Active multi-point microrheology of cytoskeletal networks

• Tobias Paust,
• Tobias Neckernuss,
• Lina Katinka Mertens,
• Ines Martin,
• Michael Beil,
• Paul Walther,
• Thomas Schimmel and
• Othmar Marti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 484–491, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.42

• migration, reaction to external influences and transport of vesicles. In this work we showed the theoretical idea behind the method, the experimental implementation and in addition its limits via calculations of the SNR. These preliminary results open a wide field of applications in all kinds of different

Determination of the compositions of the DIGM zone in nanocrystalline Ag/Au and Ag/Pd thin films by secondary neutral mass spectrometry

• Gábor Y. Molnár,
• Shenouda S. Shenouda,
• Gábor L. Katona,
• Gábor A. Langer and
• Dezső L. Beke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 474–483, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.41

• by grain boundary diffusion-induced grain boundary migration is investigated by secondary neutral mass spectrometry depth profiling in Ag/Au and Ag/Pd nanocrystalline thin film systems. It is shown that the compositions in zones left behind the moving boundaries can be determined by this technique if

• the process takes place at low temperatures where solely the grain boundary transport is the contributing mechanism and the gain size is less than the half of the grain boundary migration distance. The results in Ag/Au system are in good accordance with the predictions given by the step mechanism of

• grain boundary migration, i.e., the saturation compositions are higher in the slower component (i.e., in Au or Pd). It is shown that the homogenization process stops after reaching the saturation values and further intermixing can take place only if fresh samples with initial compositions, according to

Influence of calcium on ceramide-1-phosphate monolayers

• Joana S. L. Oliveira,
• Gerald Brezesinski,
• Alexandra Hill and
• Arne Gericke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 236–245, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.22

• kinase [1][2]. Several reviews about the function of C1P describe its role in a number of biological functions as cell growth, survival and mediation of macrophage migration and control of inflammatory responses [3][4][5]. According to the work of Chalfant and co-workers [6][7], C1P mediates inflammatory

Plasticity-mediated collapse and recrystallization in hollow copper nanowires: a molecular dynamics simulation

• Amlan Dutta,
• Arup Kumar Raychaudhuri and
• Tanusri Saha-Dasgupta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 228–235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.21

• with hollow core is thermodynamically unstable due to the internal free surface, and shows the tendency to collapse. The kinetics of the collapse has been assumed to proceed through the slow diffusive route, where the migration of vacancies from the hollow core to the outer surface is considered to be

• the dominating mechanism. Accordingly, analytical theories and Monte Carlo simulations based on the process of thermally activated diffusion process have been developed and carried out [12]. However, the proposed mechanism of collapse via migration of vacancies from the inner core to the outer surface

• , thereby discarding the proposed mechanism of a slow diffusive route of vacancy migration. On the other hand, the collapse is found to proceed through creation of disordered atoms and plastic slips. Upon collapse, the hollow nanowire becomes partially amorphous, which heals through the recrystallization of

Single pyrimidine discrimination during voltage-driven translocation of osmylated oligodeoxynucleotides via the α-hemolysin nanopore

• Yun Ding and
• Anastassia Kanavarioti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 91–101, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.11

• that migrates last, OsBp is neutral and migrates early. The reaction product (osmylated oligo) migrates ahead of the intact oligo. Oligo dA10dCdA9 used in this reaction was PAGE-purified with confirmed purity by CE at 97%. The small spikes, at about 1 mAU with no steady migration time, are due to noise

• comparable, but not identical, concentrations. Migration is in the order of intact oligo last, R2 early, and R1 in the middle. Traces are shown at two wavelengths, at 272 and 312 nm, to illustrate that DNA exhibits about 1% absorbance, whereas R1 and R2 absorb substantially, and R2 > R1. The detail in the R1

Self-organization of gold nanoparticles on silanated surfaces

• Htet H. Kyaw,
• Salim H. Al-Harthi,
• Azzouz Sellai and
• Joydeep Dutta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2345–2353, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.242

• physical properties such as enthalpy, mechanical modulus, dielectric constant and specific volume [31]. The migration of AuNPs observed here was due to the changes in its physical properties. Upon annealing under vacuum, sample substrates reached to transition temperature, though due to the absence of

Selective porous gates made from colloidal silica nanoparticles

• Roberto Nisticò,
• Paola Avetta,
• Paola Calza,
• Debora Fabbri,
• Giuliana Magnacca and
• Dominique Scalarone

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2105–2112, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.215

