Fabrication of gold-coated PDMS surfaces with arrayed triangular micro/nanopyramids for use as SERS substrates

• Jingran Zhang,
• Yongda Yan,
• Peng Miao and
• Jianxiong Cai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2271–2282, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.227

• with different feed rates (fx and fy) in the X and Y directions. The adjacent pyramidal inverted cavities were fabricated by moving the material in the X and Z directions simultaneously, and the Y axis was used to obtain two-dimensional microstructures. The feed in the X direction ranges from fx = 5–10

• nm thick gold film with a dye concentration of 10−6 M. The characteristic Raman peaks of R6G molecules were successfully identified at 612, 771, 1183, 1311, 1362, 1504 and 1603 cm−1, as shown in Figure 6a. Owing to the different microstructures formed by the feeds in the X and Y directions, it can be

Optical techniques for cervical neoplasia detection

• Tatiana Novikova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1844–1862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.186

• tissue. This technique makes use of low-coherence interferometry with a near-infrared light source to create two-dimensional images of tissue cross-sections by exploring elastic light scattering from internal tissue microstructures [117]. OCT provides depth-resolved images, where the contrast results

Nanotribological behavior of deep cryogenically treated martensitic stainless steel

• Germán Prieto,
• Konstantinos D. Bakoglidis,
• Walter R. Tuckart and
• Esteban Broitman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1760–1768, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.177

• characterize the resulting microstructures after each heat treatment (JEOL JSM-35CF). The volume fraction of carbides was estimated from the SEM micrographs using Delesse’s principle for stereographic relationships [25]. All specimens were included in carbon-filled bakelite using a Buehler SIMPLIMET 3 hot

Two-dimensional carbon-based nanocomposites for photocatalytic energy generation and environmental remediation applications

• Suneel Kumar,
• Ashish Kumar,
• Ashish Bahuguna,
• Vipul Sharma and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1571–1600, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.159

• morphology of catalytic material. Therefore the fabrication of g-C3N4 with different microstructures is expected to show different surface properties and ability to enhance the photocatalytic performance. As per one of the reports by Zhu et al., g-C3N4 synthesized by using melamine, thiourea, or urea as

Micro- and nano-surface structures based on vapor-deposited polymers

• Hsien-Yeh Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1366–1374, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.138

• patterns and microstructures on coated substrates. However, because of the requirements for applying a photomask or an elastomeric stamp, these techniques are mostly limited to flat substrates. Attempts are also conducted to produce patterned structures on non-flat surfaces with various maskless methods

• microstructures of PEG hydrogels [22]. In a separate report, this photodefinable polymer was used to pattern protein molecules using a photomask-assisted lithographical approach [23]. Recently, surface patterns were enabled via light-induced thiol-ene/thiol-yne reactions on a poly(4-vinyl-p-xylylene-co-p-xylylene

• -/microstructures [35]. Similarly, direct writing using a scanning probe microscopy-based nanolithographic technique (dip-pen nanolithography, DPN) was used to deliver chemical substances with submicrometer features on a wide range of poly(p-xylylene) deposited substrates [36]. An array of micro-sized plasma was

Nanotopographical control of surfaces using chemical vapor deposition processes

• Meike Koenig and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1250–1256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.126

• , monomer partial pressure and substrate temperature. The three-dimensional growth of pillared microstructures was found at low substrate temperatures, while at increased substrate temperatures, web-like growth occurred. The membrane formation could be spatially controlled by patterning of the surface

Structural properties and thermal stability of cobalt- and chromium-doped α-MnO₂ nanorods

• Romana Cerc Korošec,
• Polona Umek,
• Alexandre Gloter,
• Jana Padežnik Gomilšek and
• Peter Bukovec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1032–1042, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.104

• hollow microstructures at a the secondary level (Figure 2a,c) similar to Fe3+-doped α-MnO2 nanotubes [25]. Characteristic diameters of these microstructures are between 2 to 5 μm. The secondary structure appears to be more disordered already at 130 °C (Figure 2c), while it is not observed at all at 170

