Structural, optical, and bioimaging characterization of carbon quantum dots solvothermally synthesized from o-phenylenediamine

• Zoran M. Marković,
• Milica D. Budimir,
• Martin Danko,
• Dušan D. Milivojević,
• Pavel Kubat,
• Danica Z. Zmejkoski,
• Vladimir B. Pavlović,
• Marija M. Mojsin,
• Milena J. Stevanović and
• Biljana M. Todorović Marković

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 165–174, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.17

• bending vibrations, respectively. The peaks at 1521 and 1061 cm−1 stem from N–O stretching and C–O stretching vibrations, respectively. The peaks at 961, 815, and 759 cm−1 could be assigned to C=C bending, C-H bending, and C=C bending vibrations, respectively [30]. An et al. reported that XPS analysis of

Combining physical vapor deposition structuration with dealloying for the creation of a highly efficient SERS platform

• Adrien Chauvin,
• Walter Puglisi,
• Damien Thiry,
• Cristina Satriano,
• Rony Snyders and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 83–94, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.10

• SERS properties of the nanoporous structure. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) the morphology and surface composition of each nanoporous structure were respectively evaluated and used to describe the SERS properties of the samples. Results and

• of the surface of the film was probed by XPS. The SERS properties of a structure are driven by the presence of ‘hot spots’. These are highly sensitive to the composition of the surface since the presence of impurities can hinder the SERS properties [30]. The XPS composition of the surface of the

• , surface composition drives SERS properties. Thus, the surface composition of the AlAg30 samples dealloyed for 60 min in NaOH and in H3PO4 was evaluated by XPS (Table 2). As for the sample dealloyed in HCl, the Ag 3d peak recorded on the sample dealloyed in H3PO4 reveals the presence of metallic silver at

Gap-directed chemical lift-off lithographic nanoarchitectonics for arbitrary sub-micrometer patterning

• Chang-Ming Wang,
• Hong-Sheng Chan,
• Chia-Li Liao,
• Che-Wei Chang and
• Wei-Ssu Liao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 34–44, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.4

• the rectangle function in ZEN 2012 Service Pack 2 software (Carl Zeiss Microscopy, Jena, Germany). XPS spectra after each surface modification step were collected with ULVAC-PHI X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (PHI QuanteraII, Kanagawa, Japan). Selective wet chemical etching processes and metal

• moieties are conjugated with streptavidin followed by FITC-labeled anti-streptavidin antibody recognition (Figure 1A). This process results in obvious contrast in fluorescence images, allowing the visualization of biorecognition processes at post lift-off regions. XPS spectroscopy is utilized to monitor

• surface patterns created by gap-directed CLL through biorecognition. (A) Schematic illustration of the biorecognition process including post lift-off region biotinylated thiol backfilling, streptavidin binding, and antibody recognition. (B) XPS characterization of the surface for (left) pure MCU SAM

LED-light-activated photocatalytic performance of metal-free carbon-modified hexagonal boron nitride towards degradation of methylene blue and phenol

• Nirmalendu S. Mishra and
• Pichiah Saravanan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1380–1392, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.114

• attachment using BaSO4 as the standard. The electronic arrangement of the studied materials was revealed through a PHI 5000 versa probe III high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (HR-XPS). The mineralization efficiency was estimated through the variation in the total organic carbon content by using

• of various gases (NH3, CO2, H2O) generated during the synthesis process [3][23]. Elemental characteristics and surface area The XPS binding energy (BE) survey spectrum for MBN and its constituent elements have been depicted in Figure 2a. The existence of B 1s, N 1s, and C 1s in the BE spectra clearly

• four subpeaks at 283.66 (C–B), 284.96 (C–C), 287.4 (C–N), and 288.55 eV (C=O) respectively and has been depicted in Figure 3d. The XPS analysis also validates the equal stoichiometry of B/N in the as-synthesized MBN. Furthermore, the C content in MBN was found to be 37.4% which is noticeably higher

Near-infrared photoactive Ag-Zn-Ga-S-Se quantum dots for high-performance quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

• Roopakala Kottayi,
• Ilangovan Veerappan and
• Ramadasse Sittaramane

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1337–1344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.110

• JSM-7600F. The electronic states of the elements and their atomic ratio in the prepared samples was analyzed by using XPS (Kratos AXIS Ultra DLD) and EDX (Bruker Nano XFlash detector attached to the HRTEM). Optical properties were examined by using a UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer L-650 UV

