Scanning probe microscopy for energy-related materials

• Rüdiger Berger,
• Benjamin Grévin,
• Philippe Leclère and
• Yi Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 132–134, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.12

• significant role for the in-operando characterization. SPM methods offer a plethora of operation modes beyond topography imaging, which is well reflected in the articles of this thematic issue. The majority of contributions stem from research on photovoltaic materials. Here, electrical conductive atomic force

Contact splitting in dry adhesion and friction: reducing the influence of roughness

• Jae-Kang Kim and
• Michael Varenberg

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1–8, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.1

• adaptability of the split microstructure to wavy surfaces allows it to form larger contact area (Figure 3) on the surfaces with intermediate roughness, thus leading to a better attachment. In addition to its better ability to adapt to uneven surface topography, a split microstructure may also demonstrate

• statistically equal fractions of the split flap peel at angles θ − α and θ + α, respectively, with α being a small perturbation angle defined by the surface topography. In this case, solving the Kendall equation ((2) in [44]) yields where F is the peeling force, b is the film width, d is the film thickness, E

• that splitting the adhesive microstructure in parallel to the peeling force may improve the attachment ability not only due to better adaptation to surface topography, but also due to the effective decrease of the peeling angle. The friction force measured at the point of sliding inception on all

Characterization and influence of hydroxyapatite nanopowders on living cells

• Przemyslaw Oberbek,
• Tomasz Bolek,
• Adrian Chlanda,
• Seishiro Hirano,
• Sylwia Kusnieruk,
• Julia Rogowska-Tylman,
• Ganna Nechyporenko,
• Viktor Zinchenko,
• Wojciech Swieszkowski and
• Tomasz Puzyn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3079–3094, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.286

• done taking into account at least 15 different agglomerates for each sample. Atomic force microscopy Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used for topography imaging, surface evaluation at the nanoscale and evaluation of the particle shapes [35]. The sample preparation protocol was as follows: A water

• suspension of nanopowder was prepared at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. A droplet of the suspension was dripped onto the surface of a freshly cleaved mica disc (Ted Pella) and left in a vacuum dryer (VO 200, Memmert) for 1 h prior to imaging. Topography measurements were made in air. 1 µm × 1 µm scans were

• quantitative analysis of nanopowders [54]. AFM allowed for 3D topography reconstruction and phase-contrast acquisition yielding for deeper insight into nanoscale features of the tested materials. It is important to note that nanoparticle imaging requires scanning probes with a small tip radius, otherwise the

Electrostatic force microscopy for the accurate characterization of interphases in nanocomposites

• Diana El Khoury,
• Richard Arinero,
• Jean-Charles Laurentie,
• Mikhaël Bechelany,
• Michel Ramonda and
• Jérôme Castellon

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2999–3012, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.279

• . Based on these findings, we developed three experimental approaches in which different model samples were compared to detect and characterize the interphase in a nanodielectric model composed of particle + interphase + matrix. In all the tested model samples, the particle topography could be determined

• “real” nanocomposite systems, using mechanical scanning probe microscopy techniques [29][30][31], and EFM [26][27][32][33]. Moreover, discriminating the particles from the topography is important in the case of nanocomposites that include particles and matrix with low dielectric permittivity difference

• sample dimensions and permittivity values should be relatively small, the statistical analysis was performed using EFM measurements acquired on 12 × 3 µm2 images based on an average of 30 particles [37]. The calculated average topography and electrical frequency shift (2ω − Δf0) profiles for PS + 100 nm

Size limits of magnetic-domain engineering in continuous in-plane exchange-bias prototype films

• Alexander Gaul,
• Daniel Emmrich,
• Timo Ueltzhöffer,
• Henning Huckfeldt,
• Hatice Doğanay,
• Johanna Hackl,
• Muhammad Imtiaz Khan,
• Daniel M. Gottlob,
• Gregor Hartmann,
• André Beyer,
• Dennis Holzinger,
• Slavomír Nemšák,
• Claus M. Schneider,
• Armin Gölzhäuser,
• Günter Reiss and
• Arno Ehresmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2968–2979, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.276

• . These settings were chosen from preliminary experiments as a trade-off between lateral charge-contrast resolution and minimal signal overlap from the sample topography. Additionally, an SIS ULTRAObjective in non-contact/lift mode with a lift height of 100 nm and a pixel size of 200 nm was applied for

Investigation of CVD graphene as-grown on Cu foil using simultaneous scanning tunneling/atomic force microscopy