• surface and probe molecules are weak and labile interactions that can be broken by mild treatments. Also because of this, the membrane selectivity is here mainly attributed to steric effects, while specific interactions and adsorption phenomena have been ignored. In addition, the migration properties of

• the membrane were tested by applying an electric field as external stimulus. It was found that it is possible to accelerate the passage of both probes trough the membrane without any loss in selectivity. In fact, at the time value of 147 h the migration of MB is ca. 28%, showing an increase of 18

• % with respect to the plain diffusion, whereas for RNAse migration is ca. 13%, corresponding to an increase of 10% with respect to the diffusion. By making a comparison between diffusion and migration conditions, two main aspects deserve to be stressed. First, the application of an electric field

Formation of pure Cu nanocrystals upon post-growth annealing of Cu–C material obtained from focused electron beam induced deposition: comparison of different methods

• Aleksandra Szkudlarek,
• Alfredo Rodrigues Vaz,
• Yucheng Zhang,
• Andrzej Rudkowski,
• Czesław Kapusta,
• Rolf Erni,
• Stanislav Moshkalev and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1508–1517, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.156

• 150–200 °C all deposits showed the formation of pure Cu nanocrystals at the outer surface of the initial deposit due to the migration of Cu atoms from the carbonaceous matrix containing the elements carbon, oxygen, and fluorine. Post-irradiation of deposits with 200 keV electrons in a transmission

• annealing of Cu–C FEBID material from Cu(II) and Cu(I) precursors with respect to nanostructural changes and conductivity showing the potential of fabricating pure copper nanodots, from the as-grown amorphous Cu–C deposit. The thermal energy input favors the migration of Cu atoms to coalesce to pure Cu

• dropped by four to five orders of magnitude to hundreds of kiloohms. At the current densities, used in the experiments (less than 0.1 MA/cm2) the migration process of Cu atoms is rather slow. Gazzadi and Frabboni [47] reported grain formation and electromigration in Pt–C material at current densities

Atomic force microscopy as analytical tool to study physico-mechanical properties of intestinal cells

• Christa Schimpel,
• Oliver Werzer,
• Eleonore Fröhlich,
• Gerd Leitinger,
• Markus Absenger-Novak,
• Birgit Teubl,
• Andreas Zimmer and
• Eva Roblegg

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1457–1466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.151

• surface of the cellular membrane. The rosette triggers migration and phagocytic processes and shows a 5-fold decreased elasticity compared to podosome-free regions (nuclear area). This is in accordance with our study. Since M cells are also immune cells, it seems that the arrangement of the sparse

Formation of substrate-based gold nanocage chains through dealloying with nitric acid

• Ziren Yan,
• Ying Wu and
• Junwei Di

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1362–1368, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.140

• structure evolution mechanism are not clear. Therefore, the treatment with dilute HNO3 not only removes the residual Ag in the Ag–Au NCs but also initiates the migration of the nanocages. Conclusion In conclusion, Ag–Au NCs were produced through substrate-based galvanic replacement reactions performed on

The Kirkendall effect and nanoscience: hollow nanospheres and nanotubes

• Abdel-Aziz El Mel,
• Ryusuke Nakamura and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1348–1361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.139

• ]. The Kirkendall effect describes the motion of the boundary between two metals due to a thermally activated, unbalanced diffusion. Upon annealing of two stacked metals, A and B, at a temperature high enough to thermally activate the diffusion of atoms, atomic migration can occur at the interface where

• , vacancies are created and injected at the Co(core)/CoSe(shell) interface. The migration and agglomeration of vacancies result in the formation and merging of the initial voids located at the interface and extended along the Co core (Figure 4a). The increase in size of these voids was found to lead to the

• -diffusion coefficient of Ni (i.e., diffusion of Ni ions in Ni) (Figure 5f). Since this ratio is quite low compared to other metals, they concluded that the generation/migration rate of vacancies is well-balanced [32]. This led to the conclusion that when the generation and the migration rate of vacancies

Structural transitions in electron beam deposited Co–carbonyl suspended nanowires at high electrical current densities

• Gian Carlo Gazzadi and
• Stefano Frabboni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1298–1305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.134

• shows graphite planes arranged in a rounded cage structure with a hollow/amorphous-like interior. This carbon structure, strongly resembling the one of carbon-encapsulated metal nanoparticles [29], was probably hosting a Co grain before its migration. From this analysis, the effect of electromigration

Tattoo ink nanoparticles in skin tissue and fibroblasts

• Colin A. Grant,
• Peter C. Twigg,
• Richard Baker and
• Desmond J. Tobin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1183–1191, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.120