• approximately a ratio of 1:1:1:1.5:1.5 , indicating the formation of AgZnGaS1.5Se1.5 QDs. XPS studies XPS spectra of AZGSSe QDs are depicted in Figure 3. To avoid the background noise, peak fits were included in all elemental spectra. Figure 3a shows Ag 3d, Zn 2p, S 2p, Se 3d, Ga 2p, C 1s, and O 1s peaks. Here

• to the enormous light-harvesting capacity of AZGSSe QDs and the enhanced electron transfer from AZGSSe QDs to TiO2 NFs. XRD pattern of AZGSSe QDs. (a) HRTEM image and (b) EXD spectrum of AZGSSe QDs. (a) Survey; (b) Ag 3d; (c) Zn 2p; (d) Ga 2p; (e) S 2p, and (f) Se 3d XPS spectra of AZGSSe QDs. (a) UV

Role of titanium and organic precursors in molecular layer deposition of “titanicone” hybrid materials

• Arbresha Muriqi and
• Michael Nolan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1240–1255, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.103

• energy for TiCl4 to lose Cl ligands and bind on either TiO2 surface is negative, although there is a notable energy cost for losing the second Cl ligand from surface bound TiCl3. We do not explore further loss of HCl to give adsorbed TiCl since XPS analysis from previous experimental work showed that

Rapid fabrication of MgO@g-C₃N₄ heterojunctions for photocatalytic nitric oxide removal

• Minh-Thuan Pham,
• Duyen P. H. Tran,
• Xuan-Thanh Bui and
• Sheng-Jie You

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1141–1154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.96

• (HR-XPS). The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the materials was carried out in the form of fluorescence analysis with an excitation wavelength range of 200–900 nm. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism was determined by trapping tests and ESR measurements. Photocatalytic performance The

• observe in Figure 7c,d. However, the shape of MgO is complicated to determine by TEM and HR-TEM (Figure 7a,b). These results prove the presence of MgO in the compound. Chemical state analysis XPS and HR-XPS have been employed to determine the chemical states of the materials. XPS survey scans of g-C3N4

• , and O KLL levels are observed at 46, 304, 555, and 978 eV, respectively [58][59]. The HR-XPS of the C 1s level are shown in Figure 8b. The peak at 283 eV was assigned to the C–C coordination in MgO, and the peak at 287 eV was assigned to N–C=N bonds of g-C3N4. The latter peak only appears in g-C3N4

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

• cerasifera fruit was used to synthesize highly luminescent CDs via a hydrothermal method. The reaction temperature and time used were 200 °C and 20 h, respectively. Characterization techniques such as TEM, FTIR, and XPS were used to study the CDs which were almost spherical and had high nitrogen content [49

• the electronic structure of CDs, N,S-CDs have drawn more interest in recent years. Li et al. reported a simple and economical one-pot hydrothermal carbonization route to prepare N,S-CDs by using ginkgo leaves as a natural precursor. XPS results demonstrated that the reported CDs were having elemental

• Dunaliella salina was used to prepared low-cost N,P-CDs without any external agent. The algal biomass consists of amino acids and proteins, and XPS revealed that the CDs contain pyrrolic nitrogen and phosphate groups showing that these molecules were doped into the lattice of N,P-CDs [109]. Using banana peel

Spindle-like MIL101(Fe) decorated with Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles for enhanced degradation of chlortetracycline under visible-light irradiation

• Chen-chen Hao,
• Fang-yan Chen,
• Kun Bian,
• Yu-bin Tang and
• Wei-long Shi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1038–1050, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.91

• , FEI-quanta 200, Japan Electronics, Japan), transmission electron microscopy (TEM, FEI-Tecnai F20, USA) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM, JEOL 2100F, Japan). The element valence and chemical composition was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Axis ultra

• photocatalytic activity of the Bi2O3/MIL101(Fe) composite. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to explore the elemental compositions and the surface chemical states of BOM-20 and the results are presented in Figure 4. The XPS survey spectrum (Figure 4a) indicates the existence of Fe, Bi, O, and C in

• photocatalytic mechanism, the band structure was measured by UV–vis DRS and valence band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (VB-XPS). UV–vis DRS spectra and the bandgap (Eg) of Bi2O3 and MIL101(Fe) were discussed in Figure 5a, and the obtained bandgap of Bi2O3 and MIL101(Fe) are 2.78 and 2.75 eV, respectively

Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activity of AgCoCu oxides on reduced graphene oxide in alkaline media