• Majid Fazeli Jadidi,
• Umut Kamber,
• Oğuzhan Gürlü and
• H. Özgür Özer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2953–2959, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.274

• /hollow sites. We obtained different contrast between force and STM topography images for atomic features. A honeycomb pattern showing all six carbon atoms is revealed in AFM images. In one contrast type, simultaneously acquired STM topography revealed hollow sites to be brighter. In another, a triangular

• array with maxima located in between the two carbon atoms was acquired in STM topography. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; CVD graphene; scanning tunneling microscopy; simultaneous operation; small amplitude; Introduction Graphene has been widely studied because of its potential use in future

• taken on several samples showed the presence of dominantly single-layer graphene [36]. Results and Discussion We used a custom-made tungsten tip–cantilever probe [32] the stiffness of which was estimated from thermal oscillations to be about 53 N/m. The simultaneously acquired STM topography and force

In situ characterization of nanoscale contaminations adsorbed in air using atomic force microscopy

• Jesús S. Lacasa,
• Lisa Almonte and
• Jaime Colchero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2925–2935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.271

• order to access material properties (“chemical information”, thus the name spectroscopy) [12]. AFM allows not only the measurement of surface topography, but also the determination of other physical characteristics; in particular electrostatic [13][14][15] and magnetic properties [16][17]. For reliable

• and the macroscopic chip to which it is attached (typical size 2 × 4 mm2), is moved by the scanning motion of the piezoelectric element. Topography and electrostatic images of cleaned and uncleaned cantilevers: accessing materials properties Topographic images as shown in Figure 1 are quite valuable

• thus of type “uncleaned-new”, which is “almost clean”, as discussed below in more detail. Figure 2 shows the topography (a), the error signal of the feedback (frequency shift, (b)), the electrostatic capacity signal (EAFM2ν, see Experimental section, (c)) as well as the contact potential (e), which are

Charged particle single nanometre manufacturing

• Philip D. Prewett,
• Cornelis W. Hagen,
• Claudia Lenk,
• Steve Lenk,
• Marcus Kaestner,
• Tzvetan Ivanov,
• Ahmad Ahmad,
• Ivo W. Rangelow,
• Xiaoqing Shi,
• Stuart A. Boden,
• Alex P. G. Robinson,
• Dongxu Yang,
• Sangeetha Hari,
• Marijke Scotuzzi and
• Ejaz Huq

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2855–2882, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.266

• -point. Since the oscillation amplitude depends on the force between tip and sample, its variation is a direct indicator for the topography and material properties of the sample. Tools that combine both feedback loops, i.e., current and force, are

Controlling surface morphology and sensitivity of granular and porous silver films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering, SERS

• Sherif Okeil and
• Jörg J. Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2813–2831, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.263

• silver films were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in contact mode on a CP-II AFM (Bruker-Veeco) with SiC cantilevers to determine the topography and surface roughness (root mean square roughness, Rq). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the silver films was performed on a Philips XL

Biomimetic surface structures in steel fabricated with femtosecond laser pulses: influence of laser rescanning on morphology and wettability

• Camilo Florian Baron,
• Alexandros Mimidis,
• Daniel Puerto,
• Evangelos Skoulas,
• Emmanuel Stratakis,
• Javier Solis and
• Jan Siegel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2802–2812, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.262

• surface topography needs to be mimicked, but often also a specific function of the structure. An alternative approach to laser direct writing of complex structures is the generation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), which is based on directed self-organization of the material and

• objective to reproduce not only the geometry and morphology of structures found in natural systems, but – most importantly – their specific functionality. Biomimetic applications that aim to control the wetting properties of a material surface must take into account the surface topography, since it strongly

• dependence of surface wetting on surface energy and topography makes it particularly difficult to predict the wetting scenario, knowledge of the apparent contact angle alone is often sufficient for practical applications. For the particular case of steel, it is known that the laser-processed material evolves

Low cost tips for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy fabricated by two-step electrochemical etching of 125 µm diameter gold wires

• Antonino Foti,
• Francesco Barreca,
• Enza Fazio,
• Cristiano D’Andrea,
• Paolo Matteini,
• Onofrio Maria Maragò and
• Pietro Giuseppe Gucciardi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2718–2729, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.254

• resolution in TERS imaging Nanoscale resolution is shown in simultaneous morphological (STM) and chemical (TERS) mapping of R6G molecules (10−4 M) absorbed on Au(111). Experiments are carried out in gap-mode, with excitation at 638 nm. Figure 9a shows the STM topography acquired on a 300 × 300 nm2 area with

