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

• , microstructure, and performance is necessary as a function of device design, processing, and in-service conditions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been a valuable tool for such characterization, especially of materials properties and device performance at the nanoscale. In the case of thin-film solar cells

Uniform cobalt nanoparticles embedded in hexagonal mesoporous nanoplates as a magnetically separable, recyclable adsorbent

• Can Zhao,
• Yuexiao Song,
• Tianyu Xiang,
• Wenxiu Qu,
• Shuo Lou,
• Xiaohong Yin and
• Feng Xin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1770–1781, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.168

• magnetometer (VSM) with an applied magnetic field between −20 kOe and 20 kOe at room temperature (SQUID-VSM, USA). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was performed on an AFM instrument (NTEGRA Spectra, Russia) using tapping mode. The samples were deposited onto clean Si substrates and dried at 60 °C. UV–vis

Magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄ antidot arrays synthesized by AFIR: atomic layer deposition, focused ion beam and thermal reduction

• Juan L. Palma,
• Alejandro Pereira,
• Raquel Álvaro,
• José Miguel García-Martín and
• Juan Escrig

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1728–1734, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.164

• has a controlled atmosphere of hydrogen (4%) balanced with argon (96%) at an overpressure of 400 mbar with a set temperature of 430 °C, for 4 h [32][33]. This process allows for the conversion of Fe2O3 to Fe3O4, which exhibits a strong magnetic signal. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements have

Closed polymer containers based on phenylboronic esters of resorcinarenes

• Tatiana Yu. Sergeeva,
• Rezeda K. Mukhitova,
• Irek R. Nizameev,
• Marsil K. Kadirov,
• Polina D. Klypina,
• Albina Y. Ziganshina and
• Alexander I. Konovalov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1594–1601, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.151

• diameter of p(SRA-B) is about 130 nm as evident from atomic force microscopy (AFM) images (Figure 1). The average molecular weight determined by static light scattering (SLS) measurements, is about 1600 ± 90 kDa (see Supporting Information File 1, Figure S2). In the IR spectrum of p(SRA-B), the band

Correlative electrochemical strain and scanning electron microscopy for local characterization of the solid state electrolyte Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃

• Nino Schön,
• Deniz Cihan Gunduz,
• Shicheng Yu,
• Hermann Tempel,
• Roland Schierholz and
• Florian Hausen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1564–1572, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.148

• relatively new technique based on atomic force microscopy (AFM): An AC voltage with the same frequency as the contact resonance frequency of the tip–sample contact is applied to a conductive tip. [22][23]. The induced electrical field in the material under investigation is extremely localized due to the

Preparation and morphology-dependent wettability of porous alumina membranes

• Dmitry L. Shimanovich,
• Alla I. Vorobjova,
• Daria I. Tishkevich,
• Alex V. Trukhanov,
• Maxim V. Zdorovets and
• Artem L. Kozlovskiy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1423–1436, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.135

• examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Philips, XL 30 S FEG and Hitachi, S-4800) and atomic force microscopy (AFM, Nanotop, NT-206 (Belarus) and Solver P47H, NT-MDT Co., Russia). Computer processing of the experimental data was carried out using the software package Surface Explorer Document (SED

Induced smectic phase in binary mixtures of twist-bend nematogens

• Anamarija Knežević,
• Irena Dokli,
• Marin Sapunar,
• Suzana Šegota,
• Ute Baumeister and
• Andreja Lesac

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1297–1307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.122

• , obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging, is in the range of 6–7 nm. The induction of the smectic phase in the mixtures containing 55–80 mol % of BB was confirmed using polarising optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction. The origin of the

• phase. Various spectroscopic techniques and molecular dynamic calculations were used in an attempt to determine the interactions responsible for the induction of the smectic phase. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements performed on the mixtures enriched with CBI showed that the distance between

Artifacts in time-resolved Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Sascha Sadewasser,
• Nicoleta Nicoara and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1272–1281, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.119

• electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) on organic photovoltaic blends [14][15][16]. By applying a bias pulse to the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip, Schirmeisen et al. studied the ion transport in solid electrolytes [17]. By applying bias pulses across organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) electronic

