Progress and innovation of nanostructured sulfur cathodes and metal-free anodes for room-temperature Na–S batteries

• Marina Tabuyo-Martínez,
• Bernd Wicklein and
• Pilar Aranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 995–1020, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.75

Uniform arrays of gold nanoelectrodes with tuneable recess depth

• Elena O. Gordeeva,
• Ilya V. Roslyakov,
• Alexey P. Leontiev,
• Alexey A. Klimenko and
• Kirill S. Napolskii

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 957–964, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.72

• available porous AAO films with a highly irregular structure to prepare the Au nanowell electrodes with 600 nm depth by templated electrodeposition. It is worth noting that the percentage of nanoelectrodes in the array that are involved in electrochemical reactions has not been discussed in detail. At the

• Scientific and Educational School of Lomonosov MSU «The future of the planet and global environmental change» is acknowledged. Funding The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 19-73-10176) in part of preparation and characterization of the AAO porous films. Templated

Molecular assemblies on surfaces: towards physical and electronic decoupling of organic molecules

• Sabine Maier and
• Meike Stöhr

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 950–956, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.71

• sufficient to truly electronically insulate molecular structures. For this, the usage of either thicker insulating films (mostly alkali halides) or bulk insulators is required. For studying molecules on bulk insulators, ionic crystals (e.g., KBr, NaCl, CaF2, and calcite) have mostly served as model systems

• . Due to lowered diffusion barrier and adsorption energy, the two-dimensional molecular layers can be affected by dewetting and may change into three-dimensional clusters [47]. In return, the reduced molecule–surface interaction on insulating films or bulk insulators can stabilize highly reactive

• quenched on bare Cu(111) and would require three molecular decoupling layers to be probed on Cu(111). In all three studies using hBN, ordered molecular films were observed. The decoupling even allowed for the formation of complex self-assemblies such as kagome lattices by tuning the number and position of

The role of deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan in synthesizing biocompatible anisotropic metal nanoparticles

• Nabojit Das,
• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 924–938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.69

• of CTAB-capped gold nanorods on estuarine model systems (consisting of sediments, plants, microbial films, fish, and snails) for observing ecological and environmental impact [71]. The results showed that the biofilms were the primary route through which gold nanorods enters the food chain. It is

In situ transport characterization of magnetic states in Nb/Co superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures

• Olena M. Kapran,
• Roman Morari,
• Taras Golod,
• Evgenii A. Borodianskyi,
• Vladimir Boian,
• Andrei Prepelita,
• Nikolay Klenov,
• Anatoli S. Sidorenko and
• Vladimir M. Krasnov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 913–923, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.68

• were used for the calibration of the etching rates of the films. MLs are patterned into micrometer-scale bridges with multiple contacts using photolithography and reactive ion etching. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of one of the studied samples is shown in Figure 1a. Control of the

• by SQUID magnetometry in a field parallel to the film in the normal state at T > Tc. A significant hysteresis of M(H) reveals the in-plane anisotropy of Co films (albeit with a small coercive field, HC ≈ 30 Oe), consistent with earlier studies [44][45][46][47]. Figure 1c shows a numerical simulation

• the field. However, this effect is nonmonotonous with the field, as can be seen from the zoomed-in view in the inset. The rest of the transition is little affected in this field range (up to 500 Oe). This is caused by the large value of the upper critical field for thin Nb films in the parallel field

Modification of a SERS-active Ag surface to promote adsorption of charged analytes: effect of Cu²⁺ ions

• Bahdan V. Ranishenka,
• Andrei Yu. Panarin,
• Irina A. Chelnokova,
• Sergei N. Terekhov,
• Peter Mojzes and
• Vadim V. Shmanai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 902–912, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.67

• the electrostatic interaction between analyte molecules and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the intensity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). For this, we fabricated nanostructured plasmonic films by immobilization of Ag NPs on glass plates and functionalized them by a set of differently

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

9.1% efficient zinc oxide/silicon solar cells on a 50 μm thick Si absorber

• Rafal Pietruszka,
• Bartlomiej S. Witkowski,
• Monika Ozga,
• Katarzyna Gwozdz,
• Ewa Placzek-Popko and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 766–774, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.60

• University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland 10.3762/bjnano.12.60 Abstract Today, silicon solar cells (amorphous films and wafer-based) are a main source of green energy. These cells and their components are produced by employing various technologies. Unfortunately

• environmentally friendly solar cells are cells based on zinc oxide (ZnO). ZnO thin films can be obtained using many technologies, including molecular beam epitaxy, RF magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and atomic layer deposition (ALD) [3]. ALD attracts the attention of many