• Iyyappan Madakannu,
• Indrajit Patil,
• Bhalchandra Kakade and
• Kasibhatta Kumara Ramanatha Datta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1020–1029, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.89

• electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) of 66.92 m2·g−1 and a mass activity of 40.55 mA·mg−1. We investigated bonding nature, composition, and morphology of the ACC-2 sample using XPS and TEM. The material is electrochemically stable up to 10,000 potential cycles, highlighting the durability of the

Theoretical investigations of oxygen vacancy effects in nickel-doped zirconia from ab initio XANES spectroscopy at the oxygen K-edge

• Dick Hartmann Douma,
• Lodvert Tchibota Poaty,
• Alessio Lamperti,
• Stéphane Kenmoe,
• Abdulrafiu Tunde Raji,
• Alberto Debernardi and
• Bernard M’Passi-Mabiala

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 975–985, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.85

• photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) [26], XANES spectra [27], and synchrotron radiation measurements [4], where it was suggested that for every two dopant atoms of Fe in zirconia, one single O vacancy is created. It is, thus, expected that in similarity to the effect of Fe doping in zirconia, substitutional Ni in

Temperature and chemical effects on the interfacial energy between a Ga–In–Sn eutectic liquid alloy and nanoscopic asperities

• Yujin Han,
• Pierre-Marie Thebault,
• Corentin Audes,
• Xuelin Wang,
• Haiwoong Park,
• Jian-Zhong Jiang and
• Arnaud Caron

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 817–827, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.72

• liquid sample by fitting the function to our experimental data. The chemical composition of the eutectic Ga–In–Sn liquid alloy sample was determined by photoelectronic X-ray spectroscopy (XPS) before and after heating in air at 100 °C for 3 h. The spectrograms were recorded with a K-alpha+ XPS system

• affected our measurements. Figure 6 and Table 3 show XPS results obtained on a drop of Ga–In–Sn eutectic liquid before and after heating in air at 100 °C for 3 h. The choice of this duration roughly corresponds to the time necessary to complete a series of AFM measurements. Figure 6 and Table 3 show that

• 1s orbital of carbon. We attribute these contributions (CO32−, C–C/C–H, and C–O) to contamination from the ambient. As mentioned above, we performed the XPS measurements on these liquid samples without prior Ar+-ion sputtering or further heating inside the vacuum chamber of the XPS instrument. Given

Optimizing PMMA solutions to suppress contamination in the transfer of CVD graphene for batch production

• Chun-Da Liao,
• Andrea Capasso,
• Tiago Queirós,
• Telma Domingues,
• Fatima Cerqueira,
• Nicoleta Nicoara,
• Jérôme Borme,
• Paulo Freitas and
• Pedro Alpuim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 796–806, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.70

• cycles, while PMMA-15k promoted depolymerization, which allowed for a complete removal of PMMA residues without the need for any post-treatment. An XPS analysis confirmed the cleanness of the optimized process. We validated the impact of the optimized PMMA solution on the mass fabrication of arrays of

• surface roughness of ca. 2.8 nm. The low roughness obtained with B2 PMMA can be also related to a minimal occurrence of nanometer-scale PMMA residues. XPS was employed to analyze the graphene samples transferred using C4 and B2 PMMA (Figure 4). Figure 4a shows the chemical structure of the PMMA molecule

• crystals were transferred using PMMA with different AMWs and weight percentages in anisole. Repeated transfer cycles among water baths revealed, as expected, that PMMA with higher AMW and weight percentage allowed for a better mechanical support to graphene. Optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS

Hierarchical Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂-nanotube composites derived from natural cellulose for visible-light photocatalytic treatment of pollutants

• Zehao Lin,
• Zhan Yang and
• Jianguo Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 745–762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.66

• (FTIR) spectra of the samples were recorded on the Nicolet iS10 spectrometer. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiment was performed on the Thermo Scientific ESCALAB 250Xi spectrometer equipped with an Al Kα X-ray source at an energy value of 1486.6 eV. The XPS spectra were calibrated by

• composite nanotube, demonstrating the effective formation of heterostructures in between Bi2WO6 and TiO2 phases in the Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposite. As shown in Supporting Information File 1, Figure S3, the XPS survey spectrum of the 70%−Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposite only displays the signals of Ti, O, Bi

• , and W. The high-resolution XPS spectrum of the Bi 4f region (Figure 5a) shows two peaks at 164.1 and 158.8 eV, which are indexed to the binding energies of Bi 4f5/2 and Bi 4f7/2, respectively, proving the existence of Bi(III) in Bi2WO6 [44]. The high-resolution XPS spectrum of the W 4f region (Figure