Heterostuctures of 4-(chloromethyl)phenyltrichlorosilane and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine prepared on Si(111) using particle lithography: Nanoscale characterization of the main steps of nanopatterning

• Phillip C. Chambers and
• Jayne C. Garno

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1211–1219, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.112

• matrix of OTS showed minimal areas of nonspecific adsorption. The AFM studies provide insight into the mechanism of the self-polymerization of CMPS as a platform for constructing porphyrin heterostructures. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); nanostructures; particle lithography; porphyrin; self

• with a surface orientation defined by the substituents [20]. The self-assembly of manganese meso-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin on Cu(111) was studied using low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to resolve molecular structures by Chen et al. [21]. A

• porphyrins and organosilanes. With ex situ steps of particle lithography, the successive addition of molecules through chemical reactions in solution can be evaluated by measuring changes in the heights and morphology of nanostructures. Using high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface changes can

Imaging of viscoelastic soft matter with small indentation using higher eigenmodes in single-eigenmode amplitude-modulation atomic force microscopy

• Miead Nikfarjam,
• Enrique A. López-Guerra,
• Santiago D. Solares and
• Babak Eslami

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1116–1122, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.103

• Abstract In this short paper we explore the use of higher eigenmodes in single-eigenmode amplitude-modulation atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the small-indentation imaging of soft viscoelastic materials. In viscoelastic materials, whose response depends on the deformation rate, the tip–sample forces

• the invention of atomic force microscopy (AFM), researchers have sought to increase the number of observables that are recorded during a single-pass measurement, as well as improve the sensitivity with which those observables are recorded [1][2][3][4][5]. In an effort to control the sensitivity and

Magnetic characterization of cobalt nanowires and square nanorings fabricated by focused electron beam induced deposition

• Federico Venturi,
• Gian Carlo Gazzadi,
• Amir H. Tavabi,
• Alberto Rota,
• Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski and
• Stefano Frabboni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1040–1049, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.97

• outside and inside the sample. MFM is a microscopy technique that is closely related to atomic force microscopy (AFM) [31]. The scanning tip is magnetized and is therefore sensitive to magnetic fields generated by the sample. Attractive and repulsive forces between the tip and the sample are measured and

Automated image segmentation-assisted flattening of atomic force microscopy images

• Yuliang Wang,
• Tongda Lu,
• Xiaolai Li and
• Huimin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 975–985, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.91

• Engineering, Ohio State University, 2041 College Rd., Columbus, OH 43210, USA 10.3762/bjnano.9.91 Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images normally exhibit various artifacts. As a result, image flattening is required prior to image analysis. To obtain optimized flattening results, foreground features

• force microscopy (AFM) has become an important device in the fields of nanoscale imaging [1][2][3][4][5][6], nanoscale manipulation [7][8], and material property characterization [9][10][11][12][13] because of its ultra-sensitivity in force and displacement measurement. Among the different applications

• . Additionally, the role of image flattening on the morphological characterization and segmentation of AFM images were verified with the proposed method. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; contour expansion; image flattening; polynomial fitting; sliding window; Introduction Since its invention, the atomic

Scanning speed phenomenon in contact-resonance atomic force microscopy

• Christopher C. Glover,
• Jason P. Killgore and
• Ryan C. Tung

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 945–952, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.87

• /bjnano.9.87 Abstract This work presents data confirming the existence of a scan speed related phenomenon in contact-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). Specifically, contact-resonance spectroscopy is used to interrogate this phenomenon. Above a critical scan speed, a monotonic decrease in the recorded

• quantification in atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, there exists a myriad of unexplained measurement phenomena caused by mechanical interactions between the scanning AFM tip and the material sample under test. In this article, we show how the velocity at which the tip is swept across the sample surface

Nanoscale mapping of dielectric properties based on surface adhesion force measurements

• Ying Wang,
• Yue Shen,
• Xingya Wang,
• Zhiwei Shen,
• Bin Li,
• Jun Hu and
• Yi Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 900–906, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.84

