Surface characterization of nanoparticles using near-field light scattering

• Eunsoo Yoo,
• Yizhong Liu,
• Chukwuazam A. Nwasike,
• Sebastian R. Freeman,
• Brian C. DiPaolo,
• Bernardo Cordovez and
• Amber L. Doiron

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1228–1238, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.114

• analysis of uncoated SPIOs (Fe3O4). ImageJ software (NIH, Bethesda, MD) was used to measure the mean diameter of the particles from TEM images. Scanning electron microscopy Uncoated SPIOs, PEG-SPIOs, and IPC-SPIOs were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, Supra 55 VP, Carl

Electrodeposition of reduced graphene oxide with chitosan based on the coordination deposition method

• Mingyang Liu,
• Yanjun Chen,
• Chaoran Qin,
• Zheng Zhang,
• Shuai Ma,
• Xiuru Cai,
• Xueqian Li and
• Yifeng Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1200–1210, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.111

• -GO was reduced by hydrazine hydrate to obtain the HACC-rGO. In our previous work, the structure and morphology of the resulting HACC-rGO have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) [29]. As shown in Figure 1b, the

Semi-automatic spray pyrolysis deposition of thin, transparent, titania films as blocking layers for dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells

• Hana Krýsová,
• Josef Krýsa and
• Ladislav Kavan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1135–1145, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.105

• microscopy (SEM) (Hitachi FE SEM S-4800 microscope), and UV–vis spectroscopy (Varian CARY 100 with integrating sphere DRA-CA-30I and 8° reflectance geometry, Varian, USA). X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) analysis was performed on an ARL 9400 XP sequential WD-XRF spectrometer (Thermo ARL, Switzerland

Enzymatically promoted release of organic molecules linked to magnetic nanoparticles

• Chiara Lambruschini,
• Silvia Villa,
• Luca Banfi,
• Fabio Canepa,
• Fabio Morana,
• Annalisa Relini,
• Paola Riani,
• Renata Riva and
• Fulvio Silvetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 986–999, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.92

• . They are here identified as NP@silica@APTES. The morphology and chemical composition of these nanoparticles was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) in combination with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) in addition to dynamic light scattering (DLS). In Figure 1A

• , an FE-SEM image of NP@APTES nanoparticles is presented. The diameter distribution histogram, evaluated over 200 NPs, is also given. EDX analysis confirms the presence of the expected elements in the nanostructures, namely iron, silicon, and oxygen. The Cu and C peaks are related to the lacey carbon

• reflectance (ATR) sampling accessory. The morphology of the particles was analysed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, ZEISS SUPRA 40VP), collecting the signal (secondary electrons) by means of an in-lens detector; the particle microanalyses were performed with an energy dispersive X

Surface-plasmon-enhanced ultraviolet emission of Au-decorated ZnO structures for gas sensing and photocatalytic devices

• T. Anh Thu Do,
• Truong Giang Ho,
• Thu Hoai Bui,
• Quang Ngan Pham,
• Hong Thai Giang,
• Thi Thu Do,
• Duc Van Nguyen and
• Dai Lam Tran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 771–779, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.70

• ). This indicated that Au nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of ZnO sub-micrometer spheres, which can be seen more clearly in FE-SEM images. As shown in Figure 1b,c, the uniformly shaped ZnO sub-micrometer spheres with an average diameter of about 0.8 μm were dispersed on the glass substrates

• all remaining solvent and residual impurities before carrying out further characterization. Structural characterization The crystalline structure and morphology of the as-deposited sub-micrometer ZnO spheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, Bruker D8 Advance), SEM (FE-SEM, HITACHI S-4800

• . The photocatalytic decomposition of RhB molecules is evaluated by the PL quenching of the RhB in the photocatalyst-mixed solution. The percentage of the PL quenching is calculated by the ratio of integrating the measured PL emission from 500–700 nm. XRD patterns (a), FE-SEM images of as-deposited ZnO

Perovskite-structured CaTiO₃ coupled with g-C₃N₄ as a heterojunction photocatalyst for organic pollutant degradation

• Ashish Kumar,
• Christian Schuerings,
• Suneel Kumar,
• Ajay Kumar and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 671–685, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.62

• microscopy (FE-SEM) was employed to explore the morphology and surface features of the resultant samples by using a FEI Nova Nano SEM-450 instrument. The samples were sputter-coated with a 2 nm Au layer before measurements in order to make them conducting. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis (EDAX

Sensing behavior of flower-shaped MoS₂ nanoflakes: case study with methanol and xylene

• Maryam Barzegar,
• Masoud Berahman and
• Azam Iraji zad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 608–615, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.57

• scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, TE-SCAN, MIRA3). The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of the products was analyzed using a Micromeritics nitrogen adsorption apparatus. Fabrication of gas sensors An alumina wafer with an area of 1 cm2 was considered as the proper substrate for our gas sensors

• nm are related to the (100) and (110) planes, respectively. The broadening of the XRD peaks may indicate nanometer-size growth of MoS2 with few-layer stacks. In order to confirm such results, the size and morphology of the prepared MoS2 samples were observed using FE-SEM as shown in Figure 2a, and in

• coincides well with the experimental results of this study. The X-ray diffraction pattern of flower-shaped MoS2 nanoflakes synthesized by the hydrothermal method. FE-SEM micrographs of flower-shaped MoS2 nanoflakes synthesized via the hydrothermal method. EDX analysis of MoS2 nanoflake powder as prepared by

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

• materials should be higher than that of less-aligned CNTs. Figure 22 shows field emission (FE)-SEM micrographs of two CNT samples with random and aligned orientation and their polarized Raman spectra at 0° and 90° (0° related to the polarization direction of the laser light where it is parallel to the CNT

• permission from [130], copyright 2001 Elsevier. FE-SEM micrographs presenting the microstructural morphology of (a) random and (b) aligned CNT sheets with polarized Raman spectra at 0° and 90°. Reproduced with permission from [142], copyright 2016 Elsevier. A summary of the discussed techniques for the

Synthesis and characterization of electrospun molybdenum dioxide–carbon nanofibers as sulfur matrix additives for rechargeable lithium–sulfur battery applications

• Ruiyuan Zhuang,
• Shanshan Yao,
• Maoxiang Jing,
• Xiangqian Shen,
• Jun Xiang,
• Tianbao Li,
• Kesong Xiao and
• Shibiao Qin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 262–270, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.28

• molecules on the nanofibers of KBr. A photo of the nonwoven PAN/PMA material is depicted in Figure 3a. The morphology of the as-prepared composite fibers and calcined fibers was further characterized by FE-SEM and TEM. The PAN/PMA composite fibers showed smooth surfaces due to their amorphous nature (Figure

Gas-sensing behaviour of ZnO/diamond nanostructures

• Marina Davydova,
• Alexandr Laposa,
• Jiri Smarhak,
• Alexander Kromka,
• Neda Neykova,
• Josef Nahlik,
• Jiri Kroutil,
• Jan Drahokoupil and
• Jan Voves

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 22–29, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.4

• [30]. The resulting morphologies of structured NCD films and ZnO NRs were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, Merlin, ZEISS). Raman spectroscopy measurements were carried out at room temperature using a Renishaw InVia Raman Microscope with the following conditions

Facile synthesis of silver/silver thiocyanate (Ag@AgSCN) plasmonic nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic performance

• Xinfu Zhao,
• Dairong Chen,
• Abdul Qayum,
• Bo Chen and
• Xiuling Jiao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2781–2789, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.277

• microscope (FE-SEM, JSM-6700F), a transmission electron microscope (TEM, JEM 100-CXII) with an accelerating voltage of 80 kV, and a high-resolution TEM (HRTEM, GEOL-2010) with an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. Also, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were collected on an X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku D

Surfactant-induced enhancement of droplet adhesion in superhydrophobic soybean (Glycine max L.) leaves

• Oliver Hagedorn,
• Ingo Fleute-Schlachter,
• Hans Georg Mainx,
• Viktoria Zeisler-Diehl and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2345–2356, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.234

• Stereoscan 200 (Cambridge Instruments GmbH, Dortmund) instrument or with a high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, Gemini Supra 40VP, Carl Zeiss GmbH, Oberkochen, Germany), equipped with a cryo-preparation unit (Emitech K1250X, Gabler Instrumente GmbH, Germany), consisting of a

Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO quantum dot/KNb₃O₈ nanosheet photocatalysts for reducing carbon dioxide to methanol

• Xiao Shao,
• Weiyue Xin and
• Xiaohong Yin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2264–2270, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.226

• were characterized with a powder X-ray diffraction instrument (XRD, D/Max–2500, Rigaku). The morphology and microstructure were examined by scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, JEOL–JSM 700F). The chemical composition was characterized using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). TEM and HRTEM

Synthesis and functionalization of NaGdF₄:Yb,Er@NaGdF₄ core–shell nanoparticles for possible application as multimodal contrast agents

• Dovile Baziulyte-Paulaviciene,
• Vitalijus Karabanovas,
• Marius Stasys,
• Greta Jarockyte,
• Vilius Poderys,
• Simas Sakirzanovas and
• Ricardas Rotomskis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1815–1824, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.183

