Optical absorption signature of a self-assembled dye monolayer on graphene

• Tessnim Sghaier,
• Sylvain Le Liepvre,
• Céline Fiorini,
• Ludovic Douillard and
• Fabrice Charra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 862–868, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.78

• to the PTCDI solution. The STM images were recorded under ambient conditions (ca. 300 K) with a custom-made digital system by the immersion of a 250 μm mechanically cut tip of Pt/Ir (90/10) purchased from Goodfellow into a 5 μL droplet of solution. The scanning piezoelectric ceramic was calibrated by

Correlative infrared nanospectroscopic and nanomechanical imaging of block copolymer microdomains

• Benjamin Pollard and
• Markus B. Raschke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 605–612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.53

• case due to the long chain lengths. We measure the nanomechanical properties of the copolymer film using several modes of scanning force microscopy. We use intermittent contact mode under ambient conditions to map the ordering of block copolymer domains [19]. This modality, especially its phase images

Orientation of FePt nanoparticles on top of a-SiO₂/Si(001), MgO(001) and sapphire(0001): effect of thermal treatments and influence of substrate and particle size

• Martin Schilling,
• Paul Ziemann,
• Zaoli Zhang,
• Johannes Biskupek,
• Ute Kaiser and
• Ulf Wiedwald

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 591–604, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.52

• under ambient conditions is applied for measuring the size distribution of the NPs as well as their spatial arrangement. In this way, possible changes in NP diameter and hexagonal order before and after annealing could be monitored. For that purpose, AFM images were analyzed with the WSxM software [33

• influence of the substrate to subsequent annealing steps might be expected. FePt films on sapphire(0001) A 3 nm thick Fe48Pt52 film was deposited by PLD on sapphire(0001) at ambient temperature. After transfer under ambient conditions, the sample was first reduced in hydrogen plasma at 210 °C for 30 min

Length-extension resonator as a force sensor for high-resolution frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy in air

• Hannes Beyer,
• Tino Wagner and
• Andreas Stemmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 432–438, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.38

• limited to ultra-high vacuum conditions and cryogenic temperatures. Measurements under ambient conditions are influenced by variations of the dew point and thin water layers present on practically every surface, complicating stable imaging with high resolution. We demonstrate high-resolution imaging in

• air using a length-extension resonator operating at small amplitudes. An additional slow feedback compensates for changes in the free resonance frequency, allowing stable imaging over a long period of time with changing environmental conditions. Keywords: ambient conditions; drift compensation

• -high vacuum (UHV), it remains a challenge under ambient conditions. However, imaging samples in their natural environment down to the atomic level is key to understanding their properties. Several factors such as contamination of the surface, environmental changes, and water layers on the surface

Rigid multipodal platforms for metal surfaces

• Michal Valášek,
• Marcin Lindner and
• Marcel Mayor

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 374–405, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.34

• with oxygen and can be handled even under ambient conditions in the laboratory before its surface functionalization with organosulfur compounds. The covalent bond between sulfur and gold gives rise to robust and reasonably conductive single-molecular junctions of adsorbed molecules on gold substrates

• under ambient conditions and decompose at elevated temperatures. One of the drawbacks of thiol monolayers is that the molecular plane of absorbed thiols is inclined to the surface. Another drawback appeared in complex molecular systems that form densely packed SAMs, where the close spatial arrangement

Hydration of magnesia cubes: a helium ion microscopy study

• Ruth Schwaiger,
• Johannes Schneider,
• Gilles R. Bourret and
• Oliver Diwald

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 302–309, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.28

• conditions. For example, for transient electronics it has become a major challenge to understand and control the factors of materials transformation in aqueous systems [1][2]. Under ambient conditions, nanostructured and highly dispersed metal oxides are instantaneously coated with thin water films. These

Chemiresistive/SERS dual sensor based on densely packed gold nanoparticles

• Sanda Boca,
• Cosmin Leordean,
• Simion Astilean and
• Cosmin Farcau

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2498–2503, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.259