• outer side of the shells while thinner ones are in the inner part. In general, the length of the nanorods corresponds to the shell thickness of the hollow microstructures, which is between 400 nm and 1 μm. In contrast, nanorods in the samples synthesized at 130 and 170 °C can reach up to 2 μm, which is

• varies from 1.42% (ND-170) to 3.95% (Cr-90). More water molecules are released from the samples prepared at the lowest reaction temperature (90 °C). In these samples, nanorods form hollow 3D microstructures that can also keep water molecules in their interior. The content of physisorbed water in the

Silicon microgrooves for contact guidance of human aortic endothelial cells

• Sara Fernández-Castillejo,
• Pilar Formentín,
• Úrsula Catalán,
• Josep Pallarès,
• Lluís F. Marsal and
• Rosa Solà

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 675–681, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.72

• that allows one to link bioconjugators such as collagen [30]. Collagen is an attractive tool for biomedical applications as it is the most abundant protein in mammalian tissues [31]. We have recently reported the development of collagen-coated silicon-based microstructures, classified as nanoporous

Diffusion and surface alloying of gradient nanostructured metals

• Zhenbo Wang and
• Ke Lu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 547–560, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.59

• -angle GBs (HAGBs), low-angle GBs (LAGBs) and dislocation walls with an increasing depth. These microstructures characteristics provided unique opportunities to study the relationship between the diffusion property and microstructure into the nanometer scale. The diffusion studies in these materials will

• using the so-called C–B diffusion mode developed by Divinski et al. [17] in hierarchic microstructures. In this case, the leakage of Ni tracer atoms from HAGBs into TBs (i.e., B-regime in the mode) reduces the effective diffusivities in both regions. The diffusivities of HAGBs and TBs in the GNS Cu are

• larger thickness and better properties. Studies of diffusion behavior might shed light on the structural characteristics and properties of internal interfaces in nanostructured materials. Novel microstructures such as LAGB-dominant interfaces and nanolaminates have been synthesized in GNS metals recently

Biological and biomimetic materials and surfaces

• Stanislav Gorb and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 403–407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.42

• systematics and he was interested if the fascinating nano- and microstructures he saw in the SEM are of importance for classifying the different plant taxa; this was proved true for many of these structures. Wilhelm Barthlott was especially interested in the tiny lipid structures, the so-called plant waxes

• with the prey spectra between the taxa studied. This study opens an interesting possibility of combining surface microstructures with adhesive fluids to enhance dynamical performance of the next generation of adhesives. The majority of insects bear adhesive foot pads, which are used in locomotion on

Annealing-induced recovery of indents in thin Au(Fe) bilayer films

• Anna Kosinova,
• Ruth Schwaiger,
• Leonid Klinger and
• Eugen Rabkin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2088–2099, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.199

• by plastic deformation followed by heat treatments, i.e., thermo-mechanical treatment, is a technological cornerstone of human civilization and has been used for millennia to design microstructures and properties of materials. Yet, applying this approach to thin metal films is problematic because the

A new approach to grain boundary engineering for nanocrystalline materials

• Shigeaki Kobayashi,
• Sadahiro Tsurekawa and
• Tadao Watanabe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1829–1849, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.176

• boundary microstructures have been seriously considered according to the almost established approach to GBE. This approach has been increasingly recognized for the development of high performance nanocrystalline materials with an extremely high density of grain boundaries and triple junctions. The

• effectiveness of precisely controlled grain boundary microstructures (quantitatively characterized by the grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) and grain boundary connectivity associated with triple junctions) has been revealed for recent achievements in the enhancement of grain boundary strengthening

• grain boundaries and triple junctions. This is often associated with the nonequilibrium deformation of microstructures introduced by severe plastic deformation (SPD) with less thermal stability, excess structural defects and chemical composition by segregation to grain boundaries and interfaces [12][15

Nanostructured TiO₂-based gas sensors with enhanced sensitivity to reducing gases

• Wojciech Maziarz,
• Anna Kusior and
• Anita Trenczek-Zajac

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1718–1726, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.164