• particle morphology was characterized using a field emission scanning electron microscope (SU-70 Hitachi, FE-SEM) at an acceleration voltage of 10 kV. The UC luminescence spectra were recorded using an Edinburgh Instruments FLS980 spectrometer equipped with a double emission monochromator, a cooled (−20 °C

Near-infrared-responsive, superparamagnetic Au@Co nanochains

• Varadee Vittur,
• Arati G. Kolhatkar,
• Shreya Shah,
• Irene Rusakova,
• Dmitri Litvinov and
• T. Randall Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1680–1687, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.168

• (FE-SEM) and TEM. FE-SEM measurements were carried out using a JEOL JSM 6330F instrument operating at an accelerating voltage of 15 kV. TEM measurements were carried out using a JEOL JEM-2000 FX electron microscope operating at an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. The samples were prepared by placing

• small drops of solution containing the dispersed nanochains on a silicon wafer (for FE-SEM) or on 300-mesh holey carbon-coated copper grids (for TEM) and allowing the solvent to evaporate. Analysis by XRD was performed using a Siemens D-5000 with monochromatic Cu Kα radiation (λ = 1.540562 Å), and EDX

Fabrication of hierarchically porous TiO₂ nanofibers by microemulsion electrospinning and their application as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

• Jin Zhang,
• Yibing Cai,
• Xuebin Hou,
• Xiaofei Song,
• Pengfei Lv,
• Huimin Zhou and
• Qufu Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1297–1306, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.131

• porous TiO2 nanofibers were recorded on a Bruker D8 Advance X-ray diffractometer with Cu Kα radiation (wavelength λ = 1.54 Å) at a scanning speed of 4 °C/min. A Hitachi field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, SU4800) was employed to observe the surface morphology of porous TiO2 nanofibers

• . Prior to the FE-SEM examination, all the specimens were sputter-coated with gold to avoid charge accumulations. Transmission electron microscopy was conducted on a JEOL JEM-2100 transmission electron microscopy unit at an accelerating voltage of 120 kV. The specific surface area and pore structure of

Metal oxide nanostructures: preparation, characterization and functional applications as chemical sensors

• Dario Zappa,
• Angela Bertuna,
• Elisabetta Comini,
• Navpreet Kaur,
• Nicola Poli,
• Veronica Sberveglieri and
• Giorgio Sberveglieri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1205–1217, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.122

• nanostructures Evaporation–condensation technique: NiO, SnO2 and ZnO Evaporation–condensation allows one to obtain disordered mats of nanowires, covering the area of substrates with the catalyst. Figure 1 (top) shows the FE-SEM images of NiO nanowires at different magnifications, while Figure 1 (middle) and

• ). Characterization techniques A field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) LEO 1525 was used to investigate the morphology of samples. The electron beam was set at 3–5 keV energy and the samples were attached to metallic stub via carbon glue, to reduce charging effect due to the interaction of electron

• component analysis (PCA). FE-SEM images of NiO nanowires at different magnifications (top), SnO2 nanowires (middle) and ZnO nanowires (bottom). Raman spectrum of NiO nanowires deposited on alumina substrate measured in ambient air at room temperature. Raman spectrum of SnO2 nanowires deposited on alumina

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

• lattice parameter a. Next, morphological studies of the samples were conducted by field emission scanning microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microcopy (TEM). As revealed in the SEM images, Co-90 and Co-130 possess two degrees of hierarchy: (i) nanorods as a primary structure that (ii) form

• was used. The morphology and dimensions of the isolated products were investigated with field emission scanning (FE-SEM, Carl Zeiss, Supra 35LV) and transmission electron (TEM, Jeol 2100, 200 keV) microscopes. The specimens for SEM characterization were prepared by placing a small amount of a sample

• depositing a droplet of the dispersion on a lacey-carbon-coated copper grid. The elemental analysis of potassium, sulfur, manganese and cobalt/chromium was performed with the FE-SEM equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). Standard K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) of the

Synthesis of graphene–transition metal oxide hybrid nanoparticles and their application in various fields

• Arpita Jana,
• Elke Scheer and
• Sebastian Polarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 688–714, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.74

Organoclay hybrid materials as precursors of porous ZnO/silica-clay heterostructures for photocatalytic applications

• Marwa Akkari,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1971–1982, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.188

• of the prepared heterostructures were characterized by diverse physico-chemical techniques (such as XRD, FTIR, TEM, FE-SEM). The efficiency of these new porous ZnO/SiO2-clay heterostructures as potential photocatalysts in the degradation of organic dyes and the removal of pharmaceutical drugs in