A nonenzymatic reduced graphene oxide-based nanosensor for parathion

• Sarani Sen,
• Anurag Roy,
• Ambarish Sanyal and
• Parukuttyamma Sujatha Devi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 730–744, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.65

• spectra of the samples were recorded in the 1000–3500 cm−1 region with a resolution of 1 cm−1 using a Renishaw via a Reflex micro-Raman spectrometer with an argon ion (514.6 nm) laser. The X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) data were obtained from a PHI 5000 Versa probe II scanning XPS microprobe

• GO. Figure 2 represents the deconvoluted C 1s and O 1s XPS spectra of GO (Figure 2A and Figure 2B) and modified ERGO (Figure 2C and Figure 2D) electrodes. An asymmetric peak centered on ≈284.8 eV appeared due to the graphitic nature of GO and ERGO (Figure 2A and Figure 2B). Four different carbon

• nonenzymatic electrochemical nanosensor based on ERGO for rapid detection of PT. The electrochemical parameters were optimized to achieve the highest performance of the ERGO-modified electrode, and the structure was characterized by Raman, XRD, XPS, TEM, FESEM, and EIS techniques. Square-wave voltammetry was

Nanoarchitectonics of the cathode to improve the reversibility of Li–O₂ batteries

• Hien Thi Thu Pham,
• Jonghyeok Yun,
• So Yeun Kim,
• Sang A Han,
• Jung Ho Kim,
• Jong-Won Lee and
• Min-Sik Park

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 689–698, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.61

• /CNT composites was further investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as shown in Figure 4. The XPS spectra were carefully deconvoluted, based on the excitation of C 1s at the binding energy of 284.5 eV. According to the Co 2p spectra collected from the ZnxCoy–C/CNT composites

• microstructures of the materials. Powder XRD (PANalytical, Empyrean) and Raman spectroscopy (inVia Raman microscopes, Ar ion laser, 514 nm) were employed to analyze the structures. Their surface chemistry was investigated by XPS (Thermo Scientific, Sigma Probe), while their surface area and porosity were

• insets in the bottom row are the corresponding selected area diffraction (SAED) patterns. XPS spectra of ZnxCoy–C/CNT composites: (a) Co 2p and (b) Zn 2p. (a) Electrical conductivity, (b) N2 sorption isotherms, (c) Dollimore–Heal desorption pore size distributions, and (d) TGA curves of ZnxCoy–C/CNT

Investigation of electron-induced cross-linking of self-assembled monolayers by scanning tunneling microscopy

• Patrick Stohmann,
• Sascha Koch,
• Yang Yang,
• Christopher David Kaiser,
• Julian Ehrens,
• Jürgen Schnack,
• Niklas Biere,
• Dario Anselmetti,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Xianghui Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 462–471, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.39

• separation [36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. The interactions between aromatic SAMs and electrons have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), near-edge X-ray-absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) technique [43][44][45][46][47][48][49], infrared spectroscopy [43][50][51][52], high-resolution

Tubular glassy carbon microneedles with fullerene-like tips for biomedical applications

• Sharali Malik and
• George E. Kostakis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 455–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.38

• characterization techniques such as XPS and TEM. Recently, V. Uskoković [30] has pointed out that although glassy carbons have seen numerous application in the last fifty years, biomedical applications have been sporadic. I. Schreiver et al. [31] have shown that allergic reactions can be triggered by nickel and

Investigation of a memory effect in a Au/(Ti–Cu)Ox-gradient thin film/TiAlV structure

• Damian Wojcieszak,
• Jarosław Domaradzki,
• Michał Mazur,
• Tomasz Kotwica and
• Danuta Kaczmarek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 265–273, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.21

• also investigated to show the gradient distribution of Ti and Cu as a function of the thin film depth. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies were performed to determine the chemical state of titanium and copper on the surface of the mixed oxide thin films. A Specs XR-50 X-ray non-monochromatic

• energies of the spectra were referred to the Fermi level (EF) determined from a cleaned reference Au sample. Measurement results were analyzed with the aid of CasaXPS software. In the case of XPS and UPS measurements, the results were averaged over a certain surface area, that is, the beam diameter was

• transitions using the Tauc method. Structure and elemental composition Surface properties The oxidation state of copper on the surface of (Ti0.48Cu0.52)Ox thin film was analyzed with the XPS Cu 2p core level spectrum (Figure 6). The Cu 2p core level has split spin–orbit components with ΔBE of 19.8 eV and an