• leads to p→n transitions. The aim of this work was to considerably improve the gas sensing properties of TiO2-based sensors by engineering the morphology of nanostructured TiO2. Layered sensor materials with different microstructures were designed and manufactured on Ti substrates. For the first time

Role of RGO support and irradiation source on the photocatalytic activity of CdS–ZnO semiconductor nanostructures

• Suneel Kumar,
• Rahul Sharma,
• Vipul Sharma,
• Gurunarayanan Harith,
• Vaidyanathan Sivakumar and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1684–1697, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.161

• electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was performed to obtain further information on the surface morphology and microstructures of all prepared nanostructures (Figure 6). The TEM image of GO shows the flake-like shape (Figure 6a). The CdS NP are about 20 nm in size (Figure 6b). The TEM images of the CdS–ZnO

Nano- and microstructured materials for in vitro studies of the physiology of vascular cells

• Alexandra M. Greiner,
• Adria Sales,
• Hao Chen,
• Sarah A. Biela,
• Dieter Kaufmann and
• Ralf Kemkemer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1620–1641, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.155

• thermoplastic polymers. Another method for generating surface topographies is surface cracking. It provokes controlled cracks on a surface of a material and surface microstructures but also nanotopographies can be obtained by this method [51][52]. After surface modification (e.g., plasma treatment) of an

• differently instruct cell reaction [12]. In addition to the tendency that cells orient their body along microstructures, cells also prefer to migrate along the longest axis of the structures present on the surface (Figure 6) [230][231]. In different studies, both SMCs and ECs, were observed to migrate

• groove axis [21][24]. The fact that the nuclear shape is influenced by microstructures leads to the assumption that some changes in the genetic material could take place. It was revealed that changes in nuclear shape, non-invasively induced by microgrooves, caused reorganization of nuclear lamina and

Effect of triple junctions on deformation twinning in a nanostructured Cu–Zn alloy: A statistical study using transmission Kikuchi diffraction

• Silu Liu,
• Xiaolong Ma,
• Lingzhen Li,
• Liwen Zhang,
• Patrick W. Trimby,
• Xiaozhou Liao,
• Yusheng Li,
• Yonghao Zhao and
• Yuntian Zhu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1501–1506, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.143

• TEM image of the HPT Cu–Zn alloy, revealing equiaxed ultrafine and nanocrystalline grains. Most grain boundaries are not well defined and the interiors of most grains are “messy”, especially in large grains. Those are typical microstructures in highly deformed samples with a high density of entangled

Effect of tetramethylammonium hydroxide/isopropyl alcohol wet etching on geometry and surface roughness of silicon nanowires fabricated by AFM lithography

• Siti Noorhaniah Yusoh and
• Khatijah Aisha Yaacob

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1461–1470, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.138

• uniformly in the vertical direction only. Anisotropic wet etching is mostly used to fabricate simple microstructures and nanostructures on a single crystal SOI wafer [8]. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) [9][10][11], potassium hydroxide (KOH) [12], sodium hydroxide (NaOH) [13], ethylenediamine

The self-similarity theory of high pressure torsion

• Yan Beygelzimer,
• Roman Kulagin,
• Laszlo S. Toth and
• Yulia Ivanisenko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1267–1277, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.117

• Sciences of Ukraine, pr. Nauki 46, Kyiv 03028, Ukraine Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, 76344, Germany Laboratoire d’Etude des Microstructures et de Mécanique des Matériaux (LEM3), Université de Lorraine

Fast diffusion of silver in TiO₂ nanotube arrays

• Wanggang Zhang,
• Yiming Liu,
• Diaoyu Zhou,
• Hui Wang,
• Wei Liang and
• Fuqian Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1129–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.105

• nanotube arrays and observed the formation of Ag nanodots on the top surface of the TiO2 nanotube arrays. However, they did not examine and discuss whether there exist Ag nanodots inside the TiO2 nanotubes or on the surface of the TiO2 nanotubes. The microstructures of TiO2-based materials depend on the

• nanotube arrays, which determines the evolution of the microstructures of the TiO2-based materials, remains elusive. In this work, we report the discovery of the fast diffusion of silver through TiO2 nanotube arrays in forming Ag@TiO2 nanotube arrays. The Ag@TiO2 nanotube arrays are prepared by the heat