• samples containing SiO2 the shoulder shifts to higher wavenumbers and even a second shoulder is observable in the 1180–1200 cm−1 range, as the bands ascribed to vibration modes of the silica network overlap those of the clay substrate, as it was also observed in other SiO2-clay nanocomposites [11]. FE-SEM

• materials based on sepiolite, where organic or inorganic components can partially penetrate the sepiolite structural tunnels impeding the silicate folding [18][24]. From the FE-SEM images of the SiO2-SEP-CTA sample before (Figure 7A) and after the assembly of ZnO NP to form the heterostructure ZnO/SiO2-SEP

Functionalized platinum nanoparticles with surface charge trigged by pH: synthesis, characterization and stability studies

• Giovanna Testa,
• Laura Fontana,
• Iole Venditti and
• Ilaria Fratoddi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1822–1828, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.175

• obtained in basic water solution and positive charged nanoparticles in neutral or acidic water solution (pH 7–2), as confirmed by DLS and ζ-potential measurements. FTIR spectroscopy, FE-SEM, DLS and ζ-potential measurements confirmed the size and showed long term water stability (up to three months) of the

• . Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) were acquired with the Auriga Zeiss instrument (resolution 1 nm, applied voltage 6–12 kV) on freshly prepared films drop-cast from H2O solution on a metallic sample holder. A MiniSpin (Eppendorf

Effective intercalation of zein into Na-montmorillonite: role of the protein components and use of the developed biointerfaces

• Ana C. S. Alcântara,
• Margarita Darder,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1772–1782, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.170

• different components of zein in a soluble phase (EXT) and a precipitate (PCT) occurs in pure ethanol (Figure 1A), as detailed in the Experimental section. These phases show different textural characteristics as observed by FE-SEM (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1). Colorimetric tests using a

• observed with a FE-SEM equipment FEI-NOVA NanoSEM 230, which allowed semi-quantitative analysis of elements. The equipment allows for the direct observation of samples adhered on a carbon tape without requirement of any conductive coating on the surface. For the TEM images (Philips Tecnai 20, operating at

• the FE-SEM study, and Mr J. González Casablanca (CAT URJC) for the TEM images.

Improved lithium-ion battery anode capacity with a network of easily fabricated spindle-like carbon nanofibers

• Mengting Liu,
• Wenhe Xie,
• Lili Gu,
• Tianfeng Qin,
• Xiaoyi Hou and
• Deyan He

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1289–1295, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.120

• PAN in 5 mL DMF, as well as dissolving 0.05 g C3N3(NH2)3 and 0.4 g PAN in another 5 mL DMF, respectively. Characterization of the carbon network The microstructural and morphological characterization of the as-fabricated carbon networks were conducted by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE

• -SEM, S-4800, Hitachi) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM, FEI, Tecnai G2 F30). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, X’Pert Pro, Philips), Raman spectroscopy (Jobin–Yvon Horiba, HR800) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Kratos, Axis UltraDLD) analyses were carried out to determine the chemical

Sandwich-like layer-by-layer assembly of gold nanoparticles with tunable SERS properties

• Zhicheng Liu,
• Lu Bai,
• Guizhe Zhao and
• Yaqing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1028–1032, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.95

• -prepared substrate and left to dry in the air. The as-synthesized Au NP solution was characterized by UV–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy (Cary 5000). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, Hitachi S-4800) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM, JEOL JEM 1011) were used to image the LbL thin

Development of highly faceted reduced graphene oxide-coated copper oxide and copper nanoparticles on a copper foil surface

• Rebeca Ortega-Amaya,
• Yasuhiro Matsumoto,
• Andrés M. Espinoza-Rivas,
• Manuel A. Pérez-Guzmán and
• Mauricio Ortega-López

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1010–1017, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.93

• Ar atmosphere for 1 h. For characterization, the rGO films were peeled off with stainless steel tweezers. Characterization The structure and morphology were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM, JEOL 2010 and HR-TEM, JEOL ARM 200F), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM

• , Zeiss Auriga). Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS, Bruker Xflash 5010 detector) was used to characterize composition. Results and Discussion Formation of initial nanoparticles We prepared a series of samples of GO supported on a Cu foil, as described in the Experimental section. FE-SEM images in

• predominant inorganic phase in the core of the rGO-coated nanoparticles. Notice that the Cu2O and CuNPs developed a faceted shape, i.e., their equilibrium crystal shape which is determined by the surface energy [32]. Equilibrium crystal shape development In all cases, TEM or FE-SEM images revealed that