• studies and applications. Here, we report a novel method for the characterization of local dielectric distributions based on surface adhesion mapping by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The two-dimensional (2D) materials graphene oxide (GO), and partially reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which have similar

• : adhesion; atomic force microscopy (AFM); graphene oxide (GO); nanoscale dielectric properties; reduced graphene oxide (RGO); Introduction The local dielectric distribution is a key factor that influences the physical properties and functionalities of various materials such as polymer nanocomposites [1][2

• ][3][4], carbon nanotube compounds [5][6][7][8], metal–dielectric films [9][10][11][12], and biomembranes [13][14][15]. Understanding the behaviour of these complex nanostructured systems requires precise morphological and dielectric characterization approaches on the nanometre scale. Atomic force

Comparative study of antibacterial properties of polystyrene films with TiO_x and Cu nanoparticles fabricated using cluster beam technique

• Vladimir N. Popok,
• Cesarino M. Jeppesen,
• Peter Fojan,
• Anna Kuzminova,
• Jan Hanuš and
• Ondřej Kylián

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 861–869, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.80

• source under the conditions described in the Experimental section (see below). A typical atomic force microscopy (AFM) image with soft-landed Cu NPs on PS is shown in Figure 1a. Apart of a few higher bumps due to stacking of particles on top of each other, one can see an even height distribution because

Towards the third dimension in direct electron beam writing of silver

• Katja Höflich,
• Jakub Mateusz Jurczyk,
• Katarzyna Madajska,
• Maximilian Götz,
• Luisa Berger,
• Carlos Guerra-Nuñez,
• Caspar Haverkamp,
• Iwona Szymanska and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 842–849, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.78

• a reference silver layer. The quantified carbon background of ca. 15 atom % was subtracted to determine the actual deposit composition. The topography of the deposits was monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM) with an AIST Smart SPM system. Data processing was carried out using the free

Synthesis and characterization of two new TiO₂-containing benzothiazole-based imine composites for organic device applications

• Anna Różycka,
• Agnieszka Iwan,
• Krzysztof Artur Bogdanowicz,
• Michal Filapek,
• Natalia Górska,
• Damian Pociecha,
• Marek Malinowski,
• Patryk Fryń,
• Agnieszka Hreniak,
• Jakub Rysz,
• Paweł Dąbczyński and
• Monika Marzec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 721–739, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.67

• ) experiments [34]. The average grain size of the obtained titanium dioxide was found to be about 170 nm based on XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results [34]. In this paper we investigated selected physical parameters of TiO2 such as surface area and porosity. To

Tuning adhesion forces between functionalized gold colloidal nanoparticles and silicon AFM tips: role of ligands and capillary forces

• Sven Oras,
• Sergei Vlassov,
• Marta Berholts,
• Rünno Lõhmus and
• Karine Mougin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 660–670, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.61

• , France Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland 10.3762/bjnano.9.61 Abstract Adhesion forces between functionalized gold colloidal nanoparticles (Au NPs) and scanning probe microscope silicon tips were experimentally investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM

Optimisation of purification techniques for the preparation of large-volume aqueous solar nanoparticle inks for organic photovoltaics

• Furqan Almyahi,
• Thomas R. Andersen,
• Nathan A. Cooling,
• Natalie P. Holmes,
• Matthew J. Griffith,
• Krishna Feron,
• Xiaojing Zhou,
• Warwick J. Belcher and
• Paul C. Dastoor

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 649–659, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.60

• concentration on the aqueous solar nanoparticle (ASNP) inks was investigated by monitoring the surface morphology/topography of the ASNP films using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photovoltaic device performance as a function of ultrafiltration (decreasing SDS content

• reached was 64 and 50 mN m−1 for the centrifugal and the crossflow purifications, respectively. Influence of free-SDS surfactant on the surface morphology/topography of ASNP films Optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were conducted for ASNP films with low, medium and high dilution factors

Lyapunov estimation for high-speed demodulation in multifrequency atomic force microscopy

• David M. Harcombe,
• Michael G. Ruppert,
• Michael R. P. Ragazzon and
• Andrew J. Fleming