• -like assemblies of gold NPs are formed by computer-controlled periodic movement and stopping of the substrate. The process is performed under ambient conditions at 22–25 °C and a humidity of 32–35%. Sample characterization: Optical extinction spectra were measured with a Jasco V-670 spectrophotometer

Large area scanning probe microscope in ultra-high vacuum demonstrated for electrostatic force measurements on high-voltage devices

• Urs Gysin,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Thomas Schmölzer,
• Adolf Schöner,
• Sergey Reshanov,
• Holger Bartolf and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2485–2497, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.258

• ambient conditions. However, for the characterization of complex semiconductor devices large area scans with the possibility of taking high resolution images at dedicated areas under inert conditions are mandatory. The instrument described in the first part of this article allows for investigations on a

• ambient conditions scan areas as large as 100 × 100 μm2 are available. Furthermore, the novel system provides a dedicated opto-electrical characterization using all major SPM techniques. In the following we will describe the key components of the new AFM. Beam deflection unit with optical excitation

Green and energy-efficient methods for the production of metallic nanoparticles

• Mitra Naghdi,
• Mehrdad Taheran,
• Satinder K. Brar,
• M. Verma,
• R. Y. Surampalli and
• J. R. Valero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2354–2376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.243

• range of 16 nm [13]. D. Philip employed an aqueous leaf extract of fresh/dry Mangifera indica as a reducing agent for the synthesis of nearly monodispersed spherical Au NPs from HAuCl4 under ambient conditions. The reaction time was 2 min and she obtained NPs with an average size of around 18 nm. It was

Nanoscale rippling on polymer surfaces induced by AFM manipulation

• Mario D’Acunto,
• Franco Dinelli and
• Pasqualantonio Pingue

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2278–2289, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.234

• precursor of polyterthiophene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (P3T/PMMA) copolymer can be cross-linked by the application of a voltage via the AFM tip. Specifically, the patterning was performed by means of an ultrasharp conductive tip with a radius of 20 nm applying voltages up to 10 V under ambient conditions

Fabrication of hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds by incorporating ligand-free hydroxyapatite nanoparticles into biodegradable polymer scaffolds and release studies

• Balazs Farkas,
• Marina Rodio,
• Ilaria Romano,
• Alberto Diaspro,
• Romuald Intartaglia and
• Szabolcs Beke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2217–2223, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.227

• production of highly pure nanoparticles, has attracted research over the last decade mainly because of the simplicity of the method [15][16][17][18]. The main advantages of the technique include the green synthesis without chemical agents, a high production yield [17], the possibility to work under ambient

• conditions, and the versatility that allows for in situ manipulations [16]. Earlier, we had reported on the incorporation of Au NPs [19] and titanate nanotubes (TNTs) in and on the scaffolds [20] to develop poly(propylene fumarate)/diethyl fumarate (PPF:DEF) scaffolds for specific biomedical applications. We

Kelvin probe force microscopy for local characterisation of active nanoelectronic devices

• Tino Wagner,
• Hannes Beyer,
• Patrick Reissner,
• Philipp Mensch,
• Heike Riel,
• Bernd Gotsmann and
• Andreas Stemmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2193–2206, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.225

• nickel (Ni) contacts (height ≈ 120 nm), obtained at a bias current of 1.4 μA under ambient conditions using a commercial AFM (Cypher, Asylum Research). The steep edges at the electrodes necessitated AM topography feedback. Oftentimes the contact resistances between nanowire and metal contacts are uneven

The role of low-energy electrons in focused electron beam induced deposition: four case studies of representative precursors

• Rachel M. Thorman,
• Ragesh Kumar T. P.,
• D. Howard Fairbrother and
• Oddur Ingólfsson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1904–1926, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.194

• attributes: i) sufficient vapor pressure to facilitate their introduction into a vacuum chamber, ii) chemical stability under ambient conditions and iii) non-toxicity and easy handling. These criteria are the same as those that define suitable precursors for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [4][5]. Because of

