerable high tool wear and surface defects. Inhomogeneous, anisotropic weld structures due to cladding or AM of wear resistance alloys lead to further deteriorations of milling processes due to unstable milling conditions and process forces during chip removal.
To tackle these challenges, already several approaches exist, (1) to enhance machinability of the claddings by alloy modifications to specifically influence solidification and hard phases morphology (precipitation shape, size, distribution) and (2) to achieve significant improvements of the machining situation (e.g., increase of tool life and surfaces integrity) by means of modern hybrid machining processes such as ultrasonic-assisted milling. This contribution shows a comprehensive overview of recent results with these promising approaches for additively welded Ni- CoCr-alloys.
Microplastics are solid polymeric particles with a size of 1-1000 μm (ISO/TR21960:2020), which can be emitted from mismanaged waste into the environment, where microplastic is now ubiquitous. What happens to the microplastics after ending up in the environment, which risks entail and what effects it has are not sufficiently clarified up to now. The most certain issue is that the plastic particles in the environment are exposed to natural ageing, are fragmenting and degrading, such that the potential risk to ecosystems and humans is increasing due to the formation of smaller and smaller particles, potentially even including nanoplastics, if these are ingested before their further degradation. Therefore, and in view of a possible registration of polymers under REACH in the future, it is necessary to investigate the degradation of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) regarding hydrolysis stability to evaluate possible risks and effects to the environment.
In the present studies, one thermoplastic polyurethane – with and without hydrolysis stabilizer – is exposed to different pH buffers at 50°C for 14 days to investigate hydrolysis depending to different pH values (acid, alkali and neutral) based on OECD guideline TG111. The hydrolysis behavior of the TPUs is characterized by surface sensitive techniques and on bulk properties. First degradation effects can be detected by SEC. Hydrolysis, especially under acidic and basic conditions, leads to chain scissions to lower molecular masses. Furthermore, the degradation products which indicate the structure of the bulk material were detected by thermo-analytical methods like TGA-FTIR for the small degradation products and the thermo extraction/desorption-gaschromatography/mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) for bigger degradation products. Acidic and basic hydrolysis shows the same degradation behavior which is caused by a preferred scission of the ester and urethane functionalities. Surface-sensitive techniques such as XPS demonstrate less carboxylic acid formation at acidic than at alkaline pH value in the TPU without stabilator, where as the TPU with stabilator ages to the same extent in both pH ranges. Altogether, the hydrolysis of TPUs – independently of added stabilizer or not – in acid and alkali environment is accelerated compared to the neutral hydrolysis.
Text Multiphoton lithography (MPL) has recently attracted significant research interest as a versatile tool capable of producing 2D and 3D micro- and nanoscopic features with high spatial resolution. The integrity of MPL microstructures, or their ability to respond to external stimuli, is of critical importance. However, achieving the desired properties of fabricated microcomponents for a specific application remains a challenge.
In this work, we present new MPL materials based on epoxy-acrylate interpenetrating networks (IPNs). We aim at 3D microstructures, whose properties can be easily tuned by varying the ratio of the IPN components and fabrication parameters (Figure 1). The resulting library of 3D microstructures was investigated for their thermal and mechanical properties using highly-sensitive space-resolved methods. Flash scanning calorimetry revealed the influence of both, IPN composition and fabrication parameters, on glass transition temperature and material fragility. AFM force-distance curve and intermodulation methods were used to characterize the mechanical properties with a lateral resolution of 1 micron and 4 nm, respectively. The deformation, stiffness and elastic behavior are discussed in detail in relation to the morphology. Moreover, we found that some 3D IPN microstructures exhibit fully elastic behavior. Our funding encourages the further development of IPN systems as versatile and easily tunable MPL materials.
To date, there are very few technologies available for the conversion of low-temperature waste heat into electricity. Thermomagnetic generators are one approach proposed more than a century ago. Such devices are based on a cyclic change of magnetization with temperature. This switches a magnetic flux and, according to Faraday’s law, induces a voltage.
Here we give an overview on our research, covering both materials and systems. We demonstrate that guiding the magnetic flux with an appropriate topology of the magnetic circuit improves the performance of thermomagnetic generators by orders of magnitude. Through a combination of experiments and simulations, we show that a pretzel-like topology results in a sign reversal of the magnetic flux. This avoids the drawbacks of previous designs, namely, magnetic stray fields, hysteresis and complex geometries of the thermomagnetic material.
Though magnetocaloric materials had been the first choice also for thermomagnetic generators, they require some different properties, which we illustrate with Ashby plots for materials selection. Experimentally we compare La-Fe-Co-Si and Gd plates in the same thermomagnetic generator. Furthermore, we discuss corrosion and deterioration under cyclic use is a severe problem occurring during operation. To amend this, composite plates using polymer as a matrix have been suggested previously.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are one of the most promising alternative green energy technologies that deliver high energy density without CO2 emissions. The proton conductivity of proton exchange membranes (PEM) contributes to the overall efficiency of a PEMFC. Materials being used as PEMs must exhibit high proton conductivity at the working conditions of the targeted PEMFC. To date, Nafion and Nafion-like polymers with acidic functionality are widely used as membrane materials due to their high proton conductivity in the range of 10-1 to 10-2 Scm-1 at higher relative humidity. However, these materials suffer from high costs, hazardous production process, and poor performance at high temperatures, limiting their versatility.
In this context, crystalline porous materials are recognized as promising proton conductors for the proton exchange membrane (PEM) in fuel cell technology, owing to their tunable framework structure. However, it is still challenging bulk synthesis for real-world applications of these materials. Herein, we present mechanochemical gram-scale synthesis of series of mixed ligand metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and metal hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (MHOFs) using phenylene diphosphonic acid and 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid with different bipyridyl type of ligands, respectively. In all cases, the existence of extensive hydrogen bonds with amphiprotic uncoordinated phosphonate hydroxyl and oxygen atoms, the frameworks exhibited high proton conductivity. The study demonstrates the potential of green mechanosynthesis for preparations of framework-based proton conducting materials in bulk scale for green energy generation.