• treatment of TiO2 nanotube arrays coated with Ag nanofilms. The microstructures of the Ag@TiO2 nanotube arrays are characterized to determine the diffusivity and activation energy of the Ag diffusion on the surface of the TiO2 nanotubes. Results The preparation route of the Ag@TiO2 nanotubes is

The hydraulic mechanism in the hind wing veins of Cybister japonicus Sharp (order: Coleoptera)

• Jiyu Sun,
• Wei Wu,
• Mingze Ling,
• Bharat Bhushan and
• Jin Tong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 904–913, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.82

• length was 35–40 mm. Microstructure testing Microstructure testing was conducted in a manner similar to that described in [20]. The microstructures of the cross sections of hind wing veins were captured using an inverted fluorescence microscope (OLYMPUS, LX71). All beetles were anesthetized with ether

Frog tongue surface microstructures: functional and evolutionary patterns

• Thomas Kleinteich and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 893–903, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.81

• mucus layer, and the target surface of a prey item will be critical for a successful feeding event. Thus, besides mucus production, the filiform papillae as surface microstructures might actually mediate adhesive performance. More recently we discussed the contribution of the filiform papillae to the

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

• organized in characteristic flower-like microstructures. The findings underline the significant metastability of nanomaterials under both ambient and high-vacuum conditions and show the dramatic effect of ubiquitous water films during storage and characterization of oxide nanomaterials. Keywords: helium

• morphologically well-defined MgO particle systems was investigated. We observed unexpected transformations ranging from swelling of the metal oxide nanostructure core to dissolution–recrystallization steps that give rise to the formation of hydroxides with entirely different microstructures [21]. Experimental All

• . In that case microstructures composed of flower brucite sheets have emerged from the significant dissolution of smaller MgO cubes, the size of which does not prevent them from further dissolution [21]. As a result, the aqueous solution becomes locally supersaturated in Mg2+ and OH− ions and lamellar

Blue and white light emission from zinc oxide nanoforests

• Nafisa Noor,
• Luca Lucera,
• Thomas Capuano,
• Venkata Manthina,
• Alexander G. Agrios,
• Helena Silva and
• Ali Gokirmak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2463–2469, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.255

• -cost alternative to GaN [8]. It is also one of the substances that sublimate congruently at atmospheric pressure [15][16][17]: The results we present here are from electrical experiments performed on ZnO nanoforests formed by high-density nanowires grown on highly doped silicon microstructures. We have

• rise to light emission. Experimental ZnO growth Chemical bath deposition (CBD), a low-cost solution-based technique [18][19], is used to grow ZnO nanorods on oxidized silicon wafers with previously fabricated, highly doped, p-type, nanocrystalline silicon microstructures. The samples were precleaned by

• into zinc vapor and oxygen) [17][25]. Figure 9a shows DC voltage sweep measurements performed in vacuum and at atmospheric pressure with a probe separation of ≈10 µm on the ZnO nanorods grown on two adjacent polysilicon microstructures of very similar dimensions (length of 2.5 μm and width of 2.1 and

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

• plasmonic nano- and microstructures has recently been predicted and experimentally realized [30][31][32]. Considering the fact that the Raman scattering and PL emission processes originate in the very center of the tip–substrate gap, any generated photon will firstly couple to the gap mode before being

Fulleropeptide esters as potential self-assembled antioxidants

• Mira S. Bjelaković,
• Tatjana J. Kop,
• Jelena Đorđević and
• Dragana R. Milić

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1065–1071, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.107

• cohesion of fulleropeptide assemblies. The proposed self-assembly path of amphiphilic fulleropeptide esters into spherical particles, their gradual growth to rods or curled leaves, and the final network and artichoke-shaped microstructures are shown in Figure 5. Conclusion The present study could

• -assembled particles: flower (B, 5), spiral-shaped object (C, 8), and artichoke-shaped object (D, 10) prepared from the solid samples deposited on a brass substrate. Scale bars correspond to 10 μm. Schematic illustration of the proposed formation of different self-assembled microstructures starting from the