• research groups. This technology was invented in the 1970s by Tuomo Suntola from Finland [4]. Thanks to the unique properties of this technology, materials produced by ALD quickly found a number of applications in PV. For example, ultrathin films of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) are used to passivate silicon

Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review

• Thies H. Büscher and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 725–743, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.57

• spatula, terminating tips of the cuticle outgrowths in hairy systems form the superficial film. These films are responsible for proper contact formation with the substrate due to their low bending stiffness at a minimum load [239]. The film/spatula is able to adapt to the surface profile and to replicate

• surface irregularities of certain length scales. The range of length scales to which the adaptation is possible depends on the stiffness of the film. Spatulae are able to adapt even to nanoscale roughness [240][241]. Thick films within the smooth pads of the bush cricket Tettigonia viridissima and the

• pad as a stable unit [35][246]. The thicker superficial film in the desert species may also minimize water loss [132] and, presumably, it prevents the fragile fibrous material from wearing out during walking [126][127]. However, in thicker/stiffer films, the adhesive properties are, at the same time

Prediction of Co and Ru nanocluster morphology on 2D MoS₂ from interaction energies

• Cara-Lena Nies and
• Michael Nolan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 704–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.56

• -quality, conformal thin films with low resistivity, to avoid many of the typical failure mechanisms such as electromigration [42][43]. This means that 3D migration of atoms (agglomeration) should be inhibited, while 2D growth (wetting) should be promoted. In contrast, in catalysis applications the ratio

• clusters (n = 1–4) on a single ML of MoS2. Based on this understanding, alongside the magnitude of metal–substrate and metal–metal interactions we will be able to predict the morphology of Co and Ru thin films on 2D MoS2. We have previously studied 2D and 3D Cu clusters on TaN, where we determined that

Electromigration-induced formation of percolating adsorbate islands during condensation from the gaseous phase: a computational study

• Alina V. Dvornichenko,
• Vasyl O. Kharchenko and
• Dmitrii O. Kharchenko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 694–703, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.55

• islands during condensation from the gaseous phase. We will show that the elongated morphology of adsorbate islands remains stable if the electric field is turned off. Keywords: adsorptive systems; electromigration; numerical simulations; pattern formation; thin films; Introduction The processes of

• according to the Stransky–Krastanov growth regime [16][17][18][19], whereas at elevated temperatures such processes are associated with the solid dissolution of the layers of precipitated material [20][21]. Surface EM [22][23] is widely used in the study of thin solid films, for example, for the formation

• of nanocontacts [24][25], the direction of movement of monoatomic steps and islands on the surface of crystals [22][23][26], the formation of faces on the surface of crystals and crystalline surfaces [27]. Studies of the effects induced by surface EM in thin monocomponent monocrystalline films

A review of defect engineering, ion implantation, and nanofabrication using the helium ion microscope

• Frances I. Allen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 633–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.52

• electronic conduction properties of the material without needing to rely on thermal activation [37]. And finally in the category of electronic applications, a number of studies have used the HIM to direct-write Josephson tunnel junctions into thin films of high-transition-temperature superconductors. This

• structures [45]. The performance of Josephson junctions in YBCO thin films fabricated using the HIM has been further evaluated in [46]. Cross-sectional STEM analysis of helium line irradiations of YBCO has shown that the crystallinity of the Josephson junction barriers is essentially preserved, highlighting

• PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 thin films at doses of 0.22 × 1015 to 1 × 1015 ions/cm2 has been demonstrated, and through site-selective direct-write patterning with variable dose, various nanostructures with novel ferroelectric-switching functionalities have been fabricated [33] (Figure 2f). Using similar doses, out-of-plane

High-yield synthesis of silver nanowires for transparent conducting PET films

• Gul Naz,
• Hafsa Asghar,
• Muhammad Ramzan,
• Muhammad Arshad,
• Rashid Ahmed,
• Muhammad Bilal Tahir,
• Bakhtiar Ul Haq,
• Nadeem Baig and
• Junaid Jalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 624–632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.51

• length with an average diameter of about 86 nm, that is, the aspect ratio values of the AgNWs exceeded 45. An ink consisting of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and AgNWs was transferred to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films by simple mechanical pressing. The PET films retained transparency and

• flexibility after the ink coating. The maximum transmittance value of as-prepared PET films in the visible region was estimated to be about 92.5% with a sheet resistance value of ca. 20 Ω/sq. This makes the films a potential substitute to commonly used expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) in the field of flexible

• electrodes made of sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) films [1][2][3]. These films are widely used because of their high transmittance, low sheet resistance, and high electrical conductivity. Yet, they still have some major drawbacks such as high cost, intrinsic brittleness due to the ceramic nature [4], and