• the resultant bleeding to form a clot. Then the skin tissue swells (edema) followed by a migration of immune system cells to the wound site (neutrophils and macrophages) in order to phagocytose foreign substances, cell debris and microbes. Any damaged collagen in the wounded papillary dermis is then

Magnetic properties of iron cluster/chromium matrix nanocomposites

• Arne Fischer,
• Robert Kruk,
• Di Wang and
• Horst Hahn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1158–1163, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.117

• resolution depends on the cluster size and can be estimated to be better than 1/10 for the utilized clusters. Prior to deposition the clusters are decelerated to 50 eV and then soft-landed on a silicon substrate with a native oxide layer (still conducting). To avoid migration and agglomeration of the

Electrical characterization of single molecule and Langmuir–Blodgett monomolecular films of a pyridine-terminated oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) derivative

• Henrry M. Osorio,
• Santiago Martín,
• María Carmen López,
• Santiago Marqués-González,
• Simon J. Higgins,
• Richard J. Nichols,
• Paul J. Low and
• Pilar Cea

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1145–1157, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.116

• molecular junctions [37][38], exciton migration control [39], top-contact metallization [24][40][41], optical and opto-electronic applications [42][43], modulation of the electrical properties of the junction [24], inclusion of a metal atom in the organic structure of a molecular wire [44], and electrical

Electronic interaction in composites of a conjugated polymer and carbon nanotubes: first-principles calculation and photophysical approaches

• Florian Massuyeau,
• Jany Wéry,
• Jean-Luc Duvail,
• Serge Lefrant,
• Abu Yaya,
• Chris Ewels and
• Eric Faulques

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1138–1144, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.115

• green-yellow range, and photoconduction under UV or blue light excitation. In this report we present an investigation of the photoexcitation and exciton migration processes in composites of PPV and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by means of time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) and

• photoconductivity measurements. These techniques are appropriate tools to understand the energy transfer mechanisms involved by the introduction of SWNTs into the PPV polymer matrix. In particular, time-resolved PL measurements give crucial information about the nature of photogenerated charges and their migration

• bandgap depending of their chirality. This fundamental physical difference will have tremendous importance as concerns the electronic coupling, the energy transfer and the migration of excitons between the semi-conducting polymer and the nanotubes [15]. Therefore, the results are compared with original

Characterization of nanostructured ZnO thin films deposited through vacuum evaporation

• Jose Alberto Alvarado,
• Arturo Maldonado,
• Héctor Juarez,
• Mauricio Pacio and
• Rene Perez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 971–975, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.100

• films. The peaks correspond directly to the hexagonal structure of the ZnO. This is due the nature of the source material, and it is assumed that only nanoparticles migration from the source to the substrate takes place. Morphology of the films Figure 2 shows the HRSEM pictures for a) un-annealed films

• , and films annealed at b) 200 °C, c) 400 °C, d) 600°C with a zoom in on the thin film, e) 800 °C and f) 1000 °C. From Figure 2a, it can be seen that there is a migration from the source to the substrate. It is hypothesized that the nanoparticles only decompose into particles small enough to cross the

• distance between the boat and glass substrate, this is supposed because the temperature in the resistor is not enough to decompose ZnO into ions. This decomposition takes place at 1500 °C and the resistor only reaches 800 °C. At these temperatures only migration takes place. However, this deposit is a mesh

Electrical response of liquid crystal cells doped with multi-walled carbon nanotubes

• Amanda García-García,
• Ricardo Vergaz,
• José F. Algorri,
• Xabier Quintana and
• José M. Otón

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 396–403, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.39

• linear. If the study includes the effect of external electric fields, as in this case, the AC signal probe should be set on a bias (offset) DC voltage. However DC voltage leads to electrolytic degeneration of the LC cell by ion generation and migration, and eventual adsorption of the charges onto the

Hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells: polymeric nanoparticle uptake and lineage differentiation

• Ivonne Brüstle,
• Thomas Simmet,
• Gerd Ulrich Nienhaus,
• Katharina Landfester and
• Volker Mailänder

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 383–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.38

• ex vivo and are therefore amenable to further treatment. Here, nanomaterials could provide a means of manipulating the fate of the stem cells, for example, by influencing migration in vivo by (over-)expression of homing receptors or influencing stem cell differentiation by providing the cells with an