Disorder in H⁺-irradiated HOPG: effect of impinging energy and dose on Raman D-band splitting and surface topography

• Lisandro Venosta,
• Noelia Bajales,
• Sergio Suárez and
• Paula G. Bercoff

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2708–2717, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.253

• engineering in carbon-based materials. Keywords: disorder; highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG); ion–solid interactions; Raman spectroscopy; topography; Introduction The development of novel methods to control the properties of carbon-based materials by introducing disorder is currently a subject of

• tapping mode. Standard Si cantilevers with sharp tips were used for high-resolution topography imaging and the software Gwyddion 2.36 was used for image analyses. Results and Discussion Raman characterization Figure 1 compares the Raman spectra after excitation with a laser wavelength of 514 nm

• matrix, in bubbles or blisters located amongst the graphene layers. The defective topography of the irradiated samples observed in Figure 5b,c is interpreted as a consequence of the bursting of H blisters. Taking into account the work of Waqar et al. [22], we have estimated the pressure inside one of

Characterization of the microscopic tribological properties of sandfish (Scincus scincus) scales by atomic force microscopy

• Weibin Wu,
• Christian Lutz,
• Simon Mersch,
• Richard Thelen,
• Christian Greiner,
• Guillaume Gomard and
• Hendrik Hölscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2618–2627, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.243

• controlled temperature (21–23 °C) and humidity (50–70%). All AFM experiments were conducted with a Dimension Icon AFM (Veeco Inc., USA). The topography of the samples was measured in tapping mode while adhesion force, friction, and wear analysis were conducted in contact mode. No extra treatment was applied

• variations in structure or chemistry may lead to drastic changes in friction or wear [20]. We, therefore, analyse the topography, adhesion, frictional coefficient, and wear resistance of sandfish scale by atomic force microscopy applying several types of probe shape and material. In order to allow for a

• meaningful comparison we determined the tribological parameters of snake scales and technical surfaces with the same probes, too. Structural properties of sandfish scales Figure 3a,b shows the topography of sandfish dorsal and ventral scales recorded by atomic force microscopy. On the dorsal scale a

Thickness-dependent photoelectrochemical properties of a semitransparent Co₃O₄ photocathode

• Malkeshkumar Patel and
• Joondong Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2432–2442, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.228

• °. FESEM images showing (c) the topography of Co film deposited at room temperature on the glass substrate, and (d) the porous topography of Co3O4 on the glass substrate after rapid thermal processing-induced oxidation in air at 550 °C for 10 min. (e) Morphology of a 70 nm thick Co3O4 film on FTO/glass, (f

High-throughput micro-nanostructuring by microdroplet inkjet printing

• Hendrikje R. Neumann and
• Christine Selhuber-Unkel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2372–2380, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.222

• surfaces and the generated patterns were found to depend on the material type and surface topography. Based on the presented strategy, we were able to achieve patterning times of a few seconds and produce quasi-hexagonal micro-nanopatterns of gold nanoparticles on smooth surfaces. Hence, this method is a

• steps that are only achievable with clean-room methods. For example, so-called “micro-nanostructures” have been fabricated by combining BCML with electron-beam lithography and photolithography [20][21]. A different approach was proposed based on topography-induced micro-nanostructuring, but this method

• maximum and minimum. Apparently, the micelle-containing o-xylene solution spreads out most reproducibly on silicon and less on NiTi. To explain the differences in the droplet diameters of our different materials, the surface topography of the samples was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). As

Nanoscale characterization of the temporary adhesive of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

• Ana S. Viana and
• Romana Santos

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2277–2286, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.212

• , the first nanoscale characterization of sea urchin temporary adhesives was performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results: The adhesive topography was similar under dry and native (seawater) conditions, which was comprised of a honeycomb-like meshwork of aggregated globular nanostructures. In

• only been studied in P. lividus and was found to be composed of proteins and neutral sugars [18]. Although sea urchin tube feet and adhesive secretions have been extensively studied, its topography and mechanical properties at the nanoscale have never been investigated. Therefore, the aim of the

• (two high-energy surfaces) than on teflon (a low-energy surface) [7]. In order to understand the topography, P. lividus footprints were imaged using different probing methods (peak force tapping in air and fluid) and in various environments: dry, moist and under native conditions (ASW). In all the

A scanning probe microscopy study of nanostructured TiO₂/poly(3-hexylthiophene) hybrid heterojunctions for photovoltaic applications