Template-controlled mineralization: Determining film granularity and structure by surface functionality patterns

• Nina J. Blumenstein,
• Jonathan Berson,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Petia Atanasova,
• Johannes Baier,
• Joachim Bill and
• Thomas Schimmel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1763–1768, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.180

• images were obtained with a commercial Dimension Icon system (Bruker) in tapping mode under ambient conditions. SAM templates were scanned under water in order to exclude the effect of meniscus forces of possible surface adsorbed water films on the topographic measurements. Scanning electron micrographs

Towards multifunctional inorganic materials: biopolymeric templates

• Claudia Steinem and
• Joachim Bill

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1698–1699, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.172

• aforementioned manufacturing methods, biomineralization leads to fascinating, complex-structured, inorganic materials under ambient conditions. The corresponding processes have been evolutionarily optimized over millions of years and involve biopolymeric templates, which control the mineralization and the

Synthesis, characterization and in vitro effects of 7 nm alloyed silver–gold nanoparticles

• Simon Ristig,
• Svitlana Chernousova,
• Wolfgang Meyer-Zaika and
• Matthias Epple

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1212–1220, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.124

• microscopy (TEM) images were recorded with a Philips CM 200 FE instrument. The dispersions were diluted with deionized water, drop cast onto a carbon-coated copper grid and dried under ambient conditions. The particle diameter was estimated by manually measuring 50 particles and compiling a histogram

The convenient preparation of stable aryl-coated zerovalent iron nanoparticles

• Olga A. Guselnikova,
• Andrey I. Galanov,
• Anton K. Gutakovskii and
• Pavel S. Postnikov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1192–1198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.121

• . Results and Discussion The chemical reduction method of ZVI NPs synthesis (reduction of iron salts by sodium borohydride in aqueous or another medium) after isolation of NPs leads to the fast oxidation of powder or passivation by oxides, even at ambient conditions [26][27]. We found that addition of

Superluminescence from an optically pumped molecular tunneling junction by injection of plasmon induced hot electrons

• Kai Braun,
• Xiao Wang,
• Andreas M. Kern,
• Hilmar Adler,
• Heiko Peisert,
• Thomas Chassé,
• Dai Zhang and
• Alfred J. Meixner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1100–1106, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.111

• superluminescent point light-source based on an optically pumped molecular junction (gold substrate/self-assembled molecular monolayer/gold tip) of a scanning tunneling microscope, operating at ambient conditions and providing almost three orders of magnitude higher electron-to-photon conversion efficiency than

From lithium to sodium: cell chemistry of room temperature sodium–air and sodium–sulfur batteries

• Philipp Adelhelm,
• Pascal Hartmann,
• Conrad L. Bender,
• Martin Busche,
• Christine Eufinger and
• Juergen Janek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1016–1055, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.105

• Figure 3a. Under ambient conditions, the thermodynamically stable phases are lithium oxide (Li2O) and lithium peroxide (Li2O2). As these compounds are insulators, GDLs with a high surface area are used to improve the kinetics. Two other cell concepts that have been studied to a lesser extent are cells

• under ambient conditions). The relative stability of NaO2 was recently calculated by two groups with somewhat controversial results (see the section The sodium–oxygen (Na/O2) battery for more details). Sodium ozonide (NaO3) has been frequently reported as being unstable under ambient conditions and

Automatic morphological characterization of nanobubbles with a novel image segmentation method and its application in the study of nanobubble coalescence

• Yuliang Wang,
• Huimin Wang,
• Shusheng Bi and
• Bin Guo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 952–963, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.98

• , are widely studied. Several studies have shown that increased solution temperature, under ambient conditions are favorable conditions for the generation of NBs [2][30][31][32]. An increase of the solution temperature results in an increased NB density when the liquid temperature is lower than about 40

Transformation of hydrogen titanate nanoribbons to TiO₂ nanoribbons and the influence of the transformation strategies on the photocatalytic performance