• combination of nanoparticles with these two stem cell types derived from the bone marrow is very promising not only for labelling to monitor biodistribution and migration of stem cells but also to establish the “pharmacokinetics” of such cellular therapeutics. Furthermore, such nanoparticles can be

Mechanical properties of MDCK II cells exposed to gold nanorods

• Anna Pietuch,
• Bastian Rouven Brückner,
• David Schneider,
• Marco Tarantola,
• Christina Rosman,
• Carsten Sönnichsen and
• Andreas Janshoff

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 223–231, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.21

• migration, proliferation and tissue formation [19][20]. Mechanical behavior of living cells can be monitored spatially resolved in a concentration and time dependent manner using scanning probe techniques. It is possible to investigate local cellular elastic properties under physiological conditions using

• signaling, for both CTAB spheres and rods, we found within 24 h after treatment a reduction of mitochondrial activity (by MTS or LDH) as well as the activation of reactive oxygen species [13][25]. Cellular mechanics plays an important role in many biological processes comprising cell adhesion, migration

Kelvin probe force microscopy in liquid using electrochemical force microscopy

• Liam Collins,
• Stephen Jesse,
• Jason I. Kilpatrick,
• Alexander Tselev,
• M. Baris Okatan,
• Sergei V. Kalinin and
• Brian J. Rodriguez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 201–214, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.19

• local concentration of ions through migration (field-driven ion transport) and diffusion (concentration-gradient-driven transport) both to and from the solid–liquid interface as well as electron transfer reactions across the interface, resulting in a broad spectrum of charge relaxation timescales (ns–s

• presence of diffuse ion dynamics, precluding the use of KPFM. The observed hysteretic response can be explained as a combination of tip–sample interactions caused by field-driven migration and concentration-gradient-driven diffusion of ions in the bulk electrolyte, as well as possible steric effects

Increasing throughput of AFM-based single cell adhesion measurements through multisubstrate surfaces

• Miao Yu,
• Nico Strohmeyer,
• Jinghe Wang,
• Daniel J. Müller and
• Jonne Helenius

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 157–166, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.15

• force spectroscopy; Introduction The regulated adhesion of mammalian cells with the extracellular matrix (ECM) and surrounding cells is crucial in biological processes such as cell migration, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Since impaired cell adhesion causes a wide range of diseases

• available equivalents are commonly expensive. The masks described herein require a mold, which can be easily produced in workshop, and the PDMS components. The usage of the mask is not limited to AFM-based SCFS, as the four-well mask is only one of many possible dimensions and forms. For example, migration

Functionalization of α-synuclein fibrils

• Simona Povilonienė,
• Vida Časaitė,
• Virginijus Bukauskas,
• Arūnas Šetkus,
• Juozas Staniulis and
• Rolandas Meškys

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 124–133, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.12

• similar to those of α-Syn. The theoretical molecular mass of α-SynC141 (14.46 kDa) was confirmed by mass spectrometry. However, a band corresponding to about 18 kDa was observed in SDS-PAGE (Figure 1). Assuming that a very acidic C-terminus of α-Syn weakly interacts with SDS, the electrophoretic migration

Materials and characterization techniques for high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

• Roswitha Zeis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 68–83, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.8

• the catalyst layer. As shown in Figure 8, the PTFE content controls the acid migration from the doped membrane to the catalyst layer and has therefore a significant effect on the cell performance. In case of MEAs employing fumapem® AM (AB-PBI·5H3PO4), the optimal PTFE content for HT-PEMFC electrodes

Mammalian cell growth on gold nanoparticle-decorated substrates is influenced by the nanoparticle coating

• Christina Rosman,
• Sebastien Pierrat,
• Marco Tarantola,
• David Schneider,
• Eva Sunnick,
• Andreas Janshoff and
• Carsten Sönnichsen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2479–2488, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.257

• cell migration and no significant particle internalization occurred. Concerning cell adhesion and spreading as compared to cell growth on bare substrates after 3 days of incubation, a reduction by 45% and 95%, respectively, for the surfactant particle coating was observed, whereas the amino-terminated

• nanoparticle infiltration into a tissue lesion or by insertion of nanoparticle patterned implants. This can potentially influence cell migration, which has implications in wound healing [13]. Recently, a study by Yang et al. tracked the migration behavior of prostate carcinoma cells (PC3, epithelial) and human

• (i.e., the marking of cell movement by the voids created on a nanoparticle carpet) was used already in 1977 to visualize cell migration [15]. Because nanoparticles are so prevalently used to coat surfaces (for instance, to create biofilm resistance on implants [16], to enhance stability or to create a