Relationship between corrosion and nanoscale friction on a metallic glass

• Haoran Ma and
• Roland Bennewitz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 236–244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.18

• outer layer after polarization [21], they did not show a clear distinction of the top of the outer layer after immersion. Maurice et al. [32] found that the thickness of the outer layers on stainless steel surfaces is similar during immersion and after polarization (0.5–0.7 nm) using XPS analysis

Impact of device design on the electronic and optoelectronic properties of integrated Ru-terpyridine complexes

• Max Mennicken,
• Sophia Katharina Peter,
• Corinna Kaulen,
• Ulrich Simon and
• Silvia Karthäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 219–229, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.16

• -SAc)–AuNPs, with an average size of 12.9 ± 1.6 nm (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S2). Ru(TP)2-complex wire growth For the tracking of the Ru(TP)2-complex wire formation via XPS measurements mica substrates of 8 × 4 mm2 covered by a 200 nm Au(111) layer were used. In a first step the substrates

• . Instrumentation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were conducted with a PHI5000 VersaProbe II using monochromatic Al Kα radiation (1.486 keV). Survey scans (187.5 eV pass energy, 0.8 eV/step) and core level spectra (23.5 eV pass energy, 0.1 eV/step) of the elements C 1s, N 1s, O 1s, S 1s, Ru 3d

• were monitored by XPS measurements. The step-by-step formation of the Ru(TP)2-complex wires was conducted starting with the assembly of MPTP on Au substrates, corresponding to samples (i) (Figure 1). Then the substrates were incubated in a Ru-PF6 solution, leading to the formation of the Ru-MPTP half

Low-energy electron interaction and focused electron beam-induced deposition of molybdenum hexacarbonyl (Mo(CO)₆)

• Po-Yuan Shih,
• Maicol Cipriani,
• Christian Felix Hermanns,
• Jens Oster,
• Klaus Edinger,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Oddur Ingólfsson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 182–191, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.13

• rapidly with increased electron dose and was already insignificant above 1 × 1017 e−/cm2. An XPS analysis of the remaining deposit revealed an average loss of two CO groups from the W(CO)6 adsorbate at about 7 × 1016 e−/cm2, but above that dose the dominating pathway becomes electron-induced CO

Tin dioxide nanomaterial-based photocatalysts for nitrogen oxide oxidation: a review

• Viet Van Pham,
• Hong-Huy Tran,
• Thao Kim Truong and
• Thi Minh Cao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 96–113, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.7

• reports still proposed its photocatalytic behaviors partly based on •O2− species via the combination of experimental physicochemical analyses, such as electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, active species trapping experiments, valence band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and diffuse

• •O2− radicals played a primary role in the photocatalytic NO oxidation. Additionally, using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, XPS, active species trapping tests, and ESR spectroscopy, the authors studied the photoinduced charge migration and trapping. They proposed the band structure of the SnO2

• photocatalytic oxidation ability of SnO2. Ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra (a) and corresponding bandgaps of SQDs (b). Figure 3 was reprinted from [46], Materials Letters, vol. 221, by Babu, B.; Neelakanta Reddy, I.; Yoo, K.; Kim, D.; Shim, J. “Bandgap tuning and XPS study of SnO2 quantum dots”, pages 211

Sputtering onto liquids: a critical review

• Anastasiya Sergievskaya,
• Adrien Chauvin and
• Stephanos Konstantinidis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 10–53, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.2

Chemical vapor deposition of germanium-rich CrGe_x nanowires

• Vladislav Dřínek,
• Stanislav Tiagulskyi,
• Roman Yatskiv,
• Jan Grym,
• Radek Fajgar,
• Věra Jandová,
• Martin Koštejn and
• Jaroslav Kupčík

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1365–1371, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.100

• multiplet peaks at higher binding energies associated with elemental Cr/germanide (CrGex) and multiplet splitting of the Cr(III) oxide species [13], respectively (Figure 4b). We were not able to separate elemental Cr and CrGex subpeaks as the XPS shift of a metal (chromium)/germanium in metal (chromium

• first part of the furnace. The Cr(acac)3 vapor in a continuous flow (3 sccm) of germane (GeH4) at 250 Pa was transported to the second part of the furnace where pyrolysis took place at 500 °C over molybdenum substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS, Kratos ESCA 3400 with a base pressure below