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 490–498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.47

• demonstrating high tracking bandwidths, strong off-mode rejection and minor sensitivity to cross-coupling effects. Additionally, a five-frequency system operating at 3.5 MHz is implemented for higher harmonic amplitude and phase imaging up to 1 MHz. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); demodulation

• ; digital signal processing; field-programmable gate array (FPGA); high-speed; Lyapunov filter; multifrequency; Introduction Atomic force microscopy (AFM) [1] has been integral in the field of nanoscale engineering since its invention in 1986 by Binnig et al. By sensing microcantilever tip–sample

Kinetics of solvent supported tubule formation of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) wax on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) investigated by atomic force microscopy

• Sujit Kumar Dora,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Wilhelm Barthlott and
• Klaus Wandelt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 468–481, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.45

• taken in account to understand how different factors affecting self-assembly of these tubules on HOPG. Koch et al. [21] demonstrated that self-assembly of nonacosan-10-ol tubules resulted in an upright orientation of tubules on HOPG. By employing tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), they observed

Engineering of oriented carbon nanotubes in composite materials

• Razieh Beigmoradi,
• Abdolreza Samimi and
• Davod Mohebbi-Kalhori

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 415–435, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.41

• microscopes, respectively. In analyzing the alignment of CNTs, the most common microscopic methods are atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission microscopy (STM). Electron microscope: By changing the curvature and number

• confirms the alignment of the CNTs, adapted with permission from [99], copyright 2016 Nature Publishing Group. Scheme of the Langmuir–Blodgett technique: (a) the CNT suspension in the LB device, (b) the preparation of films by barrier compression, (c) substrate dipping vertically, and (d) atomic force

• microscopy (AFM) images of the aligned CNTs, adapted with permission from [105], copyright 2007 American Chemical Society. Schematic view of the experimental setup for surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based CNT arrangement. (a) Micrographs of the CNT suspension before applying the SAW field and (b) applying the

Blister formation during graphite surface oxidation by Hummers’ method

• Olga V. Sinitsyna,
• Georgy B. Meshkov,
• Anastasija V. Grigorieva,
• Alexander A. Antonov,
• Inna G. Grigorieva and
• Igor V. Yaminsky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 407–414, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.40

• spread of 0.8°. The bunches of large cleavage steps are visible in the lower left and the upper right corners of Figure 2. Steps (linear defects) are the main features in the images obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We distinguish two types of steps: cleavage steps and the lines of edge

• surface. Surprisingly, the destruction of the sp2-lattice was not detected in the ordered regions. We suggest that the reagent diffusion under the basal plane surface occurred through the cleavage steps and dislocations with the Burgers vector parallel to the c-axis in graphite. Keywords: atomic force

• microscopy (AFM); graphene; graphite intercalation compounds (GICs); graphite oxide (GO); highly annealed pyrolythic graphite (HAPG); Introduction Graphite oxide (GO) and its single-layer derivative, graphene oxide, are of great importance due to their potential applications as a part of supercapacitors

Wafer-scale bioactive substrate patterning by chemical lift-off lithography

• Chong-You Chen,
• Chang-Ming Wang,
• Hsiang-Hua Li,
• Hong-Hseng Chan and
• Wei-Ssu Liao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 311–320, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.31

• tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM, Dimension Fastscan, Bruker Nano Surfaces, Hsinchu, Taiwan). Topographic AFM images were collected using a silicon cantilever with a spring constant of 48 N/m and a resonance frequency of 190 kHz (Nanosensors, Neuchatel, Switzerland). The substrates were gently

Gas-assisted silver deposition with a focused electron beam

• Luisa Berger,
• Katarzyna Madajska,
• Iwona B. Szymanska,
• Katja Höflich,
• Mikhail N. Polyakov,
• Jakub Jurczyk,
• Carlos Guerra-Nuñez and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 224–232, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.24

• , we believe that the systematic error in composition values is small as changes in density input did not vary much the composition values. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were performed with a NT-MDT NTEGRA Spectra system. Data were processed with Gwyddion v2.48 and Origin 2015 software