Local stiffness and work function variations of hexagonal boron nitride on Cu(111)

• Abhishek Grewal,
• Yuqi Wang,
• Matthias Münks,
• Klaus Kern and
• Markus Ternes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 559–565, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.46

• - and few-layer thick graphene films [1][2]. Unique properties, such as high thermal stability and conductivity, immense intra-sheet stiffness, and excellent dielectric properties, make h-BN interesting for technological applications. For example, thin films of h-BN have been used as a passivating layer

On the stability of microwave-fabricated SERS substrates – chemical and morphological considerations

• Limin Wang,
• Aisha Adebola Womiloju,
• Christiane Höppener,
• Ulrich S. Schubert and
• Stephanie Hoeppener

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 541–551, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.44

• are irregular in shape and well separated (Figure 2a), which supports the formation of hot spots in these nanoparticle films. At the same time, the nanoparticles are rather polydisperse, which is seen as a beneficial feature of SERS substrates as it contributes to the electromagnetic enhancement

• coverage, as well as the average projected spherical analogue particle size. Even though it has to be considered here that the standard deviations of the determined particle sizes and projected areas are rather high, these values can serve as a first estimation of the particle sizes in the SERS films

Interface interaction of transition metal phthalocyanines with strontium titanate (100)

• Reimer Karstens,
• Thomas Chassé and
• Heiko Peisert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 485–496, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.39

• be driven by the ionization potential difference between substrate and adsorbate. In addition, fluorination may affect significantly the adsorption geometry on surfaces as well as the single-crystal structure and arrangement in thin films [34][35][36][37]. Furthermore, local chemical interactions

• (Supporting Information File 1). The peak fit parameters are given in Table S7 and Table S8 (Supporting Information File 1). For the thickest films in Figure 3 (6.9 nm) the molecule-related core level spectra can be described analogously to the literature of transition metal phthalocyanines [53][54][55]. A

• spectra (0.25 nm) of the macrocycle (N 1s and C 1s) in Figure 3 can be essentially described by the model applied for the bulk-like thicker films. For both N 1s and C 1s spectra, a slight broadening is observed for monolayer spectra compared to the bulk. The Gaussian width increases from 1.0 to 1.1 eV and

Reconstruction of a 2D layer of KBr on Ir(111) and electromechanical alteration by graphene

• Zhao Liu,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Stefan Peeters,
• Sebastian Scherb,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Maria Clelia Righi and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 432–439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.35

• studies, a completely different possibility of a reconstruction for NaCl was recently predicted theoretically, suggesting that increasing the interaction between substrate and film by selecting a particular substrate may lead to the formation of NaCl films with unusual structures [36]. Such 2D NaCl layers

Solution combustion synthesis of a nanometer-scale Co₃O₄ anode material for Li-ion batteries

• Monika Michalska,
• Huajun Xu,
• Qingmin Shan,
• Shiqiang Zhang,
• Yohan Dall'Agnese,
• Yu Gao,
• Amrita Jain and
• Marcin Krajewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 424–431, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.34

• ][37], and other methods [38][39][40][41]. Co3O4 nanomaterials with various shapes were obtained, such as films [6][16], particles [13][14][32][38], spheres [15][20][28][36], fibers [18][19], wires [21][30][40], tubes [22][32], cages [23][33], flakes [24], sheets [25][37][41], and flowers [31

A stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator made of silver-coated glass microspheres for human motion energy harvesting and self-powered sensing applications

• Hui Li,
• Yaju Zhang,
• Yonghui Wu,
• Hui Zhao,
• Weichao Wang,
• Xu He and
• Haiwu Zheng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 402–412, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.32

• the mold slowly. Second, SCGMs (diameter of 30 μm, Shenzhen Changxinda Shielding Materials Co. LTD) with good electrical conductivity were spread evenly over the surface. Finally, different films were prepared by adjusting the ratio between silicone and rubber/SCGMs (1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:2.5

Spontaneous shape transition of Mn_xGe_1−x islands to long nanowires

• S. Javad Rezvani,
• Luc Favre,
• Gabriele Giuli,
• Yiming Wubulikasimu,
• Isabelle Berbezier,
• Augusto Marcelli,
• Luca Boarino and
• Nicola Pinto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 366–374, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.30

• ]. Several studies have been published on manganese germanide systems, from deposited films to free-standing nanoclusters and Mn embedded in a Ge matrix, but only few works have been devoted to one-dimensional Mn–Ge systems [11][12][13][20][21][22][23][27]. Semiconducting and alloyed nanowires can be