• Laurie Letertre,
• Roland Roche,
• Olivier Douhéret,
• Hailu G. Kassa,
• Denis Mariolle,
• Nicolas Chevalier,
• Łukasz Borowik,
• Philippe Dumas,
• Benjamin Grévin,
• Roberto Lazzaroni and
• Philippe Leclère

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2087–2096, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.197

• average spacing between the columns is (10 ± 3) nm, with an average width of the columns of (19 ± 4) nm, as determined by SEM measurements [24]. The topography of the deposit is shown in the tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) image of Figure 1d, where the apex of the columns appears as

• . The distribution of the Vcpd values can be fit with a Gaussian distribution centred at −931 mV with a FWHM of 97 mV (Figure 2d). A direct correlation between the topography and the Vcpd signal can be observed, with a higher height corresponding to a more negative Vcpd. It is however unlikely that the

• contrast purely originates from a crosstalk between the topography and the Vcpd, as indicated by local mismatching between both contrasts (see red lines in Figure 2a and 2b). Moreover, further measurements (see Figure 3) showed that P3HT grafting barely affects the overall morphology but smooths

The structural and chemical basis of temporary adhesion in the sea star Asterina gibbosa

• Birgit Lengerer,
• Marie Bonneel,
• Mathilde Lefevre,
• Elise Hennebert,
• Philippe Leclère,
• Emmanuel Gosselin,
• Peter Ladurner and
• Patrick Flammang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2071–2086, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.196

• homogenous granules. The footprints comprised a meshwork on top of a thin layer. This topography was consistently observed using various methods like scanning electron microscopy, 3D confocal interference microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and light microscopy with crystal violet staining. Additionally, we

• mannose in the secreted material. Conclusion: Despite the distant relationship between the two sea star species, the morphology of tube feet and topography of footprints in A. gibbosa shared many features with the previously described findings in A. rubens. These similarities might be due to the

• thin homogeneous film covering the substrate with a sponge-like meshwork on top [11][12][25][26]. This topography is not altered by the release of the de-adhesive substance [26]. In the forcipulatid sea star Asterias rubens, adhesive secretions were investigated in greater detail. In this species, the

Biomimetic and biodegradable cellulose acetate scaffolds loaded with dexamethasone for bone implants

• Aikaterini-Rafailia Tsiapla,
• Varvara Karagkiozaki,
• Veroniki Bakola,
• Foteini Pappa,
• Panagiota Gkertsiou,
• Eleni Pavlidou and
• Stergios Logothetidis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1986–1994, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.189

• nanoplatform might be a suitable and helpful candidate to reduce implant-associated acute inflammations and to impede implant failure. (a) Representative SEM micrographs of electrospun CA fibers, (b) AFM topography image of CA scaffolds with root mean square Sq = 135 nm and peak-to- peak Sy = 795 nm. In vitro

• , respectively. (a) Representative SEM micrograph of electrospun CA:dexam fibers, (b) AFM topography image of CA:dexam scaffolds with root mean square Sq = 206 nm and peak-to-peak Sy = 1203 nm. In vitro degradation of CA scaffolds loaded with dexamethasone as function of the time. Representative SEM micrographs

Know your full potential: Quantitative Kelvin probe force microscopy on nanoscale electrical devices

• Amelie Axt,
• Ilka M. Hermes,
• Victor W. Bergmann,
• Niklas Tausendpfund and
• Stefan A. L. Weber

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1809–1819, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.172

• surface potential measurements are crucial for understanding the operation principles of functional nanostructures in these electronic devices. Nevertheless, KPFM is prone to certain imaging artifacts, such as crosstalk from topography or stray electric fields. Here, we compare different amplitude

• detection. The SNR can be improved by choosing an ωE at one of the cantilever’s eigenmodes. We refer to this mode as AM-KPFM second eigenmode (AM 2 EM), where the topography is measured at the first, and the CPD is measured on the second eigenmode. Finally, in AM-KPFM lift mode (AM Lift mode) the topography

• cantilevers was ≈225 μm, the width ≈35 μm. Tip, tip cone and cantilever are coated with PtIr (work function 5.5 eV [39]) on both sides. The topography feedback was performed with amplitude modulation (AM) on the first eigenmode and the oscillation amplitude was kept to approximately 40 nm for all methods. To

Direct AFM-based nanoscale mapping and tomography of open-circuit voltages for photovoltaics

• Katherine Atamanuk,
• Justin Luria and
• Bryan D. Huey

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1802–1808, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.171