• Melita Rutar,
• Nejc Rozman,
• Matej Pregelj,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Romana Cerc Korošec,
• Andrijana Sever Škapin,
• Aleš Mrzel,
• Srečo D. Škapin and
• Polona Umek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 831–844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.86

• strongly alters the nanoribbon surfaces and as a result the specific surface area increases [14][20]. Interestingly, a change in the reaction medium from neutral to acidic allows the transformation to occur under almost ambient conditions. Furthermore, under these conditions, TiO2/titanate hybrid

Capillary and van der Waals interactions on CaF₂ crystals from amplitude modulation AFM force reconstruction profiles under ambient conditions

• Annalisa Calò,
• Oriol Vidal Robles,
• Sergio Santos and
• Albert Verdaguer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 809–819, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.84

• attractive part of the force with relatively low noise and without missing information on critical ranges, particularly under ambient conditions where capillary interactions are believed to dominate. Thus a systematic study of the different profiles that may arise in such situations is still lacking. Here we

• employ the surfaces of CaF2, on which nanoscale water films form, to report on the range and force profiles that might originate by dynamic capillary interactions occurring between an AFM tip and nanoscale water patches. Three types of force profiles were observed under ambient conditions. One in which

• ]. This is particularly true when working in air under ambient conditions, where the presence of thin layers of water is ubiquitous even on highly hydrophobic surfaces [8][9][10] and specific interactions (hydration, capillary forces) [11] need to be accounted for, which can be effective at relatively

Electroburning of few-layer graphene flakes, epitaxial graphene, and turbostratic graphene discs in air and under vacuum

• Andrea Candini,
• Nils Richter,
• Domenica Convertino,
• Camilla Coletti,
• Franck Balestro,
• Wolfgang Wernsdorfer,
• Mathias Kläui and
• Marco Affronte

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 711–719, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.72

• the C-face of SiC and turbostratic graphene discs deposited on SiO2) under air and vacuum conditions. The EB process is found to depend on both the graphene type and on the ambient conditions. For the mechanically exfoliated graphene, performing EB under vacuum leads to a higher yield of nanometer-gap

• graphene junctions (same layer thickness, roughly the same geometrical parameters). For each flake we processed approximately half of the junctions under ambient conditions (room temperature and in air) and the other half under vacuum (pressure below 10−4 mbar) so that the final comparison between the

• section and the Supporting Information File 1 for more details on the sample growth and characterization), which should display a smaller gate dependence with respect to single layer graphene. In total, we processed twelve junctions in air and nine under vacuum. When working under ambient conditions, all

Chains of carbon atoms: A vision or a new nanomaterial?

• Florian Banhart

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 559–569, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.58

• by spectroscopic information from interstellar molecules [16][17]. However, the debate about the existence of carbyne at ambient conditions continues until today [6]. Nevertheless, it is undisputed that carbyne represents an exceptional state among the other modifications of carbon and will, most

• chain of atoms is left. Conclusion The existence of sp1-hybridized carbon has been secured experimentally and is undisputed. The high instability of bulk carbyne, however, due to cross-linking between chains of carbon atoms, made the availability of this material in bulk quantities and under ambient

• conditions very unlikely. The research concentrates therefore on isolated chains. Their outstanding mechanical and electronic properties, as theoretical work predicts, are still waiting for experimental confirmation. Preliminary experiments [23] do not confirm the predicted electrical conductivity. No

Structural, optical, opto-thermal and thermal properties of ZnS–PVA nanofluids synthesized through a radiolytic approach

• Alireza Kharazmi,
• Nastaran Faraji,
• Roslina Mat Hussin,
• Elias Saion,
• W. Mahmood Mat Yunus and
• Kasra Behzad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 529–536, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.55

• ], sol–gel [12], solid state synthesis [13] and gamma irradiation [14]. Among these methods, gamma irradiation has been considerably employed in various works because it can be applied under ambient conditions and at room temperature. In addition, this method provides size control and avoids impurities