• deposition, Ge wafers were annealed at 400 °C for 30 min to remove the overgrown oxide. Then, a Ge buffer layer of 80 nm was deposited at 350 °C, using a Knudsen cell, and let to cool down to 60 °C for Mn deposition. Two to nine monolayers of Mn were deposited at 60 °C. The films were annealed immediately

• electron beam. Results and Discussion High-temperature annealing of the evaporated Mn thin films on Ge(111) results in a significant change of the film morphology with the appearance of nanostructures onto the surface. The features of the structures are related to the Mn layer thickness and the duration of

Structural and optical characteristics determined by the sputtering deposition conditions of oxide thin films

• Petronela Prepelita,
• Florin Garoi and
• Valentin Craciun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 354–365, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.29

• dioxide (SiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on quartz substrates was investigated. The deposition conditions were optimized to achieve stoichiometric thin films. The orientation of crystallites, structure, and composition were investigated by X-ray

• thickness. The optical constants (i.e., the refractive index n, the extinction coefficient k, and the absorption coefficient α) of the SiO2 and ZnO oxide films were determined from the transmission spectra recorded in the range of 190–2500 nm by using the Swanepoel method, while the energy bandgap was

• calculated from the absorption spectra. The influence of thickness on the structural and optical properties of the oxide films was investigated. Good optical quality and performance were noticed, which makes these thin films worthy of integration into metamaterial structures. Keywords: magnetron sputtering

Nickel nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide/WO₃ nanocomposite – a promising candidate for gas sensing

• Ilka Simon,
• Alexandr Savitsky,
• Rolf Mülhaupt,
• Vladimir Pankov and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 343–353, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.28

• performance of MOS@rGO can further be improved by either chemical doping or by combination with a transition metal as ternary component [38]. Iron oxide-doped WO3 films showed improved NO2 sensing at room temperature, when adding a layer of 16 nm p-type rGO on the metal oxide film [39]. Nickel-doped SnO2

The patterning toolbox FIB-o-mat: Exploiting the full potential of focused helium ions for nanofabrication

• Victor Deinhart,
• Lisa-Marie Kern,
• Jan N. Kirchhof,
• Sabrina Juergensen,
• Joris Sturm,
• Enno Krauss,
• Thorsten Feichtner,
• Sviatoslav Kovalchuk,
• Michael Schneider,
• Dieter Engel,
• Bastian Pfau,
• Bert Hecht,
• Kirill I. Bolotin,
• Stephanie Reich and
• Katja Höflich

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 304–318, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.25

• asymmetric magnetic interactions as in Co/Pt films, enabling the formation of desired spin textures [4]. As the actual device geometry determines the response to external stimuli, the coupling strengths, and the corresponding figures of merit, ultimate control in nanopatterning down to the single-digit

• features in the single-digit nanometer range where small sputter rates play a minor role. This holds true not only for monolayer 2D materials, such as graphene, but also for thin films forming quasi 2D geometries. The versatility of the corresponding materials opens a wide field of exciting applications

• are available in the git repository of the FIB-o-mat package [18]. 1 Magnetic patterning of Co/Pt multilayer films Used FIB-o-mat features: high-level beam path generation with automation via stage control. Magnetic thin films and multilayers are of great technological interest as platforms for spin

Extended iron phthalocyanine islands self-assembled on a Ge(001):H surface

• Rafal Zuzak,
• Marek Szymonski and
• Szymon Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 232–241, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.19

• molecules or molecular nanoarchitectures from the metallic substrate and, thus, helps to retain the originally designed properties. Different insulating films have already been applied, ranging from ionic salts such as NaCl [8][9], KCl [10][11], or KBr [12], through oxide [13] or nitride [14] layers to

Scanning transmission helium ion microscopy on carbon nanomembranes

• Daniel Emmrich,
• Annalena Wolff,
• Nikolaus Meyerbröker,
• Jörg K. N. Lindner,
• André Beyer and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 222–231, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.18

• microscopy (EFTEM) data, both being established techniques for the thickness measurement of thin films. All three presented methods, STIM, XPS, and EFTEM, require an assumption about density and composition of the material in order to calculate absolute thicknesses, so graphite was chosen as a well

• total electron intensity of a non-filtered image [29]. It requires the estimation of an attenuation length λ, which was calculated by the Iakoubowskii model (Equation 9 in [30]), assuming here that the films exhibit the mass density of pure graphite. EFTEM measurements were done at kinetic energies of

• measurement of this spot is compared to a non-exposed part of the membrane. The non-exposed membrane shows barely visible D and G bands on a strong photoluminescence background as it is reported for amorphous hydrogenated carbon films [32]. After exposure to TEM, the photoluminescence drops and the D and G