• underpins nearly all AFM topography imaging. Normally, this feedback loop continually updates the AFM probe height in order to maintain a constant AFM tip–sample interaction, which is sensed via the integrated cantilever deflection or amplitude that, of course, changes at surface protrusions or depressions

• . To simultaneously map VOC directly, the topography is tracked in the same manner, but a secondary PID loop is also configured to continually adjust the sample bias in order to maintain a photocurrent of zero. This is akin to Kelvin probe microscopy or scanning surface potential microscopy, in which a

• overlain images of Figure 2a–c, this reveals even more spatially localized variations in photovoltaic performance. As with every study based on scanning probes, it is important to consider any influence of topography on the results. The as-provided surface of the essentially commercial grade

Preparation of micro/nanopatterned gelatins crosslinked with genipin for biocompatible dental implants

• Reika Makita,
• Tsukasa Akasaka,
• Seiichi Tamagawa,
• Yasuhiro Yoshida,
• Saori Miyata,
• Hirofumi Miyaji and
• Tsutomu Sugaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1735–1754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.165

• : Collagen is a basic component of the periodontium and plays an important role in the function of the periodontal unit. Therefore, coating with collagen/gelatin has been applied to enable dental implants to positively interact with peri-implant tissues. Although the micro/nanoscale topography is an

• . Thus, gelatin surfaces patterned using genipin crosslinking are now an available option for biocompatible material patterning. Keywords: cell attachment; cell proliferation; dental implants; gelatin; genipin; nanopatterning; Introduction Topography on the micro- and nanoscale is an important property

• after 4 days of culture [69]. These studies support the hypothesis that surface topography and chemical composition influence cell proliferation. Furthermore, the spatial arrangement of surface patterns with respect to cell size also appears to be important [59][67]. It has been shown that the amount of

Toward the use of CVD-grown MoS₂ nanosheets as field-emission source

• Geetanjali Deokar,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Junjie Li,
• Francis Leonard Deepak,
• Wei Ou-Yang,
• Nicolas Reckinger,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Jean-Francois Colomer and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1686–1694, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.160

• energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detector) operating at 200 kV for imaging and elemental characterization. Roughness and topography of the as-grown MoS2 NSs (before transfer) were examined by atomic force microscope (AFM). The AFM scans were recorded in resonant mode (AppNanoTM made cantilever with

Friction force microscopy of tribochemistry and interfacial ageing for the SiO_x/Si/Au system

• Christiane Petzold,
• Marcus Koch and
• Roland Bennewitz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1647–1658, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.157

• scanning sequences (Figure 4), surface topography images recorded before and after the sliding sequences (Figure 5), and electron microscopy images of the tips before and after the experiments (Figure 6). In general, the onset of tip activation was evident by a sudden increase in friction (Figure 3a,b

• sliding distance with no material transferred to the tip (Figure 6c). Observing changes of the topography of the reactive Si(100) surface was not possible as the tip adhered strongly to the surface, leading to artifacts in the topography measurement (similar to Figure 5f). The initial friction between a

• friction of about 0.01 nN (blue dots in Figure 3a, section 1) and modification of surface topography by displacement of surface atoms (Figure 5i,j). To compare tribochemical reactions of SiOx/Si and Au/Si tips with the Au(111) surface, a sputter-cleaned Au/Si tip was activated by leaving it in stationary

Nanoscale electrochemical response of lithium-ion cathodes: a combined study using C-AFM and SIMS

• Jonathan Op de Beeck,
• Nouha Labyedh,
• Alfonso Sepúlveda,
• Valentina Spampinato,
• Alexis Franquet,
• Thierry Conard,
• Philippe M. Vereecken,
• Wilfried Vandervorst and
• Umberto Celano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1623–1628, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.154

• apply always the bias to the sample (i.e., the metallic Ni/Pt layer) while the C-AFM tip is grounded. By measuring the current (using the tip as a nanoscale electrode) and the tip deflection as a function of the AFM tip position, two-dimensional maps of the local conductivity and the topography can be

• formed. For instance, Figure 1b shows the topography and current distribution map when performing such measurements in the case of the electrodeposited LMO. This basic concept was extended with the development of various scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques [8][9][10][11][12] dedicated to probe

• platform is key to unlock the potentials of ASB. C-AFM configuration and study of the influence of an applied voltage stress on MnO2 and LMO. (a) Schematic of the C-AFM setup and sample structure. The tip is grounded while the dc bias is applied to the sample. (b) Topography and current maps as collected